"Perry gay" phrase on KBH site stirs controversy; Perry campaign calls Hutchison a wreck

Earlier today, Austin American-Statesman reporter Gardner Selby posted some interesting information he found on the campaign Web site for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Apparently, the phrase "Rick Perry gay" was among a bunch of "hidden phrases" on the site. Take a look at Selby's blog post for a full accounting from the campaign of how the phrases got there. To make a long story short, the campaign said the phrases weren't there intentionally and would be removed.

Also today, Gov. Rick Perry's campaign put out this video making fun of Hutchison for the confusion she created in the media with her seemingly opposing statements about her impending resignation from the U.S. Senate.

It's not even August. We've got about seven more months for this to get really heated.

Comments

[BOOGIEMAN]

Both Gov. Perry and senator Hutchison are both magalomaniacal, venal mendacious government freeloading leeches!
Neither one deserves our vote!
Vote for anybody else but these two turds!

[Austin]

You're leaving?! Nooooooo!!

Brandi, you are the best reporter the Times has had since I started reading the paper as a kid. In fact, for the last year or two at least, you've really been the only reporter the Times has had. You work contacts, pound the pavement, and know how to identify an important story that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. That is a talent that, sadly, the rest of the Times staff either doesn't possess or doesn't have the time or ability to explore (they can however, read an arrest affidavit and summarize it with relatively few grammatical mistakes).

Congratulations on your new position. The Tribune sounds like a great opportunity, and I will undoubtedly read it for no other reason than to follow your track record of outstanding investigative and incredibly informative reporting.

When there was no session, and Norma Chavez was using taxpayer funds to travel back and forth from EP to Austin to attend college classes, you called her out and exposed the way she used a statutory loophole to more than double her salary. This past session, you highlighted the ridiculous bickering among EP's joke of a House delegation that accomplished next to nothing except being able to throw a graduation party funded by political lobbyists. Ms. Chavez used your blog to push her support of then candidate Barack Obama. I only wish she would have followed his policy of not taking money from lobbyists herself. Si Se Puede, Norma. Your work exposed that hypocrisy.

For the record, your Norma Chavez work wasn't all I enjoyed, I just wanted to point out that without you nobody in El Paso would have any idea just how ridiculous (and brazen) our state delegation can be. Your coverage of Margo/Moody election was excellent as well. El Paso has a lot of problems with elected officials believing they are above the law. El Paso needs good reporters. I hope the new editor keeps a Times reporter in Austin to keep an eye on what our representatives our doing, and hopefully that person is half as good at is as you were.

Best of luck in your future endeavors,

--Austin

[Brandi Grissom]

Austin,
Wow, thanks for all your kind words. It's been such a blast working for the Times and covering the delegation. I've been fortunate to have a lot of great material to work with as a reporter.
I definitely agree that El Paso needs a good reporter here in Austin, and I'm trying to help in the search for someone to take over the bureau. I'm sure with all the talented journalists out there looking for work right now, we'll find somebody who can help keep El Paso lawmakers accountable.
Though really I appreciate all the accolades, I've gotta give props to the hardworking reporters in the newsroom in El Paso. Reporters like Gus, Zahira, Ramon, Chris, Erica, Adriana, Stephanie, Michael and Daniel are kicking butt on a daily basis. They've helped me out a ton over the years, and I've learned a lot from everybody in the newsroom.
Thanks again for reading my work and for all your kindness.
I hope to hear from you at the Trib, too! We'll be off and running this fall at www.texastribune.org.
Brandi