One grab at the brass ring

Some Republicans in Washington and at home are over-reaching in their agitation for the Ohio General Assembly to reopen congressional redistricting in the Buckeye State.
Gov. Bob Taft, Senate President Doug White of Manchester and House Speaker Larry Householder of Glenford, all Republicans, have, through their spokesmen, already said they're not interested. That may or may not be enough to put the issue to rest.
The idea of carving up Northeastern Ohio (again) was floated by State Rep. Jim Trakas, a Cleveland-area Republican. The Associated Press reported that his plan would have combined Cleveland and Akron into one large barbell-shaped district designed for a Democrat. The outlying suburbs would be combined to create a second Republican seat.
Been there, done that
Republicans already control the state delegation of 18 representatives by a 2-to-1 margin. When Ohio lost one of its congressional seats because the state's population slipped in the 2000 census, the Democratic districts represented by Tom Sawyer of Akron, Ted Strickland of Portsmouth and James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland were carved into two districts. That gave Republicans 12 seats to six for the Democrats, an already lopsided result in a state that is historically capable of swinging from party to party in presidential races.
The districts are as they should stand until it is necessary to redistrict again following the 2010 census. State legislatures everywhere -- Texas and Colorado take note -- ought to have better things to do than waste their own time and the public's money gerrymandering.
Certainly in Ohio, where a budget crisis looms, education is faltering, economic growth is stifled and young people are leaving in search of high-tech work, there are more pressing priorities than a purely partisan drive for congressional redistricting.