Supreme Court to Review Texas Redistricting (FU Tom DeLay!)

[sonias]

We'll we live to fight another day!

Supreme Court to Review Texas Redistricting
(snip)
Justices will consider a constitutional challenge to the boundaries filed by various opponents. The court will hear two hours of arguments in four separate appeals. Lawyers have been told the case will be argued March 1, so the outcome could affect 2006 elections.

The legal battle at the Supreme Court was over the unusual timing of the Texas redistricting, among other things. Under the Constitution, states must adjust their congressional district lines every 10 years to account for population shifts.

But in Texas the boundaries were redrawn twice after the 2000 census, first by a court, then by state lawmakers in a second round promoted by DeLay.
(/snip)

Arguments to be heard in March though, we'll probably have a more right wing SCOTUS by then too.

Sonia

[Lithos]

1. I'm not that encouraged.

Except that they may redress it back down to a lower court on a technical point for review again which is the best I think we can hope for.

L-

[MagickMuffin]

2. I'm not so sure

with the USSC's decisions, especially the 2000 interference of an election, they chose to interfere instead of kicking it back down to the state level. They chose to override the states rights to ensure their party's win!

It tends to bother me because they are becoming more outspoken about their beliefs and their partisanship.

I just hope that this becomes a focus of the campaigns, we need to remind people that this was an act to disenfranchise people from voting. To take away votes that may have favored one party over another.

If the only way to win is by cheating, character assassination, illegal campaign contributions, and stealing from the American/Texas taxpayer, then I proclaim a party so corrupt they can not run on Morals, Values, Integrity, etc. because they have none.:grr:

[sonias]

4. I don't have a lot of faith in SCOTUS

If the lower court is our best shot, then lets hope it does end up there. Either way, I doubt we get the redistricting fixed by 2006 so now we plan for 2008.

Burnt Orange has some good links and discussion
http://www.burntorangereport.com/mt/archives/redistricting/index.html#004821
As does DailyKos
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/12/12/115722/70

Sonia

[Czolgosz]

6. Actually SCOTUS is to the left of most Fifth Circuit panels. If we get the

Fifth Circuit, I doubt we'd have any trouble from the SCOTUS.

[splat@14]

3. What happens if they agree it wasn't legal?

[sonias]

5. Then we win!

We either have to go back to the way the districts were drawn in 2002, or another court appointed redrawing. More likely the way they were in 2002.

Sonia

[splat@14]

7. Think you're right. See attached from "The Hill". Looks like it may take

a while. I was just wondering how they go back to the old map. I like it, but the physics of "unringing a bell" escape me. Thanks!
SplaT




http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/121305/news1.html
High court to review map
By Patrick O’Connor

The Supreme Court’s decision yesterday to review the Texas redistricting that helped Republicans win more seats in last November’s election creates uncertainty for lawmakers whose districts were heavily redrawn.

The court announced that it would hear oral arguments March 1 challenging the plan on the grounds that it violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, set a questionable precedent for mid-decade redistricting and was unconstitutionally partisan.

The court’s decision comes as Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), chief architect of the redistricting, fights for his political life. A grand jury indicted him this fall for alleged crimes during the 2002 Statehouse races that gave Republicans the majority, allowing them to redraw the map. With the new map, Republicans picked up five seats last year.

The political impact of the Supreme Court’s decision will not be known until the court makes its ruling, sometime before the July 4 adjournment. One member whose seat was created by the plan said it would not affect his reelection campaign because there are still too many variables.

[sonias]

8. The story at The Hill sure has those republicans nervous

DeLay's office, Rep. Louie Gohmert, Rep. Ted Poe, and Rep. Mike Conaway are spewing the standard republican line. It was fair because we say so and it will stand.

"The map was pre-cleared by the Justice Department and a three-judge federal panel determined that it did not harm minority rights and no appeals of the decision have been successful," DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden wrote in an e-mail.

Madden, you lying, cheating, head up your ass freeper. You know that the three-judge federal panel never saw the DOJ voting rights memo your repuke party tried to hide. You know that the pre-clearance at DOJ was deemed illegal by staff, and overruled by political bush appointees. We think the game is on with a more level playing field now.

Sonia

[ashling]

9. Time for a little duck hunting

Watch for Tom DeLay to invite Scalia and
Roberts duck hunting.