Joe Leiberman's Retirement Party

He partially redeemed himself with his support of DADT, but he was smart enough to read the writing on the wall: Joementum long ago turned into Joenertia. One strongly held opinion that matches mine:

My corner of Connecticut was covered in ice today, until news broke of Sen. Joe Lieberman's impending retirement. Magically, a warm glow spread. It was a delicious feeling: the end of the reign of the politician I despise most.

Why do I loathe, loathe, loathe my 68-year-old four-term senator? My feelings are all the stronger for being fairly irrational. Lieberman's views are closer to mine than many politicians on whom I don't expend one iota of emotional energy. This, of course, is his power: He never loses his power to disappoint. Then there is the spectacle of it all: After each act of grand or petty betrayal, each time he turns on his former supporters, the Democratic Party and the Obama administration came back begging for more. Throughout the last Congress, he never let anyone forget he was the 60th vote.

Opposed the public option, supported the war in Iraq (he was on teevee yesterday saying Saddam threatened his neighbors and had WMDs), endorsed McCain, spoke at the GOP convention, joined the Republican caucus after that, switched back to the Dems after Obama was elected in order to keep his committee chairmanship.

It's always been all about him, and that's what I disliked the most about the man. Chris Murphy has announced as a candidate, and it will be a great day when we have a real Democrat in that seat.

More Senate stirrings

On the day that Ted Cruz threw his hat into the ring, a new poll shows Ron Paul in a dead heat with David Dewhurst for the GOP primary's US Senate nomination. Let's go to Politics Daily for the excerpt...

On a call with conservative bloggers Wednesday morning, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz announced he would seek the GOP nomination for the seat.

Cruz told the bloggers he was letting them hear his plans first because they will be at the "frontier" of this race.

Now that's what you call sucking up. Cruz is at the very back of the pack as far as name recognition goes, to say nothing of experience. His single claim to respect from the establishment comes in the form of a million-dollar war chest, raised when he was planning on running for Texas Attorney General before Greg Abbott got cock-blocked by Kay Bailey's resignation two-step over a year ago. But Cruz makes up for his shortcomings with inflammatory Tea-ish rhetoric:

During the call, Cruz called President Obama "the most radical president ever to occupy the White House," and said the election is about "which candidate is best prepared to stand up and fight to stop the Obama agenda."

Yawn. This PPP poll bears out that Cruz has a loooong way to go to get credible in the GOP primary. It's the one that has Dr. No on the lead.

If Rep. Ron Paul decides to seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison, he would become an instant frontrunner, a new poll found.

The Public Policy Polling survey showed that Paul, the longtime Lake Jackson congressman and two-time presidential contender, would start the Republican primary race in a statistical tie with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, with other potential candidates in a hypothetical 2012 Senate match-up trailing far behind.

Paul, whose son Rand was elected to the Senate from Kentucky last year, received the backing of 21 percent of Republican voters. Twenty-three percent named Dewhurst, whose personal wealth and name recognition make him a top-tier hopeful, is currently the top pick of 23 percent of GOP voters.

Nobody has mentioned Paul as a contender before today but that will change quickly with this news.

Among other candidates who were tested, Attorney General Greg Abbott polled third at 14 percent, followed by Joe Barton, R-Ennis, 7 percent, Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, 6 percent, Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, 3 percent, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, 3 percent, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, 3 percent, and former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, 1 percent.

I have to say that I still don't think Paul -- or Barton, for that matter --  will make a run, as it means they'd have to give up their seat in the House. But Paul definitely has something to chew on.

Vince shows that Democratic contenders also get swamped in hypothetical matchups, which I would expect to see at this early stage. The numbers barely change among D's and R's. I take this poll as simply a popularity contest of the respective brands.

Dewhurst, for his part, screwed the pooch in his inaugural address yesterday. Paul Burka's comments are nothing short of devastating:

I thought Governor Dewhurst’s speech was all wrong. It was too long, too partisan, too campaign oriented. He had one foot off the platform on the way to Washington.

Sometimes the things he said made no sense at all. Speaking of the early settlers, he said, “Those men and women who made their way to Texas, who settled these unforgiving plains, who sought neither a handout nor a stimulus check — they simply sought freedom.”

