PALESTINE -- Former lawyer-turned author and political spouse Andrea White made a visit to Palestine Monday night, addressing local Democrats at the annual banquet of the Anderson County Democratic Women.

White, wife of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White, said the time is right for her husband to take over the reins in Austin.

Bill White, former Houston mayor, is challenging Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in the Nov. 2 general election.

"He's a good man and he is also very hard working," Andrea White said of her husband. "He's pretty much always on the job and he knows the details. He cut the tax rate every year for six years (as mayor of Houston) while he increased city services."

If elected, Andrea White said education would be high on her husband's list of priorities, saying, while there need to be standards, too much emphasis is being placed on the TAKS test in public schools.

"For starters, he thinks to fix a problem you have to define a problem," Andrea White said. "He hears all across the state that we need accountability, but we've gone overboard teaching to the test."

Andrea White said her husband believes the state's high school dropout rate needs to be addressed more aggressively, while saying pre-school and vocational education programs are also high on his list.

Andrea White is quite accomplished in her own right, having practiced real estate law for approximately a dozen years and later authoring a handful of historical fiction books aimed at a middle school audience.

Andrea White also recently published a journal describing her years as a political spouse dubbed, "P.S. Passionate Supporter Political Spouse."

The candidate's wife has also volunteered her time to multiple causes, including ones related to public school reform and increasing the high school graduation rate.

While her husband was Houston mayor, Andrea White said "Expectation Graduation" was initiated and has put thousands of inner city children back on the path to a high school diploma.

"We got over 8,000 kids to come back to school in the Houston area," said Andrea White, a Plan II English major during her days at the University of Texas who also earned her law degree from the UT Law School.

She and her husband have three adult children -- Will, 23, who is a first-year middle school science teacher at the Yes Academy, a Houston charter school; Elena, 21, a junior majoring in energy studies at Rice University; and Stephen, 19, a freshman economics major at Texas A&M University.

Andrea White said the couple's middle child, Elena, is taking a semester off from college this fall to work full-time on the campaign.

Palestine Herald-Press

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White met with the president of the Smith County Retired Teachers & School Personnel Association Wednesday at Luby's Restaurant.

The meeting was one stop on the campaign trail for White, the former mayor of Houston, who has visited 56 counties since July 1.

This is White's fourth stop in Tyler in the past six months.

While he was at the restaurant, White greeted diners and fielded questions about his opponent, incumbent Gov. Rick Perry, and political campaign issues including immigration, education and retirement benefits for teachers.

"Retired teachers are worried," White said. Before Perry, there was a $5 billion surplus in the Teacher Retirement System, now there is a $20 billion deficit, he said.

Despite the meeting, Eloyce Green, the president of the Smith County retired teachers group, said that the group is a non-partisan group that will not endorse any candidate for political office.

The group is primarily concerned about increasing the pay for retired teachers, she said.

"There has been no increase in pay since 2001. If we had been given cost of living considerations, we would not be hurting now," Ms. Green said.

White also discussed his policy on immigration, saying that as governor he would provide financial assistance to local police officers in the border area.

"We need more boots on the ground," White said.

On higher education, White said Perry has no plans to deal with the 93 percent increase in tuition costs since 2003.

Instead, he said Perry has appointed political allies to the state's administrative board, claiming that almost every person appointed by Perry is from one political party.

"Higher education is no place for politics," he said.

The 2010 Texas gubernatorial election is Nov. 2.

Tyler Morning Telegraph
8/19/2010

Gubernatorial candidate Bill White addressed about 150 members and guests of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture during their monthly luncheon Thursday, Aug. 12.

White focused on his vision for Texas' future while stressing the importance of education improvements and ethics reform in state government.

"If we're considered number one in the nation in clean, honest government that's not used for re-election purposes," said White.

"And if we're considered number one in the United States of America in education and training our citizens, I don't care what goes on in the rest of the world, Texas will be the greatest state of opportunity in the United States for a long time to come."

White made it clear that he sees Texas as the state that should be open to opportunity for every resident.

"I don't care if you've lived (in Texas) five generations or five weeks," said White.

"In our laws and in our faith we're taught there may be more important people in our jobs from time to time, but there is no such thing as a more important person."

"We believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, then it doesn't matter who your Mother was or who your Daddy was, what your first language was, what state you were born in or what your ethnicity or race is, you're just as much a Texan as anybody else," he said.

He highlighted the values of hard work and ambition that is characteristic of Texans, but said the future of the state depends on better education opportunities.

"We have an entrepreneurial culture. We believe in free enterprise. We have a business-oriented, bi-partisan, political climate. That's not going to change," said White.

"The only thing we lack, to take us to that next level, is education and job training for our young people and our adults."

"That's where we could make some improvement," he said.

In the past, Texas has relied upon extractive industry because it is a luxury the land provides, said White.

White included farming and ranching as industries that will be an important part of Texas future but won't be the most decisive industries for competition in a global economy.

