So there have been rumors floating around recently about a poll being sponsored by the Republican Party of Texas that is intended to target specific Republicans that didn't fall in line with leadership during the session. I figure if Quorum Report is willing to talk about it, then let's open up the gossip channels. James Leininger (read: big bucks that wield power over the Lege) is rumored to be behind the poll. Seems he's got a hitlist for folks that didn't follow his lead, and he's got the money to follow through. So if you didn't wanna tack vouchers to the TEA sunset, you're dead to him. If you voted for the Hochberg amendment, you're deader to him. So anyway, Rep. Smith got slightly irked at the news that he was being targeted, and had this to say:
"I can't be any blunter than to say without any doubt whatsoever that Jeff Fisher [RPT Exec Director] lied to my face. He told me that the purpose of that poll was to help me should I have a Democratic opponent in a general election. If the RPT is spending money to take a poll to help me in a general election in my district then the responsible party should be terminated for incompetence (RawHide's note: there's no way a Dem could get elected in his district, same goes for a lot of the other targeted R's).
[...]
This is the robotization of the Republican Party. If you are not prepared to read off of a pre-approved script, you need not apply."
Wow, thankfully someone has the balls to call them out.
Per QR,
State Reps districts that appear to have been targeted include Charlie Geren, Delwyn Jones, Todd Smith, Tommy Merritt, Toby Goodman, Tony Goolsby and Carter Casteel. There may be others.
So there. If you fight for your constituents and Texans in general, the RPT screws you. C'est la vie. All I gotta say is, let them try. Pissing off enough members can backfire in your face. Hey leadership, remember when you did a motion to previous question and the Lege collectively spit in your face? Remember all the arm twisting that ended up backfiring extraordinarily? You haven't learned your lesson yet, and I can't wait til the Speaker vote in January '07. I'll be waiting in the gallery to see which desk Craddick ends up having to sit in. Please, please, please stick him on the Ag committee and kill every bill he tries to get passed.
"Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated..."
I thought the Repubs were in power to stay. It appears that they may have a secret plan (or not so secret) to screw that up. They always eventually overreach.
This is a reflection of national efforts that are going on. What they don't realize is that their extreme political fundamentalism is going to drive the moderates who make up their majorities out. The Other Guy is right--they will shoot themselves in the foot.
Craddick will still be speaker. You will have to pry his cold, dead fingers off the speaker's gavel. Unless, someone finds the balls to run against him in Midland. Then, he'll just run for Congress.
These candidates ought to quit whining about polls or worrying whether the speaker approves of their votes and just stand on their OWN merits. Me thinks Ms. Casteel will do just that. :)
In Oklahoma dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property
If God didn't want us to eat animals why did he make them out of meat
They want to target Ms. Casteel? My money's on Carter. She'll rip them up one side and down the other. And people in her district love her.