They're at it again.

[Guest Vyce]

Texas Democrats flee - again.

 

Texas Democrats flee state -- again

Legislators fight over GOP redistricting plan

 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) --Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas on Monday for the second time in three months to thwart a Republican drive to redraw the state's congressional districts.

 

Eleven of the 12 Democrats in the state Senate left for Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a first special session called by the governor to address redistricting drew to a close and he called a second special session, scheduled to begin Wednesday. The second session could last as long as 30 days.

 

In May, during the regular spring session, the Republicans tried to push redistricting toward a vote in the GOP-controlled state House. But 51 Democrats in that chamber fled across the state line to Oklahoma to block a quorum, killing the bill.

 

Republicans are pressing for more seats in the state's 32-member delegation in the U.S. House; the Democrats currently hold a 17-15 advantage. Republicans say that ratio does not reflect the state's increasingly Republican voting patterns.

 

Most Democrats want to keep the existing congressional map drawn by a three-judge federal panel in 2001, calling redistricting a power grab pushed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Republican.

 

The Senate and House adjourned their special session Monday afternoon. Shortly afterward, Republican Gov. Rick Perry called a new one.

 

Two-thirds of the Senate's 31 members must be present to conduct business. The absence of the 11 Democrats can hold up passage of any bill.

 

During the first special session, Senate Democrats were able to block a redistricting bill that could have given Republicans an additional seven seats. Eleven Democrats and one Republican stood firm against the bill.

 

Senate rules require that two-thirds of the chamber support a bill before it can be taken up for debate. Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has said he would do away with that rule during the second session so that only a majority would be needed to debate a bill.

 

I miss the good old days of.....oh 2 weeks ago.....when our elected officials just fought with each other.....literally.

[Guest CanadianChris]

US government procedure is so funny.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Oh, please.

 

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla...1032063&xld=184

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/t...opstory/2016391

 

The governor tried to use a dirty trick to prevent the democrats from using their state-appointed right to break quorum, not to mention the fact that the governor is insisting on abolishing the 2/3 rule needed to bring redistricting to vote. This is a cheap, partisan attack at Texas democrats.

[Guest Powerplay]

This is a cheap, partisan attack at Texas democrats.

Tyler, have you noticed anything besides cheap partisan attacks on this board?

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

This is a cheap, partisan attack at Texas democrats.

Tyler, have you noticed anything besides cheap partisan attacks on this board?

I was referring to the governor of Texas, but I agree

[Guest Lightning Flik]

You know, I love your guys government. I really do. Ours here in Canada is so boring. It's like the same way it is every single year for ... well, since I was two really. Nothing much changed.

 

Down there, everything changes daily. It starts out as bitching and moaning, then fighting, and then ultimatums. It's a wonderous thing really.

 

...I don't want your government though. I love it, but you guys can keep it.

[Guest CronoT]

President Bush sees his "guaranteed win" in 2004 starting to crack. So, he's trying to arrange things so he can win it again.

 

Anyone else think it's time to give Al Gore that apology he's been waiting for for 3 1/2 years?

 

Those GOP assholes have screwed my hometown so many times, it's good to see those bastards take it on the chin.

 

As for the Gov. and Lt. Gov.: Perry is an admitted crook and a thief, and Dewhurst isn't much better.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Oh, please.

 

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla...1032063&xld=184

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/t...opstory/2016391

 

The governor tried to use a dirty trick to prevent the democrats from using their state-appointed right to break quorum, not to mention the fact that the governor is insisting on abolishing the 2/3 rule needed to bring redistricting to vote. This is a cheap, partisan attack at Texas democrats.

You know, if the GOP did this in 1990, I doubt you'd have been nearly so forgiving.

 

This is a REAL dangerous precedent to start and the Dems might be wise to think about it.

-=Mike

[Guest TheMikeSC]

President Bush sees his "guaranteed win" in 2004 starting to crack. So, he's trying to arrange things so he can win it again.

