MoveOn.Org Supporting the Texas Chicken D's - Letter from Senator Rodney Ellis

MoveOn.Org ^ | August 18, 2003 | Senator Rodney Ellis

[dwd1]

Forget the pandering... In the state of Texas, are there more registered Democrats or are there more Registered Republicans?

Also, during the last time that the lines were redrawn in the state of Texas, did the Democrats redraw the lines to increase their advantage by six seats? The problem the Republicans in Texas have to deal with is perception... You and I know about gerrymandering... Are the Republicans taking it a little too far... If the numbers support them, then they are going to get those seats eventually... I know that politics is not supposed to be fair but to an outside observer, this does look like a power grab...

I do not condone the democrats behavior but how did they get so desperate? Also, I was thinking about 94 when I think the Democrats lost 58 seats (I think even Tom Foley lost his seat), most people considered that a stand-up fight because there was a backlash for Hillary going too far to the left...

There is a dangerous perception going around that Republicans are not winning fair and square... I know that a dirty win is still a win but with this, the Recall in California, the Impeachment, Florida in 2000, the Bush Administration putting up divisive nominees for the judiciary, the attempted circumvention of the California Coastal Commission so that offshore drilling can proceed, the WMD issue in Iraq(though I am also glad Saddam is gone).... We need to be careful... President Bush said something I still remember and I think it is where he cleaned Al Gore's Clock... We are not only going to do what is legal... We are going to do what is right... These constant questions of unfairness are going to come back and bite us hard if we do not do a better job of educating the public on why and how we are proceeding...

[Princeliberty]

At one point it was putting minorties in white
majority districts was diluting their voting
power and now it is putting them in majority minorty
districts is diluting their power.

I guess the bottom line is that unless liberal
Democrats draw the line you dilute minorty voting
power.

[mhking]

I do not condone the democrats behavior but how did they get so desperate? Also, I was thinking about 94 when I think the Democrats lost 58 seats (I think even Tom Foley lost his seat), most people considered that a stand-up fight because there was a backlash for Hillary going too far to the left...

They truly believe that we are about to create a revolution across America that will show them for what they are. If you corner any wild animal, it will strike out, the more desperate the percieved situation, the more desperate the lashing-out becomes.

They're in desperation mode.

And this will pave the way for Lady Bubba to come in and smile, dripping venom from her fangs, with the promise to save the party and the country from those "EEEEEEEEEeeeevil" Republicans.

Ellis actually tips his hand in his original piece when he insists that the Texas redistricting would ensure a GOP majority in the US House. He's acting on orders from on-high. He'd never go as far as to leave the state, let alone a second time, on his own.

[mhking]

I guess the bottom line is that unless liberal Democrats draw the line you dilute minorty voting power.

Exactly. They want to set the rules. When the rule-making is placed in more sane hands, they get shown up for the shysters and predators that they are.

[dwd1]

As I said before... If the redistricting is perceived as being fair, there should be no problem... But if it comes out that Tom DeLay has been looking at a map of Texas and saying, "we can get six seats by drawing the lines here, here, here, and here", there is going to be a problem... I really think educating the public on why and how the lines are being redrawn will get most reasonable people to accept the change... Another question... Are the Republicans going to lose any seats based on the redrawn lines? One of the things that would probably put a lot of people's minds at ease is knowing that the Republicans are not going to take "unfair" advantage when they are in power... Fair advantage is OK... Committee chairmanships, federal judges, the supreme court appointments, political patronage (tax cuts, military spending, a few choice cuts for the energy industry) but we can't be perceived as being unfair...

Otherwise, you may that filibusters, chicken runs, and gridlock are going to keep us from truly getting to our goals...

[mhking]

If the redistricting is perceived as being fair, there should be no problem...

You'd think there wouldn't be. But the bottom line is that the Dems want to set the rules. The Dems want to draw the lines to their advantage, or ensure that whoever else draws them does so to their advantage. They don't care about fairness. They care about regaining the House by whatever means necessary.

[stand watie]

the really interesting thing here is that the DIMocRATS were the ones who gerrymanderd the districts in the first place.

certain people are so naive/ignorant/dumb that they don't either know or care about the truth, thus the DIMs get away with their SELF-SERVING LIES!

this LIE is an excellent example.

free the southland,sw

[dwd1]

You have to admit that a six seat shift (say that three times fast) does raise questions... My, I am a numbers guy. A majority republican Texas Delegation is not anything to worry about but if you have a Texas, California, Florida, and New York Governor being perceived as gerrymandering unfairly, we have to do something to show people that Republicans are not unfair or abusive when in power...

If the numbers make the case for the Republicans in Texas, they should be out front making the case... Right now, I am concerned because I am hearing from refugees in New Mexico instead of hearing defensible facts from the ones who are in Texas trying to get something done...

[mhking]

we have to do something to show people that Republicans are not unfair or abusive when in power...

We've been bending over backwards nationally to show that we're fair. The "distinguished opposition" [/sarcasm] would rather sling mud.

