Blue Virginia Archive

Change Your Blue Virginia Links

2010-03-31T07:56:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder to change your Blue Virginia links from http://bluevablog.blogspot.com (the "old," Blogger blog) to http://www.bluevirginia.us (the "new," SoapBlox blog). Thanks.

Blue Virginia Now On SoapBlox

2010-03-16T17:30:00.003-04:00

This address is now being used as the Blue Virginia archive. To read the active Blue Virginia site, please click here. Thanks.

DPVA Calls On McDonnell To Rein In "Extreme" Cuccinelli

2010-03-15T16:44:00.006-04:00

Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director David Mills writes about Ken Cuccinelli's "apparent comments in support of Virginia pursuing legal challenges to federal laws based on questioning President Obama's birth certificate."

Unlike Republican leaders, Virginians are more concerned with their jobs and their children's schools than with pursuing conspiracy theories and a narrow social agenda. But in the last month, under the leadership of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Governor Bob McDonnell, Virginia is rapidly becoming a national laughingstock.

Attorney General Cuccinelli owes Virginians an explanation for his out-of-whack priorities. While our Commonwealth struggles with a $4.2 billion dollar deficit, the Attorney General has shown that he's willing to use the resources of his taxpayer-funded office to push his own radical agenda. Virginians shouldn't be asked to foot the bill for Ken Cuccinelli's irresponsible behavior and missplaced priorities.

The Attorney General should pledge today not to spend a dime of our tax dollars pursuing ridiculous conspiracy theories about President Obama. We hope Governor McDonnell is making plans to rein in his 2009 ticketmate and protect Virginians' money from being spent on Ken Cuccinelli's extreme political agenda.

UPDATE: Politico reports that Cooch has issued a statement.

I absolutely believe that President Obama was born in the United States. I don't buy into the claims that he wasn't. On the recording, I was asked a hypothetical legal question, and I gave a hypothetical legal answer in response. As I said previously, this issue was not a part of my campaign, and it is not part of what I am doing now as attorney general.

What a bunch of bull, "hypothetical legal answer" my a**.

Emergency! Scott Robinson Needs A Waaaaambulance!

2010-03-15T14:06:00.004-04:00

As I wrote on Saturday, Krystal Ball swept 1st CD caucuses this weekend in Stafford County and Fredericksburg, demolishing Scott Robinson and making his candidacy for the Democratic nomination a longshot at best. Now, Scott Robinson is reacting with class, restraint, and poise. Whoops, wrong Scott Robinson! Ha. Actually, this is how the real 1st CD candidate Scott Robinson is reacting.

This email is being sent with the intent of informing you of troubling events that have developed over the last few weeks involving a fellow Democratic Committee (Stafford County) and what actions the Robinson campaign intends to use to remedy the situation.

It is the opinion of the Robinson campaign that the caucus process in Stafford County was "hijacked" by a small group of Krystal Ball supporters and the democratic process was circumvented with the intention of ensuring that the Krystal Ball campaign not only won a majority of delegates but left the caucus with a "slate" of supporters for Krystal Ball.

As I write this I am quite certain that while you read this you will feel this email is bourne of frustration and written with my campaigns best interests in mind. No doubt that is true.

However, there are facts that are too egregious to ignore that point in the direction of an organized attempt by members of the Stafford County Democratic Committee (SCDC) to make the proverbial "smoky backroom deal" scenario seem all too real.

[...]

The Robinson campaign feels at the very least that the rules of the Caucus have been violated and election law could have been as well. Because of these facts and actions of individuals who are associated with BOTH the Krystal Ball for Congress campaign and the SCDC; the Robinson campaign intends to file a formal complaint with the Chair of the Virginia 1st Congressional District Committee.

My intention is to follow this email up with all of the county chairs of the 1st Congressional District individually. I appreciate your patience as we work our way through this process.

