Texas Democrat Two-Step – back to Austin

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The Texas Democrats have finally waved the white flag. The self-proclaimed “heroes of democracy” who ran away to blue-state safe zones like New York and Illinois — where gerrymandering is practically a state sport — are crawling back to Austin. And why? Because they’ve been beaten at their own game. They left Texas screaming about “Republican gerrymandering” when the truth is the GOP’s plan undoes the gerrymandering the Democrats put in place to cement their own power.

And while they were sipping lattes and getting high-fives from MSNBC, Texans were suffering. Flood victims needed relief, and these champions of “the people” were too busy plotting their next CNN interview to care. Now, they return saying they’re “ready to work on flood relief.” Oh, how noble. Nothing says “we care” like holding flood victims hostage to your power games.

This is exactly the kind of constitutional dereliction the Framers warned about. In a republic the representatives duty is to the rule of law – not to flee the moment their power structure is at risk because someone noticed their evil games.  Redistricting is a constitutional requirement following the census.  Apportionment is a part of what our republic is all about.  Yes, the gerrymandering part has been a problem since 1812.  But, the Democrats have made it into an art form.  The hypocrisy is glaring. These Democrats fled to states where partisan gerrymandering is at its worst, all while accusing Texas Republicans of doing the very thing Democrats themselves perfected in places like Illinois.

This was never about fairness, the Constitution, or the people of Texas. This was about raw power.  The whole thing is not about anything but the Democrats keeping their power, and continuing their effort to take Texas like they did Colorado – through lies, deception, and a lot of money from lefty billionaires.

Enter, stage left, Beto O’Rourke and his Powered By People PAC, who it turns out was funding the escape. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has it exactly right: this looks like contempt of courtb (if not bribery). According to the filings, O’Rourke used ActBlue to funnel donations to sustain the Democrats’ getaway, violating a court order in the process. This isn’t civil disobedience — it’s deliberate defiance of the law.

And here’s the kicker: the Texas Senate has already passed the redistricting bill, a map that could give Republicans five more seats in the U.S. House. The Democrats know they can’t win this in the courts, they can’t win this in the legislature, and they can’t win this with the Constitution on the other side — so they try to win by not showing up. If they pull that stunt again, Governor Abbott has already warned another special session will start the moment this one ends.

This is how you deal with political obstructionists. Call them out, bring them back, and make them face the people they were elected to serve. And if laws were broken — and it sure looks like they were — hold them accountable.

This antic by the Democrats wasn’t a principled stand. It was a calculated stunt, fueled by the national left-wing playbook. And it came at a cost — real Texans in need.

The Democrats’ political theater failed. They didn’t stop redistricting. They didn’t save their gerrymandered map. All they did was delay aid to their own constituents and expose their willingness to abuse the legislative process for raw political power. And now they slink back into Austin talking about “helping flood victims.” Texans should remember who put politics and power above people when it mattered most.

— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary