Wrong about the Speaker

Not much to say. Old news now. Tom Craddick bowed out of the Speaker race. I was a bit surprised though. I figured he would fight tooth and nail to retain the position and then retire after the session. I'm not on the inside but it seems that he gave up the ghost for the sake of the party.

I still don't see Joe Straus as much more than a placeholder until the more established Republicans fight for control next session. But who knows? I'm not making a call until much later in the game. Maybe Straus can bring gambling to Galveston Island to stimulate the economy and rebuild there. That's another topic for another time.