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American Morning
Texas Democrats Return
Aired May 16, 2003 - 08:35 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile in Texas, four days after deciding to get out of Dodge, literally, 51 Texas Democrats who left the state now back in Austin claiming victory. They left Austin, holed up in a hotel in Ardmore, Oklahoma just across the border just long enough, they say, to defeat a Republican plan that would have carved out new congressional districts.
Ed Lavandera has been following this from the beginning, back live in Austin with us. Ed, they say victory. How do they claim it?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are claiming victory here at the steps of the capitol this morning. It has been one of the most interesting weeks in Texas politics than we've seen in quite some time. This is the end of the rally here where the Democrats that arrived this morning about 4:00 in the morning by bus, returning from Ardmore, Oklahoma, walked out of the front door of the capitol to about 200 people here cheering them on, and they claimed victory and as they were driving down.
We are joined by one of those representatives, Dawnna Dukes, Democrat of Austin. Representative, you guys claimed victory. Why?
REP. DAWNNA DUKES (D), TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE: Because our purpose was to stop the redistricting bill and put the priorities of the people of Texas first. Education, healthcare, homeowners insurance, tort reform, all of the issues and concerns the people had asked us to deal with, not with the partisan issue that was already resolved two years ago.
LAVANDERA: The speaker of the House told me yesterday that this stunt, political stunt has cost the reputation of Texas politics a little bit. They've been the butt of jokes on the talk shows and that sort of thing. Do you guys feel that way, or do you take any responsibility for that?
DUKE: I think when you become the subject of much conversation and you stand up for something as we have done and bring attention to the state and bring attention to what was being done by Tom DeLay, it's a good thing, not a bad thing, because it insures that justice is taking place. It insures that the Constitution will be upheld. And if we had not done this, they would have easily run over us and redrawn those lines just for their own political gain.
LAVANDERA: Great. Thank you very much, representative.
DUKE: Thank you. LAVANDERA: And this isn't the last time that we might hear about this issue. Actually, there could be a possibility that a special session will be called later this summer. This issue could come up again then. The question is whether these Democrats will try to do the same thing to block it if it comes up again -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right. We'll see.
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 16, 2003 - 08:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile in Texas, four days after deciding to get out of Dodge, literally, 51 Texas Democrats who left the state now back in Austin claiming victory. They left Austin, holed up in a hotel in Ardmore, Oklahoma just across the border just long enough, they say, to defeat a Republican plan that would have carved out new congressional districts.
Ed Lavandera has been following this from the beginning, back live in Austin with us. Ed, they say victory. How do they claim it?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are claiming victory here at the steps of the capitol this morning. It has been one of the most interesting weeks in Texas politics than we've seen in quite some time. This is the end of the rally here where the Democrats that arrived this morning about 4:00 in the morning by bus, returning from Ardmore, Oklahoma, walked out of the front door of the capitol to about 200 people here cheering them on, and they claimed victory and as they were driving down.
We are joined by one of those representatives, Dawnna Dukes, Democrat of Austin. Representative, you guys claimed victory. Why?
REP. DAWNNA DUKES (D), TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE: Because our purpose was to stop the redistricting bill and put the priorities of the people of Texas first. Education, healthcare, homeowners insurance, tort reform, all of the issues and concerns the people had asked us to deal with, not with the partisan issue that was already resolved two years ago.
LAVANDERA: The speaker of the House told me yesterday that this stunt, political stunt has cost the reputation of Texas politics a little bit. They've been the butt of jokes on the talk shows and that sort of thing. Do you guys feel that way, or do you take any responsibility for that?
DUKE: I think when you become the subject of much conversation and you stand up for something as we have done and bring attention to the state and bring attention to what was being done by Tom DeLay, it's a good thing, not a bad thing, because it insures that justice is taking place. It insures that the Constitution will be upheld. And if we had not done this, they would have easily run over us and redrawn those lines just for their own political gain.
LAVANDERA: Great. Thank you very much, representative.
DUKE: Thank you. LAVANDERA: And this isn't the last time that we might hear about this issue. Actually, there could be a possibility that a special session will be called later this summer. This issue could come up again then. The question is whether these Democrats will try to do the same thing to block it if it comes up again -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right. We'll see.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
