Smithee Enters Race (Too Late)

It looks like the far right-wing underestimated the depth of opposition to their candidate for Speaker, Bob Craddick. Craddick had served three terms and seemed to have an uncanny ability to overcome any opposition to his election. The far-right element in the party evidently thought he could overcome any opposition again, but it's just not going to happen this time.

Sunday night, Craddick met with his supporters and it became obvious that there just weren't enough of them this time. He bowed to the inevitable and told his supporters he will withdraw his name from consideration. His dictatorial reign is finally over.

But what was the right-wing to do. They couldn't accept Rep. Joe Straus. After all, he's a moderate who listens to both sides of a question. The right-wingers can't have that because they are convinced that every question only has one side -- theirs.

So many of them talked Amarillo Rep. John Smithee (pictured) into tossing his hat into the ring. They thought maybe a nicer version of Craddick could save the day, and they could keep their stranglehold on the House. And it might have worked if they had done it a couple of weeks ago.

But right now it looks like too little too late. I'm sure they be trying to twist arms for the next week or so, but I think most of them really believe it's futile. Even the Panhandle's looniest legislator, Warren Chisum, admitted as much, when he told an Austin news crew "It's over.".

The fact is that Rep. Joe Straus already has as many as 94 public commitments, and he only needs 76 to win the speakership. I don't think there's any way the right-wing can peel off enough votes to elect Smithee.

This race is all over except for the shouting, and the shouting starts in a few days.

UPDATE -- Capitol Annex is reporting that Smithee has withdrawn from the speaker's race.