"What's changed in Texas and what's changed in our country is that today we compete for good jobs with people all over the planet earth," said White.

"Other countries are positioning their citizens to have those jobs, we need, in this country, to make sure that Americans have an opportunity to have more than their fair share of jobs in the future of this global economy."

White explained that for the first time in the history of Texas, workers age 25 to 35 hold a smaller percentage of associate degrees and higher than workers age 35 to 45 or 45 to 55.

"Under Rick Perry, the Texas Department of Transportation was caught just this last year, importing, that is allowing its contractors to import skilled workers from Italy. The reason, they said is because there was a shortage," said White.

"We ought to be training Texans and Americans to do those jobs, don't you think?"

The crowd gave White a spontaneous round of applause when he said Texas needed to add more vocational and technical education in high schools.

"God made us with all sorts of different talents and the job market requires all sorts of different skills," he said.

"And in Texas, in the future, we've got to make sure we've got those jobs in this job market in order to succeed and that means more of our people having access to 4-year colleges and making college education more affordable and accessible."

White told about stories he had heard from two Texas residents who had been put through college at Texas A&M State University by parents who were hourly wage earners.

The two college graduates had been the first in their families to earn degrees of any sort and were now employed in good jobs.

The problem, White said, was that in both stories, although their children had worked hard in school and had been raised to believe in the value of education, neither one could afford to send their children to the college they graduated from.

"We've got to plant as well as harvest in this state," said White.

"It is not just a humanitarian concern. Everybody knows if people can get more educated and better trained, they can make more money and that benefits everybody in the community."

White also pointed to the need for ethics reform in the state government.

"The second challenge facing our state, which I hope to address for the people of this state as Governor, is making sure that our state government is run like an efficient, 21st century, transparent, business-like organization, rather than as a political machine," he said.

He announced that he unveiled and ethics plan Wednesday that voters could reference online.

"State offices ought to be used for public service and not as fundraising tools for a long-time incumbent," said White.

White criticized some of the current political fundraising habits of Governor Rick Perry.

"As Governor, I'm going to impose a limit on how much people who have been appointed to boards and commissions can contribute to the campaign of the person who is appointing them," said White.

"There's something wrong when an incumbent governor has 120 people on a finance committee and between them there are over 105 commission appointments of people that have contributed, not even including their spouses, over $5.5 million."

Bipartisan appointments to state boards and commissions was another value that White said he would bring to the office of governor.

"Don't tell me you can't govern bipartisan. I've done it and people have seen it. And we need more of that, too," White said.

"There should be rules that prevent people who are appointed to regulatory boards from soliciting political contributions from the people they regulate."

White focused on state issues, saying that throughout American History there has been an ebb and flow of national political power shifts and issues of the day.

"But if you talk about the future of Texas, I can assure you of one thing - that we will not go wrong if we set as our goal to be the number one state of opportunity where everybody deserves a chance at that American Dream," said White.

"(A state) Where we bring our dropouts back to school, open the doors to higher education and train people for good high-wage jobs. And run the state government efficiently, making good use of taxpayer dollars."

Bay City Tribune
August 16, 2010

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White came out swinging Saturday during a brief stop in Amarillo.

During a news conference at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, White accused Gov. Rick Perry of embracing cronyism and of being afraid to discuss the issues in a gubernatorial debate.

"He does not want a debate, because there is no way he can explain why he's left this state with an $18 billion budget hole," White said. "There's no way he can explain why he's left this state with such a high dropout rate and college tuitions soaring the way they are. He does not want to be held accountable for that."

In conjunction with White's visit, the local Democratic party staged a rally at Memorial Park that included appearances by Linda Chavez-Thompson, who is running for lieutenant governor, and Abel Bosquez, who is running for 87th District representative against Republican candidate Walter "Four" Price IV.

...

White also attacked Perry for cronyism.

"Texans deserve to lead the nation in ethics and transparency and openness in our government," White said. "I've proposed an eight-point plan to move us forward to remove some of the corruption and cronyism that we see in government right now."

His eight-point plan stipulates he would make political appointments based on experience and ability, not on politics or political contributions. He also wants to ban senior staff from fundraising and limit the influence of lobbyists and the contributions from bidders on state contracts.

"I'm running for governor because the position of governor should be one of public service and boards and commissions should be used for public service," White said. "They should not be used as tools in a political machine."

...

Bosquez said he has been traveling around his potential district, speaking to constituents about his platform of education and employment.

He said he has found people willing to listen, and they have thanked him for coming.

Bosquez said White's visit was good for his campaign.

"I think he's a very good candidate," he said. "He's got a good message."

Amarillo Globe-News
August 15, 2010

I always have had an interest in political people, not in becoming a candidate but as a helper. One of my earliest memories is riding my Silver King bike down to the Potter County Courthouse steps where I could meet W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, candidate for governor. This was in the summer of 1938. I was about eleven years old. The quality level of candidates has risen considerably since then.

