I'll have much more on the trial lawyer influence in the Harris County Republican Party tomorrow, if things go as planned. But today I ran across a very interesting transaction on the Pre-Election Campaign Finance report of Sharon McCally. McCally is challenging long-time Republican incumbent Judge Leslie Brock Yates for Place 5 on the 14th Court of Appeals.

According to her report, trial attorney F. Bennett Bailey gave her $20,000 this past Monday, along with $5,000 from attorney Joe Jamaal. Unfortunately, 5 grand no longer catches my eye. But 20 grand? Heck yes.

Let's look at a few other F. Bennett Bailey contributions:

On the Federal side of the ledger, we have some very familiar names: Democrats Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Sen. Tom Harkin, Sen. Mary Landrieu, and liberal Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Quite a lineup there.

That is just the tip of the trial lawyer money that is going to Sharon McCally. Is that the type of jurist we want on the bench as a Republican? I don't think so.

If you think it odd that McCally would give Terry Lowry 10 grand, think again. Tomorrow, I hope to highlight what the self-appointed religious right of the HCRP are doing to a very qualified canididate simply because he, along with two other appellate judges, overturned a huge jury award. One that would have benefited a staunch religious righter that subsidizes Terry Lowry daily, attorney Mark Lanier. Tune in, or tune out, your choice.