Texas Democrats' Official Response

Now that the runaway Dems have made national news, I figured I'd check in on their website to see if they have any official word on the affair. I wasn't disappointed.

Texas Democratic Party Chairwoman Molly Beth Malcolm commended the House Democrats who successfully stopped Tom DeLay and Tom Craddick from forcing congressional redistricting onto the House agenda today.

"The Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives have taken a stand on principle. They are not going to allow themselves to be run over by Tom DeLay, Tom Craddick, and the rest of the far right-wing Republicans who care more about their party's agenda than what is best for Texas. The Republicans will attempt to call them obstructionists. They are heroes. Like the Killer Bees and the Dirty 30, they are showing what true courage and true commitment are all about. Wherever they may be, they should know that Texas Democrats are rock solid in support of them. They will triumph in the end. Redistricting was the last straw in a series of outrageous, iron-fisted power plays by Speaker Tom Craddick. If Mr. Craddick wants to know who caused this, he should look in the mirror," said Chairwoman Malcolm.

Italics theirs.

There's also a direct statement from the dissenters themselves.

We did not choose our path, Tom Delay did. We are ready to stand on the House floor and work day and night to deal with real issues facing Texas families. At a time when we are told there is no time to deal with school finance, and when we must still resolve issues like the state budget crisis and insurance reform, the fact that an outrageous partisan power grab sits atop the House calendar is unconscionable.

Our House rules, including those regarding a quorum, were adopted precisely to protect the people from what is before the House today - the tyranny of a majority.

I will never forget that last part. Ever. From now on, I will hold Texas Democrats to that statement.

The redistricting plan scheduled today before the Texas House of Representatives is the ultimate in political greed - it is undemocratic, unjust and unprecedented. It's a power grab by Tom DeLay, pure and simple. The current congressional plan has been ruled by our United States Supreme Court to be constitutional and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Elections have been held, and we should respect the will of Texas voters.

Our Republican Attorney General ruled that this map can stand for the decade, and that we are not mandated to do redraw congressional districts this session. Many Republicans privately oppose it. Texas newspapers have editorialized against it. We do redistricting every ten years, not whenever those in power demand it.

I will give the Dems credit for standing firm against the redistricting plan. I don't know enough about it yet to make up my mind one way or the other against it. I do know that Austin would get politically screwed if the proposed maps get enacted.

UPDATE(9:30pm)
Bill Hobbs describes this kind of action as "breaking the law in an effort to thwart democracy." I think he's called it correctly.

UPDATE(10/12/2003 9:31pm)
Big News: a plan has been finalized and passed by both the House and the Senate.

Posted by Drizzten at May 13, 2003 11:50 AM