From the Statesman’s First Reading blog: In an e-mail update to supporters Monday, new Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri made a brief mention of his desire to see Texas play a larger role in the 2012 presidential primaries. Recapping a report that Republican National Committeeman Bill Crocker made to state party leaders, Munisteri wrote, “Bill also gave a report at my request, on his efforts to preserve Texas as a more important player in the upcoming presidential contest of 2012. Bill already eloquently presented a proposal to the RNC to allow Texas more flexibility in holding its presidential primary, but we narrowly lost at the last RNC meeting. Consequently, I’ve asked Bill to head an informal committee to look at Texas’ options at becoming a bigger player in 2012, including the feasibility and consequences of moving up the Texas primary and/or holding a straw poll.” I know that I should be ashamed for having such a suspicious mind, but it occurred to me that the proposal to move up the Texas presidential primary just might be helpful to a Texan with presidential ambitions. Now who could that be? John Cornyn? Kay Bailey Hutchison? Joe Barton? Ron Paul? Surely not Rick Perry, who says he would never, ever, want to go to Washington. It’s so broken. And if he is going to live in a white house again, he wants it to be the one on Colorado, not the one on Pennsylvania. I really thought that Perry would wait until after the general election to reveal his presidential ambitions, but here they are, out in the open. Perry always has a plan, always knows what his next step is going to be, and this looks like step one of the coming presidential campaign.