Here we go: Former Gov Perry is set to campaign with Speaker Phelan in Beaumont on Thursday #TxLege

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) February 13, 2024

Speaker @DadePhelan blasts AG @KenPaxtonTX for campaigning against him, says he has "zero regrets" for calling out Paxton's corruption and trying to hold a fellow Republican accountable pic.twitter.com/X4TqFNmSsP

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) February 16, 2024

Gov Perry says it's ridiculous that Republicans are attacking @DadePhelan for working with Democrats. Perry points to working with @Senfronia4Texas, D-Houston, to crack down on sex trafficking of children #txlege pic.twitter.com/UITL9SfbWX

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) February 16, 2024

boognish_bear said:

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Gov Perry says it's ridiculous that Republicans are attacking @DadePhelan for working with Democrats. Perry points to working with @Senfronia4Texas, D-Houston, to crack down on sex trafficking of children #txlege pic.twitter.com/UITL9SfbWX

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) February 16, 2024

---

The 4R primary voter knows exactly what Perry is saying. They know full well that giving chairmanships to members of the minority party is a Texas tradition. The 4R voter is saying they want that tradition to end, and they have a compelling argument.

Updated: Texas AG Ken Paxton is on track to face a jury for alleged fraud in April. Today, a judge in Houston rejected his attempts to have the case thrown out.

Also today, one of the prosecutors was replaced. We spoke with him about why. 👇

Story with @luciov120. #txlege https://t.co/lgGoYYmLYd pic.twitter.com/VNbIy02XN5

— Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) February 16, 2024

Paxton puts spotlight on normally quiet Court of Criminal Appeal primaries to oust incumbents
This primary season Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is not only going after Texas House members who voted to impeach him but incumbents who sit on the state's highest criminal court.

His reason? The nine-member court ruled in an 8-1 decision three years ago that the Texas AG office could not prosecute election cases without permission of a local prosecutor.

Now, Paxton is openly supporting the opponents of three incumbents who are up for reelection Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, Judge Barbara Hervey and Judge Michelle Slaughter.

"Eight of us decided it was a good idea to follow the Constitution," Hervey said about the court decision three years ago.

Hard to run from prison, Ken https://t.co/6oQ3oMqjCN

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 29, 2024

It's early, but it looks like AG Paxton's push to oust the three Court of Criminal Appeals incumbents is working.

— TXElects (@TXElects) March 6, 2024

All three of Paxton's challengers for Court of Criminal Appeals are leading by double digits in Harris County early vote

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) March 6, 2024

Here is the latest in the 35 House races where Ken Paxton sought to oust the GOP incumbents. Things could still change obviously.

23 incumbents ahead
6 likely headed to runoff (including Speaker @DadePhelan)
5 trailing their opponents
1 race still no votes reported pic.twitter.com/TQDzozoUNA

— Aarón Torres (@AaronTorres_) March 6, 2024

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/greg-abbott-ken-paxton-texas-house-incumbents-lose/

Osodecentx said:

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https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/greg-abbott-ken-paxton-texas-house-incumbents-lose/

---

TT stating what I've mentioned here a few times before (the bloody friggin' obvious):
"....a cautionary reminder that elected Republicans, regardless of their seniority and length of tenure, cross the party's base at their peril."


"...never, ever, fight with your base. It's lose-lose. If you win the fight, you weaken your own coalition. And if you lose...well, you lose."
-whiterock

Democrats never do that. Only moderate Republicans.

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/greg-abbott-ken-paxton-texas-house-incumbents-lose/

---

TT stating what I've mentioned here a few times before (the bloody friggin' obvious):
"....a cautionary reminder that elected Republicans, regardless of their seniority and length of tenure, cross the party's base at their peril."


"...never, ever, fight with your base. It's lose-lose. If you win the fight, you weaken your own coalition. And if you lose...well, you lose."
-whiterock

Democrats never do that. Only moderate Republicans.

---

Unsurprisingly, I see it differently. Let me contrast Abbott, Patrick and Paxton.

Abbott opposed his fellow Republicans on a principled issue - vouchers. He is trying to pass a voucher bill and is looking for support. The public ed lobby has been embarrassed and lost some good supporters.
Abbott endorsed 14 challengers to incumbents who voted against vouchers; 7 challengers won and 5 are headed to a runoff. Two of Abbott's candidates lost. A Republican House member will need courage to vote against vouchers next session.

Lt Gov Patrick weighed in on Speaker Phelan's race. His reasons are to get rid of an obstacle to Patrick's agenda. I've never heard of a lite gov doing this. If Phelan wins and is Speaker, the next legislative session will be a mess. I can see the argument that Patrick is acting on principle.

Paxton endorsed 37 candidates; 7 won, 7 are headed to a runoff, 3 are too close to call, and 20 Paxton candidates lost. I am encouraged that the Republican base didn't fall for the Paxton scam. Paxton's opposition was based of covering up the corruption of the AG, not a principled stand.

Osodecentx said:

---

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/greg-abbott-ken-paxton-texas-house-incumbents-lose/

---

TT stating what I've mentioned here a few times before (the bloody friggin' obvious):
"....a cautionary reminder that elected Republicans, regardless of their seniority and length of tenure, cross the party's base at their peril."


"...never, ever, fight with your base. It's lose-lose. If you win the fight, you weaken your own coalition. And if you lose...well, you lose."
-whiterock

Democrats never do that. Only moderate Republicans.

