America's Lobbyist Scoops Up Texas Governor Rick Perry

The Houston Chronicle has all the details.

Two things.

First, it's nice to see that Giuliani's connection with the Texas law firm Bracewell & Patterson continues to pay off (and pay off and pay off).

Second, here is a dirty Texas secret for the beltway press corps - when it comes to political water carrying in Texas, the Governor don't carry sh*t.

Perry holds a weak executive office. Very weak.

The real political power in Texas is the Lt Governor (who is also elected statewide) and the Speaker of the Texas House (who is elected by his peers).

Then you have the Land Commissioner, The Railroad Commissioner, a handful of House and Senate committee chairmen, the guy who shines shoes on 6th Street, the taco vendor on 4th and then maybe the Governor.

Maybe.

We know, we know, back in 1999 Team Bush had everyone believing that then Texas Governor George W. Bush was "running the whole show" down in Texas.

Sure he wasn't.

W didn't have the constitutional power to run anything in Austin.

The guy who was really running the show was Lt Governor (and Democrat) Bob Bullock.

Bush and Bullock got along because Bush wanted to be President and Bullock was happy to take everything else.

A match made in heaven.

Which brings us back to Rick Perry and his endorsement of Rudy Giuliani.

Which doesn't mean much of anything.

But if Rudy was able to get that taco vendor on 4th...