Some of you may remember Texas state senator/shock-jock Dan Patrick as the man who once proposed curtailing abortion by encouraging women to sell their babies giving $500 tax credits to women who choose adoption instead. Yesterday, Patrick announced the formation of the state senate’s Tea Party Caucus, a sort of Lone Star State answer to the group Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann formed in July.
It’s more or less what you’d expect: Caucus members are required to sign the “Pledge With Texans” (pdf), a Contract with America-style agreement that blends the impossible, the absurd, and the absurd once more: Balance the budget…while cutting taxes; selectively assert Texas’ 10th Amendment rights; fight voter fraud by making it harder to vote. All well and good—up until the last plank: “I pledge to advance, support, and vote for legislation that lawfully protects Texas and Texans from the fiscal and social costs of illegal immigration.”
That’s really what this is about. Conservatives are going to win a lot of seats in a lot of different places this year by making promises—like repealing the Affordable Care Act and slashing the deficit—that they simply won’t be able to make good on, either because it’d be extraordinarily unpopular, or because it’s just bad for business. Immigration, as Texas Monthly‘s Nate Blakeslee explains quite well (subscription), is the fight Texas Republicans really don’t want. Or rather, it’s the fight the party’s ultra-influential donors, like homebuilder and Swift Boater Bob Perry, really, really don’t want. But Patrick and his frustrated allies are crashing toward a confrontation with his party’s establishment. From Blakeslee:
[Top lobbyist] Bill Miller said the party’s big moneymen were watching closely, however quiet they may seem. “If they see this thing getting any traction,” he said, “they’ll pick up the phone and they’ll make it unmistakable where they’re coming from on this issue, which is, Are you guys out of your mind?”
As Texas Tribune notes, Perry’s poured $66 million into conservative causes in the last decade—$28 million of that in Texas, and $2.5 million of that to Republican Governor-for-life Rick Perry (no relation); he’s not likely to sit on the sidelines if his business seems threatened. This is one to watch.
On a related note, if you haven’t already, definitely check out Suzy Khimm’s piece on the immigration hawks likely to get swept into office next week.