---

Unsurprisingly, I see it differently. Let me contrast Abbott, Patrick and Paxton.

Abbott opposed his fellow Republicans on a principled issue - vouchers. He is trying to pass a voucher bill and is looking for support. The public ed lobby has been embarrassed and lost some good supporters.
Abbott endorsed 14 challengers to incumbents who voted against vouchers; 7 challengers won and 5 are headed to a runoff. Two of Abbott's candidates lost. A Republican House member will need courage to vote against vouchers next session.

Lt Gov Patrick weighed in on Speaker Phelan's race. His reasons are to get rid of an obstacle to Patrick's agenda. I've never heard of a lite gov doing this. If Phelan wins and is Speaker, the next legislative session will be a mess. I can see the argument that Patrick is acting on principle.

Paxton endorsed 37 candidates; 7 won, 7 are headed to a runoff, 3 are too close to call, and 20 Paxton candidates lost. I am encouraged that the Republican base didn't fall for the Paxton scam. Paxton's opposition was based of covering up the corruption of the AG, not a principled stand.

---

LOL contrived distinctions.

Did anyone lose a seat for supporting Paxton?
Did anyone lose a seat for supporting School Choice?

(Crickets)

Never fight with your base. It's lose-lose. There is no upside. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Just unnecessary primary challenges where you have to spend money you could use in the general to defeat someone you wouldn't have had to run against if you'd paid proper care an attention to the desires of your base.

Speaker of the House finishes 2nd in his primary and has to proceed to a runoff?
After whipping his caucus into fighting primary challenges sponsored by BOTH the Gov and AG?
And THAT is the rock upon which you plan to build your church of moderate Republicanism?

Gawd Almighty, man, you are not cut out for this game.

If you are too good to wash the feet of your base, you are no savior.
If you are not willing to pander to your base, you have no business being in politics.

MSN seems to give Paxton a lot of credit for Phelan's difficulties.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/phelan-still-faces-resistance-from-gop-financiers-ahead-of-upcoming-runoff-election/ar-BB1jsequ

LOL. Doofus Dade. Rarely in history has so much political power been frittered away so quickly by so few.

whiterock said:

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MSN seems to give Paxton a lot of credit for Phelan's difficulties.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/phelan-still-faces-resistance-from-gop-financiers-ahead-of-upcoming-runoff-election/ar-BB1jsequ

---

So Dan Patrick had nothing to do with it?

Osodecentx said:

---

whiterock said:

---

MSN seems to give Paxton a lot of credit for Phelan's difficulties.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/phelan-still-faces-resistance-from-gop-financiers-ahead-of-upcoming-runoff-election/ar-BB1jsequ

---

So Dan Patrick had nothing to do with it?

---

Pretty clear that Gov, Lt. Gov, and AG all had a hand in it.

The take home lesson is that a Gov has more pull than the other two, although the AG had a pretty good outcome on the judges races. Those judicial races are a bit more cash-starved than house/senate races, so the party influence is somewhat stronger.

whiterock said:

---

Osodecentx said:

---

whiterock said:

---

MSN seems to give Paxton a lot of credit for Phelan's difficulties.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/phelan-still-faces-resistance-from-gop-financiers-ahead-of-upcoming-runoff-election/ar-BB1jsequ

---

So Dan Patrick had nothing to do with it?

---

Pretty clear that Gov, Lt. Gov, and AG all had a hand in it.

The take home lesson is that a Gov has more pull than the other two, although the AG had a pretty good outcome on the judges races. Those judicial races are a bit more cash-starved than house/senate races, so the party influence is somewhat stronger.

---

The AG was the whole story on the judicial races.

Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

boognish_bear said:

---

Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

---

9 years.

9 years.

and now they're going to drop the charges.

can you spell "lawfare?"

whiterock said:

---

boognish_bear said:

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Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

---

9 years.

9 years.

and now they're going to drop the charges.

can you spell "lawfare?"

---

Sure: "plea bargain".

quash said:

---

whiterock said:

---

boognish_bear said:

---

Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

---

9 years.

9 years.

and now they're going to drop the charges.

can you spell "lawfare?"

---

Sure: "plea bargain".

---

After 9 years.

After 9 years.

You apparently cannot spell "lawfare"

quash said:

---

whiterock said:

---

boognish_bear said:

---

Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

---

9 years.

9 years.

and now they're going to drop the charges.

can you spell "lawfare?"

---

Sure: "plea bargain".

---

Check your spelling.

GrowlTowel said:

---

quash said:

---

whiterock said:

---

boognish_bear said:

---

Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

---

9 years.

9 years.

and now they're going to drop the charges.

can you spell "lawfare?"

---

Sure: "plea bargain".

---

Check your spelling.

---

He took a plea bargain that includes restitution.

I nailed the spelling.

quash said:

---

GrowlTowel said:

---

quash said:

---

whiterock said:

---

boognish_bear said:

---

Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. https://t.co/79tRbTK6hp

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 22, 2024

---

9 years.

9 years.

and now they're going to drop the charges.

can you spell "lawfare?"

---

Sure: "plea bargain".

---

Check your spelling.

---

He took a plea bargain that includes restitution.

I nailed the spelling.

---

9 years.

9 years.

How many prosecutions for very small-ticket ticky-tacky technical infringements on regulatory issues wait 9 years to settle?

I'll take things that will never happen for $1,000 Alex

ag paxton will work at a food bank as part of his fraud case deal: https://t.co/6rzrUkX3dI

— quorumreport (@quorumreport) August 15, 2024