“The League of Dangerous Mapmakers”
Robert Draper, my former colleague at TEXAS MONTHLY, has written a piece about redistricting in the current issue of the Atlantic. One of the main characters in his story is Tom Hofeller, the former redistricting director of the Republican National Committee, now a paid consultant and a master of the dark arts of cartography.
Draper, the grandson of Watergate special prosecutor Leon Jaworski, delves deep into the mysteries of redistricting, focusing on Texas, with some attention paid to North Carolina, California, and a few other states. The problem for Republicans in Texas, as readers know, was that the state’s population grew by 4.3 million over the last decade. Hispanics accounted for 2.8 million of this growth and African-Americans for another half-million. The growth rate for Anglo Texans was a paltry 4.2 percent. Draper writes:
“In other words, without the minority growth, Texas–now officially a majority-minority state–Texas would not have received a single new [congressional] district. The possibility that a GOP map-drawer would use all those historically Democratic-leaning transplants as a means of gaining Republican seats might strike a redistricting naif as undemocratic. And yet, that’s exactly what the Texas redistricting bosses did last year.”
Many readers will recall the discussions that took place when the numbers became known. Should the new districts be divided evenly between R’s and D’s? Should Republicans, as the majority party, be entitled to three of the four seats? Draper says, “… The Texans produced lavishly brazen maps that resulted in a net gain of four districts for Republicans and none for minority populations.” This is, of course, incorrect. The actual result was that Republicans got three seats, the Democrats one, a majority-minority district that merged predominantly Hispanic west Dallas County with predominantly African-American east Tarrant County and is likely to elect Marc Veasey, an African-American Democrat in November–an outcome that seems fair to me, given the relative strength of the parties.
Draper quotes Hofeller as saying that the Texas redistricting process should serve as “a cautionary tale of how a remap effort can go wrong.”
“The new horror story will be Texas, which stood, this past cycle, as a powerful example of how reckless a redistricting process can become,” Draper writes.
Apparently, relations between the state and the RNC’s redistricting experts did not go well. Draper quotes an unnamed GOP legislative leader as saying Hofeller and Republican National Committee counsel Dale Oldham “created an adversarial relationship” and “rubbed raw” the Legislature’s bigwigs. Texas instead used inexperienced staff and legislative point men, Draper says.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., the House GOP campaign committee’s vice chair overseeing congressional remapping efforts for this cycle, told Draper the state’s legislative leaders solicited no advice. “Well, the Texas Legislature basically told me, ’We’re Texas, and we’re gonna handle our maps,’” Westmoreland said. “You know, I’m just saying that when you have a population increase of 4 million, and the majority of that is minority, you’d better take that into consideration.”
* * * *
It’s pretty clear what happened. Hofeller, Oldham, and Westmoreland met with the staffers who were entrusted with drawing the maps and warned them not to overreach. So what did they do? They overreached. “We’re Texas and we’re going to handle our own maps.” Yes, that sounds exactly like what our boys would say. “We don’t need no stinkin’ help from Washington.” I don’t know who the “bigwigs” referred to in the story were, but they got what they deserved: a federal court ruling that the Texas maps engaged in intentional discrimination. This is what happens when the attorney general acts like a politician rather than a lawyer. It was evident from the moment the map for the Texas House of Representatives came out that the scheme ignored Hispanic growth. Why Abbott thought they could get away with it is a mystery to me.
Well, the Republicans have had their fun. With continued growth among minorities, and no prospect for growth among Anglo Texans, 2011 is likely to be the last time Republicans will control the redistricting process in Texas.
Tagged: redistricting
Pat says:
Its not all doom and gloom for Red Team. They’re having some success recruiting talented hispanic candidates, albeit in anglo-tilted districts.
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paulburka Reply:
September 24th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Yes, more Villablas in the years ahead, but that is a good thing.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 7:22 am
Burka, just recently you have said you see the GOP keeping power in Texas for at least the next decade, but now in this post you say this is the last time they’ll controll redistricting, which means the Dems must have the governorship or one of the chambers in the lege after the 2020 election. Did you change your prediction recently?
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 9:08 am
Texian, at some point, the TX Dems will start winning statewide offices again sooner or later: my bet is 2018 regardless who is the governor.
The Legislature will go to the Dems say around 2020 or 2022.
