Known in Senate circles as the Senator who must have her way – even if it means a few tears in the leader’s office – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) is the queen of wanting to have it both ways. She wants to run for Governor of Texas without giving up her Senate seat. She wanted to move up Senate leadership without taking a risk to run. She wants to be the “conservative” in the primary, and the candidate with “broad appeal” in the general election. She wants to be pro-choice and pro-life. This leaves one scratching his head a bit.

Everyone knows that Senator Hutchison is running for Governor of Texas – and challenging sitting Republican Governor Rick Perry in the process. But no one knows whether Senator Hutchison will actually step down from her Senate seat if she loses to Governor Perry.

Oh sure, she claims she will step down after the primary regardless of the result. But no one in Texas politics is willing to bet on it – and for good reason. Earlier this year, she was adamant that she would step down in the fall of 2009 to run for Governor, only to decide she needed to stick around to “fight Obamacare” and otherwise represent Texas.

Of course, that may be a difficult schedule to maintain, as was evident in this WFAA news story regarding her back-and-forth travel and somewhat unsuccessful efforts at taking on both just now, as well as a missed vote against a terrible Obama judicial nominee in November.

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Great op-ed by Rep. Lamar Smith in the Politico.

If President Barack Obama could snap his fingers and create 8 million new jobs, would you want him to do it? I would. And certainly the 15 million unemployed Americans would, as well.

The good news is that the president can do just that — implement a policy that opens up 8 million jobs. The bad news is that he won’t.

I am hearing that Senator Hutchison has decided not to resign from the United States Senate to pursue her bid for Governor of Texas.

A statement is coming shortly. My understanding is that she will pursue the race for Governor still, but I’m told this is a recognition that she probably can’t make it out of the primary.

I’m told a statement is forthcoming.

By the way, this move keeps Ted Cruz from running for Attorney General and keeps Michael Williams out of the Senate. Sucks for the conservative movement across the board.

Thanks Kay!

I am not really advocating we throw Pete Sessions out of Congress, just the NRCC. Nonetheless, I think it is hiliarous that he is going to get primaried by a corporate financial analyst. The disgraceful conduct of the Sessions’ led NRCC up in NY-23 has a lot to do with it. But Sessions’ TARP vote is the primary motivator.

Again, I’m not really an advocate of tossing Sessions out of Congress, but maybe a stiff primary challenge will teach him a few lessons he clearly missed along the way.

Former Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee Mike Pence is not giving Dede Scozzafava money and is not endorsing her. He refuses to side with an ACORN supported leftist.

Contrast that with the most recent former Chairman of the RSC, Jeb Hensarling, a man I have long admired and the first member of Congress I ever donated to. Congressman Hensarling is throwing his principles out the window and supporting Dede Scozzafava,

It’s the establishment thing to do.

I am a big fan of Jeb Hensarling, but today he earns our ire. I believe he is a conservative, but this is a troubling sign that he is becoming a party man. When one will so easily sell out principles for power — and this goes for all the conservatives willing to line up with the establishment backing Dede — we must be concerned.

And has anyone pointed out that this seat goes away in a year thanks to New York losing seats in redistricting? All this for what? Nothing.

*I have reconsidered and tried to make this a more temperate post, but I sure am hacked off about this.

Josh Trevino just sent me this picture. He’s standing in front of the sign right now.

The sign is for the Skidmore Historical Society Museum. The sign says, “Built and maintained by local citizens without benefit of state or federal funds.”

We need that spirit in this country. We need the Spirit of Skidmore.

At some point a campaign can hit so hard, so fast, and so frequently that people begin to feel sorry for the beaten up opponent.

I’m afraid that may happen in the Texas GOP Gubernatorial Primary. But Kay Bailey Hutchison is just the gift that keeps on giving to the Perry team. Still, I’m getting a bit squeamish with so many punches thrown.

On the other hand, every punch has been legitimate. Every issue has been accurate. And Kay’s campaign would be doing the same thing, but they cannot get their act together. I’m actually a bit dumbfounded by the inability of the Hutchison campaign team to show a pulse. It’s like she hired Creigh Deeds’ campaign staff.

Time for a reorganization?

What’s all of this about? Well, the other day the United States Senate voted to cut off funding to ACORN. Kay Bailey Hutchison did not vote in the matter. Why? I hear she was at a fundraiser in Texas.

