Barnes to Challenge Cornyn?
Word is that some heavy-duty Democrats dining Monday at the Four Season in Austin had GOP Sen. John Cornyn on their mind. In particular, whether they could make the state's junior Senator an ex-Senator when he runs for re-election next year. Mr. Cornyn's a big supporter of the war in Iraq and is closely aligned with President Bush, whose poll numbers have dropped even here in the home state.
But who might challenge him?
How about Ben Barnes, the former lieutenant governor and Democratic fundraiser extraordinare, who just happened to be right there at the table? Why not, they asked? Mr. Barnes, who has dismissed such speculation in the past, agreed to leave the door open. But don't print the ballots yet.
Mr. Barnes says it was more chit-chat than campaign planning.
"They're friends and they're Democrats and I what I said was that I wasn't going to issue a flat-out denial," Mr. Barnes said afterwards. "But I'm not making any calls. And I'm not doing anything. I'm just listening, OK?"
OK. Trial balloon, going up.