Chaos In Texas House Over Speaker Fight

Embattled GOP Leader Faces Skirmishes From "Insurgents" Within Own Party To Remove Him From Post

(CBS/AP)  As insurgents continued to press the parliamentary issues, Craddick attempted to move forward with bills, saying "some members would like to go on with the state's business."

Craddick threw up a roadblock to his opponents when he told a Democrat that an effort to unseat him would be impossible under the House rules.

To oust Craddick before his term is up, a lawmaker must make a parliamentary maneuver known as a motion to vacate, and a majority of the House must vote in favor of it.

It's called a privileged motion, and a lawmaker must be recognized by the speaker before he or she may speak to the House to make such a motion. The issue Friday night was whether Craddick was obligated to allow lawmakers to speak if they wanted to.

The meltdown Friday started when Democratic Rep. Jim Dunnam questioned Craddick about the parliamentary procedure. Craddick made it clear that he would not necessarily recognize someone to make that request and he was adamant that his ruling could not be appealed.

A short time later, Smith asked Craddick if he ignored Davis' advice when he made the ruling.

"I looked over and asked her and I don't know if she agreed or didn't agree," Craddick responded.

"Did you or did you not ignore the advice of Denise Davis?" Smith asked.

"It's a privileged conversation between the two of us," Craddick said.

A short time later, Craddick called one of two recesses and retreated to his office.

As business was put on hold, there were uncofirmed reports that efforts were underway to fly Craddick supporters back to Austin.

When the Speaker recessed business until 11 p.m., the mood of nervous House members turned ugly.

One screamed, "This is America. We don't do things like this here."

Smith said Davis had told him earlier in the day Craddick had to recognize lawmakers' privileged motions.

Smith said that when Craddick ruled the opposite way, Davis told him, "I'm resigning and Chris is going with me."

Davis wouldn't comment as she bounded up the stairs behind the chamber to her office, nearly in tears. "I'm not going to talk about that," she repeatedly said.

A woman with Davis slammed the door and turned the lock to keep out reporters. Later, Davis returned to the chamber, visibly flustered. One Democratic lawmaker approached her and demanded a written ruling on the parliamentary questions.

"I'm not here to defend the chair," she told him, before agreeing to get him the response in the morning.

In the statement announcing Davis' resignation, Craddick's office said he'd sought a wide range of legal opinions on the "intricate and complicated constitutional issues" he'd been presented in the past several days and in some cases has put a higher premium on that counsel."

"As a result, Denise has resigned and has asked to be transferred," the statement added. "The Speaker will be complying with her wishes."

[toldyouso21]

This is really scary. We are falling apart, but like a rotted out raft in the middle of an ocean, we are loathe to believe it until the entire thing just collapses around us.

Texas--the home of Bush and the start of his political career--notoriously known for their gerrymandering for votes. Now this. And what will we do if such craziness erupts in Washington?

Picture this: The Democrats trying to initiate a vote on something, and Bush and the GOP ignoring the rules and having the GOP laden DOJ, hold them all back.....mayhem. The only reason that rules ever work---is that reasonable people adhere to them.

We have entered the age of little to no reason.

[homespunlady]

Does this prove Bushit rolls downhill or does it mean since Bush claims Texas rather than his Northeastern Nazi banker Prescott Bush roots that corruption rises to the top.
Either way this type of ignoring Parliamentary procedure is despicable.
Obviously if tis man DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO BE CONDEMNED FOR he wouldn't have BROKEN THE RULES.
You don't have BOTH the Parliamentarian and the backup Parliamentarian QUIT unless they have been rendered USELESS DUE TO THE RULES BEING TOTALLY TOSSED OUT by the Speaker!!!

[gerbziler]

To: forthepeopl1

"ITMILLIONS"

"TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY"

"WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED"

"AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP"

"WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR.."

"ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION "

"if the american NOW dont stand up"

"we will finnish it now.."

