ACTING PETARDED

You Can’t Have It Both Ways (Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris, Clothilde Ewing and Smita Kalokhe, 8/11/03 , CBS News)

In a four-page letter to President Bush, the 11 Texas Senate Democrats who fled to New Mexico to break quorum appealed to President Bush to stop the GOP redistricting plans. Calling the initiative a “blatantly partisan and grossly unfair re-redistricting scheme,” the Texas senators reminded (on letterhead reading “The Texas 11”) the president of his past support of Hispanics and African Americans.

“Clearly you recognize the increasing significance of the Hispanic and African American vote in national elections because you sought our help in Texas.” The Senators said the president’s unwillingness to get involved conflicted with his administration’s diversity projects such as the Latino outreach programs and said, “With all due respect, Mr. President, you cannot have it both ways.”

The Democrats suggested that Karl Rove had orchestrated much of the scheme along with Bush’s successor, Gov. Rick Perry, and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. “Unfortunately, Mr. President, the actions of Congressman DeLay, Governor Perry, and Karl Rove reflect directly upon you and cast a shadow over your legacy here in our mutual home.”

The letter questioned the Republican Party’s motives behind the action and suggested future implications in national votes. The Texas senators insinuated that the redistricting plan could be “the first step in a national Republican plan to weaken or repeal the Voting Rights Act in 2006.”

In point of fact, to support the districts as currently drawn it is necessary to oppose forty years of Democratic "one man-one vote" drivel. Where Texas voting patterns would suggest that Republicans deserve a two seat majority--if votes are equally distributed--the current regime gives Democrats a two seat majority in the House delegation. With every statewide office held by the GOP, it's obvious that the will of the voters is being thwarted. Now, throughout our nation's history fairness was never the primary consideration in apportionment, but the Democrats and their allies on the Supreme Court changed all that. We would welcome a return to good honest gerrymandering, but that doesn't seem likely to sit too well with the Left, does it? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 11, 2003 1:39 PM