Texas Independence Day!

Wave the flag, swill your Shiner/Lone Star/Whiskey, beat your chest, play Willie Nelson/Stevie Ray/Spoon too loudly, hook 'em horns, and make sure people from other states, especially Oklahoma, know their place. It's March 2.

The Texas Exes site has a fascinating explanation of how this became a big deal at UT:

It’s Texas Independence Day, and it’s observance on the University of Texas campus began with a missed class, a visit to Scholz’ Beer Garden, and a spiked cannon.

The University of Texas campus in 1896.

In the spring of 1896, the fledgling University of Texas was confined to a forty-acre campus, with a white-washed wooden fence around the perimeter to keep out the town cows. A Victorian-Gothic Main Building, only two-thirds complete, commanded the hill in the center. It was flanked by the Chemistry Lab Building to the northwest, and B. Hall, a men’s dorm, down the hill to the east.

[...]

On the cloudy, warm and humid morning of March 2, 1896, the Junior Laws were waiting for their next lecture in criminal law, taught by Judge Robert Batts. One student bemoaned the fact that the day was Texas Independence Day, a legal holiday for Texans, except, apparently, for those on the UT campus.

For years, students had regularly petitioned the faculty for a break on March 2nd, but had always been refused. “Our faculty is afraid to grant us a holiday, even on such occasions," complained the Alcalde, a weekly student newspaper that pre-dated The Daily Texan. “They fear that some 2 x 4 politician, or still smaller newspaper, will accuse them of not earning their money. That is the real cause of their reluctance to grant a cessation of routine grinds, to allow our Texan bosoms an inflation of truly patriotic atmosphere.”

After some animated discussion, the Junior Laws decided they would honor such an auspicious day by avoiding class altogether, and invited Judge Batts to join them. The diplomatic Batts responded with an eloquent speech, espousing all of the dire things that might happen to Junior Laws who skipped important lectures. The students listened, cheered, and promptly ignored Batts’ pleas, choosing instead to spend the day at Scholz’ Beer Garden just south of the campus.

Read more...

Oh yeah, and root for justice today.
















Supremes take up Texas redistricting, as reported in WP:

"Particularly grotesque shapes," judged Justice John Paul Stevens. "Much less compact" than before.

Justice Stephen Breyer offered a partially concurring opinion. "A long walking stick is what it looks like . . . It's not a circle . . . It's not absolutely terrible."

This is just embarassing:

But the geometric discussion evidently did not interest Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. At first, she appeared to be reading something in her lap. But after a while, it became clear: Ginsburg was napping on the bench. By Bloomberg News's reckoning -- not denied by a court spokeswoman -- Ginsburg's snooze lasted a quarter of an hour.

This is an objective jurist for you:

Scalia immediately signaled his support for the GOP map.

Here's an analysis of the redistricting issue I came across from some people who know what they're talking about:

“What ifs” on Texas Supreme Court Review

If the Supreme Court upholds the map

Texas congressional elections will proceed under current lines in 2006.

Under the Texas precedent, other states will consider partisan mid-decade redistricting efforts and legal experts will attempt to define what voting rights protections remain under the Texas precedent.

If the Supreme Court rules the plan is illegal based on improper mid-decade redistricting

The previous Court-drawn plan would almost certainly be reinstated because the subsequent 2003 map would have been found illegal.

If the Supreme Court invalidates the map due to violation of voting rights, partisan gerrymandering, or the one person, one vote principle

The Court will almost certainly remand the case to the three judge court to provide a remedy consistent with the Supreme Court ruling.

Given that the Supreme Court’s accelerated schedule allows time for aremedy prior to the 2006 elections, it is unlikely that the Court would send the task of drawing a plan back to the legislature.

Consistent with the precedent established by the federal court in the Bush v. Vera congressional redistricting case in 1996, the Court could order that the March primary results be abandoned and that special congressional elections be held in new, legal districts.

The most likely scenario for the 2006 elections and beyond would be the reinstatement of the 2002 Court-drawn plan, because it is a legal plan based on the 2001 census that would remain in place after the plan invalidated by the Supreme Court is abandoned.

Who Would Run?
The seats lost under the DeLay plan were: District 1 (Sandlin), District 2 (Turner), District 4 (Hall switched parties), District 9 (Lampson), District 17 (Stenholm) and District 24 (Frost). If the map is reversed, Democrats would almost certainly reclaim Districts 9 and 24. It is also possible to reclaim Districts 1 and 2, assuming the former Members return or other very strong candidates are recruited. Obviously, District 4 is lost, and District 17 is strongly Republican and would not likely be reclaimed, even if Stenholm returned.

District 1 – If Max Sandlin returned to run, he would have an excellent chance to win. If not, then a very strong, well funded candidate would have to be recruited.

District 2 – Jim Turner would very likely return to claim his seat. If he does, he will likely win. If not, it would be very hard to reclaim this seat.

District 4 – This is a safe Republican seat. Hall is now a Republican.

District 9 – Lampson would almost certainly switch from CD22 and run in his old seat. Assuming he does so, he will likely win.

District 11 – While the seat is tough, Chet Edwards would run and win

District 17 – Stenholm has already publicly said he will not run. Republicans will hold this seat.

District 22 – This is the old DeLay seat. Lampson would likely abandon his current race and run in the 9th District. DeLay however, might decide not to file and leave the seat to a new Republican Member.

District 24 – This seat would revert to a minority opportunity district anchored by the African American community in Fort Worth. Frost would likely return to reclaim his seat.

District 25 – This seat was formerly held by Chris Bell. It is controlled by African American voters, and current Congressman Al Green would almost certainly run and win the seat.

I bet this was a fun time: