The Wiz of Odds

James' Campaign Staggers to the Finish Line

Consider this your last warning. Don't be surprised to see Craig James trying to get back in the broadcast booth this fall because his bid to become a U.S. Senator from Texas is all but finished.

James, a Republican, announced last December that he was stepping down from his ESPN analyst job to run for the seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison. The primary is May 29 — three weeks from today — and polling indicates that James is losing badly.

James is drawing only 7% of the projected vote. Frontrunner David Dewhurst is at 38%, followed by Ted Cruz at 26% and Tom Leppert at 8%.

Would You Vote Craig James for U.S. Senator?

Somebody finally figured out a way to get Craig James off ESPN. Encourage him to get into politics. James, the former Southern Methodist and NFL player turned analyst, made it official Monday by announcing that he is running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Texas.

Not everybody is enthusiastic about James' decision. Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram rips him a new one with a column titled, "Slimy James has proved he's ready to be a senator." Check it out.

But in the interest of fairness, we offer a poll to see if James, a Republican, has the political chops to play with the big boys. As it stands, James is a sizable underdog to Houston energy millionaire and current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

The primary is May 29.

Senator Craig James?

Meet Craig James. Football hero, businessman, analyst, "Little League dad," voter in the Associated Press poll and alleged job creator. Yes, that Craig James. He's planning to run for U.S. Senate in his home state of Texas. Our guess is that he won't be spending a lot of time campaigning in Lubbock.

Guns on Campus? Texas Considers Law to Allow It

Texas lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow concealed handgun license holders to carry weapons on campus and in classrooms.

"This is about self-defense," said San Antonio Republican Senator Jeff Wentworth, the legislation's sponsor. "It's about protecting lives of students who are totally vulnerable and defenseless and able to be picked off by a deranged shooter, as was the case in Virginia."

Wentworth was referring to the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech when student Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people. It was the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. The second-deadliest happened in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman killed 16 and wounded 31.

Not everybody thinks this is a good idea, including Colin Goddard, a Virginia Tech student who was shot four times by Cho but survived. He's currently visiting campuses in the Lone Star State and urging lawmakers to say no.

If Texas approves the law, it would become the second state, after Utah, to pass such a law. Eight other states — Arizona, Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, Nebraska and Mississippi — reportedly are considering "campus carry" legislation.