Texas is still under a GOP one-party dictatorship (like the Dems controlled the state for over 100 years).
paulburka Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
No, I didn’t change my prediction. At some point around 2021 there will be enough Hispanic districts to elect enough members that will constitute a majority.
Texian Politico Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 9:36 am
Well, are you saying that will happen in time for the 2020 census? You say the Dems will control the Texas House or Senate when the lege convenes in 2021?
Blue Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 9:46 am
He discounts the effect of adult Anglo migration into Texas from the rest of the United States.
Texian Politico Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 9:20 am
Sure. Nothing on this earth lasts forever, but Burka in the recent past has said he thinks the GOP will still control Texas for the next decade and now he’s changing his prediction. I’m curious as to what changed.
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paulburka Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
This is about redistricting. I think the GOP will run out of white people around 2021.
Distinguished Gentleman says:
But, bottom line, aren’t operating now under the districts drawn by federal judges out of San Antonio?
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JohnBernardBooks says:
republicans control Texas because of the voters, nothing dems can do about that.
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Distinguished Gentleman says:
But, JBB, will that situation change as the Hispanic population in Texas continues to grow exponentially? Won’t such growth translate into Democrat Party dominance in the not-too-distant future?
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 6:34 am
no, the tax and spend dems just don’t get it. It’s not about President Obama’s skin color, it’s about democrat policy. No one I know wants to go back to the 60s where individuals had a 91% and corporations had 52% tax rates.
JFK benevolently reduced the individual rate to 70%.
Ragean reduced the individual tax rate to 28% causing the economy to soar like an eagle.
Dems perfer the 91% tax rate and repubs the 28%, it’s about policy.
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paulburka says:
You have to remember that the Hispanic population is very young in Texas. Many years will pass before births translate into voting age population. Some of the Hispanics will become Republican, but demographics tells us that most will not.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 12:06 am
But if you’re looking at the other big U.S. states currently controlled by Democrats at the gubernatorial, legislative and other statewide position levels — California, Illinois and (to a lesser extent) New York — and the current socio-economic trends in those states continue for the remainder of the decade, do you really think Hispanic voters are going to look at the situations in the Golden State, Empire State and the Land of Lincoln and say “Hot Dog! We wanna be just like them!”
As media satiation and 24/7/365 access nationalize more and more issues, you seem to be assuming a per-destined reflexive action by Hispanic voters in Texas to go with the Democrats no matter what, but ideas within a party that percolate 1,000 to 2,000 miles away can have local blowback for the party that supports them (i.e. — a political party that gets all cozy with the anti-fracking groups in the northeast and on the West Coast would have a hard time winning votes from Hispanics in the Eagle Ford counties of South Texas, unless “Vote for us and we’ll put you out of work!” is some sort of weird new focus-tested campaign strategy). And while there are many Republicans out there who believe they can preserve the state’s current political situation in amber, Ted Cruz’s win over Dewhurst in July flew against the conventional wisdom in Austin that GOP voters were going to nominate their Senate candidate based on surname.
If Texas Republicans don’t find and field more Hispanic candidates over the next 8-10 years, then, yes, they could find themselves in the same situation the post-Pete Wilson California GOP found itself it. But based on who Texas’ junior Senator is likely to be come January, that’s a bit of a premature assumption.
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Vernon Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
What seems more likely is that the old saying, “all politics is local” will be proven correct again.
I think Hispanic voters, just like any one else, are going to support candidates who speak to their values.
I don’t think that some special interest group allying themselves with local democrats seven states away is going to have nearly the impact that you’re predicting.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Depends. The smarter Democrats like Andrew Cuomo up in New York are running away from the anti-fracking movement at Warp 5 speed, but the more ideological types are still pushing to make it part of the party’s long-term platform. Were that to happen, and if oil prices remain at levels that make the process economically viable in the Hispanic majority Eagle Ford counties south of Interstate 10, then you’d have a major cleave between what the national party is stressing and what is good for Hispanic residents in South Texas, who up until now have only benefited marginally from the state’s energy drilling activities.
Other than the replacement refs will screw up a game or two this Sunday, we really don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Assuming the Texas Hispanic vote is going to be a monolithic Democratic Party voting block for time immemorial and that national trends will have no effect at the state level — even though Republicans right now control the state in large part because of the actions not of the state Democratic Party but of the national one, and how their policies have been views in Texas — seems simplistic at best.
