Texas governor's race shaping up to be big show next year

Lubbock, TX, Avalanche-Journal ^ | 12-26-05 | AP

[Diddle E. Squat]

She'll get her ample a$$ handed to her in the primaries. Will be almost as satisfying as watching similar blowhard McCain embarrassed in the 2008 Prez primaries.

Perry's real worry would be if Houston mayor Bill White ran on the Dem side (but I don't think that he will this time.)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Agreed. I am fed up with this $5 brain with a $50 haircut mounted on it. To be honest I know of many who are talking about voting for Kinky Freidman.

But you've also stated here on FR that you aren't voting for ANY Republicans, including Tom DeLay.

[Diddle E. Squat]

The big thing about Perry that I really don't like is his push for that huge highway corridor to split Texas right down the middle. While I recognize that I-35 is way too crowded, I just don't think that that huge corridor is necessary, and IMO, will be the end of Texas as we know it. The huge number of families and businesses that will lose to imminent domain is mind-boggling!

Actually the amount of families and businesses whose land is taken for this highway will be a fraction of those that would have had that happen to them to expand I-35 the entire route. That's the primary reason for going with the routing through rural lands, fewer affected by takings and thus a much lower cost.

The toll aspect is just to shift the construction and operating costs to private investors instead of the taxpayers. That's as conservative as one can get. Like it or not, our current gas tax revenues barely cover just current road maintenance costs, so to build the needed roads we either have to raise taxes or privatize.

And by Perry standing tough (for months) on redistricting, even as his poll numbers sank, he not only helped the state but also the nation. If he hadn't, we might well be facing a risk of losing the House next year.

[Freebird Forever]

Strayhorn may be an ex-Democrat, but so am I

So is Perry.

IIRC, he switched partied around 1990.

[PAR35]

The only way that I'll vote for Perry is if he is the least of the possible evils

That's pretty much the case this time around. A contested democrat primary really hurts Keeton. Her only hope is a heavy crossover vote.

I'm in the 'hold your nose and vote Perry' crowd.

[deport]

Kinky may very well not make it on the ballot....

The Texas democrats ran the 'dream team' last election and they got wiped out...... Nothing has changed that much that has upgraded the democrats position, imo.

[basil]

There's a lot of useful information in your post. You sound a lot like my very pragmatic husband.

[zeaal]

We are not voting for Perry either.

[lapsus calami]

 

> I didn't realize Strayhorn's background until I read a post further up the thread.

 

It gets worse - - - -

 

 

 

 Founding board member of Austin Community College (1973), mayor of Austin 1977-83 and don't forget - former state railroad commissioner. It'd be interesting to look up records of her past activities with those entities to get a better idea about her ideologies, though doing it by computer would probably be a challenge since I doubt a lot of records from those time periods have been digitized.

There also seems to be a relationship with Austin area gadfly Sal Costello of Texas Tollparty, who has also slid himself in with people and groups opposing the Texas Trans Corridor - seems he was the one who helped slide Strayhorn in with the TTC fight. Costello may have some interesting friends himself, since I've seen some of his stuff associated with the Bush Is Hitler/No Blood For Oil/Stop The War crowd.

Some bloggers have some input about her strategies and odd friends.



Rhymes With Right: Carole -- Go Back!
http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/111950.php


But Strayhorn has a plan -- get Democrats and Independents to vote in the GOP primary.


"Strayhorn sees crossovers as primary target"
Gubernatorial candidate urging Democrats to help her beat Perry.
By W. Gardner Selby
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, August 14, 2005
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/08/14strayhorn.html


"Let me tell you, speaking as Republican precinct chair here in Harris County, which is the largest county in Texas, that this strategy does not sit well with most Republicans I know. We have this crazy idea that if you want to use the votes of Democrats to get the nomination for governor, you need to run in the Democrat primary. Given the current candidates for the Democrat nomination, I suspect that the nomination would be hers for the taking. It is time for her to go back to that party and seek the Democrat nomination (which she might not get, having abandoned that party once) so she can face Perry in the fall -- and lose.

I'll make you a prediction right now. I'm sure that the Perry campaign and the GOP on both the state and national levels will make sure that every signature on every Democrat nominating petition (and those for Kinky Friedman) in the state is broken down by local precinct and distributed to the precinct chairs for purposes of challenging cross-over voters. After all, Strayhorn and her supporters are correct in noting that a voter can vote in either primary on election day. However, what needs to be considered is that the same law has a limitation on that choice -- if you have signed a nominating petition for an independent or a candidate for particular party, you forfeit the option of voting in the primary of a different party. Those of us serving as election judges will have some idea of who the outsiders are, and we will be ready for them."

