Along with rhetoric
about the judiciary, it is perfectly standard for Republicans to heap contempt on "democrats" generally and certainly cities and states run by them. If I were running for governor of a Northeastern state, I'd ask if we really wanted to end up like the pigfuckers of Texas?
I'm open to this not being smart, but I'm not open it being out of bounds. It's been standard Republican rhetoric for decades. And Texas is a big boy, not a shrinking violet of a state. It can take it.
