Posted on 08/02/2003 8:40:00 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Family, friends bring support, supplies to Texas Demos in NM Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Family and friends of the self-exiled Democratic senators from Texas who are engaged in a stalemate with their Republican counterparts began arriving Friday to lend their support — and in some cases bring supplies.
The Democrats — who refer to themselves as the "Texas 11" — bolted for New Mexico on Monday to protest Republican plans to redraw Texas' congressional districts. The Democrats hold a 17-15 advantage, but Republicans say that does not reflect the state's increasingly Republican voting patterns.
The 11 have vowed to stay in New Mexico up to 30 days — when the Senate's current special session comes to an end — or until the lieutenant governor reinstates a rule requiring a two-thirds vote to take up issues, including redistricting.
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, welcomed her 21-year-old son, Carlos, at the entrance of the hotel where the group is staying. He had two large suitcases of clean clothes for his mother.
"Yesterday he was using his phone in the closet, and he kept saying, 'It's a black jacket, it's a black jacket.' Then he got to the skirts: 'It's a black skirt, it's a black skirt,"' Zaffirini joked as she hugged her son. "Finally we got some color when it came to the blouses."
Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said he will head to southern New Mexico this weekend to see his family and celebrate his son's 15th birthday.
"I haven't seen my family for four weeks," he said.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, appearing Friday in San Antonio, repeated his appeal to the 11 Democratic senators to return to Austin to deal with a variety of pressing matters, including transportation and trauma-care funding.
"Come back and go to work," Perry said while flank ed by several GOP legislators. "Don't take your ball and run off just because you think you might get beat."
The governor said he would negotiate with Democrats about the special-session format, but added that he would not consider removing the redistricting issue from the agenda.
The walkout comes less than three months after House Democrats killed a redistricting bill by fleeing to Okla homa.
On Thursday, a small protest outside the Marriott Pyramid Hotel grew to about a dozen placard-carrying Republicans. Signs urged Democrats to "go home and do your job." Others said, "Richardson Harbors Fugitives" and "Texas 11? Try Texas Cowards."
During a visit to the University of New Mexico by nine of the senators, two Texas supporters held signs reading: "Oh, Thank Heaven! For the Texas 11 (Tom DeLay, go away!)" and "Texans Proudly Support our Brave Senators!"
"Thank you all," Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, jokingly said as he got out of the car. "I thought you were protesters. You're not bounty hunters, are you?"
Some Democrats had said Republican-commissioned bounty hunters might take them back to Texas by force. Gov. Bill Richardson assigned state police to guard the senators.
Matt Kennicott of Albuquerque, a GOP protest organizer, said he contacted other Republicans to join the hotel demonstration because he was upset about Richardson "using our state troopers as a waste of our tax money."
A Richardson spokesman said one officer is assigned per shift.
Vic Segura, New Mexico's state chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, joined the protest, saying his organization was "very disappointed in our governor, who's a leading Hispanic and is basically harboring, as far as I'm concerned, Democrats who are breaking the law, and using our tax resources to assist in those efforts. It's definitely a purely political agenda."
Texas GOP chairwoman Susan Weddington issued a statement Thursday saying: "If the Democrats want to meet with education and health care officials, they should meet with Texas education and health care officials who actually have an impact on Texans' lives."
But Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, said the group's position hasn't changed.
"We will return when the leadership in Austin returns to the regular rules of the Senate, or when the governor agrees with us that mainstream Texans are opposed to partisan redistricting," she said.
On another front, Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the state Senate, announced that the first meeting of the Texas Strategic Military Preparedness Commission will be Thursday in Austin. The commission attempts to prevent military base closings in Texas.
Dewhurst, through his spokesman, said he is hoping for attendance by Van de Putte of San Antonio and Shapleigh of El Paso, who represent major Texas military cities.
Clean clothes wouldn't be something Chelsea would have to worry about smuggling in behind enemy lines if Mrs. Clinton were to go on the lam. Trusty 'Old Crusty' laughs at the slime and grime the gets herself into while wallowing in dark, dank RAT infested surroundings.
You'd think they would at least fake a serious demeanor and not be so obvious about their flippant attitude. I'm sure they have delusions of going down in history as righteous revolutionaries instead of irresponsible, whining legislators who have abused the taxpayer's trust and funds.
The Texas Senate Republicans have said that they are willing to negotiate. All the different maps are in a sense starting high from which they would be willing to move.
I have a hard time understanding the logic in trying to unseat democrat Ralph Hall who has a better conservative rating than many republicans. His heavy republican constituents have said time and time again that when he retires, they will replace him with a republican. To some degree the same is true for several of these dems representatives.
I also have a hard time allowing Tom Delay to inject his "pissing contest" with Martin Frost into the the issue. Having lived in Frost's district for a long time I can assure you that he brings home a lot of bacon. Remember two things: Joint Strike Fighter and F-16. If you were to try to get rid of a democrat representing Texas, Frost should be the last one to go after.
The same is true for West Texas agriculture. With Combest's retirement, Stenholm becomes the key man.
HUH?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.