TX State Senator Bill Ratliff (R) Mulls Resignation over Redistricting Mess

Laredo, TX, Morning Times ^ | 08-20-03 | Castro, April, AP

[Theodore R.]

Ratliff mulls resignation over redistricting mess

BY APRIL CASTRO Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN - Former acting Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, the only Senate Republican who has vocally opposed congressional redistricting, said Tuesday there's little chance he will seek another term and has contemplated resignation over the current state of the Texas Senate.

"It's a day-to-day or month-to-month decision," said Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant. "I'm getting to the point that I'd rather be playing golf. I enjoy my golf a little more these days."

Speaking publicly for the first time since angrily walking out of a Senate Republican Caucus meeting last week and abruptly returning to Mount Pleasant when his colleagues decided to fine 11 boycotting Democrats, Ratliff was pensive and melancholy.

Asked if he'd considered resignation over the current legislative mess, Ratliff replied "I guess the other day when I went home it occurred to me."

"The tragedy behind all this is that just gradually we're escalating the hostility," Ratliff said. "The real tragedy is that it was all predictable and avoidable. But each step that's taken, just by one more step, destroys the Senate that I knew."

Senate Republicans, last week voted to levy stiff fines on Democrats boycotting the Senate over Republican-led efforts to redraw congressional districts. Days later, to enforce the fines on rebellious senators, Republicans voted to impose sanctions on their offices, including stripping their staffs of cell phones, parking spaces and some mailing privileges until the fines were paid in full.

If Democrats manage to stay in Albuquerque, N.M., until Aug. 26, the end of the second special session, the redistricting legislation would be effectively dead for this session. It would be the third failed attempt by the state's Republican leadership to adopt congressional redistricting and Gov. Rick Perry has indicated he's committed to the issue.

Ratliff predicted that healing the wounds wouldn't come easily to the divided Senate chamber.

"If I thought that it was all going to blow over when it's over, I wouldn't be nearly as distraught about what's going on," he said. "I don't think it's going to blow over. I think it may be a generation before the scars from this are healed and that's what bothers me about it."

Ratliff became acting lieutenant governor - presiding officer of the Senate - when in 2000 then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry replaced George W. Bush as governor.

08/20/03

[Theodore R.]

Notice the Democrat newspaper headline says "Mess." To a Democrat, this is a "Mess" because the Democrats have to do "messy" things to "preserve" "democracy."

[Theodore R.]

If Ratliff resigns, his seat will almost surely be taken by a Democrat, as this (NE)is a heavily Democrat part of the state. Does anyone know if Ratliff is a former Democrat?

[Blood of Tyrants]

RATliff? As in DemocRAT? Don't let the door hit you in the @$$ on the way out!

[Dog Gone]

Please resign, Bill. You're a disgrace.

[Theodore R.]

Were Ratliff to resign, would there be a Republican candidate in a special election, or would the GOP just forfeit this seat without a fight, as it did with popular Judith Zaffirini in 2002?

[Dog Gone]

Good question. I assume we'd run someone since the district has proven that it can elect a Republican. A Jim Jeffords kind of Republican, sadly.

[mathluv]

Only 1 county in this NE TX area voted for Gore in 2000. Don't say it is all dim. I don't know if he is a former rat, just a RINO.

[mathluv]

He had an opponent in the primary last time.

[jimt]

"The real tragedy is that it was all predictable and avoidable."

Predictable that the 'rats would do ANYTHING for power? You betcha. Avoidable? Sure, if you cave to the 'rats demands.

What's Senator Ratfink's answer, other than to stand there wringing his hands?

[Theodore R.]

Oh, I would have thought that Ratliff's district had been at least half-Gore. Maybe this district is changing at a rapid rate in its economic and political orientation.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Ratliff is on the make. He is trying to do a Jim Jeffords with the hope of getting a plum assignment or just outright cash. He will not resign. You couldn't take a stick and run him off. Where else would he get such attention and so much money?

[solo gringo]

IMHO its time to seperate the demo from the republicans.It would be a good time for ratliff to quit or join the socialist[commie]democreeps,his heart and pledge is with them anyway.

[solo gringo]

IMHO its time to seperate the demo from the republicans.It would be a good time for ratliff to quit or join the socialist[commie]democreeps,his heart and pledge is with them anyway.

[familyofman]

"Predictable that the 'rats would do ANYTHING for power"

To limit the comment to only the dems is truly hypocritical. As if the reps are coming to the table with only prue thoughts is laughable. If the fight is not for political power by both sides - then what are the reps fighting so hard for?

[mathluv]

http://www.texasgop.org/ I went to this site to look for the votes in 2002 - the last time he ran. He got 102,510 and the dim got 47,902.

What I had not noticed before was the photo essay of the dims in NM!!!

[Theodore R.]

What I don't understand is Ratliff hold on that NE TX district. Wasn't this the home of Sam Rayburn and yellow-dog Democrat for generations? This doesn't sound like a liberal Republican, Jeffords-style, area at all demographically. He may have been a Democrat before he was state senator, but I don't known.

[jimt]

To limit the comment to only the dems is truly hypocritical. As if the reps are coming to the table with only prue thoughts is laughable. If the fight is not for political power by both sides - then what are the reps fighting so hard for?

Have the pubbies ever broken a quorum to fight off redistricting? No. Are the 'rats throwing out false charges of racism? Continually.

The thing that has caused me to lose any respect for 'rats is that if they're losing by the rules, they simply change the rules or ignore them. They also nearly continuously lie. Van De Puke, as well as the other 'rats, have lied about every aspect of this issue since the beginning.

"Texans are overwhelmingly against redistricting." The fact is that their bussed in rent-a-mobs were paid to give that viewpoint at their show hearings.

There's nothing hypocritical about the statement whatsoever. The 'rats have become the party of Lenin - who when asked what was moral said (paraphrasing) "Anything that serves the state".

[familyofman]

"The thing that has caused me to lose any respect for 'rats is that if they're losing by the rules, they simply change the rules or ignore them."

The re-districting plan in TX from 2 years ago was rejected by the courts, who then did their own. There was not supossed to be another re-drawing for a number of years. The reps decided to do a "special" redistricting to increase the number of GOP members in the House for Tom Delay.
If that's not changing the rules to gain pwer - what is? The hyprocricy comes in noting only one side trying to gain a political advantage (power). Both parties do it all the time. Just look at CA for a prime example of using any means to gain political power. If you can't see the splinter in your neighbors eye because of the log in yours, then you will understand.
There are high moral winners in this case - only two parties fighting for power.

[RJL]

If Ratliff resigns, his seat will almost surely be taken by a Democrat, as this (NE)is a heavily Democrat part of the state. Does anyone know if Ratliff is a former Democrat?

Maybe the Republicans can redistrict ‘RATliff out of office too.

[AmishDude]

The re-districting plan in TX from 2 years ago was rejected by the courts, who then did their own.

If that's not changing the rules to gain pwer - what is?

Indeed. It's time the legislature took its job back from the courts.