White House Aims to Protect New Texas Map

[babylonsister]

The Bush admin wants to participate in this? Why would the Supreme Court approve? Are we screwed before this even starts?

DUer Dusty 64 posted this:
Feb 17, 3:14 PM (ET)


WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Bush administration's request to join Texas in defending a Republican-friendly congressional map engineered by Rep. Tom DeLay.

The administration will share time with Texas lawyers on March 1, when the court holds a special afternoon session to consider four appeals that stem from the bitter dispute over Texas congressional district boundaries.

Justices are considering whether the Republican-controlled Legislature acted purely for partisan gain in 2003 when it threw out district boundaries that had been used in the 2002 elections, and whether the new map violated a federal voting rights law.

The Justice Department approved the plan although staff lawyers concluded that it diluted minority voting rights. The Bush administration asked the high court last week for permission to participate in the case, supporting Texas.


The redistricting helped Republicans win 21 of Texas' 32 seats in Congress in the last election, up from 15.

The congressional districts were redrawn after Republicans took control of the state House in 2002. DeLay, R-Texas, has been indicted on money laundering charges stemming from his efforts to aid Republicans in state legislative elections that year
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060217/D8FR2T8G2.htm...

[David Van Os]

1. No reason to panic

Granting this request doesn't say anything about how the Justices may be leaning. As a matter of comity between the branches of government the Supreme Court normally grants a request from the administration to participate in a case involving federal issues. This is traditional practice from the early days of the nation. It would be extraordinary for the Court to turn down such a request.

David Van Os

[babylonsister]

2. Thanks, Mr. Van Os. I'm learning about politics daily and didn't

know this was a common practice. I await this case with great interest and hope!