Do you believe that the upcoming legislative session in the Texas House will involve a series of bills sailing through the GOP’s supermajority and onto Governor Rick Perry’s desk for a quick rubber stamp? Then you need to take notice of the gathering storm clouds surrounding the current Texas House speaker, Republican Joe Straus of San Antonio.
He is fending off challenges from all sides, and while the majority of attacks have come from people who don’t see eye-to-eye on political issues with the three-term representative, a new series of attacks is coming from the Religious Right, with Straus’ religion used against him.
On his blog, Texas Capitol Reporter Harvey Kronberg reports that robo calls have begun in parts of the state. The voice on the calls tells people to support a “true Christian speaker.” Joe Straus is Jewish.
Furthermore, the Republican Liberty Caucus has come out in support of North Texas Republican Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), citing a New Testament Bible verse in its original endorsement. That verse has since been removed from the group’s officially posted endorsement.
West Texas Republican Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) also is seeking the speaker's chair. East Texas Republican Leo Berman (R-Tyler) is not currently in the race, but he spent the bulk of the summer hinting that he would run, mixing in the occasional heated letter to fellow Republicans accusing them of being “too liberal.”
Former nine-term U.S. Congressman Dick Armey has thrown the weight of his group, Freedom Works, behind Paxton, calling him the “true fiscal conservative.”
Chisum also has made veiled reference to Straus’ religion. In a recent letter, he told Straus to “let our people go,” asking him to release Republicans from their pledges of support for him. Straus responded to that overture by shooting back with his own letter, asking Rep. Chisum, “Have you no shame?”
The religious attacks notwithstanding, to understand where all this infighting is coming from, you need only look back two years.
In 2009, Straus was ushered into the position amid growing dissatisfaction with former Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland). In Craddick’s time at the helm of the Texas House, Republicans saw their once mighty majority dwindle to just a few seats.
Democrats, with as close to an even split (76-73) as the party had seen since the LBJ days, backed Straus, a moderate Republican, for the seat. With help from a handful of Republicans who were not part of Craddick's "inner circle,” the plan worked and Straus ascended to the Speaker’s chair.
What a difference two years makes.
The GOP once again has an overwhelming majority in the Texas House (99-51), ousting such longtime Democrats as Jim Dunnam (D-Waco), Solomon Ortiz Jr. (D-Corpus Christi) and Paula Pierson (D-Arlington).
The Texas House, which had crept ever closer to the middle since 2002, is now back to the right.
The shift has been led by a resurgence of the fiscal conservative sector of the GOP.
Most importantly, the dwindling Democratic numbers mean Straus must depend on more Republicans in a leadership vote.
The divide speaks to the tensions between the old Republican guard and newly elected Republicans and could set the backdrop for a session that is already shaping up to be one of the most difficult in decades.
The GOP does not want a showdown on day one of the 2011 session, and to that end, the House Republican Caucus is considering a straw poll to see where support for Straus lies and perhaps head off a Day One throw-down on the Capitol floor.
Internal estimates show Straus with 120 pledges of support, almost all the Democrats and 69 Republicans. Straus only needs 76 votes to keep his chair for another session.
Despite the tension and money flowing out of PACs and into campaigns to elect a new speaker, the numbers, for now, don’t seem to be moving.
But watch out: There are still 10 weeks to go before the official vote is taken.
