Michael Steele is new RNC Chairman

And I for one think this is a GOOD thing for our party (after Martinez and Duncan, how could anyone think otherwise?!).

I'm too worn out to post more tonight, so I'll let this old article of Jay Nordlinger's do the talking.

'Night, y'all.

NTU - Help stop the "stimulus" in the Senate

A message from the National Taxpayers' Union:

The Senate is expected to vote soon on the $1 trillion+ spending plan cobbled together by Democratic leadership at the last minute. Pelosi, Reid, and Obama are selling the package (S. 1) as a jobs bill, but a quick look at where the money will actually go shows that it is nothing of the sort. Spending $400 million on the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases or $600 million on new cars for government bureaucrats will do little to nothing to promote sustainable, long-term economic growth.

Senators are facing a barrage of big-government activism from the left, and we need to make sure that the taxpayer's voice is heard through all of the noise.

Please call your Senators right away and ask them to VOTE NO on the "stimulus" hoax!

Call John Cornyn at (202) 224-2934.

Call Kay Hutchison at (202) 224-5922.

Points to remember when you make those calls:

Bloated government budgets simply don't make economies soar.

Spending willy-nilly didn't work in the 1970s (the last time Washington tried spending its way out of a slump), and it won't work now.

It would be an outrage to add $6,700 to each household's share of the national debt to pay for a desperate attempt to "do something, anything" about the economy.Low tax rates will do much more over the short and long term to expand prosperity in America.

Vote NO on S. 1!

Every call made by taxpayers like you will help turn the tide against this harmful plan! Thank you in advance for picking up the phone and making these two crucial calls.

Sincerely,Your NTU Grassroots Action Team

P.S. Want to see which mayor thought that spending $99,600 on doorbells was a good "stimulus" project? Visit StimulusWatch.org to find out.

Illinois ousts Gov. Blagojevich

I've done my share of complaining about Texas' governor, and I won't repeat the various charges here today. I just want to say, as much as Rick Perry gives me headaches from time to time, I thank God he's not Rod Blagojevich.

The Illinois State Senate voted unanimously to oust Blagojevich today. So Illinois is shut of one corrupt politician.

There are arguments to be made that impeachment and removal from office were too extreme for Blagojevich, who has not been convicted of any crimes. But it's my belief that public office holders ought to be above reproach. Just the appearance of being unethical is enough to taint everything they do, and Blagojevich made himself and his state look ridiculous on top of unethical.

What's more, this was a decision that only Illinois' legislature could make. The fact that our states have retained the right to determine their own government in this fashion, despite over a century of the erosion of states' rights, is flat-out amazing and wonderful.

Republicans hold the line, Democrats go on spending spree

Frankly, I'm quite pleasantly surprised that every single Republican (except for Ginny Brown-Waite, who was not there for the vote) voted against the economic stifling package. Kudos to every one of them - let's keep this up! So long as President Obama is set on making our country what it was never intended to be (a socialist tax-and-spend nightmare), let's stand up to him.

For a full roll call, go here.

Remember, there is nothing good about a spending orgy in bad economic times. We cannot spend our way into prosperity.

Also, Michael Franc at NRO has an interesting post up about the results of a recent Rasmussen poll that may explain why Democrats are so intent on spending our money with so little conscience.

ETA: Only 12 cents of every stimulus dollar will actually go toward "stimulating" the economy

CALL CONGRESS NOW!

I'm fairly certain Cong. Michael McCaul is going to vote against the economic stifling package, but just in case, call his office: 202-225-2401

Also, Cong. Lamar Smith needs to be reminded that he is a Republican and that he needs to vote against the bill: (202) 225-4236

While you're at it, give Cong. Lloyd Doggett's office a call. He's a Democrat but that doesn't mean he needs to be voting for nonsense: 202-225-4865

If you don't live in Travis County or central Texas and I didn't list your congressman here, you can find them all here: http://www.house.gov/

Via Friday: Top Ten Ways to Destroy an Economy

I have a thinky post coming on Rep. John Otto's upcoming appraisal reform legislation (he revealed some of the points at today's Texas Association of Business conference), but in the meantime, I thought y'all would be interested in this.

Friday at U4prez.com has come up with a list of the top ten ways to destroy an economy.