Oh, please. Was Stephen F. Austin oppressed in Missouri? Was Davy Crockett in debtors’ prison in Tennessee? Did Jim Bowie face constant harassment in Arkansas? Nobody came to Texas for freedom. They came for cheap land and the chance to make a better life for themselves. Texas is not about noble ideals. It’s about making money.

[...]

Dewhurst is following the Perry model: If you rail enough about Washington, you can make people forget about what is — and what is not — happening here. Which is: a humongous shortfall and a leadership that is willing, even eager, to wrap Texas in a fiscal straightjacket and throw it under the bus to benefit their own political ambitions.

His priorities, Dewhurst said, include securing our borders, encouraging more job creation, passing Voter ID, improve our public schools because a quality education gives every child a chance to realize their dreams, continue building a world class transportation system, make healthcare more accessable and more affordable with better medical outcomes at a lower cost by passing reforms that will lead the nation…

Does he think we’re all stupid? Does he think that anti-Washington rhetoric will make us forget that he is going to whack $25 billion out of the budget? There won’t be enough money left to build a farm-to-market road, much less a world-class transportation system. Quality education with 30 kids in an elementary classroom? A more affordable health care system? More affordable for the state, maybe, after Medicaid has been cut to the bone, but not for you and me.

My reading of Dewhurst through the years hasn’t really changed very much. It comes down to this: He wants to do the right thing, but he can never bring himself to do it. He perpetually runs scared, scared of the tea party, scared of Dan Patrick, scared of Rick Perry, scared of the Republican senators, scared of his own better instincts. And so we get speeches like this one, which doesn’t ring true.

No incumbent in Texas has served longer and is more of a blank slate than Dewhurst. The state's most powerful elected official is an empty suit, and that's why he won't make it to the Senate.

And today was supposed to be a day about Michael Williams, but news about his impending resignation and announcement for the Senate has been invisible.  Who knows whether he ceded the cycle to Cruz and Paul, but it seems ignominious that the leaks about him breaking news today turned out to be false.

Tune in tomorrow -- hopefully -- for the Bowtie's response to these developments.

Update: Surprisingly muted ...

Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams says he has sent Gov. Rick Perry a letter telling him he will be leaving the commission on April 2 to concentrate on a race for the U.S. Senate. ...

... (B)y giving Perry such advance notice, it will allow the governor to consider whether to replace him on the commission. There is discussion in the Legislature with taking the three-member panel down to one commissioner or possibly combining it with other agencies.

Perry could appoint someone to replace Williams on the commission. That appointee would have to stand for election in 2012 to fill the term through 2014.

Williams said he is not overly worried about the possibility of millionaire Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst entering the race.

"One of the lessons of 2010 is that message and the right messenger can trump money," Williams said.

Williams missed an good opportunity to capture some attention with this tepid announcement. Not a good way to start.

The Bush family pushback against the Tea Party

Two news items. First, Jeb:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has some stern words for fellow Republicans who have been using harsh language about immigrants. Bush said GOP politicians who have demonized immigrants and opposed proposals such as the DREAM Act — which would provide a pathway to citizenship for children brought illegally into the country who excel in school or join the military — are risking a long-term backlash against their party.

Bush is correct, naturally, but to the Teas this is blasphemy. Just read the comments attached to the story. More ...

"It's impossible to imagine that Republican or conservative philosophy could be the majority philosophy if we don't attract more Hispanics to our side," he said.

Bush said that the failure of U.S. immigration enforcement had created a backlash against immigrants, and he said better enforcement was the first step toward passage of policies such as the DREAM Act.

"A great country has to have control of its borders," he said. "If that is done, I can guarantee you that the tone of the immigration debate will change dramatically."

Bush called for "a legalization process — without a doubt" to clarify the status of more than 11 million people currently living illegally in the U.S.

"I think that is policy of common sense, which many conservatives are going to support," he said.

Absolutely laughable in the current environment, isn't it? Give the man points for speaking an inconvenient conservative truth. Then again, what truths are convenient for them?

(That last is teasing, Republicans. Sort of like Olbermann's "Worst Persons", it's humor at your expense. Buck up and take it like a grown-up.)

In other developments the Bush patriarch, Herbert Walker, announced his endorsement for US Senator. It's his old Midland car dealer.

Today, former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, a Republican, is announcing the backing of former president George H. W. Bush, who will bestow his endorsement at a 3 p.m. press conference at his Houston office.

