| The true test of a politician is if they have the political Will to do what is right regardless of Party affiliation. In Todd Smith, it is confirmed, he lacks the political skin to be worthy of the honorable title of Texas State Representative. He is not capable of looking out for the interests of his constituents, let alone Texas. Time and again Smith proves that he will fold under intense political pressure.
As expected, and called out by the Matt Angle at the Lone Star Project, we at Burnt Orange Report, and Texas Democrats in general, Smith has folded like a house of cards on Voter Identification---giving in to harsh partisan demands from his Republican colleagues and melting like warm butter under a hot Texas sun. Smith will bring forward the nasty, partisan Senate version of Voter Suppression legislation that is modeled after the Indiana-style bill that erects the largest of walls possible in limiting the right of Texans to vote. Smith adds another point of failure to a pathetic career as a legislator.
We at Burnt Orange Report have chronicled the political demise of Todd Smith since I called him out in 2007 on his original Voter ID vote, claiming he did so because he was "Republican." Then, with a new speaker this session, Smith managed to climb himself out of the political doghouse, being passed up for other plum committee assignments to instead carry the partisan pale known as Voter Suppression as Election Committees Chair. Despite hearing time and again from his constituents this session, even when attempting to have secret Town Halls that he really didn't want his constituents to attend, House District 92 residents showed up in mass and told Smith to do something about their electric bills, escalating insurance rates, and make college education affordable again---just leave their sacred right to vote alone.
So the questions we all have on our minds right now is will the 81st legislative session end in a crisis in leadership as the 80th legislative session did under Tom Craddick? Will Speaker Straus get weak in the knees like Todd Smith and be railroaded by partisan hacks or do what is right for Texas? Stay tuned. |
