I have gotten two calls today to this effect: Robert Talton has a group of conservatives who are ready to abandon Tom Craddick for Brian McCall. There are various versions of this: (a) Talton really wants to be the speaker. (b) No, it’s McCall all the way. (c) The insurgents have more than 75 votes. (d) No they don’t.
I have made some calls. Only one was successful, to a member who had had FOUR calls today on the subject of the Speaker’s race. Among the member’s musings was that Talton’s consultant is Lee Woods. Lee Woods has done work for the trial lawyers. The trial lawyers and Tom Craddick are not exactly buddy-buddy. The best estimate is that 60 Democrats are true ABCs and would accept anybody but Craddick, including Talton, an extreme social conservative.
Something is definitely going on. I’ll post here as soon as I find out.
