Perry & Leininger in Bed Together ! What will that do for you ?

William McKenzie:
GOP's school advocates take lead, while Democrats barely register
08:14 AM CST on Tuesday, March 14, 2006
What did we learn from last week's primary races in Texas? Yes, only 9 percent of the eligible voters turned out, but the tallies still give us a good idea of what's going on in the Republican and Democratic parties:
The GOP civil war takes a turn: The good guys are starting to win the raging battle within the Texas Republican Party over how the Legislature should fund schools. The best example comes from Arlington, where GOP voters pulled a stunner and turned out longtime Rep. Kent Grusendorf in favor of educator Diane Patrick.
Mr. Grusendorf chaired the House Public Education Committee during Austin's four recent sessions on school finance. But he and GOP House Speaker Tom Craddick didn't come up with a solution that gives schools extra money. Out went Mr. Grusendorf.
Mind you, this was Arlington, no left-wing bastion. When voters there rise up and throw out a top Republican, you know they are angry. They sent a clear message – "Come up with enough money for schools, or else" – to a party in which some leaders see advocates for schools as whiners.
Fort Worth voters sent their own signal, as did Republicans in Lubbock and Longview. They stood by their GOP reps, despite voucher advocate James Leininger pouring in tons of money to defeat incumbents. Despite Dr. Leininger's blitzkrieg in Fort Worth, Lubbock and Longview, Reps. Charlie Geren, Delwin Jones and Tommy Merritt won their respective primaries.
Yes, the San Antonio physician and businessman knocked out a GOP incumbent in Nacogdoches and perhaps another in New Braunfels, where the tally is still being finalized. But Dr. Leininger reportedly invested $2.4 million in five legislative races and failed to win most of them. That's a defeat, pure and simple.
Gov. Rick Perry should heed it, too. Republicans back home are starting to call the shots. And they mirror the recent Texas Poll that shows 52 percent of Texans will pay higher taxes to fund schools.
You'll never hear that from Dr. Leininger and the other conservatives with whom Mr. Perry is so thick. He may want to find himself new friends. If he scratches below the surface of Texas politics, he'll find plenty of Republicans who want their schools to have enough money for foreign language classes and the other elements needed for excellence. And they are willing to battle for them.
source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-mckenzie_0314edi.ART.State.Edition1.e38f9c4.html