"everyone in washington can sit there and thinks"

1. From the ridiculous English mistakes you made, you can not possibly be an american. In fact, you sound very much like you are from the middle-east. You are fooling no one but yourself.

2. If anyone, whether an american or a two-bit nut-case foreign terrorist like yourself, tries to start a "COOP", I, along with about 50 million other americans, will personally blow their worthless heads off.

[toldyouso21]

Soon, Bush may face the same type of insurgency within his own ranks--when the Sharks in the GOP smell their own blood in the water and realize they have been feeding on themselves.

[agnim]

"I all this time I thought the "insurgents" were in Iraq. No wonder we can't get anything done, we don't know who the heck we are fighting.
Posted by mikealford3 at 04:48 PM : May 26, 2007"

LOL

Can you imagine, adopting the name given to the enemies. Confusion reigns. LOL

[forthepeopl1]

JULY 21 2007 IS WHEN AMERICANS WILL BE FREE AGAIN

EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP WITH THIS SHOULD BE TALKING TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS AND TELLING THEM THAT AMERICANS ARE READY TO TAKE WASHINGTON ON AND ITS NOT A FEW AMERICANS ITMILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WILL TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY..

I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY BLOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUR COUNTRY BACK TO WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED.

AM A VET AND AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP IF WE THE PEOPLE DONT DO THIS NOW WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR..

DAVID A BELANGER,VET US ARMY,[e-mail]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION


they cant kill millions of americans at once so if we charge them all at once we will win and take them out and hang them all..

just like in the old days of the west...hang them from the trees in front of the whitehouse and see how many start telling the truth about what they have done to all us americans..


if the american NOW dont stand up and start a NATIONAL REVOUTION ON THIS WASHINGTON BULL S/H/I/T/ THEN we as TRUE AMERICANS can say nothing!!!

its time to take all this *** and take our government back now..

they are the ones that started this and we will finnish it now..we the people will take our country back and everyone in washington can sit there and thinks we the people are ok with what they are doing..go ahead and let them think that we are comming to take them out

[howardbeale2]

This is a poorly written, misleading article overall. Please hire some editors to review articles for clarity and bias before they are submitted to the public. Is that too difficult for mainstream news to do anymore?

[howardbeale2]

This is a poorly written, misleading article overall. Please hire some editors to review articles for clarity and bias before they are submitted to the public. Is that too difficult for mainstream news to do anymore?

[mcvet]

I find it very funny that so many in todays world find this to be something different. Any child of the 60's knows what Southern Fascism is all about and Texas is a very good example. Majority Rule is something Southern Fascist have never understood so they set out to create their Own "Majority" and anyone who doesn't want to be part of it is intimidated and battered into compliance. Hitler and the Third Reich have NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING on Southern Fascist. They are the best ever at being "Superior". Sieg Heil Y'all.

[brianbwb-2009]

Journalists are supposed to be unbiased sources of information, except when editorializing a subject. They are supposed to understand the English language and the definitions of the words they use to provide the information. When a non-military political disagreement becomes an "insurgency", or a rocket fired into a US military base becomes "terrorism", the credibility of the journalist is immediately nullified, as the report then becomes an "untruth" i.e., a lie.

Mr. Bush calls the resistance to US occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq terrorism when, by definition this is an intentional lie. When the journalists trumpet his pronouncements without question, they become complicit in the lie.
Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation is also not "terrorism" if and when the attacks are against military targets.

Please, to all pro journalists, stop allowing the misuse of language by those with agendas to pass unquestioned into your stories as if they were truth, they are not. One can see by the blogs all over the news organizations that many believe the lies of those in power, because the truth is not brought out by the press. Is there not something in the code of responsible journalism against this?

[y2k4life1]

Embattled GOP Leader Faces Skirmishes From "Insurgents" Within Own Party To Remove Him From Post

Are we not all Americans regardless of race, belief and/or if you are a democrate, republican, green party, purple party.

We are all Americans, Once someone and of all things CBS start to label fellow americans as "Insurgents" I think I have some radical group on our soil that don't want to be Americans a blow us up.

