Governor's redistricting map gamble may pay off

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...Republicans led by U.S. Majority Leader Tom DeLay rolled the dice for everything. Their map is designed to defeat seven Anglo incumbent Democrats. They did it by packing some black and Hispanic voters into minority districts and dispersing others among solid and safe Republican districts.

In widely circulated e-mail last week, a top aide for Republican Congressman Joe Barton of Ennis blurted out his view that the redistricting proposal was "the most aggressive map" he's ever seen.

If it holds up in court, the plan would yield a political bonanza for Republicans. Perry could become a darling of the national GOP. The partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives hangs on a perilously close swing of just 12 seats out of 435. Most congressional elections are not competitive. No more than 30 seats are usually in play during any election cycle.

For Republicans to pick up five to seven seats without an election would be huge. National Republicans would owe Perry more than a pat on the back for his persistence in pushing redistricting.

On the other hand, the redistricting plan comes with a number of constitutional and Voting Rights Act questions. Three lawsuits already were filed this week, and more will follow. The U.S. Supreme Court has already approved the current congressional districts, under which last year's election was conducted.

http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/20031018-34269.shtml

There are several Democratic reps in TX who will likely lose now.

and the Whore Press will remain totally silent...

but I hardly can criticize...I live in California...

We've been Arnoldized.

At least some of us do...me in particular. I know many people were against the redistricting move here, many of them staunch repubs. Most of the people I know realize the move was strictly driven by Rove and the WH. They resent it too but I can't say how it'll play out in the next election. I do know who I'm NOT voting for!

Jazzgirl

With scraggly tentacles stretching for literally hundreds of miles! Talk about gerrymandering!

Can't that be seen as against the law in some way? It is on record that they specifically wanted only minority representation and have worked to exclude whites. Surely that comes under some law? Any legal scholars here who know the answer?

there was an article quoting Grover "bipartisanship-is-like-date-rape" Norquist. He held up a picture of Sheila Jackson Lee and said something to the effect of "we need to be sure that everyone knows this is the face of the Democratic party".

This is a whole new Southern Strategy.

How does that happen?

http://www.naacpldf.org/legalprogram/easley-v-cromartie.html

In this decision, the Court further clarifies and reinforces its prior holdings that it is not unconstitutional for states to be conscious of race during the redistricting process and specifically identifies the kind of evidence most probative in determining whether a particular redistricting decision is best explained by politics or race. In addition to the Court's assurance in prior rulings that jurisdictions have a compelling justification for complying with the strictures of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, this decision now clearly indicates that if a jurisdiction draws district lines to fulfill partisan political objectives, the fact that a large number of residents of the district are also members of a racial minority group does not, in and of itself, render the district a "racial gerrymander."

is undemocratic.

Gov. Goodhair needs to be recalled...meanwhile, state college tuition goes up as much as 600%!!!

Recall the bastard!!!

I don't think that there can be recalls in Texas.

There will be an election in 2004. If the people of Texas really wanted to they could keep the democrats in office.

I think this is clearly wrong and there shouldn't be redistricting in the middle of the decade, but to say that there won't be an election is just ridiculous.

I mean whoever heard of actually fighting for a political belief?
Damn, I thought just being nice and appeasing your enemies would bring a goldmine of results.