Politics | Texas Texas' Jewish House Speaker Faces Christian Revolt GOP official says 'Christian conservatives' do the best job By John Johnson Posted Dec 7, 2010 3:26 PM CST Copied Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is the speaker of the Texas House, but a group of Christian conservatives is looking to dump him. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck) A story about internal Texas politics (and religion) is percolating up to the national wires: A member of the state's Republican Executive Committee defends the movement to dump current state House speaker Joe Straus and says it's largely because of his pro-choice politics. But it apparently doesn't help that Straus is Jewish: "I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office," John Cook tells the Texas Observer. "They're the people that do the best jobs over all." And the line everyone's been waiting for: "They're some of my best friends," he says of Jews. "I'm not bigoted at all." Think Progress has picked up on the story, noting emails calling for a "true Christian leader" in the position, as has Steve Benen in the Washington Monthly: "Ah, I see. It's not 'about Jews,'" he writes. "It's just that Cook doesn't think Jews can do the job well because they're Jews." Read These Next A space capsule carrying ashes of 160 people crashed in the ocean. A lesson in minding your own business ... at 30,000 feet. The death toll in the Texas floods has risen to 27, including 9 kids. Desperate search for missing campers continues in Texas. Report an error