Gonzales On Texas Redistricting: It’s The Senate’s Fault For Confirming Ashcroft
Gonzales On Texas Redistricting: It’s The Senate’s Fault For Confirming Ashcroft
A document obtained by the Washington Post reveal that career lawyers in the Justice Department unanimously concluded that Tom DeLay’s plan to redistrict Texas violated the Voting Rights Act:
The memo, unanimously endorsed by six lawyers and two analysts in the department’s voting section, said the redistricting plan illegally diluted black and Hispanic voting power in two congressional districts.
Nevertheless, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and other partisan political appointees overruled them and approved DeLay’s plan anyway. This morning, Gonzales made little effort to defend the substance of the decision and passed blame to the Senate who confirmed Ashcroft and other top officials:
Gonzales said the plan was approved by people “confirmed by the Senate to exercise their own independent judgment” and their disagreement with other agency employees doesn’t mean the final decision was wrong.
Question: If there was nothing wrong with the decision, why did the Justice Department go to such great lengths to keep the memo secret?
The 73-page memo, dated Dec. 12, 2003, has been kept under tight wraps for two years. Lawyers who worked on the case were subjected to an unusual gag rule. The memo was provided to The Post by a person connected to the case who is critical of the adopted redistricting map.
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65 Responses to “Gonzales On Texas Redistricting: It’s The Senate’s Fault For Confirming Ashcroft”
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Go TRMPAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:11 pmJust another “culture of corruption” moment. I predict trolls will claim “everbody does it” in three… two…
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:14 pmhttp://music.yahoo.com/launchcast/
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:17 pm(All I Want For Christmas) A Soldier coming home… Xmas Balls
I’ll be firing off some well-deserved letters for this. There are some very angry Texans-I’m one of them.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:20 pmI read this one earlier today over at DKos. Just one more form of corruption fr the bushco machine. Hell, it got ‘em 5 more repubs in the house.
I’m wondering, will Texans keep voting republican in ‘06? if I were to bet, I’d bet they will. I love my Texas friends, but sometimes they are a stubborn & surley bunch.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:21 pmIf this memo proves that DeLay acted illegally, then for sure he’s going to jail…Yippee!
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:24 pmInteresting about the trolls.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:24 pmThey never deviate from total defense
of anything their team does - ANYTHING.
I guess that is what gave them that
great lock-step echo effect, but as
the corruption is exposed EVERYWHERE
their team runs the show, you would
think they would consider SOMETHING
over the top ethically.
Nope, they just flail about sounding
like borderline sociopaths.
Hey what’s a little conflict of interest between friends? What else would we expect from Alberto “The Torturer” Gonzales?
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:26 pmyou really should listen to this song from Xmas Balls, Titleâ€All I want for Christmas..Soldier Coming Home’
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:26 pmIts acually a Video.
I despise Gonzales, and Ashcroft for that matter, but he makes a point that I think too many people miss, and that is that the US government is (in theory) and institution “of the people, for the people, and by the people”.
What must be acknowledged is that it isn’t just the George Bushs, Tom DeLays, Bob Neys, and Duke Cunninghams that are at fault for their crimes and misdeeds, but also those who voted for them. This is key.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:29 pmHey, Kindness, Dannyboy turned out to be “Comment by Jane E. Schneider — December 2, 2005 @ 2:21 pm ”
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:30 pmDid you catch that?
if the plan was illegal, and it passed, then why isn’t anyone bringing up charges?
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:32 pmNo freedom,
That is not how it went down.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:33 pmJane posted as Wayne.
The numbering is messed up for some
people. Danny keeps calling himself
stupid for example.
I don’t disagree with him, I suspect
he is just seeing the numbers wrong.
“if the plan was illegal, and it passed, then why isn’t anyone bringing up charges?”
