Ohio Puke Representative Jim Trakas announces redistricting plans

[Kolesar]

Will the anti-democratic onslaught never cease? I heard on Ohio Public Radio that big business shill Jim Trakas is going to pursue a Congressional redistricting plan to cut the five northern Ohio districts down to a lesser number. He says he wants to "finish the job started earlier".

Here are some links, courtesy of Google. The "Open Secrets" link of his contributors tells it all.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=ohio+representative+jim+trakas

http://www.opensecrets.org/oh/gets/st/contrib/671.htm

This creep is the majority whip and he is from Independence in the Cleveland suburbs. I would expect such hubris from a downstate zealot, not one from Cleveland. Perhaps he can be knocked out if we politicize this issue.

[asjr]

1. Ohio

This redistricting disease has become infectious. A vaccine must be found and it will only be found by Democrats. A Republican takeover is on the agenda. I hope the Democrats in Ohio can stop this.

[jiacinto]

3. Right now

Ohio is firmly Republican. They hold all the statewide offices and both chambers of the legislature.

[hedda_foil]

2. They're about to try it in Georgia too.

Sonny Perdue announced it on CSPAN the other day.

[Kolesar]

4. Today Ohio Public Radio reported that GOOPs are after Kucinich district

Some of their constituents are "shocked" at what Kucinich has been saying about the president while running for president, or so said the GOOP leader.
edit:typo

[diamondsoul]

5. Well of COURSE they're after Kucinich's district!

He scares the ever loving sh*t out of them! No wonder I love that man!:evilgrin:

[The Sushi Bandit]

9. Let them try!

[NewJerseyDem]

6. What states could we do this in?

I don't like the idea of redistricting in the middle of the decade but it the republicans do a lot of it than we have to fight back. However, do we control enough state legislatures and governor's mansions to do much redistricting. What states do we have the option?

Also, it seems like it would be hard for the republicans to do redistricting in Ohio because the state already has more republican congressmen than it should considering it's a swing state.

[goobergunch]

7. Not very many...

NM and OK spring to mind, but I don't think we can do many more.

OH is currently 12-6 Repuke.

[NewJerseyDem]

8. Illinois? California? South?

Don't the democrats have control there? I don't know how they do their redistricting is donte there. In New Jersey we have a bipartisan commission, but I don't know how many other states do that.

Some southern states like Tennesse, Louisiana (maybe after 2003 governor's election), and Mississippi are in democratic control but I don't know if those democrats are too conservative to want to help out the national party.

I don't know if we would want to try anything in California considering the current political situation. We could only do it if Davis survived or if Bustamante won.

[goobergunch]

10. answers

California requires 2/3rds, plus the recall would mess it up.

Illinois is a possibility, but the Chicago Dems (Daley) like to have the Speaker from Illinois...they're more interested in power than partisanship.

We drew Tennessee, as the governor has no veto over redistricting there. I'm not sure how we could improve things as we've got a 5-4 lead already.

We'll have control of Louisiana if we win the governor's race, but I'm not sure what we could do.

Mississippi's plan, like Texas's, was drawn by the courts. If we retain control after 2003, we could probably kill Pickering with a good map and a good candidate, giving a 3-1 edge.

[Doomsayer13]

13. Illinois is ripe

but, as a native Illinoisian, I would not support it... it seems hypocritical of us to oppose redistricting in TX but support it in IL. The current congressional Delegation in IL is Dem-9 Rep-10 but the last 2002 elections put Dems into nearly all statewide offices (aside from treasurer) and Dems took both state houses. Democratic control will last for a while.

[displacedyankeedem]

11. Ohio Redistricting Dead on Arrival

Here's the story

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/6591568.htm

Thank god Taft isn't as stupid as Perry

[NewJerseyDem]

12. That was quick

They sure made a decision fast. It has only been a couple of days since the plans were first discussed. That is really good though.

[Doomsayer13]

14. at least Republicans respect democracy here

can't say the same for Texas.