#ThomHartmann @Thom_Hartmann blog: Republicans Have No Shame
by Thom Hartmann,posted Jan 18 2013 3:29PM
Republicans are now admitting that the only reason they still control the House of Representatives is because they rigged the election. In a new report by the Republican State Leadership Council, the Party brags about how it spent $30 million in 2010 to put Republicans majorities in state legislatures in blue states, like Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Those majorities went on to carve up Congressional districts in a way that benefits Republicans – by carving up very safe red districts –and hurts Democrats by splitting up Democratic strongholds. So by the time the 2012 elections came along – Republican House seats were already very well-protected. As the report notes, “2012 could have been a repeat of 2008, when voters gave control of the White House and both chambers of Congress to Democrats…Instead, Republicans enjoy a 33-seat margin in the U.S. House…having endured Democratic successes atop the ticket and over one million more votes cast for Democratic House candidates than Republicans.”
Yes, Republicans just admitted that voters wanted Democrats to control the House – but Republican gerrymandering prevented that from happening. Clearly the Republican Party has adopted one simple strategy: If you can’t win elections fair and square – then steal them.
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