Fifty-nine Democratic members of the Texas state legislature are now on the lam as they flee the statehouse in order to cut off debate on a controversial redistricting bill.

As the rebellion took shape during the weekend, the Democrats broke up into small groups, with only their team leaders knowing the details of their travels. They were told to pack enough clothes and necessities to last four days.

(For some reason I’m reminded of Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker, in which the Prime Minister of a postapocalyptic England is reduced to travelling the country in company with the Shadow Minister, putting on a Punch-and-Judy morality play. Maybe itinerant opposition parties are the wave of the future.)

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Update: For those of you who don’t reflexively dismiss Molly Ivins out of hand, here is a summary of the events leading up to the Dems’ precipitous flight. A subversion of the democratic process it may be, but so is the tyranny of the majority.