The Briefing Room
State Chapters => Texas => Topic started by: Bigun on October 25, 2017, 03:43:52 pm
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Just released by Speaker Straus:
I first ran for the Texas House in 2005 to be a voice for our community and for the principles that I had spent years advancing behind the scenes. It did not occur to me that I would ever become Speaker of the House. (And I've learned that it didn't occur to anyone else, either!)
However, after an unusual and unexpected chain of events, my 149 colleagues chose me to be our presiding officer less than four years later. I've since won re-election four times with the support of an overwhelming majority of House Members from each political party. In every legislative session, I've tried to bring real solutions to real challenges. For example, we've made significant gains in K-12 and higher education, water, transportation, and mental health care. But just as important as what we've done is the way in which we've done it. Even as politics has become more tribal and divisive, I've led by bringing people together and working across party lines. We've fallen short at times. But on our best days, we have shown that there is still a place for civility and statesmanship in American politics.
I believe that in a representative democracy, those who serve in public office should do so for a time, not for a lifetime. And so I want you to know that my family and I have decided that I will not run for re-election next year. My time as a State Representative and as Speaker will end at the conclusion of my current term.
Just as my ascension to the Speaker's office was unconventional and my approach to governing is unusual in these divisive times, I know this is also an unexpected decision. It's been decades since someone has left the Speaker's office on his own terms. But we have accomplished what I had hoped the House would accomplish when I first entered this office, and I am increasingly eager to contribute to our state in new and different ways.
Instead of acting on behalf of the entire House, I will now have a greater opportunity to express my own views and priorities. I will also continue to work for a Republican Party that tries to bring Texans together instead of us pulling us apart. Our party should be dynamic and forward-thinking, and it should appeal to our diverse population with an optimistic vision that embraces the future. I plan to be a voice for Texans who want a more constructive and unifying approach to our challenges, from the White House on down.
I want to thank Julie and our daughters, Sara and Robyn, for their love and support. I also want to thank my parents, Joci and Joe, who have set a wonderful example for me and taught me a true appreciation for public service. I want to thank my House colleagues for giving me the privilege of leading, and I want to thank the members of my staff who have worked so tirelessly to help the House succeed. Most of all, I want to thank the people of District 121 in Bexar County for giving me the chance to work on your behalf. Your strong support has provided a foundation upon which I could stand and provide leadership for our entire state.
One of my heroes, President George H.W. Bush, said, "Any definition of a successful life must include serving others." I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Texas House, and I look forward to talking to you more in the future about my continued service to the state of Texas.
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Hot damn! Now that's some good news!
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Hot damn! Now that's some good news!
@Ghost Bear
Let me sweeten the pie a little for you!
(https://scontent-dft4-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/22780289_10155128109303067_2241021006546919015_n.jpg?oh=49b9cad74976f64568ed703d418a7fd1&oe=5A806DE8)
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Fantastic!
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Fantastic!
W I N N I N G ! ! !
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W I N N I N G ! ! !
Could be. Could just be.
Now we need to replace Kacal and Carter. I'm sure there are others, but I know those two.
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W I N N I N G ! ! !
We're having a good week.
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Could be. Could just be.
Now we need to replace Kacal and Carter. I'm sure there are others, but I know those two.
And Earnest Bailes! The list is long!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz_DNrKVrQ8
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Now that's some good news!
+1
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We're having a good week.
@Cyber Liberty
I'm sitting here dancing in my chair!
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Could this be another example of the Trump Effect? I’m not familiar enough with Texas politics to credit this to Trump’s influence on the fortunes of local politicians.
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...and another one gone....and another one gone.....another one bites the dust!
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Could this be another example of the Trump Effect? I’m not familiar enough with Texas politics to credit this to Trump’s influence on the fortunes of local politicians.
Nope!
This is the result of 10 long years of hard work by grassroots conservatives in Texas!
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Nope!
This is the result of 10 long years of hard work by grassroots conservatives in Texas!
You've been fighting against him as long as I can remember (which isn't all that long). This is quite a change of fortune...wasn't Straus talking about challenging Abbot?
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You've been fighting against him as long as I can remember (which isn't all that long). This is quite a change of fortune...wasn't Straus talking about challenging Abbot?
