Herman: The Texas GOP. There’s no fight like a family fight. – Austin American-Statesman

These are encouraging days for Texas Democrats. Oh, theyre still the semi-lovable bunch that hasnt won a statewide race since prior to the turn of the century, and the party is coming off its most disappointing election cycle in many a cycle.

But the good news for folks in this bunch is that folks in the other bunch are fighting among themselves. As you might remember from family Thanksgivings (remember family Thanksgivings?) there's no fight quite like a family fight. They can be relatively destructive.

OK, lets check the GOP fight card as we see if the Republicans indeed are getting ready to rumble among themselves. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is not happy with Gov. Greg Abbott about post-freeze energy legislation. Patrick also seems crosswise with House Speaker Dade Phelan on this life-and-death topic.

Also, lots of Republicans remain upset with Abbott over his handling of COVID-19. Lots of Dems also are upset with Abbott over this, too, but for diametrically opposed reasons. The unhappy Repubs believe Abbott has been too restrictive. Just the opposite for Dems who are unhappy with the governor.

And now Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, whos been among the Republicans unhappy with Abbott over pandemic policy, is hauling Patrick and the entire GOP-controlled Texas Senate into court to challenge the Patrick-backed Senate rule requiring COVID-19 tests for anyone who wants to get into the Senate chamber, its upstairs gallery or committee hearings.

And on Thursday, Miller blasted out an email to supporters that included this: "Please contactGovernor Abbott at 512-463-2000 and ask him what he intends to do about the Chinese communist takeover of 180,000 acres of strategically sensitive Texas land because, right now, it looks like the answer is 'not much.'"

Also this week, as if we needed further evidence of the GOPs internecine unpleasantries, several Republicanshave formed a new organization aimed at steering the party away from what the new group sees as a self-destructive path. Its an intriguing effort that calls itself the Texas Republican Initiative and announced itself with a statement headlined, The Republican Party of Texas has lost focus, results could be detrimental to Texas.

Its a clear effort to overcome the influence gathered by a further-to-the-right wing that has nosed its way into leadership posts. The new group is "encouraging Republican voters to become more involved in the party, a nod to the notion that the party harbors a silent majority that should fear permanently losing the party to a noisy minority.

Former Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, who was an Abbott appointee in 2014, is president of the new group. Hes also a former Cameron County judge and now serves on the State Republican Executive Committee. He's also mulling a run for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville.

We must not be distracted by small, albeit vocal, groups that desire to pivot the partys focus to issues that are not representative of all Republicans, let alone most Texans, Cascos said in announcing the new initiative.

The groups veep is Cameron County GOP Chair Morgan Cisneros Graham, whoin the announcementreferred to growing concerns about the direction of the party. … TRI intends to address these concerns by focusing on the successes of Republicans, not by kicking out Republicans.

Graham also offered this damning analysis of the state of the state party: Currently, the Texas GOP has resorted to being a promotional vehicle for a handful of people to pursue bigger things versus a functional organization that is in charge of supporting and promoting Texas Republicans. Fundraising, outreach and basic organization have been ignored, which will result in Republican losses ... unless something is done.

Its a shot at Texas GOP Chair Allen West. Ill let you decide how veiled a shot it is. For his part, West is planning to be in Laredo on Friday to discuss legislative progress on the partys priority issues, which include election integrity, religious freedom, children and gender modification, abolition of abortion, constitutional carry of firearms without permits, monument protection, school choice for all and a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Brewing elsewhere on the GOP intramural front, indicted and embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called in out-of-state reinforcements for what he sees as a legislative battle (in a GOP-dominated Legislature) for funding for his office for what he clearly thinks is the highest and best purpose of a Texas attorney general.

My agency is better positioned than anyone in the country to beat the Biden agenda, he tweeted Wednesday. This natl network of conservative champions understands that. Fellow Texans: Ensure your legislator is FULLY RESOURCING my office. Any cuts are a loss for TX and in turn a loss for USA.

Ken Paxton, Americas last best hope.

Attached to the tweet was a letterfrom the Conservative Action Projectto Patrick, Phelan, Senate Finance Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, and House Appropriations Chair Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, to applaud the work Texas is doing to stand up for conservative causes nationwide. Much of this work has been done by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office has been a crucial force in protecting the country from government and constitutional overreach.

Any reduction to the Office of the Attorney Generals budget will result in tremendous harm to the state and nation, the out-of-staters told state budget writers. The cause of liberty and justice cannot afford that.

Among the signatories are former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese and other conservative stalwarts, including Kelly Shackelford of the First Liberty Institute and L. Brent Bozell III of the Media Research Center.

Now we wait to see how these battles play out. Im guessing Millers lawsuit against Patrick and the Senate will get dead-ended in a judicial branch that tends to be very hesitant to get involved in how the legislative branch does its thing. Andif the courts decide to rule on the merits of the lawsuit, I see a solid chance of a ruling that the COVID-19 restrictions are a reasonable response to an extraordinary situation.

Theres going to be plenty to keep an eye on as the legislative session progresses and the Repubs running the show navigate their differences as they position themselves for the next elections. The differences are so pronounced that Patrick recently pronounced this: One question I just want to make clear, because it's been in print because the media likes to do this: I am not running against Greg Abbott. OK? I'm not going to run against Greg Abbott.

The broader question confronted by the Texas GOP is the same one confronted by the national GOP. Is what we see now, including fringe rule focused on fringe issues, what were going to get for years to come from the Republicans?

Or, as the new Texas Republican Initiative seems to want, can it revert to being an important voice with important input on the real issues of the day?

Texas and America need the latter.

Excerpt from:

Herman: The Texas GOP. There's no fight like a family fight. - Austin American-Statesman