The Republicans in Virginia launched a sneak attack and rammed a bill through the evenly divided state senate on Martin Luther King's birthday while one of the Democrats was out of town at the president's inauguration. The bill effectively redraws the legislative map in a way that would overwhelmingly favor the GOP and doom a number of Democrats to political oblivion. It is also part of a broader plan to change the way The Old Dominion would award its electoral votes in presidential elections. Under the GOP's plan electoral votes would now be awarded by legislative district which in combination with Monday's attempt at gerrymandering would ensure a permanent Republican lock on the state and it's electoral votes no matter how the people vote.
Had this been in effect for the election that just concluded President Obama, who carried the popular vote in Virginia, would have received only one in three of the states electoral votes with the rest going to Gov. Romney. Similar plans are said to be in the works in a number of other swing states with GOP majorities in the state house.
Why even bother with elections at all?
The Terrible, Troubling Test
20 hours ago
1 comment:
It sounds as though many Republicans, as well as the governor (Republican) aren't happy about this. My sense is it will be killed.
On the bright side, the Senate Minority Leader says this move kills any chance that he will cooperate with the governor on plans to fleece the taxpayers of more money for the Transportation and Education Mafiosi. As far as I'm concerned, gridlock is good.
I would pay these people to stay home and not legislate at all. There would be less damage that way.
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