AUSTIN, Texas – Republicans in the Texas state house have released illustrations of the proposed new congressional maps, and some eagle-eyed observers have seen all manner of things in them. One map in particular, that of Dallas County, the state’s most populous, has produced some widespread sightings. “I see a floppy-eared dog,” said one reporter who got a sneak peek at the map. “I see a dragon with scales,” said another. One high-ranking official privileged with an early view of the same map said she saw the ghost of John F. Kennedy (who met his demise in the city of Dallas in 1963).

Members of the GOP released the maps in hopes of swaying public opinion in their favor. Despite the Supreme Court’s blessing a few years ago, Republicans trying to keep themselves in power by the time-honored tradition of gerrymandering have found themselves on the downside of the issue in the eyes of the public. A recent poll found that a large majority of Texans wanted equal representation. One longtime political consultant in the state pointed out that such representation was not reflected in the makeup of the statehouse. “Hell, even JFK wouldn’t win Texas these days,” the consultant said.

The latest development in the ongoing saga is that state Democrats have threatened to again walk out, preventing a quorum and, thus, a vote on approving the maps. A similar strategy a couple of years was ultimately unsuccessful. One of the leaders of the Texas Democratic Party said that its leader were working on their congressional maps and promised that they would “look the way they should.”