Chris in AZ,
Because it was just brought to light. It has been under wraps for 2 years. Give it a little time. The wheels of just are a little rusty these days, but they will start to turn on this one too.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:35 pmThere has already been a civil case victory in the financing part of this scheme. It will ALL COME CRUMBLING DOWN.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:36 pmAh, the endless strain of stooge policy to be overturned…
hehe
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:37 pmThe lawyer opinions were over-ruled
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:37 pmand the re-districting passed.
What should happen, is that the Texas
Democrats should win their case with
this as additional evidence.
However with a conservative activist
SCOTUS, they MIGHT ignore the law to
help DeLay, like they did Bush
in Bush v. Gore (Vice versa? I forget)
Another “it’s your fault for believing our sh*t” argument. It never ends.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:39 pmIf it gets to the SCOTUS that is.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:39 pmBad press may mean it doesn’t.
Chimpy pig-headedness may mean it will.
This is off topic but I’ve been watching Survivor this season. Last night Judd, a chronic compulsive liar, got voted off. His closing remark lamented of his shock at being voted off because he had played the game so fairly and honestly.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:45 pmThese are the type of people running our gov’t. Tom Delay will go to his grave thinking he is an honest man. This is why it is essential that the legal system works here, there and everywhere.
Does any of these assholes stand up and admit the truth that they are LIARS and no one knows what the fvck they are doing!!!
Now Gonzales blames Asscroft for re-districting, Bush blames Dickless and Ruinsfeld for the war, and Conservatives blame Liberals for asking for direct answers.
Then to top it off, Clinton gets blamed for low-morals, a failed Presidency and 9/11 for a BJ, while Bush (A draft-dodging, recovering drunk, and failed businessman) is attempting to be hailed as a UNITER (Yeah Right) in the most CORRUPT administration EVER!
Okay…Did I miss something, here?
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:46 pmSpudge,
How can gonzales put the blame on the voters for voting for those who appointed the person that took place in something illegal.
-soberly dazed and confused
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:48 pm“Ruinsfeld”
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:49 pmHee. I hadn’t heard that one.
So very apt.
Iraqvet,
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:50 pmIn a nutshell
Average TV Viewer
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:53 pmJudd’s karma came quickly…this administration will deal with theirs in time. I would just as soon get convictions after junior is out of office so that his little pardon wand will have lost its juice.
The main question in the Texas redistricting involves whether it was Illegal for the Tx. house and senate to overide the ruling concerning the 10 year staute for redistricting.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:54 pmThe Delay team ran in over before it was even 2 years old. Remeber that’s when the Dems. bailed and went to OK & NM and when Tom Dleay got on the phone and asked the FAA to track a plane used by a couple of the legislators. Agin too much power makes bad men do really bad things, not to mention Texas Elects their Judges so that was going to be a slam dunk for Exterminator breath anyway.
“How can gonzales put the blame on the voters for voting for those who appointed the person that took place in something illegal.”
He can’t. I understand the confusion. Sometimes the excuses make your head spin.
That is like blaming the voters for Bush appointing Michael Brown. We don’t get to vote on appointments
That is why I am saying, give it just a little bit. This new scam will be investigated.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:54 pmWhat happens if some those displaced Representatives decide to sue DeLay, Ashcroft, et al for wrongful discharge under civil provisions? Just getting the traction of discovery under oath would be worth it to scuttle the Republican scum on the Texas pond.
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:55 pmAverage TV Viewer,
The funniest part is that Judd pretty much told everybody to vote him out. Then, when they did vote him out, he calls everybody scumbags.
That wasn’t the first time Judd mouthed off at tribal council. Serves his dumbass right. If you mouth off at people or tell them to vote for you, guess what? They will. What a dumbass.
And yes, he reminds me of the trolls here.
Judd made his wife believe that he did everything around the camp. I wonder what she thought when the show was aired?
December 2nd, 2005 at 2:57 pmJudd was blindsided, also.
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:00 pmI so agree, Kharma. Bush needs to be first on the block so he can’t pardon his buddies.