Example:

4. Speaking of family planning, reduce the size of your young population. Everybody knows how good an economy runs when the majority of the individuals are no longer capable of producing economic goods and services. It gets even better when their income stream is a ponzi scheme that only survives when there is a greater number of young workers contributing to the system.

Or How about this, take the money from numbers one and two and send it overseas to fund foreign abortions. That way we lose the money and potential future export trade. It's ok, as long as the printing presses are operational we can spare the cash.

Nancy Pelosi, when advocating cutting the number of babies born in America (hello China), said this: "No apologies. No. We have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy.". Think of this as an economic spanking for our badly performing country. How about this, take the money from numbers one and two and send it overseas to fund foreign abortions. That way we lose the money and potential future export trade. It's ok, as long as the printing presses are operational we can spare the cash.

Up in Smoke rally on Thursday, Jan 29

Americans for Prosperity is hosting a rally protesting the smoking ban proposed by State Rep. Myra Crownover (R-Denton) and State Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) this Thursday at the State Capitol.

Info:

Date:	Thursday, January 29, 2009
Time:	11:00am - 2:00pm
Location:	AFP Headquarters
Street:	807 Brazos Street, Ste. 210
City/Town:	Austin, TX

AFP will be providing free pizza at headquarters where participants will make their own signs, and then the group will go to the Capitol for a rally.

For more information, contact Eliza Vielma (eliza@afptx.org).

Cornyn votes "no" on Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; Hutch votes "yes"

Much as I'm disappointed in Sen. Cornyn for his "yea" vote on Geithner's confirmation, I have to say I'm exceedingly proud of him for voting no on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Of course, Sen. Hutchison voted yes on the Fair Pay Act, so once again Texas' senatorial representation is evenly split.

Let me just say this: The Geithner vote was not a measure of conservativism like the Fair Pay Act vote. Geithner's approval was, as I've stated, an inevitability, and it is perhaps better to let some things stand (Geithner I think we can live with, though he represents the hypocrisy of the left; it's Eric Holder, the new AG, I'm more concerned about). But the Fair Pay Act is a measure of pay discrimination that should not have passed; it should never have gotten out of the House, really.

The House approved the measure on January 9, and the Senate has now also approved it.

From Congress.org:

By 61 yeas to 36 nays (Vote No. 14), Senate passed S. 181, to amend title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of
1967, and to modify the operation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to clarify that a discriminatory
compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs
each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation
decision or other practice.

Cruz eyeing AG spot

Will Republicans leave any major statewide seat free of a fierce primary battle?

It seems they just can't help themselves. Former Solicitor General Ted Cruz has filed paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission with an eye toward running for attorney general if Greg Abbott leaves the post. The Statesman has the story here.

Cruz' announcement certainly does nothing to quell rumors that Abbott is gearing up to run for still higher office, and the question remains, which office. Does he really want to get in the middle of the Perry/Hutchison duel for governor? If David Dewhurst doesn't make a move, does Abbott challenge him in a primary for Lite Guv? Surely, surely he doesn't want to get in on the crowded field to replace Hutchison in the Senate.

We already have Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10) warming up for an AG run (or at least, not denying that he's warming up for an AG run). Rumors surround State Rep. Dan Branch, a Dallas Republican who stuck his foot firmly in his mouth at last week's Texas Public Policy Foundation policy orientation. (He said no business owners in his district had complained about the business tax, made a less-than-impassioned plea to his audience that the business tax was fair and good and right, and then bolted before State Rep. Ken Paxton got up and said that if Rep. Branch wanted, he could come by Paxton's office and read the complaints from Branch's district, as Paxton's staff has them on hand)

Okay, I'm off topic. Back to Cruz. Certainly, if Abbott moves on, Cruz would be a great choice for the spot. I'm a fan of Michael McCaul's, but I think we need him to stay in Congress (and we do need every voice possible opposing Pelosi).

No endorsement at this time, mostly because no one is actually running for the seat yet, but this will be a very interesting race to keep in mind as the 2010 primary looms ever closer.

The State of the State, part 1

The State of the State speech is today; sadly I will have to read a transcript, not having the capability to watch from here (also, if you're on Twitter, there will be a liveTweet here).

