Florida GOP trying to force Allen West out of Congress through redistricting? Update: Bad rap? Update: Another defense of Florida GOP plan
posted at 4:52 pm on January 30, 2012 by Allahpundit
Via Legal Insurrection and our own J.E. Dyer in the Greenroom. According to WaPo, the new congressional map under consideration in Florida’s legislature would make West’s district four points more Democratic than it is now — a tough haul for a guy who lost that district by nine points in 2008 before riding the big red wave to a nine-point win last year. Turns out Will Weatherford, the GOP’s state House redistricting chairman, is also a Mitt Romney fan. Coincidence, or evidence that the Republican establishment is trying to push one of the tea party’s biggest rock stars towards the door? Javier Manjarres of the Shark Tank confronted Weatherford about it last Thursday and was told there’s little that can be done about the map due to legal guidelines about redistricting. But here’s what Manjarres reported back on January 10:
So why would the “most conservative legislature” in Florida’s history look the other way as West’s congressional district lines are re-drawn? Is the fix really in to knock Allen West out of Congress? About five months ago, a very high ranking member of the Florida legislature gave me a very disturbing prediction regarding redistricting- “Allen West is screwed.” Take note that comment was made five months ago, long before the proposed maps were made public…
There is no love lost between the Florida legislature and Congressman Allen West, who has proven to be the anti-Republican establishment congressman. Back in the 2008 election cycle when West unsuccessfully ran for Congress, Republicans in the legislature did not support West. Former indicted Republican Party of Florida Boss Jim Greer and Governor Charlie Crist stayed out of the race until the very end, even after West’s Republican primary race was over…
You may ask yourself why would the Florida GOP legislature not protect one of the most respected and beloved congressman in Washington D.C.? Could the reasons be as simple as sheer arrogance and self-political preservation by the Tallahassee elites?
Follow the link for Manjarres’s theories on motives, not all of which involve establishment animosity towards West. His post this weekend got enough attention that Weatherford felt compelled to post this to his Facebook page this afternoon:
As the House Chairman of Redistricting, I have the responsibility to ensure there is a fair, open, and legally compliant process. The newly approved constitutional amendments, passed by more than 60% of Florida voters, require the legislature to follow a set of standards. This is the first time the legislature has been required to follow these legal standards
These new standards have resulted in disrupting the current districts for incumbents. The Tampa Bay Times stated that the House, Senate, and Congressional maps represent “a record-breaking shakeup in incumbency.” It has been reported that at least 38 members of the Florida legislature do not currently live in their district.
There are rumors that the Florida Legislature has targeted Congressman Allen West. This is patently false. I personally have supported and endorsed Allen West. I will continue to support this extraordinary member of Congress who has brought a much needed conservative voice to Washington, D.C.
However, my personal support cannot and will not trump the Constitution.
As Dyer notes, Tom Rooney’s district is also about to get more Democratic — and, coincidentally, Rooney also happens to be a stalwart conservative. Even so, it’s odd to me that “establishment Republicans” would zero in on West when West has proven to be an effective gap-bridger between “the establishment” and the grassroots at times. Remember when he went to bat for Boehner on the debt-ceiling deal when other tea-party freshmen were balking? It’s true that he’s had harsher things to say about the leadership recently and he’s also clearly not a huge fan of Romney’s, but go back to the Manjarres post I quoted above. This has, allegedly, been in the works for at least five months, dating back to around the time that West was encouraging grassroots conservatives to accept the debt-ceiling compromise. Why hand over a congressional seat held by a guy who’s capable of raising boatloads of money for the party and of reconciling tea partiers to a party apparatus from which they feel disaffected?
Update: Brand new from Manjarres, a defense of Weatherford — and Romney:
While the conservative movement’s distrust of Romney is both valid and understandable, it is straining credulity to begin to believe that Mitt Romney or his presidential campaign are in any way attempting to “screw over” Congressman Allen West in the redistricting process here in Florida, and this certainly applies to Representative Weatherford as well…
Is another presidential campaign(s) or political action committees fueling this media frenzy about Romney and his supporters in a last minute attempt to muck up the waters enough to make a difference in the Florida primary election and beyond?