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:17 pmWouldn’t it be great if Tom and Scooter were cell mates. He could get a T-Shirt that said “I got Hammered by Delay” or something like that. Seriously, this is just another egrigious wrong foisted upon the American people by self serving Republicans that hate what America really stands for. It stares us in the face in bold print and it is obvious that we have been had by these carpetbaggers and snake oil salesmen. Keep up the pressure and drive the bastards from the temple of freedom.
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:22 pmif the plan was illegal, and it passed, then why isn’t anyone bringing up charges?
Comment by Chris in AZ — December 2, 2005 @ 2:32 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…
Okay…this one has to be digested!!!
Chris,
SLOWLY Now…
Republicans LIE and HIDE the TRUTH! They DO NOT want people to know this so they SPIN (distortion of the facts) the TRUTH so they can AVOID telling us the fvcked up!
When people find out the FACTS, they BLAME someone else and CHANGE the subject hoping that it will all GO AWAY and they can do it AGAIN somewhere else…
Here’s a list for you:
IRAQ WAR
VALERIE PLAME
DUKE CUNNINGHAM
JOE WILSON
TOM DELAY
JACK ABRAMOFF
SCOOTER LIBBY
KARL ROVE
HALIBURTON
BOB NEY
KENNETH BLACKWELL
PAT ROBERTSON
And the list goes on…
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:25 pmYou’re asking Republicans to respect rules and to be honest and forthright?
They would only consider this to have violated the Voting Rights Act if they LOST seats due to redistricting! Since they won (or stole) seats, this ‘news’ will be relegated to the back burner and be dismissed as “left wing, liberal exaggerations”.
Come on, all you ditto-heads, tell us how it’s not really illegal to gerrymander districts in your favor to the detriment of anyone who doesn’t drink the cool-aid.
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:29 pmDocumentary charges electronic voting flawed
By SZABOLCS KORDOS
Sun Staff Reporter
12/02/2005
Only a handful of people showed up at the Cline Library on Wednesday for the first Flagstaff screening of the new documentary “Votergate,†yet the movie’s topic could affect everybody in this country.
The creators of the movie claim that the new touchscreen voting systems are vulnerable to hackers and fraud and that citizens have no way to verify if their vote was really counted.
The young team behind the movie ended up with a shocking result at the end of its nationwide investigation: Anybody is able to change the results of the elections.
According to the movie, the central tabulator of the Diebold voting system, called GEMS, is based on Windows Access, jut like any household laptop or PC.
And just like in the home, it does break down quite often.
The filmmakers contended you don’t need to be a high-skilled computer expert to enter the program and change the results in a matter of seconds without leaving any trace behind. But the worst thing about the system is that there is no proof that every single vote has been counted, and counted correctly. Unlike in the case of the traditional ballots, recounting does not lead anywhere since there is no permanent record on the votes.
At the Wednesday event sponsored by Democracy for America-Flagstaff, Dr. Tom Ryan, founder of Arizona Citizens for Fair Elections, emphasized the importance of keeping the Diebold Tsx voting machine out of Arizona.
Patty Hansen, the elections director for the county, told the Arizona Daily Sun that optical scanners are used in Coconino County, but it is up to the office of the Secretary of State to give the final word on any change.
Here’s the link
http://www.azdailysun.com/ non_sec/ nav_includes/ story.cfm?storyID=120281
The guy shouldn’t even be in office.
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:38 pmIraqvet
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:44 pmAnything I can do to brighten your day…I thought this was more cut and dry for the eyes of justice than some of the other charges against the administration….as evil and outragous as some of this administration’s actions may be, they are sneaky and not always this blatant…but anyways, if trolls are scared of this thread then I’ll gladly be the whipping boy
Are they still teaching ethics classes in the White House?
December 2nd, 2005 at 3:49 pmHey, Afterthought, thanks for defending my posting integrity (comments 11 & 13 above). The numbering is definitely unreliable, so I guess that Freedom was confused. I did correct him on the pertinent thread.
