The Democrats get control of the House

[#juan]

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​

GERRYMANDERING

• What is gerrymandering?
  Gerrymandering is a term that describes the deliberate rearrangement of the boundaries of congressional districts to influence the outcome of elections.
• Where did gerrymandering come from?
  The original gerrymander was created in 1812 by Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who crafted a district for political purposes that looked like a salamander.
• What is the purpose of gerrymandering?
  The purpose of gerrymandering is to either concentrate opposition votes into a few districts to gain more seats for the majority in surrounding districts (called packing), or to diffuse minority strength across many districts (called dilution).
• How has Congress regulated redistricting?
  In 1967, Congress passed a law requiring all U.S. representatives to be elected from single member districtsóthe system we use today. Congress in 1982 amended the Voting Rights Act to protect the voting rights of protected racial minorities in redistricting. Within those laws, states have great leeway to draw districts, which often leads to gerrymandering.
• FairVote's Gerrymandering Resources
  Visit FairVote's comprehensive list of gerrymandering resources, including our 2005 Redistricting Reform Watch and our Public Interest Guide to Redistricting.

 

[thomaska]

Why aren't the Republicans posing that question? It is possible that they aren't because it may reveal that they got fewer votes than are being reported.

you need to look up the definition of "rhetorical" apparently. And they aren't posing the question because we apparently "lose" with more grace than you tin foil clad conspiracy loving moonbats do.

Speaking of...your favorite war mom Cindy Sheehan was arrested for protesting in Washington(again)...Lobbying for Iran's rights to produce nukes no doubt. Classy...

 

[gopher]

tin foil clad conspiracy loving moonbats

What's this - name calling?

Now, if I used a similar term on you I would be banned.


As for Cindy Sheehan - just in case you have forgotten, she has a Constitutionally guaranteed right of free speech and of assembly.

 

[EagleSmack]

Cindy Sheehan has served her purpose for the Dems. They will now shoo her away. Now when she protests the US Govt in Iraq she will be protesting the Democrats. They now weld power and Democrats do not like anti-govt protests when they hold the gavel.

 

[selfactivated]

cmonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Virginia!!! Gawd I hate being away from my comp! I cant find my news sites Im used to! But last I heard Allan(R) was 50 and Webb (D) was 49 wayyyyy close!

Just another reason I Love Virginia! For the very first time in my adult life I feel like my vote counted!

 

[I think not]

Cindy Sheehan has served her purpose for the Dems. They will now shoo her away. Now when she protests the US Govt in Iraq she will be protesting the Democrats. They now weld power and Democrats do not like anti-govt protests when they hold the gavel.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, once the President has received approval of the House and Senate to go to war (which he did), the powers of wartime rest in the hands of the President. The best Dems can do is reduce funding (which they will NOT do) and excercise political pressure behind closed doors.

 

[Toro]

I wonder why you say the Democrats will raise taxes and kill the economy. I am no expert in American politics but I've always thiought that Clinton, whatever else he was, he was fiscally responsible. It seems Clinton left office showing a healthy surplus and Bush has been piling up the defisit. You will have to explain that to me.

This is correct. The economy will be fine.

I remember the exact same argument in the early 1990s. The Republicans were wrong.

However, Clinton wouldn't have balanced the budget without the stock Bubble.

 

[Toro]

I'm a Republican voter who doesn't mind this Democratic Party Tsunami.

It's our come uppance, for a certain amount of hubris not just with the White House, but in
the party itself, not policing properly its own corruption, its love-affair with pork projects and earmarking, it's fiscal insanity, it's lack of a strong immigration policy, it's lack of a strong
energy policy, it's inability to get anything accomplished.

I've watched my party lose a lot of its principles, especially on spending, especially on pork.
They've embraced it, instead of a more principled idea that we think of the whole country
rather than buying votes from their constitutent voting regions.

This is still not to say the Democratic party is any better.

Good post Jimmy. I fully agree.

Its funny, because now that the GOP has lost, I feel like I can be a part of them again. I just couldn't under the old group.

 

[gopher]

Cindy Sheehan has served her purpose for the Dems. They will now shoo her away. Now when she protests the US Govt in Iraq she will be protesting the Democrats. They now weld power and Democrats do not like anti-govt protests when they hold the gavel.

