So find yourself a Speaker to love.
FAIR WARNING. This is a video. It is not required viewing. It may take eight minutes to watch. I only push play to increase traffic, and to improve my broadcast media skills. It’s not working. (And you try looking good at the end of the week.)
Honorably Mentioned: Brian McCall, Charlie Geren, Ed Kuempel.
Tagged: Brian McCall, Charlie Geren, Ed Kuempel, speaker’s race, tom craddick.
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Plain Spoken 2 says:
Eileen, my point was that the other three have professional-looking photos while yours looks like it was taken with the original camera phone. Surely Texas Monthly has a professional photographer or two hanging around the break room.
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Eileen Smith says:
I KNOW. I’m a total second-class citizen around here. There’s got to be some kind of professional photo I can have that doesn’t make me look half-drunk. I’ll see what I can do.
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Plain Spoken says:
Whoever the Speaker is to be should include the following great Lincoln quote in their nomination or acceptance speech:
“We are not enemies, but friends-though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection”
Or something along those lines.
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Anonymous says:
Burka could not have misunderstand Speaker politics anymore than he does at this moment – based on this video.
“There is no Speaker’s race.” What a joke of a statement.
Speaker’s races are not conducted in open warfare, with press conferences or in the newspaper. If Burka had any sense of history, he know that this never works – much to his consternation.
Much like 1974 and 1980, the ultimate winner in a Speaker’s race was not clear. The one thing that was clear was who the membership of the House did NOT want; in 1975 the members did NOT want Carl Parker, in 1980 the members did NOT want John Bryant.
Once it became clear that the momentum began to shift to Clayton, the marbles rolled his way quickly. When Gib Lewis emerged as the replacement for Clayton in an emergency following Clayton’s indictment, it took little time to for him to assemble the votes and to, ultimately, succeed Clayton (two years later after Clayton cleared his name).
We have not yet reached the flashpoint for the shoe to drop.
But at some point, the shoe will fall because the membership has decided it does NOT want Tom Craddick.
Then we’ll have a new Speaker, Burka can retire and Eileen can look completely waisted by then (versus only half-drunk).
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Distinguished Gentleman says:
Well, whomever they ultimately select to be Speaker for the 81st Legislature, they would be very wise to impose TERM LIMITS on how long that person, and all future Speakers, may rule over the Texas House of Representatives. Otherwise, they will continue to suffer people like Tom Craddick who are obsessed with only perpetuating themselves in power at all cost and care nothing for anyone, or anything, else.
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wishu1too says:
I think Gib said it, then Laney and Rudd…everyone says I will only serve two terms. Then the lobby gets involved and the Chairs all ask the Speaker to stay because they don’t risk being on the wrong side. It doesn’t take long for the Speaker to decide to stay and term limits remain quiet until the next speakers race.
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Tellnitlikeitis says:
Anon at 3:48 has hit the proverbial nail right smack on the head.
Craddick will not be the next speaker. Nor will any of the other 8 names on the list. GOPers are working as we speak. The compromise candidate will emerge from one of about four different names. That process will shake out in short order.
That GOPer will be an obvious bipartisan pick. That person initially will have about 20-25 GOP supporters….most of the Craddick Ds and more than 60 other Democrats.
This thing could break later this week…certainly within the next two weeks.
It’s getting closer. And once the momentum starts moving, the cascading effect will be swift.
When the name surfaces….most folks will see him/her as the obvious pick.
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texun says:
Now remind me–one more time–what critically important piece of legislation did Craddick kill?
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Phillip Martin Reply:
November 18th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hochberg amendment in 78th, 2nd Called Session.
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wishu1too says:
Democracy
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bjoel says:
To: Eileen
Re: change of video promo picture
Too much of life is spent on the superficial, as a wise man from Long Island once said:
Don’t go trying some new fashion
Don’t change the color of your hair
…
I just want someone that I can (see Paul) talk to
I want you just the way you are.
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Distinguished Gentleman says:
Just heard that Solomons has thrown his hat into the ring for Speaker.
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