Texas vs. Craddick

Recent evidence has pointed to a growing rift in the Republican Party over Tom Craddick's rule of the Texas House of Representatives. This rift has been caused by controversy over Craddick's favor of special interest groups. In today's blog in the Austin Chronicle, it is stated that Representative Jim Keffer is 100% sure that Craddick will be replaced no matter which party has the power."The sentiment for change is not personal, members in the Texas House just want bipartisan leadership which is committed to restoring the rules of conduct and fairness," Keffer stated. Keffer, who is also running for Speaker of the House, promised that he will be a Speaker for the members and not just the special interest groups.

Mark McCaig, a State Republican Executive Committee member, believes that the only way to keep a Republican majority in the House is for Craddick to not seek a second term. He believes that Craddick has strayed from the conservative principles that Republicans are supposed to promote and instead promoted a lobby-driven agenda at the expense of issues important to ordinary Texans.

Bill Dingus, the Democrat challenging Craddick for his House seat, says this should not be about political parties. "It's about rooting out the special interests and approaching problems in an honest, pragmatic way."

Obviously, the best thing for the Texas House of Representatives is to have Craddick not run for a second term and give someone else the opportunity to be Speaker that will take an interest in the majority of average Texans, not just the special interest groups.

The author's intended audience is anyone who cares about the upcoming election of the Speaker of the House. His argument is very solid because the author mentions several sources who all think the removal of Craddick would benefit Texans, and he provides a quote from Keffer who stated "Those who served last session remember all too well the four months of absolute chaos that preceded Craddick's last minute claim of absolute authority." This reminder can't be good for the hopeful Craddick.