Wow. Just wow. Longtime readers know that I use "wow" when I can't think of another term to describe bewilderment or shock. And I gotta come clean on this one because when I read this press release, I was bewildered. Shocked. Befuddled even.
"All political candidates make promises during election campaign; however, we have learned not to rely on what candidates say, but on what they actually do. I can say that David Dewhurst has delivered for us like nobody ever has. He is quiet and courteous to everyone, and doesn't make a lot of noise. But when it counts – he gets the job done. He has been effective, year after year, session after session.
"The pro-life community initially did not know what to expect from Dewhurst's independent leadership. Until he arrived, the State Senate was the place where pro-life legislation was always blocked. It would pass the House, and then stall in the Senate. David Dewhurst has been a game changer for the pro-life community. He has helped pass bill after bill, repeatedly when necessary, and he's done so while operating under traditional Senate rules, with a blocker bill in place. Others can talk, but he delivers. I'm confident he will continue to be a leader in the U.S. Senate in protecting the most vulnerable among us."
Wow.
If you weren't paying attention today, you missed a series of Dewhurst endorsements from the "pro-life" community. Frankly, I don't care about the other two – they are political organizations that proved during the Texas House Speaker race that they would compromise their mission for other purposes.
But Kyleen Wright?
Never.
I've been doing this a long time now and I can't recall another endorsement that made me stop and say "wow". Truth is, I don't really know Mr. Dewhurst. And I don't think that most Texans know him either. I would never have connected him so closely to the pro-life movement. Until today. Wow.
I remember Kyleen being lied about during the Speaker's race because she dared say that Joe Straus was pro-life and would help the cause. She remained steadfast in her belief in the face of unrelenting criticism for her support of Speaker Straus. And then I remember this Tweet or Facebook post from her shortly after the session.
Most. Pro-life. Session. Ever.
And she was right. Speaker Straus delivered. Never doubt Kyleen on the issue of life. That was the lesson I learned. Her passion for life is beyond the political sphere even though that is where she has to operate. No political issue or person will stand between her and her goal of eliminating elective abortions.
So when she says that Mr. Dewhurst "has been a game changer for the pro-life community", we should all pause and listen. Likewise, "Others can talk, but he delivers.". Like I said, I cannot remember any endorsement ever causing me to pause and reflect like this one today.
Politics is politics and there is still a race on. But speaking as someone that has a hobby of analyzing races, this endorsement was like a missile that hit the other campaigns broadside. I firmly believe that Ted Cruz, Tom Leppert, and Glenn Addison are all supporters of the pro-life movement. But the plain fact is that they, with the possible exception of Mr. Cruz, do not have a record of supporting the movement in any meaningful way. And until today, I didn't think that Mr. Dewhurst did either.
Now I know. Make no mistake, Kyleen's endorsement is a game changer for anyone that views the life issue as their number one political issue.
Wow.
I saw that too! And being on the wrong end of the "Oust Straus" crowd myself for simply not wading into the mess that it was, I believe Kyleen doesn't take positions lightly.