The ‘Texas Tangle’ continues to be the funniest thing in politics

The fiasco in the Texas State House has not gone away. I’m glad the mess is still around; it’s making for really entertaining reading.

If you missed yesterday’s post about this, nearly all of the Democratic delegation to the Texas House left the state yesterday, depriving the legislature of the quorum needed to vote on a controversial congressional redistricting plan crafted by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas).

At this point, the missing lawmakers, who are calling themselves the “Killer D’s,” aren’t missing at all. Everyone knows they’re checked into a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Okla., and holding meetings at a Denny’s across the street.

Texas state troopers, dispatched to Ardmore by Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick (R), are powerless to do anything because they have no jurisdiction outside their home state. Oklahoma’s state troopers are also on the scene, not to help, but to watch — apparently they think the whole scene is pretty funny, too.

Republicans who remain in the State House, who are pretty bored with nothing to do, have cleverly started making little political props, including milk cartons with “missing” Democrats’ names and faces on them, and playing cards with the Dems’ similar to those the U.S. government made to note missing officials from Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Craddick was able to round up a handful of Democrats who hadn’t left Texas, including one lawmaker who was literally escorted by state troopers from her home to the statehouse. But it wasn’t enough — on the floor yesterday they had 88 Republicans and 7 Democrats. That’s 95 members, 5 short of the minimum for quorum.

The House was sort of in session for a little while yesterday morning as the lawmakers checked to see if they had enough people in the room. After 2 hours, Craddick gave up. However, the controversial House speaker, who Dems say is chiefly responsible for creating this mess, won’t let any lawmaker — from either party — leave the House chamber without the equivalent of a hall pass. As the Austin American-Statesman explained, “House members officially are under a ‘call’ that prevents them from leaving the chamber without permission.”

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

The Killer D’s on the lamb in Oklahoma said they’re anxious to work out an arrangement that would allow them to go back to work in Austin, but not unless the Craddick/DeLay redistricting plan is off the table. Craddick, for his part, has said he will not negotiate.

This, of course, is great news. The longer this fun lasts, the better.

Oklahoma, which has traditionally enjoyed a good-natured rivalry with its larger neighbor, also seems to be enjoying the “controversy.” Yesterday, Oklahoma’s State House passed a resolution commending “the courage of fifty-three members of the Texas House of Representatives who have decided to defend the rights of the minority and the more pressing needs of Texas families against the power grab of one Texas congressman and the majority leadership of the Texas House of Representatives who are more concerned with adding Republican members to the United States Congress than the educational, health, and other needs of Texas families.” (Yes, Democrats are in the majority in the Oklahoma House)

Oklahoma’s Governor Brad Henry got in on the fun, welcoming the Texas Dems and thanking them for providing a “substantial boost to the Ardmore economy.”

Back in Washington, Tom DeLay, who has been watching these events with great interest, abandoned his alleged commitment to “states’ rights” and argued that federal authorities should get involved in bringing the Texas Dems back to the statehouse.

As the Houston Chronicle explained, spokesmen for the Justice Department and FBI said federal law enforcement officers would have no reason to assist in apprehending the Killer D’s. (One really has to wonder why DeLay would even suggest such a ridiculous thing. Oh wait, it’s because he’s Tom DeLay.)

On a less funny note, the Republican Party of Texas quickly put together radio ads with an ominous voice telling listeners that their state representative has “failed to execute his responsibilities on legislative business” and that the lawmaker is being sought by state troopers for “arrest.” The ad asks listeners to “call the Department of Public Safety at 512-424-2080” if they have any information about the representative’s whereabouts.

For many, this crossed a line. Milk cartons and playing cards are funny, this ad wasn’t.

“This is simply irresponsible and a new low in Texas politics,” Molly Beth Malcolm, head of the Texas Democratic Party said. “By tying up phone lines or sending troopers off on red herrings, the Republican Party’s political game could delay a trooper’s arrival at an auto accident or allow some kidnapper to escape with a child.”

Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas), who helped champion the national “Amber alert system,” was livid that Republican lawmakers in Texas would use the Texas Department of Public Safety and the agency’s website to issue an alert on the “missing” lawmakers. Frost released an angry statement accusing Texas Republicans of “belittling a program designed to protect abducted children.”

Also troubling, many of the Dem lawmakers who left Texas, before they were found in Oklahoma, said state troopers were harassing their family members and using heavy-handed tactics. There are multiple reports, for example, of troopers threatening spouses and children with “felony prosecution” unless they told authorities where the Killer D’s went. Troopers visited spouses’ homes, siblings’ workplaces, and even children’s schools. Fortunately, however, now that everyone knows where the Dems are, their families are being left alone.

At this point, there doesn’t appear to be any chance that this will be wrapped up soon. The deadline for House bills is close-of-business tomorrow and I have a hunch those Killer D’s won’t be on their way back home by then. As I mentioned yesterday, a Texas-based blogger called Burnt Orange has been covering this as well as anyone. He makes frequent updates to his site about the entire fiasco.