Gov. John Connally announced, in 1979, he would seek the Republican nomination for president. He asked me to be his Texas chairman and national co-chairman. With my wife, Abbie, keeping a list of "important names to be remembered," we plunged into the Connally campaign as registered Republicans. There, we have remained; but, we have not voted a straight Republican ballot in every election. At times, she and I have voted for different Republicans and Democrats in general elections.

Is our state truly at a crossroad with consequences not faced in recent history? Probably, with exaggerated consequences forced upon us by an extremely aggressive, resourceful and bright president whose goals differ from many of our goals in Texas. His goals, in my opinion, will lead us down a path of economic socialism under a misleading shield of concern for the welfare of selected individuals. Republicans must assume a major part of the battle to prevent this result; but, Republicans can't do it alone. Independents and "Blue Dog Democrats" are vital to our achieving a victory against those allies of the president.

Gov. Rick Perry is a good man. His lovely wife, Anita, is a graduate of West Texas State University and a caring person. The governor's style is that of a hands-on guy who expects his appointees to adhere to his aspirations. This is not untypical of some possessive executives. Also not untypical is a desire to remain in office "until the job is finished," which would be in January 2015. Fourteen years would be too long for any person to serve in that job.

The governorship belongs to the people, not its occupant.

In 1991, the Amarillo City Commission approached my good friend Jerry Johnson (a Democrat) and me (a Republican) with a charge that we organize broad Panhandle support for the Pantex plant, its continued existence and proper expansion. A strong community effort produced the creation of a National Research Facility composed of The University of Texas, Texas Tech University, and Texas A&M University. Research included peaceful use of plutonium and other weapon by-products. Gov. Ann Richards and U.S. Rep. Bill Sarpalius, both Democrats, energized the political charge.

Bill White, then deputy energy secretary, became one of our most reliable supporters in Washington by actively advancing the cause of Pantex, which still is high on his priority list.

Bill returned to Houston, where he had helped establish a major law firm, built successful businesses, including oil and gas service companies employing people in the Panhandle; and served three terms as mayor of Houston. When Hurricane Katrina occurred, Bill, with compassionate and orderly leadership, held the city together and brought reason to what could have been chaos. Now get this: During his six-year tenure, he averaged over 85 percent popular support. He sure did something right.

The world-famous Texas Medical Center in Houston has received Bill's avid support. This center serves as his model for our Harrington Regional Medical Center. He understands the importance of education and has it as the focus of his plans for Texas' future. He strongly favors providing support for research and facilities that would enable Texas Tech to become a Tier One University, with a viable medical presence in Amarillo. Bill understands that using the very fine facilities at West Texas A&M, Amarillo College, Clarendon College, and Frank Phillips College in any expansion of Texas Tech could produce, among other benefits, an exceptional integrated and serviceable medical center for the entire Panhandle and its environs.

Bill, his wife Andrea, Abbie and I have spent time in the Rockies. Bill and I share a common compulsion for hiking and climbing those glorious mountains. In that environment, you get to see the true color of a fella's strength and character. Bill is a traditional Texas Democrat in the mainstream of our values, who will do what is right for Texas.

Is your vote in this election important? You better believe it is. Don't take my word about Bill White. You have time to read and watch and listen. Then cast your vote, remembering you can vote a straight-party ballot or split that ballot between any or all candidates. It won't take you more than a few moments, and those moments could preclude our having the present governor for a total of 14 years.

This is too long a time.

Wales Madden Jr. is an Amarillo lawyer and businessman.

If Texas expects to see continued success in the future, it needs to treat its dropout rate as an emergency and teach students critical thinking rather than how to fill out the correct bubble on state tests, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White said Monday.

"We will never be as good as we can be if we're No. 49 out of 50 states in adults with a high school diploma," White said.

Speaking on one of his key issues just hours before President Barack Obama would address the same topic at the University of Texas at Austin, White said Texas already is a strong state. But, he added, more technical training, early education options, affordability in higher education, lower dropout rates and new teaching methods need to be implemented.

"We have a great state," White said, addressing the more than 75 who attended a town hall meeting at Midland College's Advanced Technology Center. "We have all the ingredients to be a great state in the future."

And while several said they haven't committed to a candidate yet, for many, White's rhetoric was what they were hoping to hear.

"I'm a retired teacher and Rick Perry's killed us over the last 10 years," Midlander Mike Quimby said, adding he agreed with White's platforms and was glad to hear the former Houston mayor thought the Teacher Retirement System should be assessed.

Garnering support of Midlanders who've typically voted Republican as well as moderates and independents around the state is part of what White said he's working to do during his statewide tour. The Democratic candidate for governor in 2006, Chris Bell, won just 11.4 percent of the vote in Midland County.

Some said they're hoping voters will look at platforms more than party lines this election, while others weren't sure that would happen.

