Rick Perry vs World

15 February 2007

Sorry for the lack of updates

I just haven't had time for the blog.

It's been quite a busy period, especially for this blog's named protagonist. I talked to my mom yesterday for the first time a couple weeks, and she was "hopping mad" about Perry's HPV vaccine order. For this sort of thing to reach my Mom -- who lives far away from Texas -- and anger her so...well, that's pretty impressive.

Posted by Evan @ 02/15/07 05:42 PM | Comments (1)

02 February 2007

Special Session is back

Paul Stekler's Special Session is back on the air again this year. It's a weekly half-hour TV show on PBS. This session, it starts up this Sunday the 4th at 11am.

From the press release:

Produced in Austin, Special Session will interweave documentary and discussion to stay one step ahead of the legislation destined to affect our lives long after the legislators head home. The first month's programs will feature a look back at the late Gov. Ann Richards (including a short
documentary using never-seen-before footage), former state Comptroller John Sharp looking back on the school finance plan he helped pass last year, and the impact of human service cuts across Texas.

Something on PBS leaning to the left? No way! I'd never, ever possibly dream of believing that.

Posted by Evan @ 02/02/07 03:44 PM | Comments (2)

31 January 2007

What a fine day for a parade

Brownsville Herald:

And the strong presence of border Democrats allied with the leadership will serve the border well, he said. Valley and other border Democrats who supported Craddick worked together strategically to try to get as many positions of authority for all of the region, not just one city or county, Peña said.

"I think, without question, this is the strongest delegation in the history of the state that I can identify from the border," Peña said. "So we have the opportunity to accomplish great things."

...

Earlier in the day, House Democratic leadership released an analysis of Friday night's committee assignments saying Craddick did not fairly represent Democrats, women or minorities in leadership positions.

Democrats continue to hold 25 percent of the committee chairmanships, just as they did in 2005, even though they gained seven seats in the election last year, according to the analysis released by the office of Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

I didn't see Dunnam's analysis, but I imagine it was rather similar to mine.

The funny thing is, given what Craddick had to work with, he made committee assignments that appear to me to be color blind.

Also, Dunnam should win the award for most hypocritical press release of the year:

The Texas Constitution is clear that the Legislative process should be deliberative and thorough, and that no non-emergency measure should be rushed out without full public input. I am proud to have voted to uphold the Texas Constitution...

So, was Dunnam just shredding the Texas Constitution for the last 10 years?

And shame on some of the reporters who printed such a misleading quote. Even if the vote were reasonable -- though it doesn't seem so to me -- it clearly wasn't a desire to protect the Texas Constitution that motivated Dunnam.

Posted by Evan @ 01/31/07 05:37 PM | Comments (0)

30 January 2007

Kay opens the door

WashTimes:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the largest Republican vote-getter in the 2006 congressional elections and the most popular Republican in Texas, said yesterday she would consider an offer to run for vice president next year.

"If our party's nominee called me and said we are putting everything in the grid, and we think you are the best person, would I say no? I can't imagine that I would say no," she said.

"Would I seek it or do something to promote it? Absolutely not," she told editors and reporters of The Washington Times at a meeting at the newspaper.

...

Mrs. Hutchison said she is not seeking a spot on the 2008 Republican presidential ticket -- or planning a run for Texas governor in 2010, as some in her state predict.

Posted by Evan @ 01/30/07 11:12 AM | Comments (0)

29 January 2007

Newsflash at 11: People make stuff up online while pretending to be other people

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Blakemore. He says it isn't him. It's rather odd that someone would seem to claim to be Blakemore and post such odd gossip that doesn't pass the smell test. Maybe the question is: why do some people make stuff up and post it online, while insinuating that they are political consultants?

-------------------------

The Professors note a bit of gossip I haven't seen anywhere else.

Here are some juicy rumors for you from Houston political consultant Allen Blakemore, courtesy of Burka's Blog this morning:

John Cornyn will not run for Senate again, and has not decided whether he will run for Governor or retire.
Greg Abbott will be the next GOP nominee for the junior Senator spot.
Kent Sullivan will be the next GOP nominee for Attorney General.

The rumors were left by "Dallas GOP" who links to Blakemore's clients page.

~~Seems like the commenter is claiming to be Blakemore. I have an email in to Blakemore to find out whether it is indeed him.~~

UPDATE: Blakemore says that it is not him. I've notified the Professors.

Color me very skeptical that Cornyn won't run for re-election.

Posted by Evan @ 01/29/07 04:54 PM | Comments (0)

Thumps up from HK

Kronberg seems to think that Craddick did a good job politically with his committee assignments.

Posted by Evan @ 01/29/07 04:42 PM | Comments (0)

Inside gossip on Craddick and Pitts

I read the Pitts-Craddick back and forth when committee spots were assigned, and couldn't help but think there was much more to the story.

