Joe Cutbirth

Joe Cutbirth (born 1956) is an American scholar, journalist, and media critic, who currently teaches in the communication and journalism programs at The University of Texas at Austin.

He is a former editor-in-chief of the Texas Observer, political blogger for The Huffington Post, and was a recurring analyst for ABC News Now during the 2008 presidential primaries and general election.

He was a statehouse reporter and political writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and served as the communications director for the Texas Democratic Party coordinated campaign during the Clinton-Gore 1996 and Ann Richards 1994 reelection efforts.

[16] He also questioned the veracity of reporters who allow Perry to call health care reform "socialized medicine",[17] and he argued that ESPN ethics in the case of Craig James and former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach "stink".

[22] He made the switch from journalism to political operative and pundit in 1994, when Governor Ann Richards hired him to be spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party and effectively "go one-on-one with" Bush Spokeswoman Karen Hughes.

[25] There he covered the Branch Davidian siege at Waco, Ann Richards’ successful 1990 gubernatorial bid, and the grand jury indictments on ethics charges of both Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

[26] As an undergraduate at the University of Texas, he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order, served on the student government, was on the editorial board of The Daily Texan and worked on the Cactus (yearbook) staff.

He lists Richards, Milk and Bobby Kennedy as his heroes, and he describes himself as "a staunch disciple of the European Enlightenment; an unabashed fan of the University of Texas Longhorns football team; and an enthusiastic gourmand of Tex-Mex".