Governor Rick Perry, we need to talk.  I know you're terrified of Kay Bailey Hutchinson beating you in the Republican primary next year, but you already won the far right over with your stimulus denying and secessionism.  Sarah Palin is even supporting you!  You really don't need to do this:

Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, who advocated more Christianity in the public square last year with the publication of her book, One Nation Under God, is among those that Gov. Rick Perry is considering to lead the State Board of Education, some of her colleagues say.

. . . .

In a book published last year, Dunbar argued the country's founding fathers created "an emphatically Christian government" and that government should be guided by a "biblical litmus test." She endorses a belief system that requires "any person desiring to govern have a sincere knowledge and appreciation for the Word of God in order to rightly govern."

Also in the book, she calls public education a "subtly deceptive tool of perversion."

The establishment of public schools is unconstitutional and even "tyrannical," she wrote, because it threatens the authority of families, granted by God through Scripture, to direct the instruction of their children.

Dunbar home-schooled her own children.

. . . .

"It would certainly cause angst among the same members of the pagan left that rejected Don McLeroy because he was a man of faith," said David Bradley, R-Beaumont, one of the seven socially conservative members on the 15-person board."

You cannot possibly be seriously considering appointing someone who believes that public schools should be destroyed to head the public school system.  It's gotta be hard being a (probably) gay Republican governor, especially when you only slipped through election last time because there were four major candidates running.  That 39% support has to sting, especially since Kay Bailey Hutchinson is a hell of a stronger candidate than any of them.  But this really isn't going to do anything.  The far right loves you thanks to your ceaseless pandering, and she's shown no desire to be anything but a typical Southern right winger.  More of this is actually going to hurt as a whole lot of Texas Republicans who aren't completely crazy are going to jump ship. 

Oh, and the whole "selling out every public school student in Texas' future" part.