Court reverses on South Texas recount - Full panel backs Cuellar

[lostnfound]

A fairly liberal incumbent Democratic congressman, Ciro Rodriguez, lost his court battle over primary election, despite voting irregularities, to a possible DINO or "wolf-in-sheep's-clothes" -- Henry Cuellar, a former TX secretary of state under Republican Governor Perry. Court decision split on party lines.

Court reverses on South Texas recount
Full panel backs Cuellar in debate over primary vote

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2677273

SAN ANTONIO - The 4th Court of Appeals on Monday reversed itself and ruled against U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez in his lawsuit alleging vote fraud during the Democratic primary in March.

The 5-2 ruling ends Rodriguez's bid in state court to overturn the 58-vote lead held by Laredo lawyer Henry Cuellar in Congressional District 28.

<snip>

Cuellar, a Democrat who served as secretary of state under Republican Gov. Rick Perry, appealed and persuaded the full seven-member court to hear the issue. The 4th Court vote broke along party lines with the five GOP justices in the majority and the two Democrats dissenting.

<snip>

Rodriguez, from San Antonio, led by 145 votes on primary election night, but Cuellar swung into the lead during a districtwide recount.

Most of Cuellar's recount support came when more than 200 previously untallied ballots were discovered in Webb County, where he lives, and neighboring Zapata County.

<snip>

[Rose Siding]

1. sonofabitch

Rodriguez is one of The Tx D's. Cuellar had some dubious backing in this race.

Here is a part of the controversy-

snip>
The caucus’s worry stems, in part, from the political leanings of a bank president at the center of the recount controversy. The International Commerce Bank — where hundreds of absentee ballots were discovered that gave Cuellar victory — is run by Dennis Nixon, a well-known Republican fundraiser.

http://www.hillnews.com/news/040704/cuellar.aspx

This is a real loss.

[lostnfound]

2. I view this as "The Republicans stole another one"

Maybe I'm wrong. But my suspicions are that this was a district that the Republicans KNEW they couldn't win, so they executed a Plan B.