Texas Speaker Dennis Bonnen Apologized. Will His Colleagues Forgive Him?

AUSTIN -- Speaker Dennis Bonnen issued an about face on Tuesday, offering an apology to House members for making crude and offensive statements about them to a GOP activist who says he secretly recorded the conversation. Empower Texans leader Michael Quinn Sullivan, who frequently criticizes Republican leadership for being too moderate, said Bonnen asked him to use his organization's resources to target 10 Republicans ahead of the primary, in exchange for media credentials. During the session, Bonnen said current House members should not campaign against each other.Bonnen initially denied Sullivan's accusation. House GOP Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows of Lubbock, who was also implicated in the incident, has yet to comment. After Bonnen apologized, a number of Texas lawmakers -- many of whom are close allies of the Speaker -- tweeted their desire to move on from the incident, while applauding Bonnen for admitting to a mistake. Two Republicans who were on the list of 10 targets issued statements condemning Bonnen's actions. At the beginning of each regular session, all 150 members of the House vote on who holds the coveted title of speaker, one of the most powerful positions in Texas government. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter from lawmakers:   Continue reading...