Williams has had his eye on Hutchison's seat for a while. He did not lose focus even after Hutchison decided to stay in office during her recent unsuccessful gubernatorial bid, which also received the elder Bush's endorsement.

"We announced in January 2009, and regardless of who was in or not, we've never stopped campaigning since then," Williams told the Tribune on the day Hutchison revealed she would not be seeking re-election next year, leaving the seat open.

I'm sure that great deal he got on a brand-new Dodge Coronet wagon in 1955 had nothing to do with it.

More from Jason Embry at Postcards:

The Bush endorsement could give his campaign a nice boost, particularly since the field is crowded and Williams doesn’t have the statewide name recognition of someone like (David) Dewhurst, who has held statewide office since 1999. A high-profile endorsement can be particularly helpful early in a campaign as a candidate tries to build momentum and attract donors.

Yes, this endorsement has to be interpreted as an insult to the Lite Gov. Bush 41 has traditionally endorsed the mainstream Republican (like Kay Bailey for governor last year). But if only Poppy had picked the other Williams, I could have titled this post "The Bush Family Affirmative Action Initiative". Alas. Maybe W will help me out shortly.

Roger the Dodger is plenty Tea-flavored, but there's a bum rush to starboard aboard the USS Texas GOP and Michael's big fat head is taking up a lot of the space on that side of the deck.  Only Sarah Palin's imprimatur will mean more to the TP than Jim DeMint's, and he's been in the Railroad Commissioner's corner since 2009.

Is it wrong to call Michael Williams a dark horse candidate? Probably, but not for the reason you're thinking.

One last note, from Embry's column:

Meanwhile, Michael Williams is likely to resign from the Railroad Commission this week to focus on his U.S. Senate bid.

Guess who appoints the person to fill his seat until the next election?

MLK Day Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance celebrates the MLK holiday as it brings you this week's blog roundup.

Off the Kuff wrote about Governor Perry's sanctuary scam and what it says about his priorities.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes that Perry and his merry band of republicans play to the Tea Party and corporate polluters while the EPA starts doing its job.

Lightseeker over at TexasKaos offers some ideas on how you can become a civility warrior, starting today. Hint: think leading with good values and standing up for what you want among your friends and colleagues. Check out: How to inject civility when Uncle Joe Starts channeling Glen Beck.

This week, McBlogger takes a look at No Labels.

Letters From Texas published a powerful guest editorial from Jeff Rotkoff, on the issue of tea partiers' claims that America is a tyrant state.

Bay Area Houston has a perfect picture of Palin, but not for children.

At Capitol Annex, Vince takes a look at the potential contenders for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's seat now that her retirement has thrown the doors wide open for the 2012 primary.

After a two-part investigation last year on one town's air quality problems, WhosPlayin was happy to report that the town of Flower Mound is increasing the scope and frequency of its air quality monitoring program as complaints continue by neighbors of natural gas facilities. A Lewisville neighborhood group facing gas well development in residential neighborhoods quickly followed suit, announcing increased testing and testing for sulfur compounds.

On the scene for the 82nd legislative session's opening day, PDiddie managed to defy the Capitol's tech support department with laptop connectivity issues, and then quickly ran his Android's battery down Tweeting. Still, he managed a Brains and Eggs post about the day 24 hours after the fact.

TXsharon catches the Big Gas Mafia telling the truth. Gas does migrate up from the formation and it does so in a big way. Read about it on Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

After reading a Texas tea party blogger who had just attended a Tea Party meeting, Neil at Texas Liberal wrote about the Tea Party vision of America. Will English-only require a federal language bereaucracy? Will deportation of all undocumented persons mean government raids in our homes? Does the Ten Commandments posted at every public building mean that Christianity can't thrive without government support? Will repeal of healthcare reform allow insurance companies to once again cancel the policies of people who get sick?

TexasVox reviews the showdown over greenhouse gas permits at an EPA public meeting in Dallas. Over 100 local residents showed up to support the EPA and the Clean Air Act, demanding action on climate change because Rick Perry and TCEQ refuse to follow federal law.

George at The Texas Blue had been taking some time off post-election... but the reaction to events in Arizona finally pissed him off enough to write. (And just in time for the new legislative session!)