Perhaps every column should now start like this: Before you’re done reading, the president may tweet something that changes almost everything I’m about to say. In his speech at the Texas GOP convention last month and again in emails to supporters, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick – who finished about 15 points behind Gov. Greg Abbott […]
Maybe the GOP Civil War in Texas Really is Over
by Scott on July 2, 2018 in Dan Patrick, Tea Party, Texas
Abbott strategy against Texas House Republicans is ready, fire, aim
by Scott on November 21, 2017 in Dan Patrick, Politics, Texas
Note: This analysis originally appeared in The Quorum Report in August. It seems approproriate to revisit it now that Abbott is inserting himself into House GOP primaries. After nearly a solid week of non-stop broadside attacks on Texas House Republicans by Gov. Greg Abbott, a common refrain around the Capitol among lawmakers and lobbyists goes […]
Straus retirement may set the stage for a responsible redistricting cycle
by Scott on October 31, 2017 in Dan Patrick, Joe Straus, Politics, Tea Party, Texas
During the 2007 session of the Legislature, Rep. Byron Cook took to the front mic of the Texas House to rally the troops against then-Speaker Tom Craddick. Longtime observers will remember Cook’s words included a call to arms from Shakespeare, quoting from the Saint Crispin’s Day speech in Henry V: “We few, we happy few, […]
A Welcome Home for Ted Cruz in the Party of John Cornyn
by Scott on May 23, 2016 in Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz
Two years ago in a packed hotel ballroom in Houston during the Harris County Republican Party’s Reagan Day fundraising dinner, Sen. John Cornyn stood on the stage and made the case to the party’s faithful that they must do a better job of reaching beyond their usual base if the organization is going to be […]
Following rape comments, Stickland and key allies are sharply attacked for votes
by Scott on January 12, 2016 in Politics, Tea Party, Texas
Following revelations that Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, said publicly in 2008 that “Rape is non existent in marriage,” some of the votes that he and his closest allies have taken in the Texas House about sexual assault are under fresh scrutiny. A full-court press by Republicans against Tea Party incumbents began in the Metroplex on […]
One Would Think the Tea Party Would be Outraged by What the Texas AG is Said to Have Done
by Scott on August 12, 2015 in Joe Straus, Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Texas
The three-count felony indictment handed up by a grand jury in very-Republican Collin County against Attorney General Ken Paxton has sparked some wild conspiracy theories but yielded little, if any, consistency from some of Paxton’s fellow Tea Party patriots. Employees of Tim Dunn’s Empower Texans, a self-proclaimed conservative group, have tried to make the case […]
NBC 5 in DFW reports Texas AG Ken Paxton has been indicted
by Scott on August 1, 2015 in Dallas, Tea Party, Texas
From the report by NBC 5 in DFW: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been indicted on three charges by a grand jury in Collin County, two people close to the case told NBC 5 on Saturday. The indictments were issued on Tuesday and immediately sealed, the sources said, adding they are set to be […]
Trump intensifies proxy war between Cruz and Perry
by Scott on July 26, 2015 in Border Security, Immigration, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Uncategorized
Following Donald Trump’s visit to the Texas-Mexico border and after his comments that Sen. John McCain was not a real war hero because he was captured in Vietnam, it is worth taking the time to think through what his campaign might mean for the presidential contenders from the Great State. What Trump said about Sen. McCain […]
Tea Party Senator Calls for Unilateral Disarmament in Competition for Business
by Scott on July 17, 2015 in Dallas, Economy, Fort Worth, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Texas
Much of the chatter in the business lobby over the past few days suggests that Facebook executives were not happy at all with Tea Party Sen. Konni Burton’s argument that the state needs to “stop throwing our tax dollars to big business.” In this op-ed, the Republican from Colleyville argued that the City of Fort […]
AUDIO Flashback: Dan Patrick vs Ted Cruz
by Scott on March 23, 2015 in Audio, Dan Patrick, Politics, Tea Party, Texas, Uncategorized
As mentioned on the West Texas Drive this afternoon, here is the audio of then-Sen. Dan Patrick and Sen. Ted Cruz on Patrick’s radio show in Houston. This was during the GOP primary in 2012. The two really get into it about the way the Texas Senate operated under former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Tweet […]
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Scott Braddock is a journalist and political analyst based in Austin.
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