AUSTIN – Some conservative Republican activists working to unseat House Speaker Joe Straus are circulating e-mails that emphasize his Judaism. Several e-mails have surfaced in recent days that mention Straus' rabbi and underscore the Christian faith of his leading critics in the House Republican Caucus.
"Straus is going down in Jesus' name," said one, whose origins were unclear.
Straus, R-San Antonio, "clearly lacks the moral compass to be speaker," said another, written by Southeast Texas conservative activist Peter Morrison.
"Both Rep. Warren Chisum and Rep. Ken Paxton, who are Christians and true conservatives, have risen to the occasion to challenge Joe Straus for leadership," Morrison wrote in his newsletter last Thursday, referring to two Republicans who are running against Straus for speaker.
Morrison, asked Tuesday if he intended to signal that Straus is unfit because he is Jewish, replied in an e-mail, "I was simply making factual statements about Rep. Chisum and Rep. Paxton."
Morrison said his opposition to Straus is driven by issues, not religion.
Straus, asked his reaction to the e-mails, said in a statement that religious freedom and "the Judeo-Christian values of the dignity and worth of every individual" are key American principles.
"At its core, America believes in the freedom of every individual to worship as his or her conscience dictates, and it would be most unfortunate for anyone to suggest someone is more or less qualified for public office based on his or her faith," Straus said.
As the speaker's race has heated up in recent weeks, Straus has said he's solidly conservative and happy to compare his decades-long service to the GOP with that of his rivals.
But his alliance two years ago with 10 other dissident Republicans and 64 House Democrats in a speaker's race has drawn sharp criticism from Chisum, R-Pampa, and Paxton, R-McKinney. Since both launched formal bids for speaker, support for Straus has slipped slightly.
The day after last week's election, Straus released a list of 126 House members who he said have pledged him support. By most public counts, the list now is down to about 120. He needs 76 votes to keep the speaker's post.
The Quorum Report, an online newsletter, reported extensively late Monday on e-mails that mentioned Straus' Judaism, his rabbi and the Christian faith of his House critics, who include Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola.
Kaufman County Tea Party Chairman Ray Myers, a homebuilder and retired high school principal, sent an e-mail last week praising Hughes as "a Christian Conservative who decided not to be pushed around by the Joe Straus thugs."
On Tuesday, Myers said that "it never crossed my mind" that Straus is Jewish when he wrote the e-mail. Myers said many tea party supporters consider Straus a Republican in name only, or RINO.
"We're going after the RINOs," he said.
