Janek says he will filibuster the budget, ensuring a special session and more high drama at the capitol. Today's proceedings have been interrupted by points of order and inquiries, but nowhere near the drama of last night. As a matter of fact, Craddick has been mostly MIA today. (Someone did email me his cell phone number if any of you would like to ring him up.)

It continues to be embarrassing watching Terry Keel feed lines to Turner and Gattis. I always thought Gattis was a pretty smart fella, but to see him up there with a blank stare waiting to repeat what Terry Keel says word for word is just mind boggling. How humliating for all involved. Except Terry Keel, that bastard has no shame.

More updates on the House below

One thing that got missed last night was a poignant moment after Rep. Ellen Cohen passed her very first bill. While I wasn't a big fan of the $5 surcharge for strip clubs, it's really no skin off my nose because I don't go to strip clubs. After Rep. Cohen's bill passed, the gallery broke out into applause and several members rushed over to congratulate her and give her a hug. Even from where I was sitting you could tell she was emotional. Rep. Cohen had a lot invested in that bill and with all the drama in the House last night she let herself break down for a brief moment before regaining herself and giving the gallery a slight wave.

I guess in the middle of all that crap going on last night there was this tiny little reminder of why some people go into politics. They have a duty to serve and fight for what they believe in. Rep. Cohen just happens to believe in preventing sexual assaults. So, good for her.

Also...Rep. Villareal. You are quite a handsome man, BUT...you should know better than to wear blue jeans on the House floor. It is highly inappropriate and I'm going to have to reprimand you for such a serious breach.

The Photoshops are HILARIOUS from Superwow today. We'll pop them up to the top of the page throughout the day. Feel free to forward them to staffers to print out and post, I believe they may even be available in a poster form.

Those were the last audible words from the mic as the House finally voted to adjourn at 1:22 a.m. We'll be back at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday so I guess we'll see you then.

It is crazee down here! The gallery is packed and people are swarming all over the building. They reconvene at 11 and anyone with any knowledge of the Rules is requested to report immediately to the podium.

Word is that they will break a quorum and the budget is DOA.

Stay tuned. Say hi, I'm in the black pinstripe suit with a pink shirt.

Anybody got a charger for a blackberry 8700c?

Five minutes till eleven. Terr f'ing Keel just walked in as the new parliamentarian. Damn.

Damn this blackberry, I need IBM's big blue to get all this down.

Members are barking and when Chisum brings up his bill he is not getting a lot of attention.

Seven state troopers have entered the gallery in anticipation of what I'm afraid may be a melee up here.

1:16 a.m. and it's still going. The gallery has thinned out to mostly staffers and a few lobbyists.

I'd also like to point out that obviously Craddick doesn't have the votes to remain Speaker. Also you can hear Terry Keel providing the rules clearly and giving 'lines' to Craddick. Craddick repeats him word for word. Denise was at least subtle. She's left the building, btw. With her box of stuff.

Could it be relevant again tonight?

So things went all sideways in the House tonight and legislators fled the scene to break quorum. Then word got out the House Parliamentarian resigned. Basically, that means that nobody in that building has any idea how to do anything now. Then a flurry of shouts and groans and adjournment. OMG, I was so close! Why did you stop? It felt so good.

Tomorrow is another day! I was wondering when I called a good friend of mine up in the dome today she was all "It's cah-rayzeee up in this joint today" and now we know because a shitstorm was brewing.

In much more important news? Lois Kolkhorst is totally winning the LILF award in a landslide.

It's that time again! Time for you to email us you best and worst fashion choices by the legislature this session. We've had a lot of fun with this in the past and cameraphone snapshots are always a hilarious entry. Email us with you nominees.
Best Dressed Male/Best Dressed Female
Worst Dressed Male/Worst Dressed Female
Most cringe inducing accessory worn by a legislator
Worst hair
LILFAwards, (Legislator I'd Like To F*ck)

Email me if you need a phone number to send a cameraphone photo to. The winners will receive an award certificate from Pinkdome.

Maybe I've always hated sin taxes because they seem to hit my wallet disproportionately higher than they do for most other folks. The $5 surcharge to strip club patrons is the latest attempt to build a budget for sex assault programs and something else. I do not believe that strip club patrons are a higher source of sexual assaulters than the general population, but like West said...wherever you can get the money, you get the money.

Let me ask you this...if we had a state income tax would this be a budgeted item paid for with tax dollars from the general public? If so, then ok levy the fines and raise the skirts. If not, then why are you picking on perverts that go to strip clubs.

That's right...I said it. Perverts.

But confirms rhythm method is strategy for New Hampshire. [CNN]

The Senate stayed up until after 2 a.m. last night. I hope Senator Nelson finally did put on those pink tennis shoes cause that's some bullshit. Those people are old, y'all. Not like some folks in the House that can stay up so late. What in the world does Senator Brimer do if he misses Matlock? I bet they get cranky.

If you work for a Senator today, I'd make sure they get plenty of rest and steer clear of any heated exchanges.

Meanwhile, those lazy bitches in the House were done well before midnight.

Dawna Dukes is quoted in the Statesman saying that she will stick with Craddick. Rep. Dukes, am I not mistaken that it was you that was in Craddick's office after the last brouhaha and you were crying and very upset trying to figure out what to do and Craddick wouldn't even meet with you to tell you it would be alright and he wouldn't screw you over if you voted for him as Speaker?

(Calling out sobbing legislators warrants run-on sentences. Deal with it.)

I'm watching the House and ugh, I'm so sorry y'all have to still sit up there when I'm here at the house all drunk and shit. Shout it out the comments (we finally fixed 'em). Let's critique the fashion sense of Jessica Farrar. Does she have anything without some big ass scarf thing?

OH WAIT: Rep. Strama is wearing that suit again! I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't catch him leaning over a desk with his ass up in the air.

I know, it came as a shock to me, too. This morning I was standing outside the North entrance to the capitol when a tourist asked me "Where is the fifth child?" I thought she was some weirdo activist and it took me a while to realize she was talking about the sculpture of the kids there on the North side. Apparently one has gone missing. I say someone search Dan Patrick's office.

I looked over there and told the lady the governor had it removed because of cutbacks in CHIP resulted in a higher uninsured rate for children and its removal was symbolic of how the state hurts innocent kids. She almost bought it but huffed off before I could tell her the truth.

Word is today there will be lots of speeches. Clearly this means I will spend the afternoon making up drinking games. My favorite is when Senfronia takes to grabbing the back mic to zing the Speaker.

So over this. Someone ring me on the mobile if anything interesting happens...like someone gets stabbed with a fork. Otherwise, Craddick will be Speaker until they pry the gavel from his cold, dead fingers. I refuse to fall for this trick again.

Premium gas at $3.39 a gallon? Holy mackeral. Looks like I need to adjust my Veuve Clicquot budget. That's not good news for any of us.

The latest poll says only 25% of Americans feel the country is going in the right direction and they blame it on the war, poor leadership, high gas prices and Tom Craddick. I've been keeping a list of people to blame for about four years now. It's so long I'm going to have to publish it in a series.