TX State Senator John Whitmire Treated Like a Turncoat by Democrats

Laredo, TX, Morning Times ^ | 09-20-03 | Gott, Natalie, AP

[Theodore R.]

Whitmire treated like a turncoat

BY NATALIE GOTT Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN - When 10 Democratic lawmakers returned to the Capitol after running off to New Mexico for six weeks to block congressional redistricting, they were met with boisterous cheers from the Senate gallery.

But the crowd had a different welcome for Democratic Sen. John Whitmire of Houston: Members of the audience unveiled white T-shirts printed with one letter apiece, spelling out "QUITMIRE."

After spending more than 30 days holed up in a hotel in Albuquerque, N.M., Whitmire broke ranks with his fellow Democrats Sept. 2 and decided to return to Texas. His decision gave Senate Republicans the quorum needed to get back to work on a redistricting plan that could give the GOP more seats in Congress.

His angry fellow Democrats regard him as a turncoat. But the 20-year Senate veteran said he has no regrets.

"I'm just so at peace with what I did," said Whitmire, 54, the state's senior senator. "I made a very hard but correct decision to come back."

A week after he returned, the other Democrats reluctantly followed, and on Monday, the Legislature began a third special session to work on redistricting.

"We feel he obviously compromised his position," said Sen. Mario Gallegos, a Democrat from Houston who has called Whitmire his best friend. "We'll continue to be friends, but it'll never be the same."

Sen. Judith Zaffirini said: "I don't believe that he will ever regain the trust and respect, but time will tell, and most importantly, his constituency will determine his future. He is a hero to the Republicans, but his action was detrimental not only to the Democrats and his constituents, but also to the restoration to civility."

But Whitmire said he remained in Albuquerque for the 30 days that Democrats had committed to stay. And he said he felt the need to return to take up other important business that was being held up by the boycott.

"I've gotten an awful lot of show of support from across my district," he said, adding that staying in Albuquerque would not have changed the dynamics of redistricting at all. "It's going to be reviewed by the courts, ultimately."

The only bachelor in the Senate chamber, Whitmire, a lawyer, sits in a back corner of the chamber and is often heard holding court and cracking jokes.

He has made his legislative niche in criminal justice policy and this year passed a bill that helped 12 defendants in a now-discredited series of drug busts in the small town of Tulia get out of jail.

In a recent interview, he mentioned criminal justice as one of the issues he felt he needed to address by getting back to Texas.

Some Republicans have said he made the right decision. "I think he realized there needed to be an end, and I think it was right," said Sen. Jane Nelson.

That kind of response from GOP colleagues has him feeling a bit awkward, Whitmire said: "The Democrats won't hug me, and the Republicans, I won't let them."

09/20/03

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[Chi-townChief]

So they consider Whitmire the infidel who aids the crusaders.

[Theodore R.]

It is still possible that 51 House Democrats will not show up for "work" on Monday or Tuesday. And the matter starts all over again. Maybe not!

[Spyder]

Apparently the Texas Rangers can go to their homes and drag them in. That's why they went out of state.

[Maria S]

On August 18, 2003, Rodney Ellis,Texas State Senator from Houston, wrote an impassioned letter to moveon.org asking for money (among other things). That website, which is hard-linked to the communist party website (www.cpusa.org) obliged this bunch of fine, upstanding democrats with about 1 million in help.

Also, see:

The Communist Party Is Alive and Well - Cheering Democrat Legislators On MoveOn.Org
Texas Citizens Action Network | September 18, 2003
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/985158/posts
Posted on 09/18/2003 5:07 PM CDT by patiodaddio

[07055]

Imagine being called a chicken by a flock of chickens.

[barkeep]

Just goes to show Democrats aren't too terribly bright. Whitmire may well prove to be strategically sharper than any of them. If you catch the House/Senate split, we Republicans are on the verge of once again forming a circular firing squad. Craddick will not cut loose his map with San Angelo and Midland/Odessa in 19th. Duncan in the Senate is dedicated to a San Angelo/Abilene 17th. Craddick has the edge on tenure and dirty fighting, but Duncan has proved a quick study.

If, after three special sessions the Democrats finally come home only to watch the Republicans self-destruct over their own pet issue, they will beat us to death with this issue next election. While I didn't see all the details, I warned people at the end of regular session that this might turn into a can of worms we wish we hadn't opened. We would have done better spending this political capital on winning the 5 seats held by Dems in Republican majority districts.

[Theodore R.]

So how do you see the Duncan-Craddick dispute being worked out? I can actually understand Craddick's point of view better than I can Duncan's at this time.

[barkeep]

I have met both, do not know them on a close friend basis, my read is I don't know, and that's what worries me. If both of them dig in, this third session is going to be a huge embarrassment for Texas Republicans. I have seen a map that gives Craddick a 19th going halfway up the panhandle and leaving San Angelo alone, but he won't buy that. This comes down to internicene leftovers from the Combest special election. Craddick's boy lost to Lubbock's Nuegemyer (which I am sure I have just spelled wrong) by 550 votes, and Craddick wants a lock on a Congressional seat. Fine, we have a map that gives him that, why does he fixate on Angelo? Maybe someone with a brain will set the two of them down this weekend and tell them how the cow eat the cabbage, but I ain' betting on it. Austin right now has the highest per capita content of inflated egos and hurt feelings and grudge matches in the country, and I'm not even including the Democrats. If we self destruct, Whitmire may yet get recognition as the Dems party strategist.

[Democratshavenobrains]

The oh-so-peaceful and tolerant of other peoples views DUers want to tar and feather this guy.