By: Shelley Kofler, KERA NEWS
Tea Party Led Coalition Wants To Be Voice of Texas GOP s Republican Party.
KERA’s Shelley Kofler traveled to a Greenville rally where five of the state’s most influential, conservative groups urged their voters to “retire” more sitting Republicans on May 27.
In a strip mall meeting room, outfitted with rows of folding chairs, the head of the state’s largest pro-life group tells activists the enemy in Austin isn’t the Democrats- who they seldom agree with. It’s Republicans who haven’t delivered.
JIM GRAHAM: These guys work for us and if they don’t want to pass pro-life bills, tax cuts, home schooling bills they need to go home once and for all.
Texas Right to Life’s Jim Graham headlined the “Life Liberty and Property Rights” rally last week with top honchos from Texas Eagle Forum, Empower Texans, the Texas Homeschool Coalition and Grassroots America, a powerful tea party group run by Joann Fleming
JOANN FLEMING: “The one thing that scares the daylights out of the establishment ruling class in Austin, Texas is the Texas liberty movement and they have everything to be scared of.” JoAnn Fleming
Separately the groups use direct mail, election scorecards and extensive social media networks to promote their political endorsements. Combined Graham believes they may be the most potent conservative machine in Texas.
JIM GRAHAM: “We have demonstrated in the last election cycle we can remove very powerful entrenched incumbents when we work together for a common goal.”
Graham says the groups united to defeat longtime state senator John Carona of Dallas and Rep. Bennett Ratliff of Carrollton. They’ve backed Sen. Ken Paxton who finished first in the primary for attorney general. And they take credit for putting incumbent Lt Gov. David Dewhurst on the ropes as he tries to overtake their pick, Dan Patrick.
JOANN FLEMING: “What we’re looking for is true transparency”.
Tea party organizer Fleming says the groups are focused on preserving personal freedoms and limited government.
For voter Ben Davis that means less spending.
BEN DAVIS: “Not playing games about balancing the budget because the budget as was discussed tonight has grown my 26 percent.”
For Ray Myers it means controlling the border.
RAY MYERS: “They’re not all coming over here to work. They’re coming in our country we don’t know who they are. Terrorism is a very, very vital issue we must address. That scares me for my grandchildren.”
Les Roisum just wants some honesty.
LES ROISUM: “There’s backdoor money, underhanded politics going on, cronyism.”
SMU Political Science Professor Cal Jillson says the success of this coalition would create challenges in a growing state that will need to expand its highway system, develop water supplies and educate more children.
CAL JILLSON: “Institutional business friendly republican interests want to see some additional spending on education, access to healthcare but particularly on infrastructure We’re going to need additional resources to manage those problems. The tea party will not permit that to happen.” JoAnn Flemings response to that- find a way to pay for what’s necessary without increasing the budget.
JOANN FLEMINGS: “We have got to fire the fake conservatives in Austin,”
Shelley Kofler
KERA Managing Editor
Office: 214-740-9349
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