In summary, do I believe that the ‘higher’ authorities in Florida’s Legislature struck a backroom deal that would benefit their future political aspirations and give the stiff-arm to Congressman Allen West? My answer is a resounding ‘Yes.’
In other words, he thinks someone wants West out but that it’s unlikely Romney or Weatherford is the prime mover. Fair enough — it does seem strange to me that Mitt would risk alienating the grassroots even further by quietly maneuvering against their favorite congressman — but Manjarres himself has raised doubts about Weatherford before. Go back to his January 10 post describing how lukewarm Florida’s Republican establishment was to West’s candidacy in 2010. Quote:
Crist endorsed West four days prior to the general election, and Greer showed his support by writing West a personal check of $500 several weeks before the general election. This was also the case during the 2010 election cycle as state legislators sat on their hands, much like they did with Senator Marco Rubio. The Rubio saga is well documented, as the backdoor dirty deals and threats weighed heavy on the Rubio for Senate campaign against Crist.
In 2010, Will Weatherford, who is the current State House Redistricting Chairman, also supported Crist over Rubio before Crist left the GOP and ran as an Independent.
Update: Sean Trende, the senior elections analyst at RealClearPolitics and author of “The Lost Majority,” e-mails to say that Florida’s redistricting law has tied the GOP’s hands on this. They have very little leeway on how they draw the new lines. Quote:
I can’t speak to the FL legislature’s motives, but it is nearly impossible to craft an R-leaning, non-Cuban district in SE FL under the current laws and comply with the Fair Districts Act. West’s current district runs up and down the Gold Coast, stretching inland in arms to gobble up Republican-leaning areas. It’s pretty thorough, and even then it is a swing district. Under Fair Districts, the Republican legislature can’t do that anymore. In fact, it is arguably stretching what it can do under the current iteration of West’s district. . .
If he addresses this at greater length in a post at RCP, I’ll link it in Headlines.
Blowback
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Funny how Buy Danish puts words in people’s mouths so she can later accuse them of making stuff up out of whole cloth.
SparkPlug on January 30, 2012 at 8:55 PM
Sarah Palin & Newt on Hannity tonight
bluefox on January 30, 2012 at 8:57 PM
Hmm I’m going to have to try that.
Sultanofsham on January 30, 2012 at 8:59 PM
I’ve mostly tuned this idiotic issue out, but Trende, who appears to have no ax to grind, agrees with Weatherford. And I know few people, save Michael Barone, who know and have written more about electoral geography and local election factors.
In my view, that means that True Conservatives would be wise to shelve the Protocols of the Elders of Establishment Republicanism until the next conspiracy theory emerges. Stop blaming Romney and the Hated Establishment for this one, and next time, wait for the Townhall columnists to check their facts for once.
KingGold on January 30, 2012 at 9:00 PM
Watching…
idesign on January 30, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Funny, it seems to me that it’s people like you that are doing the most damage.
Pull that lever for Zero then…
litebeam1 on January 30, 2012 at 9:03 PM
Funny.
Aitch748 on January 30, 2012 at 9:08 PM
Yeah that amendment (2008 or 2010, I forget) was the stupidest thing ever. In principle it was a good idea, but the idea that race should be a factor in districts was stupid.
lorien1973 on January 30, 2012 at 9:09 PM
I agree it’s a stupid idea, but it’s the law of the land since the Voting Rights Act was promulgated in 1965. Nothing to do with the Fair District amendment per si. It’s a federal law.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 9:26 PM
Thanks….maybe I can find a rerun of Green Acres
dmann on January 30, 2012 at 9:30 PM
Ahhhh shi%, sorry Sparkie, that was targeting bluefox. Oh well at least it didn’t crash in Iran……………
dmann on January 30, 2012 at 9:34 PM
I truly believe that these folks had their hands tied. After all pols never find their way around rules and laws. Rules is rules and hands is tied. Riiight
Heard Allen (MFing) West on Levin, he seemed to think that something could have been done, but I sure that is wrong because he wouldn’t know anything about his redistricting. Rules is rules.
traye on January 30, 2012 at 9:37 PM
The problem I have with Sean Trende’s comment is that this is a comprehensive redistricting plan — one that adds two new districts — not a tweak on the margins of existing districts.
