Don't Overreact to Texas House Medicaid Shenanigans

Sigh, of course they did.

Last night, during the budget debate, Texas House Republicans played a dangerous game with Medicaid expansion.  Thankfully, they backed down before they did any damage.  The true colors of the Republican caucus in the Texas State House are, yet again, on display to anyone paying attention.

That being said, there is too much doom and gloom today; while many are guilty, this hysterical post from Erick Erickson at Redstate takes the cake:

Late Thursday afternoon, the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives took the first step toward capitulation on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. A few hours later, the amendment directing the Texas state healthcare bureaucracy to start preparing for the expansion was reconsidered and rescinded after a handful of conservatives scrambled to rescue the situation — but the fact that it passed at all is a wake-up call.

Here’s the bottom line: Texas is closer to caving on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion than people realize. It’s no surprise that Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, elected with the votes of Democrats and liberal Republicans, would let this happen.

.....

There’s no excuse for this happening in Texas. It’s time for Texas conservatives — and their conservative Governor — to wake up and take the reins before the 83rd Texas Legislative session spirals completely out of control.

Everyone needs to calm down.  Nothing new happened last night.  We've known that Joe Straus sucks for quite some time.  That Texas House Republicans are a bunch of cowards also isn't news.  While the Texas Senate and the Governor leave us cautiously optimistic, conservatives have known we would have to fight tooth and nail in the House since the beginning of the session.

So what, pray tell, is new here?!?

Also, for the record, Rick Perry outlined his Medicaid alternative at CPAC.

People need to pace themselves.  The real work of the session happens in May.  Wasting energy on a tempest in an April teapot won't accomplish anything.  It's a beautiful day in Austin.  Enjoy your weekend.

Update: Erickson has backed off from the Ledge.

Comptroller Susan Combs: John Galt is Alive and Well and He's Living in Texas

Great CPAC panel featuring Texas Comptroller Susan Combs: Has Atlas Shrugged?!? Business in Obama's America:

Highlights:

• Technology has altered the pace of change.
• Overwhelms Centralized Bureaucracy

• Small Businesses innovate 11x faster than Big Businesses.

• Under Obama, fewer small businesses have been formed and more have failed than at any time in 40 years.

• Big business and big labor can navigate big government; small business cannot.

• We spend more money on education than any other country for worse results.

• Susan Combs:
• "John Galt is alive and well and he's living in Texas."
• Some parts of the Federal government (like the EPA) just don't like successful people.
• Texas has a diversified economy.
• We love to sue the federal government in Texas
• Big government is not your friend if you're a risk taker.

• Jeanette Prenger
• Her current Health Care bill is $21,000 per month; under Obamacare it will go up to $58,000.

By Popular Demand: Governor Rick Perry -- CPAC 2013

Governor Perry gave a barnburner of a speech today in Washington where he also tipped his hand about the coming fight in Texas over Medicaid:

Highlights:

• Releasing dangerous foreign nationals into the United States and blaming the sequester was a 'federally sponsored jailbreak.'

• "There's nothing free that comes from Washington."
• Me: Amen to that!!!

• "All we have is a promise from a Federal Government that apparently can't afford to lock up dangerous criminals."

• After repeating his unwavering opposition to expanding Medicaid under Obamacare, Governor Perry then laid out his alternative in more detail than I've heard before:
• Patient-Centered Reforms
• Flexibility for States to Innovate
• Higher co-pays for Medicaid services to discourage overconsumption
• Asset tests for Medicaid benefits.
• HSA's for the poor.

•  "We care about the Health of our citizens more than Washington."

• On Economic Growth: "It just so happens that balanced budgets and one of the lowest tax and spending burdens in the nation corresponds with our #1 ranking when it comes to jobs created."

• We don't believe growing government grows the economy.

Hating Breitbart: RightOnline Sneak Preview

OK, I'm not gonna lie, this looks AMAZING:

CPAC Texas Debrief

In case you were unaware, I went to the first annual CPAC Texas this past weekend; these are my takeaways:

1) Tea Party 2.0 -- The 2012 version of the Tea Party might not have the street presence of the 2009/10 version, but it's much better organized, much better focused, and it has a much more realistic picture of how to win elections.  There are more establishment GOPers getting primary challenges across Texas than any point since the GOP became the undisputed majority party with Dubya's election as Governor in 1994.  It's difficult to predict how many will win in 2012, but I can confidently say that by 2014 and 2016 Tea Party 3.0 and 4.0 will control the Republican nominating process in Texas.

2) Ted Cruz -- I had a ten minute conversation with him; Ted gets it.  Ted understands that, no matter what happens at the Presidential level, Congress can drive the agenda so long as the Jim DeMint's et. al. of the U.S. Senate get another 6-7 re-enforcements.  Ted is actually a step ahead of me in terms of understanding how dangerous Obama's czars and commissions really are and the steps needed to unwind and abolish them (defunding and legislative repeal).

3) San Antonio -- This is really a subcategory of Tea Party 2.0, but San Antonio is where you will see the Texas Tea Party flex our muscles in the coming months.  The speaker of the Texas State House, a man named Joe Straus, is an epic level RINO.  Straus is being challenged in the primary by a man named Matt Beebe.  I had a long conversation with Matt on Friday night (at least 45 mins).  Matt's everything we're looking for in a representative.  I personally pleged to Matt that I would knock on at least 200 doors for him before election day.  On the other hand, Straus has never had to run in a contested election, let alone a primary.  The tea party will end Straus' political career.

Where this gets interesting, however, is that Straus' Texas House district has substantial overlap with U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith's district.  Obviously, final U.S. house district lines haven't yet been resolved, but this is an obvious opportunity to take out two birds with one stone.  Lamar Smith, in case you didn't know, voted FOR TARP, voted FOR Obama's debt ceiling increase, and he's the author of SOPA.

4) 2010 election shenanigans in Travis County -- Lloyd Doggett DIDN'T win his last election.  In a normal midterm year, Travis County precincts average 46% turnout.  In 2010, a heavy turnout midterm, they averaged 51%.  Doggett got over the top via 60 precincts in the most heavily Democrat parts of Travis County.  The precinct in which I live allegedly had 95% turnout; since I live there, I can promise you that didn't happen.

5) The utter collapse of the Texas Democrat Party -- There are 150 seats in the Texas State House.  62 didn't have Democrats even FILE.  Ouch.

I hope this helps.