By Lynn Woolley

October 15, 2009

It is becoming apparent that there is a possibility that neither Rick Perry nor Kay Bailey Hutchison may be the Republican nominee for governor of Texas.  Both of them have issues that must be cleared up – and soon, or other big names are going to enter the race. 

Gov. Perry is smack in the middle of a developing controversy over the 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham – indeed a very bad man, but a man who may not have started the fire that killed his three children.  The strange thing is that the question of Willingham’s guilt is not central to the Governor’s problem.  Of course, if Willingham did not set the fire – that’s huge.  But if Rick Perry interfered with the Texas Forensic Science Commission’s investigation into the case – that’s monumental.

There will be an investigation, so imagine this:  what if the Commission concludes that Willingham was innocent – and the voting public concludes that Perry’s move to replace the chairman and three other members of the Commission might have been a blocking tactic?  The Hutchison campaign is already saying, “…it gives the appearance of a cover-up...”

This sordid affair might prove very useful to Sen. Hutchison in her campaign to unseat the Governor except for the fact that she seems to have no fire in the belly to pursue the race.  In a radio interview with WBAP’s Mark Davis, she said she isn’t sure when she will leave the Senate to pursue the governor’s race fulltime.  She isn’t certain about what Congress will do with healthcare and she wants to “…stay and fight with every bone in my body against a government takeover…”

And we all thought she wanted to be governor.

Previously, Sen. Hutchison had said that she would resign the Senate by December.  But she also had stated that she wanted to remain in the Senate to fight “cap-and-trade” legislation.

So she’s going to resign unless she doesn’t and she’s going stay in the Senate to fight Obama’s healthcare and energy bills unless she returns to Texas fulltime to run for governor.  Are we confused yet?

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and Attorney General Greg Abbott are waiting and watching.  They know that if Gov. Perry’s problem with the Willingham case blows up on him that Sen. Hutchison could easily take the nomination.  Well, unless she doesn’t want it.

Musical chairs in Texas is a game played every few years; someone at the tops retires and everybody moves up.  The scenario was all fitting together until now.  The 2010 filing period opens on December 3^rd and closes on January 4th.  What if Mr. Perry is still immersed in the Willingham case and Ms. Hutchison still hasn’t resigned?   Remember, there are other Republicans who’d like to be governor and a ton of them who’d like Ms. Hutchison’s senate seat.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is likely planning to file for the senate seat in a special election to replace Hutchison.  If Dewhurst follows through, then Attorney General Greg Abbott would almost certainly want to move up to lieutenant governor.  That would open the way for State Comptroller Susan Combs to file for the AG spot.

But for all this to happen in the usual way, Gov. Perry needs to clean up his Willingham mess and Sen. Hutchison needs to make up her mind.  The governor should stop talking about what a monster Willingham was and support a full investigation.  And it had better prove Willingham was guilty.  Ms. Hutchison should resign soon, and trust Mr. Dewhurst or someone else to take up the healthcare fight.  If not, the governor’s race could go to the Democrats for lack of a Republican candidate.

Lynn Woolley is a Texas-based talk show host streaming from www.BeLogical.com.  He may be heard live in Dallas-Fort Worth on KVCE AM 1160 at 9 a.m.