Kudos to Benjamin Tribbett today for breaking the news out of Virginia. By his count, the map approved by Virginia state Senate Republicans could leave Democrats with as few as 13 winnable seats in that chamber, which currently stands at 20-20.
The sudden redistricting passed 20-19, because a lone Democratic senator had gone to Washington for the day, for the Inauguration. Senator Henry Marsh is 79, a Civil Rights hero in Virginia, and he wanted to see this inauguration, on Martin Luther King, Jr., day, and while he was gone, Republicans redrew the state for their own advantage. Republicans justified this by saying they had created a new majority black district -- by carving off part of Senator Marsh's district.
This session in Virginia, Senate Republicans have also been pushing a bill to change the rules for picking a president. We have been documenting Republican ambitions to do that in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, along with talk of them doing it in Florida. Had those plans been in place for the November election, Barack Obama would still have won the popular vote by several million, but he might still have lost in the electoral college.
At the national level, Republicans have celebrated their success in punching above their electoral weight in Congress and in state legislators. After the jump, a reprint of our links kit so you can follow the story yourself.
First posted for us by Vanessa Silverton-Peel:
The national picture:
- REDMAP 2012 Summary Report
- ProPublica: House Seats vs. Popular Vote
- A chart!
- RNC chief backs electoral college scheme
And in the states:
- Michigan Effort Shows G.O.P. Sway
- Wisconsin GOP governor is "intrigued"
- So goes Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, so goes any chance of there ever being another Democratic president
Leave a Comment:
In the very day the President renews his faith in a great nation, Virginia seeks to further advance tyranny by all means contrary to the Nation's founding. "Virgina is for Rigging Elections, not for Lover's of all things American!
Wow. A guy can't take a day off for a good reason without a political coup that takes the will of the majority away happening? That's lame. And it qualifies as rigging by the other side.
Unfortunately , it doesn't surprise me , This gop/tp is a group of snakes in the grass and they will continue to lie , cheat and steal their way to over-throw America every chance that they can , they want to be the dictatorship of America ! A.Hitler would be soo proud of them !
This is a new low even for the Republicans. And THAT'S saying something.
There's something known as "karma." This kind of thing almost invariably comes back to bite the people who do it. No group will deserve it more than the GOP.
What's got me wondering is when this doesn't work what's next? After borderline legal loopholes, the only thing left is illegal stuff. Is their a coup in the works it seems they will stop at nothing! This is true evil and I see death in the cards. Its all based on greed and its been said that greed is the root of all evil, and there's allot of greed around! Just why the mainstream media can't see this is beyond me. I guess the evil rich own or have control over them too.
Hello MARCO aka shiner007 aka miaginn ^^^^^^^^^RE-REG ALERT!^^^^^^^^^
Hello Eddie Wilson aka MD/MI, aka Mud-Slide, aka Thor...., aka S.N.A.F.U.A.U., aka Mighty.Quinn.......
Hellow Marco aka shiner007, aka miaginn......RE-REGS Alert!.....
You missed one xxx....
Goodnight.
Do something about that paranoia! Oh that's right you did! You loaded your gun!
Marco from Trapoja banned, re-reg of multiple accounter willrogerswasright and others.
Good, my ignore list was really long and disrupting.
xxx...it's not paranoia...and you know it....If you go back and look at the posts and be honest with yourself.....you will see a person with multiple accounts....not to mention re-registering....apparently, he has access to multiple IP addresses....but the narrative on all of these identities are the same.....~
Sally we all appreciate that you removed Marco....but you have another re-reg on this page if you look into it....
Thanks Sally but I wish you had MORE POWER so you could get rid of the TROLLS in Congress!
PS I thought you just deleted your account! So you don't need to turn yourself in.
I was never banned...MD was....Maybe you don't agree with why he was banned and I don't either....but don't re-register multiple accounts and vote yourself up and come to your own defense. And to top it off while MD was a legit blogger....he was one of the biggest re-reg bashers on here.....seems a little hypocritical to come back as a re-reg and deny it...
isn't interesting how one party is slowly forming the framework for something they say they hate and will send our young men and women to fight wars over? I'm talking a dictatorship of course.
after passing the measure, the senate adjourned 'in memory or [sic] General Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson'
this is not a joke.