"He did a good job as the mayor of Houston where he had people supporting him, it didn't matter what party they belonged to," said John Duncan, of Odessa.

A Public Policy Polling survey of 500 showed White and Perry tied with 43 percent of Texans' support in June. A University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll in May of 800 likely voters showed Perry leading White by 9 percent.

In Midland, White said he's connected with several in the oil and gas industry who want a governor who understands their line of work and White, a former deputy secretary of energy, does, they say. Monday, though, he focused solely on education.

"Our students shouldn't be used by politicians as a political prop," White said.

Dr. Tracie Gibson, who teaches biological sciences at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, said while she liked what White said, she wishes he would have been more detailed about his plans.

"I guess I would like to hear more particulars about how he is going to control our financial state," Gibson said.

With an expected $18 billion shortfall, Gibson and others said all state institutions will be making cuts, so it's important to have a governor who communicates with them.

In higher education, White said, tuition rates need to be more affordable so parents who worked hard to put themselves through college don't have to tell their children they can't afford to attend a public university.

Answering a question from Midland College President Steve Thomas, White said communities, employers and community colleges need to work together to assess future industry needs so programs can be tailored to help students train for a field where jobs exist.

White said he would encourage additional early education and find a better way of assessing students than an arbitrary state test that limits teachers from imparting critical thinking skills.

"We need to plant and not just harvest," White said.

Lanita Akins, lecturer in history at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, said she thought White's ideas were good and she liked that he seemed to answer questions honestly instead of just saying what people wanted to hear.

"I never felt like he was trying to project back onto you," Akins said.

And while Midland County is a known Republican stronghold, college students who were volunteering for White said they think the area's political makeup will change in the coming decades as students today start to worry about the future.

"Texas education has been ranked so low for all these years," said UTPB sophomore Krysten New. "There's no excuse. We have great resources. We have so much more potential."

Odessa College freshman Shelby Bullock agreed and said while adults she knows still wouldn't vote for White because of his party, people her age aren't as concerned about the letter by a candidate's name.

"If I told my grandparents I was here they would beat me with a switch," Bullock, adding they wouldn't literally beat her, but unlike her peers would be more than displeased with her political leanings.

Midland Reporter-Telegram
8/10/10

White wants to send Gov. Rick Perry home next November, and he stopped in Seguin for an hour-long visit on his way to Schertz and San Antonio to meet local voters, talk about issues and answer questions.

"This is wonderful," White said after an introduction by Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Edmundo "Cass" Castellanos. "I'm here for a job interview. We've had a lot of good interaction with citizens, and people have learned a lot about me."

Then White talked a little bit about some of the things he believes sets him apart from the incumbent who he chided for calling himself a conservative and an outsider while spending a quarter century in or running for public office, and living very well while doing so.

"We all believe that Texas should be a great state of opportunity," White said to a partisan crowd that frequently broke into cheers and applause. "I've also learned the overwhelming majority of Texans are ready for a new governor. I will shoot straight with you and do what's right with Texas."

Perry's leadership, White said, has divided the state along red and blue lines.

Texas needs a leader who can build consensus among all quarters and bring the state into the future, White said.

"And I will be that person," the candidate promised.

During his administration in Houston, White said, that city built more jobs than had been created in 37 states -- combined.

The Perry administration, White said, has concentrated on creating low-paying, minimum wage jobs.

"I want to build good jobs -- jobs with a future," White said. "Isn't that what we need right now?"

White has a five-point education plan that can be seen on his website, billwhitefortexas.com, he said he wouldn't bore his audience with Thursday.

He wants to increase the graduation rate, he said -- and he wants to ensure that an education in Texas means graduates have skills they need to succeed in work and in life -- and not just pass standardized tests.

"We have a governor who thinks education is all about taking multiple-choice tests," White said. "We need a governor who is going to support teaching our children critical thinking skills. We need to train people for self-sufficiency, not just for taking multiple choice tests."

On July 13, White said, Perry axed a state program designed to reduce the number of drop-outs.

"It was old-fashioned stuff that works -- funding after-school tutoring and summer school," White said.

There was no press release or news conference, but Perry did release one that same day, the candidate said, touting a "new" plan for reducing drop-outs -- one that has been the law in Texas since 1989.

"He either didn't know that or didn't care," White said of the governor.

The Trans-Texas Corridor may be dead or it may only smell bad, depending upon who one asks. But don't look for Governor Bill White to bring the idea back any time soon.

"What kind of idea was this?" White asked of Perry's plan to address transportation issues around the state. "You take 600,000 acres of private land -- some of it having been in families for generations -- through eminent domain, give it to a foreign company, let them put a toll road in and develop all the real estate along the route. What would it do? It would get trucks from Mexico to Chicago better. I don't know about you, but what I think Texans are more concerned about is getting to and from work."

The Texas Department of Transportation, White said, had a $1.1 billion miscalculation of its biennial budget two years ago, and needs tighter controls -- like the ones he brought to Houston, where he lowered crime, increased jobs and at the same time lowered taxes.

