Eric Holder to Lead Democrats Attack on Republican Gerrymandering

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — As he prepared last week to deliver his farewell address, President Obama convened three Democratic leaders in the White House for a strategy session on the future of their party. The quiet huddle included Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the top Democrats in Congress, and Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia.

One topic of urgent concern, according to people briefed on the meeting: how to break the Republican Party’s iron grip on the congressional map.

Thwarted for much of his term by a confrontational Republican Congress, and criticized by his fellow Democrats for not devoting sufficient attention to their down-ballot candidates, Mr. Obama has decided to make the byzantine process of legislative redistricting a central political priority in his first years after the presidency.

Emerging as Mr. Obama’s chief collaborator and proxy is Eric H. Holder Jr., the former attorney general of the United States and a personal friend of the president. He has signed on to lead the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a newly formed political group aimed at untangling the creatively drawn districts that have helped cement the Republican Party in power in Washington and many state capitals.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/eric-holder-to-lead-democrats-attack-on-republican-gerrymandering.html

[LisaM]

2. Eric Holder worked very hard on this.

The real issue is that the Supreme Court overturned the Voting Rights Act and thus created a moving target.

I don't think it's fair to blame Holder.

[Thinkingabout]

3. I would love to see Tom Delay's redrawing of the lines in Texas get put aside and then real

elections can be held. Delay has drawn lines from Houston to Austin in order to get republicans elected.

[Dustlawyer]

9. Amen!

We would be blue if not for what Delay did.

It is about time the democrats are doing something about this. There are other things they must work on to make the difference.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars on local and state races allowing Republicans to run over their opponents. Raising and/or diverting more DNC money to these races, especially judicial races is a must!

Voter registration drives to overwhelm the Republicans is doable. Here in Texas we have large numbers of unregistered voters typically aligned with Democrats. A concerted effort to register and educate these potential voters on what forms of ID are acceptable to be qualified to vote could help turn this state blue.

[guillaumeb]

4. What an intriguing development.

Is this the beginning, the first step in President Obama beginning his post-Presidential life by getting involved in this type of foundational work?

Imagine the impact if Michelle Obama also went out on the speaking trail and put her talents to work also.

Recommended.

[KittyWampus]

19. Yes, Obama will do more great things out of office. Yes he will!

[guillaumeb]

23. One hopes.

His popularity would probably even rise higher. If both Obamas were to start touring and speaking it would also allow the public to contrast their behavior with that of Trump.

[Plucketeer]

5. This would seem to indicate

that Holder actually does know how to prosecute! Interesting.

[Hortensis]

6. And reportedly California has hired Holder to help them

resist Trump administration demands, as necessary. I read in one slimy right-wing lie factory that Judicial Watch is going after Holder, which seems quite believable despite the source.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Plus California has an independent "Citizen's Redistricting Commission"

which might be a good template to get implemented in other states.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. Yes, California suffered gerrymandering at the state level in the 80s and decided to break it. . nt

[INdemo]

8. So why doesnt Obama take the DNC chairman's job

would be a perfect fit......

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Give the man a break!

Let him serve the public in a manner and a way of his choosing for a few years.

He's earned it.

[cstanleytech]

15. A few reason

#1 He has been in a difficult job dealing with a political party that has been hostile to him and refused to work with him from day 1 and he needs a break.
#2 If he took the spot the GOP would use it rally and energize their base making it even more difficult to defeat them

[Phoenix61]

21. He doesn't want to

He is very much a grassroots organizer. I think he will do a wonderful job in that role and have a lot of fun also which he so deserves. If I was him, I'd be moving to an uninhabited island for at least a year after all the crap he has had to put up with.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Yes! DU readers may have seen my frequent posts about the necessity of breaking gerrymandering!

[Skittles]

13. DO IT

and hit back on VOTER SUPPRESSION too

[not fooled]

14. Maybe one down, two to go

If they are successful, that's one of 3 significant things that need to happen to turn around recent election results so that the will of REAL Americans (and majority of Americans) prevails. The second would be countering the incessant stream of RW propaganda from RW media, Faux Noise, Limdebauched, etc. The third would be effectively countering the $$$ from the kochs et al. going into elections to buy teevee ads to fool the rubes.

Oh, and fight back against voter suppression too (Skittles is spot on). So that makes 4 fronts on which to fight.

[Tatiana]

16. Finally, we are thinking strategically.

With the re-vamped OFA apparatus and legal challenges to many of these gerrymandered districts, we can finally start a coordinated push-back against the Republicans.

[pbmus]

17. freaking excellent....where can i donate anything, time, money or second born

[JudyM]

18. Yeah! And about freakin time the party decided to focus intensive effort on this!

[Cha]

20. Great, President Obama will be in on this, too.. yay, as it says in

the article!

[hollowdweller]

22. I would love to see Obama, Hillary, and Holder join forces

Start an organization that would fight for and sue for end to voter disenfranchisement.

[flamingdem]

24. We need them to get ahead of the next GOP tricks

There will be more..