Once again we are entering the primary season. It is important to remember that primaries are contests in the family. We need to keep in mind that in the end we need to be together in November to defeat the Democrats. So candidates, temper your attitude toward your competitors and do your best to run positive issues-oriented campaigns and try to avoid personal attacks.

If we can do this, we can more easily unite for November.

TCR's take here is no. When major league elected officials consider endorsing, the first question always asked is, what is in it for me?

Senator Ted Cruz endorsing in Texas-wide races is like entering a minefield with little to gain and much to lose. That being said, it doesn't appear at this point he will, as he is now playing on a much bigger national stage.

We have lost another giant, Mike Anderson, at too young an age. Mike was a great son, husband, father, prosecutor, District Judge, the Harris County District Attorney, and a big Astros fan.

When elected in November 2012, he had great plans for the future for the DA's office, only to soon discover he had terminal cancer. He leaves his wife, Devon, an outstanding lawyer in her own right and their two children. TCR sends its condolences to his family. His loss will be felt by all the citizens of Harris County, Texas.

You know the real problem here is President Obama, he has no clue what he is doing in foreign affairs or with our military. By the way, that is what you get when you elect a President that's not ready on day one.

The only purpose of using limited force in Syria is to save Obama's face, for the President who operates the opposite of Teddy Roosevelt in international affairs, Obama speaks loudly and carries no stick.

With the recent tragic loss of Mike Anderson, the DA's job is to be filled in the interim by Governor Perry and for the balance of the term by the citizens of Harris County in November 2014. There is a big list of possibilities from both parties. For Republicans, there should be two major factors: one is qualifications (that goes without saying) and we have a deep bench, and the other is who would be the strongest candidate in 2016, which should be a challenging year politically for the GOP.

If we pick the wrong candidate, we could be setting ourselves up for big election problems in 2016. So before Governor Perry appoints an interim DA, he would do well to consult with the leadership of the Republican Party in Harris County, as they will actually help decide who the nominee in 2016 will be.

I admit it, I am a huge Texas Longhorn football fan. In TCR, we previously compared Rick Perry and Mack Brown. To his credit, the Governor decided it was time to move on and soon Mack Brown will too.

The BYU loss showed all of the problems of recent years returning, offensive line play, poor tackling, as well as out of position defense. A new defensive coordinator may help, but it is not a long-term answer. Unless there is a quick change, the Brown era at Texas ends this year.

COMING SOON: A Forum with the Harris County District Clerk Candidates, the City of Houston 2013 Election Questionnaire Results and Voters Guide.

Red, White & Blue featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland, liberal commentator David Jones and moderator Linda Lorelle on Fridays at 7:30 pm on PBS Houston Channel 8.1, replaying Sundays at 12:30 p.m. on Channel 8.1, Mondays at 11:30 pm on Channel 8.2 and on the web at www.houstonpbs.org.

Upcoming Shows:
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, a Forum on the 2013 Political Season, George P. Bush, a Forum on the future of METRO.

The current show as well as past shows are available on YouTube.

Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his fifteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last twelve years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 10 years, Gary has published election guides for the GOP primary, general elections and city elections, all with the purpose of assisting conservative candidates. Gary is also in his twelfth year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on PBS Houston. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.