Vernon Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 8:12 am
If Latinos have seen only marginal benefits from S. Texas fracking, then it shouldn’t matter what NY state democrats do or don’t do on the subject. However, if there’s a local candidate who’s working to open new drilling fields within a job-starved county, I think that will have a stronger influence on voters than any national trend. Once again, candidates must speak specifically to local interests.
But I acknowledge your larger point that national trends have some measurable impact on state and local elections.
Anonymous Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Just to expand on my point, movies like this by pro-Democrat actors like Matt Damon is what I’m talking about. People like Damon who are part of the party’s coalition/celebrity fundraising efforts, are the ones who push the party towards openly opposing oil and gas drilling using hydraulic fracking. Which may be fine in Southern California, Washington, New York or Boston, but will kill the Democrats among South Texas Hispanics and those in the Permian Basin who are among the main beneficiaries of the jobs the drilling activity has brought.
Damon is hoping his “Promised Land” does for fracking what “The China Syndrome” did for nuclear power. But you’re not going to have some radioactive cloud release to push the movement in this situation; it’s going to have to be artificially hyped. And if the national Democratic Party is seen aiding and abetting this effort — even if the state Democratic Party is wary of the national party’s actions — it’s going to have reprecussions among Texas Hispanic voters, because losing their good-paying energy industry jobs because of a bunch of bi-coastal environmentalists want national rules put in to kill drilling activity is a local issue is South and West Texas.
Dante's Inferno Stoker says:
Overreach? As someone close to the action on this issue I can tell you that they did not overreach. Hofeller is rewriting a bit of history. He ended up being tied to a legal team playing in this process that wanted to be much more aggressive than the map that was drawn.
Texas did NOT use inexperienced staff for the most part. The Attorney General’s legal team and Senate redistricting staff were all involved in redistricting the last decade.
But the inexperienced reference is probably justified by staff hired by Rep. Solomons and Speaker Straus, but no one else.
And apparently Congressman Westmoreland overlooks the fact that most of the congressional delegation were hovering around the capitol like water on a duck’s back. The congressional delegation had plenty of input on these maps.
Lastly, this is all premature. The federal panel in DC did not even want to be bothered with preclearance, even though it was their duty. SCOTUS has yet to rule and there is a strong case that ultimately the state will prevail.
If that happens Burka will be printing up whup-ass I told you so’s?
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paulburka says:
(1) I can’t imagine a map being more aggressive than the Tx House map that was drawn, with zero new Hispanic opportunity districts.
(2) The congressional delegation may have had plenty of input, but it must not have been input that the RNC agreed with.
(3) I suppose that the state could ultimately prevail, but will SCOTUS grant certiorari on alleged intentional discrimination?
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Vox P says:
Plus the state totally wrecked their chances of arguing that the Voting Rights Act is no longer necessary since intentional discrimination is a thing of the past.
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Blue Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Um, no.
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U232 says:
Paul-
You keep repeating the old saw that there were zero new Hispanic opportunity districts; reality is there were two, CD 34 and CD 35. True, CD 34 was a replacement for CD 27, but the only way you get to zero is to argue that CD 23 was before and is not now a Hispanic opportunity district. So, there was one net new Hispanic opportunity district. Should there have been two? Probably, but passing a 2-2 map was not possible in a 2/3 Republican legislature.
The congressional delegation and the RNC agreed there should have been an additional Hispanic opportunity district in DFW, and the courts agreed too–they added a CD 33 that is in the interim map as a minority opportuntiy district. The legislature couldn’t get the votes to add it, though because it would have meant sacrificing another Republican district.
To answer your last question, SCOTUS will find the DC District Court went too far by inferring intentional racial discrimination from actions that clearly were intended to benefit a political party. Equating partisan discrimination with racial discrimination is one of the reasons Voting Rights Act jurisprudence is on such shaky ground constitutionally.
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paulburka Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Re U 232 — CD 23 is an Hispanic opportunity district, so I grant you that one.
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Blue Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 10:51 am
Exactly. That a Hispanic Republican doesn’t count as a Hispanic while an Anglo Democrat does is going to be on the tombstone of Section 5.
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Patriotone says:
Demographics dictate that the only hope for the GOP going forward is voter suppression and creative cartography. It may be 2020, but it will happen in Texas and the rest of America. The GOP is taking everything that isn’t nailed down. When the hammer falls it will be loud and decisive.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 6:36 am
the only hope for dems going forward is the dead and illegals voting for payola.
