It was established long ago, mainly by their own actions, that if it weren't for double standards, Democrats would have no standards at all. There are a number of cliches that describe the typical way in which Democrats operate: "Do as I say, not as I do," "Okay for me but not for thee." You get the picture. But the one thing Democrats love more than anything is to portray themselves as "victims," so hopelessly oppressed by those rascally Republicans. However, their latest attempt at perpetual victimhood may backfire if the phrase "Don't mess with Texas" is true.
On Thursday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) announced that the FBI would be working with Texas state law enforcement to locate the 50 state legislators who threw a collective temper tantrum and fled the state to avoid a vote on redistricting, which would mean Republicans picking up five congressional seats. He stated,
"I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,"
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As my colleague Bonchie reported, President Donald Trump has asked that a new census be created because of ample evidence to show that the 2020 census was full of errors that mainly benefited blue states. Texas Democrats hit the road on Sunday to break quorum and avoid the vote. They could face fines of up to $500 a day for every day they break that quorum.
The Texas Democrats' legal woes began on Sunday when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that he would "remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House if they're not back by Monday afternoon. This truancy ends now." Also on Sunday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton posted on X,
"Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law."
On Tuesday, Abbott made good on his threat and filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court to have Democrat Caucus Chair, State Rep. Gene Wu, removed from office, stating that Wu and his fellow Democrats had "abandoned their office, justifying their removal."
So, where have Texas Democrats escaped to, to avoid "persecution" and protest Republican gerrymandering in the Lone Star State? Illinois, the literal center of the Democrat gerrymandering universe. You can't make it up. Of Illinois's 17 congressional districts, roughly 18 percent are represented by Republicans, although President Trump won 44 percent of the vote in the 2024 election. That's Democrat fuzzy math at its finest. It was even a stretch for outgoing late-night host Stephen Colbert, who held up a picture of Illinois's congressional district map, showing all of its "creative" twists and turns for his recent guest, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker made light of the map and the votes of Illinois residents, saying that they "handed it over to a kindergarten class and let them decide."
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If there ends up being footage of the FBI hauling these buffoons in, great; all the better for Republicans. Democrats, whether it is on the national or state level, can't stop channeling their inner Wile E. Coyote and standing under another Acme boulder. But they are breaking the law and must be held accountable. However, the argument can be made that it's these kinds of optics that Democrats seek out to keep up their victimhood grift, and Republicans should not give it to them.
Ultimately, Texas Democrats are just prolonging the inevitable. The new map will be passed, and they will have to live with it. But the FBI quelling the temper tantrum would be fun to watch.