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Anti-Republican elements in the Justice Department (could those be the same ones who picked Fitzgerald as special prosecutor?) have leaked a 2003 memo “endorsed” by six lawyers and two analysts in the department’s voting section, which opines that the Texas legislature’s redistricting plan, since upheld twice by a three judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, may violate the Voting Rights Act, to the Washington Post.

Earlier this year, Tom DeLay correctly diagnosed the disease that infects his congressional majority. "If 1994 was the year we stopped thinking like a permanent minority," DeLay told Republicans gathered for a February party retreat in Philadelphia, "2004 is the year we start thinking like a permanent majority: unified, aggressive, rightfully confident of victory." DeLay, of course, thought permanent-majority status would be a good thing for the GOP, but nine months later he's become the symbol of a party corrupted by its lock on power. When House Republicans voted last month to allow members who have been indicted to keep...

But Supreme Court's refusal to hear appeal may not be last word. There was no doubt profound satisfaction - if not uncontrollable spontaneous merriment - in the highest councils of the Texas Republican Party this week. It was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to hear an appeal from Texas Democratic state senators of last year's GOP-backed congressional redistricting scheme. The Republican plan made it through to enactment only after three special sessions. Those grim sessions saw extensive behind-the-scenes maneuvering by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, the godfather of the scheme, merciless arm-twisting, and, finally, the GOP leadership's trashing...

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court refused Friday to block a hard-fought Republican redistricting plan in Texas that could cost Democrats as many as six seats in Congress. The justices will announce later this year whether they will consider an appeal from congressional Democrats and others who claim that the map dilutes minority voting strength. In the meantime, they rejected an emergency appeal that sought to stop the state from using the new boundaries in this year's elections. The districts were approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature in a special session following months of partisan bickering, highlighted by two out-of-state walkouts by...

Remap in hands of judges Sides make emphatic statements during closing arguments 08:17 PM CST on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN – It's all over but the waiting – and the ruling, of course – for attorneys in the lawsuit over the new Texas congressional map. A week of testimony boiled down Tuesday to two diametrically opposed views of the GOP map, framed by lawyers in closing arguments to the three-judge panel that will decide the legality of the plan. "The Voting Rights Act is the crown jewel of civil rights,"...

AUSTIN -- In a surprise legislative twist Friday, the Texas Senate took the congressional redistricting bill hostage until the House votes on a controversial government reorganization bill. The House at 9 p.m. lacked a quorum to pass the government reorganization bill. The House put a call on the missing Republican and Democratic members and locked the chamber doors so those who were there could not leave. About 11 p.m., the House and Senate postponed any further business until Sunday. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said the Senate was afraid the House would not pass the reorganization bill with Senate amendments. The...

Go here: http://gis1.tlc.state.tx.us/ The proposed map is the last one listed: Proposed Congressional Districts - HB3 CCR 10-09-03, plan C01374 Current districts are the third option: US Congressional Districts, 108th Congres, plan C01151

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2003 CONTACT: Dave Beckwith 512-463-0715 STATEMENT BY LT. GOV. DAVID DEWHURST AUSTIN “I had hoped that the Texas Supreme Court would provide an immediate resolution to the legislative stalemate brought about by 11 Texas Democrat Senators leaving the state to break a Senate quorum. The ruling today eliminates that possibility, but does help provide us with better direction on how to resolve the underlying problem. “The court’s denial of our writ clarifies that the issue is a legislative matter that only the legislature can and should resolve. The Washington-paid counsel for the 11 Democratic Senators,...

Here are links to the actual documents that are the current Buzz in Texas about the Republicans trying to 'Redistrict the State' to more equally match the voting majority (aka; Republican) of the State. Chicken D's (whiney-assed) Lawsuit against Texas Governor and Lt. Governor to challenge their right to call a Special Session for Redistricting, and ALSO to stop the Texas DPS ('da cops) from arresting them (the Chicken D's) if they come back into Texas. Governor Perry 'Writ of Mandamum' to the Texas Supreme Court to get the Court to order the Chicken D's back to work in the...

Posted on Mon, Jul. 28, 2003 Session ends as 11 Democrats slip out Perry calls second special session By John Moritz Star-Telegram Austin Bureau AUSTIN - Faced with the prospect of a second special legislative session being called on congressional redistricting, all but one of the dozen Democrats in the Texas Senate slipped away from the Capitol this afternoon and stalled all business in the chamber. Republican Gov. Rick Perry immediately called a new one, but there was not a Senate quorum. The Democrats' move came after a closed-door meeting with Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the Senate's presiding officer,...

GOP effort to redraw districts is crushed In possible 2nd session, Democrats will have to try a new strategy By Ken HermanAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFFFriday, July 25, 2003Score the Texas Democrats, who haven't won much of anything in a long time, as the winners of the second go-round in the redistricting rodeo bucking its way through the state Capitol.Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst declared Friday that this round, on the most partisan of issues, is over."We didn't have the votes to bring it up," Dewhurst said. "And so, in essence, redistricting in this session is dead."The fight is expected to move...

Senators talk of boycotting any redistricting session 07/19/2003 By GROMER JEFFERS JR. and ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN – Democratic senators sent their strongest signal yet Friday that they might boycott a potential second special session on congressional redistricting, much like their House colleagues did in May. "If there are sufficient numbers to break a quorum, then I'll be a part of breaking it," said Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston. "I'm sure other members, including Republicans, feel the same way." Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said he was willing to spend weeks in hiding, which might be necessary...

June 29, 2003 The Lone Star Power Grab he unslakable thirst of the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, for partisan dominance is of Faulknerian proportions: he keeps coming at the Democrats with a gunslinger's bead that summons images of his early career as a pest exterminator as much as his Capitol nickname of the Hammer. In his tooth-and-claw resolve, the Texas Legislature has been summoned into special session tomorrow by Gov. Rick Perry, a DeLay ally, to once more take up Mr. DeLay's hubristic plan to remap Texas' Democratic Congressional majority out of existence. The brazenness of the initiative...

A newly minted Republican majority in the Texas House of Representatives may strengthen the national GOP's advantage in the 2004 House elections. With Republicans now in control of all three levers of government in the Lone Star State, national strategists believe that legislators will reopen the Congressional redistricting plan put into place by a federal court for the 2002 elections. That could spell electoral doom for several Democrats. The court plan, which largely protected the state's 17Democratic incumbents, was a major blow to Republicans, especially new House Majority Leader TomDeLay (R-Texas), who had predicted a six- to eight-seat GOP gain...