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Texian Politico says:
I’m a bit leery of anything that Rep. Westmoreland has to say. Isn’t he the boob that went on The Colbert Report railing about the Ten Commandments and then couldn’t name them when asked? In fact, I think he could only name one or none. It was bad.
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orale! says:
They make it seem as if only Republicans have ever gerrymandered. Remember, before 2003 Democrats controlled redistricting for decades. They consistently crammed all suburban growth into super R districts. In Bexar there are 10 state rep districts and only 3 are Republican. One of those three is actually a swing district w/ a Hispanic Republican as the rep, John Garza. These maps were drawn by D’s. So, are they trying to say that 70% of Bexar is Democrat? Not! Remember, once those districts are drawn VRA doesn’t let them go below the previous minority levels. I just cringe when Democrats cry for what they did for decades.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 9:09 am
Orale, and yet the TX Dems never really recovered from Richards losing to Bush Jr., in 1994 and it went all downhill for them after that.
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Texian Politico says:
It’s true that the Dems after the ’90 census really drew the lines in the most partisan fashion possible. Rep. Martin Frost was the key vice lord in that operation. That’s why in ’94 you had GOP districts giving candidates 70%+ and 80%+ of the vote in packed districts like Bill Archer’s, Jack Field’s, Lamar Smith
s, Sam Johnson’s, and Joe Barton’s while Dems like Martin Frost, John Bryant, and Ken Bentsen all won tough races with close to 50%. I think Frost was at 53%, Bryant at 50% and Bentsen at 52% in ’94. Those lines were dirty.
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retrocon Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 11:47 am
Bill Sarpalius in Amarillo was another Democrat clawing onto re-election via the 1991 Democratic gerrymander. Among other creative mapping endeavors, Amarillo was split down the middle to remove the more heavily Republican areas from his district. He lasted only one more session, though.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 9:38 am
That’s true. Even the lines couldn’t save him in ’94. The Dems also drew Midland into three separate CDs even though it’s population was only around 80,000.
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Dante's Inferno Stoker says:
Anyone who is familiar with the case law now understands that minority opportunity districts is a Democrat PR gimmick. They have no standing as a matter of current law.
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Anonymous says:
Can we talk about this Perry sleep apnea story is just another manufacutered excuse to keep governor savant out of the dustbin of history?
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 25th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Perry’s health problems ?
I didn’t know he had sleep apnea because I think it kills a small number of millions of Americans each year.
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retrocon says:
I don’t really care for the way the Republicans drew the lines in 2011, but there is something often ignored by those wishing to bash the Republican redistricting: You have to be able to actually DRAW THE DISTRICTS. Too often we only hear about the Hispanic growth without understanding how the growth was distributed.
For example, some of the districts with the highest percentages of Hispanic growth were African-American districts. In other instances, urban Hispanic growth could not easily be converted into a new Hispanic district. In DFW, new “Hispanic” Congressional districts were only created by making VERY convoluted shapes. In Houston even the current Hispanic district has historically had trouble electing the Hispanic candidate of choice. Hard to see a new Hispanic district there despite the growth.
On the State House side, Hispanic advocacy groups resorted to challenging the county line (whole county) rule to muster “new” districts. Hispanic growth around Lubbock is not enough yet to bring the area into VRA scrutiny.
So instead of talking about the overall growth of Hispanics, the talk should focus on WHERE in the state the growth has been sufficient to warrant consideration.
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paulburka says:
Bell County may be a growth area.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Burka, in the 2010 gubernatorial race, who carried Bell County ?
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John Johnson says:
Whoever came up the convoluted way we define a voting district’s borders is a loon. The people who approved same were idiots. Tell me why they don’t more closely resemble the fairly uniform geometric shapes of our counties.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
We have gerrymandering in Texas because the LBJ led dems used it to control minorities and punish the dems who did not bow down.
Now that the voters have revolted and voted dems out we have real hope and change in redistricting.
Reminding us “life is a bitch then you die.”
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Bernard, let’s see if the same thing happens to the TX GOP in 8 years.