This doesn't surprise me. Virginia has celebrated the birthdays of Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19, 1807) and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (Jan 21, 1826), known as Lee-Jackson Day (Jan 19) since 1904. In 1984 they combined the MLK federal holiday to create Lee-Jackson-King Day. In 2000, Lee-Jackson Day and MLK Day were separated, due to an obvious conflict of interest. Lee-Jackson is now celebrated on Friday, while MLK is celebrated on the following Monday. Virginia has very strong Confederate memories and loyalties. Apparently, they still retain Confederate practices, even in this age of immediate television and internet exposure. The Union is watching...
They didn't get to this point over night, how much more of our liberties will the right be able to chip away under our noses before we react with the proper amount of push-back?
You do know that once "Liberal's liberties" are taken away, you will be just as chained? Unless you are under the mistaken impression that the conservative liberties will allow you to live as freely as you are now? Don't step out of line, dear sir; you don't want to rattle your shackle and chain and alert conservative power to the fact you just discovered them.
Marco, what has the Republican Party done for you lately? Of course the Republican greed machine will share their gated mansions and yachts and parties with you who voted them into positions of power and money. Of course they will...just like they do now. Oh, wait... that's other rich people they share those things with.
You know, health care, unions, women's rights, the things Democrats fight for benefit you too. All the things those Republicans fight for, benefit them.
Good luck believing that any of us down here will retain our liberties under the right's need for a corporate oligarchy rule.
It's called a paycheck... 'Marco' (his latest re-reg name) is a paid shill, a decoy designated to distract all of us 'lib'ruls' on the board from actually working to get things done...
Put him on 'ignore'... I did, a long time ago, and I will again, in his next 'incarnation'...
You can't buy a big gulp in New York????? Really?? That's all you got?? What's the matter? Don't you like capitalism? You are choosing the most innane issue to defend yourself. You may whine about losing your freedom to drink soda when a law is passed to ban all pop from the state of New York. Of course, if it is passed by a Republican caucus, don't whine too loud. You don't want them to think you are a rightie turncoat.
Oh god, I don't care if he's a paid shill or not, he's left me in stitches!!
You know the Ronald Reagan you idolize, Marco? He shares a lot of things with our CURRENT president! Look at their records, you'll see. Obama is a center-right candidate, just like good ole President Ronnie.
Mark,
I feel sorry for you, because if "your party" ever gets its way, you will be the first people they reject. Do you really think they, the Koch Brothers, Donald Trump, et al., will "take care" of you for your "support"? They don't have any "respect" for you, all you are is the "poor white" who does their "dirty work" for them. Sad, sad, sad.
Can't even trust the Republicans when you take potty breaks...
Funny, I'd think the washroom would be a great place to keep an eye on them...
/s/
That's where their heads are at!
Apparently, Virginia doesn't observe Martin Luther King Day nor do they respect the office of the POTUS and have little regard for democracy. Virginians should be ashamed of themselves.
And the first phone call of Obama's second term should be to the Governor of Virgina saying "Don't make me come down there!"
Don't give up states. Start working on how to inform people of these things and some of these voters would not want to participate in an all out coup.
These people are rejecting federal funds. That means, you all have to
a) pay more in your state for things,
b) not have things
c) vote against these Rs who will undermine your lives to enrich theirs
As a Virginian, this makes me sick. Most of the time, Virginia tends to produce fairly level headed politicians. But ever since McConnell's come into office, the state Republican party has just gone cuckoo for cocopuffs. It's like they've lost their minds!
I fear Virginia will be joining those other states that are moving toward the "Red Map" plan to grab the presidency in 2016, regardless of the will of the majority of the People.
Won't life be just ducky for the dirty masses if that happens...
The bullet we dodged with Romney/Ryan was only a reprieve. We have 4 years to
rebuke Satanto give lawless Republicans some serious push-back.As individuals, as citizens, as worried, we need to start boycotting en mass...shut off TVs that carry Fox, don't purchase any goods or services from those connected to Republican shenanigans, don't buy from anyone who supports Republican candidates who actively works against America.
Boycotting is painful, but it isn't life or death. It's sacrificing some comfort to send a message, and we the people have the buying power to ensure that message is sent, if we all choose not to buy temporarily...
If we only have another 3-4 years to save our liberties, wouldn't sacrificing comfort for a while be worth it?
Just so you know I walk the talk, I have no TV hook-up in my house and I didn't die from not seeing Britcoms. I also will not buy Koch products and it feels goooooood.
