Rick Casey rehashes the recent gossip about Kay running for guv because she's tired of the commute to DC.

What are we to make of this?

That Perry supporters are making up conversations out of whole cloth?

...

I've also assumed that Hutchison is considering running for governor because it is no fun being a moderate-to-conservative Republican in a Congress where the tone is set by the likes of Dick Cheney, Bill Frist and Tom DeLay.

Come to think of it, these guys don't look like they're having fun either, and they're in power.

In fact, the only one having fun in Washington these days is Jon Stewart of The Daily Show, and he's in New York.

Wanting to return to Texas not only shows healthy maternal instincts on Hutchison's part, but it also shows a certain amount of sanity.

Of course, the implication of Perry supporter Brannon's report of her alleged conversation with Hutchison is that the only reason she wants to be governor is to have more time with her children.

That's why I'm puzzled by the response of her spokesman.

The better reply, it seems to me, would be for Hutchison to say, "Of course I would like to be in Texas with my children. But I'm also concerned about state leadership that appears to be failing children regarding both schools and health care. If I decide to run for governor, it will be because I think I can do a better job for all Texas children."

It wouldn't satisfy some religious conservatives who think all mothers should be at home, but it sure would resonate with a lot of working middle-class mothers who have seen their schools tighten their belts because of state funding cutbacks.

And after all, if Hutchison decides to run for governor it will be a wager that suburban mothers and fathers who care about schools and health care outnumber members of the starve-the-government right, even in the Republican primary.

Yawn. This column seemed like a space filler.
- posted @ 6:31 AM permalink