Rewind!
If you've been too busy making the holiday party/holiday shopping rounds to get your normal dose of politics this weekend, here's a quick review... some "one-stop-shopping", if you will:
Abbott Sides with Craddick
After pushing back its release by several hours, the Attorney General eventually came out with his opinion on questions posed by Craddick's challengers after acrimonious final days of the session.
Craddick had argued he couldn't be removed by the 150 member body that voted him in; instead, that he was a statewide officer akin to Lt. Gov Dewhurst, who could only be removed by impeachment, which requires 2/3rds of the House AND Senate.
Abbott ultimately sided with Craddick on the question, in a move the DMN's Karen Brooks calls "a blow against insurgent lawmakers who tried to oust the speaker at the end of the legislative session".
Ronnie Earle Era Ending
The Travis County District Attorney announced Friday he would be stepping down at the end of his term, setting up a scramble in Austin for his job and speculation as to whether Earle will run for governor in 2010. AP's Kelley Shannon says it marks "an end to a three-decade reign in which he battled some of the biggest names in Texas politics".
Cornyn Officially In
Sitting US Senator John Cornyn filed his papers for re-election Saturday morning at the state GOP headquarters. The Houston Chronicle's RG Ratcliffe woke up early Saturday to attend the filing event, and files this report.
Ron Paul Rakes It In
On the 234th anniverary of the Boston Tea Party on Sunday, Ron Paul's Austin supporters marched from the Texas capitol to Lady Bird Lake, where they dumped tea into the water (temporarily) as part of a national one-day fundraiser, which wound up taking in $5 million for the Texas Congressman.
Nationally...
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won competing newspaper endorsements, Obama snagging The Boston Globe's, and Clinton picking up that of the Des Moines Register. (What do endorsements matter, you may ask. But in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates have credited the endorsements for giving them a three to five point bump.)
Both papers agreed on McCain as their candidate of choice in the Republican race. McCain also won the backing of Democrat-turned independent Joe Lieberman, which will be official tomorrow. The Politico says the endorsement "is an effort to draw attention to the McCain campaign, which needs a splash."
What's Ahead...
Tuesday is election day in Tarrant County, where Democrat Dan Barrett and Republican Mark Shelton are facing off in the runoff for the Texas House seat of retired State Rep. Anna Mowery, R-Fort Worth. Moritz/Batheja of the Star-Telegram report "early voting has been relatively slow since it opened Monday."
The race has been full of surprises (Shelton wasn't expected to make the runoff), shenanigans (anonymous election day robocalling that criticized the record of leading Republican candidates), and money -- Craddick and his financial supporters coming to the aid of physician Mark Shelton, who has pledged his support to the embattled speaker.
Unrelated...
Perhaps Dallas Cowboys fans should ban together and put pressure on Tony Romo to ditch that Jessica Simpson, who I am blaming for the disaster at Texas Stadium on Sunday.
You are correct that Attorney General Abbott ruled with the speaker, and in fact did so on all points.
One point of clarification: Craddick did not claim to a statewide elected official, but instead an officer of the state.
The AG, recognizing court precedent where a hospital superintendent was recognized as an officer of the state, said a court would likely conclude that the speaker, with even greater authority, would be considered as such too.
Also, Craddick was careful not to claim a speaker can only be removed by impeachment, and in fact a journal entry from late May explains the method of expulsion as well. That was the claim of critics, who have been poured out as wrong on this point.