Best,

Gregory Richardson
Scott Robinson for Congress
804.xxx.xxxx

Those are some serious charges right there, up to and including possible illegality. The only problem, as 1st CD Democratic Party Chair Suzette Matthews points out, is that none of this is accurate. In fact, as Matthews points out, "Contrary to the second bullet of this message, local committees do not have to pay for expensive newspaper postings of caucuses." In addition, Matthews writes, "Please note the last sentence of the following provision of the DPVA Party Plan, which permits posting of the caucus notice on web sites and press release to newspapers (we understand [1st CD City and County chairs] have no control whether the newspaper prints the notice or not)."

In short, Robinson's complaints are completely and wholly without merit, not to mention hysterical and pathetic. The only question is how badly his super-sore loser routine will hurt him in upcoming caucuses, starting with Gloucester tonight, followed by James City this Thursday, Newport News on March 25, etc.

Meanwhile, can somebody please call a waaaaaaaaaaambulance for Scott Robinson? It looks like he badly needs one.

Cooch: Climate Change Denier, Gay Basher...Birther!

2010-03-15T11:20:00.003-04:00

Once again, Ken Cuccinelli demonstrates why: a) many of us think he's batshit crazy; b) why Democratic activists worked so hard to prevent him from becoming Attorney General of Virginia; c) why he's a complete and utter embarrassment to our Commonwealth; and d) politically speaking, why he's the "gift that keeps on giving" for Democrats. This time, thanks to a great scoop by NLS, Cooch reveals himself as someone who seriously questions whether Barack Obama was born in the United States.

Q: Because we are talking about the possibility that he was not born in America.

Cooch: Right. But at the same time under Rule 11, Federal Rule 11, we gotta have proof of it.

Q: How can we get proof?

Cooch: Well… that’s a good question. Not one I’ve thought a lot about because it hasn’t been part of my campaign. Someone is going to have to come forward with nailed down testimony that he was born in place B, wherever that is. You know, the speculation is Kenya. And that doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.

Sad to say, it's not even the least bit shocking that a guy who denies climate change, tries to make it easier for people to discriminate against gay people, claims that Virginia can disobey federal laws it disagrees with, believes the government is tracking his kids via Social Security numbers, and talks to a toy elephant named "Ron" would also buy into Orly Taitz-level crazy conspiracy theories like "birtherism." What next, is Cooch going to reveal himself as a 9/11 "truther" as well, like Debra Medina? Whoops, better not give him any ideas; he's got more than enough of those already. My god, four years of this lunatic as AG? We're so screwed.

Quote of the Day: "You didn't have pestilence and fire."

2010-03-15T07:44:00.004-04:00

The quote of the day goes to Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax). Check this out.

"We've had four snowstorms and $4 billion in budget cuts," McDonnell told a small group of legislators who had been dispatched to his ceremonial quarters on the third floor of the state Capitol to inform him that the assembly was ready to adjourn. Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, replied, "You didn't have pestilence and fire."

Maybe not, but with this horrible budget, we may feel like we've been through "pestilence and fire" here in Virginia before long. Ugh.

Charlottesville, VA Coffee Party Interview with Eric Byler

2010-03-15T07:23:00.005-04:00

Eric Byler is interviewed by a Charlottesville TV station on Saturday, March 13, in Charlottesville on Coffee Party National Kick-off Day. According to the Coffee Party USA website, there were more than 350 coffee party meetings in 44 states on Saturday. In addition, there are now 159,000 fans on the Coffee Party Facebook page, compared to 111,991 fans for the largest Tea Party Facebook page. Not bad for a 100% grassroots movement that's just a few weeks old!

UPDATE: See the FiveThirtyEight interview with Annabel. Among other things, she talks about how Organizing for America doesn't "inspire" her. I agree, maybe it has something to do with the fact that OFA is 100% establishment, part of the - yaaaaaaawwwwwn - DNC?

Whipple Clip Dozen: Monday Morning

2010-03-15T06:31:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Monday "Clips."

