By Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger

I love going through the drawers of a desk that I’ve been using the past 18 years and finding stuff like the April 6, 1991, Daily Progress story: “Remapping plan OK’d by House.“

The old story details how Democrats, who held majorities in the House, Senate and the governorship (although some Democrats questioned the party loyalty of then-Gov. Doug Wilder), used their party dominance to mess up the territory of GOP lawmakers, lumping some together in new districts.

Then-Del. George Allen, R-Earlysville, commented on his new district, saying, “The net effect is I’ve lost Wintergreen and gained Massanutten,“ he said of the plan that stripped Nelson County from his district.

The plan drawn by Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, divided Rockingham County four ways among five GOP delegates and placed Del. Phoebe Orebaugh in the same district with Del. Andy Guest of Warren County.

Cranwell devised four districts taking pieces of Rockingham for GOP Dels. Allen, Pete Giesen, Guest, Orebaugh and Clint Miller.

My story continued, “The House plan creates 11 black-majority seats and has won endorsement from civil rights groups. ... Allen said he will urge fellow Republicans to challenge it in federal court on the grounds that it is overly partisan in the way the Democratic majority lumped GOP delegates together across the state.“

“My advice would be to file suit quickly, within weeks,“ Allen said.

Republicans learned a great deal from the Democrats that year and returned all the favors 10 years later, giving Virginians the districts that are still in effect today.

The lesson is found somewhere in the Bible, under, “Do unto others…“ Or was it, “Love thy neighbor…“

As Paul Goldman would say, “Politics ain’t beanbag.“ Or perhaps Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran would offer, “We won’t Cranwell you if you don’t Wilkins us and let’s work out the kinks with seven bipartisan souls.“