Freedom Caucus Adversary to Face Opposition in Primary

Freedom Caucus Adversary to Face Opposition in Primary

By

James Scott Trimm

Here in Tarrant County we are proud to be home of several members of the Texas Freedom Caucus, among these are two of the most conservative members of the Texas House; Jonathan Stickland and Tony Tinderhot. 

Jonathan Stickland has represented District 92 better than any State Representative we have had in my memory, and my memory stretches all the way back to Representative Charles Evans in the 1970's and 80's!

We did not send Jonathan Stickland to Austin to join the good ole boys club and make back room deals.  We sent him to stand strong for our district.  We sent him to protect our freedoms and rights and to restrain government.   Jonathan Stickland has done that well, and has the voting record to prove it.  Stickland has become the Maverick of the Texas House.  And sometimes he has represented us by being a voice on the microphone in the back of the House, telling it like it is!  Personally I thank the Almighty that my District has a voice telling it like it is on the back-microphone in the House! 

Likewise Tony Tinderholt has stood strong for his Tarrant County constituents, as have theiur fellow Freedom Caucus members Matt Krause and Bill Zedler. 

Unfortunately Tarrant County is also home to Precinct Chair Marie Howard.  Howard has worked within the Tarrant County Republican Party and Texas in general, to thwart the efforts of the Texas Freedom Caucus and attack Conservative Heroes Jonathan Stickland and Tony Tiderholt.

Howard does this through an organization she founded called the Boiling Point Tea Party,  This is a “Tea Party” which has been called a “Fake Tea Party” by Julie McCarty of the Northeast County Tea Party (Tarrant County’s premier Tea Party). 

In September (Sept. 14, 2017) the Tarrant County Republican Party Executive Committee joined many other Texas County GOP committees in passing an “Oust Straus” resolution, calling for Joe Straus to be replaced as speaker of the Texas House.  This resolution passed almost unanimously.  But there was opposition from Marie Howard. 

Marie Howard spoke out against the resolution, made a failed motion to postpone it, and finally made a quorum call in a desperate effort to support Joe Straus and keep this resolution from being passed.

Immediately upon making the quorum call, Marie Howard went back to the seating area, conferred with Jennifer Olson, who then joined her in immediately walking out, in a failed effort to deprive the body of a quorum and this stop the Oust Straus resolution. This was seen by many witnesses, and also caught on video!

Even more recently Marie Howard gave her “cone of shame award to the “Fiscal Responsibility Index- Empower Texans” criticizing their support for the Texas Freedom Caucus and what she called their “blind hatred of Joe Straus.”

Texas Freedom Caucus is well known for their opposition to Joe Straus.  Howard, who seems to be in love with Straus, complains about this groups “blind hatred of Speaker Joe Straus” which she says causes them to “muddy the methodology.”  Howard complains that TFR “looked primarily at legislation by Tinderholt,  Stickland,  Rinaldi,  and Cain” for their scores.  Of course they do Howard, because these are the conservative heroes who are filing the very fiscally responsible bills that that TFR wants to see passed.

Here is how it works: Citizens support Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (and Empower Texans) because they want to see more fiscal responsibility in Austin.  TFR then makes donations (often matching donations, matched to citizen donations) to candidates that pledge to support fiscal responsibility in Austin.  Then these same legislators file fiscal responsibility bills.  And after the session, TFR grades legislators on how they voted in regards to these bills.  This is not a conspiracy, this is called holding to core principles.

Marie Howard’s real reason for granting the Cone of Shame to TFR is her support for Joe Straus and her opposition not only to the Texas Freedom Caucus but to the core principles of the Texas Republican Party Platform.

Now the House of Straus is collapsing, despite Howard’s best efforts to prop it up.  Straus and his chief lieutenant Byron Cook have announced that they will not seek reelection.  And thus far both Stickland and Tinderholt are running for their Republican nominations unopposed.  The old Austin Establishment power structure is collapsing.

Yesterday Tarrant Families Matter PAC (TFM PAC) announced that Marie Howard will have a TFM PAC backed opponent in her run for precinct chair in the coming Republican Primary. 

All who wish to help in the efforts to oust Marie Howard are encouraged to contact Tarrant Family Matters PAC at 817-682-5872 or visit their website at http://www.tarrantfamiliesmatterpac.com to donate!

It is time to clean out the Tarrant County Swamps!