Gerrymander Endangers Nearly All House GOPers in Illinois

Human Events via Adam Kinzinger for Congress ^ | 6/5/2011 | John Gizzi

[Republican Wildcat]

"The plan that the legislature passed in Springfield and that the governor will likely sign in a few days puts just about all of us in political danger," freshman Rep. Adam Kinzinger told HUMAN EVENTS last week, the "us" being himself and the eight other Republican U.S. representatives from Illinois.

In what could fairly be labeled the most blatant case of political gerrymandering this year, the Democratic-controlled house and senate in Illinois recently unveiled a redistricting plan for the Prairie State's 17 congressional districts...
...The most dramatic change to come out of the new Democratic plan is to put Representatives Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren—both freshman Republicans and both stalwart conservatives—into the new 14th District. The new district roughly comprises one-third of the territory from the present districts of Walsh and Hultgren, and about one-third from neither's district.

...

According to several published reports, Kinzinger would move into the new 16th District (Rockford) now held by 10-term Republican Rep. Don Manzullo.

[wku man]

"However, even if our opponents treat politics as a street brawl with no rules, we cannot operate that way as conservatives who are supposed to respect the laws and the institutions of government."

So we stand by and watch while they destroy our nation? Sorry...at some point, all bets are off. If you tell your enemy what line you won't cross, that's where he'll go.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Theodore R.]

What can we say: people in IL always make us ill.

[Theodore R.]

Speaker Straus is from San Antonio. He used to chauffeur around Senator John G. Tower after Tower left the conservative fold.

[Theodore R.]

in many cases their pastors are sincere Bible-believing Christians who might be willing to switch parties or at least vote for some Republicans based on the issues of abortion, homosexuality and bad inner-city schools. When it comes to inner-city black-owned businesses,

Not at all; for blacks the "D" trumps everything and always will.

[darrellmaurina]

On Wednesday, June 08, 2011 6:47:29 PM, Theodore R. wrote: “Not at all; for blacks the “D” trumps everything and always will.”

I can’t agree. Most blacks were Republican until FDR, and a fairly significant minority still were until the 1960s, for example, Condoleeza Rice’s father.

I realize many on Free Republic will consider Gen. Colin Powell a RINO, and apart from military issues a good case can be made that’s true. I don’t want Powell in office for the same reason I don’t want other moderate Republicans in office, though if he were running in some far-left district he might be better than the incumbent Democrat.

I realize that some may say the same for Condoleeza Rice and call her a RINO.

But how about Herman Cain? Is he not an example of a conservative black businessman who has gotten significant support not from RINOs but rather from the Tea Party movement?

On Wednesday, June 08, 2011 9:02:29 AM, KEVLAR wrote: “I left Illinois in December for Missouri. It was very difficult to find a large moving truck available in Illinois, many had been rented and taken out of state.”

Welcome to Missouri. I live outside Fort Leonard Wood, on I-44 between Rolla and Lebanon.

Responding to DTM’s comment that “However, even if our opponents treat politics as a street brawl with no rules, we cannot operate that way as conservatives who are supposed to respect the laws and the institutions of government,” on Wednesday, June 08, 2011 3:53:27 PM, wku man
wrote: “So we stand by and watch while they destroy our nation? Sorry...at some point, all bets are off. If you tell your enemy what line you won’t cross, that’s where he’ll go.”

The line for me is the Constitution. I have no problem telling our enemies that I won’t violate the Constitution. In fact, all federal elected officials and to my knowledge most if not all state elected officials swear an oath to do just that.

We are a country of laws and not of men, and we need to follow the laws. We are conservatives; we are not revolutionaries, and there are tactics being used by the followers of Saul Alinksy and the whole “community organizing” group that we simply cannot adopt. Methods are not neutral, and that road leads places conservatives do not want to go.

[lentulusgracchus]

Okay, thanx for the correction ...... I could have sworn I read somewhere he's from someplace like Highland Park. But if I was wrong, I was wrong. Thanx. But what makes him a RiNO, or did he just scheme to get the speakership all along, and bring "good government" (favorite RiNO/Bushbot catchphrase) to the Texas GOP (which always means, conservatives => working in a garage)?

To do a deal with the entire 'Rat caucus to become "their" speaker, was a bit of Machiavellian maneuvering worthy of the Borgias.