Poor David Dewhurst. He occupies what was once widely considered to be the most powerful office in the state. Now he is reduced to begging Rick Perry to help him pass his pet legislation so that he can have something to take to the voters. Dewhurst has had plenty of time after his loss in the Senate race to develop a legislative program, and now he comes along at the last minute to ask for special [session] treatment for his legislation.
And whose fault is it that the Dew doesn’t have much to show for his efforts? Why, it’s those awful Democrats, of course, the ones who have 12 votes in their caucus while the Republicans have 19 votes in theirs. No wonder he can’t get anything done. The minority is just too strong. The man hasn’t got a scintilla of self-awareness, and the whole Capitol is scoffing at him. Now Dewhurst wants his issues, the ones he couldn’t get passed in the regular session, to be front and center in the special.
It would be different if even one of Dewhurst’s issues were good for the state, but even that hurdle is too high to climb. Water? Who needs it? Roads? We’ve got plenty of them. Education? Sure, let’s give public money to TLR for private schools. What we really need are drug tests for welfare recipients and people seeking unemployment benefits. Campus carry? Now you’re talking. Let’s not forget redistricting and Voter I.D. Surely there’s an abortion bill we’ve neglected to pass. And we can always recycle that state spending cap his buddy MQS likes to write about.
If Dewhurst had exhibited one iota of leadership this session, he wouldn’t have to beg for a special session. But he didn’t. And the truth is, he hasn’t done so for years.
