If this gd repuke tactic isn't evidence that our political system is broken, I don't know what is. Approximately 40-45% of the voting population is frozen out of representation in the house because of gerrymandering. The senate is more represenative of the people than the house, because you obviously can't gerrymander the senate. That flips the constitution right on its head by itself. The repukes and "establishment" make it as difficult as possible to vote to structurally disenfranchise people. Corporate money is buying politicians. . . . and on, and on. The supreme court has being turned into a screw the individual institution and defend the government and corporations from any accountability. I really think that quaint document called the "constitution" that has been ignored and manipulated by the repukes to line the pockets of the rich needs a rewrite for the 21st century or some major revisions to have the people be heard, as opposed to ignored.

(EXCUSE THE CAPS, SOMETHING I PRESSED ON THE KEYBOARD)

HE WAS ALSO BEHIND THE RECALL OF GREY DAVIS.hE'S A SNAKE IN THE GRASS

WE'RE READY FOR HIM THIS TIME.

California should not be allowed to do this unless all the states do it.

This is just more Repub manipulation because they have the money to do it.

Why can't they just play by the rules?

Oh I forgot. If they just play by the rules they can't win.

Californians do not forget Darryl Isa.
Gray Davis lost his job.
Carol Lam lost her job.
Now it is time for Darryl Issa to lose his job.
This move will be his downfall.
People are sick of this administration and the corruption associated with it.
This guy needs to save his money. He is on his way out of the House of Representatives. It is time.
He deserves to see what it is like to be unemployed.

I don't believe this requires a constitutional amendment - I think that states are given the authority to decide how "electors" are chosen by Clause 1 of Article II of the Constitution, with certain limits (e.g., a state cannot violate another clause of the Constitution under this authority). I think at least Maine ("Since 1969, two of Maine's four electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election. The other two go to the highest vote-winner in each of the state's two congressional districts.") and Nebraska ("Since 1991, two of Nebraska's five electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election while the other three go to the highest vote-getter in each of the state's three congressional districts. Although possible, a split in the electoral vote has not occurred in any election.") already do this.

That should be "Clause 2 of Article II". Sigh.

Issa's a crook!

WTF?

This California thing is still floating around out there?

TPM, you should be giving that daily coverage.

Quoth the car thief cum businessman cum congressman:

"I don't think I ever pulled a gun on anyone in my life."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/07/02/MN153221.DTL

Someone needs to sit these Repubs down and ask them a hard question: "Do they think the American people are going to sit on their rears and take it this time, when the Repubs steal their third Presidency in a row"?
I don't think so.
It would be a really bad thing for America to have the Repub party continuously and successfully launching different schemes every four years in order to steal elections.
For one thing, it delegitimizes the Repub who "wins" the stolen election, something which Bush has never lived down.
If the Repubs steal another election, this country is going to crash and burn real hard. Look how far we've fallen under this illegitimate dunce Bush.
This is proof the Repubs don't give a crap about America, they just want to get their hands on our tax dollars. Darrel Issa is a known insurance fraudster and outright thief. He has no business even being in government. He's a criminal who bought his way out of jail.

"Someone needs to sit these Repubs down and ask them a hard question: "Do they think the American people are going to sit on their rears and take it this time, when the Repubs steal their third Presidency in a row"?

Yes, they most likely will. The "American People" have shown that they're interested in very little outside of sports, "reality shows," celebrity gossip, and what Hot New Toys they are available for purchase. Our democracy is broken, and I for one will be amazed if this latest Rove-designed Rethug power grab doesn't succeed. Voters are just too passive and preoccupied with Britney's latest idiocies to be bothered with doing anything about it.

Do it in all states in the following manner: divide the electoral vote in such a way that each individual voter counts for a (small) percentage of an electoral vote. I figured it out for two states in the 2004 election. A California voter had about half the weight of a Wyoming voter. There would have been a payoff to Bush for campaigning in California and Kerry in Wyoming.

It probably would require a constitutional amendment.

Charlie

It's not just that this proposal is "unfair" where other states don't do this (except Nebraska and Maine?). It would take California out of the general election. If Cailfornia is not worth 54 votes, then no candidate will be concerned with it. If a Repub or Democrat is "guaranteed" 24 or 25 votes because of how the districts are drawn, then there is no need to campaign - and the cost efficiency to pursue those 5 or 6 votes in districts potentially at play is non-existent.
As much as California has felt left out of the nomination process, it will learn that it is left out of the presidential election as well.

It's about stealing another election for the GOP.
Another example of how Republicans can't win fairly, without cheating or rigging the game.
T'row da bum out.

Thanks Will!! My sore little digits thank you as well. You are a sweet ol leftie. Betcha the rethugs don't offer up pearls like this.

You've GOT to keep an eye on this. California is heavily Royalist, er, Republican (knew that 'R' stood for something) east of the Sierras, which splits the state length-wise. The prob for Republicans is that the population density in those districts is so low that it's almost impossible to get enough sigs on these petitions in time by working those districts.

SO, it's absolutely necessary for the language of the petition header to be innocuous, and seem fair-mainded, to suck in enough occasionals and non-involveds living in the high-density (coastal cities) districts to get this on the ballot.

If any of you are Californians, or know any, send them to cadem.org, and click the 'FraudBusters' badge to learn about the state's Dem Party actions for members, to get this thing stopped.