Posted on 08/02/2003 8:29:23 AM PDT by Dog Gone
ALBUQUERQUE -- The 11 runaway Texas senators dispatched a letter Friday to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst asking him to stand taller than Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and show the leadership he demonstrated during the regular session.
"We're asking him to restore the two-thirds rule and to show the truly great leadership that he had showed during the regular session and during the first called special session," said state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte.
Dave Beckwith, a spokesman for Dewhurst, said the lieutenant governor had not received the letter and could not respond.
The "two-thirds rule," a Senate tradition, requires that 21 of 31 senators agree to bring a bill up for floor debate. Dewhurst planned to bypass the rule during the second special session on congressional redistricting, prompting the Democrats' walkout.
Beckwith said the tradition has been abandoned at least three times in previous years during consideration of redistricting bills.
Meanwhile, Van de Putte of San Antonio said the senators are taking their stand "hour by hour" and "day by day," remaining steadfast in the decision they made to break quorum by holding out in New Mexico.
Several senators were buoyed by impending visits from their families. Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville said he was looking forward to seeing his wife, and would love to have his grandchildren visit but couldn't afford it.
Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston was waiting for two of his young children to arrive. His wife was staying in Houston with the couple's newborn daughter.
Had the baby been able to travel, Ellis might have had some use for the diapers, rattles and pacifiers delivered to the Democrats courtesy of the Republican Party of Texas.
"We hope that these behavior-appropriate items make the Democrats a little more comfortable while they are AWOL from their elected duties," said Texas GOP Chairwoman Susan Weddington.
Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said his wife and two teenage sons were staying in Texas this weekend to take advantage of the tax-free holiday shopping. He said he planned to sleep, do some legal work, go to church and maybe catch a movie.
Although the senators have reiterated their pledge to hold out for the duration of the second 30-day special session, throughout the week the Democratic National Committee has worked to find legal relief that would allow the senators to return to Texas.
National party leaders are lining up lawyers whose expertise is in voting rights litigation to possibly file a civil rights lawsuit arguing that the abandonment of the two-thirds rule is in itself a violation of minority voting rights.
West said the Democrats are keeping all their legal options open.
The senators Friday reiterated their hope that Perry removes redistricting from the special session to focus on other issues more important to Texans.
"Gov. Perry refused to say that health care takes a higher priority than redistricting -- a dangerous sign of failed leadership that places his party's failures in congressional elections on the same level of importance as health care for our children," Van de Putte said.
The letter to Dewhurst prevailed on him to remember the collegiality that has been a hallmark of the Senate.
"We have friendships that reach across party lines, and we ask that you respect them now," the letter states.
Minority senators and their staffs also complained that at their legislative offices in Texas and at the hotel in New Mexico they've been flooded with nasty phone calls from unidentified people.
A number of the callers went beyond expressing anger at the walkout and resorted to racial slurs, other offensive language and even a few threats, they said.
Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said many of the callers hurled "derogatory statements about my ethnic background," including epithets and statements such as "Go back to Mexico."
He said he is thick-skinned about such anonymous attacks, although he's disappointed that people resort to offensive language.
"When they don't identify themselves and make those kinds of remarks, obviously it's an organized effort by somebody," he said. "On one of them you could hear in the background, you could tell there were other phone calls being made ... like a phone bank."
Gilbert Loredo, chief of staff for Van de Putte, said the district office staff is trying to record and keep a record of some of the offensive phone calls left on a message system.
"They're using a lot of racial slurs. They're pretty damn nasty, yes," he said, recalling one call in particular. "There was even talk of anatomy. It was very disgusting."
Others who have received the calls include Ellis, Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin and Sen. Juan Hinojosa of McAllen.
In Houston, four GOP state representatives held a press conference to complain that Democratic efforts to block redistricting are preventing other state business.
As a result, the Legislature cannot take action on legislation to provide some $330 million for trauma care and transportation projects. The legislation is needed to correct technical mistakes in a bill passed during the regular session and to clarify spending authority.
The four -- Reps. Beverly Woolley, Ken Bohac, Joe Nixon and Corbin Van Arsdale -- held the conference at the Houston TranStar, which helps coordinate traffic in the area
"By abandoning their jobs, these Democrats have failed to consider other state business," Woolley said.
With reporting from Janet Elliott and Polly Hughes in Austin and John Williams in Houston.
BAWAHAHAHAHA!
And the brave men who stayed. Then remember the Senators who fled to NM.
Seriously, the only hope is for the governer to keep calling special sessions, for the republicans to hang tough, and wear the bastards down.
Yes, and no.
Obviously they are outlaws in spirit and in action, but being an outlaw in law requires an act of some governing body.
Once declared an outlaw, a person is "outside of the law". The law no longer protects him. Anyone can kill him without fear of legal consequences.
When I was a kid I delivered papers in N.C. The legislature declared some bad guy an outlaw. It made the front page.
Is this guy is doing this when he's supposed to be on the job? If he were a private-sector employee, he'd be fired on the spot for-cause (not doing his job). Then again, he's a Rat politician. Doing nothing and getting paid for it seems to be the Rat hallmark (welfare).
Its already been used. The Rats went nuclear with their unprecedented filibuster of these nominations. The 'Pubs have to decide if "second use" is an appropriate response. Most strategic planners will agree that going nuclear in response to being nuked first is legitimate.
Cnservatives need to make this point whenever this subject comes up.
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