Posted on 12/30/2014 6:04:48 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Before Christmas, Arizona finished its 2nd congressional-district recount, showing Republican Martha McSally beating incumbent Democrat Ron Barber by 167 votes. This means there will be 247 Republicans in the House in the 114th Congress — one more than was elected to the House in the 80th Congress in 1946. It’s the most Republican House since the one elected in 1928, a year when very few of today’s voters were alive.
But while the party numbers are almost precisely the same in the Houses elected this year and 68 years ago, the composition of the two parties’ caucuses (the Republicans call theirs a conference) is sharply different.
One reason is that the reapportionment of House seats following the seven censuses from 1950 to 2010 has shifted many seats from the Northeast, Midwest, and Mississippi Valley to Texas, South Atlantic, and Western states.
Altogether, 100 seats have been transferred from 27 states to 17 other states. Only six small states have the same number of seats as they did in 1946. The big losers have been New York (down 18 seats), Pennsylvania (down 15), Illinois (down 8), and Ohio (down 7). The big gainers have been California (up 30), Florida (up 21), and Texas (up 15).
The House Republican Conference that assembled in January 1947 was dominated by members from New York (28), Pennsylvania (28), Illinois, (20), and Ohio (19). Most came from courthouse towns and sought to roll back the New Deal. They provided the impetus behind the Taft-Hartley Act, which limited the power of labor unions — a law that passed despite Harry Truman’s veto and is still in effect today.
They had the votes to override because the House Democratic Caucus included many conservatives in 1947. A majority of its members — 117 of 189 — came from the South (defined here as the eleven old Confederate states plus West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma).
The largest state delegation was from Texas, including former and future speaker Sam Rayburn and future president Lyndon Johnson. Only one Northern state, New York, elected more than ten Democrats. Freshman representative John Kennedy’s party was outnumbered 9–5 in the Massachusetts delegation.
This 80th House provided crucial bipartisan support for Truman’s Cold War policies, including the expensive Marshall Plan. One Michigan Republican who balked was beaten in the next primary by a young lawyer named Gerald Ford.
Bipartisanship was possible on contemporary issues because the party divisions reflected the distant past. The Democratic party, which 85 years earlier had been skeptical about waging the Civil War, carried Southern seats 117–11. The Republican party, which had backed the war, carried Northern seats 235–72.
The divisions in the 114th House, in contrast, reflect contemporary divisions. The House Republican Conference is tilted toward the South, but not as heavily as Democrats were in 1947. Of its 247 members, 114 are from Southern states, and its largest state delegations are from Texas (25) and Florida (27). Republicans’ margin in Southern seats is 114–38. Most Southern Democrats are from black- or Hispanic-majority districts or those with a Northern cultural flavor (South Florida, Northern Virginia, Austin).
But Democrats lead in Northern seats by only 150–133. Northern Republicans come mainly from suburbs and exurbs, not small towns as in 1947. They tend to represent growing areas rather than those that are losing steam.
The House Democratic Caucus is heavily coastal. The largest state delegation by far is from California, with 39 seats — one-fifth of the total. This helps to account for Nancy Pelosi’s strength in her caucus, though she lost a key committee fight last month. Almost half of the Democratic gain in seats from 1946 to 2014 came in the three West Coast states, with most of the rest along the Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Maryland.
As was apparent on the Cromnibus vote, when 67 Republicans bucked their leadership and 57 Democrats differed from Pelosi, neither conference nor caucus is monolithic. But these differences are more about tactics than goals.
The House Democratic Caucus almost unanimously supports big-government policies and cultural liberalism. The more diverse (on ideas and increasingly in race, ethnicity, and gender) House Republican Conference favors reining in big government but lacks clear consensus on how to do it.
House Republicans lost their majority in 1948 but made important changes in public policy that were permanent or long lasting. Pelosi tried to do the same in 2009 and 2010. Can House Republicans succeed in reversing or significantly adjusting those policies? Not clear.
— Michael Barone is senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner. © 2014 The Washington Examiner.
Probably not. They are, after all, the GOP.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...........
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American Patriots : STAND in DEFIANCE at Obama-Boehner Amnesty ! JOIN Facebook Event (2015-01-03) to fight for America’s Great Republic !!
