Why did the good Senator forego a much-discussed primary battle against Gov. Rick Perry in 2006 and now is taking him on in 2010? The answer is money. Major GOP donors had already commited to Perry in 06, giving him the resources to fight her tooth and nail. But this year? Different story. The biggest contributors have quietly told Perry that he’s had his turn and now it’s time for Kay. GOP insiders are telling me that Perry, whose approval rating hovers around 40%, has seen the writing on the wall and will not run for re-election. He will continue to act like he’s running through the Legislative session so that he won’t appear as a lame duck (but legislators can read the writing on the wall, too). With a weakened governor (in an already weak office), expect the 2009 session to be the least productive in years, which is saying a lot.
Meanwhile, its obvious that Kay Bailey has read the polls. Already the most popular politician in Texas, she’s positioning herself to bring dissastified Republicans back to the fold:
 “Texas has not really had a scrubbing of our state government, really in years and years and years,” Hutchison told Dallas television station KXAS on Thursday. “I think we need to prioritize spending. Right now the priorities should be education and transportation and access to health care.”
