Georgia party chairmen trade jabs on redistricting

SAVANNAH - Georgia Republican chairman Ralph Reed says the state&#39;s new congressional and legislative district maps, drawn by Democrats, have confused voters enough to vent their anger the polls. <br> <br> His Democratic counterpart, state Representative Calvin Smyre, insists Georgians are too concerned with the economy, education and health care to be thinking ``boy, Smyre sure is drawing those lines funny.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Georgia&#39;s political party heads squared off Tuesday over the Legislature&#39;s bloody redistricting battle -- and whether it&#39;s just an insider issue or a hot-button topic for candidates in November. <br> <br> The Democrat-controlled Legislature has made no apologies that the district lines they drew last year were designed to maximize Democratic strength in races for Congress and the state House and Senate. <br> <br> In many cases the new districts cut across geographic boundaries such as city and county lines, sometimes reaching out with spidery fingers to link voters who have never shared a congressman or state legislator. <br> <br> Reed says the resulting maps have voters scratching their heads over which district they live in. <br> <br> Smyre, who is also chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, says redistricting is inherently political regardless of which party controls drawing the lines. <br> <br> While hotly debated between partisans, political observers doubt redistricting will do much harm to Governor Barnes and other Democrats seeking re-election.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193159