Link goes to the governor's transportation announcement today.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell says he was surprised that his own Republican Party in the state Senate shoved through new district maps yesterday that could give them a permanent majority. Virginia Republicans picked the day when one Democrat was away at the inauguration to spring the new maps on the evenly divided chamber and then pass them. When I asked McDonnell's office just now whether he would sign or veto the bill, which still needs approval from the House, they sent over a recording (mp3) of the governor fielding that question today with local reporters. The verbate:
REPORTER: Is it time yet to tell these guys, "If it comes to me, I'm going to veto it"?
MCDONNELL: Well, listen, my focus this year is on education, transportation, and budget and government reform. That's what I had asked this session to be about. Obviously, the tactics that were used yesterday was a surprise, and I don’t think that's the way that business should be done. But I haven't looked at the bill. I’m not happy about the things that have happened. Look, some people said they were against my transportation bill long before yesterday, so this has got a long way to go. I don't know whether I'm going to get a bill or not. But I'm going to wait and see at this point what happens. I have not looked at the bill. At this point, though, I want people to focus on the things that are important. What I said the session should be about is education, transportation -- not redistricting and other things. That's my focus.
The short answer, so far, is no answer yet. McDonnell could try to keep the House from passing the bill and sending it to him. A year ago, he found himself in much the same position, trying to get the legislature off the ledge -- and off the front pages -- with that forced ultrasound bill. He ended up signing that one.
Adding: Virginia Democrats say the new maps have the effect of concentrating African-American voters into districts that are already majority-minority. The party calculates that 24 districts would lose black voters, while only 15 or 16 would gain them. The number of districts where African-Americans make up 20 percent or more of the electorate would fall from 14 to 10. And of the five majority-minority districts that already exist, four would absorb new African-American voters that were moved from other districts. See ProPublica's "packing and cracking" take on gerrymandering for further explanation.
Related link: Commemorative Bob McDonnell Vaginal Ultrasound Probes!
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Quickly and quietly while no one is watching they steal our most prized possession;
"Government of the People By the People for the People"
While it is true that all means should be taken to block state driven efforts such as in Virginia to block the Will of the People. This meme is turning into an opiate- An excuse to paper over weaknesses that party elites would rather not talk about. Rather than agonize about what the states are doing, we need to organize and deliver the power back into the House. The House is constitutionally entitled to brush ALL of these state manipulations aside, but the point is that we could have had the votes TODAY to do this.
This is where the real story is.
And the DNC will not use them in 2014.
Hopefully Jim Messina will.
If he doesn't, I will form up with any progressive org who will demonstrate a little grasp of the art of what is now possible in House Politics.
Obvious partisan machinations like these could be in preparation for changing to awarding Virginia's electoral votes by congressional district winner. These moves should add support for the National Popular Vote movement. If the party in control in each state is tempted every 2, 4, or 10 years (post-census) to consider rewriting election laws and redistrict with an eye to the likely politically beneficial effects for their party in the next presidential election, then the National Popular Vote system, in which all voters across the country are guaranteed to be politically relevant and treated equally, looks better and better.
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections. No more distorting and divisive red and blue state maps. There would no longer be a handful of 'battleground' states where voters and policies are more important than those of the voters in 80% of the states that now are just 'spectators' and ignored after the conventions.
When the bill is enacted by states with a majority of the electoral votes– enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538), all the electoral votes from the enacting states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC.
The presidential election system that we have today was not designed, anticipated, or favored by the Founding Fathers but, instead, is the product of decades of evolutionary change precipitated by the emergence of political parties and enactment by 48 states of winner-take-all laws, not mentioned, much less endorsed, in the Constitution.
The bill uses the power given to each state by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution to change how they award their electoral votes for President. Historically, virtually all of the major changes in the method of electing the President, including ending the requirement that only men who owned substantial property could vote and 48 current state-by-state winner-take-all laws, have come about by state legislative action.
In Gallup polls since 1944, only about 20% of the public has supported the current system of awarding all of a state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes in each separate state (with about 70% opposed and about 10% undecided). Support for a national popular vote is strong among Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters, as well as every demographic group in virtually every state surveyed in recent polls in recent closely divided Battleground states: CO – 68%, FL – 78%, IA 75%, MI – 73%, MO – 70%, NH – 69%, NV – 72%, NM– 76%, NC – 74%, OH – 70%, PA – 78%, VA – 74%, and WI – 71%; in Small states (3 to 5 electoral votes): AK – 70%, DC – 76%, DE – 75%, ID – 77%, ME – 77%, MT – 72%, NE 74%, NH – 69%, NV – 72%, NM – 76%, OK – 81%, RI – 74%, SD – 71%, UT – 70%, VT – 75%, WV – 81%, and WY – 69%; in Southern and Border states: AR – 80%, KY- 80%, MS – 77%, MO – 70%, NC – 74%, OK – 81%, SC – 71%, TN – 83%, VA – 74%, and WV – 81%; and in other states polled: AZ – 67%, CA – 70%, CT – 74%, MA – 73%, MN – 75%, NY – 79%, OR – 76%, and WA – 77%. Americans believe that the candidate who receives the most votes should win.
