Straus Blusters Nervously

"He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,
Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
Proverbs 29:1

[Author's Note: Readers who are unfamiliar with reading body language can read a decent primer for how to discern nervousness here.]

Joe Straus gave a fascinating interview at U.T. last week.  In the interview, Straus made his typical promises to thwart the will of Texas' voters, but displayed a nervousness we haven't seen previously.  He clearly knows his days are numbered:



Highlights:

• "For me, the agenda doesn't change a whole lot from session to session."
• Author's note: WOW, if that one soundbite doesn't epitomize everything wrong with legacy GOP crony-insiderdom, we don't know what does.
• "...and I don't think it has in the Texas House either."

• "Start the list with public education...."
• If that's not a Democrat line, we don't know what is.

• Praises Aycock's clandestine committee.

• Wants the lege to "get in front of the courts" on school finance.

• "I don't have any indication that there's been a major shift away from...." House's previous stance on school choice.

• Nervously sips water at 8:07; plays with hands at 8:15.

• "I haven't really asked" re: in-state tuition.
• Uses Rick Perry as political cover.
• Says illegals "played by the rules" which has to qualify as one of the most laughable statements of all time.

• "You can't just legislate based on campaign slogans."
• Translation: It's ok to lie to voters to get elected, but you can't actually implement the agenda you campaigned on.

• Nervous body language at 11:08.

• Facetouch at 11:48.

• "Demand hasn't dropped off for Higher Education" re: Tuition dereg repeal.

• "Research in Higher education."

• Gigantic FU to Abbott and Patrick starting at 19:00.

• Crony "Debt relief."
• Translation: Pay down credit card balances without reforming the spending practices that got us into this situation in the first place.

• Nervous gulp at 22:08

• Straus pleas for measuring the effectiveness of border spending would ring a lot less hollow if he applied that standard to any other issue.

• "Detail oriented" leadership.

• Even on licensed open carry: "Details matter."

• BiPartisanship: "That's a good thing."

• "If you  work within the system we've created the last few years, you can get a lot done by being positive and productive and...umm...working with other people."
• Name one conservative issue (besides pro-life, where Rick Perry put his foot down) where this approach has yielded results at any point in Straus' tenure.

• Answer on breakfasts was very revealing.

• Borderline endorsement of Abbott's U.T. nominees.

• Henson's comment at 47:35 is the ultimate insider "tell."