Dan Patrick, aka The Stinking Anglo Formerly Known as Danny Goeb™, said that he thought all of the alleged juvenile illegals, or Ill Eagles, were actually adults, probably midgets, in the youngest ages, but that adults could look like 10-year-olds.
"Everybody knows that Mexicans are all short, as well as stinky," he said.
Greg Abbott, continuing to remember that he has not a Mexican,
but a Mexican-American wife, said that legal entry into the United
States made Mexican-Americans taller and cleaner. He also denied that he
was using Ill Eagles to dig the conservation-evading water well on his
Austin lawn even deeper.
Ken Paxton said that the new criminal ethics complaint filed against him
was obviously an attempt to undermine his planned new
get-tough-on-illegals policy. He also denied that he had formed a
limited partnership company to trade in employment futures of Ill
Eagles.
Rick Perry said he was naming Sean Hannity an honorary brigadier
general in the Texas National Guard. Actual illegal immigrants, knowing
that, even for a wingnut, Hannity can't shoot straight, uttered a
collective "Nemo problemo!"
Wendy Davis, stealing a page from Poppy Bush as she continued moving further to the right, promised "kinder, gentler border toughness" if elected governor. She then, in a further bid to keep from fading into irrelevance, said she would allow rich Ill Eagles to cross the border, if they would give her campaign $5,000 and then do five weeks of unpaid volunteer work.
David Dewhurst started thinking silently to himself that he might just have been lucky to lose the Lite Guv primary to The Stinking Anglo Formerly Known as Danny Goeb™. He then checked to make sure the Ill Eagles had mowed the greens at River Oaks Country Club.
Joe Straus, remembering that his ancestors had escaped from Beyond the Pale, kept relatively quiet for other reasons.
David Alameel said that he would spend "whatever it takes" to secure the border if he were elected to the Senate. But, he denied contributing funds to the Dallas Diocese of the Republic of Texas in the past.
Ted Cruz
said freeing right-wing repression in a Hispanic country was far different than fleeing left-wing repression in a Hispanic country. Canadian Bacon™ then said that Cubans, unlike Mexicans, never stank.
John Cornyn muttered some senseless shit in another attempt to be as much of a wingnut as Cruz.
Louie Gohmert was strangely quiet, leaving seasoned observers to think he was going to trump everybody else's nutbar level sometime next week.
Davis and Alameel then looked around at being on a list of Republicans and shrugged their shoulders.
Showing posts with label Dewhurst (David). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dewhurst (David). Show all posts
May 26, 2014
Is Dan Patrick fit to be Texas' Lite Guv?
Per David Jennings' Big Jolly blog with the Houston Chronicle, the answer, as he shows, is a very arguable no.
One could argue that a Greg Abbott, the fox guarding the henhouse of CPRIT and such, isn't 100 percent ethically fit to be governor, but this goes beyond that.
If Dan Patrick is lying about the extent of his mental health problems, as well as lying about what exactly his mental health problems are, then obviously, he's not 100 percent ethically fit.
But, per the extent of the mental health problems themselves, one can argue that he's simply not 100 percent fit.
Stigmatizing depression is one thing. Raising serious questions about just how manic Patrick can be in manic phases of bipolar disorder, assuming that that is what he has, is another.
Per being lieutenant governor? The lite guv presides over the Texas Senate. As such, he has to cooperate with the Speaker of the House on some legislative calendar issues. He has to work with the House and the Speaker on conference committees for bills that have passed the two houses in different versions. And, that's where his old rubber hits the road. Per Big Jolly:
Meawhile, at Jennings' personal Big Jolly blog, the rats are coming out of the woodwork, the sewer and other spots to defend Patrick. No surprise there.
That said, both David Dewhurst and Jerry Patterson brought this on themselves.
If Patterson thought this was that important, why not bring it up in the original primary? The issue of Danny Boy hiring Ill Eagles was nice, but, Jerry, even when you had it prepared, you had no guarantee it would have that much impact. Why didn't you, your private eye and whomever else, have this one also ready to release in March?
As for Dewhurst, to riff on Sean Connery in "The Untouchables," in the whole campaign, he's brought a knife to a gun fight. That said, in good country club style, he has stuck his pinkie out away from the knife while holding it. When you did finally bring a gun, it wasn't your own, but the hired hogleg Patterson keeps in his boot. In any election not involving Dan Patrick, Patterson would have a good chance of being a loose cannon.
Instead, due to bungling by Dudley Dewless compounded by that of Señor Hogleg, Dan Patrick, of all people, may get a sympathy backlash tomorrow. If he gets the GOP nod, this is an issue that obviously won't go away, but while it will make the Lite Guv general race tighter than the guv's election between Abbott and Wendy Davis, I doubt it will be enough to unhorse Patrick in November.
That said, if there is some chance he would lose in November, and GOP wingnuts want to double down on him tomorrow, by all means, go ahead. And, non-wingnuts in the GOP have brought this on himself. Per Jolly's laundry list, there's clearly enough misconduct of lack of decorum as a state senator that he could have been officially censured or something. Instead, to riff on another blog post of Perry's, you have someone unfit even to be the Houston Astros GM running for lieutenant governor. He's also not fit to be dogcather of Utopia, though maybe Kinky Friedman and his Utopia rescue society would take him in.
One could argue that a Greg Abbott, the fox guarding the henhouse of CPRIT and such, isn't 100 percent ethically fit to be governor, but this goes beyond that.
If Dan Patrick is lying about the extent of his mental health problems, as well as lying about what exactly his mental health problems are, then obviously, he's not 100 percent ethically fit.
But, per the extent of the mental health problems themselves, one can argue that he's simply not 100 percent fit.
Stigmatizing depression is one thing. Raising serious questions about just how manic Patrick can be in manic phases of bipolar disorder, assuming that that is what he has, is another.
Per being lieutenant governor? The lite guv presides over the Texas Senate. As such, he has to cooperate with the Speaker of the House on some legislative calendar issues. He has to work with the House and the Speaker on conference committees for bills that have passed the two houses in different versions. And, that's where his old rubber hits the road. Per Big Jolly:
During the 2011 session Patrick was carrying the sonogram bill and got into argument with House Sonogram sponsor Sid Miller. Patrick blew his cork one day and walked over to House where he threatened, in front of House members, to beat up Sid Miller. The House then got mad at Patrick; he went to see (Speaker Joe) Straus and they had an argument and Straus told Patrick to stay away from the House.Does Straus still want him off the floor of the House? Metaphorically as well as literally? How can Patrick actually work with him?
Meawhile, at Jennings' personal Big Jolly blog, the rats are coming out of the woodwork, the sewer and other spots to defend Patrick. No surprise there.
That said, both David Dewhurst and Jerry Patterson brought this on themselves.
If Patterson thought this was that important, why not bring it up in the original primary? The issue of Danny Boy hiring Ill Eagles was nice, but, Jerry, even when you had it prepared, you had no guarantee it would have that much impact. Why didn't you, your private eye and whomever else, have this one also ready to release in March?
As for Dewhurst, to riff on Sean Connery in "The Untouchables," in the whole campaign, he's brought a knife to a gun fight. That said, in good country club style, he has stuck his pinkie out away from the knife while holding it. When you did finally bring a gun, it wasn't your own, but the hired hogleg Patterson keeps in his boot. In any election not involving Dan Patrick, Patterson would have a good chance of being a loose cannon.
Instead, due to bungling by Dudley Dewless compounded by that of Señor Hogleg, Dan Patrick, of all people, may get a sympathy backlash tomorrow. If he gets the GOP nod, this is an issue that obviously won't go away, but while it will make the Lite Guv general race tighter than the guv's election between Abbott and Wendy Davis, I doubt it will be enough to unhorse Patrick in November.
