Do You Have This Condition? If So, Seek Help!

My sources say the state department of health is expected to issue an advisory later today about this, so I wanted to give you a heads up.

At any rate, there is a pretty infectious bug infecting folks all around Texas. I’m pretty sure that, now that I am recovering from flu, I’ve got this disorder as well.

The problem is there is no vaccine, and a cure is weeks away.

Here are the signs and symptoms:

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For Democrats, Intraparty Strife Over Speaker’s Race Plays Right Into Republicans Hands

Karl-Thomas over at Burnt Orange Report has a post up on Democratic “fallout” as a result of Democrats still on Craddick’s pledge list.

I posted a comment to that which sums up my thoughts on the issue.

I want to share part of that with you:

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Speaker Scuffle

Who has the votes?

Burka and EOW wrap things up pretty well, Burka noting that Craddick may toss Nancy Fisher overboard to maintain his grip on the gavel.

Meawhile…Capitol Annex is wondering where all our tipsters went? Yesterday, our email, “tips@capitolannex.com” was going wild with people emailing stuff. Today, it’s just like crickets chirping or something.

Come on, now, you under-the-dome-in-the-loop tipsters! I’ve got the flu, so make me feel better with your juicy tidbits…please?

Remember, you remain anonomous at all times. We may consider Capitol Annex “non” mainstream media, but we preserve the confidentiality of our tipsters just like the big guys…you may have to pick up the phone and call Burka, but you can just email us.

Oops…Only A Tree-For In Speaker’s Race

Yes…Like the Mainstream Media, Capitol Annex makes mistakes. We missed this:

Pitts disclosed his plans soon after Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, who was considering a run for speaker, and Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, who filed to run against Craddick, threw their support behind McCall.

So, it’s a three-for: Pitts, Craddick & McCall. I assume Thompson has released her pledges.

For First Time In Years, Speaker’s Race Could Be A Threesome, Foursome

Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie), chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and a staunch Craddick lieutenant, has announced he will challenge House Speaker Tom Craddick for the speakership.

Pitts is clearly the “Craddick substitute” candidate: the same far-right wing ideals and uber-conservative establishment credentials without most of the baggage (and respected by more Democrats).

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Craddick Publishes New Pledge List

Via Quorum Report, here is Craddick’s list of 80 “firm” pledges. Note, however, Craddick says:

Since Representative McCall’s announcement, I have been contacting members of the Texas House to reconfirm their support. Today, I am re-releasing a list of the members who have reconfirmed their unequivocal support for my re-election as Speaker. The House members whose names are not on this list-and who are not one of the four people who have asked that their names be removed-are members whom I have been unable to reach during this busy Holiday period.

Especially interesting is the absence of certain Republicans. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), one of the TRMPAC candidates who benefitted from Craddick’s largesse in 2002, isn’t on the list.

That Will Hartnett (R-Dallas) remains on the list is somewhat surprising though, as I expected him to be in McCall’s camp, with the same for Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham).

As for the Democrats, my colleagues in the Blogsphere may have more to say than I will. As for my thoughts, however, though a few of these Democrats are often considered “Craddick supporters,” the vast majority most likely have other reasons for supporting Craddick—like making sure their constituants aren’t screwed by his unholy retribution should they vote against him.
I see a couple of names on that list that are also in districts where a vote against Craddick would mean an opponent “for sure.”

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Media Already Hounding On New Dallas County Judge

Texas’ second-largest county went Democratic, and the MainStream Media has wasted no time attempting to declare him dead in the water.

In a lengthy piece, the DMN pans Jim Foster by being critical of everything from the composition of his transition team to predicting that his failure will spell doom for Dallas County Democrats.

I also found this tidbit quite interesting:

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Historical Odds Are Against A Contested Speaker’s Race Reaching The Floor

Although the rhetoric about the race to unseat House Speaker Tom Craddick is red hot at the moment, odds are against the race for speaker being contested on the day of gavel down, if one examines the history of speakership elections in Texas.
The Austin American Statesman yesterday pointed to the 1991 speaker election involving former Speaker Gib Lewis (D-Fort Worth) as having been one of the more contentious speaker elections in recent memory. In this case, however, only one name for speaker was placed in nomination on the House Floor.
The first election of Speaker Pete Laney (D-Hale Center) back in 1993 also produced some potential candidates early on, but again, only the name of Laney found itself put in nomination on the House floor.

One must journey back to Lewis’ predecessor, Bill Wayne Clayton in 1975, to find the last time in which a contested race for speaker actually reached the House floor with more than one name placed in nomination for speaker.

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Bloglines Difficulties

We’re having difficulties with our BlogLines.com account this morning. It appears that all of our 1,500+ feeds have vanished into thin air, making it very difficult to be tracking any news (since we’re sick, we’re way too lazy to just go to the websites). We’ve got a support ticket in and hope it will be fixed soon because we’re lost without it. We’ve even tried reimporting our .opml file, but it doesn’t seem to display either.
At any rate, we hope it is fixed soon. We do have another piece on the Speaker’s Race coming at 9:30 a.m. though.

Hasta La Vista, Speaker?

As the day of gavel down for the 80th Legislature draws nearer, the speculation surrounding the speaker’s race intensifies.

Yesterday alone, half a dozen “rumors” crossed my desk: Talton is a stalking horse for McCall; Talton is only running to secure a chairmanship; McCall has more than enough votes to win; Craddick is gaining more pledges; deals are being cut; committee chairmanships are in the offing; Governor Perry is tacitly getting involved through third-party intermediaries in the Lege.

What can be believed? What is true? What is partly true? What is put out specifically as disinformation? Are the names of certain reps of both parties appearing in major daily newspaper stories as “supporters” of one candidate or the other as “signals” to voting blocks that it is time to fall in line?
Remember that, for the most part, the jockeying of the speaker’s race is done out of sight. Very rarely is there a lot that drifts to the surface and the media, and even more rare still is there a chance that this race won’t actually be wrapped up days before gavel down.

Something interesting that I’ve been thinking about lately is the actual composition that of the vote that it would take to defeat Craddick.

Consider that, given a lot of reps will hold their cards close to their chests and may not even sign a pledge card (I don’t believe there is any such requirement that you must pledge to a candidate), even though the race will be wrapped up before gavel down, some within the chamber may doubt the veracity of who has enough pledges, especially if pledge lists aren’t made public.

Given that it only will take 75 votes to elect a speaker (HD 29 is vacant), it is highly possible (if candidates count on voting blocs and reps who don’t sign pledge cards for anyone but promise support) we might have two people who think they have enough support to be speaker. Of course, if they actually have 75 pledge cards, that’s a different story…unless someone did pledge cards for both (must one withdraw a pledge if another candidate doesn’t publicize their pledges?

All food for thought…

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