Kay Bailey Hutchison Misses Major Votes on Stimulus Package

Bipartisan agreement (0.00 / 0)

Writing as a conservative Republican, I think we have found a point of bipartisan agreement here. Kay going AWOL on the most important piece of legislation we'll see all year is shameful but typical.  

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by: WILLisms @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 14:45:55 PM CST

KBH (0.00 / 0)

The corporate and table sponsors would have been very disappointed. But I should think they would have understood if she couldn't be there. Looks as if she really isn't all that concerned about criticism.

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 14:56:56 PM CST

Why can't anyone convince John Sharp... (1.00 / 1)

...that he needs to get out of the senate race and into the race for governor?  He has about as much real interest in serving in the senate as a horny toad. He obviously just sees it as the easiest path to statewide success but once again, he's probably wrong.  He has a huge obstacle in the primary in Bill White and instead of doing what a lot of people thought and schooling White in the early going, it seems to be the other way around. White is raising a ton of money; Sharp is not. White is aggressively campaigning at key events; Sharp is not.  And whoever wins the primary will have a huge fight in the second round.  Meanwhile, Perry could easily beat KBH in the R primary because of things like the stimulus vote and a whole host of others.  Yeah, it would suck for Sharp in the beginning of a race for governor because everyone just treats KBH as a given and Democrats are more frightened by her than anyone else even though she has won only one real statewide race - in a special tailor made for her.  But come March of '10, if the incumbent prevails, as the incumbent often does, Sharp would have his rematch with Perry, a badly bruised Perry, and he would have HIS tailor made race - a moderate - conservative D versus a right wing R who all the moderate R's would be mad as hell at. Let's hope Sharp sees the light.  

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by: politicsforjim @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 15:32:49 PM CST

I'm with you (0.00 / 0)

It is one thing to vote for the bill against the public will; it is a second thing to vote against it.  But to be completely absent for some of the most important votes of her career - for a minor speech to a minor organization - well, one would hope it would be a career-ending move.  I cannot believe the folks at the Richardson CofC would be supportive of that decision.

John Sharp, do you hear us?  We need you to run for governor.  Let Bill White run in a non-existent election; you can have a clear shot at the governor's mansion.  Assuming it gets rebuilt, of course.  Either way, we need you.

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by: Dale Napier @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 16:24:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I don't know... (0.00 / 0)

What you call "a minor speech to a minor organization" ~ not necessarily so, there were some very heavy hitters there. Scroll all the way down the page at the link I provided in my previous post. Lots of "corporate" money in the North Texas community of Richardson.

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by: Elsbeth @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 17:08:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

There is no primary n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: trowaman @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 17:37:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Or...Why Can't anyone convince Bill White? (3.00 / 2)

At least John Sharp has seemed to always want to be a US Senator.  He wanted to be one when a Lloyd Bentson had to be temporarily replaced.

Bill White is raising the type of money to compete with Perry OR Hutchison, and he would simply make a better governor than either of them (and also a better governor than a senator.)

"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."  -  John Adams

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by: Michael Hurta @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 17:41:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I don't disagree, but (0.00 / 0)

One thing I have learned here in Houston, watching Bill White in action, is that nobody can tell him anything.  He does what he wants to do.  Sometimes it is very good, and sometimes it is spycams all over the city.  He is a strongarm kinda guy.  So far the only person who has proven capable of slowing White down even a little is the Lex Luthor of the Texas Senate, John Whitmire.

Does White have the humility to go back and make the smarter decision (and better for the citizens of Texas), which would be to run for governor?  I don't think so, but if he does, my respect for him will increase substantially.

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by: Dale Napier @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 19:03:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Sharp (0.00 / 0)

has no federal gov experience, White does.

White has no state gov experience, Sharp does.

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by: David Mauro @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 23:02:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

sharp and the govs race (0.00 / 0)

Sharp is a shrewd politician and a seasoned statesman.  I definitely think he wants to serve in the Senate.

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Sharp has wanted to serve int he Senate for years.  In fact, Richards would have almost certainly appointed him for Bentsen's seat but Sharp (as I recall) didn't think the seat could be defended in 96.  If I'm remembering this incorrectly, please feel free to correct me.

I was unaware that Sharp released his $ figures.  Can you post a link where we can view that?

