Revealing briefs 

AUSTIN — Netroots Nation, the annual gathering of liberal and progressive bloggers formerly known as YearlyKos has selected Austin as its host city for 2008. The convention, originally named after the popular blog DailyKos.com, was hosted last year in Chicago.

  AUSTIN — A program to pay low-income drivers in Dallas and Houston as much as $3,500 to replace old vehicles with newer, less polluting ones has been delayed. The program is expected to begin in January but with an interesting twist--new car dealerships will be the ones administering the program. Under the program, individuals with cars or trucks ten years old or older may take their vehicle to a participating dealership to get a voucher to buy a new vehicle--or one that is less than two years old. Other incarnations of the program required it to be administered by state or county offices.

  WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican, is planning a run for Senate Republican Conference Chair. Hutchison seeks to replace U.S. Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, who will likely move to the position of Minority Whip following the retirement of Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi later this year. CBS News reports that Hutchison is "already making calls" to other Republicans to seek their support.

  VIDOR — Former Vidor Mayor and attorney Larry Hunter has announced that he will seek the Democratic Party's nomination for the House District 19 seat to oppose Republican Mike "Tuffy" Hamilton in the November general election. The district includes Hardin, Newton and a portion of Orange Counties.

  AUSTIN — Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has been taking elocution lessons — likely in preparation for his 2010 run for higher office. Dewhurst has been trained in the art of speechmaking by Walter von Hune, a TV and film director and friend of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. von Hune was a director on the TV show Happy Days and an assistant producer of the popular film Pretty Woman.

You can stay on top of state politics via Vince’s regular blog, Capitolannex.com.