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It could also be that die-hard supporters of the hugely popular Stenholm would not admit that saving Stenholm is a primary motivation of their opposition to the House-passed plan. These could all be stealth "Texas Democrats" committed to Stenholm. What district would Midland fit in if it is independent of both Lubbock and Abilene?

It could also be that that pigs have learned to fly and that's why we all carry steel umbrellas. I am talking about people I personally know, people who worked against Stenholm in several campaigns, twice coming close to success. Actually the West Texas districts are good now. Craddick does not want to be tied to Lubbock any longer because their guy just aced his guy in the runoff for Combest's seat by 500 votes and Craddick thinks if Midland goes with either Abilene or San Angelo they will have the votes (and they will) to put a Midland candidate on the ballot. There are a lot of reasons good honest West Texas Republicans can oppose the House plan and still oppose Stenholm, whose "overwhelming popularity" is hardly as bulletproof as you seem to think. If the Senate can come up with a redistricting plan THIS session that does not rip asunder West Texas, we are all for it, but you can take this to the bank, any Craddick plan will have Midland Congressman as its centerpiece and the rest of West Texas can go jump. In that respect his plan is not so much about more Republican Congressmen as it is about HIS Republican Congressman.

Stenholm is popular because he always wins. Surely, there were some close scrapes, but even JFK didn't win by much "popular-wise" in 1960. And nearly everybody thinks JFK is "popular." Wasn't he recently voted among the one or two most "admired" Presidents? Stenholm has been there since the middle 1970s, and he is not considering retirement to my knowledge. That means, in the words of his chief, Jimmuh Carter, he does "not intend to lose."