Left of College Station

Even though the Texas Republican primary is still about a year away, the race for Governor is already well underway.

Last week former Vice Presidential candidate and current Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin endorsed Governor Rick Perry; this rings as strangely ironic since only a few months ago during the Presidential campaign Palin misquoted former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to suggest why women should support her candidacy for Vice President.

“There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't support other women.”

Whether or not Palin’s endorsement of Governor Perry will help his campaign remains to be seen, although primary voters in Texas Republican primaries tend to be dominated by the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Vince from Capitol Annex breaks down Palin’s affect on the GOP primary:

Hutchison’s only chance to win the GOP Primary–typically dominated by Christian conservatives–is to attract new voters to the primary. That means she’ll be doing her best to get Democrats, liberal Republicans who don’t vote in the GOP Primary, and independents into the primary. For Democrats who may cross over, Palin is poison, and it will turn both Democrats and independents away from Perry. It will, however, probably a wash for liberal Republicans who aren’t typical GOP Primary voters.

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had some sharp criticism for both Governor Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst; according to an  article in the Austin American-Statesmen Hutchison said that Perry and Dewhurst showed bad judgment.

“The letter that was written the night before the hearing was not well thought out. And I think that it might have spurred some insensitive remarks that were made. And I think it was kind of a set up, and I think it was wrong.”

Then there is the story line for what could be the possible narrative for the primary: Austin vs. Washington. 

While Hutchison has been critical of and will probably not vote for the economic stimulus and recovery bill that is currently in the United States Senate, Hutchison has stated in the same Austin American-Statesmen article that Texas should accept money from the bill:

“If Texas makes the decision to turn it down even if it passes, it would be a huge mistake. It would not be right when we have so many needs for transportation in Texas.”

Although Governor Perry is opposed to the economic stimulus and recovery bill he has said through a spokesperson that “Texans deserve their fair share.” However, even if Governor Perry did not accept or request money from the stimulus and recovery bill there are previsions that would allow the Texas State Legislature to bypass the Governor. According to an article in the Dallas Morning News:

U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., added the gubernatorial-bypass language, which says that if a governor doesn't request the money within 45 days, a legislature can accept it by passing a resolution.

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, likes that arrangement.

"My understanding is that the Congress worked with members of the House here to make sure that language in the stimulus bill and what we're doing here are consistent," Straus said last week. "I don't see a problem with it at all."

The Austin vs. Washington narrative is going to be formed over the next year, and the direction of the story is going to be largely created by external factors and how Perry and Hutchison react to them.

Perry does not appear to posses the political expediency that some Republican governors seem to have; Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist will introduce President Barack Obama in Fort Myers, Florida tomorrow. Embracing the economic stimulus and recovery package seems like a smarter and easier route to take, as opposed to being opposed to the bill with the right hand while accepting the check with the left. Although with Texas possibly receiving nearly $40 billion dollars I think I would have both hands extended.