Itching for a fight, Republicans take aim at themselves

By BUD KENNEDY

In 12 years in the Texas House, Keller Republican Vicki Truitt has been called a lot of names.

But until now, she had never been called liberal.

In the new world of internal Republican name-calling, Truitt and fellow Republican incumbent Todd Smith of Euless are suddenly under attack from an Austin membership group that calls them "left-leaning."

Empower Texans, which charges $96 a year for regular doses of anti-tax vitriol, sent e-mails saying that Truitt and Smith "undermine taxpayers and conservatives every chance they get."

This is part of the other-world reality of Texas Republicans, where Tea Party newcomers and Ron Paul libertarians are joining up with hard-line fiscal tightwads to challenge any incumbent who ever supported spending one more dime.

Truitt, in particular, is being flagged for an odd reason:

She led the failed effort for a local-option vote on raising taxes and fees to improve regional transportation.

"She wanted more taxes imposed," said Empower Texans’ Michael Quinn Sullivan, a spokesman for the group led by Midland oilman Tim Dunn. "She wanted more spending."

Well, yes.

Around here, we generally want better highways and more trains. Has Dunn or Sullivan ever tried to drive to Keller?

To her credit, Truitt downplays the criticism.

"The people in my district thought it was a good bill," she said. "All I tried to do was solve a problem. It’s irresponsible for any elected official to stick their head in the sand and pretend that we don’t have a problem."

The word irresponsible seems to be under revision in the party, where a new faction argues against almost any spending.

(Some of the newbies went to Washington last month and protested the government. Then they complained about the lack of D.C. subway service.)

"I think most of these folks are libertarians," Truitt said. "A lot of conservatives have libertarian leanings. But we’re reasonable people.  . . .  I’m for limited government, but I’m not for zero government."

Truitt’s opponent in the March primary is Southlake private-equity professional Giovanni Capriglione. According to his Twitter page, he’s campaigning among 912 Project activists and Paul backers.

Texas Monthly political editor Paul Burka poked fun at the idea of calling Truitt and Smith liberals.

"It’s amazing to me that Republicans like Sullivan can’t stop eating their young, even when the barbarians are at the gates," he wrote at www.texasmonthly.com, referring to the Democrats’ near-overthrow in the Texas House last year.

"Todd Smith? Vicki Truitt? The R’s are honing suicide to a fine point."

Harold Rumzek, a precinct chairman in Colleyville, defended both.

"Vicki tried to give the people a chance to vote on an added tax," he said. "The last I knew, Republicans believed in giving people control at the local level. She and Todd did their best. They’re not liberal."

Republicans’ worst enemy might be other Republicans.

Bud Kennedy’s column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 817-390-7538 Twitter @budkennedy

Looking for comments?