 

Anyone else think it's time to give Al Gore that apology he's been waiting for for 3 1/2 years?

 

Those GOP assholes have screwed my hometown so many times, it's good to see those bastards take it on the chin.

 

As for the Gov. and Lt. Gov.: Perry is an admitted crook and a thief, and Dewhurst isn't much better.

Point-by-point:

 

1) Bush is still virtually guaranteed a win as the Dems are running the biggest collection of idiots this side of a Jerry Springer "Best Of" Show.

 

2) Does Gore deserve an apology? For losing an election than, showing less class than Nixon (less than Richard Friggin' Nixon, for God's sake), bitch and moan?

 

3) Your hometown probably sucks.

-=Mike

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I miss the good old days of.....oh 2 weeks ago.....when our elected officials just fought with each other.....literally.

Hell, I wish it would happen more often -- maybe it'd keep some of these bitches from entering office...

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Oh, please.

 

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla...1032063&xld=184

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/t...opstory/2016391

 

The governor tried to use a dirty trick to prevent the democrats from using their state-appointed right to break quorum, not to mention the fact that the governor is insisting on abolishing the 2/3 rule needed to bring redistricting to vote. This is a cheap, partisan attack at Texas democrats.

You know, if the GOP did this in 1990, I doubt you'd have been nearly so forgiving.

 

This is a REAL dangerous precedent to start and the Dems might be wise to think about it.

-=Mike

It's a dangerous precedent for both sides to begin setting. If this redistricting process is ruled by the courts as legal, entire congressional elections could be determined simply by which party gerrymanders their state better. That's absurdity.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Oh, please.

 

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla...1032063&xld=184

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/t...opstory/2016391

 

The governor tried to use a dirty trick to prevent the democrats from using their state-appointed right to break quorum, not to mention the fact that the governor is insisting on abolishing the 2/3 rule needed to bring redistricting to vote. This is a cheap, partisan attack at Texas democrats.

You know, if the GOP did this in 1990, I doubt you'd have been nearly so forgiving.

 

This is a REAL dangerous precedent to start and the Dems might be wise to think about it.

-=Mike

It's a dangerous precedent for both sides to begin setting. If this redistricting process is ruled by the courts as legal, entire congressional elections could be determined simply by which party gerrymanders their state better. That's absurdity.

That's how things have been done for many, many years now.

 

It's political reality.

-=Mike

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Does that make it right?

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Does that make it right?

How ELSE would you do it?

 

Lines have to be drawn. Districts change every 10 years based on census counts.

 

If the old way was good enough for the 1990 census, why is not now bad for the 2000 census?

-=Mike

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

I never said the 1990 way was right, either. Gerrymandering is utterly stupid in itself, and all too often, the motivation is CLEARLY partisan. There has to be a more honest way to do it, such as ACTUALLY taking the political representation of an area and keeping the proportions of THAT AREA -- not necessarily of the state -- relatively the same as they were polled.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

I never said the 1990 way was right, either. Gerrymandering is utterly stupid in itself, and all too often, the motivation is CLEARLY partisan. There has to be a more honest way to do it, such as ACTUALLY taking the political representation of an area and keeping the proportions of THAT AREA -- not necessarily of the state -- relatively the same as they were polled.

And the GOP is actually DOING that --- Texas is, basically, a Republican state --- but the Dems want to hold on their old gerrymandered districts.

-=Mike

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Not really. The republicans are working to neutralize the liberal voters in places like Austin by putting Austin in a huge district with lots of Republican voters. That's not an isolated case.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Not really. The republicans are working to neutralize the liberal voters in places like Austin by putting Austin in a huge district with lots of Republican voters. That's not an isolated case.

The Dems are trying to MAINTAIN districts that don't reflect the state's political climate.

 

The GOP is correcting this.

-=Mike

[Guest JMA]

Does anyone else find this to be incredibly boring?

