29 Democrats Pledged To Craddick
By Vince Leibowitz on Nov 8, 2006 in 2006 Texas Elections, The Race For Speaker
According to a list released by Speaker Tom Craddick this morning to Quorum Report, he has the pledges of 109 House members to continue as speaker. Of those, more than 20 are from Democrats—including Democrats in safe districts who would face no retribution at the ballot box for voting against Craddick.
“Safe” Democrats include: Dawnna Dukes, Harold Dutton, Craig Eiland, Ismael “Kino” Flores, Ryan Guillen, Eddie Lucio III, Armando Martinez, Aaron Pena [say WHAT?], Ruth Jones McClendon, Sylvester Turner, Robert Puente and Chente Quintanilla.
Here’s the full list, but keep in mind these Democrats can pull their pledge at any time:
Kevin Bailey
Norma Chavez
Robby Cook
Joe Deshotel
Dawnna Dukes
Harold Dutton, Jr.
Craig Eiland
David Farabee
Ismael “Kino” Flores
Stephen Frost
Ryan Guillen
Mark Homer
Chuck Hopson
Eddie Lucio III
Armando Martinez
Ruth Jones McClendon
Jim McReynolds
Jose Menendez
Aaron Pena
Joe Pickett
Robert Puente
Chente Quintanilla
Richard Raymond
Allan Ritter
Patrick Rose
Joe Straus
Sylvester Turner
Mike Villarreal
Hubert Vo
While I will defend some Democrats like Hopson and Homer for casting that vote because it’s a pre-requisite of remaining politically alive in East Texas, and can understand people in close districts like Vo cating their votes as such, there seems little reason for people like Dukes, Lucio and others to cast these votes unless they are planning on stepping into Vilma Luna’s shoes and becoming part of the Craddick Leadership.
For what it matters, his full pledge list isn’t worth a lot and I don’t even expect Craddick to last beyond the first ballot come January. And, I can understand the reasoning behind some Democrats doing this as an election-year aide to their campaigns in red districts. But, I simply cannot stomach seeing safe democrats on this list. I know they will say they are on it because they don’t want to piss the speaker off and have their districts punished as a result, but the fact of the matter is their districts are being punished enough just by Craddick being in power.
Just as an example of a couragous Democrat, note that Scott Hochberg isn’t on this list—and he had an opponent that got in he 40s against him last night.
[...] State Rep. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston) has asked the Texas Ethics Commission for an opinion concerning whether or not registerd lobbyists communicating with Legislators at the behest of a registered candidate for Speaker of the Texas House are in violation of the “Speaker Statute,” especially if they make promises and threats. Specifically, Farrar asked about lobbyists making promises of “good committee assignments,” and making threats like, “We can make sure that you remember that you made a mistake,” according to the letter, a copy of which which Capitol Annex has obtained (.doc). Farrar was not on the list made public by Speaker Craddick’s office of Democrats who have signed pledge cards supporting Speaker Tom Craddick’s re-election. The “Speaker Statute” is Chapter 302 of the Texas Government Code (.pdf). Secifically, Ferrar alleges that registered lobbyists who must register as such under Chapter 305 of the Texas Government Code (.pdf) are contacting “Members and Members-elect of the Texas House of Representatives on behalf of a named Speaker candidate and asking Members to agree to vote for the candidate because the candidate will “put [the Member] on good committees,” “take care of [the Member,]” and “see to it that [the Member] has the right support in two years.” Clearly, the tactics described in Ferrar’s letter are quite intimidating. And, since one can assume that Senfronia Thompson, the only other candidate for Speaker right now, is not responsible for these actions, the only other likely culprit is Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland). [...]
Some body in 5th ward need to run against Don’t do nothing State Representative District 142 Harold Dutton; Remember the “Killer D’s,†who had fled to Ardmore, Oklahoma and elsewhere, to effectively shut down the 78th Legislature’s and He stay in Austin because he is Tom Craddick and Perry Boy.