1. MCDONNELL SHOWS SOME SUCCESSES IN FIRST LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS
2. LAWMAKERS APPROVE TWO-YEAR, $70 BILLION BUDGET
3. ASSEMBLY APPROVES TWO-YEAR, $70 BILLION VA BUDGET
4. STATE KEEPS CCCA OPEN
5. HOUSE, SENATE PASS VIRGINIA'S TWO-YEAR SPENDING PLAN
9. STATE WILL DIP INTO PENSION FUND, REPAY WITH 7.5% INTEREST
11. LEGISLATORS LEAVE TOWN, MCDONNELL BIDS THEM ADIEU
13. GOVERNOR'S STEPS TOWARD OFFSHORE ROYALTIES
14. THE AG PENS AN OP-ED ON SEX BIAS PROTECTION
16. POWER BILLS HEATING UP 9TH DISTRICT ELECTION CAMPAIGN
18. NOT SPECIAL
20. ASSEMBLY ETHICS BILL NEEDS STRENGTHENING

Rich Anthony: "Will Coffee Party Brew Up Victory in 2010?"

2010-03-14T21:01:00.002-04:00

Check out Rich Anthony's Daily Kos live blog and please comment and recommend it if you can. Thanks. For now, here's an excerpt.

...Like many of you, I attended one of the nearly 400 Coffee Parties yesterday and I think an answer is easily available with these groups.

When you look back to elections where Democrats and Progressives have been successful, they have mostly had strong grassroot movements behind them, with people who have been willing to talk to their neighbors and complete strangers about a positive progressive vision for our country. The people, who showed up at the Coffee Party I attended, are the same people who have organized for successful progressive candidates in the past. These people went door to door for Jim Webb in 2006 and for Barack Obama in 2008, talking about progressive values. However, election cycle after cycle there is a conventional wisdom that creeps up, if Democrats act meek or act like Republicans and don’t strongly proclaim any values that people will vote for them… when has this ever worked?

We need campaigns with energized volunteers to organize in their communities to get a strong progressive message out to the voters. We need campaigns where the people who came out to the Coffee Parties will want to volunteer and spread a message, campaigns where people involved in local progressive organizations or local Democratic parties will do more than simply vote or work their poll on Election Day. I am committed to bringing a strong message of progressive values. This is the type of campaign I am going to run and come November, I look forward to proving conventional wisdom wrong.

Time For Some Changes At Blue Virginia

2010-03-14T20:08:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been over a year since I started Blue Virginia, and I'm still blogging. Overall, I've enjoyed it, except for one thing: I'm really tired of the Blogger platform. Problems with Blogger include: people tell me it's difficult to leave comments; there's no "more" button, which means the front-page posts take up too much space; there are no community features at all; the default coding is not compatible for cross-posting at blogs like Daily Kos, and it's really annoying; etc. On the other hand, it's free!. Despite that important fact, I've decided to make a change, which you will see in the next few days. I hope you like it, and just as importantly, I hope I like it! :) Anyway, stay tuned for Blue Virginia 2.0.

Gibbs: Health Care Reform Will Be "Law of the Land" Next Week

2010-03-14T19:25:00.002-04:00

It is about time. Even though progressive sacrificed a tremendous amount in this health care reform legislation, and even though it most closely resembles the 1993 Republican alternative to "Hillarycare," on balance I still believe this represents progress for America. I also believe this will give Democrats a boost heading into November. Up until now, Democrats have gotten all the "negatives" of debating health care reform, including a constant stream of Big Lies by the Republicans, while simultaneously looking weak for not seeing this become law. Once this thing actually is signed by President Obama, the entire dynamic should change, and hopefully "the base" will start getting excited again and close the "enthusiasm gap" with Republicans for this fall. At least, that's the theory! :)

Thank You David Englin! [UPDATE: And Scott Surovell Too!]

2010-03-14T17:57:00.008-04:00

What a concept, a Democrat from the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party!" Thank you David Englin, for speaking the truth about this piece-o'-crap budget.

Budgets are moral documents that express our values as a Commonwealth and determine whom we lift up and whom we leave out. While the final version of the budget is less bad than the initial House version, I still cannot justify supporting a budget that balances the books on the backs of children and the poor and that includes a fiscally irresponsible shell game with the state pension trust fund.