December 2nd, 2005 at 4:14 pmAnd who is preparing to use this memo in their suit to eliminate the illegal redistricting perpetrated upon the people of the State of Texas and the people of the United States of America?
Seems like an excellent basis for a suit by a Texas voter.
December 2nd, 2005 at 4:16 pmIs Gonzales saying that any dumbass thing he does is OK (e.g., the Senate’s fault) because they approved him? The buck stops where?
December 2nd, 2005 at 4:37 pmNot a whipping boy, Chris…
This is NOT about changing who you are, but acknowledgement of TRUTH! To stand by and ignore facts is not only irresponsible, it is foolish and for citizens to support such acts are complicit in a crime against the DEMOCRACY that we all hold dear…
To put MY LIFE and many other soldiers’ lives on the line for a cause is something I would gladly die for. That is a DUTY that I took an oath to uphold and defend. And, even though I am extended past my service time, I still dedicate myself to upholding that CODE OF ETHICS that comes with being a soldier…But, the MAJORITY of soldiers DO NOT agree with this war…
I would CHALLENGE any member of CONGRESS to send planes for the soldiers and tell them they are free to stay or return home. I bet you over 90% of them would come home in an instant! You cannot deny facts…Oh sure they gave a poll and question some soldiers and it’s the same old song…We have to complete the mission…Uhhhh, Duh! If a soldier goes on TV and says something derogatory about the war…They are written up (perhaps an Article 15), reduced in rank, and maybe placed in the stockade…So, pardon me if I “know” better than most…
However, If a person breaks that oath, then they are persecuted vigorously by the laws of the nation. So why is it different with this administration? Clinton got a BJ, and Kenneth Starr wasted millions of tax dollars to come up with NOTHING?
But with ALL of the names mentioned and MANY more crimes still pending, all the Republicans seem to do is try and cover up the shit pile with roses and wonder why it still stinks? If you commit a crime, you should pay…But hey, NIXON…THIEF, REAGAN…LIAR and COMMITTED TREASON, BUSH…LIAR, THEIF, and IDIOT…
You see a pattern here?
December 2nd, 2005 at 4:46 pmTo win by cheat ain’t really winnin’ now is it?
December 2nd, 2005 at 4:56 pmLet’s face it. These people are in control due to crooked voting machines and intimidation of Democratic voters. I wonder how many votes they really got. The Revolutionist’s dream is becoming a nightmare with these mercenaries in charge. Oust the machines and take back the country!
December 2nd, 2005 at 5:19 pmWhen are they going to turn on each other like a pack of dogs and get this mess cleaned upped? It is so dicussing to see them every day geting out of something shady.
December 2nd, 2005 at 5:48 pmTexans, for the most part are the most stupid people in the entire world. The voters gave us Delay Cronyn and Bush as a Governor plus death by injection or dragging blacks and gays to their deaths, Lets be fair about the general population of Texas. Its needs a real good huff and puff by ten storms stronger than Katrina to take them out of the picture permanently. My only wish is that the Progressives poor and otherwise get notified earlier afterwards let the storms destroy a few million of those gizmo lives down there. Only loss would be a bunch of chipmunk ignoramuses. Now hows that folks for a liberal progressive. I have come to the conclusion that we have to get down to wishing for their destruction rather than waiting for their redemption.
December 2nd, 2005 at 6:37 pmDidn’t the Dems leave the state of Texas when they tried to vote on the redirecting? Also If I remember right didn’t the Governor or someone sent out the military to fine the dems.? Anyone know?
December 2nd, 2005 at 9:11 pmI cannot comment on the memo as I have not read it but I have to take exception to the idea that “hispanic” or “black” voting power or rights were diluted.
I say this not because there is no such thing as “black” or “hispanic” voting rights, just at there is no such thing as “left handed” or “blue haired” or “tall person” voting rights. There are voting rights, period; and these rights belong to individuals, not groups.