CBS please respect your fellow American unless you guys and gals are the realy "Insurgents" starting some riot.

Here if you go to google and do a define: insurgents or go to wikipedia

An insurgency is an armed rebellion by any irregular armed force that rises up against an established authority, government, or administration. Those carrying out an insurgency are insurgents . Insurgents conduct sabotage and harassment. Insurgents usually are in opposition to a civil authority or government primarily in the hope of improving their condition.

CBS where is the Armed force you idiots watch you words, to be in such a position and treat your fellow Americans like that. Where is your dignity? Are you not Americans?
I'm not saying you wrong but could you not use better word, not that "Insurgents" and "insurgency" takes on such a conitation as suicide bombers? Funny why even put it in quotes to get a rise from it?

[Keypinitreel1]

If Democrats and Independents...really want to make waves.. they would focus more on Texas. They have New York,Illinois and California... Texas is a Democrat stronghold waiting to happen... If Texas Turns Blue we would never have to worry about the Likes of George Bush again.

[Keypinitreel1]

Texas has the most corrupt political landscape of any state in the union.

I live here..and can tell you first hand... with voting machines going down during elections and gerrymandering...

There are a lot of reasons that this state which holds a majority minority population can not put a democrat in the senate and has such a strong conservative slant.

George Bush got his start here.... what do you expect. There are more just like him in the wings ...right here.

[likeitis5050]

Yeeeeehaaaaaaaaaa!!! Wild wild west down South...sounds just like the White House type politics we've had to contend with for going on 8 years! If it ain't good for the leader...well, it just ain't good for anyone and the decision is the same...STAY THE COURSE!!! It all makes sense now. I wonder if they were warned like the 50.9999% who voted for Bush....TWICE!!!! We'll see how well they learned their lesson come 2008. Pssst...I hear Bush might make a move to be elected again based on the fact he was awarded the presidency by the Supreme Court there by scooting past the 2 term provision....think it's true or just a hoax?


answer: it's a hoax...for now.

[lastdance2]

Democratic Insurgents ? ? ?

CBS News : Seems a bit - bias and prejudice
this weekend.

Well .... Thats what you get -
When trying to take - A well deserved and earned -
Long weekend off.

Then leaving behind the "Low Seniority"
to hold down the fort.

Where do you think that writer
is going to be working - come Tuesday morning ? ? ?

Lastdance

[cfin5]

randalDS....... I know enough of parliamentary RULES to understand that a house speaker can and does excercise tactics to his/her advantage from time to time according to their own rules. I am not confused concerning the attempted "USURPATION" of the speaker's podium by the dumbern'rats and neither was the House sergeants-at-arms.......Mr. Craddick did not just waltz in their and USURP the the speakers chair for three terms also. If those representatives have not figured out what kind of person the speaker is by now after they put him there three times then they never will........You need to add "understanding" to the knowledge you think you have by reading to much.

[undermyboot]

What a SURPRISE! A dictator Republican who thinks he is above the law! Representative government? Got to put a stop to that! What is this- El Salvador? Let's cut off the cancer on America that is Texas. Give'm back to Mexico. LMFAO

[fizzal-2009]

sounds like they should install seat belts on all the chairs and with a 153 billion dollar budjet nobody seems too have the money too send a bill too wherever them alliens are comming from for their benifits.

[rharrin1]

If you can't find a rope get a gun and shoot the SOB after all Texas law permits it as in cheney sniping the ole boy.

[randalds]

Mr. Craddick is the HOUSE SPEAKER, the others are not. If you can not participate according to the RULES, put your thumb in your mouth and then go home.......and don't let the screen door smack your behind on the way out either. We must live by the rules and not our popular feelings at the time. That creates anarchy.
Posted by cfin5 at 04:58 PM : May 26, 2007

So then you'd have no objections then if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi decides that no republican is ever allowed to speak in Congress again? Sounds good to me! BTW, you really have no idea how Parliamentary rules work, do you? Ya ought ta do some readin'!