There is no evidence offered that it would have been necessary to draw an obvious gerrymander — one that violated the Fair Districts Act — in order to retain a district West could win, in proximity to his current district. There is only a theoretical discussion of what can’t be done in creating a new district — not a demonstration that it would have been necessary in the case of West’s district.
Or Rooney’s, for that matter. One high-ACU conservative being redistricted out is suspicious; two is awful darn suspicious.
I’m sure Mitt Romney had no input whatosever into this process. But it’s not surprising that Weatherford, who regards it as a not particularly regrettable business-as-usual casualty for West and Rooney to have their districts collapse under them, is a Romney supporter.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 9:37 PM
No, Florida passed a redistricting law in 2008 or 2010 that changed how it worked here. Florida was compliant with federal law before; but this past vote changed something (I don’t remember what, exactly) but the way I read it at the time, I voted against it.
In principle, tight compact districts are nice (I hate the snake ones that are designed to get a certain party elected), but something about it wasn’t right. I’m too lazy to look back to remember exactly.
lorien1973 on January 30, 2012 at 9:39 PM
Horsemanure. He was one of the first people to support Marco Rubio. And whether he was first or last, he supported Allen West in 2010 and 2012 so the idiotic theory put forth by William Jacobson that Romney and the eeevil establishment conspired to redistrict him out of his seat is laughable.
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 9:40 PM
Come off it, J.E.! You’re better than this. On the one hand you admit Romney had nothing to do with this, yet you can’t resist implying that somehow Romney wants this “casualty” to occur. If you have evidence of that please, by all means, lay it on the table and provide some reasoning why this would be to his benefit or the benefit of the GOP. Why Romney would have supported West in 2010 and 2012 is a pesky little fact which is going to make it difficult for you.
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 9:47 PM
I’ve explained the issue in this thread. I’m fairly sure I’m more knowledgeable about this issue than you.
The referendum was on the Florida Legislative District Boundaries Amendment. You can ready more about it here:
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Florida_Legislative_District_Boundaries,_Amendment_5_(2010)
But you wrote that:
I was clarifying that the “idea that race should be a factor in districts was stupid” has nothing to do with the amendment de per si, but it’s a requirement of the Voting Rights Act, a federal law. In fact, the opposition to the Amendment was spun on the basis that it would negatively effect minority representation.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 9:48 PM
Are you serious? Have you ever looked at West’s current district? It’s impossible to draw a better district that is FDF compliant and better than this one. There are just too many democrats around Plantation.
I’ve already offered money to someone who can draw a +R PVI district for West. If it’s possible, just show it. It’s not.
In fact, this district is still gerrymandered – I’m uncertain the courts will uphold this map – and that’s why it’s only +5 D and West may still have a chance.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 9:52 PM
Actually, the statement that Romney had nothing to do with it meant “Romney had nothing to do with it.”
The point is that Republican politicians who support Romney to the extent Weatherford does are likely to see politics and policy through a RINO lens.
Romney is a non-conservative Republican, based on his record. He’d be better than Obama, but that doesn’t make him a small-government, liberty-restoring, constitutional conservative.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 9:54 PM
I hope you are right, because when it comes to Florida politicians like Crist, Wasserman Schulz, Grayson etc…West is a light in the wilderness.
Dr Evil on January 30, 2012 at 9:57 PM
cozmo on January 30, 2012 at 9:57 PM
Yes, I’m serious. “Evidence” is a set of facts others can inspect. I haven’t seen anyone offer that, but if you have it, please provide a link.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 9:57 PM
Please tell me you deliberately left out the /sarc tag, since this really true.
Been around DCers for almost 18 years, and gov’t for 16. *slitting wrist gesture*
They’re all about protecting their turf & nothing else…between Congress, lobbyists, & civil servants/contracting reps, smaller gov’t will never be a priority. It doesn’t fit w/in their list of priorities.
As long as they can make themselves rich, we will con’t to have these problem.
Miss_Anthrope on January 30, 2012 at 9:57 PM
Yeah.
We, the voters, believe that.
/
What idiots.
jersey taxpayer on January 30, 2012 at 9:59 PM
I doubt you intended to post with the line-through, cozmo, but I rather like it that way.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 9:59 PM
Joanna,
It’s per SE, not SI.