@Cyber Liberty
Still might! I hope he does! He will find out just how unpopular he really is!
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For those who don't know the story the following is the Cliff note version of the cliff notes.
Jan. 2009 Joe Straus (RINO) conspired with the Democrats and 11 other (Rinos) in the Texas House to oust speaker Tom Craddick and get himself elected speaker.
June 2010 I and a few others started passing out 4" Circular stickers with the words "Oust Straus" on them at the Republican state convention.
(I passed out thousands of those in 2012 - 2016 as well.)
Since then the Republican majority in the Texas house has grown greatly, ALL 11 of the original RINO Conspirators have been un-elected, and today the Speaker himself has decided to call it quits! Along with his chief Lt. Byron Cook.
GREAT day for Texas!
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Good riddance you leftist puke!
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For those who don't know the story the following is the Cliff note version of the cliff notes.
Jan. 2009 Joe Straus (RINO) conspired with the Democrats and 11 other (Rinos) in the Texas House to oust speaker Tom Craddick and get himself elected speaker.
June 2010 I and a few others started passing out 4" Circular stickers with the words "Oust Straus" on them at the Republican state convention.
(I passed out thousands of those in 2012 - 2016 as well.)
Since then the Republican majority in the Texas house has grown greatly, ALL 11 of the original RINO Conspirators have been un-elected, and today the Speaker himself has decided to call it quits! Along with his chief Lt. Byron Cook.
GREAT day for Texas!
And, Straus has done a number of dirty deeds during his tenure.
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Great news!
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Is Bannon now working at the state level?
This singlehandedly will give us a much better legislature.
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Is Bannon now working at the state level?
This singlehandedly will give us a much better legislature.
It's a political earthquake of epic proportion in Texas politics and don't you doubt for a minute that the Straus forces don't have a plan in place!
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Is Bannon now working at the state level?
This singlehandedly will give us a much better legislature.
Bannon? What does Bannon have to do with this?
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Bannon? What does Bannon have to do with this?
Nothing. I think @IsailedawayfromFR was makin a funny.
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Nothing. I think @IsailedawayfromFR was makin a funny.
Yep. The weeds need cutting in more than one place.
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Yep. The weeds need cutting in more than one place.
Sorry. Things have been grim lately and my sense of humor has gotten thin. I've got to work on that. Don't want to be humorless.
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Sorry. Things have been grim lately and my sense of humor has gotten thin. I've got to work on that. Don't want to be humorless.
No, especially if you are running for that election seat you hinted at.
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Second Texas Judge Leaves The Republican Party In The Age Of Donald Trump: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/texas-judge-leaves-gop_us_580e4c64e4b02444efa48743
Parish: In her announcement, Parish goes after the Donald Trump for making “a mockery of our country and our citizenry.” From her video announcement:
Jennings: “As the father of two daughters, and the son of a woman born before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, I am equally excited that we are about to elect our first woman president,”
This judge lost reelection after switching to Dem: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2016/10/17/texas-judge-larry-meyers-switched-parties-become-democrat-putting-job-jeopardy
Looks like Texas is experiencing the political shakeout witnessed elsewhere.
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Looks like Texas is experiencing the political shakeout witnessed elsewhere.
And that is a VERY good thing! :beer:
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What will Joe Straus do with his $10 million in unspent campaign funds?
State ethics laws grant elected officials wide latitude on how they use their political contributions while in office — meaning there's a lot outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus could do with his $10 million campaign war chest.
by Jim Malewitz and Alana Rocha Oct. 26, 2017 10 hours ago
A maelstrom of questions swirled in the Texas Capitol Wednesday when House Speaker Joe Straus announced he would not seek re-election to his House seat.
Among them: What will he do with his enormous war chest?
Straus, a powerful moderate Republican who has served as speaker for five terms, reported nearly $10 million in unspent campaign cash through June, according to a filing with the Texas Ethics Commission.
On Wednesday, he told The Texas Tribune he would spread the wealth to Republicans who are running in 2018.
<..snip..>
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/26/joe-straus-sitting-10-million-and-not-seeking-re-election-what-can-he-/ (https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/26/joe-straus-sitting-10-million-and-not-seeking-re-election-what-can-he-/)
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What will Joe Straus do with his $10 million in unspent campaign funds?
