CA: Ballot item creates GOP split - Doolittle opposes proposition on redistricting, others back it.

Sacramento Bee ^ | September 11, 2005 | David Whitney

[calcowgirl]

Boldly treading where few other Republicans want to go, Roseville Rep. John Doolittle has stepped forward as a leading critic of the redistricting measure supported by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

(snip)

Doolittle, who in Congress is trying to advance up the House Republican leadership ladder, is resolute. He insists that he has received "almost no grief" from fellow California Republicans over his opposition to Proposition 77.

"I think people know I am a pretty strong and loyal Republican," the 54-year-old, eight-term congressman said. "This proposition is bad for the Republican Party."

With only nine of the 20 members of the California Republican congressional delegation lined up behind Schwarzenegger's redistricting initiative, Doolittle represents the majority view but feels a bit lonely on the front lines.

"I seem to be the only one on record publicly opposed to this," he said.

The thesis behind Proposition 77 is that state lawmakers have abused their power to redraw district lines to eliminate competitive races and create safe districts for incumbents of both parties.

The ballot measure would hand the once-a-decade redistricting task to a panel of retired judges. To get the ball rolling, it requires the panel to develop a redistricting plan for use in the next round of primary elections, although some have suggested 2006 election deadlines and expected court challenges will make that impossible.

It may come as a big surprise to California Republicans backing Schwarzenegger's initiative, but Doolittle is convinced that the California measure has unwittingly become part of a nationwide Democratic plot.

"Democrats are doing this because they think this is a way they are going to take away our majority in Congress," he said.

[SierraWasp]

I really like the cut of your jib, ol man! Too bad you jumped out of the frying pan and into the Oregone fire and can't be here to help us fight the moderate madness infecting the Party with pussey thinking to the n'th degree!!!

I swear! Guilt has created more self-hating Liberals and even uncomfortable Repellicans who suddenly developed a phobia toward phundaMentalist pharisees who legitimately worked their way up the organization, paying all the dues at every step of the way. (like walking precincts, etc.)

Now they must be cast into outer darkness so that they don't make anybody in "The New Majority" uncomfortable should they tolerate the same perversions the left does!!!

What a pathetic situation. Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment be damned... full speed ahead to meaningless moderation of the Repellican Party in CA!!!

[SierraWasp]

As old as I'm getting, the only thing I get to have my way with anymore is a few people's minds!!! (and even that doesn't hold for more than a few seconds!)

But it's never over till the gravitationally challenged member of the feminine gender begins to vocalize, right? (how's that for PC?)

[SierraWasp]

Well thank you! You finally restated you position to one I can openly agree with. The way you put that, I can support. One would have to be a fool not to wish for greater productivity from a pol in spite of insurmountable odds. It's kinda like wishing he had god-like powers of pursuasion while trying to drain the swamp while up to his A$$ in allegators!!!

Thanks for making agreeable agreement possible between us. Sincerely, The Waspman!!!

[b9]

lol PC poifect ";^)

[FOG724]

Correction: Pete McCloskey... (I always get Pete, Paul, and Mary confused.)

Hahaha.

[Amerigomag]

But I still disagree with this ballot measure

Amen.

Viewed from a context of what might be, if some measure of reason is inflicted on inevitable, runaway, liberal actions, Prop 77 is a "step in the right direction" as Republican loyalists are fond of reminding us. Properly evaluated from the perspective of its application in a situation when the shoe is on the other foot, let's say during the administrations of governors Gray Davis or Moonbeam Brown, the legislation is bad.

A point lost on many is that neither piece of legislation accomplishes the simple wishes of the electorate; fiscal responsibility and republican representation. Prop 76 forces no one to live within the limits of tax revenues and Prop 77 simply substitutes one form of governmentally approved, social tinkering for another.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

We both can tell time.

One thing nobody wants to talk about, well, actually two things that are somewhat related is #1 - WATER and #2 - illegal immigration...

Water, the most singularly important ingredient for human life, is being ignored. It is partly the reason I am in Oregon.

California has vast agricultural resources that need a lot of it. The state feeds a great portion of the world and the country.

All over California, the leftists are doing anything they can to stop improvements on resource infrastructure with their regional bureaucracies and Sierra Club lawsuits. In the name of “smart growth,” to save their myopic elitist playground, they will ignore illegal immigration and choke everybody with seriously outdated freeways and drivers' licenses for illegals.

California also has an exploding population and they are going to need water. Ignoring illegals ain't helping one bit, but the check pant, country club set needs their toilets cleaned and lawns mowed by somebody they can pay three dollars an hour. The rich liberals need their votes and give them welfare so they can continue to pay them three dollars an hour working in their favorite restaurants and hotels.

[It really makes a liberal feel like a big shot if they can tip a cute young girl $20.00 for an overpriced $50.00 per plate meal with some fancy sounding, overpriced wine - - after all, they saved $1000.00 last week hiring 5 poor Mexicans instead of one U.S. citizen who has three kids that need braces and a dental plan.]

Anybody who tells me health insurance rates are so expensive for any other reason than illegal immigration is a damned liar. (The hospitals are going broke.)

[SierraWasp]

"All over California, the leftists are doing anything they can to stop improvements on resource infrastructure with their regional bureaucracies and Sierra Club lawsuits."

Tonight on my very TV, there was old Gerald Meral of Mountain Lion Foundation infamy, who had announced his retirement eight or nine years ago from unfounded activism, pushing and lobbying to tear down O'Shawnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to effectively eliminate the massively marvelous works of mankind to supply the great city of San FranPsycho it's water that even makes NYC's water supply and quality pale by comparison.

Where did we get such pathetic fools? What did the United State ever do to inherit such bizarre maniacs? It couldn't possibly have been an actual school of thought that inculcated such abject idocy into these lunatics!!!

God help us here in CA... Puuulese!!! (The people sure aren't doing anything to help themselves!!!)

[SierraWasp]

I don't know if you can get AM650 KSTE out of Sacramento down there in the daytime, or not, but Doolittle is going to be on there in this hour (like right now) on this subject with Armstrong & Getty.