11.14.08
Craddick fatigue
Burt Solomons has it, Some GOP House members fear another Craddick ‘fiasco’:
Some Republican supporters of House Speaker Tom Craddick said they’re getting fed up with behind-the-scenes fighting in the speaker’s race.
“This is just turning into a fiasco again,” said House Financial Institutions Chairman Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, a Craddick ally.
“The House is seemingly coming apart. I am terribly, terribly dismayed that ….. apparently we have a handful of Democrats making demands for control of power and clout and title,” Solomons said of an estimated 10 Democrats willing to support Craddick so long as the speaker rewards them with key appointments. “A number of us, even though we’re supporters of Tom Craddick, are just totally turned off.”
Joe Strauss too.
Other lawmakers share Solomons’ view, said Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.
“This kind of strife is the last thing we need going into a session with a divided House,” said Straus, a former Craddick supporter who is not backing any of the nine declared candidates for speaker. “We have major issues that requires us to work together without revisiting old fights from the past. Members don’t want that. Texans don’t want that.”
From this is seems obvious that if anything worthwhile is to get done in the Texas House next session a new Speaker will have to be chosen.
But Solomons said he and several other Republican legislators feel pent up frustration.
“I like Tom. I personally don’t have a problem with Tom. I’m a chairman under Tom, but I am very concerned about the entire House,” Solomons said. “A lot of us are concerned. It’s not just a couple of people trying to create a stir,”
It certainly appears that many in the Texas House just want a Speaker that will let them legislate and do the state’s business, instead of making them to an ideological and corporate lobbyist line. It’s hard to tell if there is a candidate out there that can do it, but it sure seems like the door is open for a compromise candidate that can bring a large majority of the house together. Maybe that candidate can be found for the good of the house, and more importantly for the good of Texas.
Craddick Agonistes, Redux « The Local Crank said,
November 15, 2008 at 9:48 pm
[...] ballot would seem to doom everyone’s least favorite egomaniacal legislative dictator (even his supporters are getting disgusted), but many people (including me) have written Craddick’s political obituary before. [...]
Eye on Williamson » The GOP brand is tarnished in Texas said,
November 19, 2008 at 1:11 pm
[...] over, and that he should step aside for the good of the party. It’s obvious that “Craddick fatigue” has set in and many GOP members of the house are worried about the damage another house [...]