GOP ponders tactic: No map, no primaries (TX)

[sham]

The state's Republican leadership is looking into the possibility of postponing the March congressional primaries if the boycotting Democratic senators continue to delay the GOP effort to draw new districts.

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Some Democrats are hoping that any map approved after Sept. 1 will not get the required U.S. Department of Justice approval in time for the Dec. 1 start of candidate filing for the March 2 primaries.

"I don't know whether there is a practical deadline or not," Gov. Rick Perry said, reiterating his intent to call as many special sessions as it takes to get a new map. "There are so many options on the table relative to moving primaries so that you can get the DOJ's approval."

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http://www.statesman.com/legislature/content/coxnet/texas/legislature/0803/0815redist.html

:wtf: This is an outrage!! What next? Pugs delay the entire election?!?

[GOPisEvil]

1. And California thinks they've got the only Banana Republic going...

...they are wrong. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bang my head into a brick wall.

[joeybee12]

2. The two farces really are related

And they're related to the Impeachment fiasco, and the Florida criminal theft. As long as the Dems refuse to have a spine, then the Nazis will continue pulling this crap. Someone needs to stand up to them, and I don't see anyone doing that.

[GOPisEvil]

4. This is all about taking people's rights away...

...voting rights...right to a jury trial (tort reform)...right to free speech (1st amandment zones)...the list goes on and on...these people are fascists. No less.

[northzax]

18. well, I'll go with you on some of those

but tort reform has little to nothing to do with jury trials. The founders were much more concerned with criminal than civil cases.

[GOPisEvil]

19. Well...slippery slopes and all...

;-)

I was a tad agitated when I wrote that. :-)

[Bake]

23. I disagree, on several counts

First, the founders preserved the right to a jury trial in civil matters, as that right existed at the time. Coming from the English common law tradition, the jury trial was an integral part of the law in matters both civil and/or criminal. You just tend to hear more about the criminal right to a jury trial because of the Bill of Rights. But the right to a jury trial in civil cases (depending on the type of action) is a matter of constitutional law.

Second, tort reform is ALL about limiting the right to a jury trial. Caps on damages, whether "noneconomic/pain & suffering" or punitive, limit a jury's power to do the right thing. A loser-pays rule makes it more difficult even to get in the courthouse door, much less to get to a jury. I can't think of a single "tort reform" element that isn't ultimately aimed at keeping a jury from hearing a case or awarding damages. Not one.

Bake, Esq.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

12. Like in California..

that too includes the Dem voters. Many of them support the recall too!

[zekeson]

6. Love those Hemisfair plates!!

Your photoshop? I lived in SA for a long time

[GOPisEvil]

14. No, I made it here.

http://www.acme.com/licensemaker/

I've got a set of real ones. If I ever get around to buying that '68 Firebird...

[zekeson]

16. Nice

thanks for the link. Those would look right sharp on the firebird.

**Pretend you're in prison and make a license!**

Words I would love to say to *

[sonias]

17. Bill Maher had a good point about repukes and elections

He said something like republicans will do anything to get into elected office short of actually winning more votes at the polls. He said this recently on an NPR show.

Now doesn't that sound exactly like these repukes.

Sonia

[Changenow]

3. They can't stand elections

but they will have to jump through the hoops until they get rid of them.

It seems unlikely that even Republicans would have legal problems stopping elections at this point. Wait 2-5 years and it will seem normal.

[mumon]

5. Look at the dictators they've historically supported.

Banana republics- they're not just for Latin and South America anymore.

The Republican Party is the most clear and present danger to American liberty there is.

We must apply, I think, to the Republican Party EXACTLY the same restrictions we've imposed on the Communist Party.

We must root Republican subversives out of the military, out of Congress, out of the media.

Our cause is just; the stakes are freedom and our way of life.

We must defeat the Republican menace.

Our children will not forgive us if we don't.

[David__77]

7. Fine, they'll stay out of state until 11/2004.

I don't think this will hurt the Democrats in the state. I think it will revitalize the party.

[AndyTiedye]

11. Perry will appoint Repugs to replace them

That's not legal either, of course, but since when has that stopped them?

[bushisanidiot]

8. Why don't these fuckheads just go ahead and make

a law banning the democratic party all together? Why pussy foot around?? IDIOTS!!

