Texas’ top Republicans on the ropes after muffled storm



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A few weeks ago, it looked like Andrew Cuomo was on track to break a New York curse and serve a third term. But now, troubled by a Covid scandal, his political future seems less certain.

George Seay, who served as finance chairman for Perry’s 2012 presidential bid, has said he is opposed to “pointing fingers” at the storm response and believes Abbott is being unfairly attacked, but the current governor must take some responsibility for the situation.

“Leaders must say that not only is this unacceptable, not only is it a dereliction of duty to the citizens of Texas and their public safety and the common good, but we must admit this,” Seay said. “The governor is not an expert in electricity production, but he must raise his hand and say: ‘I am responsible for it’. It’s not fair to him, to be clear, but it’s his job.

Seay said Cruz’s decision to slip into Mexico – only to announce his return when information leaked and it drew strong criticism – would not hurt him as much as his role in opposing certification. from the Electoral College to Congress on January 6, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol.

“Does it focus on issues centered on the good of Texas?” Not really. It focuses on the 2024 presidential bid and political machinations, ”Seay said. “The circular firing squads and blame-seeking that we see are not helpful.”

Democrats, meanwhile, took the opportunity to confront the Republican leadership in Texas with the administration of President Joe Biden, who quickly offered full federal aid and has already launched plans to modernize infrastructure, combat the climate change and expand the use of renewable energies.

“Whether it’s Abbott’s failed response or Cruz’s abandonment of our state, we shouldn’t be handing the responsibility of government over to people who don’t believe in government. They fail us every time, ”said former Federal Housing Secretary Julián Castro, a Democrat who is considering an offer against Abbott or Cruz.

Cruz’s short-circuited trip to Cancun made him the biggest target of them all. His habit of attacking politicians for being absent during a disaster, his mockery of California for its power issues, and his letter to Biden last week to keep the US-Mexico border as closed as possible because of Covid are all came back to haunt him.

Democrats sought to strengthen the contrast between Cruz and his 2018 Senate opponent, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, pointing out that the senator traveled to Cancun and tweeted about the death of the host of a radio show. Rush Limbaugh as his former rival stayed in El Paso and tried to rally his social media followers to help fellow Texans.

“It’s extremely important in government and politics to be seen doing things,” said Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican strategist from Texas. “It is important to be seen in the lead.”

Steinhauser said Abbott had established himself as a leader in previous crises, but took longer after the storm because he “had to find his balance. At first, he probably didn’t think the power outages would last as long as they did.

Chris Perkins, a data analyst and Republican pollster in the state, said there was a lot of anger and frustration to be had.

“There is no manual because the state has never seen a winter like this in its history,” Perkins said. “The cities say to boil the water, but there is no water coming out of the tap. Use gas to boil the water, but the wells freeze, so save the gas. Heads of state try to give the public the most recent information, but it’s difficult because there is no historical manual on what to do.

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