The website Washington Kay is having some fun at “Kaycorn’s” expense. And yes, Washington Kay is a project of the Rick Perry campaign, which is blessed with an aggressive and engaged campaign staff and a lifeless or hibernating opposition.

You can see the full sized flyer here.

As we’ve said before at RedState, Ted Cruz brought the house down at the RedState gathering in Atlanta. His story and his success as Texas Solicitor General are gripping. He knows exactly what he stands for, and he is as complete a conservative as you could ask for. At the moment he is the only declared Republican in the race.

Even though the election is 14 months away, this is a new era in electoral politics, and the race is on. A couple of weeks ago the Tyler Morning Telegraph (Tyler, TX) weighed in with an editorial called Candidate Cruz May Pique Voter Interest (which I think is a huge understatement).

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I don’t know a single Republican leaning blog that got tipped off about Senator John Cornyn’s memo to the Senate Republican Conference. Brian Walsh from the NRSC just emailed to let me know he had, in fact, emailed me earlier today with a copy of the email. For reasons unbeknownst to either of us, I got one responding to the Devore press release, but no others.

The Hill, CNN, and other media outlets were furnished sneak peaks of it.

Finally, CNN released the text. What is more interesting about the memo is what it does not say than what it does say. Let’s dive in.

First, there is no mention of Florida. Remember Florida and Charlie Crist? By the way, watch this.

In Florida, the NRSC first drew the ire of the conservative blogosphere by lining up behind the fundamentally flawed Florida Governor, Crist. Crist made headlines when Barack Obama referred to him as his favorite Republican after Crist engaged in some love banter over Obama’s stimulus and environmental policies. Crist, too, is a cap and trade fan.

There is no mention of that seat.

Now, some might say that this is a seat already held by the GOP, so why highlight it. Except, the memo does mention Kentucky and Missouri — both held by the GOP.

Is the failure to mention Florida a way of avoiding awkward questions about Crist’s appointing his errand boy to the Senate?

Cornyn, a Senator from Texas, also does not mention Texas. The NRSC has failed to rally around Michael Williams, despite repeatedly fluffing up the media talking points on diversity outreach initiatives in candidate recruiting.

Is the failure to mention Texas a hint that Kay Bailey Hutchison may not continue her gubernatorial run, choosing instead to stay in the Senate?

Then there are two things the memo does talk about that need to be examined even more closely.

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Texans have an outstanding opportunity in the coming year to make a greater impact on the national stage than any other state.

Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, an African American who happens to be an outstanding, uncompromising conservative, will on the ballot for the United States Senate.

There are a number of good men running for the Senate in Texas, and most are varying degrees of conservative. But Michael Williams is set apart from the pack by being extraordinarily articulate, unyielding in his conservatism, unfailing in his ability to relate conservative ideals through an inspiring life story, and able to further set himself apart by virtue of being the rarest of political animals — an electable African American conservative Republican.

For years and years the media has resisted ever mentioning the fact that there are conservatives who are not white. It’s worked to the Democrats advantage. Now, in Florida, the media is confronted with Marco Rubio and in Texas with Michael Williams. If either were elected to the Senate, the media would have a much harder time ignoring that fact.

But, ignore Williams’ race. It is an added selling point to combat a media narrative, but Michael Williams is not defined by his race. He is defined by his conservatism. He is defined by his ability to connect with both small town America and a thriving urban industrial America. Through his life story, Michael Williams gets how liberalism has corroded America and how conservatism can transform America, making it shine ever more brightly on the Hill.

Texas, for its own good and the good of the whole country, should take a long hard look at Michael Williams and put him in the Senate. He’d be a fresh face and a fresh voice in a tired old boys club where folks go along to get along.

More importantly, Rick Perry, if he is truly a conservative’s conservative, has a chance to meaningfully impact American politics and the future of American conservatism by putting MIchael Williams in the Senate.

Kay Bailey Hutchison intends to resign. If Hutchison will go on and do it instead of dragging her heels, Perry could appoint Michael Williams to the Senate, automatically making Williams the front runner for next year. Perry and Hutchison, despite their clashes and opposing interests, should have the good of Texas and the country in common. They should make sure Michael Williams is Texas’ next United States Senator. And if not them? The good people of Texas should unfailingly support Commissioner Michael Williams.

Now that I may comment: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has endorsed Michael Williams for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s soon-vacant Senate seat. It’s a strong endorsement, too (that link also leads to contribution information):

Having been a part of the last effort to retake the congressional majority, I am convinced we don’t have to wait 40 years this time to regain power. Democrats in Congress offer the same old, tired recipe of Democrats past — big government hand-outs, bloated bureaucracy and big-time deficit spending.

