Sudden Redistricting Vote Surprises Virginia Democrats

Newsplex ^ | 1/22/13

[Libloather]

"On a day when Americans celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and inaugurated Barack Obama as President, Virginia Senate Republicans took advantage of the absence of civil rights leader Sen. Henry Marsh to push through a hyper-partisan change to Virginia's already gerrymandered legislative district map."

Maybe charge Henry for being AWOL.

[Grams A]

I’m sure the Democrats would nevvvvvvvvvver do anything like this. Hope your Governor signs it. About time we had some Republicans show some spine.

[HokieMom]

Democrats did this in Maryland with the successful intention of getting rid of conservative Congressman Roscoe Bartlett. They thought redistricting was peachy-keen then.

[max americana]

No mercy on these dumocrap pukes. This is what you get for wetting yourselves over Buttcrack’s coronation LOL

[Reddy]

Was just over at the du-mp and they are all up in arms about this. Wonder if they would be so distraught if the redistricting benefited dems?? Just saying.

[BobL]

I can’t think a better way for Virginians to CELEBRATE Dr. King than by creating a black-majority district.

What’s the big deal?

[Hildy]

Oh, my heart bleedsds. Here in AZ, the Dems lied and manipulated and stole two seats away from us in the last election and we DID NOTHING..not even our Governor, Jan Brewer, had the balls to stand up to them. If we ever hope to take back this Country, we must learn to play in their sandbox and bend the rules, just like they do. Good for Virginia.

[skr]

What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gerrymander

[mike_9958]

this is how you play politics....

[originalbuckeye]

Ditto. They broke so many ‘rules’. But ‘rules’ are for those who care about the law. Districts should be drawn by computer and rely solely on population. That is the only way we will ever get ‘fair’ Districts.

[VoiceOfBruck]

"That's going to attract a lot of bad press," said Kyle Kondik, with the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

This is too funny - on WMAL they said the missing dem was at the immaculation. I can't stop grinning.

[iacovatx]

Good job, Virginia Republicans! Now let’s teach the RNC and the fed-level Repubs how to rise to the level of toughness that can take on the Dems nationally.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Virginia's already gerrymandered legislative district map."

The senate map is "already gerrymandered", but in a way that was skewed heavily for the democrats, yielding them 50% of the seats in the last election, with only 40% of the vote, while sticking republicans in districts (like mine) where the winner gets 72% of the vote.

This was really minor payback, creating another minority distric, which means probably another black representative in the senate, but also likely giving the republicans a 1-seat majority in the next election.

That will help especially if we manage to lose the lt Governor race in the 2013 election.

[Grams A]

We need to take all the elected Republicans, strip them of their trappings and throw them in the ghetto or send them to Afghanistan for about a month. Those that survive can return to office. Those that don’t, too bad. Time to quit electing the country gentlemen and get some street fighters.

[Lancey Howard]

This is awesome!

[Lancey Howard]

...nervous dismay by the state's Republican governor and House Republicans.

IF this is true, these guys should get "LOSER" tattooed on their foreheads.

[editor-surveyor]

Let’s hope the Gov is smart enough to sign it.

[EDINVA]

Why do you think we’d lose the Lt Gov race?

[editor-surveyor]

AMEN!

[sickoflibs]

RE :”On a party-line power play Monday, the Senate's 20 Republicans struck with one of the 20 Senate Democrats absent and abruptly amended a House bill that previously made minor technical adjustments to House districts.
Sen. John Watkins’ amendment - never vetted by a committee - adds a sixth majority-black district but substantially strengthens the number of GOP districts.
....
The reapportionment would take away Democrat Creigh Deeds’ district, and put him in the same district as Republican Emmett Hanger. Deeds currently represents Charlottesville and parts of Albemarle County, among other counties.
Political experts say the re-drawn district would likely favor Republicans, and put Deeds in danger of losing his seat to Hanger. Hanger voted in favor of the new boundaries on Monday. Deeds voted against. “

I saw this on Maddow tonight and she gave me a big laugh.
Dem Watkins was at the big Obama/MLK celebration instead of there voting against this.
Perfect day for a vote.
Hey, it was not a paid holiday for me!