Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott has said the current boundaries are legal and can stay until after the 2010 Census.
Published Opinion in your link:
The United States Constitution entrusts the task of drawing congressional boundaries to the State, but there exists no mechanism to force compliance with this constitutional responsibility. The Texas Legislature has present authority to adopt a congressional redistricting plan based on the 2000 census. Unless and until the legislature adopts such a plan, the map drawn in 2002 by the three-judge court in Balderas v. Texas will continue to be the congressional redistricting plan for Texas.
There is no conflict between the two quotes. The AG said that while the recent census isn't strictly legal, it will do until another one is crafted. Unsaid, but still just as true, is that 2010 may be the census that decides the boundries. Nothing in the link you gave me says the present lines MUST be redrawn in a timely manner (emphasis mine).
There may be fine legalistic differences that can be drawn, but the end result is the same: No new boundries until 2010, and this AG will never force the issue before then.
The Austin paper makes it appear as if Abbott is all in favor of retaining the current districts. In fact, that's exactly the conclusion you drew.
In reality, Abbott said that it is the legislature's duty to redistrict, but it can't be forced to do so. That's a true statement.
In an opinion which gave the Republicans official permission to launch this fight, this paper twists it 180 degrees and you're buying it.