Pandemonium
The long simmering House erupted. Wow. Vesuvian.
It began with Jim Dunnam asking Tom Craddick how the membership could go about unseating him. Craddick replied that he wouldn't recognize anyone to make such a motion.
Stunned silence.
That's not what the Parliamentarian and precedent had seemed to say. The chair has the power to "recognize" folks to make motions, such as to bring up a bill or ask a question. But some motions are more special than others. Privileged, they're called. And a privileged motion, everybody seemed to think, has to be recognized. And vacating the chair, throwing their presiding officer out, is such a privileged motion. Or so they thought.
So here's the interesting thing: can a speaker remain in power simply by refusing to call on anyone who wants to get rid of him?
The parliamentary inquiries went back and forth for awhile. Craddick said his refusal to recognize someone could not be appealed. It was final.
Then he recessed and retreated into his office. Everyone believes that he has some supporters who are out and about, attending the graduations of their sons and daughters, and Craddick went to call them to tell them to get back to the House. Quick. He's supposedly even arranging planes.
He returned to the dais. There were more questions. And so he cut them off, banged the gavel and recessed again until 11 pm, presumably when more of his peeps would be in attendance.
The House went wild. Screaming. Yelling. "I object!" Craddick left anyway.
Stay tuned.
Comments
What rules say the house as to meet in the capitol? Can Tom and his buddies sneak on a plane, fly to some undisclosed location, and declare the house back in session in a meeting room inside a Motel 6? He needs to stick it to these traitors.
Posted by: Andy | May 25, 2007 10:01 PM
Absolute absurdity. Dunnam and the Democrat caucus should be ashamed of ignoring children, the elderly and the great Texans of this state in an attempt to dethrone the speaker with 3 days left.
What an embarrassment.
Posted by: P. | May 25, 2007 10:09 PM