AWOL Dems

[demsformd]

In Texas, to block a partisan Republican redistricting plan, Democratic legistlators have left the state to cause the House of Reps there to in effect shutdown. The absence of the legistlators causes the chamber to be unable to reach a quorum vote and thus the matter of redistricting cannot be brought up.

Great move guys!!

 

[SmallTown]

I love the deck of cards the republicans have. REAL original

 

[demsformd]

Yes, the Democratic Party is like the Ba'ath (sp?) party. I forgot. They're Nazis, we're Ba'ath-ers or whatever.

 

[vraiblonde]

I think they're childish and immature - what a surprise, coming from a bunch of crybaby Democrats. Curious how their constituents feel about them shutting down the government process so they can have a tantrum?

Dems, it would make my day if you'd compare this to Gingrich. In fact, I DARE you to!

 

[demsformd]

vrai, listen to what the Texas Democrats are opposing here...

The Republicans of the legislature down there in Texas decided that since they didn't win enough of the state's delegation to Congress, they thought that they should redraw the lines AGAIN. This goes against every single precedent that involves congressional redistricting - a once every TEN years process. Just because one's party failed to get a certain amount of the delegation does not mean that they should circumvent the process here. The Texan voters decided to send 17 Democrats and 15 Republicans to Congress. The people choose their congressional representatives not state legislators.

The plan that the GOP is pushing (ramming down the legislature's throat I should say) would illegally gerrymander. The minority and heavily liberal portions of the state would be diluted into other districts. This means that the districts that the GOP is chopping up run 300 miles in some cases and divide one street up in Dallas in 4 districts. That is not fair. That is not democratic. And it is something that my party must stop and this is the best way to do that in this case.

 

[willie]

Isn't this what the Maryland democrats tried with Anne Arundel and PG or something like that?

 

[jlabsher]

I just love it! I grew up in Illinois, a state who's last honest politician was a guy named Abe. I'm used to politicos doing crazy things. I admired Traficant even though he was crazy, he was colorful, loved Rostenkowski, was a crook but took care of his district.

I love nothing more than watching the British house of commons where they yell and jeer each other. Politics is a show business (remember Ronnie) and when somebody does something out of the norm it brings fresh air into it. Better to see this then stuffed shirts referring to "my esteemed colleague" whilst they truly hate them.

Good on ya Texans, stir up the pot a little bit, never hurt one bit.

 

[vraiblonde]

When I first stumbled across the House of Commons on TV, I thought it was a SNL parody or something. Thought maybe Tony Blair was guest host that night.

I'd prefer the politicians leave the dramatics to the Hollywood types and just do their damn job. Unless their job IS to waste time and taxpayer dollars.

 

[jlabsher]

Originally posted by vraiblonde

I'd prefer the politicians leave the dramatics to the Hollywood types and just do their damn job. Unless their job IS to waste time and taxpayer dollars.

Vrai, you are way too idealistic. Do you really think that Jimmy Stewart in "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" was real? Every politician has a decree to waste time and tax dollars while lining the pockets of the folks who got him there and building useless pork barrel projects in their home district to get them reelected.

Ours is a reactive vice a proactive government, they only pass a law when that is the easiest option, seems the best for their careers, or there is no other option for them. Other than the "great society" time of LBJ or FDR's tenure I cannot think of any legislation that was earth shattering during the 20th century, except sufferage and prohibition. While I would like to see politicians who care about the country and their populace I really haven't seen much evidence of it in my lifetime.

Maybe I'm just too pessimistic, but I've known a few personally and dealt with many of them. When they start out they are wide eyed and idealistic, but wait 10 years and they have a self sustaining agenda.

So they TX thing doesn't faze me, it amuses me.

 

[Heretic]

Just try that with your job and see what happens. I think the voters should fire them. If the job isnt important enough to warrent this then they should cut back on their pay, the number of them, and their power.

 

[vraiblonde]

Well, I don't want to hear Democrats talk about "leadership" and "diplomacy" again. They can't even negotiate with their own House members, yet they expected Bush to be able to do it with a dictatorial maniac. Go figure.

 

[Kyle]

Democraps have been playing the redistricting game here in MD for decades as well. One of the most obvious plays at gerrymandered districting was the first run for Steny. They worked the maps 11 times to keep him in his seat and get Winn elected.

They simply want it all, and know how to play politics much better than republicans.

Where are ya Lee when we need ya.

 

[Bruzilla]

Get real Dems! Democrats are every bit as guilty of redrawing voting districts as the Republicans in Texas are! Don't act like it's a big shocker.

I think the Texas legislature is faced with a new situation that's never been dealt with before, and like all new situations they should come up with a solution. If you need a quorum of "A" number of people, but "B" number of people refuse for personal reasons to show up, then the business of the state takes priority and they should change the rules to allow a vote to take place without the "A" number of people present.

If the "B" people were held hostage, or pinned down by weather, that's different. These a$$clowns are freely deciding to not fulfill their responsibilities, so I see them as being derelict in their duties.

 

[alex]

I think the voters should decide if what they did was good or bad. However, can they really arrest them for not showing up for work? And how about locking everyone who did show up in so no one else can leave, talk about looney.

This is about more then redistricting however. It is about a failure to follow their own rules of order while conducting business. Apparently the GOP rules both houses and they have basically been ramming all sorts of things through and without following their own rules of procedure.

What is scary is that I can see this happening at the Federal level and many other states and yes, it could be done by both parties. When that starts to happen then we are living in a facist state and it no longer a republic.

 

[Larry Gude]

Some law...

http://www.ncgop.org/redistricting_lawsuit/Response_Legislative_Plans.html

If this doesn't glaze your eyes over and induce coma...

 

[Larry Gude]

PS...

...what the Rupubs in Texas are doing is complete horseshIt.

It is unfair, absurd, mean spirited and one of the many things wrong with politics over the years that makes so many citizens just disgusted and refuse to participate.

I HATE it when we act like Democrats.

Bottom line, this crap has been going on since before the Civil War.

 

[SmallTown]

Re: PS...

My only question with the whole situation. Are the republicans going to be marketing the deck of cards they had created? I want a deck!

 

[Larry Gude]

I'll have to check in...

...at VRWC headquarters.

In the mean time, better send me the $100 deposit to be sure to get yours.

 

[Bruzilla]

Here's my solution to the problem: I'm sure that Texas has a provision in the law that states that if a state congressman should die, or become incapacitated, or get arrested, or in some other way unable to fulfill his/her duties, that the Governor has an obligation to appoint a replacement until the next election. I would give the Dems 12 hours to get back to work, and if they blew me off I would appoint people to replace them.

By the way, I was reading the Washington Post at lunch today, and they had a big article about this caper. It said about how evil the Republicans were for pushing through all kinds of social spending cuts, policies that doomed education for centuries, bills that would allow the roasting of kittens, etc., and it said that all of these bills, WHICH EFFECT THE COMMON PEOPLE, were voted on by the Dems. The only reason they walked out on the redistricting bill is because they saw it as a bill that directly effected THEIR OWN welfare. When the bills might impact their constituents, they voted against them but they didn't walk out. They only walked out when their own jobs were placed at risk.

I think you Libs can put your Liberal Medal of Honor for these buttheads away... they don't deserve it.

 

[demsformd]

Absolutely whoever is in control of the legistlature is able to gerrymander the districts they want. But it only happens once every ten years...not after every congressional election like this here.