Thanks to strong, unified, vocal opposition from House Democrats, the final budget is less bad than the budget House Republicans passed Feb. 25. For example, the final budget rejected the Republican plan to take money away from poor students and give it to students who are not poor, and it rejected the Republican plan to redirect federal Medicaid enhancement money from health care for the neediest Virginians to non-health care programs.

However, these concessions do not make up for the fact that the final budget cuts billions of dollars from public education, health care for the poor, public safety, and aid to localities, with no serious attempt to mitigate these cuts with revenue and no serious attempt to give localities the power to mitigate these cuts in their own. Even worse, the final budget still includes a risky, $800-million scheme to divert state contributions from the state pension trust fund, which will put Virginia's triple-A bond rating at risk and threaten our ability to meet our pension obligations to teachers, fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and state and local employees.

And how about bringing back the estate tax, repeal of which Tim Kaine foolishly signed into law? Why should we slash services for the neediest Virginians while the top few hundred families (out of millions of residents) get a huge tax break? It's wrong on every level - economic, political, moral - for Democrats to go along with this, so why are they going along with it? I call bull****.

UPDATE: And thank you Scott Surovell!

My grandfather always taught me that you either pay less for things now or you pay more for them later. I do not believe these budget "cuts" are cuts. They are simply reductions in funding on going responsibilities that are now being pushed onto the poor, the uneducated, to middle class families and local government who now have to make the tough decisions.

Educating our children, caring for the poor, and keeping our public safe are a core responsibilities of state government. This Budget does not do that. It balances our budgets on the backs of the poor, the sick, the disabled, college students and their families, and the criminal justice system.

And we haven't done a single thing to resolve this state's transportation crisis.

Exactly!

UPDATE #2: See the Washington Post and WTVR for more on the state budget passage. The vote in the Senate was 34-6, and in the House 73-23. According to Anita Kumar and Rosalind Helderman, "The breakthrough on the budget came when Senate negotiators agreed to eliminate 60 percent of fees that they had proposed to preserve some programs." The result of which, of course, was to harm more vulnerable Virginians. Heckuva job.

Diane Ravitch on Why Charter Schools Are A Really Bad Idea

2010-03-14T11:52:00.012-04:00

This past Thursday, former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, laid into "charter schools" and "No Child Left Behind" on the Diane Rehm Show. This is a timely and topical subject here in Virginia, as Bob McDonnell's education agenda relies heavily on the "charter school" concept. In contrast to McDonnell and his ideological approach to education (and everything else, for that matter), Ravitch is essentially nonpartisan - a Ph.D. historian of education and research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education who served under both President George HW Bush and President Bill Clinton.

Earlier this month, Ravitch came out with a new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, which is being described in glowing terms by reviewers. For instance, Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post writes, "Her credibility with conservatives is exactly why it would be particularly instructive for everyone--whether you have kids in school or not--to read [Ravitch's book]." I'm looking forward to reading the book, but in the meantime, I listened to Ravitch on the Diane Rehm Show. I also read this article by Ravitch, "The Big Idea -- it's bad education policy." A few key points regarding charter schools and why they're a really bad idea.

*"Charter schools are no panacea. The nation now has about 5,000 of them, and they vary in quality. Some are excellent, some terrible; most are in between. Most studies have found that charters, on average, are no better than public schools."

*"On the federal tests, known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, from 2003 to 2009, charters have never outperformed public schools. Nor have black and Latino students in charter schools performed better than their counterparts in public schools."

*"[C]harter schools have many advantages over public schools...Studies of charters in Boston, New York City and Washington have found that charters, as compared to public schools, have smaller percentages of the students who are generally hardest to educate -- those with disabilities and English-language learners. Because the public schools must educate everyone, they end up with disproportionate numbers of the students the charters don't want."

