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CNN Live At Daybreak
Texas Rebellion Rolls on This Morning
Aired May 14, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Texas rebellion rolls on this morning. Fifty-one Texas House Democrats are holed up in Ardmore, Oklahoma, refusing to return to Austin. They're protesting a Republican push for congressional redistricting.
We've placed a wake up call to our Ed Lavandera, who's at the Ardmore Holiday Inn -- Ed, good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
How are you?
COSTELLO: How long could this thing drag on?
LAVANDERA: Well, I think it's, these particular Democrats are willing to be here until either Thursday or Friday, and if they get, they last that long, they say that that pretty much kills this kind of, this legislation that they're trying to push through, given the House rules and the way the Texas legislature works. They have a deadline of about Thursday to get this thing killed before the end of the session.
COSTELLO: And Oklahoma authorities have refused to interfere in any way, right?
LAVANDERA: Well, the particular sheriff of the county here in Ardmore, Oklahoma, from everything that I've been told, is rather friendly to these Democrats, so that's one of the reasons they chose to come here, that they knew the sheriff here wouldn't interfere for them.
COSTELLO: Because he's a Democrat.
LAVANDERA: Yes.
COSTELLO: As are most politicians in that part of Oklahoma.
Tell us about these playing cards with the Democrats' faces on them. Who made them and show us some pictures?
LAVANDERA: I think they were, they came out, some of the Republicans that were left behind, essentially what has happened here is theyve shut down the Texas House for a while. In fact, the speaker of the House had locked the doors to keep everyone inside. So I think the Republicans there had a lot of free time on their hands and someone came up with this and, you know, the -- as soon as they figured out there was about 52 of these Democrats, 53 of these Democrats that had left the state, you know, I think everyone's mind started working very quickly.
COSTELLO: OK, thank you, Ed Lavandera, for bringing us up to date.
I don't know where he is in that Holiday Inn, but it sounds like he's in the basement.
We'll let you go.
Thank you, Ed.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 14, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Texas rebellion rolls on this morning. Fifty-one Texas House Democrats are holed up in Ardmore, Oklahoma, refusing to return to Austin. They're protesting a Republican push for congressional redistricting.
We've placed a wake up call to our Ed Lavandera, who's at the Ardmore Holiday Inn -- Ed, good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
How are you?
COSTELLO: How long could this thing drag on?
LAVANDERA: Well, I think it's, these particular Democrats are willing to be here until either Thursday or Friday, and if they get, they last that long, they say that that pretty much kills this kind of, this legislation that they're trying to push through, given the House rules and the way the Texas legislature works. They have a deadline of about Thursday to get this thing killed before the end of the session.
COSTELLO: And Oklahoma authorities have refused to interfere in any way, right?
LAVANDERA: Well, the particular sheriff of the county here in Ardmore, Oklahoma, from everything that I've been told, is rather friendly to these Democrats, so that's one of the reasons they chose to come here, that they knew the sheriff here wouldn't interfere for them.
COSTELLO: Because he's a Democrat.
LAVANDERA: Yes.
COSTELLO: As are most politicians in that part of Oklahoma.
Tell us about these playing cards with the Democrats' faces on them. Who made them and show us some pictures?
LAVANDERA: I think they were, they came out, some of the Republicans that were left behind, essentially what has happened here is theyve shut down the Texas House for a while. In fact, the speaker of the House had locked the doors to keep everyone inside. So I think the Republicans there had a lot of free time on their hands and someone came up with this and, you know, the -- as soon as they figured out there was about 52 of these Democrats, 53 of these Democrats that had left the state, you know, I think everyone's mind started working very quickly.
COSTELLO: OK, thank you, Ed Lavandera, for bringing us up to date.
I don't know where he is in that Holiday Inn, but it sounds like he's in the basement.
We'll let you go.
Thank you, Ed.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
