While it is fun watching the homogenizing informational brainwashing processes of Lucianne.com, this Edward Walsh article, in the Washington Post, provides another glimpse into the inner workings of the GOP.
The article carries the following perfunctory caveat:
"...a rare public glimpse into the inner workings of the congressional redistricting process, which both political parties use to advance their own cause and hurt the opposition."
Used by both Political Parties, true enough. However, look a little deeper. Is the use of redistricting to ensure that the minority, the poor, and or otherwise disenfranchised portions of our population receives adequate voice and the opportunity for representation not different than when redistricting is used to ensure that these very people are excluded; their voices neutralized by the affluent, thoroughly established members of the population?
The former would be a Democrats approach. The latter is continuity on a Republican political philosophy which is essentially undemocratic, leans toward Corporate oligarchy, and essentially uses government to ensure continued advantage for the already advantaged.
The other interesting thing about all of this is the anti-government Republican Party, the one which believes in "states rights" on all issues of bigotry, is orchestrating the redistricting from their federal headquarters to ensure supremacy at the Federal level.
If you don't believe any of this, read the following article. I would also like to highlight two paragraphs before you begin:
"This is the most aggressive map I have ever seen," Joby Fortson wrote in the analysis, which he e-mailed to congressional aides. "This has a real national impact that should assure that Republicans keep the House no matter the national mood."
Fortson predicted that Texas Republicans would pick up six to seven new House seats in next year's congressional elections if the plan withstands the expected legal challenge by Democrats. His analysis tracks closely with an analysis by the staff of U.S. Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.), which said the new district lines would endanger the reelection chances of at least seven Democratic incumbents."
If you don't believe that, just read the following article. I would like to highlight the following excerpt as well
The Texas Legislature neared final passage of a Republican-sponsored congressional redistricting plan last night amid bitter partisan battling that was further inflamed by an internal GOP analysis of the plan's likely impact on the state's congressional delegation.
The Texas House passed the measure during the day. But, Senate Republicans refused to vote on it until the House passed an unrelated bill. The House ultimately adjourned until Sunday afternoon. According to both Democrats and Republicans, the plan, if it survives a legal challenge by the Democrats, could give the GOP a gain of seven or more congressional seats, virtually assuring the party's continued control of the House at least through this decade.
The analysis of the plan, written by the legislative counsel to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), provides a rare public glimpse into the inner workings of the congressional redistricting process, which both political parties use to advance their own cause and hurt the opposition.
In the case of the Texas GOP plan, the analysis described how steps were taken to try to protect the plan from legal challenge under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but also how minority voters would be shifted into Republican-dominated suburban districts and how a new district in West Texas was crafted to meet the aspirations of a friend of President Bush.
"This is the most aggressive map I have ever seen," Joby Fortson wrote in the analysis, which he e-mailed to congressional aides. "This has a real national impact that should assure that Republicans keep the House no matter the national mood."
Fortson predicted that Texas Republicans would pick up six to seven new House seats in next year's congressional elections if the plan withstands the expected legal challenge by Democrats. His analysis tracks closely with an analysis by the staff of U.S. Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.), which said the new district lines would endanger the reelection chances of at least seven Democratic incumbents.
It is not known whether Fortson played any role in drafting the redistricting plan, but his views about its probable impact closely parallel those of Democratic and independent political analysts.
Referring to new districts that would stretch from around the state capital of Austin to the border with Mexico, Fortson said they were "part of the voting rights protection element" in the plan. The districts are designed to be dominated by minority voters even as Republicans would make gains elsewhere.
Fortson appeared to take special delight in writing about what he predicted would be the fate of two Texas Democrats, Frost and Rep. Lloyd Doggett. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha . . .," he wrote before describing how the plan would affect their districts.
Discussing Frost's district, which runs between Fort Worth and Dallas, Fortson said, "It simply disappears." He said black voters in Fort Worth would be shifted into a Republican-dominated district, black voters in Dallas would be sent to a nearby district that is already heavily black, and Hispanic voters would be moved into another GOP district.
"This is the D's best legal challenge as inner city Fort Worth will now be outnumbered in a Republican suburban district," Fortson wrote. However, he added, because the plan would also create a new African American district in Houston, it should withstand a challenge under the Voting Rights Act.
Doggett represents the liberal bastion of Austin and, according to the analysis, his district would be dismembered. His new territory would run from a conservative section in north central Austin to the outskirts of Houston and is "very Republican," Fortson wrote.
Fortson was said to be on vacation yesterday and could not be reached for comment. But in a telephone interview, Barton said he had no reason to doubt that Fortson wrote the analysis. He defended Fortson's "First Amendment right" to distribute the analysis, but also tried to distance himself from his aide.
"Basically, I think he's got a right to express his own personal views, but they do not reflect my views at all," Barton said. "I have a very positive, professional relationship with all the Texas delegation, including the Democrats."
8:59:14 AM 
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