Now, if an individual has his rights curtailed because of ethnicity it is wrong, wrong, wrong and should not be tolerated. But it is just as wrong for an individual to have his voting rights curtailed due to fraud, or intimidation or any other reason. It is no less a travesty to have someone’s vote nullified by a fraudulent ballot than to have that same person not be allowed to cast a vote in the first place. This is because voting is an individual right. The right to vote does not belong to my ethnic group, my political party, my church or my family. It belongs to me and me alone. The same is true of every other citizen.
December 2nd, 2005 at 9:39 pmre #47
Edit to correct typo:
I say this because there is no ….
December 2nd, 2005 at 9:43 pmCheney can’t bring himself to enforce the evil agenda against his gay daughter.
Gonzales can’t bring himself to enforce the evil agenda in support of Ashcrofts screwing hispanics. http://thinkprogress.org/ 2005/ 12/ 02/ gonzales-defense/ #comments
Gambling is okay for Bennett. Pain killers are okay for Rush. Sexual harassment is okay for O’Reilly. Acting like a slut is okay for Coulter.
Republicans policies are so evil that they only want them to apply to others and exempt themselves in hypocritical fashion.
December 2nd, 2005 at 10:18 pmIraq Vet - Thanks for your service to our country. I am a Navy vet from an earlier unpleasantness, and I have to say that so much of what is going on regarding Iraq right now increasingly resembles our little adventure in Viet Nam.
December 2nd, 2005 at 10:27 pmLike you, and probably like the great majority of our military, I simply want the truth. bush/cheney/rove make nixon and his crew look like amateurs. When and if the truth ever comes out about this administration, it promises to be the biggest scandal in our country’s history.
Once again, thanks for your service. The ultra righties don’t realize, or refuse to admit, that a vigorous debate on national defense benefits us all.
Condooooo Leeza Rice,
Step On Down!!!
SO far, you have Evaded DETECTION on the NEO-CON Meter. Which door do you Pick?
Cheneyco?
Neo-Con College and the Nutty Perfessers?
I dont Recall?
I was OUT of the LOOP?
IS IS IS?
Does that about cover the “reality based” Herring Net of synthesized deniability? The word ‘Eminent’ has been clobbered.So has your argument of the Word ‘LIAR’
anyone can guess the next one.
December 3rd, 2005 at 2:32 amhttp://www.globalresearch.ca/ index.php?context=viewArticle&code=MAD20051201&articleId=1381
December 3rd, 2005 at 6:54 amORIGINAL VIDEO: British mercenary firm exposed in civilian shooting incident in Iraq
- by Wayne Madsen - 2005-12-01
A video has surfaced on the Internet showing private security contractors working for Aegis Defense Services “Victory” Group firing indiscriminately at Iraqi civilian motorists in Baghdad.
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This is my beef exactly.
December 3rd, 2005 at 8:41 amDo you realize that you cannot contact alot of the Senator and expect and answer back from them if you do not reside in their district?
The case in point was Jean Schmidt.
I wrote to her becasue she states in her speech in the house that the “rest of America” wanted to stay the course in Iraq. I wanted to email her to tell her she was not speaking for me. I could not even leave her an email.
I had this problem with several other Senators and Representatives.
They all make decisions that affect all of us and we should be able to contact them.
Mary Poppin,
December 3rd, 2005 at 10:20 amThe Dems left the state and the Repugs enlisted the help of the Department of Homeland Security. It was an outrage that the taxpayers were paying for planes to fly around looking for the Dems and the whole detective mission was carried out by the DOHS. That was back in the good old days when Tom Ridge would tell everyone to buy duct tape and tuna fish.
To #47, Tom the Barbarian, here’s how geremandering can work against groups and the individuals that belong to those groups:
December 3rd, 2005 at 11:06 amSay your state has the population for 10 Representatives to the House and therefore 10 districts need to be drawn on the map.
