... Does the GOP have a minority problem? A recent story in the Politico said yes. Here's the lede (I think that's how the newspaper people like to spell "lead"):

Just a few years after the Republican Party launched a highly publicized diversity effort, the GOP is heading into the 2008 election without a single minority candidate with a plausible chance of winning a campaign for the House, the Senate or governor.

Casteel's Letter to the Editor, published in the Politico today, focuses on minority participation here in the Texas GOP. The full letter is linked above, here's an excerpt:

The GOP is the only party nominating and electing African-Americans. Led by party Chairman Michael Williams, who is currently running for reelection to the Texas Railroad Commission (the state's energy agency, despite its name), Texas Republicans are bucking the national "failure."

Along with Williams, both Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson and Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright are running for reelection as Republicans.

Here in Texas, Democrats have failed to nominate African-Americans to statewide offices. In the March primaries, Democrats had the opportunity to support Barack Obama for president and to nominate Art Hall, a young, up-and-coming African-American, as their nominee for Railroad commissioner. Both lost.

BTW Michael Williams turns 55 this week, happy birthday Commissioner!

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