A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Wednesday, May 27, 1998

Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R) appears invulnerable at the polls, so two of his foes have decided to see how well the potential 2000 presidential contender can do in the courtroom. Attorney General Dan Morales, a Democrat, asked a federal judge Tuesday to fine Bush and seven state legislators $25 million for interfering with the state's lawsuit against tobacco companies.

Also on Tuesday, the Tigua tribe staged a counterattack on Bush with its federal lawsuit aimed at preventing the governor from shutting down their casinos, as he has threatened to do.

"Pataki's a pleasant guy who grew up on a farm. He's not bland. He's just happy and well-adjusted." – N.Y. Gov. George Pataki's literary agent. (The Times-Union, Albany, N.Y., May 27)

Morales Asks Judge to Fine Bush (Austin American-Statesman, May 27)
Tigua Indians Sue to Stop Bush's Crackdown on Casino (Dallas Morning News, May 27)

Mass. Gov. Cellucci Goes Back on His Stance Against Soft Money
Massachusetts Acting Gov. Paul Cellucci (R) is asking donors to contribute up to $40,000 each in soft money to a national fund for Republicans. In a news conference last May, Cellucci called soft money a "loophole" that "has become a funnel for unregulated, undocumented, and limitless money pouring into Massachusetts elections." Of course, he never said there was anything wrong with that.
Cellucci Pushing for Soft Money (The Boston Globe, May 27)

Michigan Will Likely Vote on Assisted Suicide
Voters in the home state of assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian will likely get to cast their ballots on a measure legalizing the practice. If approved, Michigan would follow Oregon's lead and become the second state to make assisted suicide legal.
Suicide Issue Likely to Come Up for Vote (The Detroit News, May 27)

It's Baesler and Bunning in Kentucky
Rep. Scotty Baesler (D) emerged victorious from Kentucky's most costly primary ever to face Republican Rep. Jim Bunning in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Wendell Ford (D).
Complete Coverage of Senate and House Elections (Lexington Herald-Leader, May 27)
Key Race: Kentucky Senate (washingtonpost.com)

Video Poker Lives on in N.H., S.C.
Barring a minor miracle, the video poker industry survived efforts to ban the gambling machines in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. Video poker still faces a challenge in the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Video Poker Ban Is in Trouble (The Union-Leader, Manchester, N.H., May 27)
Poker Ban Out of Budget (The State, Columbia, S.C., May 27)

Pataki Tells of Farm Life in New Autobiography
New York Gov. George Pataki's new autobiography is a regular old pulled-himself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of tale – certainly a theme that would not hurt the potential Republican presidential candidate if he runs for the White House in 2000.
Overalls to Pinstripes (The Times-Union, Albany, N.Y., May 27)
White House 2000: Republicans (washingtonpost.com)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com