House has monopoly on dysfunction? Pshaw!
Welcome to the Texas Senate, Karen!
This is Bob Garrett, filling in for Terry Stutz as the Senate does its darnedest to detract attention from the Team Craddick meltdown at the Capitol's West End.
It seems somebody in Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's office did a no-no today. The Dewmeister just popped out of the Betty King Room, where Democrats have been huddled since noon. He looked like a man who had just made an apology. He told reporters that his staff some 2 hours ago shouldn't have issued a provocative letter under his name that called Democratic tactics "an outrage against all Americans."
Said Mr. Dewhurst: "I didn't say that at all. ... [A] statement went out that I had not approved and we’re going to correct that."
The background: At 12:32 p.m., the Dewhurst press shop issued a letter on yesterday's blockade by Senate Democrats of the voter ID bill.
"I think this is an outrage against all Americans," Mr. Dewhurst's letter says.
Responded Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas: "I’m just as American as he is."
The now-inoperative Dewhurst letter says the Democrats apparently don't believe in "one person, one vote." It rebukes Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, saying he "gamed the voting process" on Tuesday by first walking out, hoping to stall, then rushing back to the Senate floor and pitching a fit when his vote wasn't counted.
The letter adds some torque as it sinks the blade: Mr. Whitmire, it says, "cursed and tried to make himself a victim."
But, whoops, retract that, Mr. Dewhurst now advises us.
The Senate's fine and will shortly show us its internal dynamic is comity, he predicted. "I’m proud of the Senate. We all, all 32 of us are close friends. And you’ll see that today."