More on Texas D's

Houston Chronicle -- Technically, each of the dead House bills could be revived on a two-thirds vote, a requirement that Democrats could block in the case of the redistricting bill. But Craddick said he wouldn't entertain such motions, anyway.

In Ardmore, Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said the maverick Democrats spent part of Thursday "decompressing."

Asked if the decompression involved a case of whiskey sent to the legislators by Willie Nelson, Coleman replied: "No. We got rid of smoke-filled rooms and whiskey a long time ago."

Washington Post -- A state investigator called the Air and Marine Interdiction Coordination Center in Riverside, Calif., part of the Homeland Security Department, to ask officials there to use their nationwide radar network to help locate the plane.

The call from the unnamed investigator came as an "urgent plea," describing a plane with state officials aboard that was overdue, according to a statement issued yesterday by the Homeland Security Department's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"We got a problem, and I hope you can help me out," the statement quoted the officer as saying. "We had a plane that was supposed to be going from Ardmore, Okla., to Georgetown, Tex. It had state representatives on it, and we cannot find this plane."

Believing they had an emergency on their hands, agency officials called the Federal Aviation Administration in Fort Worth, and airport officials in two other Texas cities, but were unable to find the plane.

"Not since Richard Nixon and Watergate 30 years ago has anyone tried to use law enforcement agencies of the federal government for domestic political purposes," Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.), a longtime foe of DeLay in redistricting battles, said in an interview. "This is an abuse of criminal- and terrorist-fighting resources of the U.S. government for a domestic political matter. . . . There should be a complete investigation."

Rep. Jim Turner (Tex.), ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, said it was "deeply disturbing" that federal resources were diverted to try to track down Laney, who, in a show of bipartisanship, had introduced George W. Bush before the president-elect gave a speech after the Supreme Court settled the outcome of the 2000 election.

"We created the Department of Homeland Security to track down terrorists, not law-abiding citizens," Turner said.

Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, joined eight other House Democrats yesterday in asking the acting inspector general at Homeland Security to investigate what happened.

"If true, this report represents a shameful diversion of taxpayer resources for partisan purposes," the lawmakers wrote to Clark Kent Irvin.

DeLay spokesman Jonathan Grella said DeLay did not seek federal help in forcing the Democrats back to Austin. DeLay did pass along to the Justice Department Craddick's inquiry on whether federal law enforcement could assist in the manhunt, Grella said.

"We've had no contact with Homeland or the FBI," said Grella, who asserted that Democrats were trying to detract attention from their "shirking" of their legislative duties in Austin.

"This is a smoke screen," Grella said. "[W]e certainly are disappointed that they've resorted to flat-out lying to hold on to power."

Houston Chronicle -- Other States Considering Redistricting

Democrats argue that DeLay is setting the precedent for continual efforts to gain advantage in the U.S. House through redistricting every time party control changes in a state legislature.

Reuters -- Texas Dems Return

Austin American Statesman

More on Texas DPS Lies

Democrats have blasted Republicans this week for allegedly using federal resources to find Laney's Piper turboprop aircraft, which he flew to the group's hideout in Ardmore, Okla. Washington Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, have called for an investigation into the use of homeland security resources for GOP political purposes.

According to the bureau, a Texas DPS officer called the Air and Marine Interdiction and Coordination Center in California on Monday and asked for help in finding a missing plane that "was supposed to be going from Ardmore to Georgetown, Texas," and that "had state representatives in it."

The DPS officer, who identified himself and his rank, provided the tail number of the plane and expressed concern that it had not arrived at its intended destination, the statement said.

Believing the aircraft may have crashed or was lost, federal officials made calls to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airport authority in Mineral Wells and a fixed-base operator in Plainview, but they were unable to locate the plane, the statement said. Federal officials then gave the Texas DPS officer a number to call at the FAA to initiate lost aircraft procedures.

The Texas Department of Public Safety would not respond to the federal allegations.

Rep. Jim Turner, D-Crockett, called for an investigation into the matter, as did Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., who is running for president.

Dallas Morning News -- Democrats head home from exile

"In years to come people are going to look back and remember this," said Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, who was among the 51 self-exiled Democrats who were hugging, smiling and generally festive as they climbed aboard buses.

Democrats held a brief news conference amid blustery winds, and about 15 of them repeatedly shouted, "Glad to be back in Texas!" as they flashed the "hook 'em Horns" sign to the media.

On Thursday, Florida Democrats sent a crate of oranges to bring a little sunshine to the rebels.

The reception is likely to be a little more like raspberries in the House, where they have kept their frustrated colleagues waiting and scrambling to find ways to salvage bills endangered by the stalemate.

San Antonio Express-News -- The AWOL members appeared to go out of their way not to gloat over their apparent victory, for the second day offering an olive branch to Republican leaders, as they made an effort to tone down the rhetoric.

"There are 18 days left in the session," said Rep. Craig Eiland of Galveston. "Now that we have accomplished what we set out to do, we are ready to finish up work on the budget, school finance, homeowner's insurance reform and all the issues that are truly important to Texans."

"I guess it's a victory after a long line of defeats, but in the short-term, we certainly proved that Texas is a two-party state again. But long-term, I feel fairly certain that there will be a price to pay for sticking to our principles, and some of us may indeed be paying a heavy price," said Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine.

That price may be particularly telling for a pair of San Antonio lawmakers.

"We certainly don't want to get arrested, we just want to get back to work, and the sooner the better," said Rep. Robert Puente.

Puente is the senior member of the San Antonio House delegation, and a member of Craddick's leadership team, as is Uresti, who chairs the Health and Human Services Committee.

The two Democrats join Republican Rep. Frank Corte, R- San Antonio, as committee chairmen, the first time since 1979 that San Antonio held three House committee chairmanships.

A Craddick aide has hinted the pair of San Antonio Democrats, whom Craddick appointed to prestigious posts as committee chairmen, might not remain on his team.

Members of the WD 40, "White Democrats Over Age 40" who have been targeted by Republicans, wore red bandanas and T-shirts sent to them by country music legend Willie Nelson.