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Subscribe to RSS“A Republican-led redistricting plan in Virginia — pushed through the state Senate by a one-vote margin while a Democratic senator was in Washington attending the Inauguration — is drawing outrage from Democrats and criticism from GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell,” Politico notes. “The plan to redraw state Senate districts passed Monday after limited debate on a 20-19 party-line vote. It would create a new majority-minority district in the state but would change almost all existing district lines and force two senators — Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Emmett W. Hanger Jr. — into a single district.”
The Virginian-Pilot: “Senate Democrats still seething Tuesday over Republicans' unilateral redistricting rewrite a day earlier delivered fiery floor speeches, calling out the GOP caucus for practicing raw politics for their own gain ‘under the guise of being good to black folks.’”
The Richmond Times-Dispatch: The prospects for bipartisan cooperation on a transportation fix at this year’s General Assembly session appeared dimmer Tuesday as Democrats intensified their criticism over a surprise redistricting maneuver by Senate Republicans that was designed to strengthen their hold on the chamber in future elections.
Said Bob McDonnell: “This is not an issue that I advocated, and I was surprised about the vote yesterday,” McDonnell said Tuesday morning after a breakfast hosted by the National Federation of Independent Business. “I certainly don’t think that’s a good way to do business.”
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OK, governor, if you really "don't think this is a good way to do business" then tell your buddies that you will veto any such bill if it should reach your desk. Funny how all the righties whine cry and complain about Obama issuing an executive order every now and then but are silent on the naked GOP power grabs that are happening at the state level anywhere there is a GOP majority.
these people are nucking futs>>> since we can't win an election on the merits, let's change the system. screw them. if I were president, I would simply help them destroy themselves. mostly by highlighting their screw ups and extremism. Shame on the Virginia Senate.
Smitty said,
"since we can't win an election on the merits, let's change the system"
This comment comes from a party that invented the "politics of personal destruction" and you have the nerve to say "we can't win on the merits"...
Talk about "nucking futs"!!
apparently Maxx is having trouble with my English... tough tit... understand this. I plan to stand against every attempt by the nutty Republicans to fix elections, at every level I see it (Nationally, State Wide, County and City) and I hope Maxx hates it. Mooch on that....
When one party does something and does it without the other party I get suspicious. This isn't how it is supposed to work. There are supposed to be checks and balances. Not "if you think you'll lose you cheat". I feel the same if the gerrymandering were by Democrats or Republicans, it doesn't matter'
This doesn't just affect the people in Virginia, it affects the entire United States, since they are voting for a national office. We all need to get involved.
This story has been baking for at least 2 weeks . . . on National Journal and several other sites and TV programs. Frankly, I am stunned this is the first I've seen of it on First Read.
The truth is this is not about just Virginia.
It's about a story that is going on across the country in Blue States that voted red after Obamacare was passed, and the Republicans seized that opportunity to redistrict those states in a way that maintains permanent control of the state legislatures for Republicans, and thus the House of Representatives.
I've heard almost no stories on the fact that Democrats won WAY more votes for their candidates in the House of Representatives. See for example this excerpt from the RedMap project ( )
For those interested, there are several links to the various articles on this issue, including one to the RedMap project where Republicans brag about controlling the House even though they won far fewer votes than did Democratic candidates.
Redistricting is a fact of life. But this over the top redistricting on steroids plan concocted by the RNC changes everything. I expect the results to be somewhat skewed, but not like this. I think we all want to believe that majorities win elections. But more and more, that isn't the case and we should all be worried.
I've never been a proponent of the popular vote controlling elections, just because a Constitutional Amendment is too hard, but once you read these stories, you may decide, like me, it's the only way we don't end up being classified as a banana republic when it comes to free and fair elections.
We shouldn't be a country where if you can't win by a majority, you just change the rules until you can win.