Quote:AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- Texas Democratic lawmakers returned triumphantly from their self-imposed exile Friday, telling enthusiastic supporters at a rally outside the state Capitol that they had killed -- for now anyway -- a Republican redistricting plan that would likely have thinned their ranks in Congress.
"Government is by the people, for the people, and we had to go to Oklahoma to say that government is not for Tom DeLay," said state Rep. Jim Dunnam, chairman of the Democratic Caucus in the Texas House of Representatives.
A group of 51 Democrats from the Texas House fled last weekend to Ardmore, Oklahoma, a move that deprived the Texas House of a quorum and brought legislative action to a standstill. Democrats said they took that step to prevent passage of what they described as an unfair redistricting plan pushed by Delay, the powerful majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives and a fellow Texan.
The redistricting plan, which Democrats say would have cost them five congressional seats, died in the House when it could not be voted on by midnight Thursday. Republicans, however, have said they may bring the plan up again in a special session this summer.
The flight across state lines became the subject of late-night lampoons and biting commentary. By holing up in a hotel in Oklahoma, the Democrats were out of the reach of Texas law enforcement authorities, who were told to round up the rebellious lawmakers and bring them back to the Capitol.
Texas Democrats wait aboard a bus in Ardmore, Oklahoma, before heading home.
In addition to infuriating Republicans, the Democrats' absence shut down all business on the House floor, stalling up to 500 bills and costing the state of Texas some $700 million, according to House Speaker Tom Craddick, a Republican.
The Democrats, however, savored their victory Friday, even if the broader legislative battle over redistricting is far from over.
"No matter what happens, democracy won in this event," Dunnam said.
The crowd cheered and waved signs reading, "51 Heroes," "Welcome home, Hero Demos" and "We're Proud of You."
While state legislatures typically redraw district lines every 10 years after each census, Republicans in Texas moved ahead with a plan this year.
In Washington, DeLay defended the move, saying, "Texans deserve representation that reflects their values and beliefs." He noted that all statewide officeholders and a majority of the Legislature are Republicans.
Several black Democrats refused to join the walkout because the redistricting plan would have created a majority African-American congressional district.
That's both sad and funny at the same time. :)
CNN
I think that's the only time I've ever heard of anyone fleeing TO Oklahoma.
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Its been big news all week and you just notice it the day they return?
Oh, and what they did is great... funny, and weird... but great since it stopped the Republicans from stealing seats. :)
Quote:Its been big news all week and you just notice it the day they return?
Actually, I've known about it since it happened, but I just now decided to post something about.
Quote:Oh, and what they did is great... funny, and weird... but great since it stopped the Republicans from stealing seats. :)
The democracts are just mad becuase the republicans finally gained some power in Texas. The repulicans in had almost no power in Texas until the 70's and just in the last election gained the majority.
Way too much drama. What would these idiots do if the spotlight wasn't on them? Probably implode. I would cheer. Both sides are so incredibly immature that you wonder how they have survived this long! I mean, it couldn't have really cost Texas $700 million, and how can you justify something like this? If I decided I didn't like my boss's decision, do you think I would run away and pretend I didnt hear what he said to do? Would there actually be people so pathetic that they would wait with signs to tell me I did good? Would I have a job when I got back? Would I ever be able to get a job in anything but McDonalds ever again? There is a common answer to all those questions, and it starts with N and ends with the 4th vowel in the English alphabet or the 5th letter in Japanese. Either will work.
Quote:Originally posted by A Black Falcon
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Its been big news all week and you just notice it the day they return?
Oh, and what they did is great... funny, and weird... but great since it stopped the Republicans from stealing seats. :)
Yeah, great to negate the democratic process and waste almost a billion dollars of tax money. Of course, Al Gore did the same thing and wasted far more money, but he failed :)
If a Republican did this, the liberal braindrain would say something to the effect that the $700 million waste took from the pockets of the old and infirm and probably killed some of them. Maybe this really did kill an old person or two, but they're liberals and they care about the old, so it's a small loss, right?
Maybe I should mention that its still a fact that Texas is the most messed up state in the nation... why we ever wanted to take it from Mexico is beyond me. :D
Oh, why should the democrats allow the Republicans to change the rules because they can't handle actually winning? They shouldn't when anything can be done....
If they were opposed to it they should have voted against instead of running away to Oklahoma and wasting people's time.
Oh come on... you are wasting your own time posting if you say something like that... it shows ignorance of the situation...
Voting against something is irrelevant when you are a minority. It won't stop anything. And they don't have filibusters. :)
Quote:Oh come on... you are wasting your own time posting if you say something like that... it shows ignorance of the situation...
Voting against something is irrelevant when you are a minority. It won't stop anything. And they don't have filibusters.
Oh, please.
I understand the situation. The democrats ran away from their responsibility, which is to vote on the bill and try to rally support against it, and hid out in Oklahoma until the bill was dead.
I wonder how it would be if more state officials decided to run away instead of voting if they knew they couldn't win on an issue.
True, we might see it more now. But its a perfectly legal strategy...
So basically what you're saying is that the democratic process should be ignored when it doesn't go your way. That's not only retarded, it's just plain childish.
This wasn't just any bill... it was redistricting (US House, I think) seats. So that the Republicans could make new districts where they would gain a huge majority of those seats, as opposed to the way that it legally happened in the election (where Democrats won a majority of the seats).
Never mind that they are neutral districts agreed on in a court... the Republicans lost so of course its okay to change the law so you win!
You speak of redistricting like it's some foreign practice. It's common, and it's been going on for hundreds of years. That doesn't change the fact that the Dems are spiting the democratic... republican... process because it's not going their way.
I'm sorry ABF but I think the only reason you're supporting this action is because the Democrats did it. If it had been the Republicans I think you'd be singing a different tune.
Democrat or Republican I think it's wrong because it subverts the democratic process. The Democrats didn't deserve to win on this issue because they didn't have the votes. See, that's how our system works, whoever has the votes get's their way. If you don't have the votes then too bad for you.
This also set's a bad precedent. What would happen if everytime we have to vote on something the side that's gonna lose pulled this?
What I want to ask you and anyone else who supports this, how will you feel if in the future the Republicans pull this same stunt? What if it's an issue that really matters to you and the Democrats have the votes to win but don't becuase the other side decides to high tail it to Oklahoma?
I think we both know how you'd feel.
Well it IS Texas we are talking about, remember...
And its obviously a valid tactic anywhere where leaving will mean no one can vote. But it'd be REALLY hard to abuse because of how much determination and time it requres... and bills right at the end of a session...