"We have a record," White said. "The city of Houston is bigger than 16 states. We cut the crime rate, reset the traffic lights, tripled the number of community health clinics and added more jobs than 37 states combined, all the while cutting property taxes and freezing property taxes for seniors. We did this because we ran the government as a machine for the people and not a political machine like Rick Perry has. Texas is ready for that, isn't it? I have a feeling in this state that people are ready to move forward. Help me!"

Texans, White said, deserve a governor with a servant's heart who knows he works for them.

"You deserve someone who will be responsive to you," White said. "I will have a servant's heart, and I will never forget where I came from. With your help, we will have a new governor in November."

Democrat Bill White hammered Republican Gov. Rick Perry on the state's dropout rate as he brought his gubernatorial campaign through Waco on Tuesday.

White began the day at an education-themed breakfast at Lake Brazos Steakhouse.

White, the son of San Antonio schoolteachers, covered a range of education policy topics, including the high cost of textbooks, early education and the dropout rate.

"I will work hard every week, every day, every month on the job to make sure that Texans are prepared for a better future, (and have) a better education, an improved education and job training in our state," he said.

White and Perry have clashed over the dropout rate, and White reiterated his argument that Perry has used a misleading calculation to make the state's dropout rate look rosier than it is.

He also took questions from the audience, made up of about 45 teachers, former teachers and area Democrats.

Asked by retired public schoolteacher and administrator Bonnie Lesley about funding disparities between wealthy and poor school districts, he said a student's "horizon should not be limited by their ZIP code."

White acknowledged there was "no perfect solution" to the problem but promised to begin a dialogue on the issue. White argued during his Democratic Primary campaign that he doesn't oppose local communities putting money into school districts in the form of local taxes.

But he has maintained that the state must ensure all children have access to a base-line level of educational quality regardless of their background.

White answered questions about the state's budget deficit, which is projected to reach $18 billion or more, during a later meeting with the Trib editorial board.

The former Houston mayor said he had found significant efficiency savings after taking the helm there, and he said he would similarly look at improving the efficiency and productivity of Texas' state government.

"That's the first place you look," White said.

He didn't lay out details of program cuts he would recommend if the efficiency efforts didn't wipe out the entire deficit. But he said he would prioritize education -- which makes up the bulk of the state's budget -- public safety and transportation.

Waco Tribune-Herald
8/4/10

Rebecca Bell-Metereau (District 5) and fellow State Board of Education candidate Judy Jennings (District 10) rallied the party faithful at the annual Texas Democratic Women Retreat luncheon Saturday, where the guest of honor was Andrea White, spouse of Democratic gubernatorial candidate and ex Houston Mayor Bill White. A former real-estate attorney and author of books for children and young adults, Mrs. White struck us as a pretty interesting character herself: maybe one of those British PIs who calmly and logically pursue whatever task is required to solve the problem: climbing to the top of an out-of-commission ferris wheel in wintry Chernobyl, for instance, to make sure it would be a plausible scene for her novel Radiant Girl. Dressed noticeably more relaxed than your average politician's wife in a summery full skirt, flamingo-pink wrap blouse, white cardigan, and metallic flats, White charmed the audience with what seemed like genuine awe at the amazing things that can happen when you're pursuing your life's passion (a somewhat impromptu book-signing in mainland China as the guest of Houston basketball star Yao Ming, for instance).

In a brief interview before lunch, White told the Current she would love to be a statewide advocate for encouraging kids to stay in school and pursue community college and university degrees -- which we were glad to hear, with Current reporter Callie Enlow's story about San Antonio's truancy problem fresh on our mind [see "Last ditch effort," July 28]. As Houston's first lady, White founded a community-outreach program called We're All Neighbors, which addressed dropout rates, among other issues, and with her husband created Expectation Graduation, which grew out of a summit she hosted in 2004.

"It's kind of like Don't Mess With Texas, when you got that message out at the highest levels, changing the culture so that you don't litter. Well, change the culture so that dropping out is serious," she said. "People do it casually, without thought to the fact that it's going to have consequences inter-generationally. So if you can make it a big deal I think you can make some strides."

Asked if she thought Bill White's legacy is misrepresented outside of Houston, she replied, "Elsewhere a lot of people have never heard of him, so there's a gap. In Houston, everyone knows Bill. So it's more the introduction to him." His finest moment in office? "The disasters, he was amazing. Just the way he brought people together," business, religious institutions, ordinary folk ... "and we were on one team."

San Antonio Current
8/4/10

Andrea White used to be terrified of addressing a crowd, but you wouldn't know it by the speech she gave at noon today at the 2010 summer retreat of the Texas Democratic Women.

White, an author of historical fiction for teens and the wife of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White, entertained the crowd of about 100 with stories of her writing career, seal excrement and a Chinese book-signing event with Houston Rockets center Yao Ming.