Then say your state draws those districts with most of the blacks in 1 district, most of the hispanics in another district, and most of the blue haired ladies in another district. And also draw it so that the other 7 districts have a slight majority of rich whites and NRA members.
The interests of rich whites and NRA members would be represented by 7 members in the House of Representatives.
Rich whites and NRA members could possibly be only 35% of the general population of the state but control 70% of the state’s representation in Congress.
Blacks could be close to 40% of the population but control only 10% of the state’s representation in Congress.
That would dilute the power of every individual black vote, every individual hispanic vote and every individual blue haired ladies’ vote.
And it would elevate the power of every individual rich white’s vote.
I think about half the country either didn’t know or didn’t care that the delay grab was even happening - and the half that did know and care couldn’t get the news across to the others. Obvously, this kind of bullying hurts everyone in the US. But, how can that point be made effectively? it seems like maybe we all have to be shoved up against the wall before we’ll unite to use what we have been given, i.e. the ability and the responsibility to understand the power of the US constitution. our leadership has folded under the seduction of win at all costs mentality. When the group (doj) who are charged with advising the leadership are subverted and ignored, (and the people who are being affected, i.e. the citizens) don’t know or care, what’s the use in even pretending the system still works? But GalfromCal has the energy and the will and the intelligence to care and to act. If she can do it, so can the rest of us. The delays, the diebolds, and the politicized christian right wing may win again and again. They may, although it angers me to admit it, continue to manipulate us and victimize us. Unless people who supported bush and pals because they thought republicans would truly be honorable and fiscally responsible change their minds and get with the progressives, we’ll still be victims in 06.
December 3rd, 2005 at 11:17 amBring Ashcroft out of hidin and try him for his crimes along side Tom Delay,they are birds of a feather and belong together!!!!!
December 3rd, 2005 at 1:51 pmre # 55
BG, you make a good argument but it doesn’t hold up.
The first problem is that implicit in your argument is the assumption that the interests of blue-haired ladies are in conflict with those of NRA members. Perhaps this is so for some blue-haired ladies and some NRA members, but perhaps not so for others. To illustrate my point, do blue-haired ladies and NRA members agree or disagree on how prescription drug coverage should work? Keep in mind that some blue-haired ladies are NRA members.
The second logical fallacy in your argument is the assumption that each individual’s interests are determined by his membership in some larger group. Were this to be true then all NRA members or all blue-haired ladies would vote for the same presidential candidate. Common sense and historical evidence show us that this is not true.
I do not mean to imply that voting rights have been denied to people due to their ethnicity. I grew up in segregated Alabama and I know full well that this happened. However it was each black person’s individual right to vote that was being denied not the rights of black people as a group. The fact that the motive was due to their membership in a group does not confer a right on the group. It all boils down to whether one views each person as a unique individual or as just an interchangable member of a larger group. I heard plenty enough as a child about “the blacks” want this or “the blacks” do that from bigots. I don’t really care to hear any more “blacks” want this or “blacks” have a certain political philosophy. I know enough black people to know that all blacks don’t agree on everything. (Amazing, that they could be just like whites in that regard, isn’t it?)
Any honest reading of the Federalist Papers, the writings of the founding fathers and the Constitution itself, will show that the design and intent was to protect individual rights. Subordinating indivdual rights in favor of “group rights” is the first step towards a descent into tribalism and the loss of individual rights.
December 3rd, 2005 at 8:31 pmIraqVet;(21)
December 3rd, 2005 at 8:41 pmYou left so many things out but, that’s fine we all appreciate conciness.
My question for you is how you’d feel about having the shrub or rumbo, or Chenny covering your back, if you can visualize them in their younger draft dodging days?
re #58 and #47
Tom
I attempted to show (in a very simple scenario #55) how geremandering can dilute the votes of individuals and groups.
