More than $25,000 for Christmas cards. Valet parking to the tune of more than $3,100. And $931 for flashing blinky lights?

These are just some of the creative ways our Texas delegation to Congress spends its campaign funds, according to the Houston Chronicle's Texas on the Potomac blog. The blog cherry-picked what it considered interesting ways campaign money was spent and reported as required by law through the June 30 election cycle.

It is Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, who apparently goes all out at Yuletide, spending $25,329 on Christmas cards and more than $4,000 on ornaments. The Christmas cards expense, according to writer Emily Cahn, was his largest in the last cycle.

A congressman rarely does his big fundraising at a rural VFW club where parking is ample. No surprise, then, that Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, rolls up big valet bills in swankriffic Big D.

From now on when you see someone wearing the state of Texas or cowboy boots that light up on his lapel, you can thank Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis for identifying them for you as flashing blinky lights on his campaign spending report. The Texas-themed blinkers were the swag at Barton's Happy Birthday Texas fundraiser.

By comparison, the expenses of the two Houston members scrutinized were more prosaic. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, spent most of her money on the usual, $8,800 for campaign flyers, door hangers and those little handout campaign cards. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, apparently doesn't get out as much as Jackson Lee. Culberson spent almost $6,000 on books for research.

Contact Mark Lisheron at 512-299-2318 or mark@texaswatchdog.org.

Photo of the Capitol by flickr user scottlenger, used via a Creative Commons license.