Free Republic

Texas Republicans unveiled a new congressional map on Wednesday that would provide their party with five new red-leaning districts, a plan that — if enacted — could provide a boost to the party as it tries to cling to control of the House. The redraw would significantly benefit Republicans by making districts held by Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, who both represent heavily-Latino areas of the Rio Grande Valley, redder, and make some Democratic-controlled districts even bluer in an attempt to create GOP-leaning districts elsewhere.

Texas Republicans have come up with a congressional redistricting plan. The plan would, in the loaded words of the Washington Post, “siphon[] off thousands of [Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s] Black constituents and potentially forc[e] her into a primary election against her neighboring Black incumbent, Rep. Al Green.” This is a wonderful development. Jackson Lee, who once compared the Tea Party to the KKK, has no redeeming quality I’ve ever detected. Green seems like a good guy (once, after a congressional hearing, he invited a friend of mine with whose testimony he disagreed to lunch). However, his over-the-top demands that Donald...

... Republican lawmakers declined Wednesday to revisit election maps they drew last year, clearing the way for a fast-track trial on Thursday that will determine which political party has an advantage in this fall's elections. A panel of three federal judges asked legislators Tuesday morning to voluntarily consider redrawing the maps, taking into account legal challenges from Democrats and Latinos. Republicans said late that day they were willing to make changes but did not believe they had the power to do so. The court rejected that argument Wednesday morning and gave them 5 1/2 hours to say whether they would...

ALBANY — Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy’s Long Island district is on the chopping block as state leaders begin redrawing congressional boundaries, the Daily News has learned. State Senate and Assembly negotiators are looking at merging McCarthy’s Nassau County district into a Nassau-Queens district now held by fellow Dem Gary Ackerman, sources close to the planning said. McCarthy’s current district “collides” with Ackerman’s, making it a perfect candidate for merger, insiders said. The lines are expected to be drawn in a way that favors Ackerman in a potential primary. McCarthy, 68, was first elected in 1996, three years after her husband...

Speaking to the Regional Republican Club in Pompano Beach, Monday, Allen West answered the question about running for U.S. Senator and talks about what Congress will do to push back President Obama. (video)

Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich is making yet another trip to the left coast over the weekend - this time to be a headline speaker at Seattle's "Hempfest," which advertises itself as "The World's Largest Protestival." Kucinich is scheduled to address the event on Saturday afternoon, right after Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. Other luminaries slated to address the three day gathering at Seattle's Myrtle Edwards Park include Wayward Bill of the United States Marijuana Party, representatives of "Moms for Marijuana" and "Gramma's for Ganja," as well as someone from High Times Magazine who goes by the name "Stinkbud." According to...

The current Arizona Congressional Districts (GSA) After census numbers were released this year the State of Arizona picked up a seat in Congress. The Republican-led state just hired a liberal group tied to the Obama campaign to redistrict the state. Tucson, AZ — Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission announced Wednesday that the bid for the mapping process of Arizona’s congressional and legislative districts had been awarded to Strategic Telemetry, a campaign consulting firm for left-wing candidates. The company’s president, Ken Strasma, was President Obama’s national target director

If Mr. Weiner manages to survive a pending investigation, his district may not survive the redrawing of congressional district lines in Albany. New York Democrats are furious with Rep. Anthony Weiner over his fall from grace and his decision to remain in Congress, which will be a lingering embarrassment to them. But even if Mr. Weiner manages to survive a pending House Ethics Committee investigation, his district may not survive the redrawing of congressional district lines that is about to be conducted by state legislators in Albany. New York must lose two House seats in 2012 due to slow population...

JEFFERSON CITY — The months-long political process of redrawing Missouri's congressional districts is finally over after legislators in the Missouri General Assembly voted Wednesday to override the governor's veto of the redistricting proposal. In the House, four African-American Democrats, two from St. Louis and two from Kansas City, joined every Republican in approving the override in a 109-44 vote that then sent the bill to the Senate. House Republicans needed to pick up at least four Democrats to reach the two-thirds majority they needed to override Nixon's veto. Rep. Michael Brown, D-Kansas City, who voted with the Republicans, said he...

Redistrict battlefield will move to courts By R.G. RATCLIFFE and RACHEL GRAVES Aug. 8, 2003, 12:37AM AUSTIN -- Republicans and Democrats escalated their congressional redistricting stalemate Thursday, each turning to the Texas courts in hopes of breaking what Gov. Rick Perry described as a "constitutional crisis." The Republicans asked the Texas Supreme Court to order senators to the Capitol to establish a Senate quorum so the Legislature can meet. The Democrats asked a state district court to rule that Perry violated the state Constitution in calling a special session on congressional redistricting without a true emergency. They also challenged the...