That said, if there is some chance he would lose in November, and GOP wingnuts want to double down on him tomorrow, by all means, go ahead. And, non-wingnuts in the GOP have brought this on himself. Per Jolly's laundry list, there's clearly enough misconduct of lack of decorum as a state senator that he could have been officially censured or something. Instead, to riff on another blog post of Perry's, you have someone unfit even to be the Houston Astros GM running for lieutenant governor. He's also not fit to be dogcather of Utopia, though maybe Kinky Friedman and his Utopia rescue society would take him in.
March 31, 2014
Texas GOP responds to unequal pay for women
Rick Perry says this will create new jobs in Texas. In case it won't, he offers Texas Enterprise Fund millions to whoever can pretend to actually make that happen.
Ted Cruz blames Obama because he has made income levels all about socialism. Besides, Cruz says, the Democrats are the party of the rich.
John Cornyn repeats what Ted Cruz said because, per LBJ, Cornyn has voluntarily put his pecker in Cruz's pocket.
Louie Gohmert says complaining about equal pay for women is a plot by abortionists to destroy the culture of Texas as we know it, and that we will next have Satanists asking for equal pay.
Greg Abbott says he can't sue any state agency or private company over unequal pay because there's no state law about it, and besides, he's too busy suing Obama over something else which he can't remember because he hasn't checked his sue Obama calendar, even though there's no state law about it. When asked about unequal pay in his own office of Texas Attorney General, Abbott said it would be a conflict of interest to investigate his own office. When asked how he can stand this happening, Abbott says that's a PC dirty trick, to ask him to stand for anything. He did promise he has Ted Nugent heading a task force looking at pay for underage women.
Dan Patrick says he can get some female Ill Eagles to do lots of work for cheap, and that the men will be and do the same, as long as none of them wants to return home then come back, or put anything in writing.
David Dewhurst says he agreed with all of the above in spades, because Ted Cruz put the Dew's pecker into a pig in a blanket 2 years ago.
Jerry Patterson promises to give women as many concealed weapons as men.
Joe Straus says to himself that he sure hope Democrats unite with the few non-nutbar GOPers in the House to re-elect him as speaker.
Ted Cruz blames Obama because he has made income levels all about socialism. Besides, Cruz says, the Democrats are the party of the rich.
John Cornyn repeats what Ted Cruz said because, per LBJ, Cornyn has voluntarily put his pecker in Cruz's pocket.
Louie Gohmert says complaining about equal pay for women is a plot by abortionists to destroy the culture of Texas as we know it, and that we will next have Satanists asking for equal pay.
Greg Abbott says he can't sue any state agency or private company over unequal pay because there's no state law about it, and besides, he's too busy suing Obama over something else which he can't remember because he hasn't checked his sue Obama calendar, even though there's no state law about it. When asked about unequal pay in his own office of Texas Attorney General, Abbott said it would be a conflict of interest to investigate his own office. When asked how he can stand this happening, Abbott says that's a PC dirty trick, to ask him to stand for anything. He did promise he has Ted Nugent heading a task force looking at pay for underage women.
Dan Patrick says he can get some female Ill Eagles to do lots of work for cheap, and that the men will be and do the same, as long as none of them wants to return home then come back, or put anything in writing.
David Dewhurst says he agreed with all of the above in spades, because Ted Cruz put the Dew's pecker into a pig in a blanket 2 years ago.
Jerry Patterson promises to give women as many concealed weapons as men.
Joe Straus says to himself that he sure hope Democrats unite with the few non-nutbar GOPers in the House to re-elect him as speaker.
March 26, 2014
Texas GOP politicians respond to Houston Ship Channel oil spil
Rick Perry says this will create new jobs in Texas. In case it won't, he offers Texas Enterprise Fund millions to whoever can pretend to actually make that happen.
Ted Cruz blames Obama and says that worrying about oil spill cleanup is socialism.
John Cornyn repeats what Ted Cruz said because, per LBJ, Cornyn has voluntarily put his pecker in Cruz's pocket.
Louie Gohmert says that Obama hired nude gay Satanists to cause this, because Gohmert is tired of Cruz inhaling all the nutbar oxygen.
Greg Abbott says he'll sue Obama over it, because it's been a week since he threatened to sue Obama. When asked how he can stand this happening, Abbott says that's a PC dirty trick, to ask him to stand for anything. He then says he can get women to do the cleanup for 30 percent less, because they're not good negotiators. He also said it was untrue that he had heard that Barbie hair was an effective oil sponge.
Dan Patrick says he can get some Ill Eagles to clean it up for cheap, as long as none of them wants to return home then come back, or put anything in writing.
David Dewhurst says he agreed with all of the above in spades, because Ted Cruz put the Dew's pecker into a pig in a blanket 2 years ago.
Jerry Patterson whips his hogleg out of his boot and starts shooting at the oil spill.
Joe Straus says to himself that he sure hope Democrats unite with the few non-nutbar GOPers in the House to re-elect him as speaker.
John Carona says to himself that maybe he should be thankful he lost his state Senate primary to Don Huffines.
Ted Cruz blames Obama and says that worrying about oil spill cleanup is socialism.
John Cornyn repeats what Ted Cruz said because, per LBJ, Cornyn has voluntarily put his pecker in Cruz's pocket.
Louie Gohmert says that Obama hired nude gay Satanists to cause this, because Gohmert is tired of Cruz inhaling all the nutbar oxygen.
Greg Abbott says he'll sue Obama over it, because it's been a week since he threatened to sue Obama. When asked how he can stand this happening, Abbott says that's a PC dirty trick, to ask him to stand for anything. He then says he can get women to do the cleanup for 30 percent less, because they're not good negotiators. He also said it was untrue that he had heard that Barbie hair was an effective oil sponge.
Dan Patrick says he can get some Ill Eagles to clean it up for cheap, as long as none of them wants to return home then come back, or put anything in writing.
David Dewhurst says he agreed with all of the above in spades, because Ted Cruz put the Dew's pecker into a pig in a blanket 2 years ago.
Jerry Patterson whips his hogleg out of his boot and starts shooting at the oil spill.
Joe Straus says to himself that he sure hope Democrats unite with the few non-nutbar GOPers in the House to re-elect him as speaker.
John Carona says to himself that maybe he should be thankful he lost his state Senate primary to Don Huffines.
February 20, 2014
#Immigration — Count #DanPatrick out of GOP Lite Guv race
Given that all four candidates for the GOP nomination for Texas'
lieutenant governor — David Dewhurst, Todd Staples, Jerry Patterson and
Dan Patrick — have been ready to say, at about any moment, that they
would exile their own granny if she had ever visited Mexico ....
The news that Danny Boy had willingly and knowingly hired illegal immigrants has surely torpedoed his campaign:
First, Patrick tries to claim fuzzy memory, but that doesn't fly:
Per Perry, who says we have to call Patrick a coyote, Andrade says Patrick allegedly offered to help him cross the border to family, then come back:
Patrick is right about one thing. This story being released at the start of early voting in a four-way primary which is likely a battle for one of the three challengers to join incumbent Dewhurst in a runoff didn't just happen out of nowhere:
The news that Danny Boy had willingly and knowingly hired illegal immigrants has surely torpedoed his campaign:
State Sen. Dan Patrick, who says Texas leaders must “stop the invasion” from Mexico, went along with a decision to hire at least four unauthorized immigrants as cooks and dishwashers at his sports bar in the mid-1980s, according to a Houston-area man who says he was one of them.The story gets better from there.