The bill has passed 31 state legislative chambers in 21 states with 243 electoral votes. The bill has been enacted by 9 jurisdictions with 132 electoral votes - 49% of the 270 necessary to go into effect.
NationalPopularVote
Follow National Popular Vote on Facebook via NationalPopularVoteInc.
Yes, Virginia, there is an Anti Claus.
This is what Mr. Obama meant when he repeatedly said, "We, the people..."
This is what Organizing for America is for.
The Taliban/Teaparty disenfranchised millions of US citizens, imposed tyranny (the rule of the many by the privileged few) without taking anyone's guns.
This is a very important news story, and needs to be exposed as often as possible. Thank you, Rachel, for bringing it up again.
This cannot be ignored. The GOP is trying to take down our very Democracy.
They are after my state of PA! That can't happen, folks.
For a party that says it reveres the Constitution and democracy, they sure aren't holding back subverting democracy and talking treason. WTF is wrong with Virginia? This needs to be addressed openly now, which they will not like since they don't want anybody to notice.
Good news. The beltway media is finally picking up on this story. Saw it on Colbert tonight.
He is going to try and leverage this to get support for a transportation bill??? Seriously???
Oh whats the Problem here people ? Why don't the people believe in us ? As they scratch their malformed heads with what little brain capacity that have ! The goptp are just far too crazy these days , I believe that if they didn't all wear gravity boots that they would float away considering how much helium they have in their heads !
Like whoa, dude! I thought it was like Obama that was the power grabber and stealing everybody's rights and everything, man! This Mcdonnell guy isn't righteous. This ain't groovy, man!
It's probably unconstitutional. I don't remember 2012 as being a census year.
Monk, Funny you mention that, my youngest just got a census form in the mail in December, here in PA. But I think the census is only every 10 years. We couldn't figure it out.
Can anybody explain this?
I like the popular vote idea. It would have cost Bush the ability to let the SCOTUS pick our president.
Not without seeing it. There are always stories from time to time of letters being delivered sometimes decades after posting. I suppose anything is possible. Do you remember getting a census form in 2010? On the other hand, maybe it's not an actual census form. Do you still have it?
He has it and we will look at it again.
Yes, we filled out the 2010 census.
All other projects should be put on hold. Destroying our Democracy trumps everything else Gov. Election rigging is the term most appropriate for Va.'s senate's actions. What could be more important than that. If you can't win an election then rig it so you can't lose. This affects us all...not just Virginia...and you know it.
And it continues...we have to stop this slow progression by the Republicans to rig the vote.
It cannot go unchallenged. Democrats everywhere should band together and be heard.
Our democracy depends on fairness.
Not just democrats, but Americans everywhere, because democracy does depend not only on the belief in the fairness of the system, but it also depends on having real choices. A rigged system makes voting a wasted exercise. The GOP is working hard to turn our nation of laws into a Fascist Corporat-ocracy banana republic controlled by fear-perhaps the underlying reason Bush/Cheney made no effort to prevent 9/11 and engaged Faux News to incite the fear and rage we now live with.
Okay Transvaginal Bob - I'll drop the epithet if you veto the grotesque gerrymandering bill!
Let's make a deal - Before:
Transvaginal Bob and his weaselly Republican crew.
And, now:
Gov. mcDonnell and the weaselly Republicans of the Virginia Commonwealth!
Take back your dignity Transvaginal Bob! -Kevo
If the average citizen tried to pull this kind of crap, he would be in prison under federal charges. This is crimminal activity plain and simple, and if Bob McDonnell had an ounce of character he would expose these turds for what they are and rip up any proposal that comes from these scoundrels. This is the way the new Republican Party operates, and Virginia is just the start. Pretty soon voting will be eliminated completely because nit-wits like McDonnell are on watch.
He KNOWS exactly what was going on. He is in on it! WE the people have to stand up and say NO MORE of these shenanigans. Where is the Justice Dept?
