Posted on 11/24/2010 11:28:17 AM PST by a fool in paradise
A legislative committee took no action Tuesday after investigating an alleged threat made by one House member to another on opposite sides in the speaker's race.
Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, told the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee that a post-election phone call from Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, contained threats that members who oppose incumbent Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, could lose their seats after redistricting next year.
Phillips called the allegation "unequivocally false" in brief testimony before the committee, which spent most of the morning behind closed doors.
Neither legislator recorded the phone conversation. The committee concluded that neither Phillips nor Hughes was acting on behalf of somebody else.
But without a recording of the phone conversation, the committee concluded it could not rule on the disagreement or determine which member's interpretation is more accurate.
...Phillips supports Straus, who is being challenged by social conservative Republicans Warren Chisum of Pampa and Ken Paxton of McKinney. Straus has about 120 pledges of support for the speaker's election on Jan. 11. It takes 76 votes to win the two-year term.
Hughes withdrew his support for Straus after Phillips allegedly told him that redistricting maps were already being drawn to take out Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, and incoming freshman Erwin Cain of Sulphur Springs - both of whom oppose Straus.
Hughes said Phillips assured him "you have nothing to worry about" as long as Hughes supports Straus...
Outside activist groups want House Republicans to replace Straus, whom they consider too close to Democrats. Straus took a bipartisan approach last session when the House was narrowly divided between 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats. Republicans will hold 99 of the 150 seats when the Legislature returns in January...
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Texas PING
I’m in Sherman right now.
Maybe we need a tea party next week to explain to Phillips what is up these days.
Straus needs to go...too liberal for Texas conservatives...
Straus is an uber-RINO who does the Democrats bidding.
Wait a minute, How come this is stated in the article:
Straus has about 120 pledges of support for the speaker’s election on Jan. 11
When Republican ONLY controll 99 of the Seats? And not all Republicans are supporting Strauss?
This is rediculous.
Go for it!
claiming 51Democrats +69Republicans? Only 30 dissenting Republicans?
O'RLY?
Agreed!
“Straus needs to go...too liberal for Texas conservatives...”
Hmmm, you sound like a closet RINO. As we all know, Straus is too liberal for TEXANS, not just Texas conservatives.
We didn’t wipe out the Democrats for nothing this month.
I happen to be a Texan and very conservative...I was in DC one time when clintoon was in office, on a business trip...one of the men on this trip was a clintoon supporter, he knew me well enough. And always said NO one could get further right than me.
Actually, I was just making a point about Straus...he’s not just too liberal for us conservatives, he’s actually to the left of the entire state. We are on the same page.
Simple:
ALL the Dimocrats are voting for Strauss.
What does THAT tell you?
Does anyone here need to be reminded how Strauss got to be Speaker in the last legislative session?
He and ten other RINOS traitors from the GOP called up their pals on the Dimocrat side and offered to vote the way they wanted if they'd all vote for Strauss.
So why can’t the stinkin’ Republicans find this out, and then in unison vote for their own Real Republican Person for Speaker?
Just updated my Dad who’s State Rep. is Brian Hughes...
Needless to say we are not surprised, but I believe Hughes needs to tell the distinguished gentleman the representative from Sherman to shove his threat up his azz...Brian Hughes has a lot of true conservative grassroots support in his district, and they are the type of people who do not take kindly to this kind of threat...
All I know is the Texas GOP leadership is further undermining it’s credibility and longevity by trying to foist Straus again on this state...They fooled us once...They won’t pull the wool over our eyes again...
And yes, I do believe a lot of the problem is with the country clubbin’ Texas SREC membership throwing their weight into this debacle again, after they held the water for Straus the first time...
All I remember is a lot of good state business got “chubbed” in the last session because of this appointment...
BTW, for those who may have forgotten, Straus did not garner a majority of R support last session for his appointment...He had to gather up IIRC about 11 state democrats to get the number required for the posting...
I believe that speaks volumes...
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