First, Patrick tries to claim fuzzy memory, but that doesn't fly:
Patrick, one of four Republicans running for lieutenant governor in the March 4 primary, said Tuesday he only “vaguely” remembers Andrade at one of his establishments. He said he had nothing to do with the hiring and that managers at each location handled employment decisions.“We had literally hundreds of full-time and part-time employees. It’s a transient business and many young people come and go,” Patrick said in a statement.
Andrade agreed that a manager under Patrick hired him and the other three men, but said that after a few months Patrick knew that the four workers didn't have permission to be in the country – because he told Patrick.
Well, that takes care of that. But it gets better.
First, Patrick wrote Andrade a recommendation letter for housing, Andrade said.
But, that's still small beans.
Per Perry, who says we have to call Patrick a coyote, Andrade says Patrick allegedly offered to help him cross the border to family, then come back:
Andrade also said that while he was a kitchen worker for the sports bar, Patrick offered to help him visit his ailing mother in Guanajuato.“He said [is there] anything I can do so you can go and see your mom? I don’t want to see you suffer,” Andrade said.Patrick then said, “I can go and bring you to here,” according to Andrade, who said he believed that meant Patrick could drive him to Houston past U.S. inland border checkpoints.
Yep, that's the normal definition of "coyote" in the world of illegal immigration.
Patrick is right about one thing. This story being released at the start of early voting in a four-way primary which is likely a battle for one of the three challengers to join incumbent Dewhurst in a runoff didn't just happen out of nowhere:
Patrick said the sudden appearance of his former employee less than two weeks before the primary smacks of dirty politics by his opponents.The “tactic is centuries old, and the allegations they now use are decades old,” he said.
Ahh, boo-hoo, Dan. Don't tell me that your shock talk radio show has never, ever ambushed anybody.
But, he is right. This was a targeted political attack, and well done.
The
reader (and a certain Matt Angle and others of Battleground Texas)
should all note one first fact: Señor Andrade, despite his Hispanic
heritage, did not vote Democrat in 2012. Nor, contra many a Hispanic,
did he sit out. He voted Republican.
I'm
venturing he's a regular Republican voter. Probably known to at least a
few people at least one level up the Republican organizational food
chain. And, he and his story have surely been known for a couple of
weeks, if not a couple of months.
Andrade's been kept on ice during that time, while various handlers have sharpened and refined his story, so he could present it by himself, smoothly, with no coaches present.
Houston's KTRK has more, including noting that it couldn't verify Andrade's story, because it couldn't find two of the other three workers and the last one was dead.
That leads us to the most important rhetorical question in politics: "Cui bono?"
Given that the Dew is likely to make that runoff himself, I'll tentatively rule him out.
I was going to finger that Boy Scout-like Todd Staples, as he seemed the type to shiv someone while maintaining his eighth-grade cherubic face.
But, maybe not.
Given that Patterson was first out of the box to comment, with this at KTRK:
Whether this is enough to propel him and his low-money campaign past the Ag Secretary Boy Scout into No. 2 on the ballot, I don't know. I'm not sure, but damme, we need some decent polling to come up. Staples will want to keep a careful balance of bringing up this story without piling on, working hard for defecting Patrick supporters, and chiding Patterson for this tactic without seeming holier than thou. If he pulls it off well enough, he deserves to beat Dewhurst in the runoff anyway.
Speaking of, if you want to venture your thoughts, among the polls at right is one asking who (besides the presumative Dudley Dewless) will make it to the runoff.
Anyway, we have our perpetrator and our cui bono, right there. (The Snooze confirms this was a Patterson hit, albeit one that Staples and Dewhurst might also applaud.)
And, since we know now that Patterson's oppo research includes hiring (at least one?) private eye, if I'm Dudley Dewless or Junior Boy Scout, I don't sleep very easily. Lt. Gov. "Do You Know Who I Am," especially, may have skeletons in his closet.
Houston's KTRK has more, including noting that it couldn't verify Andrade's story, because it couldn't find two of the other three workers and the last one was dead.
That leads us to the most important rhetorical question in politics: "Cui bono?"
Given that the Dew is likely to make that runoff himself, I'll tentatively rule him out.
I was going to finger that Boy Scout-like Todd Staples, as he seemed the type to shiv someone while maintaining his eighth-grade cherubic face.
But, maybe not.
Given that Patterson was first out of the box to comment, with this at KTRK:
Hypocrisy, double dealing, different stories at different times," said Patterson.Preceded two grafs by this:
Andrade claims he was willing to speak out (in 2006), but didn't know how and didn't find a way until Patterson's private eye found him.I guess I've misread Patterson. I didn't think he would be the one that would put on the brass knuckles himself, but apparently he did. And, so, Mr. "Guns for Christmas" has ruled himself in.
Whether this is enough to propel him and his low-money campaign past the Ag Secretary Boy Scout into No. 2 on the ballot, I don't know. I'm not sure, but damme, we need some decent polling to come up. Staples will want to keep a careful balance of bringing up this story without piling on, working hard for defecting Patrick supporters, and chiding Patterson for this tactic without seeming holier than thou. If he pulls it off well enough, he deserves to beat Dewhurst in the runoff anyway.
Speaking of, if you want to venture your thoughts, among the polls at right is one asking who (besides the presumative Dudley Dewless) will make it to the runoff.
Anyway, we have our perpetrator and our cui bono, right there. (The Snooze confirms this was a Patterson hit, albeit one that Staples and Dewhurst might also applaud.)
And, since we know now that Patterson's oppo research includes hiring (at least one?) private eye, if I'm Dudley Dewless or Junior Boy Scout, I don't sleep very easily. Lt. Gov. "Do You Know Who I Am," especially, may have skeletons in his closet.
January 20, 2014
Introducing your Texas GOP Lite Guv candidates
Arguably, the Texas lieutenant governor's Republican primary race is the most interesting one in the state. Its four candidates are jostling for elbow room in a Republican tent that gets ever smaller by the day, it seems, which means that elbow room and breathable oxygen also continue to shrink.
So, without further ado, here are brief sketches:
1. David Dewhurst, aka Dudley Dewless. He's your stereotypical country club Republican, who worked his way up from rich suburban high school class president. If George H.W. Bush was born on third base thinking he had hit a triple, to riff on Miss Ann Richards' famous bon mot, Dewless thinks that everyone else should believe that he deserves be entitled to the myth of believing he was born on third having hit a triple. At one time, he had what passed for principles in the Texas GOP, but after having Ted Cruz hand his hat to him on a platter two years ago, threw them out the window.
2. Todd Staples. Currently the state's agriculture commissioner. He's a more smarmy version of one of his ag commissioner predecessors, Rick Perry. If Rick Perry jogs with a pistol to shoot coyotes, Staples dreams of that in some Walter Mitty alternative life. (Actually, in reality, that's Tricky Rick's alternative life, too, but that's another story.) Staples' relative smarminess comes from having more Boy Scout in him than Perry does. Whether that will hinder him in this knife fight remains to be seen. Or, per the Dew's earlier story, Staples' managed high school class presidency campaigns of people like him. The OCD organizational level could help in a race like this.
3. Dan Patrick. Currently a state senator in his "day job," but before that, and continuing, this Dracula of the airwaves is Texas' more louche low-rent equivalent to Rush Limbaugh. Having almost never met an on-air bomb he wouldn't throw, he does have the handicap of being the only one of the four without a statewide office. Unlike Boy Scout Todd, or Country Club David, Patrick won't pull his punches. His radio listeners could offset his lack of statewide name appeal. His chance of winning probably depends on his possibly out-Cruzing the other three, which I wouldn't put past him.
