...or even worse:
Posted on 07/30/2009 6:32:43 AM PDT by laotzu
AUSTIN — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's message today was as simple as it was confusing: If Gov. Rick Perry doesn't quit his re-election race to give me a free run at the Republican gubernatorial nomination, I'll quit the Senate to run against him.
In just a matter of hours, Hutchison told a Dallas radio station in a telephone interview that she planned to quit her Senate seat in October or November to challenge Perry. But then several hours later she told reporters in Washington that her statements had been misunderstood and what she really wanted was for Perry to get out of the race.
“Nobody expected [Perry] to run for 15 years, and I think there's a chance that he wouldn't run because he would see how divisive it is and that he's trying to stay too long and that he can really help in many ways if he doesn't run, in which case I could then be able to stay in the Senate all the way to the end,” Hutchison said, according to Congressional Quarterly.
Hutchison said her preference would be to stay in the Senate through next year's election but that would be hard to do if she has to have a primary fight with Perry.
“I was really trying to say to him he could step back here, and he's really trying to hang on too long and maybe he'll rethink,” she said.
Her campaign put out a statement saying, “Rick Perry should do the right thing and stop his quest to be governor for life.”
Perry spokesman Mark Miner said the governor is doing nothing but running for re-election. As lieutenant governor, Perry became governor in December of 2000 when George W. Bush resigned to become president, and then Perry won election to the office in 2002 and 2006.
“It looks like the campaign is trying to clean up another botched interview by the senator,” Miner said. “He's running for re-election, and he's the only candidate in the race.”
Democrat Tom Schieffer is running for his party's nomination.
Hutchison has been hinting at a possible resign-to-run scenario since last year, but this is the first time she has set a time frame for leaving the Senate seat. Her resignation would give Perry the opportunity to appoint an interim senator who would then face a special election for the remainder of her term of office through 2012.
Hutchison told host WBAP host Mark Davis her formal announcement for governor will occur next month.
“Well I'm going to announce in August. Formal announcement: I am in. Then the actual leaving of the Senate will be sometime — October, November — in that time frame,” she said.
Hutchison's resignation prediction is likely to open a floodgate politically.
There already is a crowd of politicians looking at running for Hutchison's Senate seat, including Houston Mayor Bill White and former Comptroller John Sharp as Democrats, and among the Republicans there are Railroad Commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones, Michael Williams, state Sen. Florence Shapiro and former Secretary of State Roger Williams.
A late fall resignation would trigger a special election no later than next May, though Perry could declare an emergency and hold the election sooner.
But if Perry names Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst as Hutchison's interim replacement, that also likely opens up the attorney general's office as incumbent Greg Abbott is expected to run for lieutenant governor if the office is vacant.
Liberal mantras may not be the best way of obtaining the Republican nomination Kay.
Meanwhile, Perry could seal the nomination by appointing a real conservative to her vacated Senate seat.
Governor Perry may be creating the only sanctuary state in the USA, and I don’t mean for the illegals.
KBH is a whiny baby.
Quitter.
Michael Williams would be an outstanding choice to replace Hutchison.
I’m somewhat taken aback as to why Huthison is challenging Perry.....what exactly is going to be her issue? She can’t really run to the right of him, and I can’t imagine that the Texas GOP electorate would dump Perry in favor of the more moderate Hutchison.
LOL...I hope she quits and Perry appoints Jeb Hensarling to fill out her term. That would freeze Mz. Moderate out and would be a win-win for Texas.
YUP and she voted yes on the AMNESTY bill.
She's unfit to be senator much less governor, IMO.
I have never liked her. She is weak and, now, appears to be weird. Staying too long??? Is it just me or is there a gigantic hypocrisy in that statement?
If she resigns Perry should immediately declare an emergency and hold the election as soon as possible!
As badly as Perry has pissed me off at times, KBH would be much worse as governor. Go Rick.
Agreed! Kay Bailey Useless whines that Rick perry has had the same job for 15 years. She is such a squishy RINO that she can not realize that she has had the Senator job since 1993 which is more than 15 years!
She resigned!? OH MY GOD!! QUITTER!!! Oh, I forgot, that only applies to Sarah Palin.
LLS
Sadly, too many years in Washington have corroded Kay's brain. Do we want a Washington-trained RINO or an Austin-trained RINO to be governor?? FWIW, IMO, if this is the choice we have on the "republican" side (assuming a REAL conservative doesn't enter the race), I'd just as soon stick with Gov. Goodhair. Kay has strayed a little too far off the reservation, for my tastes, and her attacks on Gov. Goodhair are not going to help the state or the Republican Party, they will only divide us and, potentially, leave the Gov's office open to a Dem.
Gov. Goodhair is okay, but his infatuation with and fixation on the TTC and trying to turn Texas into the vehicular version of "fly-over" country don't sit too well with me.
Also, according to a report on the radio this morning, Gov. Goodhair plans tpo appoint Lt. Gov. Dewhurst to replace Kay. That's a great move, IMO!!!
In Texas, does the governor appoint the replacement? (I think most states do that for the Senate) Actually, KBH resigning helps with the Senate race next year, as someone else can gain from incumbency....
hh
There’s an old saying in Texas that was never more true:
The Texas Legislature convenes for 5 months every 2 years . . .
now, if we could only get it to . . .
2 months every 5 years !
In Texas, does the governor appoint the replacement?
He can appoint a temporary replacement which would last until the special election that would occur on May 8, 2010. He could also declare an emergency and set the special election earlier.
The special election will be a jungle type race with all wannabes on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. Thus no party primary and the winner much have a majority or there will be runoff.
...or even worse:
Kay Baby has to be thinking that she can get lots of Democrats to crossover and vote for her in the Republican primary. It is okay to have pity on us Texans who have to choose between dumb and dumber in in the Republican primary race for Governor. Incidently, “dumb” (i.e., Perry) is clearly the better choice.
Should have known the story of her re-signing was too good to be true. Was thinking Perry could have clinched re-election with a solid choice to replace this RINO.
...It’s all about ME ME ME here... screw the party or principles. I want, I want, I want!
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