Adding One to Vince’s List
Our friend over at Capitol Annex recently put up a well thought out and entertaining list of Governor Perry’s 10 worst moments. It’s a good read, so even if you are a die-hard Republican, go check it out. After all, if you can’t laugh at yourself (or your party), then who can you laugh at?
But since this is a right to center-right blog, duty only dictates that we take issue with the post in some form. So the attack on the list that I have decided to take is with what I thought was unjustly left off, the Governor’s crash and burn on public school finance during the 2004 special session.
Who could forget Representative Jim Keffer taking to the front mike with the Governor’s plan in hand (in the form of a substitute amendment to HB 1) and tearing the Governor a new one for his unkind words toward the House version? I especially liked when Mr. Keffer so humbly pointed out that the House is not vein to the point of issuing press release warnings about legislation, that they just vote bills up or down. And vote down they did.
In the end, the Governor’s plan lost 126 - 0. There’s joining the Century Club (100 or more votes against you), and then there’s defining the Century Club. Needless to say, the House standing up that day and in one fluid motion (which is the only fluid motion they’ve pulled off since) giving the Governor the middle finger generated some bad press for him. And that is why I think the 126 - 0 vote against the Governor’s public school finance plan in 2004 deserves its rightful place on Capitol Annex’s list.
Mr. Keffer sure did call Governor Perry’s leadership into question that day, and the Will Rogers quote he used was priceless.
If you’re going to ride point, look back every once and a while and make sure the herd is behind you.
And on a last note, big ups to my man Sam, who remembered the back story behind that 126 - 0 drumming.