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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMaddow: Republicans now openly rigging elections in Virginia and other states
On Tuesday nights edition of The Rachel Maddow Show, host Rachel Maddow took aim at Virginias Republican party, which she said is using gerrymandered electoral maps to rig elections in its favor.
She began the segment by saying that as of Tuesday evening, people were still dancing in Washington, DC, in celebration of President Barack Obamas second inauguration. On Tuesday afternoon, President and Mrs. Obama greeted a tour group with Bo, the White House dog in tow. Hours later, they presided over the White House Staff Inaugural Ball, which Maddow described as an office Christmas party if your office is the kind of office that can book Lady Gaga to entertain the guests.
The inauguration of a president, whether for his first or second term, Maddow said, is a big deal. There were, by some estimates, a million people in Washington for the event. One of those people was Democratic state senator from Virginia named Henry Marsh. Marsh was a civil rights pioneer and now sits on Virginias board of state legislators.
That state senate, however, is an evenly divided chamber, 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans. Republicans seized the opportunity presented by Marshs absence for the inauguration to redraw the states electoral districts, stacking the states population distribution in their partys favor.
The gerrymandered map takes away one Democratic seat entirely. They could be left with only 16 winnable seats, which would potentially put them in a permanent minority on the states legislative board. Republicans argue that the move was justified because they created a new all-black district. The trouble is that they did it by carving a big chunk of out Marshs district while he was in Washington.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell decried the Machiavellian maneuvering of his party on Tuesday, but declined to say whether he would sign the redistricting bill into law should it reach his desk.
Meanwhile, Virginia Republicans are also trying to change the way the state elects presidents, using the new gerrymandered district maps to determine the states electoral vote distribution. Similar efforts are underway in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Florida, all states that went Democratic in 2012.
More at Raw Story (http://s.tt/1yQ5U)
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)a mortal sin that it was so under-reported.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)We have to stay awake! Please write to the Republican party of the various states as this crops up. Easy to find addresses on line. They think they are so sneaky, but obviously they are highly visible. We need to keep after this.
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)I think we'll just sit by and watch. I know we can do it. USA! USA! USA!
samsingh
(17,571 posts)oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)Please write:
Republican Party of Virginia
115 East Grace Street
Richmond, VA 23219
lpbk2713
(42,696 posts)They're watching their party swirl down the drain thanks to their own ineptitude and criminality.
They are desperate to such a point they don't care how obvious they are or if they get caught.
ailsagirl
(22,837 posts)Faryn Balyncd
(5,125 posts)AzDar
(14,023 posts)marions ghost
(19,841 posts)People--this is not just a case of VA and NC going backwards--they are being dragged kicking and screaming backwards...
THANK YOU RACHEL--PLEASE KEEP ON TOP