CAPITOL LETTERS

After being absent all day, guess what finally draws Craddick to the dais???

No, not Jim Dunnam.

Jim Leininger.

Or actually, a tough fight over the budget bill that bans spending money on vouchers. The House says 128-9 to ban spending on school vouchers, and the conference committee has decided to strip it out.

Rep. Jim Dunnam was grilling Beverly Woolley about his whereabouts, was he planning on coming to the dais at all, so he could ask Craddick why this is happening.

Woolley said she didn't know where he was, tried to answer the questions as best as they can, and then Craddick appeared back at the mic.

Relief.

Woolley's been valiantly holding the gavel all day, declaring amendments "acceptable to Arthur," whoever he is - or, in his absence, the over-corrective "waugh-ther."

It's a tongue-twisting job, but someone has to do it.