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donuthin says:
I agree with JJ. The districts should be as close as possible to being geometrically square and whole county. Start at the top of the panhandle and progress down thru the state until you have the entire state covered. It should be done without respect to race, incumbent or party. It would be interesting to see an hypothetical map would look and affect the make up of our legislature and congress.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 9:41 am
What you describe is what happens in Iowa – a state not subjected to the Voting Rights Act’s requirement that districts be drawn to elect Democratic candidates from certain minority groups.
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Blue Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Exactly. VRA Section 5 essentially prohibits geographically continguous districting.
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Gandalf says:
Ever notice that nobody mentions Rep. Larry Gonzales when they complain about what defines a “Hispanic opportunity district” in Texas? Larry is like this strange, UFO that we see, but nobody on the left wants to talk about, a conservative Hispanic winning in whitebread Williamson County. Unidentified Hispanic Officeholder… a UHO.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Ha. UHO is correct. The same is true for Congressmen Flores and Canseco.
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Blue Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Yep, and that is going to be the rope that hangs Section 5.
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Anonymous says:
The republicans are in the twilight of their dominance in Texas, despite what mouth
Breathers may say. JBB, Ron Reynolds is your state rep because you blog all day instead of knocking on doors to get rid of him. Now Rs arr stretching the maps to their limits, trying to protect as many incumbents as possible. But just lile the Ds in the mid 90s, the
Inevitable will happen. Old angry white guys are being replaced physically by a diverse group that the Tea Party hates and believes has their hands out waiting for government assistance. Every election cycle the sun gets a little lower in the sky. Hatred of a dem president can postpone the inevitable, but it can’t stop the earth from rotating.
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Texian Politico says:
Most of the Tea Party mouth-breathers seem to know it isn’t spelled, “mouth Breathers.” Takes one to know one perhaps?
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 26th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
many mouth-breathers post under anonymous it’s a dem trait.
The most Honorable Rep reynolds was outstanding freshman dem last lege session with 7 ethic violations, numerous sanctions by the ethics boards, numerous suspensions of his law license, fines by the Atty General. He reminds voters in his district who dems really are.
Democrats approve of Rep Reynolds lack of values and republicans do not.
I love the Honorable Democrat Rep Reynolds.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Never…stop…whoosh…posting…whosh….JBB. Reynolds may end up Speaker becauae of you.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
becauae of you? wha…?
Blue Dogs says:
Texian, the PPP folks think Akin will squeak by and defeat McCaskill in the Missouri Senate race despite his stupid “Legitimate Rape” comments.
I also see them splitting their statewide tickets by keeping Gov. Jay Nixon (D) in the Governor’s Mansion who will get re-elected easily (the RGA is NOT even contesting Missouri) and some of the down-ballot statewide offices will stay Dem.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 8:16 am
That may be true. As much heat as Akin deserved for his stupid comment, a lot of it was piling on and may have backfired. McCaskill is still a very vulnerable incumbent and Obama is doing very poorly in MO as well and that may drag her down. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ekes out a win there.
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John Johnson Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Piling on? That was without a doubt the dumbest statement I have ever heard uttered by a political candidate at the senate seat level. Worse than Claytie’s remark, in my estimation. After all, Williams was joking; Akin was not.
I can’t beleive that this is the best we can get. Obviously, the sharp, well qualified people are too smart to run, and/or not egotistical enough.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 8:54 am
I liked Steelman or Bruner far better, but at this point it’s either punish Akin for something stupid that he said or get another six years of McCaskill in the senate. I suspect a lot of voters in MO will be looking at more than a dumb comment when deciding how to vote.
Dante's Inferno Stoker says:
2010 Governor in Bell County:
Perry 26,318, White 17,159.
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Anonymous says:
This is the high point of the GOP hold on Texas politics. They will losing the emerging swing areas here on out in state house and congressional districts like the 23rd. Having said that the bellwether Texas county is Tarrant, and the Dems need to figure out ways to either turn out hispanics or persuade the middle class, creative class/wired workers who live in the suburbs. Until then the GOP will have an advantage in statewide elections although the lead will diminish every election cycle.
I give the GOP credit for putting up state house incumbents and candidates like Jason Villalba, Stef Carter, Larry Gonzales in suburban areas. If they kept supporting guys like Krusee, Goolsby, and Keffer they would lose these areas for good.
