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Congressional Republicans Give Hutchison Cover On Halting Resignation Plans
Check out this post: http://capitolannex.com/2010/03/25/congressional-republicans-give-hutchison-cover-on-halting-resignation-plans/) Will Kay Bailey Hutchison resign her seat in the U.S. Senate? Not on your life. Why? Because her own party is working to give her as much cover as possible so she doesn’t have to. First, it was Texas Governor Rick Perry, who came out and said Hutchison should complete her term just days after he defeated her in the GOP Primary for governor. Now, Republicans in Congress are walking down the same path:
Texas’ 20 Republican U.S. House members are urging Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to set aside plans to resign. In a letter that became public Tuesday, they offer an outpouring of affection as she regroups from her stinging defeat in the gubernatorial primary. “It’s not the time to have a senator who’s just doing on-the-job training,” said Rep. Joe Barton of Arlington, the senior House Republican from Texas. Barton crafted the letter, and rounded up signatures during Sunday’s health care debate in the House, with help from Rep. Kenny Marchant of Coppell. The letter reflects the uncertainty about Hutchison’s plans and the tremors she would trigger by resigning with 33 months left in her term. It also helps offer a face-saving way to set aside her vow to resign after the March 2 primary, win or lose, once the health care debate ends. “This is not a ‘political cover’ letter. It’s not a grandstanding letter,” Barton said. “Texas needs her. There are many qualified people who could be a senator from Texas – myself included – but I don’t think any of us are ready to step in and immediately be as effective as she is now.”A Washington, D.C. source with close ties to the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee told Capitol Annex Thursday that the groundswell is no accident, and that it is a carefully orchestrated effort encouraged by state and national GOP leaders who don’t want to spend millions defending a senate seat in Texas in the middle of the 2010 election cycle—when that money is desperately needed elsewhere. Republicans, of course, realize Hutchison has to “save face” given that she has made the resignation promise several times—although she’s changed the timeline more often than a Nieman Marcus changes its window displays. The Perry remark and Congressional letter are reportedly part of the effort to help Hutchison save face enough to allow her to eventually announce she will stay through the remainder of her term. Former Texas Comptroller John Sharp is the favored Democratic contender for the Senate seat if Hutchison were to resign early. On the Republican side, a litany of candidates from Railroad Commissioners Michael L. Williams and Elizabeth Ames Jones down to former Secretary of State and used car dealer Roger Williams have expressed that they’ll seek the post if and when Hutchison steps down.
