Perhaps they are just following the lead of their handlers, Nancy Pelosi and Tom Daschle. Or maybe they got the hint from Terry McAuliffe and Hillary Clinton. Whatever the case, what is happening in Texas is just plain wrong and possibly illegal if one looks at the circumstances with an eye of common sense.

Roughly 50 Democrats from the Texas House of Representatives have fled their state and taken up as squatters in Ardmore, Oklahoma in a questionable move that blocks the Texas House from completing their redistricting. By not being present to vote there isn't a quorum and because there is no quorum there can be no vote. It uses the same ethics and legal loophole navigating that is being employed to block the nominations of Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen on the floor of the United States Senate. It is disgraceful at best and completely against what the Founding Fathers (take that California) intended.

The catch here in the Texas story is that it can be perceived that they are being derelict in their duties as State Representatives and guilty of larceny. By not being in Austin, the Texas state capital, or in their home districts while the Texas House is in session, by not being available to vote on behalf of the constituents in their districts they are defrauding the taxpayers of their tax dollars in the form of their compensation. This cannot be denied. They are out of state during a time when they should be in the state's capital conducting the business of the people, not their political party. This is the legal aspect of what they are doing; they are committing larceny against the taxpayers of Texas.

Ethically we are looking at the same questions that have been saying, "Wait a minute" regarding the filibuster tactics being used in the Estrada/Owen senate confirmation hearings. The rules say that each of the circumstances needs to be addressed and both by votes that consists of a quorum of the congressional bodies, one national and one of a state. But by misdirecting the focus point of the matter, by employing the cheap slight of hand tactics that are being used by Tom Daschle in Washington DC and by the lemmings of the Texas Democratic Party, legitimate votes that are mandated by rules of order are being denied their moment of truth. Ethically, to refuse to let a mandated vote come to the floor is dereliction of duty, and these people are sworn, sworn mind you, to uphold not only the constitutions of their states but The Constitution of the United States of America.

So, we are experiencing a crisis that not a lot of people really understand. Precedent is being set that says it is alright to find loopholes in the system and ways around the responsibility of performing the duties of a job so important the individuals holding them take an oath of office. We cannot allow this to happen lest we come to a time where our representation simply votes when they favor a piece of legislation and sticks their fingers in the ears running over the state border or from the country each time they find themselves in the minority effectively denying the fact that the results of an official election designate them as such. It is the ultimate denial and it is dangerous to the welfare of the United States.

We are a republic. We elect people to represent us in a democratic government. It is imperative that our elected representatives, be they in a State House or in the Senate in Washington DC, vote as their constituents elected them to vote, the important word here being vote. They are charged with casting these votes, it is their most important function. Political party affiliation and national allegiance can never, ever usurp the primary function of representing the constituents that charges them with this sacred and powerful trust. If we allow this to succeed we will be allowing partisan politics to rule our very existence in this country, a great deal more than it already does.

Frank Salvato is a political media consultant and the managing editor for The New Media Journal.us. He is a contributing writer for The Washington Dispatch, GOPUSA, OpinionEditorials, Men’s News Daily, Canada Free Press & AmericanDaily. His pieces are regularly featured in Townhall.com. He has appeared as a guest on The O’Reilly Factor, The Kevin Matthews Radio Show (Chicago) and The Brad Messer Radio Show (San Antonio). His pieces have been recognized by the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention and are occasionally featured in The Washington Times and The London Morning Paper as well as other national and international publications.