Posted by Greg at August 14, 2005 08:03 PM




Burnt Orange Report

November 07, 2003
Strayhorn to be "Special Guest" at Fundraiser for Democratic State Rep.
By Byron LaMasters
http://www.burntorangereport.com/mt/archives/000728.html

"Carole Keeton Strayhorn is the Republican State Comptroller. Pete Gallego is one of the Democratic Killer D leaders, so seeing Strayhorn listed as a special guest for Gallego's fundraiser is quite a surprise. Generally being "special guest" at a fundraiser implies that the guest is endorsing the purpose of the fundraiser and the purpose of this fundraiser is to raise money for the Pete Gallego campaign."

Images
http://www.burntorangereport.com/myimages/gallego1.jpg

http://www.burntorangereport.com/mt/myimages/gallego2.jpg

 

 

 

[Clara Lou]

Very interesting stuff.

[HitmanLV]

Rush is impossible to listen to for 3hours a day, 5x a week, for anybody with some clarity of mind. He comes across just like some of the worst shills for clinton during the 1990s. No matter what, his boy is a genius and his horse is winning the race. It's tiresome and tedious.

My radio day includes healthy doses of Laura Ingraham, Dennis Prager (instead of Rush), Mike Medved or Dr Laura, and Savage Nation to end the afternoon.

I find that when I do take a rare listen to Rush, he is very refreshing and funny. In the modern era, he is best in very small doses, spaced widely apart.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

Ummmmm - no.

 

See post #49

 

Don't get fooled by all that yapping by Strayhorn -  she just wants the job. She's been throwing rocks at Perry and not offering up any solutions of her own in return while ignoring the policies and activities of the true power - the state legislature. Something to definately remember - Texas is a state where the office of the governor has very little power at all. If you want to have any real effect on any sort of "change" in the governance of the state, it's with the legislature you take up your grievances.

 

 

[lapsus calami]

 

 

 

Yep - you're spot on about the distribution of state level political power in Texas - amazing how many people don't know, don't realize that.

 

 

 

 

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Given that Perry has the IQ of my dachshund, and the leadership of John Kerry, Strayhorn is a liberal, loud mouthed, fool, Kinky is worse and Bell is a left wing, crybaby, ass and those are his good points, expect one under vote from Ft. Bend County.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

 

Indeedy - Looking like she's resorting to some leftist-style election tricks. Bet we don't know the half of it....

 

 

 

[Theodore R.]

I don't agree that the office of TX governor is so powerless. The governor has both veto power and line-item vote, something the president lacks. The governor makes quite a few appointment, but they are subject to 2/3 of the State Senate, not just the majority {unless filibustered} required for presidential appointments. Many state judges first get on the bench from gubernatorial appointment, when he fills vacancies.

The governor's salary is modest, but he has access to an expense-paid mansion. The governor appoints the commissioner of education, who manages the K-12 system. But he has to choose from a list from the State Board of Education. The governor can call an unlimited number of special legislative sessions of up to 30 days each, and only his agenda items can be considered. Lawmakers won't usually press an issue knowing that the governor is opposed to its enactment.

Former Democrat Governor Ann Richards said the office was the "best job" in the nation in her book. No one said the office of governor was "institutionally weak" when John B. Connally, Jr., held it from 1963-69. A U.S. senator left the Senate to become governor: the late Marion Price Daniel, Sr., who served from 1957-63, and another U.S. senator wants the governorship but declined to run, Kay Bailey Hutchison. Lt. Governor Perry seemed very eager to become governor: he was not lamenting his "lost" powers of the lieutenant governorship.That being said, the lt. governor can block nearly any bill he opposes by refusing to have the State Senate bring up the matter.

The governor also had extensive clemency powers until a 1936 constitutional amendment placed them in the hands of the appointed (by the governor) Board of Pardons and Paroles. It was absuses of the two Democrat Ferguson administratons that removed those powers from the governor.

After six years in the office (a longer period than many governors have served), a TX governor named ALL of the appointees to the state boards and commissions. His appointees cannot be removed by a successor governor until the term of appointment runs out.

[Bommer]

Carole Kreaton Strayhorn "tough grandma" act sounds nothing more than Ann Richards after a bad night with Molly Ivans!

[Theodore R.]

absuses should be "abuses"

[lapsus calami]

 

 

I see what you're saying, and it's accurate. If I remember correctly there have been some people/groups that for what ever reasons have had some issues about the scope of the governor's appointment powers. Where I was going - but didn't quite make it - was that the Texas governor had lesser powers with legislation (and going by the examples you posted, probably with good reason) as compared to a number of other states, though what states and what powers, don't get me to lying on that.

 

Thanx for the input!

 

 

[streetpreacher]

Oh great...

Return of Ann Richards...

"One tough Grandma"...

What B.S.