« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Is Joe Straus Playing Fast and Loose With the Law?

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 23rd, 2010 at 06:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

image

This is amazing.

Joe Straus sent out a loyal lieutenant to tell members of the Texas House of Representatives if they dared vote against him as Speaker he would draw them out of their districts.

This is a clear threat and highly unethical.

But I’m hearing that Straus did not stop there. I’m hearing that more will be coming out on this and it isn’t going to be good.

As previously noted here and elsewhere, it appears the same person telling Texas House members to vote for Straus or be drawn out of their districts also has some oversight responsibility when threats like this are made.

Classy.

Tags: ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • http://itsaboutfreedom.proboards.com IronDioPriest

    Is this illegal in Texas, or just slimy?

  • edintexas

    I sent an e-Mail to the campaign address of Lance Gooden (newly elected Rep from District 4 – Kaufman and Henderson counties). Received an administrative reply that the box was closed. Just received an e-Mail from the campaign address that Gooden appreciated my sending the e-Mail. Huh?

    Anyway, for those in the 4th District, you can at least leave a message (and phone number if you wish) at the campaign telephone #, and also send an e-Mail to the campaign e-Mail addy. If you are in the 4th District, I’d recommend we do our best to get Gooden OFF the Straus supporter list.

  • hungarianfalcon

    I can’t believe this is happening let alone will work. Such behavior seems very contrary to what the typical Texan (even the politicians) would put up with. I could see people voting against him just for spite.

    HF

  • edintexas

    But I’m willing to bet that the District Attorney charged with policing Texas politicians (Travis County – Austin) will turn a blind eye to these shenanigans, even if they are a clear violation of state law. What would be truly amazing about that, is it would probably be a first for a Republican* to be given a pass (admittedly, Ronnie Earl is gone – which makes that prospect greater than when he was in office).

    * Well, OK, at best a RINO.

  • fpete13527

    Two more newly elected Reps, Charles Perry and Jim Landtroop, stand strong for Paxton for Speaker.
    http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=38067

    More and more other Reps., new and old, are supporting Paxton.

    Texans are not happy with the manipulations that Straus is engaing in. They are clearly cowardly, wrong and below the line. Texans want Paxton as Speaker, not Straus.

    Texas needs to do the right thing and put Paxton as Speaker

  • http://www.pantanoforcongress.com Redhead_Infidel

    Wouldn’t it occur to these politicians that the only clear solution to Straus’ threats to redistrict them out of their seat is to make sure he doesn’t have a thing to do with redistricting?? Easy fix: boot Joe and let conservatives redistrict Texas for the good of the state – because what’s good for Texas is good for the entire country!

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    when his authority was challenged. Not saying either one is right in this case, but thats just the game they play down here.

  • texasgalt
  • Lori Jeffries

    When I logged into Facebook this morning, there was an advertisement for a Facebook page that was saying Joe Strauss was the Conservative choice for speaker of the House in Texas. I just about choked. I went to the page, but in order to leave a comment, you had to “like” the page and I just refuse. I hope he loses and loses big.

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    promise to remove anyone who didn’t vote for him from their committee post, he also targeted the key opponets to him and offered a bounty on them for anyone who ran against them (up to $1 millon in some cases) I’m sure he would have used the redistricing threat as well if he had it at the time. And again I’m not saying what Strauss is doing is right, what I am saying is its about par for the course.

  • cari

    in several different places- one at the top of the Drudge Report, and one at Hot Air. The ad says he’s a pro-life conservative. Yeah? Then how did he get at 100% rating from NARAL?

    GO PAXTON!!!

  • texasgalt

    target their opponents. Threatening them with being redistricted out is over the line. And yeah, I want to see that fly up here in Denton county. The only one that might be endangered would be his rotten buddy, Burt Solomons.

    If you have a cite for Tom offering a million bucks as bounty, you should post it now. Let’s see it.

  • texasgalt

    is a bad joke. I got an email from them asking for a reply. My reply kicked back “account disabled”. Frauds

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    this supposedly happend during the Pitts/Craddick showdown two sessions ago. All of this of course happens behind closed doors and his hearsay just as the Strauss alligation right now.

    In the Strauss case right now, two things have to be cleared up. 1. Did Rep. Larry Phillips speak on behalf of Strauss or was he just spouting off on he own by this threat? 2. and I think the Ethics panel is looking into this, is it actually illegal?

  • texasgalt

    and I am dialing you out.

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    http://corridornews.blogspot.com/2006/11/lobbyists-threaten-retribution-to-reps.html

    and
    http://texasweekly.com/node/1739

    same thing back then, a member of the house is asking the ethics commission to look into ethcis violations by Craddick as he uses his lobbiest friends to get his way. Thats the same burden of proof that we have in this latest Straus charge (some rep is claiming he was pressured with outside help into voting for the speaker).

    The second article summed up what happend to those that choose to oppose Craddick, including having him appoint DEMOCRATS over republicans if they supported his speakership. Craddick was just as dirty and corrupt as Straus but since he is considered a “true” repblican we just have seletive memory. Where was Erick’s outrage when Craddick was giving out house chairmanships to democrats because they supported him?

  • http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

    A bully who is over-promoting himself.

  • burbmom

    Our politician of interest is:

    “Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman,?the vice chairman of the House committee charged with investigating ethics complaints, was identified today as the House leadership member who allegedly warned a colleague that lawmakers who fail to support Speaker Joe Straus for re-election could face retribution through redistricting.”

    Sherman has recused himself from the hearing, but citizens are still not allowed to attend.

  • audax
  • audax
  • cwilson

    …they ought to expel him from the House as the first order of business.