Two years ago, Gov. Perry promised property tax appraisal reform and relief, only to advocate more spending in the very next breath and sending a wrecking ball through the conservative legislative agenda. It was that same week that he began advocating for mandatory HPV vaccination, too, causing a backlash that many Republicans haven't forgotten.

The Statesman says this is probably the most important State of the State that Perry has given as governor, and they're right, since this is the last one before the primary showdown between him and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The potential is there for Gov. Perry to give his conservative base much to campaign on and champion, but there is likewise great potential for Sen. Hutchison and any other Republican challengers to find things to campaign on themselves.

Rumors I've heard say the Governor will address the margins tax in his speech, and the Statesman article linked above quotes Rep. Abel Herrero as having heard that the Governor will call for a tuition freeze (which is a start - not enough by more than half, but a start).

The speech is at 11am Austin time. I advise you tune in if possible, or follow http://twitter.com/GovPerry2010. There will be liveblogging and live video at RickPerry.org.

10 Republicans who voted for a tax cheat as your Sec of Treas

Oh, are you kidding me?!

Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
Ensign (R-NV)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Voinovich (R-OH)

You know, I know Geithner was an inevitability. But this is ridiculous. The vote to confirm was 60-34, it's not like these 10 Republicans would have swung it the other way. But at least they would have been standing on principle. At least they would have said, no, we don't think it's okay that a confirmed tax cheat serve in this office.

If I could somehow not pay federal income tax as a way of expressing my disgust with this choice for Secretary of the Treasury, I would.

Fasten your seatbelts, America, it's going to be a bumpy ride. (I promise not to channel Bette Davis again for awhile....)

Yay, local gov't???

Alright, we can stop with the nonsense now.  No, really, I'm tired of it.  

A Keyboard and a .45 has brought to our general attention HB 736 by Rep. Chente Quintanilla (D-El Paso).  This is a bill that basically gives county government unlimited ability to stifle free speech.  I say it like this because the language in the bill is very broad, giving counties the ability to determine what constitutes a "nuisance," to "suppress or prevent any riot, affray, noise, disturbance, or disorderly assembly in any public or private place in the county; restrain or prohibit any amusement or practice tending to annoy persons passing on a street or sidewalk..."  

Before you start yammering on about local control, I have to quote Michael Quinn Sullivan here:

"This local control mantra is like something out of Stalin. Local control is not the be-all, end-all of public policy. If the Bell County Commissioners voted to round up the Jews and gas them, should we go along because of local control? If the people of Abilene voted unanimously to kill everyone with last name of “Smith” would we go along because “local control” is important? No. Local control is a tool, but a tool to be checked, and checked carefully. Conservatives have a much higher principle – low taxes, individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government interference in the market… Local control is sometimes a convenient tool, but cannot ever be confused with a principle."

Okay, so, we're clear that "local control" is a poor argument in favor of Quintanilla's legislation here, right?  Good.  

Now let's address the fact that it gives counties the ability to suppress activity that it deems unsavory in private locations.  Yes, right now, your neighbors can call the police if you are disturbing the peace with sound, etc.  But this legislation is extending the power to do something about it to county authorities, and giving counties the ability to decide what constitutes a disturbance (and the language actually says "nuisance" - that's a far cry from a "disturbance" IMHO, as I find slamming car doors after midnight to be a nuisance, but not a punishable offense).  

I also believe this would open to door to free speech rights violations.  It clarifies "disorderly assembly" - but you know, the Democrat Party primary caucus in my precinct was disorderly, and yet I don't believe it was an unlawful assembly.  Think I'm being unreasonable?  Have you seen what universities do under the auspices of "keeping the peace" when it comes to free speech?

I am 100% against this legislation, though I don't believe it's the kind of thing that will gain a lot of traction.  Of course, who knows anymore?  It's on my bill list for sure now.

Strama leading effort to make Texas more like California

This just in - HD 50 Rep. Mark Strama (D) has filed the House version of a new "clean cars" bill that if passed would take Texas to the California standard for auto emissions.

This effort failed in the 2007 legislative session.

The bill is HB 776 (don't you just bet he tried dang hard for that bill number - since when is government regulation patriotic, I have to ask). The Senate companion is SB 119.

More on this later - right now, I'm off to a Travis County Republican Party gig.

