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The DeLay Scheme: Blatantly Buying Our Government
The big corporate interests that pumped money into Tom DeLay's scheme to control the Texas legislature and break precedent by rewriting an established congressional redistricting plan in mid-decade, knew full well what they bought in Texas. They bought our government.
A front-page Washington Post story today exposed a two-year cover-up by George W. Bush appointees in the U.S. Department of Justice, of a memo written by career lawyers there. The career attorneys found that a plan, crafted by Rep. Tom DeLay (R) for redrawing Texas congressional districts, violated the Voting Rights Act by deliberately subverting opportunities for African-Americans and Hispanics to elect candidates of their choice to Congress.
Political appointees at Justice overruled the career attorneys' unanimous verdict and authorized Texas to implement a redistricting plan that destroyed five Democratic districts at the expense of minority voters.
As the expert witness upon whose testimony the career lawyers based their findings, I have long maintained that the real story about Tom DeLay's recent indictment in Texas goes far beyond the corrupt acts of a single individual.
DeLay's intervention in Texas state legislative elections was part of a concerted, nationwide Republican plan to control our government through political gerrymandering at the expense of black and Hispanic voters. I have observed this process first-hand as the expert witness, not only in Texas, but also in the court cases challenging Republican congressional redistricting plans in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and Michigan.
The DeLay plan thwarted the will of voters by drawing districts to guarantee Republican victories and take over five Democratic seats. To this end, DeLay and his allies cynically and knowingly destroyed the voting rights of millions of African-Americans and Hispanics in Texas.
In the Dallas County area, the plan demolished a 60.5 percent minority district and scattered its voters into five Anglo-dominated, Republican districts in which they have no chance to influence the outcomes of elections.
Read More
http://counterpunch.org/lichtman12032005.html
Political appointees at Justice overruled the career attorneys' unanimous verdict and authorized Texas to implement a redistricting plan that destroyed five Democratic districts at the expense of minority voters.
As the expert witness upon whose testimony the career lawyers based their findings, I have long maintained that the real story about Tom DeLay's recent indictment in Texas goes far beyond the corrupt acts of a single individual.
DeLay's intervention in Texas state legislative elections was part of a concerted, nationwide Republican plan to control our government through political gerrymandering at the expense of black and Hispanic voters. I have observed this process first-hand as the expert witness, not only in Texas, but also in the court cases challenging Republican congressional redistricting plans in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and Michigan.
The DeLay plan thwarted the will of voters by drawing districts to guarantee Republican victories and take over five Democratic seats. To this end, DeLay and his allies cynically and knowingly destroyed the voting rights of millions of African-Americans and Hispanics in Texas.
In the Dallas County area, the plan demolished a 60.5 percent minority district and scattered its voters into five Anglo-dominated, Republican districts in which they have no chance to influence the outcomes of elections.
Read More
http://counterpunch.org/lichtman12032005.html
For more information:
http://counterpunch.org/lichtman12032005.html
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The Supreme Court announced today it would hear a constitutional challenge to the Texas redistricting plan engineered by Rep. Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader, and consider reining in the most extreme forms of partisan gerrymandering.
The challengers say a "purely partisan" move to redraw districts in mid-decade and to rig the results to favor the majority violates the Constitution because it deprives them of fair representation.
In the past, the high court has rejected such challenges, concluding it is impossible to separate partisan politics from the drawing of electoral districts.
The court's surprise move to hear the Texas case could spell trouble for the Republicans who have controlled the House for a decade.
Two years ago, Republicans picked up six extra seats in the House of Representatives after the Republican-controlled Texas legislature redrew its Congressional districts with the aim of defeating Democrats. That change helped the GOP tighten its grip on the House.
More
The challengers say a "purely partisan" move to redraw districts in mid-decade and to rig the results to favor the majority violates the Constitution because it deprives them of fair representation.
In the past, the high court has rejected such challenges, concluding it is impossible to separate partisan politics from the drawing of electoral districts.
The court's surprise move to hear the Texas case could spell trouble for the Republicans who have controlled the House for a decade.
Two years ago, Republicans picked up six extra seats in the House of Representatives after the Republican-controlled Texas legislature redrew its Congressional districts with the aim of defeating Democrats. That change helped the GOP tighten its grip on the House.
More
For more information:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...
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