Mutiny in the House? GOP Reps could replace Speaker Tom Craddick.
Craddick counting speakership votes
11/09/2006
Gary Scharrer
San Antonio Express-News Austin Bureau
Copyright 2006
AUSTIN — Despite the jarring loss of five Republican House seats in Tuesday's election, Speaker Tom Craddick announced a day later that he has ample support to get re-elected to another term as speaker in January.
Democrats, however, said Craddick's pledges could peel off if another Republican emerges to challenge him and suggested ongoing discussions could make that happen.
Tension over the speaker's position also provoked a scuffle between two Democrats, according to sources.
The altercation occurred Wednesday morning as Rep. Tracy King, D-Batesville, allegedly shoved and pushed Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, during a closed-door meeting, sources said. King apparently was upset that Gallego and others threatened to recruit a primary opponent against him if he supported Craddick's re-election.
Rep. Robert Puente, D-San Antonio, helped pull King off of Gallego, sources said. Gallego and King apologized to each other after the scuffle. Neither returned phone calls for comment.
"Out of respect for my fellow members, it's not something that I want to discuss," Puente said.
Craddick, R-Midland, won the speaker's position in 2003 after Republicans dominated the 2002 elections, winning 88 of the 150 state House seats. But his party has lost seats ever since, and will have 81 in January.
"This is a very shifting landscape, and it's really too early to make any predictions," said Gallego, chairman of the House Mexican-American Caucus, of a speaker's race. "There's certainly a lot of energy and enthusiasm on the Democratic side, but we have to wait and see what percolates on the Republican side.
"There's some conversations going on right now," he said.
Democrats added to their seats Tuesday despite being outspent by $4 million, said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Dunnam, D-Waco. While the heavy Republican losses may not imperil Craddick's leadership role, they almost certainly will make it harder for GOP leaders to pass school vouchers or other socially conservative issues.
"They will repackage (school vouchers) as something else," Dunnam said. "It's alive and well, and we'll continue to beat it every chance we get."
It takes 76 votes to win the top State House position — some Democrats said they might be better off politically with Craddick staying on as speaker.
"I'm torn, frankly. Tom Craddick has been single-handedly responsible for rebuilding the Democratic Party," Gallego said. "His leadership style is not ever going to change. As long as he's the leader, the Democrats will continue to pick up seats."
Republican lawmaker Pat Haggerty of El Paso said he's heard "mutterings" of a GOP challenge against Craddick.
"Is there dissatisfaction? Yeah," he said. "Most of the unrest comes from not letting the process work and being told how to vote, being told when to vote and being told that if you don't like this, then we'll just get somebody to replace you. Based on the outcome last night, that's a rather empty threat now."
Several potential Republican speaker alternatives to Craddick did not return phone calls.
Republicans can either elect a new speaker, Dunnam said, "or they're going to continue to be strong-armed by Craddick, and Democrats will pick up more seats in the next election."
"He does not allow any members of his own party or the other party to vote their district" Dunnam said. "He coerces them and strong-arms them into doing what he wants done."
Craddick spokeswoman Alexis DeLee said perceptions of a strong-armed Craddick ruling the House are wrong.
"Members vote in the best interests for themselves and their constituents 99 percent of the time," she said.
Craddick has 109 pledges of support for his re-election, she said, adding, "We don't have any reason to believe that those people are going to change their pledge."
gscharrer@express-news.net
© 2006 San Antonio Express-News: www.mysanantonio.com
11/09/2006
Gary Scharrer
San Antonio Express-News Austin Bureau
Copyright 2006
AUSTIN — Despite the jarring loss of five Republican House seats in Tuesday's election, Speaker Tom Craddick announced a day later that he has ample support to get re-elected to another term as speaker in January.
Democrats, however, said Craddick's pledges could peel off if another Republican emerges to challenge him and suggested ongoing discussions could make that happen.
Tension over the speaker's position also provoked a scuffle between two Democrats, according to sources.
The altercation occurred Wednesday morning as Rep. Tracy King, D-Batesville, allegedly shoved and pushed Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, during a closed-door meeting, sources said. King apparently was upset that Gallego and others threatened to recruit a primary opponent against him if he supported Craddick's re-election.
Rep. Robert Puente, D-San Antonio, helped pull King off of Gallego, sources said. Gallego and King apologized to each other after the scuffle. Neither returned phone calls for comment.
"Out of respect for my fellow members, it's not something that I want to discuss," Puente said.
Craddick, R-Midland, won the speaker's position in 2003 after Republicans dominated the 2002 elections, winning 88 of the 150 state House seats. But his party has lost seats ever since, and will have 81 in January.
"This is a very shifting landscape, and it's really too early to make any predictions," said Gallego, chairman of the House Mexican-American Caucus, of a speaker's race. "There's certainly a lot of energy and enthusiasm on the Democratic side, but we have to wait and see what percolates on the Republican side.
"There's some conversations going on right now," he said.
Democrats added to their seats Tuesday despite being outspent by $4 million, said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Dunnam, D-Waco. While the heavy Republican losses may not imperil Craddick's leadership role, they almost certainly will make it harder for GOP leaders to pass school vouchers or other socially conservative issues.
"They will repackage (school vouchers) as something else," Dunnam said. "It's alive and well, and we'll continue to beat it every chance we get."
It takes 76 votes to win the top State House position — some Democrats said they might be better off politically with Craddick staying on as speaker.
"I'm torn, frankly. Tom Craddick has been single-handedly responsible for rebuilding the Democratic Party," Gallego said. "His leadership style is not ever going to change. As long as he's the leader, the Democrats will continue to pick up seats."
Republican lawmaker Pat Haggerty of El Paso said he's heard "mutterings" of a GOP challenge against Craddick.
"Is there dissatisfaction? Yeah," he said. "Most of the unrest comes from not letting the process work and being told how to vote, being told when to vote and being told that if you don't like this, then we'll just get somebody to replace you. Based on the outcome last night, that's a rather empty threat now."
Several potential Republican speaker alternatives to Craddick did not return phone calls.
Republicans can either elect a new speaker, Dunnam said, "or they're going to continue to be strong-armed by Craddick, and Democrats will pick up more seats in the next election."
"He does not allow any members of his own party or the other party to vote their district" Dunnam said. "He coerces them and strong-arms them into doing what he wants done."
Craddick spokeswoman Alexis DeLee said perceptions of a strong-armed Craddick ruling the House are wrong.
"Members vote in the best interests for themselves and their constituents 99 percent of the time," she said.
Craddick has 109 pledges of support for his re-election, she said, adding, "We don't have any reason to believe that those people are going to change their pledge."
gscharrer@express-news.net
© 2006 San Antonio Express-News:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Thursday, November 09, 2006
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