Links, various and sundry

This is my lazy way of updating today; I said there was a lot to blog about, and boy howdy, was I not kidding at all. I'll pick and choose what to dish about later, and in the meantime, here are some things you oughta go read, on a variety of issues both federal and state (and somewhat local, Travis County):

Read the Stimulus - Websavvy conservative Rob Neppell provides updates about the stimulus package as it goes through Congress. You'll want to keep some Excedrin and a box of tissues handy.

Does the Stimulus Stimulate? - Economist Bruce Bartlett waxes philosophical in this great Forbes piece, and asks "What Would Friedman Do?" A tidbit: "He would be opposed to anything that would permanently increase the public sector and would undoubtedly be very concerned about the de facto nationalization of the financial sector."

"Stimulus" should not include education spending - So says former Americans for Prosperity staffer and current Heritage Foundation staffer Dan Lips. PDF file.

Let's Stop Calling it the Stimulus - Iain Murray has a great point. At our house, it's the "economic stifling package."

Uh-oh, Gov. Patterson; the Kennedys are after you now! - Gov. David Paterson chose Kirsten Gillibrand and not Kennedy heiress Caroline to serve the state in Hillary Clinton's vacated Senate seat. And Ted is reportedly "furious."

Texas House rules resolution calls for committee consolidation - Not surprising at all, but very important to know. For instance, Local Gov't Ways and Means is now once again just part of Ways and Means. Which means local gov't legislation will go through this main clearinghouse instead of being singled out; it may be a very beneficial move for economically conservative legislation, but it could also kill anything significant. It's all in the chairmanship....

Lobbying cash cow in Texas - It's no secret that lobbyists spend a lot of money wining and dining legislators, staff, and respective spouses. But I am, of course, curious as to whether Matt Stiles and other Capitol beat reporters are interested in finding out how much taxpayer-funded lobbyists like TML, TAC, TASB, and others spend on this effort (like, how much do university government relations staff spend on tickets to high-profile games and events for legislators and staff?). I'm sure Americans for Prosperity - Texas would be willing to share their research into the matter.

Hutchison to announce for gov this summer - I think we're all just acting as though she's an actual candidate at this point, but here's an update on Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's intentions. It should be noted that Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst laid out his agenda for this legislative session last week, and he's not announced what he is running for, if at all (most Republicans expect him to go for either Senate or Governor). Perry is not a lock for re-election, Hutchison is not a lock for election, and Dewhurst is the Great Unknown in the 2010 election season. (interesting to note some of the names lining up behind Hutchison - she's got the likes of Dick Armey, Phil Gramm, John Culberson and others already)

Finally, I can't find a link for this, but there has been a lot of talk recently about what may happen if State Sen. Kirk Watson decides to up and retire from the Senate (or simply not run for reelection in 2010). I think the obvious move would be Rep. Mark Strama running, though those of us in HD 50 mostly believe he's more likely to wait for an open congressional seat. But of course, Republicans need to be talking about both SD 14 and HD 50 - whether or not Watson and Strama make any moves.

You can't rebuild the party at any level if your people aren't running for office, period.

Pelosi: Birth control is an economic stimulus

There is an awful lot to post about today, but I thought I'd start with something federal to kick it off. Nancy Pelosi to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi boldly defended a move to add birth
control funding to the new economic "stimulus" package, claiming "contraception
will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government." Pelosi, the
mother of 5 children and 6 grandchildren, who once said, "Nothing in my life
will ever, ever compare to being a mom," seemed to imply babies are somehow a
burden on the treasury. The revelation came during an exchange Sunday morning on ABC's THIS WEEK.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning
services. How is that stimulus?

PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost.
The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for
children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states
meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned,
the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal
government.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?

PELOSI: No apologies. No. we have to deal with the consequences of the
downturn in our economy.

Gotta be honest here, folks - I have nothing against birth control, and I understand both sides of the issue. But using contraception as an economic stimulus tool?! That's just outrageous.

I hope I don't need to point out that Margaret Sanger, that vaunted pioneer for "reproductive rights" would have been all too happy to see a mainstream politician essentially advocate population control in troubled economic times.

TPPF calls on TX lege to stop eminent domain abuse

Susette Kelo (that name oughta ring a bell) spoke at today's Policy Orientation put on by the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin. She was there as part of TPPF's push to get the Legislature to enact protections against eminent domain abuse.

