House Speaker John Boehner has packed it in. At the same time one of his principal tormentors, Congressman Mark Meadows, has kept a low profile. Thus far he has had the decency to not dance on Boehner’s grave.
Boehner’s demise and Meadows’ role in bringing him down have significance that goes way beyond the bad blood between a 25-year House veteran and an upstart back-bencher. The real significance that their dispute throws into sharp relief is that the House of Representatives no longer functions. It has paralyzed itself with the help and assistance of state legislatures that can’t resist drawing congressional district lines in ways that enable members of Congress from both parties to pick their voters. It’s called gerrymandering, and it …show more content…
Mark Meadows found himself in the right place at the right time in 2012 when he first sought election to the 11th Congressional District. Widespread voter revulsion to Obama, and especially the way he and the Democrats had rammed through Obamacare in 2009-10, gave the GOP control of the House in 2010, and, more importantly, gave them control of many state legislatures and governor’s mansions. All of this came just in time for the required redrawing of congressional district lines based upon the 2010 census.
Here in North Carolina the GOP had gained control of all of the levers of power in Raleigh for the first time in over a century. Not surprisingly, the Republicans in Raleigh went on a gerrymandering orgy. A state which heretofore had seven Democrats and six Republicans in the House, now has ten Republicans and only three Democrats.
Meadows coasted to victory in 2012 with 57.4 percent of the vote, and was re-elected in 2014 with 62.9 percent of the vote. The district has been gerrymandered by removing thousands of voters who live in
Boehner’s demise and Meadows’ role in bringing him down have significance that goes way beyond the bad blood between a 25-year House veteran and an upstart back-bencher. The real significance that their dispute throws into sharp relief is that the House of Representatives no longer functions. It has paralyzed itself with the help and assistance of state legislatures that can’t resist drawing congressional district lines in ways that enable members of Congress from both parties to pick their voters. It’s called gerrymandering, and it …show more content…
Mark Meadows found himself in the right place at the right time in 2012 when he first sought election to the 11th Congressional District. Widespread voter revulsion to Obama, and especially the way he and the Democrats had rammed through Obamacare in 2009-10, gave the GOP control of the House in 2010, and, more importantly, gave them control of many state legislatures and governor’s mansions. All of this came just in time for the required redrawing of congressional district lines based upon the 2010 census.
Here in North Carolina the GOP had gained control of all of the levers of power in Raleigh for the first time in over a century. Not surprisingly, the Republicans in Raleigh went on a gerrymandering orgy. A state which heretofore had seven Democrats and six Republicans in the House, now has ten Republicans and only three Democrats.
Meadows coasted to victory in 2012 with 57.4 percent of the vote, and was re-elected in 2014 with 62.9 percent of the vote. The district has been gerrymandered by removing thousands of voters who live in