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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (189006)	10/4/2001 2:04:09 PM
From: Zoltan!	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 769667

Whoops!!! There goes the Dem's hopes for the House. No wonder they're backing Condit. Read it and weep: Texas Democrats Suffer Setback By Thomas B. Edsall Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, October 4, 2001; Page A08 A Texas state judge has ordered new congressional districts to be drawn that would likely end the House career of Democrat Ken Bentsen and would threaten the reelection of at least four other Democrats: Charles W. Stenholm, Jim Turner, Max Sandlin and Chet Edwards. The ruling is a devastating blow to the national Democratic goal of staying even with the GOP in the congressional redistricting process and winning control of the House next year. Republicans contend that the judicial plan keeps them on track to pick up as many 10 seats nationwide. "What really hurt us in Texas is that a Democratic judge made the ruling," said a Democrat involved in the process. In private, aides to Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.), the principal architect of his party's redistricting strategy in Texas and nationally, had said that the assignment of Judge Paul Davis to the case increased the likelihood that Democrats would get a positive decision. Yesterday, Frost issued a statment claiming confidence "that the Texas delegation's Democratic majority would be reelected under the map," but he also made clear that there would be a legal challenge. "The map adopted today would divide several Hispanic and African American communities to dilute their voting strength in likely violation of the Voting Rights Act. . . . It eviscerates many existing districts where minority communities elect the candidates they choose to represent their interests." Democrats now face the more daunting task of trying to persuade an East Texas federal court to accept more pro-Democratic lines. Republicans contended that the Davis map, which has priority in court proceedings, would conservatively produce at least three new GOP seats -- including the two new seats added to the delegation because of the state's population increase in the 2000 census. The current Texas delegation has 17 Democrats and 13 Republicans. With the addition of two new seats, Republicans contended that, after 2002, they will have at least an even delegation, 16-16, and perhaps as much as an 18 to 14 advantage, depending on a number of factors, including President Bush's popularity in November 2002. An aide to Bentsen acknowledged that "we got the short straw on this one." Bentsen would be forced to run against fellow Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, who is black, in an overwhelmingly minority district. Bentsen may now give stronger consideration to running for the Senate seat from which Phil Gramm (R) will be retiring. Stenholm, who has been able to win in GOP-leaning counties, said he is prepared to run and win whatever the district lines are. While partisans on both sides expect the majority of states' redistricting plans to end up in court, Republicans have contended that they will emerge from the process with a net gain of eight to 10 seats. Democrats have contended that the process will be a wash, with neither party coming out ahead. Just last week, Democrats won what is likely to be their biggest victory in the process, creating seven districts in Georgia with Democratic voting histories of at least 55 percent. If the Democrats win those seats, their triumph will amount to a four-seat pickup. In most states, the battle involves just one seat at most; and in many cases, the two parties are agreeing to protect incumbents with no change. The GOP controls the process in Michigan, where the party is likely to pick up two seats. The GOP also controls the process in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida; and in each, Republicans hope to gain two or more seats.