Reporter's Notebook: Of Balmy National and Local Politics...Pro Basketball...Perry...And Rope...

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
Editor of The Tribune

AUSTIN, Texas - News never sleeps. You can move out of town for a few days and return to see that little has changed. It's hotter than it was in May, but that's the summer scorch. Stuff has a way of working itself into your brain, whether you like it or not. It's part of the biological journey, taking the bad with the good, the ugly with the attractive, the horrible with the enlightening. We're in a vignette-state-of-mind this morning, so here goes something of a wrap-up.

1.) National Politics - New York Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner is still with us, even after his flirtation with sexless sex. He's been asked to resign his seat. Weiner is holding on. That sad episode with sexting photos of himself to women not his wife will fade. That's the nature of scandal. Eventually something else surfaces and the press moves on. Next up is an expected catfight between Republicans Sarah Palin and Michele Bachman. Already, the two darlings of the Tea Party are throwing darts at each other. Both want the GOP presidential nomination that would pit them against Democratic President Barack Obama. It's a losing proposition for both Republican molls, but the bitching between them should be entertaining.

2.) Pro Basketball - Last night's stunning victory by the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the National Basketball Association's championship series brought the first pro basketball title to Big D. It was a shocker for Miami Heat fans, but there it was on national TV. The hero was a scrawny guard named Jason "Jet" Terry. Left to play the mpo-up role of suporter was Mavericks whiner Dirk Nowitzki. He'd been been the problem for that team for the past decade. The Big German made "gunning" his trademark, and he selfishly shoots at every opportunity. And when he's been off, the press has fallen for his claims of a fever, a bad hand and other health problems. When they compare him to Hall-of-Famer Larry Bird, well, that's the last straw. Bird led the Celtics to three championships, was league MVP three times and won a title as a coach. Nowitzki's accomplishments pale when compared to Boston's Number 33. Hopes spring eternal in Big D, but Dirty Dirk always finds a way to disappoint. Good thing he had the Jet...

3.) South Texas Politics - Success often comes when the wagon is stopped and turned in another direction. It's a moment-in-time for residents of Cameron County down by the ungovernable Mexican border. A new congressional district has been created and already a few road-tired pols have lined up at that trough. Residents of the poor district should look to a new face for representation. Voting for the same old do-nothings will get them just that - nothing. We offer the suggestion that a worthwhile candidate would be Brownsville City Commissioner Melissa Zamora. She's young and largely untainted. Ms. Zamora would be a breath of fresh air, and it would punish the politicians seeking the office just because they can. It's time for a new political chapter for this region. Well, it's been time for a long time, actually. Electing a Lucio, an Oliveira, a Villalobos, or an Ahumada only tells the world that dumb continues to be the best adjective for a part of the state forever characterized as being backward.

4.)  The Governor Of Nothing - Rick Perry has a closet problem. He is the elected governor of a passel of Texas Republicans. Perry is said to be considering a run for the presidency after yelling his desire to secede from the nation. Now, he wants to pray. The son of West Texas ground is hosting a prayer summit next month in which he plans to become Joel Osteen, Jimmy Swaggert, Billy Graham and Paulino Bernal. Who'll attend is anybody's guess, although some of the usual suspects can be counted on to arrive wearing their best black garb. Look for Republican John Cornyn to show up dressed as John The Baptist. Look for crazed Republican State Rep. Leo Berman of the English-only movement to waltz in as if he thinks he's in Jerusalem. And that's Tom DeLay in the flowing white robe looking kinda spiffy as a Bible-thumping Klansman. It's all for show, a bad one at that. Perry never was as religious during his days as a Democrat. But that was sometime back, before he got the opportunist bug in his blood. As for his chances at the presidency, well, it'll be a long time before a Texan gets that job after the mess left behind by one George W. Bush. Then there's that touchy closet problem for his guy. He'll have to come clean.

5.)  Rope - Writing long-form fiction is my last addiction. I'm into my next novel, and, well, it keeps me in coffee and out of trouble. My blogging takes up about 20 minutes of my morning once I settle on a topic. The rest of the day, for the most part, is me in my made-up world, me messing with a plot, the plot's characters and me fighting with it all. As most who know me know, my bent is in writing contemporary westerns. Not cowboy tales, but modern fiction set out west. This one follows a bit of my earlier novel Half The Town, but not entirely. It concerns a rural vet treating his animals and his romantic interest as if passing fancies. Love finds its altitude, only it is his Big City dog creating the drama. They say pets will adjust to whatever setting you place them in, so long as you nurture then. Uh, no. Big City dogs hate the smalltowns. This one does. This one doesn't give a damn about the smell of bacon & eggs in the morning, or about the quiet of the rural evening, or about the girlfriend coming over and staying overnight. Big City dogs hate that. They want their space. They demand attention. They bark at ghosts, and they kick ass at every opportunity. As Chapter 5 ends, a reputation has been made. Neighborhood dogs know the score. And Evelyn, the hard-headed girlfriend in the story, has announced she damned straight is taking that waitress job at the Nuclear Club in town...

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