4. Jerry Patterson. Currently the state's land office commissioner. If Staples is Tricky Ricky crossed with Boy Scout, Patterson is a more populist Tricky Ricky crossed with redneck. Tricky Ricky claims to jog with a gun in case he comes across a coyote, while Patterson packs concealed heat wherever he goes, and whips it out for pandering points. On the populist side, Patterson's running a down-home campaign, kind of like if Tom Pauken had been pickled in an NRA vat for three months before starting a political campaign. However, in the all-important political language of dinero, that's turned out to be a definite hurt for Patterson so far.
For more analysis of that fundraising, go here.
The four even inspire me to think rhetorically about face-punching people. (This is purely rhetorical; I was in exactly one fight, and a brief one, my four years of high school.)
The Dew? You'd want to face-punch him because he was the kid wearing Izods every day, and he still acted like that today.
Staples? You'd want to punch him in the face because he was organizing Young Conservatives for Reagan or something in high school, and you just wanted to wipe that smarmy smile off his face.
Patrick? You'd want to face-punch him, but you're worried just what the hell he'd say on his next radio show.
Patterson? You want to pistol-whip him with a Glock, not just punch him in the face, because you know he's packing heat himself.
So, without further ado, here are brief sketches:
1. David Dewhurst, aka Dudley Dewless. He's your stereotypical country club Republican, who worked his way up from rich suburban high school class president. If George H.W. Bush was born on third base thinking he had hit a triple, to riff on Miss Ann Richards' famous bon mot, Dewless thinks that everyone else should believe that he deserves be entitled to the myth of believing he was born on third having hit a triple. At one time, he had what passed for principles in the Texas GOP, but after having Ted Cruz hand his hat to him on a platter two years ago, threw them out the window.
2. Todd Staples. Currently the state's agriculture commissioner. He's a more smarmy version of one of his ag commissioner predecessors, Rick Perry. If Rick Perry jogs with a pistol to shoot coyotes, Staples dreams of that in some Walter Mitty alternative life. (Actually, in reality, that's Tricky Rick's alternative life, too, but that's another story.) Staples' relative smarminess comes from having more Boy Scout in him than Perry does. Whether that will hinder him in this knife fight remains to be seen. Or, per the Dew's earlier story, Staples' managed high school class presidency campaigns of people like him. The OCD organizational level could help in a race like this.
3. Dan Patrick. Currently a state senator in his "day job," but before that, and continuing, this Dracula of the airwaves is Texas' more louche low-rent equivalent to Rush Limbaugh. Having almost never met an on-air bomb he wouldn't throw, he does have the handicap of being the only one of the four without a statewide office. Unlike Boy Scout Todd, or Country Club David, Patrick won't pull his punches. His radio listeners could offset his lack of statewide name appeal. His chance of winning probably depends on his possibly out-Cruzing the other three, which I wouldn't put past him.
4. Jerry Patterson. Currently the state's land office commissioner. If Staples is Tricky Ricky crossed with Boy Scout, Patterson is a more populist Tricky Ricky crossed with redneck. Tricky Ricky claims to jog with a gun in case he comes across a coyote, while Patterson packs concealed heat wherever he goes, and whips it out for pandering points. On the populist side, Patterson's running a down-home campaign, kind of like if Tom Pauken had been pickled in an NRA vat for three months before starting a political campaign. However, in the all-important political language of dinero, that's turned out to be a definite hurt for Patterson so far.
For more analysis of that fundraising, go here.
The four even inspire me to think rhetorically about face-punching people. (This is purely rhetorical; I was in exactly one fight, and a brief one, my four years of high school.)
The Dew? You'd want to face-punch him because he was the kid wearing Izods every day, and he still acted like that today.
Staples? You'd want to punch him in the face because he was organizing Young Conservatives for Reagan or something in high school, and you just wanted to wipe that smarmy smile off his face.
Patrick? You'd want to face-punch him, but you're worried just what the hell he'd say on his next radio show.
Patterson? You want to pistol-whip him with a Glock, not just punch him in the face, because you know he's packing heat himself.
January 16, 2014
Texas politics fundraising — Lite Guv division + Dewhurst news
Other than having our way officially cut clear of the fundraising spinning by the Wendy Davis campaign, the funding numbers that most interest me are on the other side of the coin, in another race — the Republican battle for lieutenant governor, with incumbent David Dewhurst, aka Dudley Dewless, trying to hold off the Three Blind Mice of Todd Staples, Jerry Patterson and Dan Patrick.
I will state that, in discussions with P.Diddie of Brains and Eggs, in handicapping this race a couple of months back, I gave Staples the best odds of beating the Dew, while he leaned toward Patterson, or Patrick.
Right now, the news on money seems best overall for Staples and Patrick, per the StartleGram.
Dewhurst raised $2.33 million in the last half of 2013 and reports $1.41 million on hand in resources.
Staples raised $1.11 million and has $3.11 million on hand.
Patrick reports $1.66 million raised and $3.08 million on hand.
And Patterson?
Ahh, the Texas Ethics Commission shows two, old, dissolved committees for him. Nothing new. Very, very, interesting. However, the StartleGram reports him $816K raised and $564K left. However, in a race with everybody looking for an edge, Patterson could get pummeled over his late filing.
Update: I didn't click on his filer ID after seeing the two old, dissolved committees. He apparently did get his numbers in, barely, on time. But, not having an official campaign committee also seems to be a "tell" against his chances.
So, Dewhurst raised the most, but blew through the most. Especially if this race goes to a runoff, that helps whomever remains. (I'm assuming Dewless will be one of the two finalists.)
I'm going to keep my bet on the Toddster to be the other one of those two. He has a statewide office already, unlike Patrick, and one with high visibility in rural, GOP-heavy counties. And, he's raised, and accumulated, money, unlike Patterson.
Sometimes, spinning or not, fundraising totals don't mean much. But, in a competitive race like this, I think the numbers are legit tea leaves.
Perry's got a follow-up on how Harris County (Houston) GOP squabbles could undermine Patrick.
There's a sidebar on why I lean Staples. He works the traditional media hard, as does his would-be Ag successor, Eric Opelia. Emails every day to newspapers, and I assume top TV and radio, about how he's doing this, got that endorsement, etc. (Sidebar: Abbott does the same, Davis doesn't.)
Meanwhile, the Dew has said that, if re-elected, this is his last term. Also interesting. Ted Cruz comes up for re-election in four years. Is Dew going to drop out of politics, try Cruz again, or look for the GOP gubernatorial nod if Davis somehow beats Greg Abbott this fall?
My bet is "retire." He's 68 now.
This is one of those could be smart, could be dumb announcements.
He could be appealing to GOP mainliners to give him a fairwell tour in the office. On the other hand, his challengers now have the argument of "why wait to make a change"? And frankly, I lean toward it being a glass half-empty statement. Just like Patterson's last-minute financial filing, any club, no matter how small, is a weapon.
Heck, I can picture an ad like: "Help Me Give David Dewhurst a Well-Deserved Early Retirement."
==
On the Democratic side, Leticia Van de Putte hauled in about $290K and has $250K on hand.
I will state that, in discussions with P.Diddie of Brains and Eggs, in handicapping this race a couple of months back, I gave Staples the best odds of beating the Dew, while he leaned toward Patterson, or Patrick.
Dewhurst raised $2.33 million in the last half of 2013 and reports $1.41 million on hand in resources.
Staples raised $1.11 million and has $3.11 million on hand.
Patrick reports $1.66 million raised and $3.08 million on hand.
And Patterson?
Ahh, the Texas Ethics Commission shows two, old, dissolved committees for him. Nothing new. Very, very, interesting. However, the StartleGram reports him $816K raised and $564K left. However, in a race with everybody looking for an edge, Patterson could get pummeled over his late filing.
