Free Republic

How bad is it for Democrats in North Carolina? Even Sheriff Andy Taylor is taking a beating in the polls. Andy Griffith - star of the Andy Griffith Show, a Manteo resident and noted endorser of Democratic causes and candidates - has seen his approval ratings plummet, according to a poll published Tuesday by Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling. The Democratic pollster found that Griffith's approval rating has fallen 25 points since 2008. Griffith has been a closer for Democrats, an unimpeachable saintly figure who fills his rare political spots with folksy charm and obvious references to his role as a...

State denies redistricting map drawn to harm minority blocs AUSTIN (AP) — Attorneys for the state defended a congressional district map in a federal courtroom Thursday, attempting to disprove plaintiffs' arguments that the new lines were drawn with racially discriminatory intent, violating the Voting Rights Act. Attorney Andy Taylor questioned a map drawer about the intent with which each of the 32 districts was created by the Texas Legislature. "I'm not aware of splits made to break up minority blocks," said Bill Davis, a former Republican state legislator and lobbyist who testified as the state began its case in the...

Democrats rail against GOP's map Congressmen testify of redistricting flaws Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — A proposed plan to put more Texas Republicans in Congress would be detrimental to the seniority of the state's congressional delegation, veteran Democratic incumbents testified in federal court Friday. In the second day of testimony in a redistricting trial, Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards of Waco and Rep. Max Sandlin of Marshall each described to a three-judge panel the influence wielded by senior members of Congress from either party. "Seniority is everything in the U.S. Congress," said Sandlin, chief deputy whip for the Democratic Caucus. Edwards,...