Just as I thought it could not get any worse, we learn today that another fringe organization, self-styled as the “Texas Ethics Advisory Board” has filed a flimsy complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission, and the anti-Straus mob has sent out another email with the startling title—”WILL LEFT-WINGERS CONTROL THE TEXAS HOUSE THIS SESSION?” These latest actions are truly a hit-and-run job on Speaker Straus, as anyone who has ever run for office should know. It is easy to file a baseless ethics complaint and grab immediate headlines that are seldom rebutted, because the process is supposed to be confidential and it takes a relatively long time for the investigation to begin and conclude. And these complaints appear to be trivial and/or simply baseless. As for calling any Texas Republican a “left-winger”—the preposterousness of that statement is self-evident.
Friends, the lunatics are trying to take over the asylum. It’s time for the adults among us to tell our friends who’ve been swept up in this hysteria created by a handful of political operatives with a very narrow agenda: “step back, take a deep breath, and think—and then stop fueling this nonsense.” Let’s stop acting like Jacobins and start acting like Republicans! Remember, we have opponents who support an agenda we oppose—and they’re called “Democrats”. As today’s headlines should remind us, while we are fighting with each other, Obama is retooling by bringing on board none other than William Daley–the son of the original boss Daley, who tried to steal the 2000 election in Florida for Al Gore. We need to focus on the real opponent and on the real battles ahead, rather than continue to fight with each other.
Because of my concern that this anti-Straus campaign has gone too far, and, if it continues down its present path, could do real damage to the 82nd Session and our party, I am reluctantly changing my decision to remain neutral and defer to the House on its choice as to who the best Speaker will be from among the three candidates. Because Speaker Straus has tried since November 2nd to focus on the upcoming session, and he and his supporters for the most part have approached this “race” as adults, I am endorsing him to be the Speaker for the 82nd Session of the Texas House, and I encourage the Republican Caucus to select him when they meet on January 10, 2010. I am making this endorsement as a call for unity, and as an individual—not as the representative of any organization (and I believe I can make this endorsement in this race now without violating the by-laws of our club, because I will not officially be sworn-in as President of a Republican club until after the Caucus and Speaker votes are held).
When the smoke clears after a Speaker is chosen by the whole House on January 11th, let’s agree to come together and focus our energies on supporting the work of our Republican legislators to make this session as productive in passing our conservative priorities as we hoped it would be when we went to the polls last fall.