[Guest TheMikeSC]

Does anyone else find this to be incredibly boring?

It's more of a really disturbing new trend in political warfare that could lead to HUGE problems in the future.

-=Mike --- and, sadly, the solution (doing away with quorums) is even worse than the problem

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

What I find interesting is that if the GOP would be doing the Dem's tactics Big Media would be all over them in a NY Minute.

 

It would be like 1995 all over again when Newt and pals "shut down" the government...

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

You know, if the GOP did this in 1990, I doubt you'd have been nearly so forgiving.

 

This is a REAL dangerous precedent to start and the Dems might be wise to think about it.

-=Mike

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/08/05/...g.ap/index.html

 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Republican lawmakers have had a rhetorical field day this year as Democrats, first in the House and then in the Senate, fled to other states in order to stymie GOP redistricting plans.

 

But the Democrats aren't the only ones to employ the tactic: Ten years ago, it was Republicans who walked out of the Texas Senate chamber to avoid a vote on a racially tinged judicial redistricting resolution.

 

"They clearly have a double standard," said Democratic Sen. Rodney Ellis, who is one of 11 Senate Democrats who entered their second week Monday holed up in a New Mexico hotel.

 

In 1993, Democrats were the powerhouse in Texas politics and were set on adopting a resolution as part of a settlement that would have ended at-large elections for state judges in a handful of Texas counties.

 

The proposal would have required 140 judges to run for election in sub-districts within affected counties. Republicans favored a system in which the governor appoints judges, who are then confirmed by the Senate.

 

But, the GOP was the minority back then, with only 13 in the 31-member body. So, as the Senate prepared to convene and vote on the proposal, several Republicans went into a closed-door meeting to discuss their options.

 

On the chamber floor, then-Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock announced that the Senate could not convene because no quorum was present. Only two of the 13 Republican senators were on the floor.

 

The 1993 Republican walkout only lasted a day. Eventually, the settlement was rejected by an appellate court on a technical issue.

[Guest TheMikeSC]

You know, if the GOP did this in 1990, I doubt you'd have been nearly so forgiving.

 

This is a REAL dangerous precedent to start and the Dems might be wise to think about it.

          -=Mike

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/08/05/...g.ap/index.html

 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Republican lawmakers have had a rhetorical field day this year as Democrats, first in the House and then in the Senate, fled to other states in order to stymie GOP redistricting plans.

 

But the Democrats aren't the only ones to employ the tactic: Ten years ago, it was Republicans who walked out of the Texas Senate chamber to avoid a vote on a racially tinged judicial redistricting resolution.

 

"They clearly have a double standard," said Democratic Sen. Rodney Ellis, who is one of 11 Senate Democrats who entered their second week Monday holed up in a New Mexico hotel.

 

In 1993, Democrats were the powerhouse in Texas politics and were set on adopting a resolution as part of a settlement that would have ended at-large elections for state judges in a handful of Texas counties.

 

The proposal would have required 140 judges to run for election in sub-districts within affected counties. Republicans favored a system in which the governor appoints judges, who are then confirmed by the Senate.

 

But, the GOP was the minority back then, with only 13 in the 31-member body. So, as the Senate prepared to convene and vote on the proposal, several Republicans went into a closed-door meeting to discuss their options.

 

On the chamber floor, then-Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock announced that the Senate could not convene because no quorum was present. Only two of the 13 Republican senators were on the floor.

 

The 1993 Republican walkout only lasted a day. Eventually, the settlement was rejected by an appellate court on a technical issue.

GOP walked out for ONE DAY, CAME back, and the issue was settled.

 

And the Dems plan was struck down.

-=Mike

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

And you don't think they would have continually walked out if the democrats didn't drop the issue?

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

And you don't think they would have continually walked out if the democrats didn't drop the issue?

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Fine, those Republicans were whiny bitches, too -- happy?...