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Friends,
Please take a few moments and read the fantastic article by Erick Erickson over at RedState.com about a flurry of private emails from Speaker Joe Straus' leadership and redistricting team that have been recently uncovered. These emails clearly outline a distrust and animosity towards grassroots advocates and their allies in the Legislature.
Legislators who stood firmly for conservative leadership, and honored their commitments to the folks back home, were punished in redistricting and attempts to offer alternative redistricting maps were met with hostility and disdain. I was drawn into a nearly 80% new district and over $500,000 of Austin money flowed into my rural district (courtesy of lobby interests like the Texas Assocation of Realtors and Texas Medical Association) to malign my character and destroy my name.
Moderates in our party do not like when the conservative grassroots and the TEA Party demand actual results from their government, and when folks like me don't play the Austin game. Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson also came against me and the conservative grassroots when he endorsed my opponent, gave him a large sum of money, and put out a hit piece on me filled with misrepresentations and outright lies, fully participating in the Straus team's plan to penalize conservatives like myself.
Conservatives should also be mindful of political consultants. These folks tell you a lot about a candidate and whether they're in league with the moderate leadership team or the grassroots. MurphyTurner is the consulting firm who worked for my opponent; they created and managed the activities of a number of deceptive PACs across the state that existed solely to conceal the hundreds of thousands of dollars in special interest money being spent to assassinate my and others character and to deceive the voting public. The PAC used against me was called, "Texans for Responsible Government," and $500,000 was funneled through it to destroy my name and record and fool voters.
After over a decade and one half in the Texas House, I am ashamed to see what a super-majority of Republicans has now wrought. The current Straus team has not only now become an embarrassment through these recent revelations, but an example of what's wrong with D.C. and how Texas is rapidly moving toward the same. They have replaced a system, while imperfect, that attempted to accomplish what all sides saw as best for Texas, not for just one group's political advantage and power. As one of the senior Republican House members in my final days, I want to apologize for the Texas House allowing this style of leadership to hijack the integrity which made Texans proud of our state.
Behind closed doors political power though intimidation, pushing big money lobby groups to sell out their membership dollars to which they have been entrusted, and actively punish all who do not "walk their line" and support their selfish agendas.
As the one who unsuccessfully moved to do away with the Speaker "pledge cards," Texans should know phone calls will start Tuesday evening to their newly elected State Representatives to "pledge" to Speaker Straus their vote. I ask all Texans, after having voted, please contact your State Representative and insist they "pledge" their support only to take back the Texas House! Insist they vote for Bryan Hughes for Speaker and not allow the distasteful slide toward a government where the people are "made dupes of designing men" as warned by Sen. Daniel Webster in 1782. Who also said "Make them (the voters) intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy."
Vote, then call your State Representative and tell them you're watching and if they vote to continue to support Straus, you will "apply the remedy" next election!
The article can be found here.
Also, Paul Burka wrote on the article here. You'll recall Burka attacked previous Speakers for retribution against members, specifically in their own party, but here is quite satisfied with Straus' use of redistricting as a punitive measure against conservatives such as myself.
Best,
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