Nine Houston City Council Members Walk Out On Shelley

I've heard rumors that there is no love lost between Shelley Sekula-Gibbs and her fellow City Council Members. And, that while she may have political skills - social skills? Not so much. At the end of today's City Council meeting, when other members were offering condolences to the family of slain police offer Rodney Johnson (who was alledgedly killed by an illegal immigrant), Shelley chose to denounce the non-existent "sanctuary policy" in Houston.

Nine council members left the room temporarily in protest of her completely inappropriate political remarks at a time when a family was mourning. Carol Alvarado (no love lost there), was the first to leave.

The Houston Chronicle had this to say:

"I was embarrassed to be in the room with somebody talking like that," said Councilwoman Toni Lawrence, a Republican and one of the first to leave.

Alvarado, a Democrat who has been on council since 2002, said she couldn't remember another time when council members walked out on a colleague because of a comment. Some members left a meeting with former Mayor Lee Brown, but that move was a parliamentary tactic to keep the panel from voting on a contentious issue, she said.

Sekula-Gibbs later defended her statement, saying such an important issue cannot be ignored. "The sanctuary city policy may or may not have contributed to this officer's death, but it certainly needs to be addressed," she said amid a flurry of reporters' questions after the meeting.

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Councilman Ronald Green, who spoke after Sekula-Gibbs, was applauded by his colleagues for denouncing her comments.

''You wouldn't stoop so low to use this man's memory to advance a political career that may or may not be going anywhere," he said.

Why would anyone take the time to write this woman's name in to be our congressperson in the 22nd Congressional District? Maybe those few people who still have W stickers on their cars AND are also pen pals with Tom DeLay now, training him for a way to spend his spare time when he's in jail.

Shelley's behavior does not come as a surprise to me. I have friends who are close to certain city council members and I've had some things whispered to me that makes today's episode less than stunning. I guess I just never thought I'd see her bad behavior and their lack of respect for her become so public.

Go, Team Lampson.