But then again, what else is new? They really don't seem to understand the dynamics at work in CD22.

People from across the globe live in the growing Houston suburbs that make up the 22nd Congressional District, which has been represented most recently by politicians born elsewhere in Texas: Tom DeLay, Shelley Sekula Gibbs, briefly, and now Nick Lampson.

But in the congested race for the Republican nomination to face Democrat Lampson in the November 2008 election, the candidates' roots, in and out of the district, have become an issue in the campaign.

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The term "carpetbagger" was created for Northerners who moved to the South seeking riches after the Civil War. Republican contenders in the local race apply it to Lampson because he once represented a nearby congressional district that included his birthplace of Beaumont — although Lampson is quick to point out his family has deep roots in Fort Bend County.

Without naming names, some of the eight Republican candidates also use the term to favorably compare their home-turf credentials to those of their opponents in the March GOP primary — especially since at first glance there appears to be little room for the contenders to one-up each other on being conservative.

Speaking as a GOP precinct chair here in CD22, I don't care where someone was born -- but then again, I say that as a man who was born in an Army hospital in San Francisco and who moved into CD22 only 10 1/2 years ago. However, I think most of my friends and neighbors share that perspective.

The problem, of course, is not who was born where. The issue is really one of who knows the district and has roots here to represent it well.

If you look at the overwhelming majority of the GOP candidates, they are rooted in the communities of the district. That is true of Shelley Sekula Gibbs, Talton, Hrbacek, Manlove, and even Rowley. Squier cannot say that. And Pete Olsen, a good man beyond all doubt, hasn't lived here in 15-20 years, and I understand that he didn't even have a Texas DL or voter registration until a few months ago.

More to the point, there is the question of where the money is coming from to finance candidates. Most of these folks are getting the bulk of their cash from within the district (or at least the Houston area), while one is getting most of his cash from DC lobbyists and other Beltway insiders.

Too bad that they Chronicle missed what the real point of the discussion is all about. But then again, why am I surprised at the shamefully poor level of political reporting from what is supposed to be a major metropolitan daily? They've done a lousy job of it for years.