This is the sort of nauseating newsitorial from the NY Times that makes people want to puke. This liberal bias, Alterman, you twit:
When preparing for life on the legislative lam, it’s always a good idea to pack extra underwear.
As 11 Democratic state senators from Texas fled here to New Mexico on Monday to deny their Republican counterparts a quorum, their priorities had more to do with staving off a Republican redistricting effort than with basic personal needs.
One senator forgot his belt. Another had to leave a newborn daughter. A third left his two dogs unfed until a girlfriend came to the rescue.
Such is the life of political fugitives.
“No one’s ever prepared for something like this,” said Harold Cook, the lone Senate staff member to accompany the senators as they were spirited away on two private planes provided by supporters.
“We had to make a Wal-Mart run,” Mr. Cook said, “because one of the senators’ pants were falling down, and some people had forgotten cellphone batteries and underwear and stuff like that. It was the biggest mess.”
Yes, those Democrat heroes, sacrificing so they can maintain more seats than the voters really want.
Jonas
How exactly is this liberal bias?
Yes, those Democrat heroes, sacrificing so they can maintain more seats than the voters really want.
If the voters didn’t want them, how exactly are they in office?
bg
What Jonas said.
David Perron
Rectification of that problem is forthcoming, as soon as the Donks can be bothered to actually show up.
Dean
Regardless of the bias issue, are you (Jonas and bg) really suggesting that districting doesn’t matter? That all electoral districts are pretty much the same, since voters can pick and choose whomever they wish?
Genuinely curious.
Jonas
Dean
Of course redistricting matters, that’s what this whole dispute is about. But there was already redistricting in Texas after the 2000 census, when Republicans controlled the legislature and the governer’s office. However, the voters didn’t go along with the Republicans’ plans and vote in more Republicans, so now they are going to redistrict again two years later.
Greg
Yeah, I believe them. After all, the only other time they fled the state was to keep redistricting back by completely halting the regular session. I’m sure that when Governor Perry called the special session to specifically address redistricting they had *no idea* that they might try to run away again!
/sarcasm>
Whatever.
Dean
Jonas,
If you agree that districting (and redistricting matters), then what is the point of your question:
“If the voters didn’t want them, how exactly are they in office?”
from your first comment?
Jonas
Dean
It’s a response to the comment:
Yes, those Democrat heroes, sacrificing so they can maintain more seats than the voters really want.
If there has been redistricting done to favor the Republicans, and the Republicans don’t like it that too many Democrats were elected, how can it be said that the voters didn’t want the Democrats in office?
DANEgerus
No… the redistricting was prevented and so the (R)’s are not trying to ‘do this again’ they are trying to adjust the districts from (D) gerrymandering to (R) gerrymandering.
Steve Malynn
The 2000 Texas redistricting was by a court, because the legislature could not get its act together (actually because the dems blocked action, and the court was asked to rectify, IIRC). So, for the legislature to try to get redistricting done now is simply attempting to fulfill a previously avoided responsibility. Well, no, its pure partisan politics that my team is out to win (go pubbies).
Alex
It shows a liberal (or at least, pro-Dem) bias because it has such a jovial tone to it. I highly doubt a story about a group of Republican lawmakers skipping town to thwart a vote they were going to lose would receive a similar treatment. On the contrary, it would surely be filled the requisite “concern” and “sadness” at the prospect of democracy thwarted.
David Block
Steve is right, Jonas is wrong. The Texas House in 1991 was controlled by Democrats and could not pass a map for congress. In fact, they could not pass a map for anything. All districts are the result of the Texas Redistricting Board (which only gets into the mess if the legislature fails, which it did). These maps went to court, and the Texas House and Senate maps were barely changed from those of the Texas Redistricting Board, but the Congressional map was modified by the courts to be an “incumbent protection plan” that left the Democrats with more seats using fewer votes.
Jonas
Hey I may be wrong about this, but now I’m also confused. If there was no real redistricting after the 2000 census, and there was no real redistricting after the 1990 census (according to David Block), then the incumbant protection plan would be for districts designed after the 1980 census. Who wrote that one? Or did the legislature not have their act together then? Texas politics sounds more screwed up than I thought it was.
And I’ll keep in mind now that jovial tone = liberal bias.
Omnibus Bill
Hmmmmm… make every vote count, when counting and recounting and selective recounting and recounting might work out to the (D)s advantage…
But it’s brave resistence to the awful “Tyranny of the Majority” when the Dems flee the state to avoid the results of the most recent democratic elections.
It strikes me that as time goes on, the party names of our two major parties grow increasingly ironic.
Andrew Lazarus
Could one of you GOP guys explain again why you deserve 68.75% of the Congressional delegation (achieved by drawing a number of goofy districts)? Which statewide race indicates that’s the true reflection of voter sentiment?
Emperor Misha I
You know, Andrew, the same question could be asked when the Donks redistricted furiously to save the seat of one of theirs when he moved, yet the Republicans didn’t jump on planes and hid out in New Mexico to prevent that from happening?
Could it possibly be that we’re trying to correct a previous wrong?
Oh no, we’re Republicans, so we’re EEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!!!!
Sean
>>Yes, those Democrat heroes, sacrificing so they can maintain more seats than the voters really want.
I wish Republicans expressed this concern over the result reflecting the popular vote back in 2000, when Al Gore had 500,000 more votes than George Bush…but I seem to remember a flood of snickering, “that’s just how the game is played”, “those are the rules”, and so on….sucks, doesn’t it?
John Cole
I wish Republicans expressed this concern over the result reflecting the popular vote back in 2000, when Al Gore had 500,000 more votes than George Bush…but I seem to remember a flood of snickering, “that’s just how the game is played”, “those are the rules”, and so on….sucks, doesn’t it?
Yeah- it is called the electoral college. Cripes.
David Perron
I just hope Sean isn’t a U.S. citizen. I’d hate to think our schools have failed quite so badly to convey the basics of the way our government works.
Andrew Lazarus
Misha, whatever redistricting sins the Democrats committed, at least they didn’t go to the unprecedented extreme of doing it midcycle. What year did that anecdote take place anyway? The current plan is from judges when the Lege deadlocked over redistricting, and couldn’t be blocked by a Repub walkout.
Also, I can’t tell whether you claim the Republicans are entitled to 68.75% of the seats out of conviction (on what grounds???), or out of revenge for this alleged Democratic misdeed. Can you clarify that? Two wrongs make a right, is that it?
I’ve learned that the 17-15 Demo creakdown is partly because two districts with **Republican majorities** re-elected Democratic incumbents. The redistricting plan is designed to insure this doesn’t happen again.
John Curbo
It seems to me that today’s politics are played like a game. The winning strategy is what makes your party the strongest…..not what is best for the people. Oh? You say. We thought our party being in power is best for the people.
Dream on. I’ve watched as each party, more Demos lately, defend a fellow party member caught in blantant wrongdoing and incompetence because they are a member of our political party. Defend them at all costs!! Even though it is not good for the people.
I’m sick of it all!!!