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The Texas Blue
Advancing Progressive Ideas

A Strategic Retreat to Ways and Means

Paul Burka discussed what he's heard as Craddick's Plan B on his blog yesterday, and the Republican version of musical legislative seats makes sense - if Craddick can't keep the Speakership, then some shucking and jiving ensures the status quo is maintained when Craddick throws his support to a kinder, gentler Republican (Keffer) or not (King), and in return gets to chair Ways and Means.

Burka and others have also discussed the difficult nature of a leadership race within a legislature, especially when dealing with a personality like Craddick's - he has ruled with an iron fist and now he has been exposed as vulnerable. If he wins, the strength with which he used to whip people into line has been hugely diminished, and that combined with his electoral difficulties in the last cycle means that his grip on control will slip, that it must slip. The chief problem with ruling through fear and ruthlessness is that you don't make many friends, and people end up with scores to settle.

Personally, I feel as if any reshuffling at the top would have the same result as a total Craddick loss, that the publicized weakness is something which cannot be undone. The blood frenzy will probably be lessened if, in the middle or at the end of this week, we learn that the usual backroom deal has been made and someone different will be taking over; Craddick's power, however, as a member of a three man Ways / Appropriations / Calendars committee chair trifecta, will have ebbed to an extremely low tide.

It is worth asking, once again, if a Craddick defeat is what's best for Democrats. I imagine a compromise in which Craddick is dealt down to a lesser post may actually result in a more divided Republican caucus, which Democrats could take advantage of. A Craddick victory only gives him the opportunity to keep up the habits of the last cycle, which in the long run would probably work out for Texas Democrats very well.

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