Not one to suffer fools gladly
I’m speaking of Steve Ogden, who ripped into Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst and his own Senate colleagues this week in a speech in College Station. What he said was the truth–that Dewhurst was ineffective and that all his colleagues cared about was politics.
During the discussions over a school finance bill late in the session, I visited with a group of senators at the doorway near the press table. “If there were a vote [of confidence] on Dewhurst, it would be 31 to 0 against him,” one Senate veteran told me. Heads nodded all around. His about-face on the Rainy Day fund sunk his relationship with the Senate, what was left of it.
What about the Senate race? Dewhurst has been following a rose garden strategy, relaxing in Aspen–not that I wouldn’t do the same if I could. He makes some campaign appearances in Texas but doesn’t attend forums, and generally is the pluperfect absentee candidate. Clearly, Dewhurst’s plan for the Senate race is to ignore the base and simply hitch a ride on Rick Perry’s record; whatever successes Perry had, Dewhurst will claim his share of. Dewhurst is going to try to buy the race, overwhelming Ted Cruz with money and name I.D. Dewhurst’s achilles heel is that he has no constituency and no resume of achievement. The thing he has to worry about is that word-of-mouth is still a powerful force in Republican politics, and the base of the party is not, and never has been, enamored with him.
I don’t understand why Dewhurst wants to be in the Senate. He’s too old to build a meaningful career. He has an executive personality, not a legislative personality. The only way he would slap a colleague on the back would be to try to kill a fly. And–the fatal flaw in a legislative body–he doesn’t have a good reputation for keeping his word. Every vote is going to be a thousand deaths for Dewhurst. And there is a possibility that the Democrats might keep the majority. Being a freshman in the minority is no piece of cake. I wouldn’t be surprised, if Perry wins the presidency, to see Dewhurst choose being governor over being senator.
Tagged: david dewhurst, rick perry, Ted Cruiz
The Archbishop says:
Ogden v Patrick for Lt Gov
Ogden has the goods, it’s his superiority complex that gets him in trouble. But let’s hope he whips Patrick’s rear, for the sake of Texas.
Reply »
Please... says:
Ogden sure does seem sure of himself. This reminds me of that time he said he was going to retire.
Reply »
longleaf says:
“Being a freshmean in the minority is no bargain.”
Very cool Freudian slip there, Mr. Burka. lol
Reply »
paulburka Reply:
August 29th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Wish it had been intentional.
Reply »
Anonymous says:
The sign going up in my yard…ANYONE WILl DO BUT DEWHURST. He is nothing but another guy will lots of money.
Reply »
JohnBernardBooks says:
“Democrats “decided their best political strategy was not to play,” Ogden said. “They thought, ‘The budget was so tight and the decisions were so tough that maybe we ought to just blame the Republicans, and … always vote no.’”
from Odgen’s speech.
Reply »
South Texan says:
Did Ogden accept any blame for himself, especially as Chair of Finance? Or did he simply blame EVERYONE ELSE?
Reply »
John Johnson says:
Ogden had the bully pulpit. He could have unloaded on the Gov. and Lt. Gov midway through the session and shown that he was “not one of them”, but in the end he caved in. He used every questionable trick in the book to balance the budget… and people have died this summer because money allotted to cover the electricity costs of the down and out went everywhere but. Just one example…many more I am not even aware of…but you people who make your living from the politcal process are. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. “We’ve always done it”, or “they made me do it” is no excuse.
Reply »
texxas cynic says:
“He’s too old to build a meaningful career. He has an executive personality, not a legislative personality. The only way he would slap a colleague on the back would be to try to kill a fly. And–the fatal flaw in a legislative body–he doesn’t have a good reputation for keeping his word.”
Are you sure you don’t mean Patrick and/or Whitmire?
Reply »
Blue says:
The Democrats have very little chance of holding onto the Senate–they’ve got 23 seats to the Rs 10. Rs have only 2 retirements–TX is solid R and AZ almost certainly goes R. Other than that, the only potential D pickups are Snowe in Maine and Brown in MA.
Reply »
Blue Dogs Reply:
August 29th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Blue, I’ve got Republicans picking up Senate seats in Missouri, Nebraska, Montana, Virginia, North Dakota, with possible pick-ups in Florida and New Mexico depending on the situation on the ground in those respective states.
