This is an seriously bad decision.

[The Supreme Court] ruled 7-2 that state legislators may draw new [electoral district] maps as often as they like -- not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital.

The Constitution says states must adjust their congressional district lines every 10 years to account for population shifts. In Texas the boundaries were redrawn twice after the 2000 census, first by a court, then by state lawmakers in a second round promoted by DeLay after Republicans took control.

That was acceptable, the justices said...

After Texas decided to redraw its congressional district boundaries, two other states -- Colorado and Georgia -- also undertook a second round of redistricting.

"Some people are predicting a rash of mid-decade redistricting. I am skeptical," said Richard Hasen, an election law expert at Loyola Law School. "It would be seen as a power grab in a lot of places."

Hasn't been to Colorado recently to know that's the point. From the dissenting opinion:

Justice John Paul Stevens took the opposite view.

"By taking an action for the sole purpose of advantaging Republicans and disadvantaging Democrats, the state of Texas violated its constitutional obligation to govern impartially," he wrote.

Again...that's the point with these people. It's not about a level playing field or a fair system anymore. It's about taking and holding power, not democracy. And every two years you'll run the risk of getting shuffled into electoral meaninglessness. It takes a few minutes to sink in: this decision opens the door to subversion of our representative system of government.

There are enough differences between the Texas case ruled on today and Colorado's 2003 redistricting fiasco that it may well not result in the overturning of the Colorado Supreme Court's decision in that case. You can bet they're gonna try.

But if that doesn't work, the next reapportionment power grab is never more than one general election away now. To paraphrase Leonard Cohen, you can see the future, brother: it is murder.