This is his official statement: “Governor Perry and I have worked closely over the last nine years to limit the size of government and balance the budget without raising taxes on Texas taxpayers.  The budget objectives proposed by Governor Perry will reinforce the fiscally conservative principles that Republicans lawmakers have used, and will continue to use, to control spending and keep Texas’ budget balanced long into the future.” An analysis of Dewhurst’s statement should begin with the old saw, “Don’t look at what they say. Look at what they don’t say.” Notice what Dewhurst does not say: 1. That he will sign the pledge 2. That he congratulates Perry for proposing the pledge 3.  That these are new ideas. As Straus did yesterday, Dewhurst makes it clear that Perry is recycling old shibboleths. UPDATE: I posted this item at 12:36 P.M. At 1:13 p.m. Dewhurst issued a statement saying he was “proud” to sign the Perry pledge. He ought to be ashamed of himself.