*"So we're left with the knowledge that a dramatic expansion in the number of privately managed schools is not likely to raise student achievement. Meanwhile, public schools will become schools of last resort for the unmotivated, the hardest to teach and those who didn't win a seat in a charter school. If our goal is to destroy public education in America, this is precisely the right path."

*"We don't want schools to compete and try to put the other schools out of business...that's wrong."

*"What is, I think, going to be the undoing of the charter sector is the outrageous salaries that some of the charter operators are paying themselves...the rainmakers, the people who make the deals with the politicians...some of them are paying themselves $400,000 a year, $500,000 a year out of public funds...we had one charter school in New York City, where the woman who was running it got a golden parachute of a gift of $700,000... I mean, this is something that in the public sector people would find shocking."

*"We're in the process of not only privatizing our schools but deprofessionalizing what should be an honored and esteemed profession."

*"What's sad about this...the charter schools started in 1988 with the idea that they would become R&D laboratories to help public schools. Instead, they have been taken over by private entrepreneurs with the idea that this is a great money stream, you can go to the bank with this commitment of the government funds, and then in many places they're trying to put public schools out of business."

In sum, reading and listening to Diane Ravitch, it's obvious why Republicans like Bob McDonnell would be gung-ho on charter schools. The question is, why would anyone else?

UPDATE: Arlington County School Board member Libby Garvey weighs in.

I heard part of the Diane Rehm show and will definitely get the book. Having been a school board member for the past 14 years while NCLB has gone into effect, this is a breath of fresh air. Yes, she may be late, but I think that gives her more credibility to the many people who simply think professional educators don't know education and aren't qualified to criticize the privatization movement. It's been terribly frustrating that the people who are on the front lines of this battle are assumed to be unqualified to comment or assumed to not want the best for our children. And the stakes could not be higher. Our nation's future depends on the quality of its public education.

Senate and House Democrats Sum Up Session

2010-03-14T08:17:00.004-04:00

I received emails yesterday from both the House and Senate Democratic caucuses, summarizing what they believe to be their successes during the (about-to-conclude) General Assembly session. Here are the highlights, with my comments in italics.

Senate
*"Senate negotiators are fighting for their version of the budget which protects jobs and services in K-12 education, higher education, public safety, and the healthcare safety net."
That's great, but from what I've seen so far this morning, there's not a heckuva lot to celebrate on this front. Unless, of course, you believe that "unprecedented cuts to state spending and core services once thought sacrosanct" and "governmental austerity born of the hardest times since the Great Depression" to be a good thing. I don't. Nor do I consider the General Assembly's unwillingness to raise revenues from the wealthiest Virginians, first and foremost by reinstating the Estate Tax, while slashing funding for programs to the most vulnerable Virginians, to be a badge of honor.

*"The Senate Democrats introduced many bills that passed both chambers of the legislature and await Governor McDonnell’s signature, though many worthy bills were defeated by an uncooperative House of Delegates"
If you're a "glass half full" kind of person, you focus on the first clause in this sentence. If you're a "glass half empty" type, you focus on the last clause. Personally, I'm somewhere in the middle, but probably leaning towards the "many worthy bills were defeated" view of things. On the other hand, the Senate killed many bad bills from the House, such as the infamous "Mark of the Beast" bill and a repeal of Virginia's one-gun-a-month law. So, overall, it could have been better but it certainly could have been worse.

*"The Senate defeated numerous bad bills from the House of Delegates including efforts to repeal Virginia’s crime-reducing 'one hand gun per month' law, a frivolous bill to prevent forced implantation of microchips, a bill that would have allowed unregulated 'super guns', and one that authorized deadly force, instead of proportional force, against any person who sets foot on your property."
On all these fronts, thank goodness that Democrats control the State Senate to offer a "check and balance" against the right-wing Republican controlled House and governor's mansion.