Yes she did serve her purpose for the Dems and for the USA by galvanizing the antiwar effort. This was the same thing that happened when antiwar activists worked against the war in Vietnam. The public demonstrations did not stop until after the USA left Nam. It is likely, therefore, that Mrs Sheehan and others motivated as she is will not stop until our troops have been withdrawn.

More public pressure is now being exerted to demand that Bush withdraw our troops. And you can tell that Bush has really been hammered because of it (note how Tony Blair is in even worse shape!). Want to stop Mrs Sheehan? Here's how to do so: stop the damn war NOW!

 

[jimmoyer]

I like how this election promises some change.
Bush43 bringing in Dad Bush41 advisors is a very good sign.

Also

The minority leader Boehner is a big proponent of
curtailing earmarks, where unrelated expenditures having
nothing to do with the main bill which is often used to
mislead voters on how their congressman vote on these
christmas tree bills with riders attached.


I'm writing this from a hostpital bed having a a severe
infectction of the ear. First time for percoset.
I've swum laps all my life and I never got swimmers ear.
Dambit.

 

[gopher]

```cutting earmarks```


Yes, the Dems want to bring about much needed reform and by doing so there will be a great deal more justice and equity in the USA. Clearly, the Republican agenda has been one of welfare for the rich and we Yanks have finally awakened to that fact. Once society improves and the middle class is expanded again, the Dems will remain on top politically for a LONG, long time to come.


As for your medical condition, I wish you the following ...

 

[jimmoyer]

```cutting earmarks```


Yes, the Dems want to bring about much needed reform and by doing so there will be a great deal more justice and equity in the USA. Clearly, the Republican agenda has been one of welfare for the rich and we Yanks have finally awakened to that fact. Once society improves and the middle class is expanded again, the Dems will remain on top politically for a LONG, long time to come.

--------------------gopher----------------------------------------

IFthe middle class grows larger and grows wealthier under Democratic party
policy than I am one Republican voter all for it.

However Democrats at various points define the wealthy as earning 200k
and over.

The problem with that boundary is that most of those 200k guys are small
entreprenuers who provide 80 percent of all of the jobs in America, whereas
as big corporations provide the fewest jobs and the fewest growth of jobs.

A lot of small companies are headed by 200k guys employing under 25 people
for years. And started at 4 or 5 employees in the beginning.

Anyway still taking percoset for the ear pain, and antibiotics to kill
the infection of cellulitis of the ear.

What ?

Huh ?

Thanks gopher for the 'get well'.

 

[thomaska]

Murthafocker Sees Own Corrupt Past Exposed, Whines Pitifully

WASHINGTON — The race to be the No. 2 House Democratic leader turned nasty Tuesday, with challenger Rep. John Murtha accusing opponents of “swift-boat style attacks” that hark back to his days being investigated in the FBI’s 1980 Abscam sting.

“I am disconcerted that some are making headlines by resorting to unfounded allegations that occurred 26 years ago.”

“I thought we were above this type of swift-boating attack.”

“This is not how we restore integrity and civility to the United States Congress,” Murtha said of the ample press coverage of his link to Abscam and more recent negotiations he made as ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Committee.

This coming from the ass that condemned our Marines of the Haditha mess before he even knew where Haditha was strikes me as funny. Oh and the unfounded allegations were caught on tape.

And what's more, Murtha's no stranger to congressional corruption scandals. Though eventually cleared by the House ethics committee (which means nothing legally), John Murtha was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam scandal. (Abscam was an FBI sting operation of members of Congress from 1978 to 1980 in which one senator and five representatives were convicted of bribery and conspiracy.) As the Cybercast News Service recently detailed, Murtha was videotaped telling an undercover FBI agent, "I'm not interested. I'm sorry... at this point." When the House ethics committee cleared Murtha in 1981, CNS reported, the committee's lead counsel, E. Barrett Prettyman Jr., quickly resigned. When asked by Roll Call if he had resigned because of the committee's Murtha vote, he said that would be "a logical conclusion." Prettyman has otherwise declined to comment on the Murtha case.
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=9359

Its funny that this guy is proposed to the #2 man in Congress.