Reply »
Blue Reply:
August 29th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
I think Nelson holds the Nebraska seat and I’m dubious about the New Mexico seat. If the ticket is Perry/Rubio a decent R will take the Florida seat.
Rs could also pick off Kohl’s seat in Wisconsin, Stabenow in Michigan, Kloubuchar in Minnesota, and Brown in Ohio, depending on how bad the economy is/how big an anchor Obama is on the ticket.
There’s just no way the Ds hold the upper chamber.
Reply »
Harry says:
Steve Ogden’s budget would have been more fair to taxpayers and recipients of state services alike. But in the end, the politics of the Republican Primary triumphed and compromised our health care, our educational system…our future. Steve Ogden knows this and the alternative was to scuttle the entire budget and spend the entire summer in Austin fighting a fight that could not be won.
Those who insisted on these cuts have plunged a knife into the back of Texas.
May their children enjoy what they have created.
Reply »
Hilarious says:
No doubt Dewhurst opts to stay and be governor – provided his not-insignificant wealth doesn’t tip the scales in the Senate race long before it is clear he could become governor without trying.
Better question – what is Ogden up to? The rumors out of SD 5 have been that he’s retiring as previously planned. This rhetoric isn’t typical of someone who doesn’t think there’s a good shot that he himself could be catapulted into the lt. governor’s chair with a little deck-shuffling.
Reply »
anita Reply:
August 29th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Ogden regularly gets in a funk and unloads on whomever is in charge that doesn’t see things his way. I admire that about him, actually. And in this case, it’s deserved — Dewhurst sold him out on the use of the ESF (“Rainy Day Fund”), cutting him off at the knees when MSQ and the enforcers came unhinged over the Senate version of the budget.
Ogden was just talking to his local folks — I seriously doubt he intended his comments to be picked up beyond the Eagle.
I understand Ogden’s frustration with the Senate Democrats — but its a bit rich to think that you give someone nothing, roll them constantly on issue after issue, and expect them to be happy with what they get (I’m speaking of Dewhurst — not Ogden). Just not going to happen. Dewhurst could have worked to bring folks together, but he decided early on that it wasn’t in his best interest to do so.
Reply »
Blue Dogs says:
Hilarious, I can’t see Dewhurst in the Texas Governor’s Mansion in 2014 because he’s too OLD and he ain’t getting any younger either (he’s like Paul Pierce) and I’m betting the Dew wins KBH’s Senate seat in a landslide next year and goes to DC as a swang song.
Abbott: I know he wanted to run for Lieutenant Governor in 2010, but chose to seek re-election instead to his current gig and he’s positioning himself as Heir to Perry’s throne.
Perry: we can’t forget about the longest-serving chief executive in TX history (and the 4th to serve 3 terms since Shivers, Daniel, and Connally), if his presidential campaign fails, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Perry seeking a 4th term in 3 years.
Reply »
anita says:
Our country has survived through the tenures of many lackluster gentlemen-statesmen, men of means and little else who seek to crown their inavoidable obits with the legitimacy of public service. David Dewhurst is just the latest.
Reply »
Blue Dogs Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Abbott is more and more likely going to be Heir to Perry’s throne come 2014 when all is said and done–unless Perry BOMBS in the presidential race and comes back to Austin in embarrassing disgrace.
Reply »
paulburka says:
Dewhurst had a wonderful start to his career as light guv. But he has run scared from the tea party, and he has found himself without a constituency. Senators don’t accept his word any more…he dissembles at the drop of a hat. I don’t know anyone who really respects him. It won’t be any different in the other Senate.
Reply »
Blue Dogs Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Burka, all Dewhurst needs to do in the Senate is get 50+1 or 53 percent in the GOP Senate primary next March and he’s heading to DC.
Speaking of the downballot offices, who is going to run for AG, Comptroller (not sure if Combs will jump in the LG race), Land Commissioner and Agriculture Commissioner, because I’m assuming Smitherman will win the special election for Williams’ vacant seat on the Railroad Commission next year and run for a full six-year term in ’14.
Reply »