Miss_Anthrope on January 30, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Exactly right. Thanks for stating it succintly.
jersey taxpayer on January 30, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Buy Danish, u do realize Romney is a politician who doesn’t give a sh@t about u right? Ur defense of him is mind bugging
Uppereastside on January 30, 2012 at 10:01 PM
I believe Florida was already pretty highly gerrymandered in favor of the Republicans. Florida is a swing state and looking at the current setup there are 25 congressional districts and 18 of them are Republican-leaning going by Cook PVI numbers. West represents one of the seven Democrat-leaning ones and it’s only D+1. Given just that I don’t think it strains credulity to think that now in the face of a new anti-gerrymandering law that the Republicans are going to suffer the most.
I recall reading early last year when the speculation first arose that West was toast is that his is an obvious gerrymander already. From memory, it runs the length of the coast and jets inland into several Republican-leaning precincts in order to basically get all the Republicans in a Democrat-heavy area of the state into the same district so the 22nd stays competitive instead of a Democrat wipeout.
alchemist19 on January 30, 2012 at 10:02 PM
Track ball wearing out. But none of the new one’s work right for graphics. For me any way. Bummer.
cozmo on January 30, 2012 at 10:02 PM
I imagine to many, Col. West is a ‘beacon on a hill.’
jersey taxpayer on January 30, 2012 at 10:06 PM
No sarc tag intended. I don’t doubt there are some people in DC who are more concerned with their own position than they are with ideology but that number isn’t very significant. Whoever they are and whatever they do, they certainly aren’t all-powerful and able to do things like pick the GOP nominee all on their own. I probably should have made that last bit clearer before. My apologies if there was any confusion.
alchemist19 on January 30, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Uh? What kind of evidence do you want? I had already left a link to the new map. I left links to redistricting applications. What do you mean by “evidence”?
Are you like the other nutty that wanted “explanations” and “proof”? Look at a map, there aren’t enough republican voters in that area of Florida.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 10:15 PM
Not everywhere. Habits acquired while studying abroad.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 10:15 PM
That’s a good discussion-starter, alchemist19, thanks. My next questions would be:
1. How Rooney’s current district compares to West’s (is it the same case of a gerrymandered shape now?); and
2. What effect does taking race/ethnicity into account have on the designing of Florida districts? Would it be less prejudicial to Republicans — e.g., West and Rooney — to design districts without that consideration? Was it really the case that merely drawing a tighter district was the ONLY thing driving the creation of the new district for West?
The latter question is one that Californians who have followed the redistricting process here have become familiar with. Guidelines on ensuring racial/ethnic majorities in certain districts — never in any case white-of-European-descent majorities, of course — have carved out districts that will give Democrats an even more solid majority in the legislature.
I continue to find it peculiar that West and Rooney got the shortest end of this deal. It doesn’t have to be the case that state Republicans were gunning for them, but objectively, given the nature of politics, it is probable that state Republicans could have found a way to fight for them, and didn’t.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 10:19 PM
Yeps, it’s been known for quite a while that West’s district couldn’t be saved. It’s one of the most gerrymandered districts in the union.
The new map is designed to be 19-8 republican – assuming that Rooney and Young can hold their districts (that also went for Obama). 20-7 if West runs in his district and keeps it; 17-11 if Rooney’s and Young’s districts are lost (Young’s district – new FL-13, current FL-10 – will be difficult to hold once he retires).
There are two open safe GOP seats though – Mack’s Fort Myers based district and a new district on Charlotte Harbor – where West can run and win though.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 10:23 PM
Interesting how it is so easy to believe that Romney and Romney’s supporters disdain conservatives enough to pull a stunt like this, isn’t it?
besser tot als rot on January 30, 2012 at 10:25 PM
Your point was very poorly made and you are only making it worse. What the hell does your opinion of Romney’s conservative creds have to do with this asinine attempt by bloggers like Jacobson to dream up some conspiracy theory that Romney is connected to Allen West’s redistricting problem? Or your unsupported theory that Florida RINOs want West out? Romney’s conservative credentials have zero, zip, nada to do with this topic of this blog post or your earlier post at the Green Room. If you want to write a dissertation comparing him to other candidates you can do that of course (I can’t wait to see how Newt fares!) but that has nothing to do with issue – except to the extent that those who don’t like Romney are eager to jump on every astro-turfed rumor.
