December 12, 2005

Let's see.

• The Bush Administration's Department of Justice ruled Tom Delay's redistricting scheme violated the Voting Rights Act, and now the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing the case.
  
• Tom Delay is in court defending himself against money laundering charges in a fundraising scheme to gain a Republican majority.
  
• Tom Delay was admonshied several times for ethics violations.
  
• Vice President Dick Cheney attends a fundraiser in Texas for Delay holding him up as the model Republican.

The Supreme Court said Monday it would consider the constitutionality of a Texas congressional map engineered by Rep. Tom DeLay that helped Republicans gain seats in Congress.

The 2003 boundaries helped Republicans win 21 of the state's 32 seats in Congress in the last election_ up from 15. They were approved amid a nasty battle between Republican leaders and Democrats and minority groups in Texas.

The contentiousness also reached Washington, where the Justice Department approved the plan although staff lawyers concluded that it diluted minority voting rights. Because of historic discrimination against minority voters, Texas is required to get Justice Department approval for any voting changes to ensure they don't undercut minority voting.

Justices will consider a constitutional challenge to the boundaries filed by various opponents. The court will hear two hours of arguments, likely in April, in four separate appeals.
[Supreme Court to Review Texas Redistricting - AP - 12-12-05]