CBS is reporting that Perry called Mike Huckabee today and asked Huckabee to drop out of the race.

Um. Why would Huckabee care what Perry thinks? Is he just doing McCain's bidding? Or trying to show McCain that he's somehow loyal to the Arizona senator in an attempt to grasp at that VP spot?

The GOP is imploding over their nomination process. What kills me is that those "party leaders" that have steered this party toward extremism and given such a voice to the whack jobs that focus on social conservatism rather than fiscal conservatism.

McCain was booed at a speech in front of Republicans yesterday and the internet is alive with stories from conservatives that hate him. Including Focus on the Family's Dobson character. There's talk of suicide voters that will vote for Clinton or sit the election out if McCain is the nominee.

Brilliant. Don't you love it? Finally, the social moderate wing of the Republican Party get off their duff and mobilize and get out the vote and the evangelicals and social conservatives that have manipulated this party just get mad and pout and kick and scream and say they'll just not vote then.

Well good for you. My father used to call that "cutting off your nose to spite your face." It was an admonishment to a bratty child. Perhaps the GOP should listen.

Let's turn to TEXAS and talk about the GOP here.

Perry isn't leading his party, Craddick is. Craddick is busy campaigning, raising money and trying to fend of primary challengers for his supporters in the House and recruiting and funding opponents to his critics. The signal the Dukes is in trouble right here in Austin is indicated by her refusal to accept the Craddick money.

Dukes still won't say she isn't going to pledge her support to Craddick, because we know she will. She is sending a strong signal to her district that she is more concerned about her political "career" and standing with the puppet masters than she is with representing her district. That's clearly leading to her downfall.

Thompson's strong grass roots support is taking hold and and shouldn't be discounted. In addition to that support there is a very strong anti-incumbent feeling among voters from the Texas House to Congress and Dukes may be just one of the casualties.

This East Austin district is the one closest to me where a primary challenge is interesting. Dawnna Dukes is being challenged by Brian Thompson. A key reason for the challenge is Dukes' loyalty to embattled Speaker, Tom Craddick. Just so we all know that Dukes finally acknowledges how that loyalty is hurting her, she refused campaign money from Craddick's sham PAC.

She still refuses to say who she would support for Speaker, though. Don't you see Dawnna...even though you refuse the money we still know you're a Craddick supporter. We all know you were seen outside of his office crying because of how your support riled people up during the Session.

Thompson is getting the grass roots and the *cringe* net roots support in this district, so we'll keep watching to see when the Craddick money will eventually roll in. She's gonna need it sooner or later. And we bet she'll take it.

Yesterday's TXDOT hearings apparently got heated at one point when Senator Kirk Watson tore into Amadeo Saenz.I would have listened to a lot more about what happened when I was getting the gossip, but all I could think of was, Amadeus! Amadeus! Rock Me Amadeus! and so I link you to the YouTube of this great song and we'll all just pretend that THIS is what the hearings were all about.

After the Super Tuesday hype, it's kind of letdown to see Wednesday. There's a ton of stuff to read about the results today, but just check out a quick recap and then let's go do something else.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the High Holy Season for Christians. I'll be at church today at noon, without irony, starting my contemplative march to Easter. Oh, and if you say you're giving up chocolate or soda for Lent...just shut up.

I'm in the newsroom and everybody is super busy updating Super Tuesday results. Me, I'm having a cocktail and making YouTube videos. You can see their coverage here and Jenny Hoff is liveblogging as the AP starts to call the states.

Whew! So it's finally here and maybe tonight we'll have a nominee. Or..maybe we won't.

In Texas we just get calls telling us the gays are going to eat your babies, in California you get Scarlett Johnanson telling you to vote for Obama.

Denver sex-workers disappointed that their city only gets the Dem convention:

"It would be a lot better for the sex workers if it was the Republican convention . . . We get a lot more business. I don't know if they're just frustrated because of the family values agenda," she said.

Look: ScarJo sings, Kate Walsh talks, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes an appearance. Besides all the random pop culture personalities involved, I admit to being (slightly) moved by this video.

And, yes, I do believe that is the gal from Fresh Prince.

Did your boss make you read that book? Mine did....at three different companies. All it did was make me bitter at how much money the author was making off of a childish story that was, at best, a friendly reminder that you can't stop change.

HD 17 is just one example of the change happening everywhere. Once rural districts are becoming suburbs and urban districts demos are changing as gentrification, urban revitalization and aging populations shift the collective mindset of the districts. I'm not here to say if that's good or bad..it just is what it is. Clayton Williams would have been dead on if he'd said to lay back and enjoy it about change.

The two Dem candidates running in this district, Donnie Dippel and Latreese Cook are great examples of the dichotomy of the district itself. Donnie says he'll work to preserve rural Texas. Good luck with that because unless you can stop a freight train, you sure as hell won't have luck with urbanization encroaching into Bastrop and Elgin.

Candidates that try to appeal to voters with nostalgia about a simpler time are fooling you. There is no such thing as a simpler time, and even if there was we can never get back to it.