Texas Rebellion Gives a Centrist a Lift

[struggle4progress]

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: January 27, 2009

... When the Republicans nearly lost their majority in the Texas House in November, a small group of moderates from the party joined with Democrats to oust the archconservative speaker, Thomas Craddick of Midland.

Even more surprising, the Republican rebels engineered the election of Joe Straus, a decidedly centrist politician from San Antonio, to the speaker’s office, making a junior lawmaker with not quite two terms under his belt one of the most powerful people in the state ...

“The Republican Party is moving a little bit more toward the center,” said James Henson of the political science department at the University of Texas, Austin. “I think what we have is a much more competitive state than it looks like on a statewide level” ...

<In the 2008 elections> Despite having controlled redistricting, the Republicans lost 12 seats. Democratic turnout was high, swing voters migrated to the Democrats and many Republicans stayed home because they were disenchanted with President George W. Bush, politicians here say. The Republican Party wound up with a small majority — 76 to 74. What is more, the party held on to one of those seats by just 19 votes ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/us/28austin.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[wyldwolf]

1. damn RINOS!

;)

[muntrv]

2. Chimpy, you're doin' a heckuva job!

[SharonAnn]

3. That is great news! I hadn't heard that.