WED brief 10.27.21
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Today’s Stories
MATT KRAUSE is using his perch atop the General Investigation Committee to look into the indoctrination of kids.
Specifically, Rep. Krause appears to be looking for books and curriculum used in Texas public schools pushing Critical Race Theory or hyper-sexualization.
Criticism from the left was quick and unsurprisingly unimaginative. Take, for instance, the critique that Krause hasn't read all 850 books he’s inquiring about, so he lacks the standing to see if they’re being used. Goofy stuff from the permanent B-team.
Democrats, to the degree they’re seriously complaining about this being a “witch-hunt,” lack self-awareness and perspective on the majority of their party’s activity.
Krause’s conquest comes on the heels of a Tarrant County educator being reprimanded for telling a student to conceal books in the classroom library from her parents.
An investigation is warranted and needed based on teachers not even hiding the fact they intend to keep pushing the intentionally divisive curriculum.
The mental health of kiddos is in decline, directly attributable to the poor handling of COVID by many American adults and the increasingly unhinged behavior of adults on the subject of race in school, racial tensions weaponized to defeat the bad orange man.
The left suggesting Krause is overreacting to CRT in K-12 education is untrue, and the freakout to preserve CRT’s entrenchment by progressives betrays its cancerous design.
While lawmakers and parents ought to know what is being taught in Texas, this move by Krause happens as he runs for higher office. Like James White over the past week, Krause is seizing on a relevant issue to make waves.
KEITH SELF is challenging Van Taylor in Collin County’s CD-3. This is one to watch.
Taylor was widely respected during his time in the Texas legislature. Since being elected to Congress, however, he has faded into irrelevance. With a tip of the hat to Paul Burka, the term “furniture” seems apt.
Recently, however, Taylor joined the GOP establishment to support a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that contained mandated red flag laws and for women to register for the draft.
This is the NDAA that Pat Fallon supported and Chip Roy opposed. Taylor (intelligently less vocal) voted with Fallon but flew under the radar. Sources indicated Dan Crenshaw orchestrated Taylor’s vote, but that’s speculative.
Therein lies the rub of Self’s challenge.
For his part, Self is strongly positioned. A well-regarded former county judge (of course, an executive position in Texas), Self has both the accumulated name ID from a decade in county politics and a solidly conservative record. This stands in potentially stark contrast to an incumbent calling for women to be drafted.
One note of caution on Self: On his campaign website, Self calls for forensic audits of Texas elections. That’s fine, so far as it goes. But it’s a state issue, not federal.
If Self wants to promote forensic audits in Texas, he needs to run for the Texas legislature (there’s certainly a need in Collin County). The feds should not be mandating election procedures, even preferred election procedures.
Self’s misguided (but political) promotion of this issue isn’t a fatal flaw, but it may suggest an intellectual slovenliness that could rear its head at inopportune times.
Two and a half cheers.
THIRD COURT OF APPEALS rules against Ken Paxton over a complaint by alleged whistleblowers. This would be the same third court of appeals that flipped Democrat in 2018. To suspect politics is at play understates the matter.
These allegations have been in the public eye for a year without Paxton being charged with a crime. It’s almost like this is a political strategy designed to give Paxton bad headlines with no chance to clear his name.
Charge Paxton...or get off the pot.
ELLEN TROXCLAIR is becoming a liberated woman.
The latest iteration of the smear campaign discussed last week involves unsolicited text messages sent by a shell PAC linked to Murphy-Nasica. They’re embarrassingly juvenile. Then again, as the mother of a two-year-old, Troxclair is likely familiar with such behavior.
This comes after the Texas Senate surgically carved her out of a seat for which she had previously been running; the ruling class has twice sent Troxclair (between redistricting and smear campaign) the message, “we don’t want you here.”
Troxclair today faces radically different incentives (and has a higher political ceiling) than she did a month ago. It’s unlikely to change much on the campaign trail, but if Troxclair prevails, recent establishment behavior could change her behavior in the Texas House.
It’s not a secret that there is a need for tactically intelligent, articulate, conservative leadership in that loathsome legislative body. While Jonathan Stickland served admirably for many years, his “hold ‘em/fold ‘em” decisions were often a subject of justified second-guessing.
A world where Ellen Troxclair plays the Ron DeSantis role could be powerful and would be catnip to suburban women. Troxclair, a political unicorn, has an extrapolated trajectory in 2030 or 2034, placing her at the top of the Texas political food chain.
Setting chromosomes aside, it’s been done before.
The SALEM CENTER at UT AUSTIN has resumed holding in-person events post-pandemic.
Yesterday featured illuminating discussions of voter irrationality and the perverse incentives facing higher education institutions. This is the vanguard of a laudable effort to bring intellectual diversity to the famously far-left campus (that seems to be driving all of the right people insane).
Hook Em.
Hit the Links
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez switching districts in 2022
Double vaxxed Dallas Mayor gets COVID (get well, Eric)
Texas Schools hemorrhaging students and teachers
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