http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian Dave Mann disagrees. en mann@texasobserver.org Copyright 2009 2009-11-19T17:31:47+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-contrarian-returns1 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-contrarian-returns1#When:16:31:47Z I've been absent from the blog this week while I finished a feature story for the print magazine. (The story—the fourth in my series on faulty arson cases—will be out next week. It explores the causes of wrongful arson convictions and what can be done to fix the problem.) I've plugged back into Texas politics to find that half the state is apparently running for governor (doesn't anyone want to run for school board anymore?). The latest entrant—Houston millionaire Farouk Shami—plans to join the race today. I'm excited about Shami's campaign; it'll give me the chance to frequently employ the phrase … The Horse Race 2009-11-19T16:31:47+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-bradley-and-bassett-spat http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-bradley-and-bassett-spat#When:17:16:08Z I've been pulled away from the blog this week to finish a feature story about the recent controversy over arson convictions. (The story will be out in two weeks.) But I wanted to highlight Rick Casey's excellent column in today's Houston Chronicle about the spat between John Bradley and Sam Bassett over the Forensic Science Commission. Bassett was, until recently, head of the commission. Gov. Rick Perry replaced him with Bradley, the hard-line Williamson County prosecutor who appears to be slow-walking the commission's investigation into the controversial execution of Cameron Todd Willingham. (Willingham, of course, may well have … Science of Arson 2009-11-13T17:16:08+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-willingham-hearing http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-willingham-hearing#When:18:54:57Z The small hearing room in the Capitol basement was packed this morning to see the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice take on the infamous Cameron Todd Willingham case. Judging from the crowd, the hearing promised excellent political theater. Kinky Friedman was there (accompanied, as always, by sidekick Little Jewford), so was Innocence Project co-founder Barry Scheck, a number of Texas House members, Cory Session (the brother of the late Tim Cole), and, if I'm not mistaken, just about every reporter and blogger in town. They had all come to hear the senators grill John Bradley, the prosecutor who Gov. Rick Perry … Science of Arson 2009-11-10T18:54:57+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-fort-hood-tragedy http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-fort-hood-tragedy#When:20:01:23Z I'd like to highlight some of the better news coverage of yesterday's stunning attack at Fort Hood. The Washington Post has the most-revealing story I've seen yet about the shooter, Nidal M. Hasan. He's from Virginia and -- as you probably know -- worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C. The Post story begins: He prayed every day at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, a devout Muslim who, despite asking to be discharged from the U.S. Army, was on the eve of his first deployment to war. Yesterday, authorities said Maj. Nidal … Law and Order 2009-11-06T20:01:23+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/why-you-cant-blame-tma-for-endorsing-perry http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/why-you-cant-blame-tma-for-endorsing-perry#When:18:17:42Z Gov. Rick Perry picked up a key endorsement earlier this week from the political arm of the Texas Medical Association. The endorsement wasn't a huge shock. TMA, which represents more than 40,000 doctors, has been tight with Perry since 2003, especially on tort reform issues.  But it wasn't an easy choice. TMA has also endorsed Kay Bailey Hutchison every time she's been on the ballot. On TMA's core policy issues, there isn't much difference between Perry and Hutchison. The doctors' group might have endorsed Hutchison or taken the easy path by sitting the primary race out and waiting … The Rick Perry Beat 2009-11-05T18:17:42+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/women-more-likely-to-be-uninsured http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/women-more-likely-to-be-uninsured#When:17:59:58Z The uninsured problem in Texas is worse than you thought, at least according to a new study. There are nearly three million low-income women in Texas, and 52 percent of them lack health insurance.That’s the stunning finding of a recent study of women’s health insurance coverage by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the California-based nonprofit that specializes in health care policy studies. The report includes a state-by-state breakdown, and the numbers for Texas aren’t pretty. It’s no secret that many Texans lack health insurance. For years, the state has boasted the highest uninsured rate in … Health Care 2009-11-03T17:59:58+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/dept.-of-corrections3 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/dept.-of-corrections3#When:18:16:10Z Talk about jumping the gun. From the Philadelphia Inquirer: A Message To Our Readers,A Macy's advertisement in today's Inquirer incorrectly offered Phillies 2009 World Championship merchandise. The Inquirer deeply regrets this error. Macy's is a great corporate citizen, supporter of this region and our sports teams. We apologize for this error and any inconvenience this caused. This one strikes close to home for the Contrarian -- a native Philadelphian and die-hard Phillies fan who's been crying in his coffee this morning after last night's unpleasantness. But -- being a … Correcting the Record 2009-11-02T18:16:10+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/manslaughter-at-a-state-school http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/manslaughter-at-a-state-school#When:13:17:31Z More sad evidence this week that reforming the troubled Texas state school system -- the 13 large institutions for the mentally disabled -- will be a long, difficult job. A former employee at the Lubbock State School was indicted on Tuesday on manslaughter charges. A direct care worker named Doneil Smith allegedly killed a 45 year old resident. Smith allegedly suffocated the resident to death. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has more details: The medical examiner's office ruled Nicholson died of suffocation during a struggle. The autopsy report cited information from investigative reports which stated that Nicholson was … Health Care 2009-10-29T13:17:31+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/heath-care-reform-would-benefit-texas http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/heath-care-reform-would-benefit-texas#When:15:17:04Z Must-read column today by Michael Schnurman in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He details how and why national health care reform would benefit Texas. For one, when it comes to health insurance, the free market isn't all that free. In many states, there are too few insurance companies to spark true competition for customers. But here's the catch: Even in states with lots of competition (states like Texas), prices have still gone up. Schnurman writes: Lots of competition means lots of choice and lots of benefits for consumers — at least that’s the theory. Health Care 2009-10-28T15:17:04+00:00 http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-supposed-willingham-confession http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/comments/the-supposed-willingham-confession#When:16:09:56Z On Sunday, Stacy Kuykendall -- the ex-wife of Cameron Todd Willingham -- gave her first public statement in years. She provided a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in which she reiterated that, when she met with Willingham on death row just before his 2004 execution, he confessed to starting the 1991 fire that killed their three daughters. (If you don't know the details of Willingham's case, click here.) The supposed confession is highly problematic. Kuykendall's story keeps changing. I sympathize with Kuykendall. She experienced unspeakable tragedy. But it's hard to trust what she's saying … Science of Arson 2009-10-27T16:09:56+00:00