2010: Talk, but No Motion

Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, will seek reelection next year. That's not surprising, unless you thought her bid for U.S. Senate was a sign she wanted to get out of Austin. She's still in the hunt for U.S. Senate. But with Kay Bailey Hutchison saying she won't resign immediately, Shapiro opted to try for another term in the state Senate while waiting to see whether the other door opens. That closes the door down the ballot; several local pols were considering the race to replace Shapiro. And rumors about House members jumping up to challenge Shapiro — Ken Paxton, anyone? — appear to be unfounded.

Department of Creative Spin: Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, who's in the same pack of would-be U.S. Senators that Shapiro is in, says the field is narrowing and her "campaign continues to gain momentum." The evidence? "It appears former Houston Mayor Bill White, a liberal Democrat, may drop his bid for the U.S. Senate and instead will run for Governor. Just last week Republican State Senator Florence Shapiro suspended her campaign for the U.S. Senate and chose to run for re-election to the Texas Legislature." She's right about White — he's announcing his decision on Friday. But she's not quite on the mark about Shapiro, who still plans to run for the federal seat if and when it's open.

And, a reader points out, she's also wrong about White: He'll be the mayor of Houston until the end of the year.