Surround Sound Speakers

Shortly before Christmas, some rumblings began on the race for Speaker in the Texas House. This morning, I heard on NPR that Representative Brian McCall is claiming he has the votes to win.

Way back in mid-November, after Democratic advances in the State House were confirmed, several of us began talking about the possibility that GOP Representatives tired of being overrun by the Cool Kids might band together. With a slightly larger Democratic caucus, it would be feasible for them to compile enough votes to challenge Speaker Craddick and make some magic happen. I didn't have a solid idea about who might be the one to do it, but it seemed as if it were not an impossibility.

So is McCall the guy or is the field more crowded? The San Antonio Express-News reported on the confusion as to whether Representative Robert Talton is helping McCall out by trying to consolidate a bloc for delivery or is putting himself forward as the best choice to replace Craddick as Speaker - the blogs seem to have it both ways, with Burka weighing in often with what he's able to glean from rumor and conversation.

The consequences of a new Speaker for the Democratic Party are obvious, and legion. The strict policy of institutionalized partisan rancor that is so often complained about will definitely not change as long as Craddick is swinging the hammer. With someone new in the seat who couldn't have gotten there without at least 60 Democratic votes, the possibility - and it should be noted that I am only optimistic enough to claim it as a possibility - exists that we could get a thing or two accomplished, and that Democrats in state government would be allowed to participate. McCall and Talton will present an unfortunately divided Republican voting bloc should they actually decide to run against each other, and my guess would be that a truly divided GOP field of candidates for Speaker would mean the majority of the GOP would consolidate behind Craddick, the Democrats he's appointed to chair committees would do likewise, and McCall and Talton would find themselves running against primary challengers with very deep pockets come 2008.