You need look no further than Hillary!™ herself. The lights were barely out, and she was on television and radio with whoever would give her unfettered airtime to slam the Administration and blame them for turning the population of the Northeast into Amish folk for a night.

The Smurfs are still jockeying for position to be frontrunners in a race that they ACTUALLY think they can win. Heck, Ketchup Boy is gonna give a speech next weekend from the deck of a warship docked in Charleston Harbor as a dig to the President for heaven's sake!

They're anything but fair.

[dwd1]

On Hillary, I agree with you 1000%.

I think the compassionate and moderate conservatives (soccer moms, etc) are in need of what you just said... Understanding that things take time but I don't know if the compassionate conservative agenda has been given enough attention... More has been given to the far right... We can't solve every problem with a tax cut and we can not blame everything on 9/11...

As I said before, we need something to tell the swing voters and we need to keep them well informed because if we lose them, we are in deep kimshi...

Thanks for the discussion... Have to go pay some bills....

[dwd1]

This is what I was asking about... Do you have any info on what gerrymandering may have been done 10, 20, 30 years ago that gave the Democrats an unfair advantage... If this is true, then the Republicans have earned those seats back fair and square... I am a Basketball fan and I have the greatest respect for those teams that can win on the road in an adverse environment... If the Republicans have won back congressional seats in a heavily registered Democratic District because of their ability to convince the electorate that the conservative agenda is the best course,(and there are numbers to support this), then I think the perception problems I have been discussing will go away....

[ChewedGum]

They're anything but fair.

Correct. But I would rather be fair then be a member of the other side. I know it feels like it hurts us sometimes but there is no other way.

Gum

[stand watie]

frankly, i'm not sure how to answer your question.

the DIMocRATS in 1980 "packed blacks & poor latinos" into UN-compact districts to "assure that minority members would win elections". what REALLY happened (AND what was really intended!) was that WHITE, LIBERAL men got those safe seats.

what the GOP majority is trying to do is to repair the mess the DIMs made in 1980 & messed up even worse in 1990 & 2000.

now that DIMs like Martin Frost may be DEFEATED, suddenly the GOP is cast by the LIBs/DIMs as being "anti-minority".

free the southland,sw

[Stultis]

I am writing to you from a hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I and 10 of my colleagues in the Texas Senate have been --->forced<--- to reside for the past 20 days.

Aha! "Forced"! It's a hostage situation!! Send in the Special Forces to liberate this hostage and return him to Texas!!!

[Gracey]

I see you're new to FR. We're so glad you found us and we're honored to have you with us. I personally appreciate your view point regarding the fairness. Being a CAlifornian also, (I'm dual citizenship) did you know that your state did a massive redistricting more than once and eliminated many of the Republican districts. At this moment I doubt that CA fairly represents the state's Republicans.

Here in Texas with the Democrats in power they have gerrymandered to win a disproportionate number of house seats. Now that ALL Republicans are in the majority why can't we at least have a majority Republican districts. Right now the Democrats are the majority in the House. Is that fair? With 5 or 6 more Republicans our majority would be representative of the way Texans vote.

Would you call that fair?? It's hard to understand internal state politics without being involved in that State.

However I do appreciate your fairmindedness. Personally, I think the Republicans tend to be that way more so but get the raw end when tables are turned.

Welcome, and I look forward to your comments.

[YCTHouston]

These guys are sounding more and more like a bunch of paranoid LaRouche freaks.

Seriously, to anyone in the Houston area or driving distance, we need to protest some of these fugitives. Rodny Ellis has a district office near Missouris City. John Whitmire (SD 15) has an office in a renovated house in the Heights. Whitmire especially could be vulnerable in the next election.
It would be great to hold a lunchtime demonstration in front of his office on a weekday.

[freekitty]

moveon.org.....get the hell out of Texas.

[philetus]

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe ! Thanks ...

[dwd1]

Being born in Coolidge (near Mexia) and growing up in Muleshoe originally and having attended Odessa College, I tend to agree with your sentiments. However, it was my understanding that Texas was always a conservative democrat state until so many lost their cover when the Democratic party went too far to the left in 94...

I remember a race in 82 where James Collins was trying to oust Lloyd Bentsen and said, "Texas is Conservative and Lloyd Bentsen is a liberal!" He was unable to persuade the electorate...

When I joined the service in 83, I lost track of things. When I picked up again, someone that I met in 1982 was Governor of Texas...

Here in California, what you say may be absolutely true. I have only been here since 92. At that time the Governor was Republican but I think the State Assembly and Senate were controlled by the Democrats... I can not speak of what may or may not have happened...

I am only concerned about the perception....
I have seen both parties get mistreated when the other party has the opportunity... I am simply saying that if you have the statewide offices and most of the power, some might consider drawing district lines to take away even more from the opposition bullying.... I am sure these are fine and fairminded people but you are going to have to do little more work (numbers, voting patterns, etc) to show that this is not a power grab...

I promise you that what I want to see the least is this redistricting issue becoming a "urination" contest where productive dialog is no longer possible and nothing gets done for either parties constituents...

Hope all goes well.

Thank you for the reply...