The Defection Of Rose & Lucio III

With the announcements earlier that Reps. Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) and Eddie Lucio III (D-Brownsville) had withdrawn their support from House Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland), there has been a lot of rumbling, both good and bad.

Capitol Annex has heard praise and criticism for Reps. Rose and Lucio. They’ve been criticized for being johnny-come-latelies, and for taking the step at a time when it’s most politically expedient for them.

Capitol Annex has never been a fan of painting the so-called “Craddick Democrats” all with the same brush, or of the concept that every single one of those Democrats who voted against the Geren Amendment during Speaker’s Race should be defeated on the basis of that alone.

While some may be tempted to say “it’s about time,” or “it’s too late” for the Rose and Lucio defections from the Craddick camp, we believe the time is always right to see the light.

Lucio and Rose each no doubt had their reasons for siding with the Speaker early in the session. Whatever their reasons may have been, the fact remains that they have realized that Republicans and the Craddick Administration have a different definition of “bipartisan” than Democrats (and, for that matter, the rest of the world) have.

What Lucio and Rose did today was not without risk. Both have assured themselves of Republican opponents well-funded by Craddick and his allies.  Further, should we be unfortunate enough to be forced to endure a Republican majority in the next session or, God forbid, another Craddick speakership, Rose and Lucio would face proverbial back-benching.

Regardless of when one makes the decision to come to the right side of an issue or a movement, it’s a decision worthy of some praise. The bottom line is that they did the right thing.

Too, the defection of these two may serve as a sign to other Craddick Democrats that the time is now for House Democrats to unite under their full strength for at least the last days of the Session.

Bookmark It