Hey Texian Politico, today’s national gallup tracking poll has Obama up 50-44, and we’re only a week from the first debate.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 8:24 am
Yeah, I saw that. The polls don’t look good, except for Rasmussen (who was the most accurate in 2008), but the bigger question is are these polls flawed by models based off on 2008 turnout and demographics? I think 2012 is likely to be a mix between 2008 and 2010 and will be very close. I am certain however that the GOP holds the House (the Dems are already cutting funding for Kissell in NC, some candidates in FL, and yesterday pulled ad money that was going to be spent in the Boston market to protect Tierney and go after Guinta and Bass in nearby NH) and I think the GOP is still in good shape to take the senate by a seat (NE is over. Tester is losing in MT. Brown is holding tough in MA. Berg will pull out ND. Thompson beats Baldwin in WI. Then out of the other races such as OH, FL, MO, and VA we may see the GOP gain one or more of those.) It’s very likely we end up with Obama for another four years and a House and Senate controlled by the GOP.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Kaine will be Allen write that down. Tim Kaine will whip George in NoVa, Hampton Roads, and will win the Richmond media market. The bellwether counties in Virginia are Prince William and Henrico, and Henrico is Kaine’s backyard. Virginia is now a blue state in Presidential years, purple in mid-terms, and leans red in state elections. The demographic shifts haven’t changed the landscape in state elections yet.
How can the GOP take the Senate when they will lose ME, MA, and may not pick up ND or MT? Tester and Heidkamp are both in margin of error races. Baldwin is now ahead within the moe on Thompson. The movement is towards the Dems. It’s even happening a tiny bit in the battleground house races here in TX.
I think Obama wins, and the Dems hold the senate and Boehner/Cantor will be speaker in the house.
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Texian Politico Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 9:01 am
I think there is a very real chance King could lose in ME and you get a Republican elected with a small plurality just as you saw in their gubernatorial race in 2010.
Kaine may win in VA, but that’s a close race and in 2010 VA was a very red state as it defeated three Dem congressmen and came close to taking out one more in northern VA.
I’m predicting that Tester and Heitkamp both lose. Kerrey is toast in NE. I think Mourdock holds on in IN. I like Brown’s chances in MA, too. He’s a good campaigner. The map is heavily, heavily against the Dems in the senate this time. They almost have to run the board to keep the majority. FL, NM, OH, WI, and so forth are all senate races they could lose. They are defending a lot of ground and the GOP has no worries on their own seats besides MA and IN (and even there I think the tide will carry Mourdock to a pretty easy 54-46 win.)
Blue says:
You know what’s OK?
An entire Massachusetts congressional delegation that is white as long as it ensures they are all Democrats.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
On the Senate: I see Republicans picking up Missouri (McCaskill is deeply hated despite Akin’s stupidity), Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and VA.
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John Johnson says:
A brief aside, Paul….why is our state park system’s exec. director having to spend money on this website to ask us for money to keep our parks open? There have been many millions that have gone into a dedicated TPWD account over the years from specialty license plate sales. Our legislature has never released all this money to them, choosing instead to balance the budget with it. I call this stealing. What would you call it? I’m calling Steve Ogden and the rest on the finance committee thieves. In a criminal court, his excuse of “everyone before me has been doing it” would not constitute much of a defense. This practice needs to stop. Leave dedicated accounts alone.
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Blue Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
You don’t have Steve Ogden to kick around anymore, actually.
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John Johnson Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
I know. Last session, when Ogden was asked about this practice, he used the same old excuse…”it has been done this way for a long, long time”. I just want this new chairman from the Woodlands to announce that it is wrong and will not be part of his budget balancing.
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FLPD Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Actually, the State Parks dedicated account (not license plate revenue) has a balance of $39.8 million but the agency is out begging because the dedicated money was used to balance the state budget. Same thing for the agency’s local parks dedicated account ($37.7 million) and the agency’s Game, Fish & Water dedicated account ($106.6 million). I think the agency may have even raised the hunting & fishing license fees not so long ago to raise more revenue–because they couldn’t get access to the money they already collected in from hunters, etc.
John Johnson Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Thanks for sharing. Next our PUC will be asking for contributions to help the down and out pay their electricity bills, since the “fee” we pay each month is suppose to be going into a dedicated account to do just this, but in reality is being used to enable our Gov and his lackeys to announce they have balanced the budget without new taxes. This ruse needs to end this coming session.
JohnBernardBooks says:
REpublicans are winners and the state needs more winners. Do dems know how hard it is to avoid winning just one statewide election in 20 years?
