I started tracking legislators’ commitments to redistricting reform because I figure a good many of them will change their minds as soon as they’re in the majority. I’m suspicious of senate Democrats, even though every last one of them voted for Creigh Deeds’ SJ352 that would accomplish just that. In today’s Daily Progress Bob Gibson has a choice quote on the topic from majority leader Dick Saslaw:
“A lot of us will probably lose interest in that,” Saslaw said of Deeds’ redistricting bill, which passed the Senate for the first time this year and was killed in the House Privileges and Elections Committee.
Mary Margaret Whipple, to her credit, feels otherwise.
Hopefully this is just bargaining position. Saslaw needs leverage and it doesn’t hurt to show the Republicans the stick before dangling the carrot.
If Saslaw and others want to lose interest on redistricting reform, then Democratic voters can lose interest in not finding primary opponents to support.
Saslaw is an idiot. Now is exactly not the time to say profess a losing interest in redistricting reform. The Dems only control one body, with a very strong chance that The GOP could retake the Governorship. Regardless of his policy preferences, don’t start backing away until and unless we win in ’09. And anyways, redistricting reform would still be a win for the Democrats, even if they controlled all three branches.
Seems like we ought to care more about the new legislators rather than the current ones…
This is the kind of crap that is going to guarantee that we are in charge for like 5 minutes. What the hell is wrong with these idiots.