Who could have guessed that the most exciting Supreme Court hearing of the week would involve a Texan who was not Anna Nicole Smith?
Nonetheless, the most animated of the Supreme Court hearings this week centered on the 2003 Texas congressional redistrictings, orchestrated by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
The map, redrawn in 2003, was allegedly designed to give Republicans an electoral advantage - which worked. In 2004, the newly drawn districts gave Texas Republicans five additional seats in the House.
Redrawing the map for political purposes is nothing new to Texans. Maps were redrawn by Democrats in 1991, redrawn again in 2002 and yet again in 2003. Arguments on both sides led Justice Antonin Scalia to remark, sarcastically “That’s a surprise. Legislatures redraw the map all the time for political purposes.”
Yet, for all of the speculation about the chief designer of the latest redistricting map, DeLay did not attend the arguments. His spokesman remarked that it was because
“He’s really not involved in any aspect of the litigation.” However, many observers believe that DeLay has chosen to lay low in consideration of his current indictment for laudering money in the 2002 Texas House elections.
A ruling on the redistricting is expected in late June.
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