Gov. Perry was at the press conference as well; it seems this is on his agenda. Wise choice for someone running for re-election, who has also championed the Trans-Texas Corridor. The TTC (not dead, just renamed!) represents the biggest threat to eminent domain rights in the state, so I find that most interesting.

From the TPPF press release:

At a press conference today with Gov. Rick Perry, Susette Kelo, and other property rights advocates, Peacock recommended four legislative reforms that would protect property owners against improper government takings:

· Define “public use” in statute

· Eliminate the blight/slum loophole in Texas law

· Make it easier for property owners to challenge determinations of public use

· End the use of eminent domain for land speculation

History and being proud of my country

The thing is, every inauguration is historic, and I'm proud of my country every day. Not always proud of our leadership, I'll grant you, but always proud of my country.

The awesome thing about today is how the transfer of power is not violent. It is not a day that any of us need fear. In four years, if we don't like what President Obama has done, we will be able to vote in a peacefully run election to either keep him in office or get someone new in there. Not one of us will have to worry about having an AK-47 pressed to our backs while we cast our ballot - we have never had to worry about this, and it's a wonderful privilege to be able to say that. We will be able to keep our votes secret, and we will not have to worry about retribution.

The beauty of today is that I am getting ready for a Republican club meeting tonight, on the same day a Democrat is sworn in as president, and we can all believe what we believe without fear.

Inauguration and the Texas Legislature

Frankly, I'm not all that interested in the celebration surrounding the inauguration. I'll watch the swearing-in if I'm able, because that's the historical, important part. If my nation is going to go in a direction that I severely disagree with, then I want to be a witness of the moment it begins.

Directly because of the inauguration and the hoopla surrounding it, the Texas legislature is on a short hiatus. The House will reconvene at 10am on Thursday, and the Senate will reconvene on Monday the 26th.

The rules resolution in the House will probably be ready for Thursday, from the sound of things.

Israel

There has been a lot to talk about this week, and I know I haven't been on the ball reporting it (this is what comes when you are working for a church going through a growth spurt!).  And I'm posting now, not to talk about things happening (or not happening) in the Texas legislature, but to publicly state my support for Israel.

Support of Israel is not default hostility to other points of view, belief systems, or people.  I think that needs to be stated outright.  I know there will be comments to this post that claim otherwise.

I have long been a supporter of Israel, so this is nothing new.  But I have been thinking long and hard about anti-Semitism lately, how it is not dead, how it takes on a life of its own.  I do not think that people who don't support Israel are anti-Semitic.  I do, however, think that those who are openly hostile to Israel need to consider what exactly it is that they are against.

I do not anticipate posting on this subject again, and I will not engage in debate.  I simply wanted to say what side I am on.

If you couldn't make it to the Capitol today....

Just a reminder that if you aren't fortunate enough to take today off work and go down to the Capitol to watch the start of the 81st Legislative Session, you can watch it online. Proceedings begin at 12 noon today.

House: http://www.house.state.tx.us/media/welcome.php

Senate: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/bin/live.php

These links will work later on, too, if you are interested in various commitee meetings or floor debate and votes. If you live in Austin and have Time Warner, you can also watch all of this on your television (channel 6 for House, 7 for Senate I believe).

Straus picks Alexander for COS

Oh, baby! If you thought the conservatives were going a bit bonkers over Straus before this, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

QR is reporting that Straus has picked former state rep. Clyde Alexander as his chief of staff. The beauty of picking a former state representative is that we have record votes and a YCT rating to take a gander at! So, just to give you something to chew on over the weekend, I looked up his ratings. A composite score of 35 over seven sessions. His last session was the 77th - he scored a 5. Yes. A 5.

If his scores don't give it away, Alexander is a Democrat, or was while he served in the House.

(Okay, shhh, your gasp and cry of dismay will wake the neighbors!)

Straus is certainly setting himself up to be a thorn in the side of the conservative base of the party.

Newbies - Taking Stock of the Freshmen Republicans

Note:  This is in no way scientific, just some from-the-hop consideration of the new Republicans in the Texas Legislature.  Also, I don't pretend to be totally unbiased in this, as it's not journalism but personal rumination.

