Some of the comments by these Austin area freshman legislators make you kind of wonder how solid Straus' pledges really are... it kind of sounds like some of the peeps who are known supporters of Joe Straus may not really be supporters after all (link). Excerpts follow...
Of the four, three — Charles Schwertner of Georgetown, Paul Workman of Austin and Larry Gonzales of Round Rock — pledged to support Straus, though Workman said he hasn't made a final decision and Gonzales said he is no longer committed to Straus. The other one — Jason Isaac of Dripping Springs — says he hasn't pledged to anyone and is still undecided.
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Workman, who will represent southwestern Travis County, said that although he pledged to Straus before the election, "I have not made a final decision on the speaker's race."
He said that giving Straus his pledge seemed to be the right thing to do at the time but that since then, "some things have come out that I'm not sure are true but that are certainly giving me pause." He declined to elaborate.
In the meantime, said Workman, who defeated Democratic Rep. Valinda Bolton to become the sole Travis County Republican in the House, "I'm just going to lie low and see how it unfolds."
Gonzales, who defeated Democratic Rep. Diana Maldonado , also said he's watching and waiting.
In an interview last week , he said he had not pledged to support any candidate.
However, Gonzales' name appeared on a list of Straus supporters that the speaker released Nov. 3. When asked about that later, Gonzales acknowledged that he had given Straus a "verbal" commitment before the election but said that "today, I am taking the time to consider what is best" for the district.
He said he doesn't anticipate making a decision until "much later." He wants to see who else might get into the race, he said. And he's trying to learn about the case Straus' critics are making.
He said he's hearing from constituents frequently on the speaker's race. So is Isaac, who defeated Democratic Rep. Patrick Rose.
"More often than not, they're telling me to support Paxton," Isaac said.
But Isaac said he hasn't made up his mind and is "not in a hurry to make a decision."
You kind of wonder... if these Austin area Republicans are so on the fence... what about the peeps all around the state especially the very very conservative districts...
Then again the party switching giving the Republicans a super majority really makes you think the race is all but over...
What is conservative about trying to oust a Speaker who just helped the GOP gain a huge majority, who can raise tons of money for the party, cares more about governing than political posturing, worked in the Reagan Administration, has shown admirable leadership qualities, who has been a Republican all his life, who is a family man, did not seek this position of leadership but who accepts the responsibilty of the office with fortitude and dignity, and who has said he will support a conservative agenda given the larger majority in the House? …. Nothing. This is not conservative, it is radical. Give the man a chance to lead the GOP House and judge him on the results. I think you will be surprised at how things turn out. Come on folks, let's get behind our leaders and move forward with solving the problems that are facing Texas. Stop these political games that will only lead to strife within the party. As Paul Burka, Texas Monthly political guru, this race has been over for a long time. Time to unite and move forward. For those Reps who vote against the Speaker, I think it is going to be a hard session and they might be the ones who end up with a primary opponent ... and a well funded one at that.
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