"I'm not interested. I'm sorry... at this point."

Classic.

 

[gopher]

Of course, Dems need to be fully inclusive so that Greens and other indys are welcomed into their fold during the general elections. It would be a big, big mistake for them to think that indys will automatically vote for them as the 2004 experience with so many going to Ralph Nader showed.

 

[jimmoyer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmoyer
I'm a Republican voter who doesn't mind this Democratic Party Tsunami.

It's our come uppance, for a certain amount of hubris not just with the White House, but in
the party itself, not policing properly its own corruption, its love-affair with pork projects and earmarking, it's fiscal insanity, it's lack of a strong immigration policy, it's lack of a strong
energy policy, it's inability to get anything accomplished.

I've watched my party lose a lot of its principles, especially on spending, especially on pork.
They've embraced it, instead of a more principled idea that we think of the whole country
rather than buying votes from their constitutent voting regions.

This is still not to say the Democratic party is any better.
------------------------jimmoyer-------------------------



Toro posts :

Good post Jimmy. I fully agree.

Its funny, because now that the GOP has lost, I feel like I can be a part of them again. I just couldn't under the old group.


--------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't see the Republicans reorganizing under those old principles yet,
and I doubt we will see it until some leadership in their group arises.

At least Newt Gringrich led with that Contract with America which
unfortunately fizzled
into the mist.

 

[gopher]

Its funny that this guy is proposed to the #2 man in Congress.


The ABSCAM investigation began when the Dems controlled the Department of Justice. It continued and was concluded when the GOP controlled that agency. In all that time Murtha was not indicted or held to have any material impact on the scandal. Paradoxically, the majority implicated by the Democratic party were members of their party! But neither party found any evidence to implicate Murtha which means he was innocent all along.

As for the vote today, it should be remembered that Hoyer is an ultra liberal! Murtha was not voted into authority because of this scandal as you believe. He was not voted in because of his conservative leanings. My feeling is that Hoyer's appointment shows the Dems are leaning liberal.

I am not a Dem so I had no vote either way. I would have preferred Murtha because he is pro life as I am, took the lead in the anti war effort, and the record of his service to the USA is even longer than Hoyer. But, it was a vote by the Dems for the Dems. And so be it.

 

[jimmoyer]

I wish the Democrats would stop using that word "redeploy.'

It's a fake word.

Withdraw, is not fake.

And Murtha is a big blowhard who shouldn't take too much
umbrage over the press revisiting his unindicted co-conspirator status.

Those tapes damn him for testing the waters. He wasn't interested.
AT THIS POINT. lol !!! And then he adds we'll see as we continue to do
business. What ?? Bring on the spin defenders. Go ahead.

Murtha was also perplexed at what should have been an expected question
from Tim Russert on Meet to DePress. Where do the troops re-deploy ??

He hesitated, stuttering, finally after several hems and haws, suggesting
OKINAWA, just while the headlines that whole week spoke of Japanese
dissastisfaction with handling more American troops on that island.

He looks Presidential. He looks substantial.

 

[gopher]

Bring on the spin defenders. Go ahead.


"Spin" -- as I wrote above -- even the Republicans NEVER indicted him when they had every opportunity to do so. Why? Because no crime took place!

 

[EagleSmack]

Yes she did serve her purpose for the Dems and for the USA by galvanizing the antiwar effort. This was the same thing that happened when antiwar activists worked against the war in Vietnam. The public demonstrations did not stop until after the USA left Nam. It is likely, therefore, that Mrs Sheehan and others motivated as she is will not stop until our troops have been withdrawn.

More public pressure is now being exerted to demand that Bush withdraw our troops. And you can tell that Bush has really been hammered because of it (note how Tony Blair is in even worse shape!). Want to stop Mrs Sheehan? Here's how to do so: stop the damn war NOW!

Bush will not withdraw the troops. He doesn't want to and he doesn't have to. However, because the Dems are running the Govt. now THEY can withdraw the troops from Iraq. Checks and balances baby!

So now it rest on the Dems to do what they were elected to do and to reap the rewards OR suffer the consequences.

So in the meantime Cindy will be tucked away on page 10 and kept away from the camera.