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In case you missed it...it was illegal, but the Justice Dept. went with it
This link goes to an article in the Washington Post. It came out in December, 2005. Granted, I have been ill and don't read the local paper that often--but with all the other hysteria (much of it deserved) going on about the wiretapping, Gitmo, etc. this just flew by under the radar.
It's a longish article, but here's the money quote:
**The 73-page memo, dated Dec. 12, 2003, has been kept under tight wraps for two years. Lawyers who worked on the case were subjected to an unusual gag rule. The memo was provided to The Post by a person connected to the case who is critical of the adopted redistricting map. Such recommendation memos, while not binding, historically carry great weight within the Justice Department.
Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Texas and other states with a history of discriminatory elections are required to submit changes in their voting systems or election maps for approval by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
The Texas case provides another example of conflict between political appointees and many of the division's career employees. In a separate case, The Post reported last month that a team was overruled when it recommended rejecting a controversial Georgia voter-identification program that was later struck down as unconstitutional by a court.
Mark Posner, a longtime Justice Department lawyer who now teaches law at American University, said it was "highly unusual" for political appointees to overrule a unanimous finding such as the one in the Texas case**
Justice Staff Saw Texas Districting As Illegal
Voting Rights Finding On Map Pushed by DeLay Was Overruled
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/01/AR2005120101927_pf.html
Why do I bring this up now? Because the White House requested the Supreme Court to allow them to join Texas in defending the redistricting plan before the court, and that request was granted today.
My only hope is that 100 years from now, this administration will be seen as the most corrupt in history, and remain a specter haunting our government at how close we brushed to fascism.
I trust we will in the end dodge this bullet. But it will be close.
It's a longish article, but here's the money quote:
**The 73-page memo, dated Dec. 12, 2003, has been kept under tight wraps for two years. Lawyers who worked on the case were subjected to an unusual gag rule. The memo was provided to The Post by a person connected to the case who is critical of the adopted redistricting map. Such recommendation memos, while not binding, historically carry great weight within the Justice Department.
Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Texas and other states with a history of discriminatory elections are required to submit changes in their voting systems or election maps for approval by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
The Texas case provides another example of conflict between political appointees and many of the division's career employees. In a separate case, The Post reported last month that a team was overruled when it recommended rejecting a controversial Georgia voter-identification program that was later struck down as unconstitutional by a court.
Mark Posner, a longtime Justice Department lawyer who now teaches law at American University, said it was "highly unusual" for political appointees to overrule a unanimous finding such as the one in the Texas case**
Justice Staff Saw Texas Districting As Illegal
Voting Rights Finding On Map Pushed by DeLay Was Overruled
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/01/AR2005120101927_pf.html
Why do I bring this up now? Because the White House requested the Supreme Court to allow them to join Texas in defending the redistricting plan before the court, and that request was granted today.
My only hope is that 100 years from now, this administration will be seen as the most corrupt in history, and remain a specter haunting our government at how close we brushed to fascism.
I trust we will in the end dodge this bullet. But it will be close.