The salient point to note is that Democrats are yelling "bloody murder" at the prospect of legislative elections being held in 2011 under the old map, but, are defending the right of Maine to hold an election under the old maps in 2012! In Mississippi, if there is a wait until 2012, the Republican may control the entire process then, while in Maine, the Republicans do control the process now, but, might not in 2012.
It is just another example of results-driven rank partisan hypocrisy.
The Maine issue is not a partisan one. Not least because it takes a 2/3rds majority to forward a map anyway. The Republicans don't have numbers to do anything even if they wanted to. Whether or not the maps are redrawn this year or next year, it will be a compromise.
There is in fact a good reason for the Senate GOP to punk things to 2013 though. The best case option for the GOP, which has nearly zero chance of holding the House under any map in 2012, is to do a deal to give the Democrats free-range with the congressional and house maps in exchange for drawing the senate. They might be able to wing enough Democrats for such a deal, but the sticking point would be the currently GOP house voting for their own elimination. If the House were to narrowly flip though while the GOP were to hold the Senate, a deal becomes more practicable.
