Kaine, Warner Condemn Action by Virginia Senate Republicans

Virginia's Democratic U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have condemned the action taken Monday by Virginia's Senate Republicans, to redraw the commonwealth's Senate districts in favor of Republicans, reportedly to help African Americans with representation in the General Assembly.

"On a day when Americans celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and inaugurated Barack Obama as President, Virginia Senate Republicans took advantage of the absence of civil rights leader Sen. Henry Marsh to push through a hyper-partisan change to Virginia's already gerrymandered legislative district map," the two said in a joint statement.  

"This is not the way we should be conducting the people’s business in Virginia. We are encouraged by Governor McDonnell’s statements today expressing disapproval of the tactics that were used.  We urge legislative leaders and other elected officials to do the right thing to correct this disappointing and disruptive partisan action.”