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Tom says:
Yes, JBB, you would have to be one pathetic political party to be losing to a black socialist Muslim in this economic climate. Wait, what’s that you say? Obama is winning? GOP must stand for grotesquely odious pinheads.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
The GOP lost? You mean McCain lost after the media picked him. Now the question is will Romney lose after the media picked him?
The GOP picked Gov Perry.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 27th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Perry ain’t running for anything period after his governorship ends on January 20, 2015.
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Justin Williams says:
Here are five things that must happen in order for Democrats to win in Texas.
1)Stop waiting for the future. Only 30% of the people vote in Texas.
2)Distance itself from some of the platform of the National party. (Social issues)
3)Nominate a candidate for US. Senator, Governor, Lt. Governor, or Attorney General who will fight GOP backers at their door step and in their face. Talk Radio like WOAI’s Joe Pags or Michael Berry should be the targets.
4)Try or threaten to impeach corrupt politicians and judges like Court of Appeals judge Sharon Keller.
5)Produce a party platform with REAL SOLUTIONS over issues like education, crime, water, and taxes. I, personally, have a solution to each of those issues.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
Dems can’t win and I’ll be happy to tell you why.
I when I have to interface with someone in local/county government or the local Hoa, I can always spot a democrat in the first 30 seconds by their arrogant attitude.
They let their little bureaucratic position go to their head and they are the most arrogant azzholes to deal with.
“Do you know who I am?” is stamped on their foreheads.
If you think term limits is good then support term limits for government, HOA employees.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 30th, 2012 at 9:34 am
Then again, Steve Radack is the absolute worst offender, and he happens to be a Republican.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 30th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
prove it
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Kenneth D. Franks says:
The Democratic Party clearly doesn’t have a monopoly on “arrogant assholes.” I do support term limits however for all levels of government.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 10:22 am
Kenneth, tell that to the people of Detroit and Chicago who had to endure over 50 plus years of the Daleys and Coleman Young.
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Justin Williams says:
Blue Dogs,
Texas isn’t Chicago or Detroit. As far as John Bernard’s comment. It is one of the most illogical and asine statement I ever read.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 29th, 2012 at 6:07 am
I agree logic is a foreign language to most dems
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JohnBernardBooks says:
Aggies are beating Arkansas 58-10 with 56seconds left and John Sharp threw in the towel declaring the game was lost.
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anon says:
Can someone explain how a state elected official can offer the assistance of his public office to defend the actions of a local governmental entity . . .
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/texas-ag-weighs-schools-bible-verse-controversy/
This seems like a very slippery slope, with taxpayer funds on the line. If Mr. Abbott wants to hire private lawyers and pay for them out of his political war chest, more power to him — but my tax dollars shouldn’t be spent at his whim wading into controversies and litigation far outside of his scope.
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Justin Williams says:
John Bernard Books, where in my comments lack logic?
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JohnBernardBooks says:
Went to see John Prine at Bass auditorium last night and he sang one of his old standards about democrats, “your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore.” Looks like dems redistricted themseves out when the voted to take God out of their platform.
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John Prine says:
JBB, please don’t come to my shows anymore. Foul-smelling shit-kicking Aggie pig farmers ruin it for my educated audience. Thanks!
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
September 30th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
do you even know who Prine is?
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John Prine says:
Uhhh, yeah. Obviously.
And don’t come back fat boy.
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The REAL John Prine says:
JBB come back to my concerts anytime.
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 11:24 am
as a co-writer of one Prine’s most famous songs, I think it’s hilarious that the Austin elite would pay $100 and higher for a ticket to hear a song written by a foul-smelling shit-kicking Aggie pig farmer.
Who said the pedants in Austin have no taste?
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SuzyQBankston Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 11:29 am
JBB you co-wrote a song with John Prine? No wonder I worship you.
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Jim Sirbasku Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Aw Heck, Charlie, you just outed yourself.
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Blue Dogs says:
Texas A&M will likely lose to LSU, Alabama, and Mississippi State, and Mizzou is going to die in the SEC,
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JohnBernardBooks Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 11:26 am
doesn’t matter John Sharp has declared the season lost.
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Jim Sirbasku says:
Aw Heck, Charlie, still beating that John Sharp dead horse? Your butt-boy Ricki Perri hired Sharp, how do you square that circle?