So, perhaps the real story is revealed by an anonymous commenter on Paul Burka's blog:

[Pitts] wanted to stay as Chairman of Appropriations, and if Craddick wasn't going to do that, for seats on both Appropriations and Ways & Means. The only way that Craddick could have accommodated the latter request was by making him CBO of Ways & Means, which would have meant denying John Otto a spot that he had earned through his background, outstanding work on the tax bill, and loyalty to the Craddick team. Craddick gave Pitts the option to turn in a blank pledge card and let Craddick find a CBO spot on a lower-tier committee, or to keep his pledge card and take a seat on Ways & Means. Pitts refused to make the choice, so Craddick made his choice for him.

To which Burka replied:

To the best of my knowledge, your description of what took place is accurate.

Posted by Evan @ 01/29/07 04:39 PM | Comments (0)

I've been on the lookout to see how the assignments get reported in some of the Craddick Democrats' districts. Here's what Elizabeth Pierson wrote for the McAllen Monitor:

Starr County's third-term Democrat has landed a coveted spot as vice chairman of the committee that writes the Texas budget.

Other Rio Grande Valley lawmakers came away with plum committee assignments, as well.

Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, stuck by House Speaker Tom Craddick when he faced challenges from fellow conservative Republicans earlier this month. Now, Guillen is likely to be among a handful of people at the table when the final version of the budget is written.

"I am humbled by Speaker Tom Craddick's confidence in my abilities, and I look forward to working hard to get the job done for the people of Texas," Guillen said in a statement.

In his own statement, Craddick said he looks forward to working with Guillen, too.

"As vice chairman of Appropriations, Ryan will provide leadership from the border during the budget process," said Craddick, who appointed Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

Posted by Evan @ 01/29/07 04:23 PM | Comments (0)

The Globe-News profiles Amarillo's more-or-less hometown Approps Chair.

Unlike virtually all of his colleagues in the Texas Legislature, Rep. Warren Chisum never went to college.

Yet, in his 18-year legislative career, the Pampa Republican not only gradually became a key player, but now he is chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, the most influential committee in the 181-member, two-chamber Legislature

...

He didn't go to college because he and his wife, Omega, decided to get married when they were high school sweethearts. The couple, who has two children, Jeff and Kim, and five grandchildren, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August.

"I hesitate to say we couldn't afford college, but it would've been easier for my family than her family, but together we could not have gone," Chisum said. "So we decided to go to work and I went to work in Pampa in the oil fields and I was fortunate to have made enough money" to eventually start a business.

But starting a business and eventually getting elected to the House were hard work, he remembers.

...

Compared to most of his colleagues, especially from the Panhandle and the South Plains, Chisum is also an exception. He got into politics late, at age 50. And during his first term, he considered not returning to Austin for a second time.

"I decided pretty quickly that probably this wasn't the place for me to stay so I had some second thoughts about it," he said. But he changed his mind after studying the House rules and procedures.

"I felt when I came back the second time that I had a distinct advantage (over other legislators) because I studied the procedures," he said.

Procedure is policy.

If memory serves, former House Appropriations Chair Talmadge Heflin doesn't have a degree either. That's a bit of a surprising coincidence. But then, getting a degree doesn't make you any smarter.

Posted by Evan @ 01/29/07 02:47 PM | Comments (1)

27 January 2007

More reactions

Defeated candidate Pitts:

In spite of his repeated assurances to members of the House and the public that there would be no retribution, it appears that the Speaker has chosen retaliation over reconciliation. Like many other members of the House, I am very disappointed in his choice.

The Speaker should consider every members skills and experience in making committee assignments. This Session, there will be a pressing need for members with experience on the budget and taxes. To that end, on my preference card I offered to serve Appropriations as Chair, as a Subcommittee Chair, or as a member of the committee. The Speaker and his staff flatly rejected each of these offers.

Craddick spokesman Alexis DeLee:

Rep. Pitts met and talked with Speaker Craddick several times about his committee appointments. Speaker Craddick offered Rep. Pitts a seat on the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Pitts declined that offer. His statements to the contrary are not an accurate reflection of the exchanges between the two of them.

Meanwhile, Talton used to be chairman of Urban Affairs. The speaker put him on Criminal Jurisprudence this session. Talton's response, via Janet Elliott:

"I never asked for Criminal Jurisprudence. I don't want to be on it. I'm not going to go to a committee I don't want to be on," said Talton, who added that he will read a statement from the back microphone next week.

Statesmen-like, really, isn't it? Jokes aside, is this the beginning of the Talton for Congress campaign? I heard rumors that Talton was aiming towards beating Shelley in 2008 in CD22, and perhaps this will seal the deal. It will be interesting to see how the CD22 field shakes out. Dr. Shelley might not even finish in second.

Posted by Evan @ 01/27/07 01:43 AM | Comments (1)

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