The kind of change they offer is simply a return to the discarded practices of the pre-Reagan era.

Our problem is not Americans are newly attracted to Democrat ideas, but that Republicans simply failed to live up to their own ideas.

Let me illustrate my point this way: while conservatives continue to embrace the conservative label, liberals have been re-marketing themselves as progressives. You can call a used car pre-owned all you want, but I will be just as worried about the engine going out.

We do not need to change our ideas, we need to live up to them. And when I talk about modernizing the Republican brand, I mean using tried and true Republicans principles in new ways to solve new problems.

The key to building a new Republican Majority is not simply branding Democrat policies as the destructive and discredited ideas of the past…but offering real alternatives that meet Americans where they are. And offering new leaders not bogged down by the old fights of the last decade.

We need conservatives willing to engage the Democrats on the field of ideas…willing to speak of a 21^st Century conservatism…willing to stand and fight on principle. We need leaders like Michael Williams.

The full endorsement is at Michael’s site.  And, obviously, I agree.

Moe Lane

Full disclosure: I am in regular contact with the Michael Williams campaign, and I endorse him as a replacement to Senator Hutchison, once she resigns her Senate seat.

In 2010, Texans either will lead the nation forward according to conservative principle and under conservative leadership, or they will put their trust and faith in the ways of Washington. In the last several weeks, current Texas Governor Rick Perry and U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison - each vying for the Texas Governorship in 2010 - have each made significant public statements that make their positions crystal clear. Perry is for Texas. Hutchison is for Washington.

This past Friday, the Wall Street Journal ran an article entitled “Fiscal Conservatism and the Soul of the GOP,” centered around an interview of Governor Perry. In that article, the Governor outlines his view of the current state of affairs and of the appropriate path forward… for Texas and for the nation. It is absolutely rich with solid, well articulated conservative position. For example, he acknowledges that the reason the GOP has “been hurting” is that “they spent too much money. They acted like Democrats.” He gets quite specific, stating “When they passed that pharmaceutical bill for everybody forever—I mean, one of the most expensive entitlement programs that this country’s ever seen before—we started on the road to hell.” Amen.

He blasts Obamacare - calling it “one of the scariest policies.” He touts tort reform. He notes the absurdity of focusing on a flawed immigration plan as a way to “win” hispanic votes, and shows an understanding of that community which represents more than one third of his state demographically. He recognizes good people to follow and miserable people to follow. For example, stating, “I love Sarah Palin… [s]he is substantially more the face of this country than some other people who might want to be…” He points to Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom,” and the more contemporary book by Amity Shlaes, “The Forgotten Man,” as books currently occupying his thoughts. On the other hand, he notes the squandered opportunities by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he rightfully calls Senator Voinovich (R-OH) a “piece of work,” in response to the Senator’s idiotic and misplaced dismissal of southern conservatives. Finally, he calls out the Obama administration directly, saying, “[t]o me, this is one of the great Frankenstein experimentations in American history. We’ve seen that movie before. It was from 1932 to 1940.”

In short, Perry “gets it.” He swatted issue after issue out of the park - relying on limited government conservatism to make the case for Texas and for the nation, and possibly more importantly, unabashadly calling people out who fail to stand on principle and praising those who do.

Now let’s take a look at a recent op-ed by the Senior Senator from Texas - in which she makes the case for blowing your brains out while sitting around a table with a bunch of Washington insiders rationalizing their way to mediocrity and obsolescence while bowing down at the altar of the national government. Overstatement? Well, go ahead and waste a few minutes of your life reading the uplifting masterpiece she “wrote” (we know some staffer wrote it, but her name’s on it…) in the Austin American-Statesman a few weeks ago. Ok - feel inspired yet? Uh-huh.

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Reposted without comment:

@MichaelWilliams Watch for an exciting announcement on Tuesday via Twitter. Will also email & Facebook.

…except to note that it was a pleasure to have him as a speaker at the RS Gathering. The video again, for people who may later feel the need to refresh their memories:

Michael Williams from David Thompson on Vimeo.
Moe Lane

Full disclosure: I am in regular contact with the Michael Williams campaign, and I endorse him as a replacement to Senator Hutchison, once she resigns her Senate seat.

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

Diane Feinstein is notorious for supporting greater funding for China and cooperation with Chicom military authorities because, in part, her husband makes millions of dollars dealing with China.

