A few minutes ago, I received a
"Statement of Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins on Democrats 'Unity' Rally in Williamsburg." Now, I know you can't exactly expect logic and rationality from someone like Mullins, but this "statement" is totally messed up. Here it is, with my comments following each paragraph.
“Today, Virginia Democrats are gathering in Williamsburg for a picnic and unity rally to launch Creigh Deeds’ gubernatorial campaign. At this event there will most certainly be plenty of comments about the 'Democratic legacy' and the Party’s control of Virginia’s state government over the last eight years. I would like to humbly suggest that at some point either before, during or after the backslapping and congratulations, the individuals involved will take just a moment to reflect upon the serious challenges facing Virginia.
Problem #1: "the Party's control of Virginia's state government over the last eight years?" Uh, Mr. Mullins? Perhaps you don't recall things any better than Bob McDonnell does, but for the past 8 years,
your party has controlled the House of Delegates (although the Republican advantage has been slowly eroding, it's still 54-44 "red team"). Also over the past 8 years, Republicans controlled the state Senate through 2007, with Democrats now (barely) maintaining control by the narrowest of margins in that body. In addition, over the past 8 years, Republicans have controlled the Attorney General's office, and for half the time the Lieutenant Governor's office. In sum, over the past 8 years, aside from the governor's mansion, the Party controlling Virginia's government has been Pat Mullins' party, not Tim Kaine's and Mark Warner's.
Our roads and highways are congested. We have 72 schools that are not fully accredited. We import more electricity than any other state but California. During this current administration the budget has been routinely wrongly forecasted. College tuition and fees have doubled for Virginia students and parents. State spending has increased by 70% over the last decade, while Virginians’ incomes have gone up only 5%. The current governor stands directly in the way of new jobs and revenue for Virginia by actively seeking to eliminate the Commonwealth’s opportunity to be the first state on the East Coast to drill offshore. Unemployment is nearly double what it was when Governor Kaine was elected.
This paragraph is so bizarre it's hard to know where to start. First off, let's just reiterate that it was
Republicans in charge of the General Assembly for most of the past 8 years. Second, our roads and highways have been congested for years. Whose fault is that? Hmmmm...can we say "Jim Gilmore's no car tax?" How about the House Republicans' brilliant transportation plan, complete with "regional taxation authorities" and Dave Albo's/Tom Rust's ingenious "abusive driver fees," most of which was hooted off the stage by angry Virginia voters, gutted by the Republican legislature at the next available opportunity (after getting an earful from furious constituents), or tossed out by the Virginia Supreme Court? Yeah, that worked out really well. I won't even comment here regarding this "drill baby drill" Sarah-Palin-level-of-idiocy, as I've done so many times in the future and I'm sure will many times in the future. Did I mention the word "idiocy" yet? :) Oh, and I just LOVE the faux concern over Virginia's unemployed, when it was the
Republican House of Delegates once again which rejected $125 million in
our own tax dollars to help out-of-work Virginians. Finally, blaming the economic crisis not on Bush, Cheney and the "supply side"/"crony capitalist" deregulators in the national Republican Party, but on Virginia Democrats just boggles the mind. What next, Virginia Democrats are responsible for swine flu and the stolen Iranian election? Whoops, better not give Mullins and Company any ideas. Heh.
While the Democrats gather to celebrate their 'legacy', thankfully there is a candidate in the race for Governor who actually understands the major challenges facing Virginians. He is looking forward for positive solutions to address those challenges, not backwards to ignore them. That candidate is Bob McDonnell. Bob is the candidate saying yes to offshore drilling to create new jobs now. Bob is the candidate saying yes to greater affordability and accessibility at our colleges and universities. Bob is the candidate saying yes to charter schools, performance pay and real education reform. Bob is the candidate saying yes to accountability and transparency in state government. Bob is the candidate saying yes to fiscal responsibility and budget prioritization in Richmond.
Oh riiiiight, Bob McDonnell as Mr. Positivity, Mr. Fiscal Prudence and Mr. Sensible/Moderate Ideas (and not - as Leslie Byrne called him - "Pat Robertson's love child"). Yeah, that's really believable. Speaking of not believable, what are those "positive solutions" of which you speak, Mr. Mullins, aside from the staler-than-year-old-dogfood-on-the-shelf Republican mantras of "cut taxes," "ban abortion," "privatize everything in sight," "trash the environment" and "claim to be for 'fiscal responsibility' after Jim Gilmore (and Bush and Cheney) drove us off the economic and budgetary cliff? [cue sound of crickets chirping]
Elections are about choices. Virginia voters know the Commonwealth faces major challenges after the last eight years. They are quickly learning that Bob McDonnell is the only candidate in this race committed to fully recognizing those challenges and addressing them head on with positive solutions.”
Blah blah blah. Same comments as following the previous paragraph, reiterating that if Virginians face major challenges after the past 8 years, they have the Republican General Assembly, Bush-o-nomics and the continuing legacy of Jim Gilmore's disastrous governorship to blame - except to add that Creigh Deeds will be the next governor of Virginia, because Virginians aren't idiots and they're not buying what you're attempting to sell, Mr. Mullins.
