Fwd: [DemocraticResearch] Texas Democrats furious over Department of Justice redistricting memo

Submitted by PAAMember on December 7, 2005 - 9:01am. ::


TOM BLACKWELL <> wrote:
Question:  How did the Republicans keep this information from being presented to the 3 Judge Federal panel that approved the re-redistricting?  It seems the whole thing should be reconsidered, along with all the official actions that resulted (salaries paid, votes on bills, everything - - it's time for a 'clean sweep' to 'right' this 'wrong').
Texas Democrats furious over Department of Justice redistricting memo
Document objecting to redrawn map shows department's decision was politically motivated, say legislators who fled, shut down session.
By Corrie MacLaggan
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Texas Democrats are outraged about a memo that surfaced this week showing that
Department of Justice staff attorneys and analysts objected to Texas' 2003 congressional redistricting plan.
The staff members were overruled by top department officials, and state Democrats acknowledge there's little they can do now to continue fighting the congressional map.
Democrats said the memo vindicates their position that the redrawn map, championed by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, violated the Voting Rights Act by packing black and Hispanic voters into gerrymandered districts to dilute their influence in other districts.
They also said the memo shows the Department of Justice's decision was politically motivated.
"It's real troubling," said state Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "These folks have no respect for the law if it gets in the way of their political agenda.
"We want to lecture people in Iraq on how to form a democracy, but it sure is hard to do that if you don't respect
it here at home," Dunnam said.
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