The Editorial Plea About Redistricting That Never Was Going Anywhere

The Journal Sentinel and other newspapers around the state are pressing for public hearings that could lead to major reforms in redistricting. The goal is to take the heavily-partisan and self-interested process away from legislators, as has Iowa.

But politely hoping in print for "a rhetorical flourish" from Gov. Scott Walker to endorse the concept during his State of the State speech earlier in the week - - which Walker did not offer up - - was an exercise in futility.

For two reasons:

1. The speech was organized around themes and applause lines which Walker and his people can edit/copy/paste into re-election campaign ads this year, and perhaps during a 2016 Presidential run. 

Redistricting as an issue, let alone a problem to be addressed, is nowhere on Walker's radar or agenda. It does not raise a single dollar or win a single new vote or sway a convention delegate for Team Walker.

2. Walker and his allies in the Legislature are the current beneficiaries of partisan Wisconsin-redistricting-as-usual, and especially the recent, secretive process so messy in the last go-round that Republicans had to shell out a fortune in your tax dollars for lawyers to get the results past an irritated, conservative Federal judge.

No way was Walker going to utter one syllable that could be interpreted even implying that the post-2010 census redistricting deserved any criticism, let alone reform. 

After all, the 2020 census with the next round of legislative redistricting isn't that far away, and you can bet that if Wisconsin Republicans get the chance they will use their recent methodology and powers - - regardless of the stench they left around the Capitol - - as the upcoming remapping template.

No party in power ever gives it up voluntarily. 

And certainly not this crew  - - a gang not given to rhetorical flourishes - - that dispatched State Troopers to haul back absent opposition legislators, used and continues to wield 2012 recall election petition signature lists like a McCarthy-era loyalty oath and sanctioned the presence of military-grade, gun-toting private guards in the north woods to serve an out-of-state mining company/party donor without the proper licenses.