Posted on 02/04/2005 7:57:16 AM PST by txyankee
The Lion That Squeaked
by Seton Motley | Published Yesterday | Opinion
The Lion That Squeaked
It appears there is less room at the Governor’s mansion than originally thought
And then there were two?
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who for the previous fifteen months has made it appear all but certain that she was ready and willing to run against current Governor Rick Perry in one or another politically affiliated capacity, has suddenly, it seems, acquired frigid feet, or at the very least blinked whilst staring down the incumbent.
Last Monday, Madame Comptroller shocked the 2006 watch party by stating that she has never ruled out attempting to re-up for her current gig. This came as a bit of a surprise to, well, just about everyone, given the slew of actions and activities with and in which she has engaged of late (and earlier, and early).
First there was Strayhorn’s granting current Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs permission in December 2003 to seek support and supporters for a potential Combs run for Comptroller. The two are old friends, but business is business, and politicians do not assist in their own potential undoing.
This would be not unlike Burger King asking McDonald’s if they can test market the new Whopper under the Golden Arches. Clearly, Strayhorn did not see Combs as a rival for any office in which she was interested.
Then there is the fact that over a year ago Strayhorn removed any and all titles of office from her campaign literature and headquarters. Thusly was the Strayhorn for Strayhorn campaign born. Her raising this amorphous front, from behind which she could raise campaign cash, certainly made it difficult to conclude anything but her desire for higher office.
Then there is, of course, the non-stop propaganda barrage being lobbed from the Comptroller’s office in the general direction of the Governor. Her accuracy is at best minimal, but she subscribes to the shotgun press release approach, figuring that at some point at least something amidst the slings and arrows of her outrageous assertions will find some sort of mark.
Strayhorn has been making it abundantly clear she does not like the job the Governor is doing, leaving the listener with the unspoken assertion that she herself would perform therein at a much higher level.
There is an oft-repeated turn of phrase of the Comptroller’s that could reasonably be described as the Strayhorn for Governor 2006 campaign slogan, “Texas is great, but it can be a whole lot better.” Ring any bells?
Tony Sanchez
(This, by the way, marks the 19,457th time Tony Sanchez has been ripped off as a result of his 2002 Gubernatorial run. His entire campaign staff should have worn masks and been holding guns every time they picked up their checks.)
According to the unofficial Comptroller for Governor campaign, Perry is incapable of doing anything right, even when he is doing what Strayhorn herself said was right.
To cite but one example, she has repeatedly accused the Governor of heartlessness for his Child Health Insurance Program reorganization, conveniently forgetting the fact that the changes he implemented were the ones she had initially suggested.
Meanwhile, the duties that Strayhorn was actually elected to perform have been, at times, not exactly her best work. (And if they are indeed an accurate representation thereof, then we have another, even larger problem with which to contend.)
Strayhorn has been exponentially inaccurate in her budget projections, which, last time I checked, was one of the main reasons we have a Comptroller. Just two years ago, she estimated the Texas Legislature faced a budget deficit of $5 billion. The deficit came in at just over $10 billion. She was off by 100%.
No mere rounding error, this.
And it was her inaccurate $1.8 billion overestimation of the revenue projections in 2001 that helped lead to the 2003 shortfall.
Adding insult to the injury was (and is) Strayhorn’s taking single-handed credit for every dollar brought in by the state. This is not unlike the ticket-taker claiming credit for the concert hall sellout.
So, to coin an old Chinese proverb, “One must get own house in order before looking to move to Governor’s mansion”.
Rick Perry
Perry, meanwhile, continues to pursue a conservative legislative agenda unabated by the heckling from the cheap seats. This is where the Strayhorn and Kay Bailey Hutchison rumblings become particularly galling.
Some Republicans, and even some conservatives, in Texas view Perry as somewhat bloodied, as damaged goods, and some of these, for reasons that I cannot possibly fathom, are angry with him. If the arguable point of his being hobbled were true, it would only be because Perry has repeatedly stuck his neck out to take hits for the team(s), whether it was for the Republicans with redistricting or conservatives with tort reform and the from ground up deficit elimination budget process in 2003.
Perry's good conservative deeds have not gone completely unrecognized, however. He has already garnered the endorsments of every major statewide office holder (all Elephants, of course), as well as the heads of virtually every conservative group in the state. So someone thinks he is doing something right.
In the course of doing the right things, over and over again, he may have indeed incurred some political injure. But these are scars of which to be proud, not wounds to be exploited.
The fact that some fellow Republicans would view this as an opportunity to attempt to take him out speaks volumes about them and their lack of conservative bona fides, and very little about any weakness of Perry's.
And with the looming potentiality of facing off against a sitting United States Senator and a legacy Comptroller in two years, what does Perry do? He leads the charge in the 2005 Session to try to end the “Robin Hood” school finance heist, revamp Worker’s Compensation, introduce school choice and end the asbestos litigation nightmare.
Certainly not the moderated agenda most men concerned for their seats would proffer.
Do not misunderstand; I am quite sure Perry would like to be Governor again in 2007. What he will not do, however, is acquiesce on his conservative litany in an effort to still be around next Session. He will do what he thinks is right, and hope that that does it for the voters when the time comes.
Contrasted with the scatter-shot Strayhorn, it should be more than enough.
Copyright February 3rd, 2005, by Seton Motley, TexasInsider.org, All Rights Reserved
Belay that command, or you'll be stuned.
What an unfortunate typo.
NO
An oil can's going on down
You don't know what you just did.
There's a bar here called Oil Can Harry's - loins squeaking and oil can's going on down makes me absolutely shudder...
Now that's what I call "ouch".
Crotchy people will groin at the puns.
I don't know what's going on in Austin, but you're gonna get ribbed until Sunday for that title.
I'll lick into it.
(Er, look into them. I'm sure they make a good spread on the table, like the Colonel's finger lickin' sucklin' tasty treats. )
I thought it was a tell all kind of thread........ ;^)
It's a tail-all thread, where the loose ends just come aprt for all to enjoy.
This thread is rapidly degenerating into udder goofiness
(Not that it's a bad thing)
The key to an active thread is a misspelt headline.
But you knew that. ;^)
I keep my loins well oiled, thankyewverymuch.
Yes no title fixing until everyone has had his or her fun.
A moose once bit my sister's loin!!!
WD40
You'll have to go to "ludicrous" speed to stop me. ;-)
This wasn't the story I was expecting when I clicked...
... or a muffler.
No problemo. My tach doesn't redline until I hit "completely absurd."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.