#TxLege — the myth of the 'moderate Republican' and the inside-the-Mopac gaggle

I've mentioned the inside-the-Mopac gaggle a few times before. Texas mainstream media aren't all bad all the time, but, the political reporters, and even more the analysts and pundits from the legacy print media, and the new online folks like the Trib, are often as problematic as their inside-the-Beltway peers in DC. (Some exceptions, like Jonathan Tilove, and Bud Kennedy from his remove in Fort Worth, do bat above average a fair chunk of the time.)

And, of course, that's why I created the inside-the-Mopac phrase.

Yesterday's Joe Straus retirement announcement did just the opposite, by and large, of bringing the cream to the top. Turds in the punchbowl, to use another metaphor, would be more correct.

I think I would have thrown up in Joe Straus' mouth had I seen the phrase "moderate Republican" once more. (The vomitorious feeling was compounded by Patrick Svitek at the Trib, in a clear swipe at Tom Wakely, saying that Andrew White was the "serious candidate" Dems have been waiting for to run for governor.)

Anyway, Joe Straus is NOT a "moderate Republican."

That's because no such thing exists in the Texas Legislature, or in state-level executive offices, whether elected or appointed.

I could accept the phrase "moderate conservative."

But "moderate"? Absolutely not.

I refuse to participate in the inside-the-Mopac's enabling the Texas GOP of today by erecting a glass house of Overton Windows.

Some of them did mention that Straus signed off on the sanctuary cities bill, at least implying that he could have further moderated it, if not blocked it completely, a la the bathroom bill lite that got some traction in the House.

But, the turd-polishing label of moderate Republican still gets attached to him.

This was only added to by Chris Hooks not only calling Straus a moderate, but writing something that looked like Hooks was offering his services as media spin doctor should Straus make the Indy run for governor.

I swear, Bernard and Audre Rapaport must be turning over in their graves every time one of Hooks' pieces runs in the Observer.