Posted on 05/05/2011 8:27:53 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
For the second time in three weeks on Wednesday, Rep. Russ Carnahan engaged a fellow Missouri Democrat in a heated confrontation over redistricting on the House floor.
This time, it was Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who had encouraged a state lawmaker to cast what became the deciding vote to put in place a state redistricting plan that pairs Carnahan, who is white, with Rep. Lacy Clay, who is black, in a St. Louis-area district that is heavily African-American.
“He’s angry,” Cleaver, a longtime Carnahan family friend, said after the verbal altercation. “I understand the frustration that my colleague is experiencing.”
Carnahan declined to comment on the conversation — but he didn’t contest that it occurred or that it was animated.
Last time, it was Rep. Lacy Clay, to whom Carnahan said “F—- you. Thanks for your help,” after Clay declined to put his full weight against the plan.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the Republican-written remap, but his decision was overridden Wednesday by the state legislature. The pivotal votes were cast by a pair of black state representatives who share constituents with Cleaver in the Kansas City area. The last vote came from state Rep. Jonas Hughes, who said he voted against the Democratic governor and with Republicans because Cleaver asked him to.
Cleaver told POLITICO that he didn’t speak to Hughes about it but left him a message making clear his desire to see an override of Nixon’s veto of the map, which cuts up Carnahan’s district and makes Cleaver’s and Clay’s seats safe.
A hotsheet circulating on the House floor Wednesday included a quote from Hughes about Cleaver’s influence on his vote and an April 7 comment by Hughes opposing the plan. “Are we going to just give in to gerrymandering without even putting up a fight?” Hughes said at the time, according to the Associated Press. “We just simply give in and roll over. If that’s what’s become of Missouri Democrats then perhaps we deserve that. Perhaps it’s time to just roll over if that’s what we’re going to do.”
The Kansas City Star reported that Hughes had tears in his eyes Wednesday when he spoke of why he voted to kill Carnahan’s district.
Carnahan said he’s not ready to announce yet whether he’ll run against Clay in a primary in a district with a black population of roughly 50 percent and a Democratic electorate that is significantly more African-American. Carnahan could also run in a Republican-held seat or seek other elective office.
An inconvenient truth for national Democrats: Carnahan is currently listed among the party’s “frontline” members, who are highlighted as top recipients for party donors. That raises the prospect that Carnahan could run against Clay with money collected for him by House colleagues and their supporters — a fact that has caused irritation in the CBC.
Cleaver told POLITICO it’s a tough situation because he’s been close with the Carnahan family for years. He was even called on to speak at the funeral of Carnahan’s father, former Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan.
Asked whether he might be administering last political rites to the younger Carnahan, Cleaver said “I’m sure that some people would say that.”
In addition to Hughes, state Rep. Mike Brown, also from Cleaver’s Kansas City district, and two black state representatives from Clay’s district that often vote with the GOP, voted to override the veto. The state House had the minimum number of votes necessary — 109 — for the override. The state Senate soon followed suit, putting the map into law.
Hey Joe, over here. Lots happening lately.
You reap what you sow, Mr. Carnahan.
Best regards,
Mr. Payback.
Rusty’s having a really bad year.
Good lord, how many Carnahans do you have out there? It seems they’re constantly crawling out of the woodwork.
And Russ is the one with the most class.
The “Kennedys of Missouri.” And damned near as prolific!
Too many Carnahans. Mel, the former governor, who got elected to the senate while dead. The widder Carnahan, who took that office for herself. Their son Russ, the subject of the article. Daughter Robin, our Secretary of State, who got stomped in her race for the senate. Oh, and their brother, who got $100+ million from obama for his wind farm. Who knows what kind of progeny they all have spawned.
Entertaining battle.
Too bad we can’t redistrict that witch sister of his out of the S.O.S office.
Thanks for the ping!
The dems derive most of their power from racial politics and from unequal application of the law.
Funny that it’s biting ol’ Rusty in the butt.
Hopefully, Robin’s political career is about over too. Makes me sick every time I see her mug on TV. I like to think that Russ has just tainted the family name among black voters.
I don’t know what the governor and the dems expected. With the Republicans firmly in control of the Missouri General Assembly, it was a foregone conclusion that it would be a Democratic district that got axed. They weren’t going to toss out a black guy, so I guess that narrows the choices quite a bit. Sucks to be Russ, but what did he think was going to happen?
LOL! I don’t think even that will work considering the racial makeup of the district.
This food-fight is only going to get worse, as redistricting pits more powerful white Democrat families against their black slave voters.
Missouri is just the first of many we’ll see for 2012.
It’s all about race, class warfare, and preservation of a caste system with the Democrats.
“Content of character” is ancient, forgotten history for those scumbags.
I think Russ was hoping the veto override would fail and a sympathetic judge would slice up a district favorable to him. The black reps voting with the republicans to override wanted to keep their two districts black.
Wishful thinking on my part. I’d hope they both would share a ride on the same plane.
I’ll be happy to watch that happening.
I hope you are right.
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