Snakes in the grass = "brood of vipers".
Those interested can look it up in the red letter section of "the Book". The term Red Map should give pause. Being in the Bible belt, there may be a lesson in the very Scripture so many folks hold dear. Matthew is especially good at relaying the messages.
There is also a big election in 2014 we don't have much time. I say speak to their hearts as well as their minds.
I realize there are folks who would not want that, but it can be used in the circles that are open to it.
The new slave owners strike again.
They may find that backing assault weapons wasn't such a good idea after all.....
I was on the floor of the General Assembly that day as a guest of one of the Democratic Senators. The Republicans planned this. They came late to the floor of the Senate because their caucus ran late, and everyone was speculating why at the start of the session. We now know. The Democratic side of the aisle was handed a plan they had about fifteen minutes to read. The Republicans had previously limited debate to 15 minutes, so Senator Saslaw had very little time to discuss this. You could see the shock in the faces of the Democratic side when the Republicans moved for a substitution to the bill, they had no idea this was coming.
What is shocking is that the dems were shocked!
This is not stopping with Virginia. Thanks, TRMS, for following these disturbing actions and keeping us up to date <3
Teapublicons poop on the flag and wipe with the Constitution. All in a half a days work.
How is the proposed republican plans with the National Republican Party endorsing them, not considered a potential overthrow or coup to take over our government by rigging things so only one party wins all the time. No matter who people vote for. How is it legal?
Frigging loopholes if theres a loophole a republican has slithered through and stretched it all out of shape. It might be legal but dam sure immoral!
Why couldn't someone in a gerrymandered state take this to court under "equal protection" - one man, one vote? Don't quite get it.
Talk about Coup and Tyranny!!! The Republican Party is gerry mandorting!!!! Making sure that Virginia will ALWAYS be REPUBLICAN. They are also trying to pass a voting rule that each presidential candidate split the electoral college votes, instead of winner take all. I am so embarrassed to be a Virginian at this time. If all of this goes through we will NEVER again have a Democratic Governor, State Senate, or State House. Please call out Governor McDonald and everybody in the state for voting for him. Nobody listened when he was called out during the election of 2009 and his extreme writing on his thesis. As you can see he has done everything to Virginia what he said in his thesis. Governor needs to be called out!!!! The Republicans in the Commonwealth of Virginia are extemist.
Didn't you hear? Republicans don't want there to be a Commonwealth of Virginia any more... Commoners don't deserve the wealth...
OK, here's what I don't get: voting is a federally protected right. Now, I get the fact that the states can gerrymander themselves in order to reduce the fairness of the voting results, but I don't understand how states like FL, PA, OH and others can restrict the actual vote. When that happens, aren't the participants in that process (like maybe the governor or the state attorney general) breaking federal law? And if they are, why isn't Eric Holder prosecuting these people? By not prosecuting, are we not saying to the public in general that you can't break the law unless you're a lawmaker? And that if so, it's OK?
Why aren't the lawmakers in these states in jail, in a cell right next to the Wall St banksters?
NEWSFLASH: Senior House and Senate Republicans held a secret meeting today in a utility closet of the Lafayette Plaza Metro stop in order to try to devise a plan to make Barack Obama only a 2 term president.
I'm afraid its working! OMG what will we do! LOL!
The DOJ is hard at work rounding up those evil pot smokers.
Republicans are a vile party these days. I swear, Reagan rolling over in his grave.
Its not funny they use to prop him up and worship him but his history betrays them, so now he's used for target practice!
They can't win as the xenophobic, irrelevant party. So, rather than figure out ways to become relevant like Chris Christie has done, or Jeb Bush has done, they just rig the districts in their favor. I mean, I was furious when Democrats in Mass. did what they did to Mitt Romney and prevented him from appointing a U.S. Senator. It was cheap and pathetic. But this is on an entirely different level. This is taking advantage of a National Holiday to push through legislation you KNOW wouldn't pass on any other day.
The Republican tactics to manipulate elections to gain power so they can implement a"their way or the highway" policy agenda is the most dangerous threat to our democracy. It reeks of tyranny and should be stopped at all costs.
The Republican tactics to manipulate elections so that they can implement a "their way or the highway" policy agenda, is the most dangerous threat to our democracy.