It’s not just China. Feinstein has made out like a bandit from the Iraq War too.

As chairperson and ranking member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee (MILCON) from 2001 through the end of 2005, Feinstein supervised the appropriation of billions of dollars a year for specific military construction projects. Two defense contractors whose interests were largely controlled by her husband, financier Richard C. Blum, benefited from decisions made by Feinstein as leader of this powerful subcommittee.

That’s what happens when you’ve been in the United States Senate for 17 years. Who else has been in the United States Senate for 17 years? Kay Bailey Hutchison. And guess what? Hutchison looks like she could be sending taxpayer dollars to her husband just as much as Diane Feinstein:

In 2007, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison boasted how she helped secure $700 million in federal funding to expand a mass transit line in Dallas. But here’s what she forgot to tell you: The law firm of her husband, Ray Hutchison, worked on the bond financing for the same project, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in hourly fees.

In the long run-up before Hutchison officially announced her candidacy for governor this week, the popular GOP lawmaker has fended off criticism that as a member of the Senate appropriations committee, she helped dole out money to her husband’s deep-pocketed municipal clients.

That may be how they do things in Washington after 17 years of living there, but that’s now how they do things in Texas. The Washington way is not the Texas way, but that’s all Kay knows and that’s why she needs to be defeated.

About the only campaign that comes close to the disaster that is Creigh Deeds’ campaign in Virginia is the craptacular spectacle of Kay Bailey Hutchison running her Texas gubernatorial primary.

The campaign has thus far been a disaster. Most recently, this morning, KBH showed up an hour late to her own kick off event.

Then, when she got there, she started bashing Rick Perry for being Governor for ten years. She said, “We need results, not politics. And that starts with term limits for Texas governor. For any governor, eight years is enough.”

The befuddling irony is that Kay Bailey Hutchison has been a United States Senator for seventeen years. Pot meet kettle.

Then of course, there is this:

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I covered this briefly yesterday on another social media site (which is a pretentious way of saying that I Twittered it): Patterico’s Pontifications tracked down a ‘Doctor’ Roxana Mayer who spoke in favor of health care rationing at what is rapidly becoming Sheila Jackson-Lee’s infamous town hall event. It turns out that she’s not a doctor; she was a state Obama delegate, and is an out-of-district graduate student in sociology.  When Patterico called her on it, her response was this:

Do you mean play a doctor like you play a journalist? Then the answer is no. But who knows, that was only my first town hall meeting–even though I was a delegate. If I go to another one, which I seriously doubt because my husband is already extremely annoyed, then maybe I’ll play a plumber.

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From the diaries by Jeff.

That was Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s (D-TX) pathetic explanation for her reprehensible behavior in front of her voting constituents, via the Houston Chronicle:

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee assured a sometimes raucous crowd at a town hall forum Tuesday that she is listening to their concerns about health care reform legislation.

Yes, except when she’s not:

“We need to make sure we get on national news,” Lee quipped, quelling the crowd by having a college opera student sing the national anthem. Occasional chastising punctuated the rest of the meeting, some comments accusing her of wasting time when introducing a state politician who had joined the crowd and other jeers when she talked on her cell phone while a constituent posed a question to her.

“In Congress, we have to multi-task,” she explained.

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Ted Cruz was the Solicitor General for Texas, and is running for Attorney General. He gave a terrific speech, telling us the story of defending Texas’ 10th amendment rights against international courts and the Justice Department.

A very engaging speaker, he had us spellbound throughout. His story of his father escaping Cuba is amazing to hear.

Ted Cruz from David Thompson on Vimeo.

This interview is from last week’s RedState gathering. Ted Cruz is the guy running for Texas Attorney General - and as you can see, he’s pretty serious about this race. He’s also pretty serious about using the new social media to get his message out:

I think that I have maybe one more of these interviews left: as always, you should check out Dave_in_Fla’s blog for the speeches themselves, as he was kind enough to do a proper taping of Saturday - and without us asking. We’re lucky in our readers.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

Michael Williams is an amazing, dynamic speaker. He is the current Railroad Commissioner for Texas, and the odds on favorite to replace Kay Bailey Hutchinson when she leaves the Senate in the next few months. At times the room felt like an old time revival, with Michael drawing in the crowd with his eloquence combined with a genuinely friendly demeanor. Words really can’t describe it, just watch.

Michael Williams from David Thompson on Vimeo.