Washington Post

2012 Redistricting Update: Republicans and Democrats Fighting to a Draw in Battle for New Seats

Washington Post by Aaron Blake

Republicans and Democrats are still locked in a tight battle to create new congressional districts that they can win. But Republicans have used their control over the once-a-decade redistricting process in most key states to shore up many vulnerable incumbents.

The Post’s freshly updated Redistricting Scorecard shows that we now have a good idea about the amount of seats that could change hands in 27 of the 43 states that have to draw new maps (seven other states have just one congressional district and thus don’t have to draw new lines).read more >>

The Supreme Court’s Continuing Defense of the Powerful

Washington Post by E.J. Dionne Jr.

The United States Supreme Court now sees its central task as comforting the already comfortable and afflicting those already afflicted.

If you are a large corporation or a political candidate backed by lots of private money, be assured that the court’s conservative majority will be there for you, solicitous of your needs and ready to swat away those pesky little people who dare to contest your power.read more >>

Locke Says 2010 Census 'Will Not Be Politicized'

Washington Post by Lois Romano

The third time was the charm for Gary Locke, a former governor of Washington state who was tapped as commerce secretary after President Obama's first two choices pulled out. Locke now finds himself in the thick of just about every hot issue -- particularly the 2010 census.read more >>

Pew Study: 2008 Electorate Most Diverse Yet

Washington Post by Dan Balz

A new study by the Pew Research Center found that participation rates among African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans all rose between 2004 and 2008, leaving the share of the electorate accounted for by white voters at an all-time low of 76.3 percent.

African American women voted at higher participation rates than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the study, which was based on an analysis of Census data. The study found that 68.8 percent of eligible black women voted in the last election, an increase of 5.1 percentage points.read more >>

Before Census, a Debate Over Prisoners

Washington Post by Keith B. Richburg

NEW YORK -- Elizabeth O'C. Little, a Republican state senator, represents a rural Upstate district larger in square miles than Rhode Island and Connecticut combined. But more than 13,500 of her constituents are not living there by choice, they could not vote for her if they wanted to, and most will leave the first chance they get.read more >>

The White House, Open for Questions

Washington Post by Michael A. Fletcher and Jose Antonio Vargas

President Obama, who used the Internet as a prime driver of his successful campaign for office, turned to the Web yesterday to harness support for his economic agenda by hosting an electronic town hall meeting from the White House.

Campaign Finance Challenged

Washington Post by Philip Rucker

Sen. Richard J. Durbin is among the sponsors who will introduce the Fair Elections Now bill this week.

After the most expensive campaign cycle in U.S. history, a bipartisan group of lawmakers will introduce legislation this week to create an ambitious voluntary public campaign financing system that would ban contributions from lobbyists and place strict limits on other sources of campaign cash.

Justices May Soften Campaign Ad Law

Washington Post by Robert Barnes

The Supreme Court yesterday appeared ready once again to trim the reach of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act, this time at the behest of a conservative group that produced a withering 90-minute political film called "Hillary: The Movie."

And that was even before the government's lawyer rattled the justices by asserting that Congress possessed the power -- hypothetically -- to ban some political books before an election

Census Bureau Will Try an Ad Campaign To Reach Minorities

Washington Post by Ed O'Keefe and Steve Vogel

Amid fears that millions of people may be overlooked during next year's census, the Census Bureau will launch a $250 million promotional campaign to encourage participation in the decennial head count, especially among hard-to-reach minority groups in urban areas.

More than half those funds will go for advertising across traditional and social media, and nearly a quarter will be devoted exclusively to Asian, black and Hispanic outlets.

Legislation Calls For Independent Census Bureau

Washington Post by Ed O'Keefe

House Democrats will unveil a measure today that would separate the U.S. Census Bureau from the Commerce Department and make it an independent government agency similar in design to the National Institutes of Health or NASA.

The proposal comes in the wake of Republican allegations that the Obama administration is attempting to politicize the census by giving White House aides responsibility for overseeing next year's head count.read more >>