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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They way around all of this is to get more people registered, and then get them off their asses to vote. We have to be relentless about this; they sure are. We need to bring back Howard Dean's 50-state strategy with a vengeance. Voter registration should be year-round and ongoing. We should also be recruiting candidates so that not one republican goes unchallenged in the general election.
Republicans are now Va Haters. And the Gov. will veto it and it should not pass anyway.....Shame on us.....
The GOP admits what they are doing is cheating and they don't care if you know if they are cheating. This comes from the thinking of rich white men who think:-- they own you.
this should simply not be allowed.
Just how long will republicans remain republicans once the GOP has taken away all their rights? It should be interesting to watch the working stiffs who will continue to lose ground under republican rule try and blame the non-existant democrats in the statehouse.
Rachel, WHY was the Virginia State Legislature in sessiuon on Martin Luther King day?
That in of itself is OUTRAGEOUS! The entire African American delegation should have walked out. Without all 20 Democrats present anyways, why not?
I wondered that very same thing. Do they not have MLK Day off?
Republicans are liars, cheaters, and hypocrits. We, the people, need to turn out and vote in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020; in every election and in every district until we finally end this threat to our democracy.
Google "lawfare" and read it. While it is usually applied to terrorist entities, I think it well describes the tactics of the Republican Party . . . the latest being the attempts to alter the electoral college, and the sneak redistricting in Virginia, and, for that matter, the 2010 gerrymandering of congressional districts. We need to call out the lawfare tactics, and general immorality of the Republican Party, the party that claims a corner on "morals". They undermine every principle of democracy on which we were founded.
Very fitting term for this T-Pub situation. Thank you. I had never heard of it before you brought it up.
It all started something like this.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UBJXbRQ_r9Q
The efforts by red states to change the winner take all when there is a majority win by any party any single party. This effort smacks of ALEC - American Legislative Exchange Council, and organization sponsored by the Koch brothers. This organization creates templates for legislation the Right. Think Voter ID laws. Obama lost in every state requiring Voter ID laws. The primary goal of ALEC is to establish a permeant Republican majority. Beware! r
Ah yes the old shell game! But I think dictatorships are illegal in this country!
They(T-Party) will do what ever it takes to make the whole state red, by cheat, crook or whatever!
Stealth Bastards!!! If this bill is signed by Gov. Ultrasound (I'm going to forget his real name in a minute) the Dems will need to have a big plan for rousing up some really great candidates to get into those districts. I have a prob when I here MSM talking about these areas as if there is no way the people would vote for a democrat/independent. We can only know for sure until we try. I have to believe that the citizens in VA are waking up to the uselessness of the republicans they voted for and sent to DC. I want to believe that they will start moving to get there party back by looking for someone that's not so radical. What if the during the 2014 election we begin to see a glimmer of republican voter backlash? Shouldn't the Dems start now to find out where they can find the cracks in the republican voter system...and dare I say it... begin to exploit those areas? The new OFA group should make this a priority to start reviewing and targeting these districts, find the cracks and find the candidates that can appeal to the moderate/liberal republicans who would be willing to vote Democratic or, at best Independent. I say lets' try....
This VA, where the Republicans can do that kind of thing, and on the same day that they try to redistrict out the Democratic Senator (Creigh Deeds), who ran against transvaginal Bob for both attorney general and governor and lost horribly because he was such a bad candidate and refused to align himself with President Obama. On that same day, that same Democratic Senator Creigh Deeds made a big speech about what a wonderful person Stonewall Jackson was and asked the VA Senate to adjourn "in honor" of the Confederate general - on Martin Luther King Day and the day that civil rights leader Senator Marsh was attending the 2nd inauguration of our first African-Amercan President??? Did he not think that the power grab from the Republicans in the Senate on that day was bad enough??? This is the same guy that Stephen Colbert made fun of a couple of years ago for trying to give lifetime gun permits to 2 year olds - yeah, that guy. The same guy who voted to make it possible to buy as many guns as you want last year and to carry a concealed weapon into a bar. The same guy who apparently saw the young women's rights activists on the Capitol as a good excuse to proposition them. That's what passes for a Democrat in VA.
that is disturbing , I wonder how the heck did Va go for obama?
Some folks around the country need to wake the hell up and stop high fiving obstruction, "both parties do it" or any kind of silly "bipartisanship" fantasies about Ds and Rs are going to work together. There are folks that vote for a D for the House and an R for the Senate, like their dealing cards or something. We are supposed to gamble with such a lousy hand that the Rs are now stacking the deck?
The media need to report this and stop their conspiring with ALEC and highlighting the wackos like Trump and what Lindsey Lohan did.
Mr. President , You and the DOJ need to Step-In on this one as well as many others , these repTards as you well know are just attempting to overthrow all Americans lives and privilege's and take-over America and Destroy it with every step that they Under-Handedly TAKE for their own benefits ! Disgusting Anti-American Nazi-Regime !
Obviously McDonnell is playing the Reagun card ; "I Don't recall , I had nothing to do with this" ~ BS , Typical , play ignorant and divert from what you very-well know was in the works ! Gad , these repTards are just incredible aren't they ! They actually believe that by playing the Dumb-card that everyone else will believe them and their BS words as they slip-through Horsesh!t bills that obviously they know were in the works and on their agenda's for the selfish purposes of stacking the deck in their parties favor ! Ridiculous/Under-handed and Anti-American to the Core !
I consider these gerrymandering actions to be the single greatest threat to our democracy.
Perhaps this is something that would be appropriate for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate – especially with the Red Map paper by the Republicans stating their strategy.
It would appear the Republicans are understanding and implementing a strategy from
SunTzu’s The Art of War: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without
fighting.”
This story is not on FOX News at all...why!? #fairandunbiasedmya$$
Of course... he wants this to slip through!
If it is such a good idea... it would pass muster with everyone voting on it... there would be no need for these games...
Redistricting should come through a bipartisan panel (as some states do) with plenty of time for comments and compromise...
You know there is a problem when any party tries to slip it through in the "dead of the night"... that is Not Democracy!
Of course... he wants this to slip through!
If it is such a good idea... it would pass muster with everyone allowed to vote on it... there would be no need for these games... there would be no need for secrecy!
Redistricting should be done by a bipartisan panel (as some other states do) allowing for discussion and compromise with plenty of time for all parties to review/comment on the legislation before voting...
Passing it through "in the dead of night" (on a Federal holiday) by any party is Not Democracy!
bob " think before running mouth " ! ! ! !
what a " stupid idea " totality stupidity ! ! ! ! where did you come up with this from ? ? ? you must have been on drugs ! " brain dead " ! every border state will be coming to virginia to get tax free gas ! ! virginia will sell more gas than any other state ! but the tax payers footing the bill & getting nothing in return ! vehicles from " maryland & west virginia & kentucky & north caroline & tennesse ; " will be buying gas in virginia " ! we tax payer get nothing for it ! vehicles from pennsyvania & delaware will do the same !anybody driving threw virginia will fill up with your tax free gas ! ! " do you have stock in a gas company " ? ? their will be millions of lose tax dollars that " out of state vehicles don't pay " ! ! question are you " brain dead or on drugs " ?