Update: I didn't click on his filer ID after seeing the two old, dissolved committees. He apparently did get his numbers in, barely, on time. But, not having an official campaign committee also seems to be a "tell" against his chances.
So, Dewhurst raised the most, but blew through the most. Especially if this race goes to a runoff, that helps whomever remains. (I'm assuming Dewless will be one of the two finalists.)
I'm going to keep my bet on the Toddster to be the other one of those two. He has a statewide office already, unlike Patrick, and one with high visibility in rural, GOP-heavy counties. And, he's raised, and accumulated, money, unlike Patterson.
Sometimes, spinning or not, fundraising totals don't mean much. But, in a competitive race like this, I think the numbers are legit tea leaves.
Perry's got a follow-up on how Harris County (Houston) GOP squabbles could undermine Patrick.
There's a sidebar on why I lean Staples. He works the traditional media hard, as does his would-be Ag successor, Eric Opelia. Emails every day to newspapers, and I assume top TV and radio, about how he's doing this, got that endorsement, etc. (Sidebar: Abbott does the same, Davis doesn't.)
Meanwhile, the Dew has said that, if re-elected, this is his last term. Also interesting. Ted Cruz comes up for re-election in four years. Is Dew going to drop out of politics, try Cruz again, or look for the GOP gubernatorial nod if Davis somehow beats Greg Abbott this fall?
My bet is "retire." He's 68 now.
This is one of those could be smart, could be dumb announcements.
He could be appealing to GOP mainliners to give him a fairwell tour in the office. On the other hand, his challengers now have the argument of "why wait to make a change"? And frankly, I lean toward it being a glass half-empty statement. Just like Patterson's last-minute financial filing, any club, no matter how small, is a weapon.
Heck, I can picture an ad like: "Help Me Give David Dewhurst a Well-Deserved Early Retirement."
==
On the Democratic side, Leticia Van de Putte hauled in about $290K and has $250K on hand.
November 06, 2013
Dewhurst: Playing politics with juveniles
This op-ed from the Odessa American, pretty much sums it up.
Both Lite Guv David Dewhurst (and Speaker Joe Straus, for that matter), are all about claiming to be fiscal conservatives, etc.
But, almost as much as our state's money-waster in chief, Attorney General Greg Abbott, when fiscal conservativism hits the reality road of political priorities, in this case, paying off political buddies in the Lege, at the expense of not doing right for juveniles under the state's charge, it's a different story. (That said, I'm not sure any of the other blind mice who are challenging Dudley Dewless would be any less political on an issue like this, if it were THEIR political BFFs at stake, or at stakeholders.)
Here's the story, per an Austin American-Statesman piece referenced by the OA. I'm using a long block quote which I will trim as much as I can to fit fair use issues:
There's one other piece here, which both the OA and the AAS have neglected.
I've long been on record as saying Texas, even if it wants to keep a part-time Lege, at least needs to go to every year, rather than ever other year, legislative sessions. Yes, a lot of those in power want to run Texas like a banana republic, and a Lege that meets every two years makes that easier.
But, do we have to put up with that, including the banana republic issue of the LBB being able to play fiscal kingmaker when the Lege is gone? No.
Of course, the LBB could be reigned in by the Lege as it now stands. Require any spending, or spending shuffling, of more than X dollars without a demonstrable emergency, to require a special session.
Both Lite Guv David Dewhurst (and Speaker Joe Straus, for that matter), are all about claiming to be fiscal conservatives, etc.
But, almost as much as our state's money-waster in chief, Attorney General Greg Abbott, when fiscal conservativism hits the reality road of political priorities, in this case, paying off political buddies in the Lege, at the expense of not doing right for juveniles under the state's charge, it's a different story. (That said, I'm not sure any of the other blind mice who are challenging Dudley Dewless would be any less political on an issue like this, if it were THEIR political BFFs at stake, or at stakeholders.)
Here's the story, per an Austin American-Statesman piece referenced by the OA. I'm using a long block quote which I will trim as much as I can to fit fair use issues:
The Corsicana Residential Treatment Center is a rather benign name that belies a facility with a troubled history of problems. In 2010, a federal review discovered a high number of assaults in facilities run the Texas Youth Commission, including the Corsicana unit, which notched the dubious distinction of having the second-highest sexual assault rate in the country. ...
There were also reports of problems with staffing and structural problems. ...
To make the facility meet modern standards would cost Texas taxpayers $26 million. That number was for repairs — not for increased staff at a facility that has also encountered shortages of mental health professionals to care for the youth held there.
The Corsicana facility was an ideal candidate for closure, and in 2013 legislators voted to do just that, amid plenty of self-congratulation over a job well done.
There are some Capitol stories, however, that resist a happy ending, and the Corsicana facility is one of them. ...
The institution has powerful friends who include Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is campaigning for re-election on a record of government frugality, and House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.
Though Straus isn’t given to chest-thumping histrionics, he is loyal to his lieutenants. One of those is state Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, in whose district the facility sits. Cook chairs the House State Affairs Committee.
Dewhurst is courting the support of state Sen. Bryan Birdwell, R-Granbury. The Corsicana facility is in Birdwell’s district. ...
The Corsicana facility, ... at one time housed 200 youth committed to its care; now it houses 60. ...
But those 60 detainees translate to 280 jobs that would leave Corsicana were the facility to be shuttered as the Legislature clearly intends.
So, Dewhurst and Straus sent letters to juvenile justice officials last month saying the closure decision warrants further review. As co-chairmen of the Legislative Budget Board, they can spend money when the Legislature is not in session
There's one other piece here, which both the OA and the AAS have neglected.
I've long been on record as saying Texas, even if it wants to keep a part-time Lege, at least needs to go to every year, rather than ever other year, legislative sessions. Yes, a lot of those in power want to run Texas like a banana republic, and a Lege that meets every two years makes that easier.
But, do we have to put up with that, including the banana republic issue of the LBB being able to play fiscal kingmaker when the Lege is gone? No.
Of course, the LBB could be reigned in by the Lege as it now stands. Require any spending, or spending shuffling, of more than X dollars without a demonstrable emergency, to require a special session.
November 04, 2013
Does 4-way Lite Guv race benefit Dudley Dewless?
The Texas Trib, in its analysis that accompanies its latest polling, suggests that incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst could actually benefit from the four-way primary he's in.
First, the numbers:
That said, I'd venture that Patrick would be most likely to go negative first, then Patterson. And, if he plays staying above the fray right, Staples benefits.
Even though he's in last in polling right now, we're still far enough away from the primary that I think he can hold off on firing. Plus, isn't Patrick by nature Mr. Negative anyway?
Otherwise, Shaw is right. Two months ago, we were all talking about Dudley trying to pull rank to benefit a relative arrested by the Allen PD. But yet, he's still polling as well as all three opponents combined.
How much of that is name recognition, I don't know. Staples does have a statewide office, too. But, fewer and fewer Texans farm and ranch all the time. Ditto for Patterson; unless trying to calm numbnuts over the Alamo, or trying to get guns in Big Bend, we don't hear from him. Patrick has his talk radio, but that doesn't cover the whole state.
Anyway, this race WILL have fireworks eventually. Or even hand grenades. It's just a question of who pulls the pin first.
And, Staples actually is going negative, online, via surrogates. Right now, though, it's just against Patrick.
Don't forget, a 4-way guv race in 2006 benefited Tricky Ricky.
Per the Trib, the name recognition element is also why AG Greg Abbott is still at only about 40 percent in the latest poll for the governor's race vs. Wendy Davis. (This of course assumes Abbott wins his primary.)
