Originally posted at TexasKaos.com
Remember last week's poll? Roughly 1/2 of us agreed with the Texas Republican party which warned Texans that Texas would lose political power if Democrats came into office. It was a powerful message to put self-interest over poor performance and corruption. Many of us however felt that we needed to take one step back to move several steps forward.
And then there were some of you who just weren't being realistic. I mean the "Same influence" crowd I could see was being optimistic, but the "More influence" crowd, what were you guys smoking?
Well, looks like you guys in the Same & Better crowd were right. Texas really ain't going nowhere! First Silvestre Reyes lands, over TWO senior members, the chair of the powerful House Intelligence committee and now Ciro Rodriguez and Nick Lampson have landed two coveted committee positions.
Join me on the flip but here's a tantalizing thought: has the National Democratic party signaled, with these three Texan selections in a span of a month, that it's coming back and going to (goosebumps!) FIGHT FOR TEXAS (and the South)?
|
I really did feel that one the strongest arguments the Republicans had to win elections in Texas and the South was the real chance that Texas would lose clout in Washington if Democrats won power.
I argued that Silvestre Reyes' appointment as the head of the House Intelligence Committee was a great response to this argument. My enthusiasm became tempered with when local bloggers revealed more about Reyes int that diary and with his recent poor interview.
I still think Reyes, if he hits the books, can be a big plus for Texas Democrats. We will have to see and we at TexasKaos intend to hold his feet to the fire. Congressman Reyes, why are so many locals upset with you? But that is another diary.
|
In the meantime, we still had the
issue of Texas' influence diminishing due to the Democratic victory. It was a valid question. Who wants to lose power and disappear?
Well, Texas, we ain't going nowhere.
Nancy Pelosi has rewarded Ciro Rodriguez, our newest Congressman out of TX-23, and Nick Lampson, who took Tom Delay's old seat TX-22, coveted positions on powerful committees.
So within a span of ONE MONTH, we had three Texans gain the chair or seats on three very powerful committees. In so doing,
To answer the question posed above, YES, I do think Speaker Pelosi has signaled that she and the national Democrats are ready to return to Texas and the South.
YEEEEEHAWW!
House Democratic leaders gave plum committee assignments today to the two Texans whose election wins led to turnovers of GOP-held seats.
House Speaker-to-be-Nancy Pelosi announced appointments for Ciro Rodriguez and Nick Lampson.
Rodriguez, who defeated 14-year incumbent Rep. Henry Bonilla on Tuesday in a runoff, landed a coveted spot on the Appropriations Committee.
Lampson, who won the seat previously held by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, will serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, another highly sought-after committee.
In these two committees, Ciro and Lampson will be able to influence not only what Congress will spend but also where it's going to be spent.
And as Texans, that means Texas' interests will be looked after (or yer gonna hear from us, Congressmen!!).
I always felt the Democratic Party made a HUGE strategic mistake by allowing the GOP to solidify the South. You never give your opponent a "safe zone" where they can rest, gather resources, build an impenetrible fort, and empty the fort to attack you. Someone lost their copy of the Art of War.
The GOP has never felt it had to defend the South so it could concentrate on attack Blue states with Red State money. Imagine how weak the Republican Party will be if we take away the South from them?
I say you fight them here and make them spend their resources here. Or for you Blue Staters, Fight them there (Texas) so that y'all don't have to fight them here (Blue state).
But there was something more than poor strategy in the decision to leave the South. By not even competing here, Democrats gave a large chunk of the population the impression and probably the reality that Democrats didn't care about Southerners.
What Southerner would want to vote or fight for a Party that wasn't willing to fight for them?
This does not take away any responsibility from the people of the South. Many of them did turn their back on the party and it's values. Yes, after LBJ's Civil Rights "betrayal", many Souterners were hostile to the Party. However, a large plurality did still vote Democratic and needed the national Party's help. They were still worth fighting for.
The Democratic Party (both parties actually) has a responsibility to fight for ALL AMERICANS, including Southern ones. We accuse the Republicans of dividing the country and not caring about Blue State Americans, but can we really say we did not do the same?
I believe when the national Democrats gave up on the South, they signaled to many Southerners that they were on their own. And yes, gave up. When you fight only for specific urban districts and draw more money out than in, what else can you call it?
If you are a soldier and you just saw your general abandon ya, how loyal do you think you'd be? There were and are soldiers here ready to fight for the Democratic Party.
Will the Party fight for us?
Well, it looks like with these appointments, Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the Democratic Party may be signaling that it's going to attack the Southern Republican fort.
I would suggest the GOP set up its defenses - and deal with Trojan horses like us. Don't fall asleep, Texas GOPers, or we will open the gates to Texas on y'all. Mu. Ha. Ha. Haaaaaa. >:-D