The Gossips were not too surprised when the Hillary Clinton Campaign announced the endorsement of Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and named her a National Campaign Co-Chair and Gulf States Regional Co-Chair. For those of us who remember history a former Congressman from the district that Jackson Lee now represents, Mickey Leland also went against the political wisdom when he endorsed Walter Mondale against Jesse Jackson in 1984. Does Sheila's endorsement of Senator Clinton mean that Barack Obama is losing support of the African-American community? Or is Sheila looking for a high level appointment in a Clinton Administration? Or she could be thinking that Hillary is the best qualified Democrat to be President? Or all three?

And speaking of endorsements has anyone paid any attention to the number of endorsements that Fred Thompson is getting from GOP members of the Texas Legislature? Over 50 at the last accounting and the Gossip assumes Thompson's support is growing and will get even more names when he officially enters the race. Jerry Patterson our Texas Land Commissioner is heading up the Thompson effort in Texas and so far Thompson is getting a great reception. While Thompson is tied in the Texas polls with John McCain at 19% he will gain on the leader Rudy Giuliani who was at 24% once he decides to run. The Gossips think that Thompson could well be the GOP nominee unless something in his past comes back to haunt him.

And is Tom Craddick the "former Speaker of the House" or is the uproar in Austin just the usually end of the session dust up? Craddick has done everything in his power to upset the members of the Texas House. His rulings and his appointments have cause hurt felling from the start of the session and as usual Craddick has not shown any real leadership. The GOP is in almost open revolt and the Democrats are watching with amusement. The Gossips think that Tom might just decide to cash in and become a lobbyist like most of the other former Speakers. After this session is is hard to come up with a plan where he could get re-elected Speaker.