Va...has always been a sneaky under-handing state....they are slow in making the right changes and our citizen rights have never been important to them. Only the few who can afford to pay....matters!!
Of course he would like to impose his will upon us all. That is what T-Pubs always want to do. Even rigging it.
There must be something wrong with me. At first I read the word 'will' in the (more British than American) idiomatic sense of 'penis'. I know this is Governor Vaginal Probe we're talking about, but still.
hahaha! good one!
On 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!"
What do you expect6 from the capital of Southern Treason?
Hmmm . . . maybe the people of Virginia do need assault weapons to protect themselves from the tyranny of their state government?
The following is the message not the distraction, its the message.
"GOP's sneak redistricting now".
Do nothing unless democracy is restored to America and to Americans, and not to "PARTY".
If you can't win by getting more votes... cheat!
If he hasn't read the bill, he SHOULD vote against it, period. He should not be voting for anything he can't defend to the media.
While you're at it, look into the smoke and mirrors of Vaginalprobe Bob's transportation plan. It's a piece of work...start asking questions about that mess too
This seems to be the new plan by ALEC. Have the legislature pass something while the Governor pretends he isn't interested in it. MI happened with right to work for less, WI limiting voting rights and so on
"Sic semper tyrannis!"
Obviously the VA GOP have never learned either their state motto or why it was adopted. Something to do with representation, I understand...
Well, the GoP saw an opportunity and took it. Who cares? if the democratic representative went to the inauguration of the president. Business is Business. When the governor signs it; and he will (he signed the more controversial one) this will be the first state to head toward 3d World regulations full throttle.
I read the response... he did not say no. he wants to look at it. sign this and get that agenda of yours ...whatever it is... handled.
And this from "the state of Presidents"as Virginians so fondly boast.I lived two blocks from the church Patrick Henry declared"give me liberty or give me death" in and I wonder how He would react to this gross miscarriage of liberty by his own Virginians.Appalling.Disgraceful.Feel free to interject as many adjectives of contempt you see fit!
The VA (and that does not stand for "women's lady part") constitution says that Virginia should redistrict in 2011 and every ten years after. So the measure was, on its face, illegal. And Gov Bob's plan would tax gas users lighter than electric users, and raise the sales tax. So the more responsible you are with your driving habits, the more you pay. The great irony is that if you live somewhere that you don't need a car, like our Capital city of Richmond, you would pay for someone else's transportation.
The VA Gov's actual answer was "If they will vote for my transportation bill, I will sign this gerrymandering into law." Good ole' political horse trading, right out in the open.
I'm surprised my friends the left haven't called them on that, 'cause I'm not even ure that's legal. It sure as hell isn't ethical.
There needs to be National Legislation to protect a voter's right to equal representation which is being usurped by gerrymandering. Having independent commissions with no party affiliation for redistricting should be the rule of law. I would just bet this attempt to violate Constitutional law is not to far from Supreme Court review.
The problem with this idea is it would take a constitutional amendment, which would have to be approved by 3/4 of the state legislatures - which are populated by people who benefit from the thing being made illegal. You think you'll get the votes?
TCinLA
I am very afraid for PA. Our governor is T-party and our entire legislature is GOP, with the embarrassment of Pat Toomey as our Senator.
Good Old Do-it-Toomey.
Yeah, they'll get the damn votes.
Could we please have the phone number to call the Governor?
U R Online, SKV2...Google it? :)
Ah well, he's done a great job as Governor. Too bad he could not run again. He would win re-election, easily. I think he will sign it, albeit reluctantly and last minute. This transportation overhaul proposal is FAR more important in the long term for the Commonwealth.
If you believe what you just said, you win the prize for Dumbest Wingnut Moron of the Day Post.
You really think transportation is more important than the political operation of your government??? No wonder you hang out on Face(palm)book.
Chris do you really believe that you voting rights are second to anything.
How can lowering the tax on gas and raising sales tax be more important then your right to a government representative. It looks to me that this governor thinks that his political party is more important that his state, or our country.
Both parties have done this all time. I won't be complaining when another state governed by another party does this. I live in Northern Virginia, transportation is FAR more important than anything else. When you're stuck in traffic for several hours a week, then you will understand.
So, you don't care about democracy, only that the trains run on time. Nice. 'Both parties do it' is never an excuse.
This must be part of the "if you can keep it" of which Ben Franklin spoke.
The Rs seem determined to "make it so".
This is what happened in Texas many years ago and is a big reason why we have such a hard time getting back to blue. If he signs it, VA will be dominated by Repubs for decades.