Code words set flight in motion (TX D's)

[Rose Siding]

Code words set flight in motion
Essentials forgotten as Democrats hurried to getaway vehicles

The 11 Senate Democrats who dashed to Albuquerque didn't think they would have to use the code until later in the week, when they expected a Republican move to trap them in the Texas Capitol to force a vote on a new congressional map.

Instead, the Democrats got wind of the GOP plan to make their move Monday, so they invoked the code words and enacted their own plan to flee the state capital for New Mexico.

more.................!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/politics/state/stories/073003dntexdemhunt.a3b91.html

(free registration)

[mjb4]

1. Free registration - like free give me all your info

at the grocery store!

[hedda_foil]

2. There's always a work around on registration.

LIE.

[Pab Sungenis]

9. My Dallas Morning News address information:

Oasel T. Knickerbocker
666 Nowhere Drive
Bush, AL 35401
Phone [phone]

[Davis_X_Machina]

13. I'm partial to

Rusty Shackleford of Arlen, Texas, myself.

[Rose Siding]

3. I wish it wasn't but it's a good article

It explains the planning and the mechanics of this significant effort by the Dems. When you think about what they've done it really is remarkable- a last ditch, end of your rope kind of act. For a whole legislative caucus to resort to such a drastic step must have been incredibly daunting.

[DagmarK]

4. Gosh party_line......could you at least tell us the code word?

I mean...it is the subject of the article......and a good piece of trivia, I would imagine. Something? anything? LOL

[Rose Siding]

6. "Town Lake"!

snip>
"Ms. Van de Putte lined up the ground transportation to the private airfield in Austin from her Town Lake apartment, the designated meeting point."



They had to choose a spot near a medical facility, one of them has had a recent heart attack. Two private jets were made available by supporters. They went to a mall today to get socks and underwear. 70 rooms were made available to them at the Marriot in NM.

They didn't know until the last minute that it was on and the code words went out! Too much fun :-)

And they are worried about being scooped up:

snip>

On Tuesday, some senators feared bounty hunters would forcibly take them back to Texas.
Sen. Rodney Ellis skipped the trip to the mall in part because of his concern. "I'm not as big as Royce West," he said in reference to his brawny colleague, "and I don't want to be the one who breaks the quorum."

The senators are being protected by at least three New Mexico state police officers, including a plainclothes officer, ordered by Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat.

[Redbear]

8. Great story.

Town Lake is what Austinites call the section of the Colorado River that runs through their city.

[revcarol]

5. Wish I could read the article.

Keeps asking me to re-register. Maybe the AP or someone else will pick up the article....NAW, this would be against unsound journalistic principles.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

7. Hmmm... That's interesting, I didn't have to register!

I have my browser (IE 6) set to ignore cookies from any site that I haven't specifically added to my list of trusted sites. I have NEVER been to dallasnews.com let alone registered there, but when I clicked on your link, it took me straight to the article without the need to register.

For those who don't wish to register, try turning off cookies in your browser, and you might be able to get in without it.

Interesting to note that the Dems claim a couple of Republican members were the ones to tell them of the plan to try and lock them in.

I guess even some Republicans can be decent people.

[PaDUer]

24. Try to get everyone to the

poll...it's being freeped..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/955094/posts

[booksenkatz]

10. These folks deserve combat pay

It's absurd that they should have to go through all of this just to represent their constituents. I've never heard of this in the job description. The one who's had a recent heart attack worries me, as my dad has also had one recently. If he had to flee to NM under stressful conditions, I'd be worried sick. Their poor families!

I'm so goddamn proud of them. Not in a million years would I have expected Texas Dems to show the rest of the Dems in America how it's done.

[pork pie hat]

11. And yet

the Rethugs call them chicken. Just another case in point that, with the neocons, black is white and up is down.

[Noordam]

12. And they had Repug HELP

in the article it said the Texas House Repugs had told them that the Gov was going to stop one session and then call another and hopefully "catch" the Dems in town.

LOL, it probably would have worked if the House Repugs did not tip off the Senators.

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

14. Yes, this was clever and I admire their personal sacrifice ....

but will we applaud these tactics when the Repugs start doing the same against us in states where we have a majority?

[revcarol]

15. How many states are there in which Dems are trying to redistrict

a court-ordered legal redictricting a couple of years after the State was legally redistricted. Just because they lost....

Welcome to DU. Stick around and learn the truth!!

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

19. It's even worse that it is over redistricting, IMO...

Voters and folks who aren't politically engaged could get the impression that the Democratic politicians are just trying to save their own careers... if we absolutely had to use this strategy I would have rather seen it fought over school funding cuts :-(

Anyways, I guess they have thought out the potential repercussions with polls and voter backing, etc... It just makes me uneasy whenever I see "ends justify the means" tactics in politics.

[Rose Siding]

20. Let this poll reassure you

:-) http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=101-07232003

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

35. Thanks :-)

Good to see!

[booksenkatz]

21. But the redistricting

is illegal and a blatant grab for power. Arguing over school funding (while I agree with you) is just one party platform vs. another... not illegal, just a conflicting difference of opinion.

The Dems have no choice to do this when the Mepublicans are actively wiping their butts on the laws of this land.

[Bridget Burke]

22. Wrong

The redistricting is for US House of Representatives. The folks in New Mexico are Texas State Senators--the previous runaways were Texas State Reps. There's this difference between Federal & State government--perhaps a bit too subtle for you to understand.