First, the numbers:
In the second state race on the GOP primary ballot — for lieutenant governor — the UT/TT Poll found incumbent David Dewhurst in front, with 26 percent, but his rivals for the position combined for an anti-incumbent vote of 28 percent. State Sen. Dan Patrick had 13 percent, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson had 10 percent and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples had 5 percent.Then the take:
“Dewhurst has had a good month or so, and the others have not been able to get a lot of traction,” Shaw said. “A four-way race is a complicated thing. A candidate has to say, ‘Do I want to go after Dewhurst, which benefits the other two and hurts me because I went negative?’ Nobody really wants to do the dirty work of going after him, because they’ll get the damage of going negative.”Kind of makes sense to me.
That said, I'd venture that Patrick would be most likely to go negative first, then Patterson. And, if he plays staying above the fray right, Staples benefits.
Even though he's in last in polling right now, we're still far enough away from the primary that I think he can hold off on firing. Plus, isn't Patrick by nature Mr. Negative anyway?
Otherwise, Shaw is right. Two months ago, we were all talking about Dudley trying to pull rank to benefit a relative arrested by the Allen PD. But yet, he's still polling as well as all three opponents combined.
How much of that is name recognition, I don't know. Staples does have a statewide office, too. But, fewer and fewer Texans farm and ranch all the time. Ditto for Patterson; unless trying to calm numbnuts over the Alamo, or trying to get guns in Big Bend, we don't hear from him. Patrick has his talk radio, but that doesn't cover the whole state.
Anyway, this race WILL have fireworks eventually. Or even hand grenades. It's just a question of who pulls the pin first.
And, Staples actually is going negative, online, via surrogates. Right now, though, it's just against Patrick.
Don't forget, a 4-way guv race in 2006 benefited Tricky Ricky.
Per the Trib, the name recognition element is also why AG Greg Abbott is still at only about 40 percent in the latest poll for the governor's race vs. Wendy Davis. (This of course assumes Abbott wins his primary.)
October 28, 2013
Texas abortion law goes down
Federal Judge Lee Yeakel has just ruled, and he said the admitting privileges issue won't fly.
(He) ruled the admitting privileges requirement is unconstitutional and poses an undue burden on women seeking an abortion.
As the American-Statesman makes clear, there were several specific issues that didn't fly with Yeakel, including board certification for doctors and hospital admitting privileges.
And, even on the drugs issue, Yeakel's statement made clear this isn't open and shut.
And, so, we move on to the conservative Fifth Court of Appeals, where at least part of Yeakel's ruling could well be overturned again.
Dewless, in a special statement said:
(He) ruled the admitting privileges requirement is unconstitutional and poses an undue burden on women seeking an abortion.
The statute "does not bear a rational relationship to the legitimate right of the State in preserving and promoting fetal life or a woman's health and, in any event, places a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus and is thus an undue burden to her," Yeakel wrote.He let stand a part of the law on pregnancy-terminating drugs, but, overall, this seems a pretty clear rebuke for Greg Abbott, and also for Dudley Dewless, aka David Dewhurst.
"The court concludes that admitting privileges have no rational relationship to improved patient outcomes and hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles of a facility in which a physician provides abortion services."
As the American-Statesman makes clear, there were several specific issues that didn't fly with Yeakel, including board certification for doctors and hospital admitting privileges.
And, even on the drugs issue, Yeakel's statement made clear this isn't open and shut.
And, so, we move on to the conservative Fifth Court of Appeals, where at least part of Yeakel's ruling could well be overturned again.
Dewless, in a special statement said:
"I'm saddened to see two time-and-money consuming special sessions of the Texas Legislature wasted, and my chances for re-election becoming closer to being shot all to hell.Challengers Todd Staples, Jerry Patterson and Dan Patrick simply re-tweeted Dewless.
August 22, 2013
Did Dewhurst just kill his political career?
Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, aka Dudley Dewless, may have put the final nail in his political coffin when pulling the "don't you know who I am" card when trying to spring his wife's niece out of jail.
Now, as the jail sergeant with the Allen PD notes, such calls are relatively normal. Until they involve the "don't you know who I am," and want numbers of judges or something.
Nothing illegal, just a massive ethics lapse.
Is this enough for his Three Blind Mice opposition of Ag Commissioner Todd Staples, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, and numbnuts state Sen. Dan Patrick, to be able to topple him? Like fellow blogger Brains and Eggs, I've thought all along that Dewless is in the wrong race for 2014, that either challenging John Cornyn of the Senate or else finding a safe Congressional seat was his right move.
(Update, Aug. 23: And don't you think that Patterson's announcement that the Veteran Land Board would treat the spouses victims of Maj. Nidal Hasan's Fort Hood shootings as if their loved ones were combat casualties won't boost his standing? I'm not saying it's not a decent thing to do, but, it also looks good politically.)
That said, I partially disagree with Brains when he says Patrick's probably the best challenger, then Patterson. I expect Patrick to implode at some point, including pissing off some of his own wingnut supporter types. Also, Staples as well as Patterson has a state office that puts his name before a lot of rural voters that are still key in GOP primaries. Even if Patrick doesn't actually implode, he still will have name recognition problems. Also, per the Observer's roundup, Staples has some religious right cred, just like Patrick. Brains reminds me, though, that Patrick's radio show airs in Dallas as well as Houston. That said, he doesn't have a statewide office.
Beyond that, Patrick has some 'splaining to do to pro-lifers, as he until recently owned stock in a company that makes the Plan B "morning after pill." (His explanation of this is usual political boilerplate, and will only lead the far right to further scrutinize other investments of his.)
But, back to Dewless himself.
Staples is already comparing him to Ron Burgundy of "Anchorman" fame. Cute, but probably won't push the GOP needles that much. Patrick is likely to be the biggest pit bull on this one. And, per his style, Patterson will quietly pick up the pieces at the end.
From Dewless' POV, it's not that many GOPers don't know who the Lite Guv is. It's that they know him all too well. This will be seen as another example of a pre-Tea Party patrician conservative trying to throw his weight, his name, and his moneyed past around.
Part of the question is, will GOP insider types coalesce around one particular candidate between now and, say, the end of this year? And if so, whom?
Related a bit to that: Let's note that said incident actually happened three weeks before public airing. Why it got that public airing is part of the issue.
Now, as the jail sergeant with the Allen PD notes, such calls are relatively normal. Until they involve the "don't you know who I am," and want numbers of judges or something.
Nothing illegal, just a massive ethics lapse.
Is this enough for his Three Blind Mice opposition of Ag Commissioner Todd Staples, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, and numbnuts state Sen. Dan Patrick, to be able to topple him? Like fellow blogger Brains and Eggs, I've thought all along that Dewless is in the wrong race for 2014, that either challenging John Cornyn of the Senate or else finding a safe Congressional seat was his right move.
(Update, Aug. 23: And don't you think that Patterson's announcement that the Veteran Land Board would treat the spouses victims of Maj. Nidal Hasan's Fort Hood shootings as if their loved ones were combat casualties won't boost his standing? I'm not saying it's not a decent thing to do, but, it also looks good politically.)
That said, I partially disagree with Brains when he says Patrick's probably the best challenger, then Patterson. I expect Patrick to implode at some point, including pissing off some of his own wingnut supporter types. Also, Staples as well as Patterson has a state office that puts his name before a lot of rural voters that are still key in GOP primaries. Even if Patrick doesn't actually implode, he still will have name recognition problems. Also, per the Observer's roundup, Staples has some religious right cred, just like Patrick. Brains reminds me, though, that Patrick's radio show airs in Dallas as well as Houston. That said, he doesn't have a statewide office.
