The Texas Tribune Interviews Some “Interested” Texans about the SoTU Speech

Ben Philpott at the totally-non-partisan Texas Tribune interviewed a handful of “interested” Texans about tonight’s State of the Union speech:

In his State of the Union message tonight, Barack Obama is expected to touch on dozens of topics, including the subjects of two high-priority and high-drama bills currently before lawmakers: health care and cap and trade. Ben Philpott, who’s covering Texas politics for KUT News and the Tribune, reports on what some interested Texans would like to hear the President say.

Apparently, Ben doesn’t know any average citizens who also care about what the President says, …especially any average Conservative Texans (you know, the majority of this state’s voters). Instead he only seems to know a bunch of lobbyists and politicians who might be “interested” in what Obama has to say tonight.

Instead, Ben found four Texans with a vested and/or professional interest in what Obama says, mainly because each of them either has their hands out looking for federal money or praying for more federal intrusion into Texans’ lives (and wallets).

First, we have Andy Wilson from the watchdog group Public Citizen Texas, where he heads up the group’s Global Warming program. And Andy wants cap-and-trade more than he wants a healthy, vibrant economy. Which makes him just another political-activist eco-nut-job on the Left.

Did you consider interviewing someone who opposes cap-and-trade? Especially since that is the majority opinion here in Texas. Perhaps you could have checked in with Susan Combs (whom Evan Smith is interviewing next week – maybe he can ask her about Cap and Trade.). I think she might disagree with Mr. Wilson.

Next, Ben gives us John Painter, who has his hands out for federal government subsidies for renewable energy. Guess what John Painter’s company sells? That’s right, kids…renewable energy solutions. I’d be interested too, if I thought President Obama was going to be handing me buckets-full of other people’s money.

Did you request a comment from Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams (who knows a thing or two about the energy industry in Texas)? He would have been a nice counter to John Painter.

Of the four average interested Texans Ben found, the third is the only one with an (R) behind his name. Bill Hammond is a four-term member of the Texas House (back in the 80s), but is now the president and chief executive officer of the Texas Association of Business and one of the state’s most powerful lobbyists.

Bill does have a reasonable answer though — he hopes that Obama will do an about face on health care reform and strive for a more Texas-like approach to reducing tort reform (thank you Gov. Perry), while increasing affordability and accessibility (you know…like letting people buy and sell insurance coverage across state line).

And finally, Ben interviews Rep. Lloyd Dogget (D-TX), who’s already made it perfectly clear that he will not vote the way his constituents overwhelmingly want him to on health care reform because “he knows what’s best for them idiot yokels who don’t know what they need.” (I’m paraphrasing)

How about giving equal time to a Texas GOP Senator or Representative, and ask them what they’d like to hear the President say tonight? Was Rep. John Culberson too busy to take your call? What about Rep. Lamar Smith or Mike McCaul?

Ben, if the Texas Tribune wants to keep up the facade of being a non-partisan news organization, perhaps it would help if you guys actually tried to seek out the thoughts and opinions of some Texas Conservative citizens, rather than a bunch of politically connected Liberals and lobbyists.