It wasn't until after White's husband had been elected mayor of Houston, where he'd serve for a term-limited six years, that she accidentally accepted an invitation to speak to a group there. White said she thought she'd been asked to attend as a guest, but when the official invitation arrived, she saw her name listed as a speaker.

That first speech forced her to do something she'd always avoided.

"Confronting a fear at 57 is an amazing thing to do," she said. "That's even more satisfying, I think, than anything that I've had happen to me in my writing career."

Since then she's given countless talks -- mostly about her novels. And now, White is crisscrossing the state on the campaign trail. But while she'll take to the stump at political events such as Saturday's, White isn't one to spend time talking much about politics.

"They should hear that from Bill," she said during an interview.

During the 15-minute speech, White never really stumped for her husband, who is challenging Republican Gov. Rick Perry in the November general election, save to say that "he's a good man -- he really is."

In retelling a story about how she became a novelist, White deftly noted that her husband had served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy under former President Bill Clinton. It was then that she began writing, mostly during flights in and out of Washington, D.C.

White's first published book, "Surviving Antarctica," was borne from a self-described obsession with Robert F. Scott's quest to be the first man to reach the South Pole (he didn't, and died with his crew in their tents on their return voyage). The story -- a melding of accurate historic fiction and futuristic science fiction -- took just a few months to write. But it took two years to edit.

White said she was hit by a barrage of questions from her publisher, including -- for the sake of accuracy -- whether seals relieve themselves on land or water. After thoroughly researching the question, White said, the answer was incredibly complicated.

"Finally, I just struck the line from the book. There is no seal poop in 'Surviving Antarctica,'" she said to great amusement from the audience.

Another of her books, "Window Boy," caught the attention of Ming, the basketball player, who wanted to do a book-signing with White in China.

"This was two years ago, and I was excited. But nothing ever happened," she said. "And then last week I got an e-mail that said: 'The book-signing is going to be in China on Wednesday. Please attend.'"

So White rearranged her schedule and flew to China.

"And there was Yao Ming talking with my book with his face on it," she said, holding up a copy of the book in Chinese with Yao's picture on it.

Seeking authenticity for her third novel, "Radiant Girl," White found herself in bitter cold, scaling a never-used Ferris wheel at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear power plant accident.

"My writing has taken me on some amazing adventures that I never would have dreamed of," she said.

San Antonio Express-News
August 1, 2010

PALESTINE -- If elected governor Democratic candidate Bill White said he would serve the people of Texas rather than telling them what to do.

The former Houston mayor made a campaign stop at the Old Magnolia Sandwich Shop in downtown Palestine Wednesday morning.

"We need somebody who will be a servant and not think they are the master of the state," White said.

The future for Texas looks bright, White said, but it needs different leadership.

"Today, we've (Texas) got more potential than we've ever had," White said. "We've broken down many of the barriers based on gender, based on ethnicity. We realize now more than ever ... there should be no limit on human potential. Texas could have a future that is so much brighter than it is today, but you know and I know that our state will never be as good as it can be so long as we're next to the bottom in the percentage of our citizens with a high school diploma."

The candidate said the state should focus more on educating its people which would in turn create more opportunities for higher paying jobs and a stronger economy. He also noted his support for a Texas Education Agency program recently cut that served to tutor and help students at risk of dropping out of school.

White also said he doesn't believe teachers should be teaching to a standardized test instead of teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills.

He also took the opportunity to criticize Perry's plan on the Trans Texas Corridor, calling it a "corrupt land grab," and said the state should refocus on the state's mobility issues.

"In our Texas we want to make sure long-range plans to build and maintain those farm-to-market roads," White noted, "to reduce congestion in urban areas; to link areas of the state that have not been linked before and do it without handing those decisions over to foreign companies and doing it in the public interest."

If elected governor, White said he also would make it a priority to meet with educators and other people working for the state to see how the state can work better than it does now.

"We need somebody who can set an example for all those dedicated people who work for the state," White noted. "I need your help to do that."

To help the state move forward and to succeed and include everybody in the process, White said the state needs a different kind of governor.

"We need a governor who cares," White said. "Who cares more about the people than his own re-election or his national political future."

Palestine Herald-Press
July 22, 2010

Wade Emerson, a local businessman, announced himself as a Republican before extending his hand to a seated Bill White inside a coffee shop in Tyler Thursday morning.

Emerson said he wanted to let White now that he recognized him and that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate has his support in November dependant on his answer to one question.

"Where do you stand on gun control and the Second Amendment?"

White said he would defend Second Amendment rights, including concealed-carry laws in Texas.

Name recognition is one thing political pundits say, aside from being a Democrat, will be White's greatest obstacle in his bid to defeat Gov. Rick Perry.

White, the former mayor of Houston, has been blazing the campaign trail to get his name and message out. He will continue an 18 East Texas city tour which included stops in Tyler on Wednesday and Thursday.