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 10:26 PM
Oh the irony!
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 10:28 PM
J. E. Dyer,
Be honest: have you ever looked at West’s district? Take a look at it. Then let this sink: that incredibly gerrymandered is a swing district. Surrounded by Democrat sink votes. As Trende puts it, there simply aren’t enough Republicans in SE Florida.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 10:28 PM
I will look for your links; hadn’t seen them.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 10:32 PM
You’re wrong. But you should be used to that.
besser tot als rot on January 30, 2012 at 10:35 PM
joana, the mere fact that a district is currently gerrymandered doesn’t mean that drawing a new district can ONLY be done by a particular method that makes one party non-competitive. That is especially true when 25 districts are being redrawn to make 27.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 10:37 PM
Exactly my point.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 10:38 PM
…because Mitt has been doing the same things to Newt Gingrich four times over.
Myron Falwell on January 30, 2012 at 10:40 PM
You missed the part where I said that there aren’t enough republicans in the areas surrounding Plantation? Heck, try to draw a district that includes Broward County and is more favorable to West.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 10:40 PM
Yeah, when Mitt only gets 8%-10% in the general and plays spoiler to an insurgent third party candidate. Or are you too stupid to remember the 2010 Colorado governor’s race?
Never mind. You’re a Mittbot. :P
Myron Falwell on January 30, 2012 at 10:45 PM
Posted the interview with Sarah and Sean already in my blog, for those who missed it. Click on my nick below.
Thanks!
ProudPalinFan on January 30, 2012 at 10:45 PM
Ahhhhh////
That’s a quadruple sarc tag:
One more time: What does your irrelevant opinion as to whether or not Romney is a “small-government, liberty-restoring, constitutional conservative” have to do with Allen West’s redistricting problems? Either Romney has something to do with it, or he doesn’t. Why did YOU bring it up?
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 10:45 PM
“If it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck…”
Myron Falwell on January 30, 2012 at 10:46 PM
Admittedly, I don’t know that much about FL’s Congressional districts. Would Rep. West have to relocate From the Boca area to one of the open districts you mentioned?
On the other score, it makes little sense to me why Romney-haters feel the need to pin this on him when the connection/possibility is beyond remote.
Slainte on January 30, 2012 at 10:48 PM
That’s the basis of Romney’s entire campaign. Good luck with that when he tries to do it against Obama. The media is only too happy to propagate his lies, innuendo and half-truths against Republicans, but they’re going to put him into a buzzsaw when he tries it against Dear Leader.
besser tot als rot on January 30, 2012 at 10:49 PM
Maps, shmaps. It’s a RINO conspiracy to “screw Allen West” by Republicans who aren’t liberty loving constitutional conservatives./
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 10:54 PM
What does your irrelevant, delusional, left-wing, moby opinion have to do with anything at all? In this regard or any other?
besser tot als rot on January 30, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Because it’s typical of non-conservative Republicans, of which Romney is a good example, and because the audio of Weatherford talking about the redistricting was obtained while he was speaking to the media on behalf of Romney in Florida.
It’s quite easy to make the distinction here. You’re the one going on and on about whether Romney was behind the redistricting business with West’s seat. I’ve already said I’m certain he wasn’t.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 10:56 PM
Maps.
J.E. Dyer on January 30, 2012 at 10:57 PM
+1000. You nailed it.
It will become a buzzsaw the minute Mitt clinches the nomination. Mitt’s a doomed candidate destined for automatic failure. HE CANNOT WIN.
The only remaining question is if Mitt’s SuperPAC Politics Of Personal Destruction(tm) are enough to carry him through Super Tuesday.
Myron Falwell on January 30, 2012 at 10:58 PM
For those who may have missed it, here’s a bit of J.E. Dyer at the Green Room, emphasis mine:
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 11:01 PM
Not only that proposal is a clear violation of the Fair Districts Amendment – it’s an obvious GOP gerrymander AND an incumbent protection gerrymander -, it also destroys Rooney’s district (that is already endangered as it is) and makes Allan West a carpetbagger. And we still get a democratic district that West can perfectly lose (especially considering he doesn’t even live there).