Freshman House Members

Angie Chen Button - She's taking Fred Hill's old spot.  Hill was a favorite of social conservatives and the archenemy of the fiscal conservatives, tight with taxpayer-funded lobbying groups like the Texas Association of Counties.  Button won a hotly contested primary, in which she was generally considered more the heir apparent to Hill's legacy than a change in the wind.  She has signed Americans' for Prosperity's Taxpayer Protection Pledge and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility gave her good coverage during the general election.  She was also one of the first non-ABC Republicans to support Joe Straus for speaker.  The red flag is her former status as a City of Richardson elected official.  What does it all mean?  Rep-elect Button isn't hedging her bets, and is a mostly unknown quantity. 

Allen Fletcher - Fletcher was the choice of fiscal conservatives in a hotly contested primary challenge to Corbin Van Arsdale.  Van Arsdale wasn't exactly a bad legislator - on the contrary, he was a favorite with many conservative groups.  But his constituents, the people who actually matter in an election, saw it differently and recruited Fletcher to run.  Look for Fletcher to uphold conservative principles on every level, and to be held to close account for each vote.  Also look for him to be a key House ally to conservative State Senator Dan Patrick.

Todd Hunter - Returning to the fold, Hunter served four terms as District 32's representative until 1998, when he left for family reasons.  Hunter's campaign bio bragged on his accolades from the Texas Muncipal League, so don't count on Hunter for a vote against taxpayer-funded lobbying right away.  Since we have YCT's scores from the sessions Hunter served, we have an analysis of his conservatism.  He scored a composite 47.3 over 4 sessions - in short, his voting record was more akin to a liberal Democrat's than even a moderate Republican's.  Don't look for Hunter to have improved since then.  In fact, maybe we should send him copies of the RPT platform - he's pretty new to the party, after all.

Tim Kleinschmidt - High accolades from conservative groups during his campaign, both now and during the 2006 primary, bode well for Kleinschmidt, a rural Republican replacing outgoing Democrat Robby Cook.  Rural Republican is typically code for anti-school choice and pro-small business - Kleinschmidt looks to be more consistently and fiscally conservative.  

Ken Legler - The battle to replace conservative patriarch Robert Talton in District 144 ended with Legler's ascension.  He's promising; a Pasadena small-businessman who has some prior experience in politics, he received endorsements from several conservative grassroots groups. 

 
Tryon Lewis - Tryon Lewis defeated Buddy West in the primary; West passed away shortly afterward.  So Lewis has an awkward place in history - he was promoted by Tom Craddick and conservative groups who were tired of Buddy West's consistent opposition to the former House speaker.  Craddick wanted someone in Odessa who would work with him (he's the rep. from Midland).  Other than all of that, Lewis is a definite all-around conservative, having signed the Americans for Prosperity pledge and gaining the confidence, so far, of prominent Odessa and Midland conservatives.  It remains to be seen how relevant the west Texas contigent will be in a session led by an urban moderate Republican, but Lewis will figure in no matter what.

Doug Miller - It was a sad day in March when we learned that Doug Miller, hand-picked by former state rep. and reigning liberal Republican princess Carter Casteel, had defeated incumbent conservative Nathan Macias by a ridiculously slim margin.  Suffice to say, Miller is not being welcomed with open arms into the conservative enclave, and he probably isn't feeling the pain of that.  He wasted no time in endorsing Joe Straus for speaker, and has set himself up to oppose anything Nathan Macias might have been for - including school choice, immigration reform, and meaningful property tax reform.  I admit fully to being biased here - my husband spoke on Macias' behalf in New Braunfels when Macias originally defeated Casteel - but at the same time, it's hard to believe anyone who is close with Casteel will be a boon to conservatives.

Ralph Sheffield - Admittedly, Sheffield wasn't my first choice to replace outgoing Rep. Dianne White-Delisi in District 55.  The four-person primary was not pretty, and Sheffield was skillful enough to emerge the victor in a tight run-off with a local gov't favorite Martha Tyroch.  A small businessman, Sheffield got the immediate endorsement of conservative opponent Michael Pearce after Pearce didn't make the run-off.  He signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and looks to be at least a solid successor to White-Delisi, and that's saying quite a bit.  He took the oath of office on November 20.  His leading issue appears to be education, and he's in favor of "local control," and greater fiscal accountability.

