Governor Hickenlooper has joined the Peak in criticism of the Democrats' behavior and maps on the Reapportionment Commission, saying he is "disappointed" in the result. In a townhall meeting caught on tape by WhoSaidYouSaid, Hick goes off on the Democrats' unethical and unsavory maneuverings on reapportionment, which have created bitterness and bad maps.
During reapportionment, Democrats were given four extra days to submit a map than the commission's Republicans. After being given that four-day advantage by supposedly "Unaffiliated" Chairman Mario Carrera, who is a major Democrat donor, Carrera and the Democrat Commissioners then voted to block all amendments to the maps and stopped the Republicans from submitting new maps of their own, or even a minority report.
That partisan power play didn't sit well with Colorado's Democrat Governor.
From WhoSaidYouSaid's transcript of Hick's remarks:
I think a little more time and a little more process would have gotten us a better result.
…I think that the bitterness of, I think the Democrats could have had, you know, I think there was a way to do it without creating all those primaries. And I was disappointed. Some of the people that I enjoy working with are probably not going to be able to stay in the legislature.
And the video:
It would have been nice to hear from Hick, you know, when he could have impacted the outcome. But Hick likes to weigh in on controversial issues only when it contains no threat to his own popularity. Now that the issue has been settled by the court, Hick felt safe to speak his mind.
The state House and Senate maps that were ultimately approved by the Colorado Supreme Court this week, without nary a word from Hickenlooper, pair the majority of GOP leadership into the same district as well as some of the highest ranking female elected officials in Colorado.
The vindictiveness of the maps and how they were unethically pushed through the process has begun to blow up in the Democrats' face. With the Democrat Governor criticizing Democrats' tactics it is beginning to seem like this reapportionment power play may become the Democrats' own "Midnight Gerrymander."
For a sitting Governor to criticize his own party on this is a sign that liberals have, in fact, over-reached.
And the backlash grows.
Hickenlooper is a better friend to Colorado Republicans than Ryan Call is.
Ya know?
the state GOP really fucked up. Doesn’t change the fact that Hick is incapable of taking a position unless it involves zero political risk. Occupy, Prop 103, redistricting, reapportionment, et al.
The only person Hick is a “friend” to is himself and his political standing. Dems and Repubs should be furious about that.
Unfortunately, WSYS edited the question from the video.
For the sake of providing context, here it is:
“Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court approved a set of state legislative district maps – maps that were created in haste and secrecy without public review or input, lumped incumbents together, and violated constitutional criteria – which many observers have called “politically vindictive.”
What is your opinion on the maps, and about the process by which they were created and rammed through the commission?”