Well done.
Look, if West is going to run in a district out of Boward County, why doesn’t he run on Mack’s district or in the new Port Charlotte one?
joana on January 30, 2012 at 11:08 PM
Wow, just wow.
If J.E. Dyer doesn’t want to lose all credibility, he needs to correct his piece and apologize or to present those “many ways to comply”.
This is the same guy who wrote that and a few hours later was here admitting he didn’t know the maps, that he didn’t even know West’s district. Amazing. Asking for links.
It’s time for people to know who they can take seriously or not.
joana on January 30, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Buy Danish: Thank you for confirming my initial, highly skeptical, take was the correct view. I am sure there has been a firestorm of heat, and the establishment GOP is trying to back-track. Seems like the Florida GOP is just as corrupt and incompetent as our California version.
Mutnodjmet on January 30, 2012 at 11:13 PM
This is utterly pathetic. I just listened to the video. It had nothing whatsoever to do with Romney. The fact that someone in the media asked him a question at a Romney event is the biggest nothingburger I’ve ever seen/heard. (And FTR, Romney is no more or less conservative than Newt or Santorum, but I digress).
Glad to be of assistance.
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 11:23 PM
Ahhh more name calling. Maybe you should just point him to Conservative Samizdat site since you still have a problem with forming any answer other than “I say so”.
Sultanofsham on January 30, 2012 at 11:23 PM
Is it just me or are the establishment Republicans commiting political hari kari with their arrogance, corruption and stupidity. They’ve only had a taste of the outrage but it is coming with a vengeance. And they are pushing conservatives to a third party. If that happens (and it won’t this cycle) the establishment types will someday find themselves irrelevant.
Christian Conservative on January 30, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Competition will be good for him. The district he won is as engineered as a district can possibly be.
lexhamfox on January 30, 2012 at 11:26 PM
I have no idea what your point is, other than to pimp some blog.
Missed this. Yes, you’ve said that while going to great lengths to remind us of his connection to Weatherford and vice versa. Disingenuous doesn’t even begin to describe this b.s.
Buy Danish on January 30, 2012 at 11:31 PM
No, we will be little more than a footnote. History has always favored the rich and powerful. Strike now or live with regret!
dmann on January 30, 2012 at 11:32 PM
IMHO West was suckered on the debt ceiling deal. However, West is not someone to play with, so it is not unreasonable to speculate that those who screw him, might fear him
They might not have gerry’d him out on purpose, but if it had to be someone, hey, if you have to chose between a patsy and a hard place, a patsy is a lot easier to control
entagor on January 30, 2012 at 11:33 PM
Are you being critical of the Florida GOP for gerrymandering in 2000 to create districts like West’s or corrupt for not saving West now? Because if it’s the former, meh, everyone does it and we can say we deplore it and all but the fact is it’s smart politics and we’d all do it given the opportunity. If it’s the latter then you should read a bit more of the thread.
alchemist19 on January 30, 2012 at 11:34 PM
How is anyone being arrogant? They’re forced to comply with a law the people of Florida foisted on themselves in 2010. You don’t like this? Blame the voters who supported the anti-gerrymandering measure.
alchemist19 on January 30, 2012 at 11:37 PM
The Romney-led Establishment is all but daring conservatives to vote third party, stay home or vote for Obama.
Mitt is going to lose huge in November, and when he does he’ll leave the party in tatters for the next several election cycles.
But hey! He’s electable…until people get to know him…and for stuff like what his friends are doing to West right now.
newtopia on January 30, 2012 at 11:39 PM
How is Mitt ‘establishment’ while any other candidate in the race isn’t? He has more organization and money and has the best prepared campaign but what does establishment actually mean? It’s such a vague undefined nonsense and the constant use of the term usually indicates the lack of of a substantive argument. Sort of like blaming the Jews, bankers, or the elites.
If Republicans allow it… they will tear themselves apart with this cheap class warfare before the Democrats have even started campaigning seriously.
lexhamfox on January 31, 2012 at 12:14 AM
Listen to the man himself.
