Jim Schermbeck
PER
Schermbeck Jim Schermbeck
 Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck, they are the film makers, spent three years and about $100,000 following what began as a nasty state legislative battle over Mr. DeLay's push to redraw Congressional districts in Texas, and spread into a nationally watched partisan standoff, complete with Democratic lawmakers fleeing across state lines. Mr. Birnbaum, aged 57, of Dallas, a veteran documentary maker who started out in public television, and Mr. Schermbeck, who is 47, of Lubbock, Texas, a longtime community organizer, said in an interview that they had tried mightily but failed to get Mr. DeLay to return their calls, while, Mr. Earle, the district attorney, made himself readily available. Mr. Schermbeck said that with Tom DeLay you're either in his camp or you're not. The filmmakers, Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck spent three years and about $100,000 following Mr. DeLay's push to redraw Congressional districts in Texas in 2002. Mr. Birnbaum, 57, of Dallas, a veteran documentary maker who started out in public television, and Mr. Schermbeck, 47, of Lubbock, Tex., a longtime community organizer, said they had tried mightily but failed to get Mr. DeLay to return their calls, while the district attorney, Mr. Earle, made himself readily available. Mr. Birnbaum and Mr. Schermbeck insist that Mr. Earle had shared no secrets with them and that they acted and were treated no differently from any journalists covering the case.