Beyond that, Patrick has some 'splaining to do to pro-lifers, as he until recently owned stock in a company that makes the Plan B "morning after pill." (His explanation of this is usual political boilerplate, and will only lead the far right to further scrutinize other investments of his.)
But, back to Dewless himself.
Staples is already comparing him to Ron Burgundy of "Anchorman" fame. Cute, but probably won't push the GOP needles that much. Patrick is likely to be the biggest pit bull on this one. And, per his style, Patterson will quietly pick up the pieces at the end.
From Dewless' POV, it's not that many GOPers don't know who the Lite Guv is. It's that they know him all too well. This will be seen as another example of a pre-Tea Party patrician conservative trying to throw his weight, his name, and his moneyed past around.
Part of the question is, will GOP insider types coalesce around one particular candidate between now and, say, the end of this year? And if so, whom?
Related a bit to that: Let's note that said incident actually happened three weeks before public airing. Why it got that public airing is part of the issue.
July 15, 2013
What's next for David Dewhurst?
Now that Greg Abbott has officially announced for governor (preceded, officially, by Tom Pauken, and hinted at by Dan Patrick) what's next for Texas' lieutenant governor?
Is he really in a place where, as I said a week ago, he's in danger of becoming the Thomas Dewey of the modern Texas GOP?
I say that answer is likely still a yes.
There's several reasons.
The most obvious one is Ted Cruz handing his hat to him a year ago. That's a tough loss to someone who was a relative unknown outside Tea Partiers 18 months ago, even among more active Texas Republicans.
That's followed by how he handled Wendy Davis in the first special session. I actually don't think he totally blew it. However, the Tea Party types might look at his bluster and think he's all talk and no show. It will hurt him more in a GOP primary, most likely, than Davis filibuster will help her in a general election.
That said, what primary will Dudley Dewless be in next year (if any)?
Back for another round of lieutenant governor?
There's a couple of problems there.
First, Rick Perry partially negated the "Texas has a weak governor" claim. Based on what I know about state-level politics, at least from big states, I think Texas' governor's powers would rank below Florida, at least under current officeholder Rick Scott, but might rank about equal with California, at least under current officeholder Jerry Brown.
And, you can rest assured that a Gov. Greg Abbott, the man who's been the legal whip for most of Tricky Ricky Perry's anti-Obama stances, isn't going to let the governor's mansion get any weaker.
So why, after 12 years of seeing power slip out of his grasp as Lite Guv, would Dewhurst stay in that position?
And, related to that, this is kind of like Ike asked about Nixon in 1960: Even by GOP definitions, it would probably take a week for anybody inside the party to talk about anything significant that Dewhurst has done.
Yeah, I know, he's officially announced for re-election. But why?
Maybe he doesn't have further political ambition. But, if Abbott wins, even more than now, he's stuck in a dead-end office. And, that's assuming he can win out over both Todd Staples, Dan Patrick and Jerry Patterson, which I don't think he can. On name recognition, he'll probably finish first in the first round, but I don't see him winning the runoff against either Staples or Patterson. (What Patrick's doing in there, I don't know; the initial understanding I had that he was running for Guv actually makes more sense, relatively speaking.)
Beyond that, Patrick has some 'splaining to do to pro-lifers, as he until recently owned stock in a company that makes the Plan B "morning after pill." (His explanation of this is usual political boilerplate, and will only lead the far right to further scrutinize other investments of his.)
And, as of the end of July, Dewhurst's re-election piggy bank is light, as he badly trails Staples in fundraising and is only even with Patterson.
So, if he Dewless does have further political ambition, there's only two options.
One is challenge Abbott, in a race that will likely result in at least as crushing of a loss as he had to Cruz.
The other is to challenge John Cornyn for his Senate seat. Cornyn's already trying to shore up Tea Party support by hiring Brendan Steinhauser, who has connections to Cruz in particular and the organized Tea Party movement in general, as his campaign manager. It would be tough gear-shifting, but doable, and probably with better odds than an Abbott challenge.
Or, befitting himself, he could find a "safe" Republican-leaning Houston area House seat, with the redistricting, and run for it.
Or he could shock the hell out of us and become Texas' Charlie Crist.
Meanwhile, a lying sack of shit is lying about sacks of shit allegedly brought into the Capitol during the second special session by pro-choice protestors.
Look, Dudley, even DPS chief Steve McCraw left semi-sized loopholes for himself. That includes the word "suspected," no discussion of IF the jars were inspected, let alone troopers sniffing away, and more.
And Charles Kuffner rounds up the talk about the idea of Wendy Davis running for Lite Guv on the D side, which makes a lot of sense.
Is he really in a place where, as I said a week ago, he's in danger of becoming the Thomas Dewey of the modern Texas GOP?
I say that answer is likely still a yes.
There's several reasons.
The most obvious one is Ted Cruz handing his hat to him a year ago. That's a tough loss to someone who was a relative unknown outside Tea Partiers 18 months ago, even among more active Texas Republicans.
That's followed by how he handled Wendy Davis in the first special session. I actually don't think he totally blew it. However, the Tea Party types might look at his bluster and think he's all talk and no show. It will hurt him more in a GOP primary, most likely, than Davis filibuster will help her in a general election.
That said, what primary will Dudley Dewless be in next year (if any)?
Back for another round of lieutenant governor?
There's a couple of problems there.
First, Rick Perry partially negated the "Texas has a weak governor" claim. Based on what I know about state-level politics, at least from big states, I think Texas' governor's powers would rank below Florida, at least under current officeholder Rick Scott, but might rank about equal with California, at least under current officeholder Jerry Brown.
And, you can rest assured that a Gov. Greg Abbott, the man who's been the legal whip for most of Tricky Ricky Perry's anti-Obama stances, isn't going to let the governor's mansion get any weaker.
So why, after 12 years of seeing power slip out of his grasp as Lite Guv, would Dewhurst stay in that position?
And, related to that, this is kind of like Ike asked about Nixon in 1960: Even by GOP definitions, it would probably take a week for anybody inside the party to talk about anything significant that Dewhurst has done.
Yeah, I know, he's officially announced for re-election. But why?
Maybe he doesn't have further political ambition. But, if Abbott wins, even more than now, he's stuck in a dead-end office. And, that's assuming he can win out over both Todd Staples, Dan Patrick and Jerry Patterson, which I don't think he can. On name recognition, he'll probably finish first in the first round, but I don't see him winning the runoff against either Staples or Patterson. (What Patrick's doing in there, I don't know; the initial understanding I had that he was running for Guv actually makes more sense, relatively speaking.)
Beyond that, Patrick has some 'splaining to do to pro-lifers, as he until recently owned stock in a company that makes the Plan B "morning after pill." (His explanation of this is usual political boilerplate, and will only lead the far right to further scrutinize other investments of his.)
And, as of the end of July, Dewhurst's re-election piggy bank is light, as he badly trails Staples in fundraising and is only even with Patterson.
So, if he Dewless does have further political ambition, there's only two options.
One is challenge Abbott, in a race that will likely result in at least as crushing of a loss as he had to Cruz.
The other is to challenge John Cornyn for his Senate seat. Cornyn's already trying to shore up Tea Party support by hiring Brendan Steinhauser, who has connections to Cruz in particular and the organized Tea Party movement in general, as his campaign manager. It would be tough gear-shifting, but doable, and probably with better odds than an Abbott challenge.
Or, befitting himself, he could find a "safe" Republican-leaning Houston area House seat, with the redistricting, and run for it.
Or he could shock the hell out of us and become Texas' Charlie Crist.
Meanwhile, a lying sack of shit is lying about sacks of shit allegedly brought into the Capitol during the second special session by pro-choice protestors.
