Friday, November 13, 2009

Hutchison Blinks

In the latest of what has proven to be a great Texas Soap Opera, Kay Bailey Hutchison, who at one time assured Dallas conservative talk show host Mark Davis that “the actual leaving of the Senate will be sometime -- October, November -- that, in that time frame,” now has put off her resignation from the Senate - - - indefinitely.

Kay Bailey says that she can multitask.

From Politico:

“She will always do what's right for Texas, and that means not only running for governor, but also fighting against Obamacare and cap-and-trade, which will be devastating for Texas.”

In other words, Kay blinked.

Think of the political capital that Rick Perry could collect with Kay Bailey’s resignation. All he has to do is to delay the special election to replace her in the Senate until spring, until after the Senate has struggled to pass (or not pass) healthcare reform.

She once proposed her resignation would occur in the October/November time frame, but now that Senate Leader Harry Reid has promised to bring the healthcare bill up for a vote in the Senate toward the end of that window, Hutchison would be leaving her post while the primary-voting Obamacare-hating Republican voters look on, leaving only 39 Republican senators to hold back the floodgates of reform.

Leaving Rick Perry to pick up the pieces, point his finger, and lay the blame for the passage of healthcare reform right at the feet of his primary opponent. An opponent who is falling behind in the polls.

An opponent who has a slim chance to beat the incumbent now, but not a snowball’s chance in H-E-Double-Hockeysticks if healthcare passes while she has abandoned her post in the face of fire.

Governor Goodhair is right in the catbird’s seat. Right where Democrats want him. Because while Perry is a shoe-in to win the primary with his faithful primary-going rightwing base turnout. Hutchison, however, were she the victor, would be more problematic in the General Election.

So the congressional battle over healthcare reform has yielded yet another repercussion without even a vote taken in the Senate.

It may just have just turned the governor’s race into a horserace.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Governor Perry is NOT a "shoe in" for Governor.

Debra Medina is peaking up speed and support all over Texas.

It would be wise for the Republican Party to support Medina. If this does not occur, we will have another McCain-Obama style election.

The Democrats will have it if Perry succeeds in the Primaries.

Hal said...

Agreed. Absolutely agreed, Anon.

Perry will capture the right wing base, Medina will capture the 6% (and I give you another 1 percent - it's the times) and the Democratic candidate will take the rest. This will be repeated across the states. The very much anticipated Republican rebound is going to fall very far short courtesy of the far right.

They hijacked your party while you weren't looking.