Weatherford Confirms Redistricting Will Leave Allen West’s Congressional Seat Vulnerable
By Javier Manjarres
Jacksonville,FL- After last night’s Republican Presidential debate, the candidates’ respective spinmeisters made their cases to the media as to why their guy won the debate. One of Governor Mitt Romney’s spokesmen was Florida Representative Will Weatherford, and during the course of his remarks in the “Spin Room”, he shed a very dim light on the ongoing redistricting process in the Florida Legislature. Over the past several weeks, many Republicans have voiced their disappointment towards the Republican legislature after the release of the preliminary redistricting maps. Much of the ire concerns the proposed boundaries of Congressman Allen West’s 22nd Congressional District that would be redrawn to include far more registered Democrats.
West’s congressional district inexplicably sheds the most Republican electoral support, in comparison to all other incumbent Republican and Democrat Congressman. A few weeks back we quoted an unnamed legislator saying that, “Allen West was screwed”, a statement which was originally made about made five months before the proposed maps were made public, leading insiders to believe that the fix was in against Allen West. But in light of Weatherford’s comment (VIDEO), it is increasingly clear that this is a fait accompli. (Read more-Allen West is Screwed)
According to Weatherford, those preliminary maps will not change- at the most, any additional changes would be minimal, and those changes would not make any appreciable difference from the preliminary maps. In addition, Weatherford stated that a deal was struck between him, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, and Senator Don Gaetz to finalize these maps and push them through as soon as possible. Weatherford also said that the proposed maps are in legal compliance with both the Voting Rights Act and Amendment 6.
So based on Weatherford’s comments, the 22nd Congressional District is now very much in play for the Democrat Party, and West is at an even larger disadvantage than he was previously- it will be a very difficult and expensive seat for Republicans to defend.
Part of the challenge we with the new amendments, 5 and 6 that past, it created clear standards about how we draw districts. So, we can’t draw districts for any partisan reasons, we can’t draw districts based upon what a candidate wants, or what a party wants. We have to draw them based upon what the law said, so it took away a lot of the flexibility normally a legislature would have . And so in doing that, we felt that the maps we did draw, were the most legally compliant possible. There were winners and losers in that, unfortunately. But, I think that what we wanted to do was take the maps that we could send to the court, and hopefully get through the court, and I think we did that.
I think our plan is to pass it through(Allen West’s map) It complies with the Voting Rights Act, it complies with Amendment 6, which is also something we have to follow. Drawing districts is not as easy as doing what you want, you have to look at cities, you have to look at county boundaries, you have to make population exactly the same in a congressional district, its not easy when you have two new districts that come into the state, that makes eveyone elses district a little bit smaller.
It’s a challenging process, but I think that what Senator Gaetz and I, and the Speaker and the President negotiated is a map that is fair and is legal. We allowed everyone to have a say. Republicans had a say, Democrats had a say. If people wanted to file amendments to make the districts different, they could, but everything we did was based on how to make the maps as legal as we possibly could.-Rep. Will Weatherford (R)
73 Responses to Weatherford Confirms Redistricting Will Leave Allen West’s Congressional Seat Vulnerable
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This is OK as Allen will take no prisoners.
NO PROBLEM! West for US Senate!
Some of us practically PLEADED with Allen to jump into the Senate race and help us take out Bill Nelson.
Now, seeing how the dirtbag establishment Republicans in Tallahassee are trying to drive him out of the House, Allen might wish he had taken on the Senate challenge after all.
I think he could beat Nelson easily.
Col. West is my Congressman…..He has been the best representative I have seen since I began voting in l964– for Barry Goldwater…..COL. WEST IS THE BEST….
Right ON! WEST FOR PREZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will be O.K. West is a grown man, doesn’t wear mommy jeans and if they think this will send him (and his supporters) to the little people’s table, they had better think again. Oh, wait a minute, are they even capable..
This Alabama Republican and Tea Party activist supported Allen West for Congress in ’10, will support him in ’12, and — if he gets bumped — will support him for the Senate, for Governor, or any other damn office he decides to go for.
Go get ‘em, Colonel! HOO-ahh
Soljerblue, that’s exactly the attitude needed if we are going to see West in the White House! Could take a few years or maybe even sooner but for as long as he’s committed, we should be too! He’s already spent more than 22 years proving his dedication and loyalty to this great Country and I don’t think there are any “term limits” on that!
I emailed all the “players” mentioned in the article asking if they are really that afraid of Allen West rocking the boat, stating that at least HE stands with “we the people” and shares our principles!
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All the brave talk from commenters won’t change the fact that West is probably doomed in this district. Don’t let your strong hearts prevent you from seeing the obvious. The GOP wants West gone. He’s too principled and blunt. He took Boehner and Kantor at their word last session. He’ll be coming to get them this time around. They wanted him out so the rigged it to make it so.
The GOP is simply Democrat Lite.
FLORIDA, WRITE IN ALLEN WEST FOR SENATE!
