Texas Democrats Solicit Bush's Help in Redistricting Dispute

[Judi Lynn]

Texas Democrats Solicit Bush's Help in Redistricting Dispute
White House Says It's Staying Out of Fight

By Edward Walsh
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 11, 2003; Page A02


Texas Democrats are trying to drag President Bush into a bitter dispute in his home state, calling on Bush to intervene to stop a Republican attempt to redraw the boundaries of the state's 32 congressional districts for a second time in the last three years.

In a letter addressed to Bush at his Texas ranch, 11 Democratic state senators who fled to New Mexico to prevent passage of the GOP redistricting plan accused Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, of playing a key behind-the-scenes role in orchestrating "a blatantly partisan and grossly unfair re-redistricting scheme."

"Your continued silence is being interpreted by thoughtful Americans as complicity or as tacit approval," the senators wrote on special stationery bearing the title "The Texas 11."

A White House spokesman said in reply yesterday: "While the president always maintains an interest in Texas, he currently is concentrating on governing all of America." When White House spokesman Scott McClellan was asked about the dispute last Monday, he called it "a matter that the state of Texas is addressing."
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41806-2003Aug10.html

[sasquatch]

1. Bush is too busy playing with his Gameboy to care about them

I don't think it will help them any asking for his help

[tsipple]

2. Actually, He's "Concentrating" on His Vacation

It's August and, well, who has time for protecting civil rights?

[goforit]

3. Boy does this prove total guilt on the President or what!!!

What a bunch of putzs!!!!

He has got to be the weakest wuus of a president we have
ever had.......chicken to the bone!!!!

[dansolo]

4. He's behind the damn thing

This is just like Cheney refusing to act during the energy crisis in California. Of course he isn't going to stop it when he is silently cheering it on.

[Momof1]

5. ROTFLMAO-- yeah like he's going to intervene. eom

[Zhade]

6. I love how he flip-flops.

It shows clearly exactly what a hypocrite this numbskull is.

First he hints at supporting Arnold "It's not a tumor, it's a cyborg from the future sent back in time to kill my career" Schwarzenegger in California's recall-the-governor-for-a-budget-crisis-started-by-Enron election.

But now it's important and actually HAS TO DO WITH DEMOCRACY and so, of course, it's a Texas issue. Hands-off, yessir yessir.

[Kucinich04]

7. The Post is sure whoring for bushco lately...

The spin of this article is pretty blatant to those of us who are always on the lookout for such things.

The headline is obvious spin, to give the impression that there's actually ANY FUCKING CHANCE IN HELL that he would help the TX Dems - like, he's just such a fair uniter that he's 'above' this whole petty partisanship thing. RIGHT!

Then we lead off with
"Texas Democrats are trying to drag President Bush into a bitter dispute in his home state, "

The wording here is clearly calculated to make the Dems look bad. They are 'dragging' * into this 'bitter' dispute makes it sound like the Dems are the ones that have created this terrible situation, and that * has absolutely NOTHING to do with it, even though the reality of the story is that the Dem's are basically accusing bushco of meddling in TX politics.

If the WP was reporting this story without the obvious RW spin, the headline would read "Texas Democrats Call on Bush/Rove to Quit Meddling in Local Politics". Then it would go on to explain why a President might do something like that.

Liberal Media My Ass

[Cheswick2.0]

8. smart move on their part

he either helps them or looks like the partisan ass he really is. I don't think sticking with delay on this helps him with swing voters in texas.