Rallies in over 250 Cities on 2015-01-03 ... momentum Catching Fire ... Let’s make it 375 cities — including YOURS ... a MAGNIFICENT success ... CLICK Link to JOIN — start New Year’s 2015 the Right Way !
Internet link: https://www.facebook.com/events/996907210324105/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
FORWARD THIS EVENT to your FRIENDS both inside & outside Facebook ...
Facebook Event: Obama Amnesty — National Protest : 2015-01-03
It’s time we “all” step-away from the computer keyboards and RALLY at Courthouses & Overpasses across America on 2015-01-03 ...
... and put ASIDE the petty fights between “Tea Party” LEADERS and Groups based on bruised egos and financial conflicts !!!
Obama’s illegal amnesty is a dire threat to American’s constitutional republic; we’re amazed and shocked that virtually no one in the GOP has the raw courage to check Obama’s excursion into tyranny.
Clearly, with the GOP’s pathetic political surrender (Boehner & McConnell) ... “We Patriots” must rise in DEFIANCE against Obama’s pillaging of the U.S. Constitution.
Who am I, this event’s organizer ? A simple Patriot, Aerospace Mechanical Engineer ... I am CHALLENGING “all” Patriots and Groups and LEADERS to put aside their PETTY personal conflicts and differences ... AND JOIN THIS FIGHT.
Contact your Group’s leadership and urge them to march with US on Saturday 2015-01-03.
http://i916.photobucket.com/…/Co…/FB-1227-61_zps3a35c225.jpg
Mark Levin “Amnesty” Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVQjIhbkSzs
National (local) rallies is scheduled for Jan-3, 2015 (Saturday a week on 2015-01-03).
Can you take a moment out of a busy Christmas - New Year’s holiday season and help promote this crucial series of national rallies on 2015-01-03 ?
Momentum is building “nationally” for the rallies, and it’s already scheduled for at least one radio interview on Monday.
Go outside Facebook to engage your friends and local Tea Party folks to participate.
You’re encouraged to call into Mark Levin’s radio show, as well as Eric Erickson, Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Shawn Hannity, Joe Pags, Mark Davis (etc) as well as your local conservative radio talk show hosts.
As Ronald Reagan said ... “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when No One’s interested in getting the credit.”
As you’ll see below, I’m not asking for any $$$ financial donations. Ever.
Godspeed.
Douglas Coggeshall (Tampa, FL)
Stop-Obama-Amnesty@Engineering-Excellence.US
2015-01-03 National Rally Goals:
1) Speak DEFIANCE against Obama’s Illegal Amnesty !
2) FIRE Speaker John Boehner by encouraging House GOP to select Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as the next House Speaker.
3) Tell the GOPe-RINO gang (Juan McCain, Karl Rove, Reince Priebus, Jeb Bush) that we WILL NOT TOLERATE their pathetic political surrender to Obama’s clear agenda to DESTROY our AMERICAN REPUBLIC.
4) Express our Patriots’ DEFIANT OUTRAGE ... in the face of BITTER COLD WINTER, just as Generals Washington and Patton won GREAT victories at Trenton (Christmas 1776) and Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge, Christmas 1944).
On Saturday Jan. 3, 2015 ... we will ALL STAND DEFIANT in the BRAVE tradition of American Patriots before us ... our fathers and grandfathers ... at Valley Forge, Yorktown, the Battle of New Orleans, San Juan Hill, Belleau Wood, Midway, Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima, Chosin Reservoir, Battle of Ia Drang, and Battle of 73 Easting.
Share with ALL Patriot Friends and Tea Party groups ... WHY ?
Ted Cruz, Jeff Sessions, Mike Lee, Trey Gowdy (et al) GREATLY appreciate our support ...
A great Patriot turn-out encourages the Senate and House GOP to FIRE the Machiavellian traitors John Boehner and Mitch McConnell ...
You’re encouraged to send Rally photographs to “Stop-Obama-Amnesty@Engineering-Excellence.US” where they will be posted (in collage form) at the Free Republic website (you’ll be provided the internet link).
Follow this link (below) to download Hertiage Foundation Report (PDF) on $$$ Trillion-dollar Illegal Amnesty Cost
http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2013/pdf/sr133.pdf
Step out — be COURAGEOUS ... Organize your own LOCAL Rally !