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I want to see Amendments 5 & 6, and who put them together. “We can’t draw districts for any partisan reasons, we can’t draw districts based upon what a candidate wants, or what a party wants” coming from one of the two parties that put them together is BS. This is NOT how parties fight for dominance during resdistricting, and I wasn’t born yesterday.
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Romney just wants a simple offering from Allen West. An appropriate answer should be given.
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West Must Run for the Senate. We can ill afford to lose this man. He fights. Perhaps his presence in the Senate might show Rubio how its done.
Thank God we have Term limits in Florida. In the end these worthless slugs who are knifing West in the back will be sent packing no matter what. That was one ballot measure I was proud to vote for. I would not spare the parties listed above your venom in the mean time. Let these backstabbers know just what worthless slugs they really are.
East vs West, Allen vs Allah. West would stand fast and furious for the USA and our allies.
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how was my captcha wrong you nuts
go West you can show these dems once you are in the white house
…. Go Colonel West! You will show these Dems once you are in the white house ….
My sentiments, too. Saw Colonel West (again) this time on a Fat Frank Lunge Show on FoxNews past couple of days and decided I want him to be my most humble trusted servant.
My president, that is.
should have said dimwits en stead
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It sounds to me like Will Weatherford and any other Republican establishment crony in Florida elected office who goes along with this travesty needs a Tea Party backed primary challenger.
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Piece of Cake.
Colonel West moves house and district and primary challenges the RINO, Weatherford.
Next?
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So we have a liberal “Republican” blaming this on the Voting Rights Act, huh? Well let’s take a look at that act, shall we? The VRA applies ONLY to the southern states that had a history of discrimination and Jim Crow laws. Since this act doesn’t apply to ALL states, it violates the Constitution’s guarantee of equality under federal law. In other words, the legislature should draw up the map as they see fit, and if the feds don’t like it, too damned bad. Take ‘em to SCOTUS and get the VRA thrown out.
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West For President!
ALLEN WEST PRES,SCOTT WALKER VEEP……………
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I like the idea of Coburn-West as a ticket.
It is NOT too late, and conservatives in Florida can get it started.
Write-In Coburn-West and make a statement.
Romney is going to win anyhow, and Newt’s hardly trustworthy for conservatives.
Let’s get things rolling!
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go allan well support you
A friend tells me that West said it was okay with him because it would do away with
gerrymandered districts and the GOP should pick up more seats.
He is raising lots of money and has a 60% approval rating from the newly drawn district!
Even so, I still thing conservatives in Florida should Write-In Coburn-West to make a statement.
Thats what his black behind get. Some conservetives want him to run for president in 2016, why I don’t know when he won’t be able to carry his own peoples vote,the black vote.
Im glad his butt might lose his seat. Uncle Tom…
That’s quite a lot of horrible grammar and racism crammed in to few words…
*So few words, rather
You all should have put as much effort into defeating The Fairdistricting Constitutional Amendment in Florida as you put into electing West. I support West wholeheartedly, but the state is now faced with some pretty difficult problems with redistricting coming from that amendment that was introduced by groups associated with George Soros to controll elections. Now hands are tied in a catch 22 fashion and to blame Will Weatherford who has tried to comply with the intention of the admendment is a shame. West was in a democratically controlled district before the admendment and to try to gerrymand the district to favor him would gurantee that the drawing of the district would certainly end in court. Go out and show that West is the best representative for the district and stop blaming Weatherford for complying with a mandated Constitutional Amendment that passed in the state because very few fought hard enough to defeat it.
So we are now to believe the only district in Florida that needed this special attention was that of West?
Could not Weatherford, Haridopolos, and Gaetz have amended one their own districts so as to assure the dems a permanent majority?
Did they pull names from a hat? Draw straws? How did they come up with West? Just a small coincidence that they are all for mittens, right? But honest brave men such as those would never let political differences interfere, never. We all know Haridopolos is an honest man.
Here are two scenarios: Romney wins, he proposes liberal legislation and the GOP majority in both houses passes it out of party loyalty.
Scenario 2: Obama wins, proposes liberal legislation, but the GOP majority in both houses opposes it.
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With a majority of Republicans firmly against Romney, and Gingrich dying the death of a thousand political cuts, I can think of nothing more gratifying for the GOP convention to be brokered and Allen West coming out of nowhere to become the nominee. I know, I know….wishful thinking. I just cannot help thinking that a man of West’s patriotism and integrity is simply too good for Capital Hill.
If voters in Florida are too stupid to hold on to a man like Allen West….a true leader.
I hope he comes out here to Oregon cause we could sure use a real conservative who can implement Constituional principle!
The entire nation is watching how Repblicans treat a conservative…we’re watching CLOSELY.
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*So few words, rather. Stupid auto-correct.
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MAYBE THE CONGRESSMAN SHOULD GO AFTER DEBBIES SEAT…………..
ALLEN WEST,SCOTT WALKER TICKET………………..
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