He has visited Tyler three times in the past six months.

White met with the Sunrise Rotary Club at Hollytree Country Club, school officials, residents and students at Tatum High School, visited the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, participated in an education town hall meeting in Longview and attended Homer Gilbert's Rusk County event in Henderson on Thursday.

White attended private events in Jacksonville, Rusk and Tyler on Wednesday. He met with African-American pastors at St. Louis Baptist Church and sportsmen at Hollytree Country Club.

He will continue his tour with stops in towns and cities from Groveton to Silsbee and Huntsville to Beaumont through the weekend.

During an interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph Thursday morning White said support for his bid to defeat incumbent Perry is growing. Perry, who has been governor since 2000 is the longest serving governor in Texas' history, is seeking his third full term.

White said Perry has done little for the state but play politics with his role as governor. He said support is coming from unlikely places - Republicans. White said the governor preaches fiscal conservatism and yet the states' budget has grown 80 percent under his watch.

"It's easier to pretend to make progress than it is to make progress," White said.

White said his town-to-town trailblazing is paying off and that his messages regarding education, a business approach to government, addressing unfunded state and federal mandates and renewing local control for municipalities, counties and school districts, is reaching voters.

The latest July 15 Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Texas voters shows Perry with 50 percent support and White picking up 41 percent of the vote, while percent 7 percent are undecided.

The two men ran closest in April when Perry held a narrow four-point lead, 48 percent to 44 percent.

Political analyst Harvey Kronberg, publisher and editor of the state's oldest political newsletter, the Quorum Report, said White said fundraising, attacking Perry's record, distancing himself from Washington Democrats and connecting with Texas Democrats will be critical to his chances.

Kronberg said White will need to raise $10 million in the coming months.

David Henderson, Smith County Democratic Party chairman, campaigned for White during his East Texas tour. Henderson said White left one evening fundraiser with more than $50,000, more than any Democrat has raised at a single area function since former Gov. Ann Richards.

Kronberg said one asset that may be more important than money is 2 million more Democratic Primary voters who cast ballots in the 2008 presidential primary over the previous primary election. Independents, disaffected Republicans and motivated Hispanic voters will also play pivotal roles in deciding the election, he said.

"That's the freshest list of Democratic voters in 20 years," Kronberg said. "Independents broke left in 2008 and we've been waiting for the Hispanic vote to emerge here in Texas. Organization is strong there this time around but the proof will be in the pudding."

Henderson said White's early-and-often trips to East Texas could pay big dividends in November. He said Democrats have not carried 30 percent of the Smith County vote in more than two decades but expects White could break that trend upwards of 35 percent.

"If (White) gets 30 to 35 percent in Smith County and East Texas, he'll win," Henderson said. "He's got the big cities. He's got the Hispanic and minority vote and Perry hasn't gotten 50 percent of the vote in his recent elections so we have a lot working for us."

Kronberg and Henderson agree that Perry's time in office will be White's biggest bullet. During the interview White alluded to Perry as a self-serving "career politician" several times.

That will be the "mantra" for his campaign, Kronberg said, as much as Perry will try to connect him to the Obama administration and the word "liberal."

Emerson, the self-described "gun-toting Texan," said Perry has been in office too long. He seems unconvinced, however, that White isn't part of a liberal agenda against the Second Amendment and pressed him further.

"What about conceal and carry in schools and churches?" Emerson asked and alluded to a recent report regarding firearms in schools.

White hadn't read the findings but asked if Emerson wanted his "gut reaction."

"I think it's up to the school districts," White said. "Local school boards and churches should be allowed to make those decisions not the state."

Emerson shook White's hand again and said he has his support.

Tyler Morning Telegraph
July 24, 2010

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White stressed education Thursday as he toured East Texas.

White, the former mayor of Houston, began the day with lunch in Tatum, then held town hall meetings in Carthage, Longview and Henderson. He faces Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in November.

About 100 people attended the Longview meeting, in which White outlined his five-point plan for improving education in the state. He said he would stress more early childhood education, treating every high school dropout as an emergency, realistic options for vocational education, not linking teacher evaluations to their students' performances on standardized tests and making higher education more affordable.

"The principal reason I'm running for governor is to prepare Texans for good jobs in the global market," White said. "We must do everything possible to create more opportunities for the citizens of our state, and that means providing them with the best possible education, from early childhood to adulthood."

White said although Texas has fared better than much of the rest of the country during the recent economic recession, he didn't think Perry should get the lion's share of the credit for the state's prosperity.

"If Rick Perry can take credit for everything that's good about the entire state, then he's been in office too long," White said.

In Tatum, White met with school district Budget Director Pat Parks to discuss a number of issues related to education, including the way schools could better take advantage of online open source material, the state-mandated 4x4 curriculum (which requires four years of high school instruction in math, English, science and social studies), dropout rates and school funding.

