Totally expected, but that doesn't make it suck any less:
With the override of a gubernatorial veto Wednesday, Missouri's state House Republicans all-but guaranteed the elimination of the district of Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., and the enactment of a new congressional map that will give the GOP a likely 6-2 advantage in the state's congressional delegation.
Four Democratic legislators with ties to Reps. Lacy Clay of St. Louis and Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City - who are happy with the district lines they get in new map - helped Republicans achieve the two-thirds majority they needed to overturn Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's weekend veto of the proposed new congressional district map. Missouri is losing one House seat under reapportionment.
Nixon, a Democrat who is up for reelection next year, timed his veto to ease the way for the override - rather than delaying and forcing the legislature into special session. That has infuriated some of the governor's fellow Democrats.
(Here's a link to the new map.)
I'm not happy with Nixon at all, but just as culpable are Cleaver - and a hapless tool you've never heard of before:
All 105 Republicans delivered, as did the three previous Democrats: St. Louis Reps. Jamilah Nasheed and Penny Hubbard and Kansas City Rep. Michael Brown.
That final “yes” vote turned out to be Rep. Jonas Hughes, the Kansas City Democrat who has had perhaps the wildest legislative session in recent memory.
He cast the deciding vote on Wednesday morning despite an intense lobbying effort on the House floor by fellow Democrats. Afterward, with tears streaming down his face and staining the shoulder of his suitcoat, he retreated to the members-only lounge behind the chamber, refusing to meet with reporters.
In a brief exchange, he said only that he voted yes “Because my congressman asked me to.” (Emphasis added)
Hughes had previously decried the GOP map repeatedly, but his congressman is, of course, Emanuel Cleaver, and I guess there is crying in politics, after all. I'd cry, too, if this were me:
But Hughes has had an up-and-down legislative session. To start with, he was not allowed to take office for the first month of the session, because of outstanding fees and fines owed to the state ethics commission.
He paid those off and was able to be seated, but soon after it was revealed that he owed property taxes dating back to 2005. And in February, The Star reported those back taxes should have disqualified him from the ballot in 2008 and 2010, and may open him to criminal perjury charges, since he filed affidavits prior to both those elections state he did not owe any taxes.
As yet, no charges have been filed against him.
Upstanding guy, huh? However, Hughes wasn't alone: As noted above, Democratic Reps. Jamilah Nasheed, Penny Hubbard, and Michael Brown also all voted for the Republican plan. Brown was pathetic enough to admit he'd essentially been bribed by the Republicans with promises of future support for "tax credits and all the incentives." (Is that like "all the magazines"?)
What really doesn't make sense is that this map isn't even particularly good for Cleaver, since the new 5th CD now takes in three mostly rural counties. (Unsurprisingly, out-in-the-cold Rep. Russ Carnahan ripped into him for his selfishness on the House floor.) I guess Cleaver really feared the courts more than he feared this plan. Really pathetic. Anyhow, we'll have presidential numbers by the new CDs just as soon as we can.
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