Bad Day for the Religious Right in Texas

Texas voters on Tuesday dealt two big blows to the religious right in Republican nomination battles for the State Board of Education and the state Supreme Court. Perhaps the state board loss stings the most for the religious right, which effectively took control of the important education panel after the 2006 elections — and it’s […]

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McLeroy, Mercer Get Late Money

Houston homebuilder Bob Perry put $5,000 into College Station incumbent Don McLeroy‘s shaky State Board of Education campaign on Friday, according to a “telegram” report published on the Texas Ethics Commission Web site late today. San Antonio incumbent Ken Mercer also reported $1,200 in late contributions from two donors (but not Perry) over the weekend. […]

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Ken Mercer: Thou Shalt Smear to Win?

The religious right portrays itself as a champion for biblical values, but the movement’s political leaders often have no problem breaking one of the Ten Commandments — “thou shalt not bear false witness” — in the pursuit of power. Texas State Board of Education member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, is now doing his best to […]

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Mercer Flunks the Truth Test (Again)

Let’s not beat around the bush. Texas State Board of Education member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, has problems with the truth. During yesterday’s debate with his District 5 opponent in the March 2 Republican Primary, Tim Tuggey of Austin, Mercer once again mischaracterized the facts about the social studies curriculum writing teams and how those […]

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Slavery and the Good Ol’ Days?

Last week’s public hearing on proposed social studies curriculum standards for Texas public schools drew an interesting assortment of right-wing groups and ideologues. In fact, as the State Board of Education heard testimony inside the meeting room, Tea Partiers rallied in the lobby. The “rally” — if you can call it that — seemed mostly to […]

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