ARRRGH

Okay, this story's a bit old, Atrios and Tom Tomorrow already posted on it, but this has to be mentioned.

You remember about the The Texas democrats fleeing the country (love having the permalinks workin' again), well here's the latest:

According to a partial transcript the customs bureau released late Thursday, the DPS officer told the bureau's tracking center, "We got a problem, and I hope you can help me out. We had a plane that was supposed to be going from Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Georgetown, Texas. It had state representatives in it, and we cannot find this plane."
The urgent phone call set off a scramble at the customs bureau's Air and Marine Interdiction Coordination Center near Riverside, Calif.

"I don't begrudge a federal agency for doing its job," Mr. Laney said Thursday from Ardmore. "My concern would be with who caused their activation."

In Washington, Rep. Jim Turner of Crockett, the ranking Democrat on the House committee that oversees homeland security, denounced the effort to use the nation's security apparatus in such a manner.

Many Democrats blame the chain of events on U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, who has pushed for redistricting.

"That domestic intelligence capabilities would be used for partisan political purposes should be deeply disturbing to this committee and to all Americans," Mr. Turner said.

DeLay aides have said there was no contact between his office and the Homeland Security Department or the FBI.

The only problem I have with those Texas Republicans is they're not quite evil enough. I mean, sure they're using a government agency that was devised by their party in order to "fight terrorism" for their own political purposes, but maybe they could kick puppies while they do it, then go out for a night of nun-beating with Robo-Hitler.

Argh.