It paves the way for Republican tyranny and should be stopped anyway possible.
Rigged elections are un American and consistent with Banana Republic third world dictatorships. They have no shame.
So at which point do we get to say that this isn't allowed? I mean, with the whole voting process circumvented, doesn't that revoke all powers owned by the citizens of the United States?
What can we do to fix this if our only means of fixing things is taken away from us by the thing that needs to be fixed?
So at what point do we see this?
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Judges-throw-out-Texas-redistricting-maps-3821662.php
This is a direct result from when we stayed home November 9, 2010.
Elections have consequences.
Now that we've learned our lesson, be reminded that liberty cannot be protected by a sleeping guard dog.
On your feet, folks, let's get to work!
PS Bad form, Virginia, bad form indeed.
I've been trying to understand how the Republican party got so warped and believe it or not, my research has led me to what happened before the Civil War. They don't call what Republicans are doing these days "the Southern Strategy" for nothing.
It is interesting that the majority of the people of the South were NOT for secession - that was only the brainchild of the rich white plantation owners who wanted to keep their "property".
When propaganda (telling the poor whites that the bad old Northerners were going to attack their women, and that as long as slavery existed, the poor whites were still "superior" to someone, that the families of poor whites would be "taken care of" if they sided with the rich slave owners, etc) wasn't enough to sway the vote, the rich white slave-owners began stealing elections.
The Governor of Georgia fraudently changed the election results to get his way, the people of South Carolina were only allowed to vote for those people who favored secession, etc. and this type of voter fraud existed all over the South. This was the ONLY way the rich plantation owners could control the politics and keep their "property".
Do you see the similarities?
For all those so called "Republicans" and trolls on this blog who think what Virginia did yesterday was a good thing, there is also a moral to this story:
The rich white slave-owners may have gotten their way, but they lost the war, not only from pressure from the North, but from within. The first people those in power abandoned where the poor whites - the same people they propagandized to and the same people who supported the rich slave-owners.
Once the poor whites figured out what was going on, desertions became a huge problem for the Confederates. The Confederacy suddenly became a huge bureaucracy with"government people" hunting down deserters and making the poor whites financially support the war even though their families were starving. Interesting enough, any one with more than 20 slaves was "exempted" from fighting - something that also did not go over well with the poor whites. Food riots were necessary to get the Confederacy to honor its "promise" to take care of the families of the soldiers.
The rich slave-owners initially got their way, but their efforts were doomed from the start because they had no intention of being for "We the People". They were only in it for themselves.
You may have "won" this battle, Republicans of Virginia, but remember the moral of the Civil War - We the People will eventually win!!!
Oh, and trolls, the first people the "NEW Republican Party" will abandon if they ever get in total power, is you because all you are to them are the "poor whites" to the rich plantation owners!!!
I can honestly say that right now I am embarrassed to be a Virginian!!!
"Once the poor whites figured out what was going on..." I have to wonder if they really ever did???
Don't be embarrassed to be a Virginian.
I noticed a long time ago, there has never been any intention to "allow" poor and non caucasian males to get anywhere. This is viewed as taking something from them. When some wealthy folks come out (not all wealthy folks do this) crying about stealing what is theirs (tax dollars).
There's your sign, as the comic said.
The saying "put them in their place" is an elitist phrase. Yes, poor caucasian males were supposed to remain in "their place", too. But the Rs have lured the poor caucasians and a few others into voting for the Rs. The TeaPubs have just proven this. Why reward their behavior by voting for them? They only stir up anger and point at minorities/taxes to USE YOU and they have no intentions of really letting you into their club house.
My ancestors arrived in Virginia from England before the Mayflower. The fact is, there are ancestors of mine that fought for the Confederacy. Perhaps they did it willingly, perhaps they did it under duress. Another line of my ancestors fought for the Union. I am definitely not on the side of the confederacy or secession, but I feel a bit of shame because of that. But you and I can only stand up and say, I do not approve of this tactic to undermine OUR country.
We reconcile our differences and agree to disagree, but we cannot allow this continual battle to be WE the PEOPLE. All of us, not just a few.
Appeal to the knowledge of right and wrong. It is wrong to hand our government over to a few wealthy and corporate boards.
I noticed this in Alabama too. Meanwhile the white good ole boys complained endlessly about affirmative action and griped that being politically correct denied them the "freedom" to tell fat jokes at work.