Demos resist desire to return home (Chicken Run)

San Antonio Express ^ | 8/31/03 | Guillermo X. Garcia

[RJL]

The Texas Congress can compel attendance, can they issue warrants for the arrest of the ‘Rats?

If so, the ‘Rats could be extradited from New Mexico or wherever they land.

[Dog Gone]

Why not at least go through the motions (to show that you're trying to do something) and make it a PR nightmare for the dems?

Because it wouldn't succeed, and the spin would create a PR nightmare for us.

It takes a 2/3rds vote to expel a senator, and as long as we don't have 2/3rds of the senators in Austin, we couldn't even hold that vote.

If Governor Perry attempted to declare their seats vacant, it would cause a court battle that I don't think we could win. The proposition that these people are no longer Texas residents is a loser. They have homes and family here, and they're not renouncing their residency. They claim they want to return, and nobody realistically believes that they're going to stay in NM, get new jobs, register to vote there, etc.

In any event, new elections would have to be held, and presumably each of these senators would fight to be on the ballot. They'd win that fight also, and then win re-election.

The costs of all this nonsense would be blamed on the Republicans, and it wouldn't change a thing.

[PokeyJoe]

The chief RAT in New Mexico has stated that he wouldn't honor an arrest warrant from Texas on the Albeturkey 11.

[RJL]

The chief RAT in New Mexico has stated that he wouldn't honor an arrest warrant from Texas on the Albeturkey 11.

Can New Mexico just refuse?

If Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas and his brother was robbing banks in neighboring states could Bill just say no, you can’t have him?

It seems like there must be some federal authority or statutes in cases like this.

[whereasandsoforth]

"They also charge that the redistricting plan would disenfranchise millions of the state's minority voters by limiting their ability to elect minority members to Congress."

This "charge" dumfounds me. Its one of those reads that sounds coherent when first read, but becomes ridiculous when pondered. It has nothing to do with the race of the people. It has everything to do with the politics. A conservative "minority" candidate could easily win an election. So to be honest, the entire sentence needs to be restructured. But there I go expecting honesty from journalist and democrats.

[ChadGore]

None dare call it . . . VACATION

[Dog Gone]

The Rats are not committing a crime by being away from their jobs, so no state has to honor an arrest warrant from Texas. It's no surprise that the Rats have been hiding in states with a Rat governor.

[Mark]

If rumors of prostitutes/orgies were in the air, maybe pressure from spouses can do what politics can't.