Race for the Speakership
The main thing that is happening in Texas politics these days is the speaker's race. Harvey Kronberg and Paul Burka are the main sources of info.
Internal races like these are entirely a matter of perception. Who wins is who people think will win. The battle to be perceived as the likely winner is well underway.
Democratic Rep. Senfronia Thompson released her pledges, presumably votes that will go to non-Craddick candidates. In response, current Speaker Craddick released a list of 84 names, including 17 Democrats, who he says re-confirmed support for him.
McCall is claiming that he has 16 of the 84 people on Craddick's list.
Meanwhile, Appropriations Cmte Chair Jim Pitts has filed to run as speaker and is holding a press conference as I type. Burka reports some rumor (odd, given that he's tried to stay out of the rumor mill so far on the Speaker's race) that Pitts is with McCall, but that seems like an odd tactic for Pitts. Why would he put his credibility on the line by holding a press conference if he's only doing it as a way to help McCall?
Right now, if Craddick can't halt the news cycle, then momentum is going to shift, and then the perception will solidify.
It will also be interesting to see whether the vote for the Speaker remains a public vote, or whether the House decides to change the rules and make it a secret vote.
Posted by Evan @ 12/28/06 05:01 PM
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