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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Last Updated: May 28. 2011 1:37PM
GOP draft plan targets Peters, Levin
Proposal redraws lines of Dem-controlled 9th, 12th Districts
Nathan Hurst, Marisa Schultz and David Shepardson/ Detroit News Washington Bureau
Washington— U.S. Reps. Gary Peters and Sander Levin would end up in the same congressional district under a redistricting map Republicans are reviewing that was obtained by The Detroit News.
The draft plan, in the works for weeks, also would boost GOP majorities in a number of districts, making it easier for Republicans to hold onto their seats. It was reviewed this week by a group of state GOP lawmakers, representatives from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Attorney General's office, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told The News. The sources requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak about the redistricting efforts.
All nine GOP members of Michigan's congressional delegation and their chiefs of staff attended a half-hour meeting in Washington to discuss the redistricting plan, a person who attended said.
There were some concerns about the map, sources said without disclosing what they were, delaying its final approval before the plan is to be introduced in the state Legislature. Ultimately, it outlines a plan that has the potential to rein in Democrats' influence on Capitol Hill, even after the GOP picked up two seats in last year's election.
Peters, of Bloomfield Township, would be running for his third term in the U.S. House next year after narrow defeats of Republican challengers in 2008 and last year. His 9th District covers most of Oakland County. Peters has just four years of experience on Capitol Hill. He spent much of 2010 in a pitched re-election battle against tea party-backed Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski, a former state legislator who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, in 2008.
Sander Levin of Royal Oak is in the 12th District, which cuts across lower Oakland and Macomb counties and includes labor-heavy areas of Detroit's inner northern suburbs. It skews more heavily Democratic. Levin serves as ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee after serving as chairman of the committee for part of 2010.
The demographics of the proposed 9th District would make it a seat Democrats likely would hold.
Clark Pettig, a spokesman for Peters, said his office hadn't seen any official maps but said his boss "is definitely running for re-election … the Republicans won't be able to draw him out of Congress."
Josh Drobnyk, a spokesman for Levin said his office wouldn't "comment on speculative maps."
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said he's heard rumblings Peters could consider running against him if redistricting is unfavorable for a run by Peters for a third term.
"I'm not going to escape the election without an opponent," Patterson said. "If it's Gary Peters … let the games begin."
The redistricting proposal achieves a number of the party's goals: shoring up Republican strongholds in a number of districts, including the two held by freshman Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls, who won the 1st District seat last year after nine-term Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, left Congress.
Other incumbents who would benefit are Reps. Tim Walberg of Tipton in the 7th District and Thaddeus McCotter of Livonia. McCotter's 11th District, skews more Democrat than other GOP-held seats and would add as many as 30,000 Republican voters, while Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, would see his 8th District stronghold wane a bit.
The proposed districts maintain an even population spread of about 705,000 Michiganians per district and unique characteristics from the current map, including two majority-black districts based in Detroit. With an exodus of African-Americans to the suburbs over the past decade, 14th District Democrat Rep. John Conyers' proposed district would snake through Oakland County to Pontiac.
Michigan is losing a congressional seat as a result of its declining population over the past decade while other states have grown. The state's 15-member U.S. House delegation will shrink to 14 next year. A redistricting plan must be passed by the state House and Senate, and signed by Gov. Rick Snyder, to become law. It has to be completed by Nov. 1.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Haley Morris said the plan ignores the will of Michiganians.
"In a state that President Obama carried with 57 percent of the vote, it's outrageous that Republicans have divided the state for partisan purposes in direct conflict with state law," Morris said in a statement.
Among its participants at the Thursday meeting in Lansing were Bob LaBrant and Peter Ellsworth, attorneys for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Ellsworth was counsel for the Republican Party on redistricting in 1991, 2001 and this year.
Also there were Richard Bandstra, chief legal counsel to Attorney General Bill Schuette, Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall, and Sen. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg Township, chairman of the upper chamber's redistricting committee.
State House and Senate leaders would not confirm having seen the map, and said the redistricting process remains fluid. Ari Adler, spokesman for Bolger, said the speaker asked to see first drafts of the maps by early July.
Rep. Pete Lund, R-Shelby Township, chair of the House Redistricting and Elections Committee, said: "We're looking at maps every day just about. We're looking at different maps and adjusting them on a constant basis," noting it was a complicated and time-consuming process."
nhurst@detnews.com
(202) 662-8738 |
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Sun May 29, 2011 7:30 pm |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
"In a state that President Obama carried with 57 percent of the vote, it's outrageous that Republicans have divided the state for partisan purposes in direct conflict with state law," Morris said in a statement.
Thats life Morris like you Dems dont pull strings.  |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Mon May 30, 2011 6:53 am |
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Debunker1
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
twotap schreef:
quote:
"In a state that President Obama carried with 57 percent of the vote, it's outrageous that Republicans have divided the state for partisan purposes in direct conflict with state law," Morris said in a statement.
Thats life Morris like you Dems dont pull strings.
People have grown comfortable with the pain Twotap and don't want to see any change in how things are done in Michigan , especially the people of Genesee County. Not that I like most of the Republicans I have seen in that state either.
And a question to Untaglingwebs about this part of your post :
Sander Levin of Royal Oak is in the 12th District, which cuts across lower Oakland and Macomb counties and includes labor-heavy areas of Detroit's inner northern suburbs. It skews more heavily Democratic. Levin serves as ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee after serving as chairman of the committee for part of 2010.
Where is the labor in the "labor-heavy areas of Detroit's inner northern suburbs"? That is the problem with Michigan, nearly no labor now. No jobs, no economic development, nothing, zilch, nada. And Sander Levin and his big bro , Carl, have done little to remedy that sad situation . |
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Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:47 am |
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