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June 19, 2005
Strayhorn Commits, Hutchison Bows, Perry Pivots, and Pickle Goes Sour
Well, it was a very eventful weekend for Texas politics. Carol Keaton-McClellan-Rhylandor-I've-gone-through-more-men-than-Elizabeth-Taylor-Strayhorn has committed to run for Governor in the Repulican primary next year. (Like she hasn't been running for governor for the last two years already!)
Senator Hutchison, who IMO could have phoned in a Gubernatorial victory, has decided to run for Senate again. I find this a pity since she's a decent candidate to become the first female U.S. President, and a couple of terms in the Governor's seat would put her on a good track.
The current (and soon-to-be-ex-at-this-rate) Governor Rick Perry vetoed the school financing bill and ordered a special session to begin Tuesday. I, for one, was not disappointed that the regular session ended without a school financing solution, since all the ideas being discussed were IMO just bad ideas. I wonder how much his decision was based on She-of-Many_Names' assertion that he was lacking in the leadership department.
And the beloved Jake "J. J." Pickle died. The former Congressman was much loved in the local Austin area, though I often think it had less to do with his politics (which were not particularly outlying or memorable) but for the fact that he delivered the pork in abundance. As such, a variety of government-contract-funded research institutes around here bear his name.
So, what might have been a walk-away governor race next year looks to be a slugfest Republican primary of Perry vs. Strayhorn. To be honest, I'll gladly support Perry in that contest. He's mostly harmless, though annoying. On the other hand, Whatshername's constant calls "to do something for the children" sounds like a big tax boost and a dozen pet programs that will fumble along for a generation before being merged into the Texas Railroad Commission, just to give them something to do.
But still, Perry has not impressed me as a governor, and let's face, there's not much a Texas governor has to do. So, I might be crossing the aisle on this one, maybe even to Kinky Friedman. After all, if our governor is going to be a joke, shouldn't he at least be funny?
Politics by Dan at June 19, 2005 07:09 PM
Comments
It's spelled "Rylander", BTW. :)
Not that anyone should expect anyone to have to know how to spell that many friggin' last names, of course....
Posted by: Julia at June 19, 2005 11:03 PM
Oh, and "Keeton", not "Keaton".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Keeton_Strayhorn
Yes, she has a wikipedia entry.
Posted by: Julia at June 19, 2005 11:04 PM
I think you are forgetting that Kinky is running.. Now there is someone worth voting for Governor.
Posted by: satyr at June 20, 2005 12:11 AM
satyr has a point.
I'm seriously considering getting a "HE'S NOT KINKY, HE'S MY GOVERNOR" yard sign. :)
Posted by: Tanya the Happy Tester at June 22, 2005 09:19 PM