Mark Shelton - Shelton ran to replace outgoing Rep. Anna Mowery in a special election earlier this year, was defeated by a Democrat, and came back to win the general election.  While not the favorite of every conservative group early on, Shelton won the confidence of many in the race for the seat in November.  He's a doctor, an Eagle Scout, and he is adamant about wanting to limit the growth of government.  He stated during the campaign that he wants "aggressive insurance reform."

Randy Weber - Weber replaces outgoing Rep. Mike O'Day.  O'Day defeated Weber for the seat originally in a special election in 2007, but suffered health problems almost immediately upon taking his place in the House.  O'Day gained accolades from Texas Eagle Forum and will be missed.  Weber was a favorite of conservative groups in the original special election and gained that confidence again during this past election cycle (receiving endorsements from Young Conservatives of Texas, Eagle Forum's Cathie Adams, Empower Texans, etc) and is a small businessman.  Likely to be good on fiscal issues and definitely good on social ones.

Freshman Senate Member

Joan Huffman  - After a nasty special election and then nail-biting run-off that Huffman ended up winning handily, it's good to know Kyle Janek has been replaced by a Republican, and a conservative one at that.  Huffman took the oath of office on December 29.  She had the support of Gary Polland of the Texas Conservative Review and Young Conservatives of Texas, and she's set to be a better conservative than her predecessor.  Only time will tell for sure; conservatives were deeply divided in this race and Huffman will be watched closely (especially given that she's the only new Republican in the Senate).  

We have a majority - now what?

I've said before that I think one of the biggest problems with the Republican Party in Texas is that it is never conducted like it is the majority party. Party officials and major elected officials seem to have this massive block when it comes to doing this. Majority party does not kowtow to the middle, or to the other party. Majority party means you don't have to rely on gotcha headlines. And most importantly, majority party means being able to revel in talking about your own accomplishments and refrain from smearing, slamming, or otherwise jumping all over the other guy.

Yes, as a national party, we're in dire straits and are decidedly not in the majority at the moment. But that means that all finger-pointing and screeds about Nancy Pelosi's misdeeds are best left to the RNC (or at least the California Republican Party). Here in Texas, where we are in the majority (however slim), we don't need official party emails with subject headers like the one that came today:

RPT Week in Review: Nancy Pelosi's Hypocrisy

Um, what? First of all, that headline makes me think that Nancy Pelosi's Hypocrisy is what we Republicans need to be focusing on and thinking about. Second, Nancy Pelosi's Hypocrisy has nothing to do with the Republican Party of Texas, as she is neither a Texan nor a Republican.

The second story in the email was a welcome to 2009 message from RPT chairman Tina Benkiser. Okay, now we're going somewhere. The third story concerned the speaker candidacy of Republican State Rep. Joe Straus. Finally, there's a blurb about Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst having a joint speaking engagement at a Texas Workforce Commission conference. At the tail end of the email is a congratulatory note to the new Republicans in the Texas House and Texas Senate. At the tail end, where few people will see it.

So if I were doing this?

Lead story - Congrats to our freshman Republicans in the Texas Legislature, with a class picture if possible, and with home cities listed with names so we know where these folks are from.
Second story - Speaker candidacy of Joe Straus, maybe with a link to Rick Perry's congratulatory message of support that aired on local television.
Third story - Welcome to 2009 - it was released in a separate email this week, so it's redundant.
Wrap-up - Major speaking engagements for statewide officials.

One HUGE thing I would have done? Included congrats to freshman House Republican Allen Fletcher! This is an odious omission by the RPT - I'm astonished at their inability to recognize one of their own.

I would have booted the Pelosi slam to the very end, under a regular feature about something dumb the D's are up to. I also would have included a blurb somewhere in the story about the upcoming Lincoln-Reagan Day festivities in the party - with a link to a comprehensive list of dinners and celebrations around the state.

My point is mostly that we're Republicans because we agree with the Republican Party platform, not because we disagree with the Democrats. We can't continue to operate like one big anti-Democrat 527 - because we have our own candidates, issues, and agenda to promote. We need to celebrate what our Republican congressmen are doing, to talk about what's happening in our Legislature, and to promote the grassroots of our OWN PARTY.

