Texas Lawmakers Trade Barbs in Standoff

AP | 5/14/03 | APRIL CASTRO

[kattracks]

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Accusations flew across state lines as Texas House legislators holed up in an Oklahoma hotel traded barbs with Republicans at home over their rebel effort to stymie GOP redistricting plans.

Fifty-one Democrats remained in a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Okla., early Wednesday, safely out of the legal reach of Texas state troopers and effectively denying the Texas state House a quorum.

"Democrats should end their childish game of hide-and-seek and get to work for the people who hired them," said Susan Weddington, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Texas.

But Democratic Rep. Garnet Coleman countered, "The issue is: Is democracy going to win over excessive political greed? The only way that we can make sure that it does is to stand up."

Democrats blame the standoff on the GOP's attempt to redraw the state's U.S. congressional districts, a process dictated every 10 years to reflect population shifts found in the U.S. Census.

Texas already has a court-drawn redistricting map, but Republicans say it doesn't reflect state voting trends and want to redo it. Their plan could add five to seven GOP House seats to the 15 the Republicans already have.

From their Oklahoma hotel, the Democrats blamed U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay for the shutdown of the Texas House of Representatives.

"We have a message for Tom DeLay: Don't mess with Texas," said House Democratic Legislative Caucus leader Jim Dunnam. "We did not choose the path that led us to Ardmore, Okla. Tom DeLay chose that path."

In Washington, DeLay mocked the Democratic legislators. "I have never turned tail and run," DeLay said. "Even when I'm losing, I stand and fight for what I believe."

Three Democrats returned to the Capitol on Tuesday but Republicans were still denied a quorum without at least 100 of the 150 members present. Four Democrats remained unaccounted for.

When 58 of the 62 Democrats didn't show up Monday in Austin, House Speaker Tom Craddick ordered Texas troopers to arrest the missing lawmakers and bring them back. House rules allow for the arrest of members who intentionally thwart a quorum.

Texas troopers located the missing legislators but have no authority to make arrests outside Texas. Oklahoma law enforcement authorities, on the other hand, greeted the Democrats with big smiles and warm handshakes Tuesday.

"We're here to let them know we support them," said Harvey Burkhart, sheriff of Carter County, Okla. "Nothing's going to happen to them here. I can tell you we're certainly not going to put them in jail."

Back in the Lone Star State, where legislative business was brought to a halt for a second day because of the rebels, House Republicans and a few Democrats spent most of the day milling about the Capitol. The House was to reconvene Wednesday.

According to House rules, the deadline to preliminarily vote on House bills is Thursday. After that, it would take a favorable vote by two-thirds of the House to get legislation to the floor for a vote. Missing the deadline would delay several major bills, including a budget-balancing government reorganization proposal.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry also was among the state GOP leaders who lambasted the Democrats for fleeing to Ardmore, about 30 miles north of the Texas state line and about 270 miles due north of Austin.

"By taking refuge in Oklahoma, they are silencing debate on important issues, undermining our system of democracy and running out on millions of everyday Texans who are depending on their representation," Perry said in a statement Tuesday.

But Rep. Pete Gallego, a Democrat, said his party had shown a remarkable degree of unity, a sign that the redistricting issue was important to Democratic lawmakers.

"The reality is we hope the legislative leadership will take note of our position and will work with us in resolving what brought us to today," Gallego said from Ardmore. "It is not an easy thing to get over 50 members of the Legislature to agree on lunch, much less to agree on a trip to our neighboring state of Oklahoma."

___

Associated Press Writer Angela K. Brown in Ardmore, Okla., contributed to this story.

[gunnedah]

Several points to be made here.These people were elected to be in the Capitol for a certain number of days a year. They are not abiding by their committment.
If this is the way government is going to operate everytime the party in control does not have a super majority all the other party has to do is leave like this bunch of morons.
If I were from Texas I would resent my Representative not being there to fight,damn a coward who runs because they cant get their way.
This Sheriff from Texas must be a Democrat or and idiot and I presume he is both by trying to get involved in Texas politics.
The Democrat Party is being controlled by liberals and they are setting a dangerous precedent with their obstructionist ways and I hope the people of this nation see that in the up coming elections. They have tried to take over by manipulation and playing lawyerly games. I believe in the law but I disagree with the way that lawyers circumvent the system to get their way.It has all become about winning and not what is right or wrong. Between liberals and lawyers America is headed for one hell of a fall.

[Budge]

I am SO sick of these got*amn

communist

and their stupid antics to regain power!!

When are we, the

Americans,

going to awaken and take back our country from the communists who only call themselves "Democrats?"

Oh, you don't think they are communists/marxists? Then check this out.

If you think "political correctness" is not damaging the U.S., you need to get this tape and view it.

"Political Correctness:
The Frankfurt School Story"

This tape is available at http://www.cofcc.org

The narrator is not the worlds best, but you can easily overlook that part if you concentrate on the message and not the messenger.

Remember when Khrushchev said, "We will take over the U.S. without firing a shot!" (Not an exact quote.)

Well FReepers, the take-over is ALMOST complete!

If we don't concentrate on this problem, then 'open boarders, N. Korea, terrorist attacks,' NOTHING will matter!

I don't know how many times I have shown this tape to friends and even people I hardly know.

Conservative Citizens Foundation sells this tape for verylittle.

Note to Admin Moderator: I hope you don't think I am trying to sell the tape, it is just the best reference I have found on how the communists/marxists planned on defeating America!

[GailA]

Make sure they pay for all the food and motel rooms OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS not the TaxSerfs. After all this is NOT an authorized trip.

[Quix]

I MUCH AGREE WITH YOU.

PLEASE, FOLKS,

TALK THOUGHTFULLY AND WISELY to liberals in your network who have any significant hint of fair mindedness left . . . document the evil of

her unroyal lowness,
her hideous heinous--
Bwitch Shrillery Antoinette
de Fosterizer de Reno-suckface
de Marx-idolizer de Beijing-agent
de Infanticide-glorifier
de Poopy-flinger de Sade

and company

who

are eager to bring you more of the same

with her planned enthrownment back in the

WHITE HOUSE!!!!

after the 2004 election.

[martin gibson]

Oh, you don't think they are communists/marxists?...

I myself think they are jackbooted, running dog, lickspittle lackey handmaidens to their neo-Stalinist masters.

I believe they are drug-induced, effeminate collectivist thugs dedicated to the brutal, violent death of each and every God-fearing American.

I believe I could use some help down here in the language war...

[Iowa David]

Can someone tell me if it is true that if they don't get back by Thursday the redistricting bill dies

[pwatson]

They are Commie bastards, Puke Marxist American Haters, French run away cowards, who do not have the gonads to stand and fight. Democrats have no morals, ethics or shame. They simply are the Evil Dark Forces of Lucifer who are not worthy of standing on the Sacred soil of the Lone Star State. There is no doubt if they had been at the Alamo they would have crossed the line in the sand and fled the state like the cowards and pusses they are.

[MikeD]

I do resent the fact that my Representative is not doing his job. Not that I would vote for him anyway, but I'll do my best to make sure that no one else does, either.

I heard that their expenses in OK are paid for by the DNC. Is there truth to that rumor?

MD

[Gopher Broke]

Texas Freepers...click HERE to see a website listing the newspapers in Texas...then send each a LETTER TO THE EDITOR highlighting the cowardly action of the Texas Democrats.