Senate Democrats cancel trip to Laredo (Texas Dems)

By Laylan Copelin

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Updated 7:15 a.m.

ALBUQUERQUE — Claiming there's a plot to arrest them, the Senate Democrats abruptly cancelled their plans to return to Texas today for a court hearing in Laredo.

As many as seven of the 11 Democrats who killed congressional redistricting by fleeing the state had planned on attending a hearing today on their lawsuit in federal court.

But Democratic consultant Harold Cook said the group cancelled the trip after the Democrats obtained "credible evidence" that Gov. Rick Perry intended on calling another special session and "deputized officials" would try to detain the senators.

Cook did not say what the evidence was, but said a Republican senator advised his Democratic colleague not to return to Texas today.

"They haven't come this far just to get caught," Cook said.

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Imagine the legislative record and legislative intent of this redistricting bill being reviewed in a lawsuit. Imagine the arrest records of these Senators being introduced as evidence while, with a straight face, the GOP tells a judge that this bill was what the Senate wanted.

I was alarmed to hear about this on NPR this morning. I'm glad they cancelled.

Make the Hair Helmet earn his redistricting.

but how long can they hold out? This thing is just so open-ended and Perry and Dewhurst are just waiting, licking their chops, knowing that sooner or later, unless there is some relief granted the Demos by Federal court, they have to come home one of these days...

Having said that, I think what these Demos are doing is wonderful!

Will provide the light at the end of the tunnel we need. Another special session is the only thing that is going to push this pathetic issue into critical mass for the moderates here in Texas.

I heard this morning on KERA (Dallas/Ft. Worth public radio) that the disapproval ratings for both the Hair Helmet and the Senate are already pretty high...around 48% for Good Hair and around 61% (?) for the Senate. Those numbers for the Senate are awfully high but we're not going to see this shameful episode closed until the Hair Helmet's numbers get up into the 60%+ range.

a state official.Aren't you listening? They are afraid of their GOVERNMENT! Not a Penis, but a real threat! that should cause everyone to run to the capital with torches.....

:D

Somebody posted that the districts have to be in place by first part of Oct 2003 to be used in 2004. I do not have the exact dates or the DU post.

But if true this is coming to an end.

Stop the presses!!!

And here I was absolutely convinced they were all criminals, pond scum, and other assorted low life.

Sheesh ..I guess there are exceptions to every rule.


"Cook did not say what the evidence was, but said a Republican senator advised his Democratic colleague not to return to Texas today"

:D

hehe

Remember a year ago renegades - now powerful - in the Texas GOP advocated, at the party level, purging elected republicans who were not far right/religious right. Given this long drawn out powerplay, how long before the arrogant renegades - oblivious to the fact that the public is NOT behind them on this - go for the jugular of the republican who has tipped off the senate dems?

How long does it take to blink?

That guy doesn't have a prayer. The new Republicans are doing God's work, not unlike the 9/11 terrorists. They aren't very violent yet (unless you count the threats of arrest) but they will be in the not so distant future.

He's actually not a horrible Republican. He was elected by the Senate last session (2001) to serve as interim Lt. Governor because of his sense of fair play. I think he is offended at the pettiness displayed by some of his colleagues.

He is an honorable man and this ugly fight is going to make him retire. He almost ran for Lt. Governor, he's a Republican, but the ugliness of the fundraising and attacks the repukes wanted him to make, made him withdraw from the race. He is also the lone Republican Senator who did not vote for the penalties. He said he would not participate in that pettiness. Ratliff was the Republican who signed on the letter to Dewhurst to try to end redistricting in the regular session. His signature was the 11th vote along with 10 Democrats that would block the bill under the 2/3 rule. That's of course when Dewhurst was playing a gentleman. He's taken off his mask and he's just an ugly rabid repuke like Perry, DeLay and Rove and Bu$h. They are all the same. Shameless, power hungry, greedy, racist bastards.

Sonia

and the paleocons are waking up and relizing that the neocons have destroyed the GOP...and they will vote these wretched slugs out in 04 and then we can return to our regeular squabbles with them

Dubya-appointed judiciary.

The closer the election time gets the more pressure will be applied!

Republicans are self destructing!

For some reason, early on, they felt they needed protection against bounty hunters.

Judge declines to rule on Democrats' redistricting lawsuit
http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/082703dntexlawsuit.496ff643.html (requires free registration)
LAREDO, Texas – A federal judge in Laredo on Wednesday declined to rule on the Democratic lawsuit claiming Republicans violated the Voting Rights Act and Democrats' constitutional rights with their redistricting efforts, saying the matter would best be decided by a three-judge federal panel.
(snip)
Had the case been clearly without merit, Kazen said, he would have felt comfortable making the ruling by himself. He said he would write a letter to the chief judge of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to ask that two other judges be appointed.
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Well it's better than a dismissal or clear loss but I certainly don't know enough about the 5th U.S. Circuit to know if this is good or bad.
Keep hope alive.

Sonia