1) Select your location (primary and secondary)
2) Continue recruiting team members for rally NEXT Saturday.
3) Encourage your local Tea Party chapters to join your team.
Rally Team Planning Tips : Team Assignments (Very Important !)
1) Sign Coordinator
2) Security (Two Persons taking Pictures / Videos of the Team Protest)
This includes one person on the group’s perimeter in case the wrong people approach and try to disrupt your rally team.
3) Hot Coffee & Doughnuts Coordinator (it’ll be COLD that day)
4) Transportation for Team members with special needs
5) Vehicle Parking Coordinator (locates safe parking)
6) Special Events Person (the “Runner” for unexpected actions)
7) Communications Coordinator : Press Spokesman & inviting others such as Tea Party groups
8) Team Protection Coordinator : Primarily to keep the “Violent” and “Crazies” away
9) Prayer Leader : Your Patriotic Protest Team will absolutely need The LORD’s blessing and protection !
Douglas Coggeshall ... Aerospace Mechanical Engineer
Stop-Obama-Amnesty@Engineering-Excellence.US
Financial $$$ donations NOT accepted or solicited !
You’re asked to share this event (Inside/Outside Facebook).
Godspeed to You, Everyone ...
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>> The... House Republican Conference favors reining in big government but lacks clear consensus on how to do it.
That’s not true. HOW you rein in big government is crystal clear! YOU REIN IT IN. You defund departments, eliminate workers, roll back regulation. You cut the size of government by cutting off its food supply (i.e. reduce taxation).
No, the problem is that many Republicans LOVE big government. They don’t want to rein it in at all... they simply want to influence how it grows to reward their financiers.
Not with the snivelling GOPe leadership currently in the House and Senate.
This is going to be the greatest opportunity the GOP has had in years to take this country back and put it on the right direction, unlike the odumbo/demodummies path we are currently on. It is the GOP’s to lose and I am certain they won’t disappoint those of us who think they will.
The senate is the major problem.
There isn’t much difference between democrats and republicans there.
Both are mostly arrogant, snobbish, greedheads who spend their time nudging each other out of the way to slop at the pig trough.
“Both are mostly arrogant, snobbish, greedheads who spend their time nudging each other out of the way to slop at the pig trough.”
Exactly. BUT - I’m praying and praying HARD that our newly elected can stave off that kind of behavior and avoid corruption.
Joni Ernst, Scott Brown, Mia Love - and a few select others are in my daily prayers. They truly ARE a new generation of Conservatives, so I’m not willing to throw in the towel quite yet. Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson has been able to stay the course so far! :)
It ain't a question of "can," it's a question of "will."
2014 - 1928 = 86 years, nearly a century, when the voting age was 21. Probably not a single person alive today who voted in the 1928 election.
The GOP has become “The Loyal Opposition”, and is confused about the role of OPPOSITION!!!!
Not with that walking Armani-suited, crying sun tan in charge they won’t
Until Bonehead and McDorkell are six feet under, the answer is no.
Yes, the Loyal (but not too vocal) Opposition. They are wholly unprepared and unwanting of actual ‘leadership’.
They would be perfectly happy with second-tier power and perks like they have been for a generation. Happy to be beat like dogs by a Democrat and then lap up the little praise and pats on the head when they deign to treat them.
Little lap dogs.
I am optimistic that the new GOP Congress will kick butt and clear the way for a conservative White House in 2016.
Also, the economy will greatly improve and we will continue to reach new heights in the overall standard of living - which is already the best it has ever been in all of human history.
Life is good! Happy New Year!
Telephone: "Ring, Ring!"
Male [?] Secretary: "Hello, eRino FUBAR Central, ignoring our electorate since 2008!"
Male [??] Voice: "This is 0bama. Stay the course, and keep up the good work!"
Secretary [Still ?]: Yes, SIR!
Telephone line: "Click."
Male [?] Secretary: "EEEEEEEEEE, Boys, he called AGAIN! He loves us!!"
GOP World: "Well, we could call Ghostbusters. Or Wonderman, maybe..."
Hahahahahahaah! What a joke. The Republicans don’t want change. Just look at what happened when they held Congress and the presidency during the Bush years. They simply “changed” who the lobbyists were funding, nothing else.
No they won’t, the republican leadership and of the republican office holders ate socialists just like the democrats.....
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