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Blue Dogs says:
Burka, I noticed you haven’t uploaded a new political story on affirmative action likely being killed by the US Supreme Court on Burkablog.
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Anonymous says:
Lot’s going on to discuss. Someone should start a new blog site.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
I believe robert Morrow has a blog
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Anonymous says:
Is TM going broke? Half the magazine is a revenue generating Who’s Who for attorneys that they buy their way into, and they don’t seem to have enough money to get someone else to keep this site going when Burka disappears for extended periods. Is he now just working part time?
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Texian Politico Reply:
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:35 am
I don’t think they are going broke, but you are correct about the magazine’s content. It looks like a big publication until you realize it only has about four stories, a few People Magazine-like fluff pieces, and then about 200 pages of ads.
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Kenneth D. Franks says:
Anyone can comment on mine.
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JohnBernardBooks says:
uh oh the bored state workers are revolting
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Texian Politico says:
Ok, we need a new blog post. Going more than a week, especially this close to the election, without a new post is no way to run a political blog. At least give us something so we can start a new thread of conversations. How about a look at the CD 23 race or Wendy Davis’ campaing? Something? Anything? Where are you Burka?
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John Johnson says:
Thank you for the opening, TP. Here’s my submission to the Fort Worth Star Telegram regarding Shelton’s accusing Davis of impropriety:
Wendy Davis, as a Fort Worth council member, was the city’s representative to the North Central Texas Council of Governments. She worked hand in hand with Sen. John Corona from Dallas in trying to solve our impending transportation gridlock here in the Metroplex. What better person for the NTTA to turn to for counsel?
Mark Shelton has broadcast that this relationship is untoward…that it is stinky and illegal. There is no proof, of course. In slimy politics, you just have to plant the seed.
What if I publically stated that someone told me that Mark Shelton is a latent homosexual because they saw him hugging a man on the dark side of a 7th Street restaurant late one evening. Maybe, I even had a photograph of this embrace to prove it.
He would, of course, have to stop his campaign message to counter this unproven, slanderous rumor. He would have to find a way to broadcast the retort that the man was an old fraternity brother that he had not seen in years …that they had shared dinner together and that he was giving him a manly embrace before parting company. Maybe I believe him; maybe I don’t. See how it works? It is ridiculous, but immoral people will do anything to win.
I have been a Republican all my life. I am now an independent. I am voting for Wendy Davis, once again. Just go to Wendy’s website and look at the broad base of entities that support her…then go to Shelton’s. This might help you decide who is best serving the citizens of Texas, not just a political party.
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Jim Sirbasku says:
Mark Shelton was hugging JBB outside of Oilcan’s. Robert Morrow said so.
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Texian Politico Reply:
October 2nd, 2012 at 3:30 pm
HA! I wonder if Morrow is now stalking Burka? I wouldn’t be surprised. This blog was one of Morrow’s favorite shiny toys and Burka took it away from him.
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SuzyQBankston says:
The republicans war on women continues
http://cdn.washingtonexaminer.biz/cache/r620-232a0c6d7180f8f30f14b934f73f117d.jpg
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Anonymous says:
You don’t go a day in DFW without seeing a Wendy Davis biographical ad. Shelton has some strengths, but the Davis/Veasey turnout machine in SE/E Ft. Worth/Everman/Forest Hill will be in overdrive. Having said that the the south suburbs in Zedler’s district still lean R, along with Colleyvile/Southlake and the west side of Arlington. It’s a tossup race that comes down to turnout.
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I'm Pavlov. Ring a Bell? says:
Repub. voter turnout is going to be through the roof in Texas. Voters here are dying to voice their discontent with the current president and, even though their vote won’t matter all that much thanks to the electoral college, you can bet Republicans and conservatives in America’s reddest state are going to turn out in droves.
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John Johnson Reply:
October 2nd, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Yep..lot’s of people voting for Romney and Wendy Davis in Dist. 10. I’m one of them.
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Texian Politico Reply:
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:55 am
I don’t think it is as many as you hope. Shelton will win. Davis barely got through in 2008 and that was in a more favorable district to her and in a better climate for Dems in Texas with Obama running well.
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Blue Dogs Reply:
October 3rd, 2012 at 11:06 am
Will the GOP turnout machine drown several Harris County Democrats in November ?
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