Political observers have pulled no punches: Texas no longer stands at the head of the line.

Texan George W. Bush has retired to private life back home in the Lone Star State. The state’s Republican-majority congressional delegation now finds itself in a distinct minority in both the House and Senate; our state’s lawmakers have been stripped of their chairmanships.

So, the question of the day is this: How well does Pantex fare in this new political environment? Pantex officials say the massive weapons storage complex requires some key infrastructure improvements. But the new president, Barack Obama, comes from the “other” party, meaning the Democratic Party. Rep. Mac Thornberry, the Clarendon Republican, usually was little more than a phone call away from the Oval Office back when President Bush was in office. That’s clearly not the case now. Does the congressman have any stroke with the new president? Time will tell.

But, as Pantex officials clearly understand, the congressman likely would get a busy signal if he were to call President Obama.