Here’s what I don’t get about the speakers race: Where are the grownups? Aren’t there some distinguished Republicans out there who don’t want to see the party divided going into a legislative session? Doesn’t Rick Perry have a stake in stopping the vicious attacks on Straus, one of the perpetrators of which — Peter Morrison — has trained his sights on Perry previously for being soft on immigration? What about the statewides? Abbott could be a statesman. I understand that Perry doesn’t want to appear to be taking sides in a speakers race, but the viciousness of these attacks and threats can’t be good for party unity. And I have to ask: Where is RPT chairman Steve Munisteri? He has the portfolio as party chairman to call for a cease-fire. The people who are attacking Straus are the same folks who backed Cathie Adamas for chairman against Munisteri. The latest dirty trick is an e-mail to a member that amounts to blackmail and may be illegal: “I really don’t want to release this information about you” [referring to campaign contributions that are a matter of record]. The silence is deafening.