Schadenfreude on January 31, 2012 at 12:35 AM
HALF WITS: The reform plan was drafted before West was even elected, and only restricts gerrymandering, mandating respect for geographical and political boundaries and that all districts be closer in population. Of course, Florida still must pass the DOJ Voting Rights Act rules, too, no dilution of minority voting power.
Florida gets two new districts. GOP holds the delegation now 19-6. Obviously lots of districts will “lose” GOP voters to the new alignment – it’s called “math.” Try it some time, it’s really cool.
West’s district is nestled among Democratic areas along the South Florida east coast. His district was even held by a Democrat for two terms before he won it. So there is NO WAY for anyone to draw a district that meets the reform and DOJ guidelines that does not include a higher percentage of Democrats in the 22nd CD, it just can’t be done.
No conspiracy here, you nutbar idiots. But if you think you can draw a new district better, here is the current one: http://tinyurl.com/btohfk
Just plain insane . . .
Adjoran on January 31, 2012 at 12:43 AM
As a general rule, people are petty and what is happening to West is what petty people would do. I have no doubt West is a target.
As to pettiness, all we can do is try to resist it. Me included.
As my grandma says, “It is easier to be mean than nice more often than not.”
Sherman1864 on January 31, 2012 at 12:51 AM
Seriously….
lexhamfox on January 31, 2012 at 12:57 AM
You answered your own question and didn’t know it. Mitt’s the “golden boy” of the GOP inner circles. He was the one who was supposed to win it in 2008, but that damn Huckabee and McCain stood in his way.
Now, it’s his turn. Because the GOP establishment said so. They deemed him the nominee in the winter of 2010, a full year before any vote was cast. And was subsequently parroted on all news coverage, and through allegedly “conservative” outlets like Fox and NRO.
Myron Falwell on January 31, 2012 at 1:43 AM
Nobody ever spoke to him about it? Maps were sent to the state capital that would have kept his district the same and also complined with the state law but yet his district was redrawn anyway by his own party? This stinks in every way possible! Republicans have to look after their best people, the most conservative ones, not look after the Charlie Crists of the world. They better find out how this happened and why and identify who is behind this if they ever expect to get me to ever support them again.
Dollayo on January 31, 2012 at 2:13 AM
From Forbes:
INC on January 31, 2012 at 2:23 AM
Is he better than Obama really? He wants to dig us deeper with a smaller shovel but is that really better? Don’t forget, Republicans will get ALL the blame from the leftist press if Romney shovels just one shovel full. Doesn’t this just perpetuate the problem by keeping us from the true majorities we need to make a real difference?
Dollayo on January 31, 2012 at 2:25 AM
Yes.
He wants to dig us deeper with a smaller shovel? That’s a strong statement. What is your evidence that that is what he wants?
Considering there’s a decent chance the next president could end up picking the replacements at SCOTUS for Ginsberg, Kennedy or Scalia I don’t really care what the media says. I don’t know for sure that a President Romney would nominate another John Roberts but I do know Obama sure as heck won’t. So if it comes down to a choice between Romney and Obama then any rational thinking adult with the tiniest shred of common sense should bite their lip and vote for Willard.
alchemist19 on January 31, 2012 at 5:20 AM
What kind of judicial appointments did he make as governor?
shaloma on January 31, 2012 at 5:37 AM
I recently ask someone I know who lives in Florida about this and she told me that it had to do with an election..a vote taken by Floridians themselves that created the situation, no one much likes the new map and there is not a lot they can do about it..It might even go to court.
This is just raving paranoia on the part of the increasingly unhinged antiRomney people to try and blame the man or his campaign for redistricting in a state..I mean come on. That is just insane.
Terrye on January 31, 2012 at 6:16 AM
Like Nancy Pelosi said, it shouldn’t matter who wins elections. So when a real conservative somehow slips through the cracks, he/she has got to be dealt with.
And some people still think Newt wasn’t run out of congress.
