So... what are 51 Texas Democrats doing in Oklahoma? Heading for the Woodyfest?

Maybe, but primarily, they are refusing to complete a quorum in the legislature which would allow a vote on a gerrymandering bill that would increase the number of Republican-dominated districts.

... and the Texas Rangers are refusing to go and bring them in... they have no jurisdiction in Oklahoma!

Way to go, Texas Dems! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/laugh.gif" width=15 height=15>

The few, the tough, the Texas Dems! The first time this happened, in 1979, they were called the "Killer Bees", and it was much less comfortable for them, re. which see article.

My ignorance shows when it comes to politics. I just would look forward to a day when there were NO republicans, not a need for Democrats. In a world of one, there wouldn't be a need for split partys, and such differances of opinion.

Does this mean I'm communist. What's good enough for Pete, seems good enough for me.

I'm up for debate. If it stayed light hearted. Something politics, rarely does. Maybe why I 'try' and stay away from things that don't directly concern me. My kids will see the backlash of all the bull-shit. But our father's did to. Some of them still seeing and complaining. Maybe as a society that's part of what keeps us going.

Not entirely insane/rlb <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/privateeyes.gif" width=15 height=15>

I think this means that Shelley, Jay and the Dixie Chicks may be the only smart people left IN Texas?

Molly Ivins, Jim Hightower, and the Dixie Chicks, maybe. (But thanks, Larry!)

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I love it! It's one way to stop the Republican redistricting thang from going through.

You know how hard it is to get 2 people to meet for lunch. Imagine 51 people organized and out of the state before the Republicans sent out the Texas Rangers to rangle them and bring them back! OK wouldn't support the Rangers as it is out of their jurisdiction!

It's funny as hell!! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15> <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

Didn't know it's happened before! *L*

And the Republicans have their boxers/panties in a twist! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

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Here's what Molly Ivins says on why the Killer D's left. I know it sounds like an internal Texas problem, but there is concern that what's been happening here is a test case and model for what will happen in other states, and in the national congress; a fair bit of this has been orchestrated by Tom DeLay.

was just reading that "Homeland Security" was used to track the wayward democrats...

so much for the concept of "Homeland Security" being only to prevent terror attacks

I saw on the news where Dubya is running for Prez again. Looks like it's up to me & Dave to make sure he stays in there. :lol <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/peace.gif" width=16 height=16>

Wonder just WHO sent out the Texas Rangers??? And it's not the baseball team. Just think of the cost to those of us living in Texas! A waste of tax payers $$!

Oh, where's Ann Richards when we need her?

Didn't they have Homeland Security on the case, too? Oh, they wanted that redistricting. If, by the time this political cycle is over it's been made near impossible to get a Democratic majority in the House, then they've done their job. So, does anyone know if they're going to be calling a special summer session to revisit the issue? And if so, do you think the Killer Ds will be able to get out of town again?

Food for thought:
Letter to the Editor of the NY Times, today:
----
The Texas Imbroglio
To the Editor:

Since it began its "war on terrorism," the Bush administration has been tightening restrictions, eroding civil rights and increasing security measures in the name of stopping terrorism. All the while, it has insisted to critics that such measures will be used only to combat terrorism, that ordinary citizens have nothing to fear.

Now it appears that friends of the administration in Texas have diverted antiterrorism funds in the pursuit of the state's Democratic legislators ("Investigator Steps Aside From Tempest Roiling Texas," news article, May 20).

While on the surface this incident suggests a sophomoric, fraternity-prank mentality, the real import of this incident should send chills down the spine of every American.

Clearly, the "war on terrorism" can, with the minimal help and reprehensible actions of a few people in power, become a war on political opponents of the administration.

SCOTT WALTERS
San Francisco, May 20, 2003

Editorial:

New York Times, June 10, 2003
Diverting the War on Terrorism

The recent dust-up over Republican attempts to gerrymander the Texas Congressional map had an overlay of old-fashioned political silliness and skulduggery. What is coming to be known as the Tom DeLay Power Perpetuation Act failed famously when more than 50 statehouse Democrats fled to Oklahoma, where they hid out until the bill died, depriving the Republican majority of a quorum. But it turns out that officials in Washington and Austin, desperate to round up the Democrats, made a platoon of Keystone Kops out of federal and state law enforcement agents. That is no laughing matter.

The new Department of Homeland Security was called in on the case as if it were the patronage police and the dissenting Democrats were terrorists. Mr. DeLay's office breathlessly passed along detailed intelligence on the fugitives. More than 1,000 hours were devoted to the two-day search by 54 Texas officers. At least one F.B.I. agent appears to have been involved in the search.

The fact that federal agencies were involved in the partisan squabble is outrageous. Investigators usually assigned to track down terrorists or drug smugglers were sent off to try to find a small plane that had ferried one of the missing Democrats out of Texas. Documents relating to the search were later destroyed — in theory because the search did not involve a crime. Democrats are well within their rights to demand state and federal inquiries.

The original Republican plan to draw new Congressional districts in outrageously contorted forms in order to capture current Democratic seats was, at the very minimum, political dirty pool. But the idea that Republican honchos felt that they had the right to bring federal security forces into the case pushes the issue to a whole different level, one that smacks of a sense of entitlement and disrespect for normal legal boundaries.

This page was a consistent critic of the Clintons' ethics problems, but the former president's defenders should feel free to point out what kind of national outcry we would be hearing from talk show hosts and Congressional Republicans if anyone had tried to misuse the government's antiterrorism machinery this way during the last administration.

It's <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/frown.gif" width=15 height=15> but true that while the NY Times is reminding/informing people that this was an outrageous misuse of national police power (and a portent of things to come?), Dallas news orgs dropped the whole story the minute they were back in Austin. I expect the same is true in most parts of the country...the 'cuteness' of the lengths to which Texas Dems must go was the story, and the danger to us all was missed or covered up.