Dem Rep. Cooper: GOP ‘Absolutely’ Targeting Race with Redistricting — ‘Their Number One Goal’

Thursday on “CNN Newsroom,” Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) claimed GOP-led state legislatures like Alabama were targeting race with their redrawn congressional maps.

A three-judge federal panel ruled that the legislature had likely violated the Voting Rights Act with the new maps, but the U.S. Supreme Court placed the lower court’s ruling on hold.

Cooper called the Supreme Court decision “a shame.” He argued the GOP’s “number one goal” since former President Richard Nixon has been to target race.

“It’s a shame because the court could play a very constructive role here. They’ve chosen not to. They don’t want to enter the so-called political thicket, and yeah, they do all the time like with the Alabama case you just mentioned,” Cooper lamented. “They’re essentially making one mainly black district there, as opposed to two challenge districts in which people of any race, party or color could be elected. So, they’ve chosen to do this, and this neglectful attitude towards U.S. politics could end up hurting our country more severely than the justices realize.”

“Is a Republican Party or Republican-led state legislature deliberately targeting race with these maps?” host Jim Sciutto asked.

“Absolutely,” Cooper replied. “That’s their number one goal, and it has been really since Richard Nixon had the Southern strategy. You know, LBJ predicted that when he signed the civil rights laws that will hurt the Democratic Party in the South for 40 years. He underestimated the problem. Now, it’s still the right thing to do, but it’s a shame to see the party of Lincoln, the Republicans, abandon Lincoln’s principles.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent