White House Defends DeLay Redistricting To New Supreme Court

[Sapphire Blue]

White House Defends Texas's GOP Remapping Plan to Justices

By Charles Lane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 2, 2006; Page A03

The Bush administration has come to the defense of Texas in a legal battle with political overtones, telling the Supreme Court in a brief filed yesterday that the state's 2003 congressional redistricting plan, drafted by Republicans, is fully consistent with the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The redistricting plan, drawn up at the request of Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), who was House majority leader at the time, was designed to give Texas's House delegation a Republican majority to match the state's overall voting preference. After the 2000 census, the state's delegation grew from 30 seats to 32, and the shift to a Republican majority in Texas helped cement GOP control of the House.

But opponents have challenged the plan in court on a variety of grounds, saying that it is so partisan that it violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection, and that it violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of black and Hispanic voters in some areas. A three-judge U.S. District Court panel upheld the plan last year; the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case during a special two-hour hearing March 1.

Continued @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/01/AR2006020102133.html

[Zinfandel]

1. And people keep saying "the spineless, do nothing Dems"...

This proves otherwise...Go get 'em Dems!

[Toots]

5. Yes they are going to present their case in front of two new Conservative

Justices along with the other three wing nuts already on the court. If you are a gambling person would you bet on the outcome of this case? I would and it isn't on the Democrats. Remember "if the pResident does it, it can't be illegal"..

[Wilms]

2. K&R

[Sapphire Blue]

3. Kick; coming up in 26 days. Roberts' (& Alito's) Court.

[stop the bleeding]

4. not surprised at all n/t

[Skidmore]

6. Boy, for people trying to distance themselves from Delay

the WH & Congress are still hugging him close. Cheating and stealing are hard to give up.

[annabanana]

7. They want to get this ruling on the record

right away. With similar redistricting schemes in other states, the takeover can be quickly solidified. I remember that Ahnold went to visit with the Texas vote-stealers a year or two ago.. probably getting tips.