New Mexican Standoff, day 2

(Note: the subject is cribbed from a commenter on Atrios or Daily Kos, I can't remember which at this point. Someone other than me came up with it and I thought it was funny.)

Rob has a decent answer to my question about the House passing the same ol' map. I think his scenario makes a lot of sense, but I have my doubts that it will happen. Giving in on the blocker bill just has to be seen as a defeat for the GOP, and at this point I'm not sure how much trust the Dems are willing to put into any promises that Dewhurst will make them. Still, Rob is absolutely right about the fact that sooner or later, these guys have to come back to Austin, whether it's next week or 2005.

This DMN article offers a suggestion that Rob's hypothesis may come true:

While maps under consideration during the regular session and the first 30-day special session would have boosted GOP seats in Congress from 15 to 20 or 21, the Republican lieutenant governor suggested he was open to a more modest gain.

"A fair map is one that reflects the voting trends of the state, that protects our minority rights and our minority communities, that doesn't cut communities of interest and to me – this is simply to me – has about 19 seats," Mr. Dewhurst said in an interview on TXCN (cable Channel 38).

(Psst! Dave! Check out the Wentworth and Armbrister plans. And burn this note!)

Byron has a good roundup to get your morning started, along with a post on Polstate. I posted an afternoon news update there yesterday. Josh Marhsall is bemused by several aspects of this story. Julia has an appropriate response for the Governor's current they're-hurting-the-children! attack on the Dems, which you can read about here. This is my favorite bit from the article:

Democrats and Republican Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said they found the governor's newfound interest in health care spending surprising.

Strayhorn had been rebuffed when she repeatedly asked Perry to let lawmakers appropriate the money for health care during the first special session.

"Let me tell you on the record, after the governor's statement from yesterday, I fully expected for the governor to let the Legislature vote on health care funding," Strayhorn said. "I was surprised that this was not added to the call today."

Indeed. Elsewhere, the Chron describes the Dems' getaway, which like its Ardmore predecessor was done in secret and in haste. The El Paso Democrats have vowed to help the boycotting Senators with any supplies they might need, while New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says he may consider some redistricting of his own if the Texas GOP doesn't back down.

Redistricting should be done only after new U.S. Census Bureau numbers are reported every 10 years and not rammed through the Legislature by a dominant political party just because its members disagree with election results, Richardson said.

"I have refrained from taking those steps. I will leave the door slightly opened because I'm concerned about Republican efforts in Texas, Colorado and other parts of the country to disenfranchise voters," he said. "I don't want redistricting. I think it's wrong, especially in a year that is not a redistricting year."

Keep an eye on that one.

More editorials:

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal calls Governor Perry a disappointment and compares him to a "spoiled 2-year-old child".

The Chron calls the endless fight for redistricting madness.

The Waco Trib really smacks the Governor, whom they call a "well-pressed con man". This needs some quoting:

How hypocritical is Perry in light of the partisan meltdown over redistricting? Let us count the ways.

----1. His silence was deafening----

Perry speaks now about $800 million in newly freed-up money that could go to human services if the Democrats would only come back. What was he saying during Special Session No. 1? Nothing.

[...]

If Perry really wanted to direct $800 million to social services, all he had to do was put it on the agenda. Instead, legislation he supported would have routed the extra money into an "emergency fund" under the control of the governor and the Legislative Budget Board.

Just how many Texans would benefit from that, Mr. Governor?

----2. He dropped ball in 2001----

Perry is the very last person on the planet to be saying, "It is lawmakers' responsibility, not the courts', to redraw congressional lines." That responsibility sat snugly in his lap in 2001. He brushed it off like lint.

[...]

----3. He would dispense with rules----

Whenever Perry uses the words "fair" or "fairness," he isn't thinking that way when it comes to the legislative process and redistricting.

Harsh.

The Lufkin Daily News compares the whole thing to the movie Groundhog Day.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times also uses the term madness, but they're actually pretty mellow about the whole thing.

Finally, the El Paso Times, which was nearly alone in condemning the Democrats for the Ardmore walkout, condemns everyone for the current boycott.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on July 30, 2003 to Killer D's | TrackBack