Friday, May 16, 2003|
If you've been watching the news any, you know about our little legislative fiasco going on here in the Lone Star State. . .basically, our legislative session has ground to a halt because 50 some odd pouty little Democrats have run north to Oklahoma because of a redistricting plan that the Republicans are trying to pass. . .Read this, and this (the May 15th entry--stupid BlogSpot permalinks), and this for a feeling of all sides. . . I see at least three issues here: 1)Are the Dems actions illegal? 2)Is the redistricting plan illegal, and if the first answer is no and the second one is yes 3)Is this a valid way to keep illegal bills from becoming law? I'm not nearly smart enough to answer one and two but I have the feeling that the answer is yes to both questions. Tom argues that the legislators have a sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and that this is the only way they can do that in a Republican controlled House. . .However, EloquentApathy argues that by basically shutting down the government, they are allowing other bills that should be debated and passed to go unnoticed and untended to. . .I tend to agree with the latter before the former. . . But really what this comes down to is the question of the validity of the Dems approach. . .I personally think it's a completely invalid way to handle this situation because it seems totally dishonorable and opens up the door for the Republicans to do the same thing, should they ever find themselves in a similar position. . .which they have been in for the last 130 years. . .I don't see how the constituents of these Dems could see them as anything other than big whiny crybabies who didn't get their way, and instead of fighting it through honorable channels, took their ball and went home. . .
Tom argues that the courts aren't the only arbitor for issues of legality but they are the final one. . .and eventually this issue will wind its way through the courts. . .and based on the maps from EloquentApathy, it will eventually be overturned. . .and that's how the system works. . .for the Dems to start crying foul now, at a time when they've lost control of the House for the first time in generations, seems a little petty. . .and I can't see how it won't cost them in the long run. . .it all seems terribly shortsighted to me and gives me more reason to doubt that the Dems will be able to put up any semblance of a fight, either here or at the national level in the near future. . .shortsightedness is not a particularly comforting quality to have in one's elected officials. . . |
Last update: 7/14/2004; 7:58:53 AM .