JellyToast on January 31, 2012 at 6:23 AM
An interesting article at legal insurrection this morning:
Allen West at the Revolution
From Mark Levin’s interview with West:
And this is at Townhall:
Camp Mittens Duplicity on Allen West Worse than Conspiracy: It’s a Habit
Kaffa on January 31, 2012 at 6:47 AM
The best he could given the situation. As has often been pointed out the Massachusetts state legislature was 85% Democrat so while Romney was governor the Democrats held eight of the nine seats on the committee that would have to approve his nominations. Any rock-ribbed conservative would have been dead on arrival so Mitt got creative. By executive order he created a commission that examined potential judges resumes but without knowing the race, sex or political leanings of the judge in question. In the end he got 9 Republican judges, 13 independents and 14 Democrats. Given the obstacles that isn’t too bad. “Some Republicans” is better than “no Republicans”.
It’s also worth remembering that there weren’t any high-level appointments in Massachusetts during Mitt’s tenure. There were no vacancies at the state supreme court while he was governor. Most of his appointments were for very low-level criminal courts where the political ideology of the judge is a lot less important.
So all-in-all considering the situation he was in Mitt didn’t do too badly with the courts. Or is there something I’m missing?
alchemist19 on January 31, 2012 at 7:05 AM
FL GOP sucks, they want to punish West because he is outspoken in his criticsm of both the Obama Regime and GOP leadership, it is payback for touting Tea Party principles more in line with Founding principles than modern Establishment GOP principles. And now, if the polls are to believed, FL GOP is going to hand liberal Repub Willard “Mitt” Romney the win today. If Mittens is the GOP’s nominee, the GOP is dead in the water. I won’t be voting for that crap, so go ahead, blame me for electing Obama, it is what you deserve if you foist another flase choice on me!
insidiator on January 31, 2012 at 7:38 AM
With any luck, this crackpot will get kicked out of yet another government job this November. It’s ok, he knows the drill.
KeninCT on January 31, 2012 at 7:38 AM
WHY would you want West out?! What he said about Obama yesterday was AWESOME! After that, I may just move to Florida just so I can vote for him…or maybe I will adopt Liberal tactics and stay where I’m at but come down to vote for him during elections as well. LOL!
easyt65 on January 31, 2012 at 8:14 AM
Rather than “better dead than red”, it seems some Floriduh pols think better BLUE than RED. Yes, it IS the interlopers, the migrants who have changed Florida. Their New Yawk Mantra:
“Besser Blau als Rot”
This gerrymandering BS has been a perpetual thorn in the side of true democracy for ages.
Re-District on a grid system like it should be and quit messing around. An alternative would be county by county across America. Yes, I know, some States have way too many counties, unlike Arizona which has only 15.
If anyone has noticed, the vast majority of State Counties in these here YuNited States, are “red”.
See Map:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states
As for LtC Alan West, I’d follow him up any hill – Oliver North too.
~(Ä)~
Karl Magnus on January 31, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Yep.
Dr Evil on January 31, 2012 at 9:39 AM
You Know, Allen West probably should not have insulted all those Tea Party supporters who helped get him elected with Cash, Get out the Vote efforts, and votes. I know what he was doing when he did it, he knew he had incumbency and did not need them any longer. Shock to the Allen West now that he no longer has the incumbency protection. Now he will probably come crawling back to the Tea Party or no longer be in congress.
astonerii on January 31, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Ok, fine. He can run for Senate and replace Bill Nelson. Boom!
dczombie on January 31, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Gingrich/West 2012, Now that would start a tidal wave.
LSUMama on January 31, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Does anyone know how redrawning a district works?? Is it if a district has lost people it’s downsize or taken away completely,and if they gained people in a district ,then the district is made larger.By my question you can see I’m ignorant as to how re-districting works. As for the map bieng drawn up 5 months ago this defense would only work if Col. West was elected to congress under 5 months ago. He was elected in 2010. So he has had 18 months for the Establishment of the Fl GOP to see that he is a true conservative and he doesn’t play go along to get along politics. 18 months is more than enough time to be put on someones hit list.
pamiam on January 31, 2012 at 12:40 PM
OK then! Col. West is gonna need more money, so it’s time to step up starting NOW! Don’t wait until later in the cycle, he needs a War Chest.
Go to https://www.allenwestforcongress.com/ and contribute to his campaign. Let’s show them all that we SUPPORT Col. West.
I just gave $50. That’s not much, but it’s something. Give a few bucks. Most here can probably afford $50. Do it NOW.
Who else is in?
baribunma on January 31, 2012 at 1:44 PM
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