While the following may sound like arcane analysis from some Machiavellian or Karl Rovian treatise it is the root of understanding of legislative politics. Political leaders broaden and secure a base of power through development and utilization of political assets including other politicians.
Speakers of the Texas House by the very nature of a vote by members in the House chamber to elect the Speaker include other politicians in their power base as a necessity. Speakers and political leaders including committee or caucus chairmen who lose or ignore their power base most often fade fairly quickly.
Although some recent developments show increasing promise to many political conservatives hoping for new Speaker Joe Straus to succeed and develop a working majority within the Texas House the Speaker has yet to develop many significant political assets.
But that may be changing.
Take the case of Representative Myra Crownover (R-Lake Dallas) with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie) and House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding Chairman Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) as example.
Crownover currently serves in her fourth term on House Appropriations as the chair of the Subcommittee on Stimulus and as vice-chair for the Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding. She enjoys the support and friendship of traditional conservatives as well as more moderate members of both Republican and Democrat ranks.
Crownover chairs the subcommittee that actually has authority to direct funds from the stimulus money. Many Republican and Democrat members look to Crownover for advice and leadership in voting on the House floor.
Since Speaker Straus plans to use Crownovers leadership or to listen to her advice the evidence began to show yesterday.
Straus delegated the authority over appropriations to Pitts who then delegated the stimulus money authority to Crownover. Her experience in the appropriations process and excellent work in her subcommittee have received great recognition amongst the members. Cultivating Crownovers political base and relationships will certainly help Straus develop his base of power amongst his Republican colleagues.
On the other hand rather than promote Crownover or others Representative Dunnam - as chair of the House Democratic Caucus & chair of the impotent (when it comes to having actual authority to spend or direct federal stimulus dollars) Federal Economic Stabilization Funding Committee in the House continues to grandstand about stimulus money in:
1.) front of House members on the Select Committee;
2.) remarkably orchestrated colloquies with fellow liberals on the House floor that only enhance the public image of Dunnam and diminishes the role of Republicans; and
3.) media events including newspapers and public forums throughout the state.
In almost each article or event covering developments on the House floor Dunnam fails to support the roles of Crownover Pitts or Speaker Joe Straus with any action or comment.
Then yesterday Pitts Crownover & Straus answered questions on the floor of the House from members about the stimulus funds with time set aside by Straus facilitating this well-received discussion. Despite what is reported in most media stories Members and the public not to mention most state agency administrators still have uncertainty or unanswered questions about how stimulus is going to flow to the state and when.
In his opening speech of session newly seated Speaker Straus called for greater respect amongst the members. Yet then and recently Dunnam shows his great lack of respect by completely ignoring Crownover as his vice-chair of the select committee calling for a vote without notifying the conservative members and despite Crownovers open objections.
Dunnam even admitted recently he had not visited with Crownover about his recommendations stating he had heard Crownover would not support him.
Is ignoring your vice-chair showing respect?
Maybe Speaker Straus in a difficult position to say the least feels he only needs to show respect on his own part and not require respect from his own appointees like Dunnam.
Or perhaps Straus feels Jim Dunnam is his asset maybe even justifiably so. After all it was Dunnam who deliver 64 Democrats pledging to vote for any Speaker candidate other than Tom Craddick. Those same 64 names headlined a list of mostly Democrats along with 14 Republicans on the initial list of 85 Straus supporters.
Yet still Dunnam has openly criticized the House leadership by complaining about lack of support for reform of electric rates insurance or college tuition. Many still recall that last session on the final day Dunnam used a parliamentary tactic to kill a bill on electric rates that would have lowered consumers electric bills.
Dunnam may have delivered some votes to Straus initially but if Dunnam is an asset to Straus these days reasonable minds would hate to see the actions of those considered an adversary.
While the following may sound like arcane analysis from some Machiavellian or Karl Rovian treatise it is the root of understanding of legislative politics. Political leaders broaden and secure a base of power through development and utilization of political assets including other politicians.
Speakers of the Texas House by the very nature of a vote by members in the House chamber to elect the Speaker include other politicians in their power base as a necessity. Speakers and political leaders including committee or caucus chairmen who lose or ignore their power base most often fade fairly quickly.
Although some recent developments show increasing promise to many political conservatives hoping for new Speaker Joe Straus to succeed and develop a working majority within the Texas House the Speaker has yet to develop many significant political assets.
But that may be changing.
Take the case of Representative Myra Crownover (R-Lake Dallas) with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie) and House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding Chairman Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) as example.
Crownover currently serves in her fourth term on House Appropriations as the chair of the Subcommittee on Stimulus and as vice-chair for the Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding. She enjoys the support and friendship of traditional conservatives as well as more moderate members of both Republican and Democrat ranks.
Crownover chairs the subcommittee that actually has authority to direct funds from the stimulus money. Many Republican and Democrat members look to Crownover for advice and leadership in voting on the House floor.
Since Speaker Straus plans to use Crownovers leadership or to listen to her advice the evidence began to show yesterday.
Straus delegated the authority over appropriations to Pitts who then delegated the stimulus money authority to Crownover. Her experience in the appropriations process and excellent work in her subcommittee have received great recognition amongst the members. Cultivating Crownovers political base and relationships will certainly help Straus develop his base of power amongst his Republican colleagues.
On the other hand rather than promote Crownover or others Representative Dunnam - as chair of the House Democratic Caucus & chair of the impotent (when it comes to having actual authority to spend or direct federal stimulus dollars) Federal Economic Stabilization Funding Committee in the House continues to grandstand about stimulus money in:
1.) front of House members on the Select Committee;
2.) remarkably orchestrated colloquies with fellow liberals on the House floor that only enhance the public image of Dunnam and diminishes the role of Republicans; and
3.) media events including newspapers and public forums throughout the state.
In almost each article or event covering developments on the House floor Dunnam fails to support the roles of Crownover Pitts or Speaker Joe Straus with any action or comment.
Then yesterday Pitts Crownover & Straus answered questions on the floor of the House from members about the stimulus funds with time set aside by Straus facilitating this well-received discussion. Despite what is reported in most media stories Members and the public not to mention most state agency administrators still have uncertainty or unanswered questions about how stimulus is going to flow to the state and when.
In his opening speech of session newly seated Speaker Straus called for greater respect amongst the members. Yet then and recently Dunnam shows his great lack of respect by completely ignoring Crownover as his vice-chair of the select committee calling for a vote without notifying the conservative members and despite Crownovers open objections.
Dunnam even admitted recently he had not visited with Crownover about his recommendations stating he had heard Crownover would not support him.
Is ignoring your vice-chair showing respect?
Maybe Speaker Straus in a difficult position to say the least feels he only needs to show respect on his own part and not require respect from his own appointees like Dunnam.
Or perhaps Straus feels Jim Dunnam is his asset maybe even justifiably so. After all it was Dunnam who deliver 64 Democrats pledging to vote for any Speaker candidate other than Tom Craddick. Those same 64 names headlined a list of mostly Democrats along with 14 Republicans on the initial list of 85 Straus supporters.
Yet still Dunnam has openly criticized the House leadership by complaining about lack of support for reform of electric rates insurance or college tuition. Many still recall that last session on the final day Dunnam used a parliamentary tactic to kill a bill on electric rates that would have lowered consumers electric bills.
Dunnam may have delivered some votes to Straus initially but if Dunnam is an asset to Straus these days reasonable minds would hate to see the actions of those considered an adversary.