I like Bill White, but I cannot begin to think of any Democrat that would be "a huge obstacle" to Sharp in the primary.  Sharp is a known quantity statewide and maintains strong relationships in South Texas, RGV and East Texas.

I'm all for having a strong candidate for governor...but not right now.

We don't want our potential nominee having to take a position on every bill, every veto, every spending cut.

We want our guy/gal to be able to stay out of the fray and then cherry-pick the best of the best issues/positions to draw contrasts with perry.

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by: colin @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:25:13 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Richards (3.00 / 1)

was not going to appoint Sharp to the Senate because, at the time, he was perceived as being pro-life. I know he has changed his views and I am not trying to get into any arguments over that at all.

There was a special for that seat in 93 and then in November 94, I believe. It was Gramm's seat that was up in 96, I think.

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by: David Mauro @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 12:32:15 PM CST

[ Parent ]

yep (0.00 / 0)

i'm thinking of 93.

i've heard competing things since my post about the Richards appointment.

thanks for setting me straight.

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by: colin @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 14:03:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

KBH and the Vote (0.00 / 0)

Her absence was inconsequential because the nose-counting had already been done and passage was assured. I won't vote for her or for any Republican candidate for govenor, but I think that carping about her absence on this bill is pointless.

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by: texun @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 18:05:12 PM CST

It's not carping to expect her to do her job (0.00 / 0)

Let's face it, being a U.S. Senator is one of the easiest jobs under the sun.  All you have to is talk, sit around and listen to other people talk, and occasionally cast a vote - a vote which rarely decides anything of substance.  You can do more if you are motivated to do more, but anyone who cannot do those three things - especially when the future of the country may hinge on the outcome of the vote - is worthless regardless of ideology or party.

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by: Dale Napier @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 19:07:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Absolutely (0.00 / 0)

When KBH ran for office she took an oath to work for the people of Texas.  This is not about her and her future career plans.    

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by: Libby Shaw @ Sun Feb 08, 2009 at 19:57:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It could be a deeper game (0.00 / 0)

Did she miss the votes because of the Richardson event, or was the Richardson event an excuse to get out of Washington? I can imagine her deciding that she needs to stake out a public position against the stimulus bill (see today's op-ed in the Statesman), but at the same time she doesn't really want to derail it. By not being around for the procedural votes, she can let it go forwards without getting blamed for its passage.

That's not exactly the height of courage, but it's different from deciding that a chamber-of-commerce speech is more important than a blockbuster vote.  

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by: LSadun @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 21:55:49 PM CST

If Kay Bailey Hutchison wanted to help herself (0.00 / 0)

she would have been spending some time answering the piles of unanswered mail Texans have sent to her office.

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by: Tom Blackwell @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 22:27:52 PM CST

I think you mean Cornyn (0.00 / 0)

I got my standard, non answer, thank you for contacting my office, but this is why you are wrong letter from Hutch.

Cornyn . . . what letter?

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by: trowaman @ Sat Feb 07, 2009 at 22:56:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Send email, not snail mail paper letters (0.00 / 0)

I send email notes all of the time.  I get responses.  Cornyn is the fastest.  I receive emails from his staff that do not respond to my questions or statements. They essentially lecture me on GOP talking points.  KBH sends snail mail letters maybe a month later that are also recitations of GOP talking point crapola. It is as if we are writing to programmed robots who do not care what we think.    

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by: Libby Shaw @ Sun Feb 08, 2009 at 20:05:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Great Post Phillip (0.00 / 0)

you wouldn't have caught a Democrat, say perhaps Senators Obama or Clinton for example, missing a vote in the Senate just because they were out campaigning. Oops.

LettersFromTexas.com

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by: Harold Cook @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 10:28:07 AM CST

smart move by KBH (0.00 / 0)

Clearly she is planning on continuing to "consider" running for governor.

Depending on how the stimulus plan plays out over the next several months, she can then recast her position into the popular version at the time. taking a vote now locks her into a position.

Smart move to stay away from the vote.

I think the smartest thing she could do is leave the senate and not get hung with all of the votes that A) perry doesn't have to take, and B) that will clearly put her on the side of the repubs and against the middle class.

Ultimately I would expect that if kbh is going to run for real, she will spend the upcoming recess in Texas...probably with a visit to the pink dome.

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by: colin @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 11:17:01 AM CST