Texas Reps Just Elected a Moderate as House Speaker--God Help Us
WTW?! Granted, the outgoing speaker of the House, Craddick, was in need of replacing. He had angered and polarized more people than any Texas House Speaker on record. But what in tarnation were they thinking in asking Joe Straus III (R-San Antonio) to fill his shoes?
Who is Joe Straus III?
A quick Google search shows that he is from a family with deep ties to gaming in Texas (used to be called "gambling", but now the pc term is "gaming") with his family owning interests in three different horse and dog racing parks in Texas. He went to Vanderbilt in Nashville and then worked in insurance for awhile before being elected to the House of Representatives in a 2005 special election.
2005.
That's right, he's had exactly ONE full session in the Texas Legislature and now he is the leader. What's even more unsettling is what he voted for and against in that session. David Barton, founder of Wallbuilders (www.wallbuilders.com), sent out an e-mail outlining how Rep. Straus voted in the 2007 session. They give this conservative blogger heart flutters. (H/T mycalltorise.blogspot.com)
Rep. Joe Straus Supported:
* Making it easier to perform late-term, third-trimester abortions (SB 419, vote 672, 2005). And in the 2007 session, he received a 100 percent voting record from the radical pro-abortion group NARAL, and the pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood contributed to his reelection campaign
* Homosexuals as foster parents (SB 6, vote 327, 2005)
* Expanded casino gambling (HB 10, vote 939, 2007)
* Increased gaming and gambling (HB 2265, vote 749, 2007)
* Increased sale and consumption of alcohol during Sunday morning church hours (HB 168, vote 357, 2005)
* Making it easier to sell alcohol without community approval, as is currently required (SB 1626, vote 852, 2005)
* Increasing state budget spending by an amazing 19 percent over only two years (SB 1, vote 946, 2005)
Rep. Joe Straus Opposed:
* Using statistically-proven methods to strengthen marriage and reduce divorce by encouraging pre-marital counseling (HB 2685, votes 384, 437, and 1407, 2007)
* Parental rights, opposing a bill to let parents know the service-referrals that school counselors are making for their children (HB 2136, vote 592, 2007)
* School choice (HB 1, vote 235, 2007)
Full e-mail here: http://mycall2rise.blogspot.com/2009/01/every-texans-call-to-rise-urgent.html
Finally, as a clue to how Rep. Staus may lead the Republican majority House of Representatives can be found in this interview he did with Texas Monthly in January 2008. He states:
"Any party that aspires to majority status or wishes to retain its majority needs to find balance. We need to be an inclusive ("big tent") organization and one that keeps its focus on specific principles in a way that doesn't drive away centrists."
We apparently learned nothing from the John McCain middle-of-the-milquetoast fiasco last election. Straus goes on to say:
"At the end of the day, we have the responsibility to govern. And governing requires compromise..."
OOOkkkkkkkkkaaaaaayyyy.
The problem with that statement, Mr. Straus, is that when "moderate", "inclusive" RINOs like you "compromise", you give the store away. I've never seen you actually REQUIRE the liberals you are negotiating with to give up anything. Conservatives are the only one compromising in hopes we can have peace, but what happens is the liberals just whine about the parts they didn't get, so they come back to the table and bitch and moan until you eventually give them the whole of what they want and IT STILL ISN'T ENOUGH. That, sir, is unacceptable, an will ultimately cost us future elections. Strong leadership will not the the hallmark of this Legislative session. Compromise and peaceful negotiations will be the norm as our rights as parents and citizens, our money and our property get "compromised" away.
God save us.
