bill abbott finds it in caffeine. >> taster's choice. i'm a coffee drinker.hots of coffee a day, i'm usually pretty good. that's my choice of drug. i don't know what i'd do if i didn't have coffee. that's what gets me to drawing. this is pretty much what i do all day long. i draw a lot on cards and sell them, draw anything that maybe somebody specifically might want, a portrait of somebody in their family, they buy all the material and i do it. i get paid that way. i had to put my name on the wall. looks a little bit more presentable. >> abbott also uses his art to connect with his mother. >> makes her day when i send her like a "thinking of you" card. she has all kinds of pictures that i've done for her, jesus pictures, pictures of jesus, all kinds of religious pictures i like to do. >> she's religious? >> yeah, christian. >> as though his devil horn tattoos aren't ironic enough for a christian-themed artist, abbott is also serving 40 years for stealing from and burning down a historic catholic church in his hometown. and while he claims he didn't do it, he

texas which will likely pit the attorney general, greg abbott, against wendy davis, the democrat we know became famous for filibustering the abortion bill even in cases of incest and rape. how do the think the battle will play out? >> i hope that wendy davis wins. i think she has a strong chance of winning and a major reason why she has a strong chance of winning is that women are waking up to this war on them that the republican party is waging. and it gives me no pleasure to identify the people leading this war as republicans. it's not good for the country, but facts are facts. the republican party in texas is not only waging war on women's access to reproductive health care, they're even waging war on women's access to the ballot box. they are now enforcing rules that are aimed to stop women from voting. it's absolutely outrageous. women are getting that. and i predict that in the general election, you're going to see a huge wave of women standing up, going to the ballot box, insisting on voting and saying we will not accept this. >> terry, i want to show that to everybody because it was wendy davis who experienced a problem, that sh

bill the only way i could. by filibustering. >> democratic state senator wendy davis was announcing her bid for governor, taking on rick perry's -- greg abbotter wasn't her pink running shoes wearing stance over the abortion bill. it was for education. under the able leadership of the perry abbott tag team texas has dropped to dead last in high school graduation rates and remain dead last in the percentage of people with health care. it makes sense that governor rick perry would call the affordable care act a, quote, criminal act. despite perry's claims to the contrary, state spending on education, according to politifact, has actually decreased by 25% from 2002 to 2012. with these and many other facts on her side, the question is can wendy davis convince texas to go blue? filling the first open gubernatorial seat in texas since 1990 when none other but ann richards pulled off an upset victory. for more on whether wendy davis can turn texas blue i'm joined by msnbc contributor victoria defrancesco soto and reporter for the texas tribune, alana rocho. thank you for joining me. i want to start with you, alana. looking at the demographics of te

davis filibustered the legislation over the sum per the bill ultimately passed and davis is now running for governor against attorney general greg abbott who has already promised to appeal the judge's ruling. >>> the virginia governor's race increasingly appears to be in the hands of a democratic candidate terry mcauliffe who has opened up a double digit lead in the latest polling. "the washington post" poll shows him leading ken cuccinelli 51-39 with libertarian candidate behind. president obama will help mcauliffe campaign this weekend as the race heads into the final stretch. >>> penn state will be paying millions of dollars in a settlement with more than two dozen sex abuse victims of jerry sandusky. the university will may $60 million to 26 of sandusky's victims. the settlements will not be funded student tuition, taxpayer funds or donations. sandusky is currently serving between 30 and 60 years behind bars after being convicted last year on 45 different counts of sex abuse. he's appealing the verdict. penn state president said quote, we hope this is another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by mr. sandusky and an

11 hour filibuster of a reproduction rights bill is expected to jump into the governor's race this afternoon taking on republican attorney general greg abbottsays new republic, democratic changes might break republican siege of those poor liberals in austin but now there isn't a path to victory for progressive democrats. gives a shot, albeit a long one saying davis needs a perfect campaign and abbott needs to make mistakes. she won't get great odds in vegas but neither can ann richards. she left in 1995. red states are too daunting for gifted legislature. they note republicans have won 100 statewide elections in a row, half of white voters are evangelical christians and obama carried just 26 of the state's 254 counties in 2012. still, davis, a single mother at 19, who went from living in a trailer park to college and then to harvard law before rising up the ranks of texas politics has beaten the odds before. >> obviously when you think about doing something this big and that may seem improbable, you want to make sure you're not doing something foolhardy. i've been through a lot of tough fights in my life. i've learned to weather them. i've

bill restricting abortion rights in the state. a new poll find in a hypothetical match up between wendy davis and texas's attorney general, greg abbotts davis. 50% of respondents are undecided. joining me is the president of planned parenthood and daughter of ann richard. cecelia, a thrill to see you. no person i would rather talk to about this than you. as daughter of ann richard. daughter of the lone star state and some one fighting for wom women's freedoms. earlier today you tweeted. 24 years ago, ann richards announced, for governor of texas with my daughter lily today. we cheer wendy davis. hash tag, team wendy. you know the state. what is it going to take for wenty dave s wen wendy davis? >> great to be with you. as a texan, i am proud today, of wendy, the state. and the thought that she can repeat history. she can and will. what we are seeing, ace race that looks incredibly close. what wendy haufrd today, obviously her personal biography is amazing, what she has done in elected office. wendy is offering up to open up government to all the people of texas much like mom did 24 years age i think there is going to be an outpouring