"We'd really have a tough time attracting teachers if we paid teachers the state minimum," Parks said. "We're fortunate in that we have incredible public support; voters in the district have passed five bonds since 1999. However, we're still facing challenges. The new state-mandated 4x4 curriculum is not necessarily bad, but it means we have fewer options for fine arts."

White said he would be open to considering more flexibility on the 4x4 requirements, but students from schools of all sizes should have access to top-level teaching in core subjects.

"Whether or not a district line is on this side or that (of a large taxpayer like the Luminant power plant) can have an enormous impact on a district," White said. "Where a kid lives should have nothing to do with the quality of education or facilities."

The district sent more than 60 percent of its budget to the state, Parks said.

"The school finance formula has gotten incredibly complex," White said. "We need a state policy that's balanced to make sure every child has an adequate educations."
White said he is not closely involved with the national Democratic Party and is more focused on getting the support of the people of Texas than on national issues.

"People who are the county judges, mayors or school superintendents, I believe they have a better feel for what's going on than someone in Austin or Washington," White said.

Longview News-Journal
July 23, 2010

JACKSONVILLE -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White paid Jacksonville a visit Wednesday afternoon.

White said the people he talked to responded well to his visit.

"People are just ready," White said, "ready for someone in it for Texas and not just himself."

He also said East Texas is a land in need of more jobs with higher wages and a real future.

"The missing pieces are improved public education, higher education and job training," he added. "All parts of Texas are interdependent. If one part slows down or speeds up, it pushes the other parts."

...

When asked about his chances in a largely Republican state, White said there are many areas which, though they vote for Republicans in national elections, tend to vote for Democrats in more localized races.

"They voted for John McCain (in the 2008 Presidential Election), but they also voted for Judge Dwight Phifer," White said.

Mayor Dr. Robert Haberle said he was among the first to meet the Texas candidate.

"I greeted him right out of the car," Haberle said. "One of the fun things you get to do as mayor is welcome and greet people to our community."

Haberle said he and White spoke about Jacksonville's employment prospects and sales tax revenue.

"He was a very pleasant, very cordial person," Haberle said. "He was easy to talk with."

White moved into the restaurant to meet with Jacksonville residents and even introduce himself to members of Jacksonville's Rotary Club after the club finished its Wednesday meeting.

Campaign Representative Ally Smith said this stop is just one of many across Texas.

"He is meeting with Texans and introducing himself," Smith said.

She added White included such locations as Mount Pleasant, Rusk and Tyler on his itinerary.

"Bill views running for governor as a job interview," Smith said.

Jacksonville Daily Progress
July 21, 2010

SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Some years ago I had the privilege of representing the people of Tom Green County in the U.S. House of Representatives. While I later served in the U.S. Senate and as U.S. ambassador to three nations, no position in public life ever gave me greater satisfaction than being San Angelo's congressman in the 1970s.

I am writing now to tell readers about Bill White, who at age 19 took a semester off from college to work in my congressional office. Today, 35 years later, he seeks to be governor of Texas. If elected, I feel certain that he will be one of the greatest Texas governors in the last 100 years.

When Bill and I worked together in Congress, federal regulations prevented Texans from receiving the same prices for the oil and gas we were producing as was paid to producers in Canada, Mexico or the Middle East. Bill helped me draft new energy policy to end that unfair discrimination.

The New York Times at that time wrote: "There was no one in the House of Representatives who knew energy better (than Bob Krueger because he had) as tutor a Harvard senior named Bill White."

My House colleagues then voted me "the most effective new member of Congress" among 92 new members. Bill White made that possible.

And 17 years later, he was named U.S. deputy secretary of energy, that department's second-highest position.

Bill recently has completed three terms as mayor of Houston, being elected by Republicans, Independents and Democrats and securing roughly 88 percent of the vote against five opponents.

He has received the "Profiles in Courage Award" from the Kennedy Foundation for working successfully to meet the needs of 250,000 American citizens displaced by Hurricane Katrina. When the federal government failed to respond, the city of Houston under Bill's leadership marshaled the forces -- educational, housing and job-creating -- to meet the needs of these hurricane-battered Americans.

The son of schoolteachers, Bill has achieved exceptional success in academics, law, business and government. But he always has sought to do more with his life than simply achieve financial success. He gave up lucrative careers in law and business to serve the people of Houston, and now he wishes to serve the people of Texas.

He is absolutely among the most thoughtful, caring, down-home and capable people I have met in public service. He has the vision to see the real needs of our state in education, job creation and responsible budgeting, and understands how to forge opportunities for success throughout all parts of the state and all portions of our population.

I hope and expect to be traveling with Bill in the coming months as he reaches out to meet and listen to the people of Tom Green County and the entire state. I urge citizens to meet him if they can, and support him if they will.

I have never known any person better equipped in mind, body and spirit to serve the urgent needs of our state and people than Bill White.

Bob Krueger is a former U.S. senator and congressman and served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Burundi and Botswana.