WASHINGTON – Out on the stump last week, Kay Bailey Hutchison kept the focus on how much better Texas would be if voters replace Gov. Rick Perry with her, while remaining coy about how much longer she'll stay in the Senate.

But now that she is officially running for governor, it's time to ask how much she can accomplish in Washington – substantively or politically – as a lame duck in a toothless GOP minority.

The Senate is on recess until after Labor Day. Next month will be consumed by debate over the 2010 budget. Republicans are a 60-40 minority.

"She hasn't accomplished much over the 16 years so it shouldn't be much of a change," scoffed Perry spokesman Mark Miner. "We need somebody in there who can devote 100 percent of their time to the job of being U.S. senator for the people of Texas, and if she's not going to do that, she should resign."

Hutchison has been studiously vague about her timing. She says she'll leave by year's end, but last week said she won't pick a date before Oct. 1.

"She wants to stay in the Senate as long as possible and do as much as possible to fight Obama's government takeover of health care," said spokesman Jeff Sadosky, ticking off a number of goals Hutchison aims to accomplish before leaving the Senate. She'll also fight cap-and-trade legislation opposed by Texas' energy industry; push a bill allowing prison officials to jam cellphones; and "ensure that Texas infrastructure projects are protected through the next fiscal year."

As a member of the influential Appropriations Committee, Hutchison has steered funds to mass transit in Dallas and Houston, and to Texas highways, veterans and contractors. Taking care of the folks back home has been her stock in trade, though Perry calls her a big spender and will use every extra vote she casts to press that case.

From her perch as the senior Republican on the Commerce Committee, Hutchison could have made herself a central player on health care, but hasn't. She skipped all of the panel's hearings related to the issue this year, as our Washington bureau's Dave Michaels reported this month.

GOP strategist Ron Bonjean sees little downside in her staying a bit longer.

"If Senator Hutchison has an opportunity to vote on projects that could create or save thousands of jobs in her state, if I were her, I would stick around, too," said Bonjean, a top aide to Senate GOP leaders and before that, House Speaker Dennis Hastert. "Those jobs can turn into votes. ... She still has serious influence for Texas."

It's clearly a tradeoff, though. The longer she stays, the easier it is for Perry to paint her as an insider clinging to the ways of Washington. On the other hand, she keeps a tax-funded staff for research and constituent service, and gets to claim credit for spending provisions that help Texas.

But Hutchison will have to be careful.

After attacking Perry last week for spending tax money on ceremonial bill-signing events around Texas, drawing attention to legislation signed into law weeks and months earlier, she's opened herself to allegations of hypocrisy if she makes any overtly political moves in the guise of Senate business.

No worries, aides say.

"She does not approach her service in the United States Senate for the people of Texas politically," Sadosky said. And, although he won't say how she will split time between her campaign and the Capitol, he vowed that she won't be a mere seat-warmer in Washington: "She doesn't do things half way."

Todd J. Gillman is Washington Bureau Chief of The Dallas Morning News.