#TXLEGE: Questions we'd ask Goldman and Israel if we were Evan Smith

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
1 John 4:1

Trib's holding an event tomorrow morning about the Texas house:

It’s the question everyone’s asking across the state — and at the Capitol. With the speakership up for grabs, big issues looming, and redistricting around the bend, Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith talks strategy and tactics with state Rep. Celia Israel of Austin, who’s leading the Democratic party’s efforts to regain the majority, and state Rep. Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, one of the Republicans tasked with retaining it.

This is an event we'd normally attend.  But the weather looks like it's going to suck.  And we want to take it easy on our knee.

But there are any number of questions that should be asked.

For Celia Israel:

• Why should anyone believe the Democrats are even remotely capable of picking up nine seats when y'all were too stupid to figure out that Gary Gates is a slumlord?!?

• Following y'all's debacle in Ft. Bend county, have you figured out that nobody cares about redistricting?!?

• It has now been two weeks since the GOP put Jim Frickin' Murphy in charge of cleaning up the Teacher Retirement System scandals.  Why have Democrats failed to exploit this debacle for political purposes?!?  Does this failure reflect poorly on your basic political competence?!?

For Craig Goldman:

• Why should anybody believe a word the Texas GOP says at this point?!?

For Both:

• Does it actually matter which party controls the Texas house next session?!?  Besides the details of whose donors get paid off more.  And how, specifically, you'll lie to voters.

• It's not exactly a secret that the Texas house is governed by a 'bi-partisan' blob of 120 or so members.
• Hint: Not really.

• What does the utter, total, and complete failure of ANY member of the Texas house (in either party) to condemn putting Jim frickin' Murphy in charge of cleaning up the Teacher Retirement System scandals say about the culture of the institution.?!?

• Should Poncho Nevarez receive a taxpayer funded pension for the rest of his life?!?

Bottom Line:  We'd LOVE to hear Craig Goldman and Celia Israel answer all of these.