Redistricting for the US House (of Reps)

Reporter Chris Camire has an article in today's edition of The [Lowell] Sun, on redistricting of the Massachusetts delegation to the US House of Representatives.

It seems that everyone is breathing a big sigh of relief now that current First District incumbent John Olver, with 11 terms in the House, is going to retire.

Lawmakers in charge of drawing a new congressional map are breathing easier today, after U.S. Rep. John Olver's decision to retire took the politically messy process of eliminating a sitting congressman's district out of their hands.

Notwithstanding, Lawmakers could still shoot themselves in the foot.  For example, in the adjustments they could put Rep Stephen Lynch and Rep William Keating in the same district.  On the other hand, I thought the person running didn't actually have to live in his or her district.

The real question has to do with if our legislators on Beacon Hill will be able to provide us with nice, smooth, compact districts or if the map will once again look like a plate of spaghetti, with lines running all over the place, trying to protect this or that incumbent.

I am going with the spaghetti vision.  This won't just be politics—it will be hyper-politics.

Regards  —  Cliff