Today, the Houston Chronicle's editorial cartoon once again scathingly points out that the state republicans are just following orders from Tom Delay. The Chronicle is not the most liberal of papers but they've seen through Delay's scam from the beginning. As have many of us here in Texas.

Please, don't be "uneasy" for our sake. Thanks for your concern, though!

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

36. Subtle...

Your sarcasm and nastiness was not too subtle to understand... and posters such as yourself are precisely the reason why it took me 7 months of reading the boards here before I signed up.

I was looking to understand the situation in Texas and hadn't tried to navigate the history of the problem when it first began because I trusted what they were doing. Now that the situation has escalated (along with my father's newly conservative rants about "sleazy politics") I was trying to get a better feel for why these tactics were necessary, if it could turn away voters we need and if it could cause us trouble by Repugs doing the same.

Others here have kindly filled me in and I greatly appreciate it.

[Brian Sweat]

31. They are not trying to change State Senate districts

They are trying to change U.S. House districts. It is an attempt by the Republicans to make sure that they can control the U.S. for the next 8 years.

[PaDUer]

41. check this out...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/955094/posts

To: Terriergal; weikel; katnip; PsyOp; sleavelessinseattle; AmericanCheeseFood; dighton; SJackson; ...

Freep This Poll on the Texas Democrat Senators that fled to New Mexico to obstruct RedistrictingFreeping action listIf people want on or off this list, please let me know.
41 posted on 07/30/2003 4:07 PM EDT by knighthawk (We all want to touch a rainbow, but singers and songs will never change it alone. We are calling you)

To: MeeknMing

They're beating us like a drum BUMP!
45 posted on 07/30/2003 6:59 PM EDT by Humidston (Do not remove this tag under penalty of law)
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies | Report Abuse >

To: MeeknMing
They do need to get back to work..and those voting that it was ok must have just woken up from a hard days sleeping. We're getting stomped in this poll and the reason is that they believe in voting multiple times no doubt.It's the dumbercrat way.Cheese.Hillary Clinton, writes a book then reads it on tape. When does she do her job? Never.It wouldn't line up with the rest of her party.
46 posted on 07/30/2003 7:19 PM EDT by AmericanCheeseFood
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse >

To: MeeknMing
Lastest results:

Support for Dems - 55%

Need to get back to work - 44%

WHAT?!? Someone's being funny here because I don't know a single person who thinks they did right. We're all tired of their whiny baby antics and are sick of our tax $$$ being frittered away on such foolishness. Ya know, this is supposed to be a democracy (ok Republic but whatever) and whether or not the RATS like it the majority rules.
47 posted on 07/30/2003 7:25 PM EDT by mtbopfuyn

[Rose Siding]

16. Read up on the budget battle in CA

The Dems aren't going around changing all the rules to overcome protections afforded a minority there.

[Le Taz Hot]

38. Um, Party Line

um, we Californians should probably not hold ourselves up as the pennacle of electoral integrity in view of the current recall cluster f**k. ;-) :hi:

[Rose Siding]

40. But the Dems didn't purchase the recall.

My response was to the warning about repubs doing as the Dems in TX have done. Have the Dems in CA done anything to try to change the rules midstream? :shrug:

[Bandit]

17. There was a thread here yesterday saying the redistricting plan passed

That 4 Democrats showed up and voted which gave them the majority needed. It is supposed to be signed into law by the governor real soon. :shrug: I guess the Democrats heroic actions were all in vain.

[GOPisEvil]

18. Nooo...it passed in the House...

The Democrats in the Senate are off in NM...it takes both houses to pass a bill. So far, only one has passed it.

[PaDUer]

23. POLL...

go here..:-)
http://www.krld.com/Show.cfm?content=promotion_278&title=Listener%20Poll

Keep this thread & poll kicked..

[Momof1]

26. right now the results are

43% in favor of Dems
56% in opposition to the Dems

[mbperrin]

28. It's 55-44 now!

Give it a fast 50 clicks!

[PaDUer]

30. KICK

BIG KICK!

[govegan]

39. 57% support for Dems now

Just checked poll!

These Texas Democrats deserve a lot of respect for their courage and wisdom in taking a stand!

[mbperrin]

27. Hit it a quick 50!

nt

[Momof1]

25. heres a link

around the registration

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/6413226.htm

[JayS]

29. A local talk show is currently discussing the situation if anyone...

...wants to listen. Go to www.590klbj.com and click to listen to the Jeff Ward Show.

[0007]

32. How they gonna work it next time?

I fear a trap will be waiting 'em. 'eh?

[JayS]

33. I think if it works again it will be only because for whatever...

...reason the Republicans want it to happen. A lot of people here are disgusted with both parties right now and if the Republicans can spin the news to their favor...

[sam sarrha]

34. our el paso paper said that the NM state police are protecting

the Killer D's from Republican Bounty Hunters possably sent to kidnap the senators and bring them back for the inquisition sponsered by Delay!!

[judgegina]

37. Another poll

<http://www.kcentv.com>

The poll is on the left side of the page.

Do you think congressional re-districting is necessary?

NO: 73%
YES: 26%

!!!!!!

[sugarcookie]

42. kick

[Gingergal]

43. Thanks for the link on that great article.

A good site for news on the Dems fighting redistricing in