Attorney General Greg Abbott to Review Craddick's Actions

Tom Craddick’s refusal to recognize members of the house had a serious and long lasting effect on Texas politics and the concept of democracy.
Days before the session ended in May 2007, a bipartisan group of lawmakers attempted to call for a vote on whether Mr. Craddick should finish the term as speaker or be removed and replaced for the interim.
Craddick escaped by refusing to recognize any member who wanted to make the "motion to vacate the chair," saying he had "absolute authority" to refuse to recognize anyone he chose.
A June 2007 article in The Dallas Morning News details how lawmakers from both parties question the validity of Craddick’s procedural logic. They have called for and received a review of Craddick’s actions from this past session from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
The central principle of democracy is that we all have a voice and we all should be heard. And in a free market place of ideas the strongest and most sound ideas would rise to the top. Craddick’s administration of his duties as Speaker was an attempt to silence the elected representatives of thousands of Texans, in effect silencing a percentage of this great state’s citizens. If, in fact, it was the will of the members of the House that Craddick be removed, his removal would be a manifestation of the collective will of every Texan that voted and elected a representative. Had he allowed it to come to a vote, Craddick’s removal would have either been approved or rejected lawfully and the Attorney General would not currently be wasting his time and the states money investigating this slick politician’s methods. By refusing to allow a vote, Craddick denied us all the due process of government.