Redistricting issue lost in Texas...Dems going to court. Doggett

[Dover]

in jeopardy.

Here is a note being circulated from Lloyd Doggett:

Knowing of our shared opposition to the Administration's go-it-alone invasion of Iraq, I offer this update on the President's request for another $87 billion for this misguided endeavor, as well as another troubling development that will only aid the Administration in
advancing its dangerous agenda.

As you have probably heard, Rep. Tom DeLay has been in Austin
all week to ensure that our community is torn apart.
DeLay's new plan grabs the University of Texas and most of West
and Southwest Austin for a district stretching into San
Antonio represented by Republican Lamar Smith. The map drops
Northeast Travis County (Austin) into a district that includes 235,000 Houstonians and the thousands between here and there. Finally, it snatches Hyde Park, East and Southeast Austinites and places them in a district that stretches to Mexico.

If you wish, you can observe the final proceedings in the Texas
House and Senate that are expected to begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow,
Friday morning, though you may want to visit these websites for
the latest scheduling information:

Senate: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/

House: http://www.house.state.tx.us/media/welcome.php

Plan to arrive at least thirty minutes before the session begins. I
know you will want to encourage your family and friends to join
you in supporting our courageous State legislative delegation that
is still working to derail this outrageous plan.

Today, as it relates to Iraq, I joined several of my Democratic
colleagues at a press conference voicing our opposition to the
Administration's request for an $87 billion blank check from
American taxpayers. Attached below are my remarks.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to a "Frontline"
documentary entitled "Truth, War and Consequences"
that will air on KLRU tonight at 9:00 p.m. This documentary will
critically examine the Bush Administration's rationale for the
unilateral invasion of Iraq. As the New York Times noted this
morning:

"What distinguishes the Bush administration, 'Frontline' contends, was the openness of its arrogance and the magnitude of
its policy shift..."

If you do not want to receive these periodic updates in the future,
please let me know by responding to this email. In the meantime,
please keep me advised of any federal matters on which I may be of assistance.

Remarks of Rep. Lloyd Doggett
House Democrats Press Conference on the Iraq
Supplemental
October 9, 2003

Last October, despite considerable obstacles, an overwhelming
majority of the Democratic members of Congress voted against the
open-ended resolution approving President Bush's
unprecedented invasion of Iraq. Our concerns about that failed
policy have been amply justified by the events of the ensuing months.
Now is no time to reverse course and embrace a policy whose
principal ingredient is arrogance. The numbers of our
colleagues preparing to vote against this
$87 billion blank check are now growing. We expect considerable opposition next week.

This Administration has promised much and delivered
little. It cannot find Osama bin Laden, it cannot find Saddam
Hussein, it cannot find weapons of mass destruction, it cannot
even find whoever at the White House was responsible for
illegally revealing a CIA agent. The only thing this Administration can find is the taxpayers' wallet.

With the United States doing almost all of the paying
for this war and our young men and women doing almost all of the
dying, we have a constitutional obligation to hold this
Administration accountable for its conduct. The number of dead and
wounded American soldiers is about 2,000. In doing its job
this Congress needs to demonstrate a little more of the type of
courage that our young people have shown in Iraq. We must support our
troops by giving them the accountability they deserve.

The cost of the Administration's arrogance and unilateralism last year can be measured in the billions of dollars lost to our treasury this year, but the suffering borne almost entirely by American servicemembers is measured one family tragedy at a time.

In April 2003, Congress passed an emergency supplemental appropriation of $63 billion to fund this war, and
over $368 billion was just approved for the Department of Defense.
Endless requests for American taxpayer dollars and belated
entreaties for international help are no substitute for a strategic
plan to bring peace, security, and stability to Iraq -- we should
not allow the failure of Administration ideologues in business suits
to continue endangering those who bravely serve in uniform.


Lloyd Doggett
201 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
[phone], [phone]
http://www.house.gov/doggett
>

[Cha]

1. I love Doggett! From what I heard of him on c-span!

I hope he's Okay!

[Dover]

2. You can just imagine how those in Austin must feel. He's a rare

bird in government (particularly Tx. Gov.!) and much beloved... diamond in the rough.

[Red_Viking]

3. We love Lloyd

I'm ill at the thought of Austin being shredded into three insane districts.

Lloyd needs to help prop up the Texas Dems and start filing suits the minute this legislative nightmare passes. It's wholly without merit.
:D


We need more just like LD.

RV