State ethics laws grant elected officials wide latitude on how they use their political contributions while in office — meaning there's a lot outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus could do with his $10 million campaign war chest.
by Jim Malewitz and Alana Rocha Oct. 26, 2017 10 hours ago
A maelstrom of questions swirled in the Texas Capitol Wednesday when House Speaker Joe Straus announced he would not seek re-election to his House seat.
Among them: What will he do with his enormous war chest?
Straus, a powerful moderate Republican who has served as speaker for five terms, reported nearly $10 million in unspent campaign cash through June, according to a filing with the Texas Ethics Commission.
On Wednesday, he told The Texas Tribune he would spread the wealth to Republicans who are running in 2018.
<..snip..>
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/26/joe-straus-sitting-10-million-and-not-seeking-re-election-what-can-he-/ (https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/26/joe-straus-sitting-10-million-and-not-seeking-re-election-what-can-he-/)
That's disturbing.
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That $10M would go a long way for Abortion Barbie to challenge Ted. /s
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That $10M would go a long way for Abortion Barbie to challenge Ted. /s
I was just hoping he'd keep it as blood money so he can retire to a Chateau in the Ozarks.
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Straus, a powerful moderate Republican
Moderate my AZZ!!! And certainly NOT a Republican!
I don't give a flying F what he does with his $10 MM war chest! I'm going to do every thing I can to defeat the remainder to those like him in the House and Senate!
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Texas House Speaker Joe Straus abruptly announced Wednesday that he will not be running for reelection and will be giving up his position as speaker at the end of his current term. This is major victory for grassroots activists who have mobilized local Republican parties across the state to call for Straus to be removed.
But now is not the time to celebrate. It’s time to escalate.
Taxpayers must be vigilant to ensure that Straus is not able to install a hand-picked successor who will continue to be controlled by Democratic lobbyist Gordon Johnson and liberal special interests. That means being more engaged than ever in the upcoming elections to ensure that those Republican sycophants who have propped up Straus will be removed from power as well.
Earlier this year Straus earned a spot on the Citizens’ Choice Ten Worst List wherein he was labeled “The Puppet” for serving as a public face for Johnson, the Democratic Caucus, and a group of liberal Republicans. Whether his retirement will mean the ouster of his puppet-masters remains to be seen.
During the regular and special session this year, Straus went to war with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott, and the Republican Party of Texas, obstructing each of their conservative agendas on property tax reform, privacy, ethics, gun rights, and others issues. Straus appears to now be paying the price for aligning himself against voters and the leaders they have popularly elected.
Excerpt. More: https://empowertexans.com/features/straus-quits-legislature/
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Related articles:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-News+State/308967/straus-earthquake-could-shake-up-texas-politics-for-years
House Speaker Joe Straus unleashed a political earthquake Wednesday when he announced he would not seek re-election next year.
The policy aftershocks could be felt for years.
"This is really an earth-shattering event for politics,” said Rice University political scientist Mark Jones. “It's tough to overstate the relevance of this for Texas politics. The political center of the state collapsed today."
More than any other Texas Republican with real power, Straus was seen as a voice of moderation. On issue after issue, he and his team alone stood in the way of the kind of runaway populism that Donald Trump championed and major statewide Republicans endorsed.
https://spectator.org/good-riddance-joe-straus/
“This is a sad day for TX,” tweeted Wendy Davis, the Democratic ex-gubernatorial candidate and abortion enthusiast. Straus “is the definition of public servant – always people above party.”
More than anything else, the quote by Wendy Davis solidifies this to be a very good event.
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Related articles: More than anything else, the quote by Wendy Davis solidifies this to be a very good event.
Yeah, I notice a lot of gushing from the usual Democrat suspects over Jeff Flake, too. That means it's good.
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Yeah, I notice a lot of gushing from the usual Democrat suspects over Jeff Flake, too. That means it's good.
Absolutely! :beer:
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On issue after issue, he and his team alone stood in the way of the kind of runaway populism that Donald Trump championed and major statewide Republicans endorsed.
This is the kind of garbage that 9999hair out0000
The press is the ENEMY!