You know, rolling your eyes is good exercise


What in the high holy fish farking hell is the speaker of the Texas state house thinking?

AUSTIN, Texas - State troopers and the elite Texas Rangers were ordered to track down and bring in 59 Democratic lawmakers who brought the Texas House to a standstill Monday by going into hiding.

The quorum-busting boycott capped months of tension between Democrats and the newly-in-control Republicans, and occurred as the chamber was scheduled to debate a congressional redistricting plan opposed by Democrats.

The parties have also clashed over a bill to limit lawsuits and a GOP budget that would avoid new taxes but make deep spending cuts.

GOP House Speaker Tom Craddick locked down the House chamber so lawmakers who did show up Monday morning could not leave. After a roll call, he ordered the missing lawmakers arrested and brought back to the chamber.

"It is a disgrace to run and hide," Craddick said.
(snip)
However, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, sounded a conciliatory note: "It's not going to cause a total meltdown of the Democratic process. ... This is kind of a little temper tantrum. That's allowed in democracy."

And sending out the police to fetch them under penalty of law is just a little lover's spat.

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