Texas Senate GOP tells Dems: "Eff you"

So much for the idea that supposedly reasonable Senate Republicans like Steve Ogden would stand up to allegedly more Neanderthalic GOP counterparts in the state House and hold the line on a budget that would tap the Rainy Day Fund.

Using parliamentary procedures to avoid the need for any Democratic support, the Texas Senate's 19-12 GOP majority has adopted a more radical budget than initially proposed:

Senate leaders used a special rule for House bills that allowed them to bring up the spending plan — a House bill — without Democratic support.

In less than five minutes and with no debate, Sen. Steve Ogden offered an amendment that stripped a contentious provision that would tap money from the Rainy Day Fund. The move helped him garner support from conservative Republican senators.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate tentatively approved the $176.5 billion two-year state budget Wednesday, bypassing the long-held Senate tradition that requires a two-thirds agreement for the chamber to consider any legislation.

Senate leaders used a special rule for House bills that allowed them to bring up the spending plan — a House bill — without Democratic support.

In less than five minutes and with no debate, Sen. Steve Ogden offered an amendment that stripped a contentious provision that would tap money from the Rainy Day Fund. The move helped him garner support from conservative Republican senators.

They then quickly approved the budget on a 19-12 party-line vote. The budget faces one more vote before it can be sent back to the House for negotiations.

Here's an overview of what Ogden, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and other more "enlightened" Republicans now present back to the House:

Ogden's GOP-condoned compromise replaces about $3 billion in rainy-day money by underfunding Medicaid, pushing those payments to the end of the budget period. Absent increased revenue from an improving economy _which he expects — the budget would then force across-the-board cuts to state agencies other than basic public school operations.

The compromise called him to lose support of key Democrats.

In all funds, the Ogden's plan would still make about $11 billion in cuts, compared to the current budget. But the cuts are much less severe than those in the bare-bones House version.

First, far more than one and two legislative sessions ago, intraparty comity in the Texas Senate has been shattered, this time likely for good.

Second, is Steve Ogden, beyond thinking there's no way the House would compromise, starting to get afraid of tea party types himself?

Third, will Democrats in turn mount a more serious challenge to him in the future, tiring of his alleged "reasonableness"?