So Craddick, folds his dark cape and disappears to the back bench?

From the media accounts only (other than that little gambling interest issue he's got going), Straus seems OK to this "can't we all just get along" liberal realist.

Anyone from SA or with lege contacts have any insight/opinion on Straus?

Craddick Quits

Professionally speaking, Craddick was good for my employer. Straus will be good for my employer.

Personally speaking... I have to work in this town, so I try not to get into speaker politics.

The article in today's Statesman mentioned the problem of what to do with Craddick now. It got me thinking -- has this ever happened before? "This" meaning an returning speaker losing the position while his party remains the majority?

(01-07-2009 02:49 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  The article in today's Statesman mentioned the problem of what to do with Craddick now. It got me thinking -- has this ever happened before? "This" meaning an returning speaker losing the position while his party remains the majority?

Don't think so. Don't forget though, most speakers only served 1 term until Coke Stevenson, and then they limited themselves to two or three, usually due to running for higher office. And the only party change we've had since reconstruction was in 2002. Pete Laney stayed in the legislature for the term and served quietly... but the speaker's race was determined before they started re-assigning offices in 2002.

Now, offices have already been re-assigned by seniority, but Craddick -- the most senior member of the house -- is now without an office. Does this mean we're about to see a Chinese Office Exchange where Craddick gets to pick his office and then the person he kicks out will get to pick the office of someone less senior than them until it trickles all the way down?

(01-07-2009 05:59 PM)texd Wrote:  Now, offices have already been re-assigned by seniority, but Craddick -- the most senior member of the house -- is now without an office. Does this mean we're about to see a Chinese Office Exchange where Craddick gets to pick his office and then the person he kicks out will get to pick the office of someone less senior than them until it trickles all the way down?

I heard he was trading with Straus - probably to avoid just this scenario given the calendar.

Which, if true, would be pretty funny, as I'm assuming Straus' office is in the Annex and about the size of a Jones South dorm room.

Yeah, I thought that might happen. Then I wonder how much he'll be around to care about his office situation anyway.

Frank Corte (R-Bexar) -- loyal Craddick supporter to the end -- took one for the team, giving up his Capitol office so that Craddick can have it. Corte will move out to what would have been Straus' office in the annex.

Just to give folks some idea of office picking... had it occurred after the speaker's race was decided, Craddick would have had 1st pick as the most senior member (won his election in 1968). Instead, he's taking Corte's office (who had ~18-23rd pick -- was among the 1992 election winners) and Corte is taking Straus' office (who had ~100th pick -- after the 2004 election winners but before the 2006 since he won a special election in 2005). Straus, of course, is taking the Speaker's office suite and the speaker's apartment in the west end of the capitol; I can't imagine Nadine Craddick is too pleased.

As an aside, Corte was taken to task today by a columnist in SAEN for not supporting fellow Bexar Co Republican Straus even after Straus had all the votes he needed and Craddick had dropped out.

Another tid bit... Joe Straus is believed to be the first practicing Jew to serve as speaker. Apparently we may have had a nonpracticing Jew serve in the 1840s, but they're not sure if he practiced at all or not. Either way, you could qualify it as first Jewish Speaker of the Texas State House of Representatives.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/s...ctici.html

(01-07-2009 06:13 PM)ausowl Wrote:  

(01-07-2009 05:59 PM)texd Wrote:  Now, offices have already been re-assigned by seniority, but Craddick -- the most senior member of the house -- is now without an office. Does this mean we're about to see a Chinese Office Exchange where Craddick gets to pick his office and then the person he kicks out will get to pick the office of someone less senior than them until it trickles all the way down?

I heard he was trading with Straus - probably to avoid just this scenario given the calendar.

Which, if true, would be pretty funny, as I'm assuming Straus' office is in the Annex and about the size of a Jones South dorm room.

(01-07-2009 02:49 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  The article in today's Statesman mentioned the problem of what to do with Craddick now. It got me thinking -- has this ever happened before? "This" meaning an returning speaker losing the position while his party remains the majority?

Craddick was lucky he didn't get the boot the last weekend of the last session (87) when a "coup" started to remove him as Speaker.

The House Parliamentarian resigned. Craddick brought in lowlife jerkwad (IMO) Ron Wilson (a Democrat) and a new "friendly" Parliamentarian staff to save his ass and keep him in power for the remaining 4 days of session.

I miss the Bill Clayton- Gib Lewis days. I remember when Tom Delay was in the Texas House and threw the wildest parties in town, better even than Debra Danberg's.

(01-09-2009 10:45 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(01-07-2009 02:49 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  The article in today's Statesman mentioned the problem of what to do with Craddick now. It got me thinking -- has this ever happened before? "This" meaning an returning speaker losing the position while his party remains the majority?

Craddick was lucky he didn't get the boot the last weekend of the last session (87) when a "coup" started to remove him as Speaker.

The House Parliamentarian resigned. Craddick brought in lowlife jerkwad (IMO) Ron Wilson (a Democrat) and a new "friendly" Parliamentarian staff to save his ass and keep him in power for the remaining 4 days of session.

I miss the Bill Clayton- Gib Lewis days. I remember when Tom Delay was in the Texas House and threw the wildest parties in town, better even than Debra Danberg's.

Don't forget Terry Keel if you're giving out awards . . . end of session 2007, good times.