Look, Dudley, even DPS chief Steve McCraw left semi-sized loopholes for himself. That includes the word "suspected," no discussion of IF the jars were inspected, let alone troopers sniffing away, and more.
And Charles Kuffner rounds up the talk about the idea of Wendy Davis running for Lite Guv on the D side, which makes a lot of sense.
July 08, 2013
Adios, mofo
 |
| Yeah, we're saluting you good-bye, too. |
Seriously, who is going to challenge Abbott in the GOP primary? Lite Guv. David Dew-less got his hat handed to him by Ted Cruz, and isn't likely to tangle with somebody else who's a darling of the far right. The tea party types would also give Abbott a kudo for halfway announcing that he was running for gov well before Perry said he wouldn't.
Update, Dec. 30: The mofo is adiosing even as his "Texas Miracle" crumbles into dust.)
If not Dew-less, then who? Todd Staples and Jerry Patterson won't. Tom Pauken? I had at first forgotten about him already being in this race, and that's because his was the first non-newspaper email blast I just got. The only other remote possibility is Dan Patrick switching races, which Abbott would love.
Either one of them, or even the two together. enough of a challenger to juice campaign fundraising efforts and sharpen up his campaign skills, while enough of a nutbar for Abbott to try to paint himself as a relative moderate going into the general election. Pauken, or other "mosquitoes," will play Gary Mauro to George W. Bush in this race.
And, if Abbott's worried otherwise, as AG, he can always push for an investigation into Tricky Ricky's money laundering, aka the Texas Enterprise Fund, and thereby get further separation from Perry. (Which he won't; he's got too much skin staked to the ground in that game himself.)
So, no, Battleground Texas or Wendy Davis fans — don't think this is some sudden opportunity. Abbot might beat Davis MORE than Perry would have. So, focus long term and don't expect results statewide before 2020.
Would that it were different. Davis is more dynamic than either Bill White or Chris Bell, certainly a real Dem unlike Tony Sanchez (and more liberal than White), and has shown she can win over independent voters.
Speaking of ...
People who tout Davis' state senate results ignore that even if her district tilts Republican, it's still suburban Republican. In the less Austinized portions of the Hill Country, in the Piney Woods, in West Texas, that means bupkis. Sorry, folks but true.
And, now, back to Dudley Dewless.
Dewless is likely to lose the Lite Guvship to whichever far right challenger becomes most darling to the polloi. (I'm assuming, especially if Patrick stays in this race, it heads to a runoff.)
His best bet for remaining politically relevant would be to challenge Cornyn. If he doesn't, but decides to run for Lite Guv again, two straight campaign losses will make him irrelevant.
Isn't it about time we call him the Tom Dewey of Texas? Seriously, he's in a box.
True red wingnuts don't trust him, a true red wingnut, but a "moderate"
Meanwhile: Tricky Ricky's next move?
Most likely is for him to form some sort of Super PAC, about the end of this year. Stay tuned. It would allow him to allegedly stay "focused on Texas" by exactly how he crafted the goals of the Super PAC, while if he said something about "spreading Texas (whatever, up to and including USDA Prime GOP bullshit)," still have the national focus angle. That's all he needs.
He'll get crushed again, of course. But, I expect him to run, and not just to buff over the image of 1, 2, 5, no 3 sir, and forgetting three in 2012.
He'll still be crushed, though.
In the last 25 years, he's run only two really competitive races, and those were at the start of his rise. First, in 1990, he beat Jim Hightower to move from the state senate to secretary of agriculture. Hightower had a few self-inflicted wounds, and also was the No. 1 most hated statewide Democratic officeholder in the GOP target crosshairs. Anybody running against him would have gotten extra GOP support.
Then, in 1998, he beat John Sharp by just a couple of percentage points in the race for lieutenant governor. And, has faced no serious opposition since then in Texas races.
And, although he'll never admit it, and although (due to name recognition difference) he allegedly was still strongly outpolling Abbott, that's at least part of why he didn't want to run for guv again. He knew Abbott had his number (beyond the fundraising one, though that was itself significant).
And, if you want wild hair out the ass speculation about what El Jefe Mofo will do? President, Texas A&M, or, even more A&M system chancellor. He's got 18 months to lean heavy on regents and call in chits for top consideration, and you know he'd have fun getting Mr. Democratic Milquetoast, John Sharp, to stand aside for him as system chancellor. True, Loftin's been prez at College Station longer than Sharp as chancellor of the system, but, Tricky Ricky would love the head job. Bob Perry's dead, but, he could surely get some other megadonor to promise the Aggies money, on one condition.
See an expanded version of these thoughts on Perry's future here.
And Abbott?
Meanwhile, is it too early to speculate much about how Gov. Abbott will be different from Gov. Perry? Texas legal blogger Grits for Breakfast says he might be a bit more libertarian on some police powers issues.
And, speaking of Greg Abbott and legal issues, Mother Jones reminds us that the love child of Greg Abbott's war on any legislation connected with Barack Obama is the guy who guarantees Tea Partiers won't unite around Rick Perry — Ted Cruz. (For non-Texans unaware of it, Cruz used to be Abbott's solicitor general.)
March 27, 2011
Three-party monte in Texas
Good observation here that Texas has three parties, except I'd rephrase it as: Democrats, conservative but not nutso Republicans and nutso Republicans.
On two financial issues, the use of the Rainy Day Fund for the next budget, and further reforming the franchise tax to generate more money for the state in general and education in particular, it's clear that Gov. Helmethair, Rick Perry, is a nutso.
It's pretty clear Speaker Joe Straus is not.
That leaves Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst as the tiebreaker. Dewhurst has in general struck me as suaver, more urbane Perry but not much else.
Now, given his claim that education funding can even be increased in the new budget, without mentioning the Rainy Day Fund one way or the other, he strikes me as also being even more disingenuous than Perry. Selling state land? Outside what's in state parks, most of it's not worth a lot unless the state sells the mineral rights with it, which would be dumb squared.
That said, the first link above says another way of slicing the GOP divide, speaking of Dewhurst being a suaver, more urbane Perry, is between urban and rural constituencies. In light of that, one of the state's two big urban conservative papers, the Morning Snooze, opines that the Texas House is cutting the 2012-13 budget too much. At the same time, the Snooze abdicates editorial responsibility by going Ronald Reagan in talking about looking for "government inefficiencies."
On two financial issues, the use of the Rainy Day Fund for the next budget, and further reforming the franchise tax to generate more money for the state in general and education in particular, it's clear that Gov. Helmethair, Rick Perry, is a nutso.
It's pretty clear Speaker Joe Straus is not.
That leaves Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst as the tiebreaker. Dewhurst has in general struck me as suaver, more urbane Perry but not much else.
Now, given his claim that education funding can even be increased in the new budget, without mentioning the Rainy Day Fund one way or the other, he strikes me as also being even more disingenuous than Perry. Selling state land? Outside what's in state parks, most of it's not worth a lot unless the state sells the mineral rights with it, which would be dumb squared.
That said, the first link above says another way of slicing the GOP divide, speaking of Dewhurst being a suaver, more urbane Perry, is between urban and rural constituencies. In light of that, one of the state's two big urban conservative papers, the Morning Snooze, opines that the Texas House is cutting the 2012-13 budget too much. At the same time, the Snooze abdicates editorial responsibility by going Ronald Reagan in talking about looking for "government inefficiencies."
January 22, 2011
David Dewhurst a RINO?
Only amongst folks like Texas tea partiers could wingnut-flirting Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst be called a Republican In Name Only. If you want political paranoia about a man who's the front-runner to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison, give this AP analysis a read.
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