Romeo And Juliet

Republicans gathered at Leal's Mexican restaurant here, Monday, Oct. 30, for GOP candidates' last-minute swing through Amarillo and Lubbock to bash Democrats, Austin and Hooter's.

Amarillo's Sen. Kel Seliger, who introduced Attorney General Greg Abbott, commended Abbott for battling sexual predators on the Internet.

"And I don't mean my two boys and the Hooter's Web site," Seliger quipped.

"We may have to drop our investigation of Hooter's," Abbott retorted, as he took the microphone.

Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst both commended the Panhandle's legislative delegation on stage with them -- Pampa's Warren Chisum, Dumas' David Swinford and Amarillo's John Smithee. All three lawmakers are committee chairmen in the House of Representatives.

"This cadre is all chairman make a big difference," Perry said.

The governor also campaigned for Don Willett, the Texas Supreme Court justice whom Perry appointed in August 2005 to fill a vacancy. Willett, who was with the campaign caravan, is now running to keep the seat.

"There is one individual on that Supreme Court who is a powerful, pro-life, pro-Texas, conservative-values individual that we must make sure we elect this Nov. 7," Perry said. Perry urged everyone to vote and stay the course.

Perry is in a five-way race with Democrat Chris Bell, Independent Kinky Friedman, Independent Carole Keeton Rylander Strayhorn and Libertarian James Werner.

Down the road and around the corner, Strayhorn spoke Monday, Oct. 30, at Amarillo College in a campaign appearance. The topics of her speech were education and the need to replace Perry as governor.

Perry