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Background required for a Brit

Can someone help me here (I'm coming into this from outside):
As far as I can see from the story, federal judges (who should have a reasonable claim to be neutral) drew the current boundaries in 2001. The Democrats accept these.
The Republicans want to redraw them to their own advantage.

Have I got it right so far?

What justification do the Republicans give for redrawing boundaries within 2 years? Or do they admit they're gerrymandering, just because they can (if they can force a vote)?

Please try to withstand the temptation to slag the Republicans off further, for a moment, and be objective.

(In the UK, there's a non-political Boundary Commission, and as far as I know, no party's really attempted to influence it unduly. It just wouldn't be cricket, as we say. I think it would be counter-productive - any publicity would lose you more votes than you'd gain.)

[iam]

10. I wish

I lived in Great Britain. All of a sudden the Brits are the ones promoting democracy and liberty around the world.
Can you guys invade us and reverse our downward conservative spiral?
Please?

[sham]

15. to answer your question...

Texas has a total of 32 Reps in Congress. The Dems have a slight advantage at 17-15. The Republicans claim that in Texas, the overall trend is that a majority of voters will go Republican in any given election, and therefore, in order to accurately represent the state, Republicans should hold a majority of our Congressional seats. That is their "justification" for redistricting.

[alarimer]

24. yes

The Democrats object to that of course. I think one of their concerns is that minorities would not be fairly represented in the new districts. The plan I have seen divides Austin (heavily Democratic) into 4 districts, one of which runs from Austin to the border- a distance of maybe 200 miles. In some places the districts are only 2 blocks wide. Completely ridiculous in my opinion. Also the Republicans solicited little public input. In the hearings that were held, thousands of people showed up to voice their disgust. Also they would change the time of the hearings from 7 pm to 3 pm without any notice. The Republicans are only interest in winning at all costs. If they can't win legally, they will steal the election.

[Rose Siding]

13. Ha! So if we don't let them take away our democracy....

...they are going to take away our democracy :shrug:

[LEFTofLEFT]

20. We must fight the rightwinged monsters...

like the future is at stake.

IT IS!

[SanAntonio]

21. They claim...

The Repubs claim that since the courts are the ones who created the districts (neither side could get anything done the first go-round of districting) that the legilature needs to set districts.

They also claim that the current 17/15 split of congressional chairs is based on gerry mandering by Democrats over the past 100 years (this state has been a strong Democratic state until recently). In the last election the Repubs won all of the statewide races and of course control the Senate by a 19 to 12 margin. DeLay wants to come in and make the national congressional districts reflect that.

In the early 90's the Repubs did the exact same thing the Democrats are doing right now over another issue.

Quite honestly, this state has become so Repub saturated that it's only a matter of time until the districts are redrawn to their benefit. Even most of the Democrats who went to Oklahoma and now New Mexico agree on that. Until then Perry is going to keep wasting our money and putting off school finance reform until he gets his new districts.

[GOPisEvil]

22. First of all - WELCOME TO DU!!!

:hi:

I used to live in San Antonio.

But, a slight correction. Senator Wentorth (R-San Antonio) was chairman of the redistricting committee last session in 2001. He had a bill all ready to go. Democrats could support it. It was Sen. Sibley who torpedoed the Republican-authored plan because it wasn't punitive enough to Dems. So, no deal ever got done because Gov. Goodhair was unwilling to call a special session. The AG also stated that a court could draw the maps and there would be no need to redistrict until 2011. Well, the courts drew the present maps, which were favorable to the existing Congressmembers. So, since incumbents are very likely to win, they all did. Enter Tom DeLay and, and you can go from there...

[newyawker99]

26. Hi SanAntonio!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[judgegina]

28. And a little more history...

The current TX congressional delegation is indeed split at 17 D's & 15 R's, but six of those D's were elected from districts that otherwise vote heavily Republican. It seems that the voters in those districts like their incumbent Democratic representative and voted for that person over their Republican opponent. Tom DeLay and his bitch, Gov. Perry, do not respect the decisions made by the voters in those six districts, so they are now attempting to thwart the will of those voters. Total scumbags.

[goforit]

25. It is the time to kick the dirt with your spurs Dem-Texans!!!!!

It is time to bully these pugs 24/7 to back off!!!!

You have to get in there face!!!

[goobergunch]

27. How can they delay the primaries without a quorum?

I really don't see how that's possible.

[alarimer]

29. me neither

I also don't think they can delay the primaries since they do have districts in place right now.