What do I want in a new RNC chairman? Someone who understands this and acts like it.

The Reality of Socialized Health Care

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that one cannot possibly follow every bit of relevant political news all at once. In addition, the horrible fact is, a political blogger with a full-time job and several volunteer ones cannot keep up with every major piece of information that needs to be discussed.

This is why we have blog rolls. ;-)

Okay, so I didn't log in and start a post to bitch about not being able to log in and post. I ran across something this morning that needs to be brought up. While Tom Daschle plans and plots out the future of our nation's health care system, a few concerned citizens are trying to find out, what would life in the United States be like under a socialized health care system (the pinnacle of hope and change in the eyes of many Obamaites).

Paul Hsieh at CSMonitor (h/t Brain Terminal) dug up a gem about Japan's efforts:

Imagine a country where the government regularly checks the waistlines of
citizens over age 40. Anyone deemed too fat would be required to undergo diet
counseling. Those who fail to lose sufficient weight could face further
“reeducation” and their communities subject to stiff fines.

Is this some nightmarish dystopia?

No, this is contemporary Japan.

The Japanese government argues that it must regulate citizens’
lifestyles because it is paying their health costs. This highlights one of the
greatly underappreciated dangers of “universal healthcare.” Any government that
attempts to guarantee healthcare must also control its costs. The inevitable
next step will be to seek to control citizens’ health and their behavior. Hence,
Americans should beware that if we adopt universal healthcare, we also risk
creating a “nanny state on steroids” antithetical to core American
principles.

Apocalyptic drivel? Hardly. We're on the path already:

Many American cities ban restaurants from selling foods with trans fats. Los
Angeles has imposed a moratorium on new fast food restaurants in South L.A.
Other California cities ban smoking in some private residences. California has
outlawed after-school bake sales as part of a “zero tolerance” ban on selling
sugar products on campus. New York Gov. David Paterson has proposed an 18
percent tax on sugary sodas and juice drinks, and state officials have not ruled
out additional taxes on cheeseburgers and other foods deemed unhealthy.

And here in Texas, State Rep. Myra Crownover (R-Denton) is resurrecting her misguided attempt to infringe on private property rights with her statewide smoking ban bill, HB 5 (the high number indicates her enthusiasm for this modern-day fascist action - it means she filed it early, probably on the first day possible, and intends to fight for it. Her task may be easier now with more sympathetic moderates and liberals ruling the day). I find myself eager to see what Peggy Venable and the gang at Americans for Prosperity will say about Crownover's fresh attempt (here's a sample of what the group had to say about a smoking ban last session).

Now I feel all accomplished - federal and state issues all in one post! Reader, I feel somewhat vindicated for my recent absence.

If Joe Straus becomes speaker....

Liberal Republican Joe Straus.  Yes, I said it.  If you vote for 3rd trimester abortions, for casino gambling, and for fiscally irresponsible legislation, then you are a liberal.  Sorry, Joe.

As it stands, conservatives have to choose, quickly, if they're going to back Craddick or another candidate (Gattis or possibly Smithee if he joins the race come Monday).  They need to rally strongly behind whomever they choose.  They cannot afford to be split on the issue.

64 Democrats, and the 11 ABC Republicans who gathered today, could likely make the choice for speaker, and Joe Straus is their declared consensus candidate.  Just think, if we had been able to retain some key conservatives who lost their seats this last go-round, if Republicans had a more decisive majority than just 76-74, we might not be having this debate.  We might be able to guarantee a conservative successor to Tom Craddick.

So who is to blame for the weakness of conservative Republicans in the House?

And then there were 3?

Quorum Report is reporting that the ABCs (corrected to say "Republicans") have their consensus candidate for speaker of the Texas House, and it's Rep. Joe Straus (R-San Antonio).

QR is also reporting that 11 of the candidates who have filed have pulled out, except for Craddick and Gattis (all this happened just after Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano) got in the mix earlier this evening).  

So it's Craddick, Gattis, and Straus in the end game, though time has not yet run out and Rep. John Smithee (R-Amarillo) is still contemplating a run from everything we heard today.

I've got some detailed thoughts and a quick analysis of Straus over at Texas Magazine's Drawing the Line.