I realize that on a lot of issues, there will be a lot of crossover interests, ie NRA members and blue haired ladies having the same interest in the issue.
The problem is with issues that are of specific importance to the group, ie gun control and NRA members. In my scenario of comment #55, the NRA members would have 7 of the state’s 10 Representatives in Congress on their side.
Let’s say an issue of specific interest to hispanics, like immigration,came before Congress. The interests of the hispanics would only be represented by 1 of the state’s 10 Congressmen even though hispanics may comprise a lot more than 10% of the population.
I know that these are very simple examples, but are you following my drift?
December 4th, 2005 at 12:40 amRemember that Gonzales was mentioned as a possible candidate for the last open seat on the Supremes.
Gives the Alito nomination a bittersweet tang, eh?
December 4th, 2005 at 6:59 amRE # 60
BG, I think I follow your drift, it’s just that I don’t agree 100% with the underlying premise.
In your latest post you use the example of “…an issue of specific interest to hispanics, like immigration…”. However, it seems to me that non-hispanics may also have a specific interest in the issue of immigration. Ranchers on the TX, NM, AZ border may feel one way about immigration, union workers at GM may have a different perspective and small business owners a third. Does this mean that ranchers, union workers and small business owners now have some inherent group rights? I reject that argument.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not so foolish as to believe that gerrymandering does not exist. In almost every state it is a sad reality that the party in power seeks to expand its power through “creative mischief” via redistricting. In my own state of Tennessee the legislature redrew the congressional districts a few years ago in such a way as to put two incumbents from the minority party in each district. That was a clear abuse of the process, much as the TX episode is reported to be.
My only dispute is the idea that rights adhere to groups rather than individuals. I have an indiviual right to vote. So do you. It is not a right I have because of my race, sex, religion, state of residence, education level, political party, right or left handedness or any other criteria. I enjoy that right solely because I am a unique individual.
That is the sole thrust of my arguments - that our heritage, our tradition and our Constitution guarantee individual rights and any argument to the contrary is simultaneously specious and divisive. One need only look at Iraq with the Sunni/Shia dispute, or the former Yugoslavia, the intertribal warfare in Africa or this nation’s own sad history to see the inevitable result of categorizing people by group identity and conferring rights and powers on that basis.
December 5th, 2005 at 11:50 amI not talking about conferring extra rights on groups, I’m talking about voting power being taken away just because someone does belong to a group. That is the complaint.
If “Tom Delay’s” congressional lines were purposely drawn to dilute the effective power of a racial group, then that is wrong and the lines have to be redrawn.
As you imply in your examples, rights have to be equal across all groups.
December 5th, 2005 at 8:27 pmA No-Brainer
December 3, 2005
“Gonzales defends remap†in the Press Democrat’s NewsWatch is another example of pro-neocon agenda: politicizing all government departments for Republican’s control. And being a faithful neocon, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had no compunction in supporting the Justice Department 2003 memo in a congressional redistricting map for Texas. That is, bolstering the Texas Republican establishment at the cost of the voting rights of blacks and Hispanics, and nullifying civil rights professionals who were instrumental in creating the Voting Rights Act. This is an example by the Pro-Bush Justice Department political appointees as they repeatedly pushed to advance a far right-wing ideological agenda at the expense of traditional and broadly-supported civil rights protections. This memo also indicates that Texas state officials were aware that it posed a high risk of being ruled discriminatory which were beyond the DOJ’s concern. Its main purpose for the map was to dilute the voting power of Hispanics and blacks; therefore eliminating a district representing great support from their constituents and replaced it with a district that had fewer. Thus entered Tom DeLay. A no brainer!
December 7th, 2005 at 10:35 pmI’m waiting for the memo on California’s corrupt left-islature guaranteeing their own power and sending us into chapter 11…..still waiting….maybe the LA Times won’t have to go out of business if they covered all of the news….
December 8th, 2005 at 4:32 am