Could be an interesting contributor to our problems. (From a recent Bloomberg article.) " According to David Wasserman, who analyzes House races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, 79 of the 236 House Republicans serving during the last partial government shutdown in 1995-96 resided in districts that Bill Clinton won in the 1992 presidential election. Today, just 17 of the 232 House Republicans are in districts that Obama won in 2012. The redrawn lines mean the greater risks to incumbents often come from within their own party, which discourages working across the aisle, said Jim Nussle, a former Republican representative and budget director under President George W. Bush. He also cited rapid turnover during the past two election cycles that has led to “a lot of very green people who’ve never even passed an amendment” in a subcommittee and don’t understand the legislative process. Primary Concerns “They’re not experienced legislators; they’re worried about primaries at home, and the new media is making it difficult for them to stake out any other position than the extreme position,” Nussle said. He recalled the last government shutdown, when Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress and had unified policy positions with goals for a revision of the welfare system, changes in Medicare, and a balanced budget. “I look at this and I just shake my head,” said Nussle. “This is nothing like last time,” he said. “It’s a very naïve and ignorant understanding of how to govern.” Rigell said the party’s current predicament isn’t surprising. “We’ve essentially gerrymandered ourselves into this,” he said."
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:26:39 +0000
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