SCOTUS won't overturn PA gerrymandering decision.

[kallend 2,175]

Alito rejected the PA GOP appeal of the PA decision to overturn the GOP gerrymandered redistricting.

So PA will have to redraw its congressional boundaries in short order.

Alito didn't even give an explanation or refer the matter to the full SCOTUS.

Looks like it a must have been a pretty clear cut case of outright cheating by the GOP.

www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/supreme-court-pennsylvania-gerrymandering.html

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[wmw999 2,600]

Quote

GOP party in power

Fixed it for you. They've brought it to a new level of sophistication, it's only because it's their turn.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

wmw999

Quote

GOP party in power

Fixed it for you. They've brought it to a new level of sophistication, it's only because it's their turn.

Wendy P.

Maybe,, but maybe not.

Drawing districts to benefit the ones doing the drawing has gone on for a long, long time.

But the Rs have taken it to a level not seen before. To the point that people are basically being disenfranchised.

The Rs are also the ones pushing very hard for the Voter ID laws. Which have been shown to disproportionately affect demographics that are likely to vote D.

While I could be wrong, and the Ds really don't hold any "moral high ground", I haven't seen or heard any real efforts by them to disenfranchise R voters.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[GeorgiaDon 385]

wmw999

Quote

GOP party in power

Fixed it for you. They've brought it to a new level of sophistication, it's only because it's their turn.

Wendy P.

No doubt both parties have played the game in the past, but computer modeling has allowed a degree of efficiency that wasn't really possible before. Pennsylvania has 800,00 more registered Democrats than Republicans, but with the current map Republicans hold 12 of 18 congressional seats (1 is currently in a special election but it too is a safe R seat). In some states, such as Wisconsin, a majority of the population voted Democrat but a large majority of the seats went to Republicans. Nationally, it is estimated that Democrats would have to win 58% of the votes to have 50% of the seats in the House. I don't think we have ever before had this degree of institutionalized stranglehold on office by one party.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[wmw999 2,600]

I'm in complete agreement that it's at a level that approaches suppression. Computer modeling has been a game-changed. I just think that the democrats, if they had had a leadership that saw the "opportunity" to bring more knowledge into the system, would have. Not in the same way, but they would have. Consider Tammany Hall and the democratic political machine. Maybe liberals learned the lesson then, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Right now one side values "loyalty" and "interpretation" over a more inclusive truth (how's that for a loaded phrase ). I hope liberals continue to value the more information mantra. It's important.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[kallend 2,175]

How often has it been so bad and blatant that the courts had to step in to overturn it?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 3,131]

The War on Justice continues.
==========================
GOP Lawmaker Seeks to Impeach Judges in Pennsylvania Gerrymandering Case

ERIC THAYER/REUTERS
Feb 5 2018

A Republican lawmaker in Pennsylvania is pushing for five state Supreme Court justices—all Democrats—to be impeached because they ordered the redrawing of 18 gerrymandered congressional districts. State Rep. Cris Dush went after five judges of the state’s high court after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling from last month, which found that 18 districts must be redrawn. Dush reportedly asked his fellow Republicans to co-sponsor legislation late Monday to have the state’s justices impeached for the court-ordered redrawing, which he described as “misbehavior in office.” Dush claims the justices’ order “blatantly and clearly contradicts the plain language of the Pennsylvania Constitution.” Despite the state having more registered Democrats than Republicans, Republicans hold 13 of 18 congressional seats. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Dush’s initiative had won any support among his colleagues.
============================

[Phil1111 1,193]

billvon

The War on Justice continues.
==========================
GOP Lawmaker Seeks to Impeach Judges in Pennsylvania Gerrymandering Case

ERIC THAYER/REUTERS
Feb 5 2018

A Republican lawmaker in Pennsylvania is pushing for five state Supreme Court justices—all Democrats—to be impeached because they ordered the redrawing of 18 gerrymandered congressional districts. State Rep. Cris Dush went after five judges of the state’s high court after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling from last month, which found that 18 districts must be redrawn. Dush reportedly asked his fellow Republicans to co-sponsor legislation late Monday to have the state’s justices impeached for the court-ordered redrawing, which he described as “misbehavior in office.” Dush claims the justices’ order “blatantly and clearly contradicts the plain language of the Pennsylvania Constitution.” Despite the state having more registered Democrats than Republicans, Republicans hold 13 of 18 congressional seats. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Dush’s initiative had won any support among his colleagues.
============================

Partisanship out of control.