*"The Senate Democrats also fought for the best interest of Virginians in several debates. At the beginning of the session, the Senate Democrats told Governor McDonnell they would not approve his Secretary of Commerce and Trade appointee because he served as a paid board member of private corporations, presenting a conflict of interest. Senate Democrats also convinced Governor McDonnell to present his budget recommendations as all other Governors do. The Governor decided that $4.2 billion in budget cuts had to be made and after weeks of pressure he eventually presented his plan to make those cuts. Finally, Senate Democrats raised serious concerns over Governor McDonnell’s proposed charter school arrangement which would have taken power from local school boards and put it in the hands of a group of political appointees. This arrangement would have violated the Virginia Constitution and Senate Democrats worked constructively with the McDonnell administration and education stakeholders to negotiate a constitutional arrangement that satisfied all parties."
Good work, particularly on the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, although Robert Sledd still ended up with a powerful position advising Bob McDonnell on commerce and trade issues. And on the charter schools, I'm not sure if all the "serious concerns" I heard raised were really addressed. Still, at least they raised them I guess...

House of Delegates
*"Democrats successfully fought for and passed measures dealing with ethics reform (HB 655, Armstrong, D-Henry; HB 330, Plum, D-Fairfax; HB 814 and HB 816, Abbott, D-Newport News), employment opportunities for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (HB 1099, Sickles, D-Fairfax), expansion of eligibility for certain health care plans (HB 315 and HB 317, McClellan, D-Richmond), education (HB 1172, Phillips, D-Dickenson), and health care coverage for members of the Virginia National Guard (HB 1233, P. Miller, D-Norfolk)."
What amazes me more than anything is that Democrats were able to accomplish anything at all, given the fact that they are badly outnumbered in the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.

*"Democrats in the House of Delegates successfully defeated measures that would have restricted citizens' right to vote, including HB 498 (Lingamfelter, R-Prince William) and SB 302 (Martin, R-Chesterfield). These bills would have placed strict limitations on the types of information needed in order to register and vote. Democrats' convincing floor speeches led to the defeat of these regressive bills."
Ditto.

*"Additionally, House Democrats' united opposition brought attention to and weakened the Crown, Cork and Seal bill, which would have exempted a single company from liability for asbestos-related diseases. While the measure passed with a slim margin in the House of Delegates, it was killed in the Senate. This bill, carried by Delegate Terry Kilgore (R-Scott), was an initiative of the Speaker of the House, Delegate Bill Howell (R-Stafford). Speaker Howell pushed this initiative due to his involvement in the conservative group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, for which the Speaker served as chair last year. ALEC is interested in this legislation because Crown Cork is also a member of the organization and a significant contributor to its members' political action committees."
This bill was a disgrace, and Bill Howell should pay the political price if there's any justice in the world. Thank you to House Democrats for fighting this, and thanks to Senate Democrats for driving a stake through its rotten heart.

*"Several measures were introduced by members of the House Democratic Caucus to create a Bipartisan or Nonpartisan Redistricting Commission including: HB 179 (Morrissey - D, Henrico), HB 323 (Plum - D, Fairfax), HB 638 (Armstrong D - Henry), HB 835 (Carr - D, Richmond), and HJ 113 (Barlow - D, Isle of Wight). These measures were defeated in a pre-dawn subcommittee with a vote split along party lines."
Voters should remember this one next November, that's all I have to say right now.

*"Additionally, Democrats in the House of Delegates fought to protect Virginians from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation through several procedures including introduction of bills and amendments, and motions on the floor. Every attempt to protect Virginia's citizens was defeated by Republican members of the House of Delegates."
This pretty much sums it up: Democrats fighting against discrimination, Republicans fighting to keep it going. How can anyone be FOR discrimination? Ask House Republicans.

Summary
All in all, this was a rough session, but Democrats can point to a few victories, mostly small. Still, the bottom line is that it's tough when you're outnumbered 61-39 in the House of Delegates, when you don't control the governor's mansion, when your tiny edge in the State Senate is made even more difficult by the presence of several conservative Democrats, and when the economy's a mess. Better luck next year? Or, more likely, after the 2011 elections if and when Democrats (hopefully) make major gains in the House of Delegates? As for 2010, as the saying goes, it was real and it was fun, but it wasn't real fun.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Sunday Morning

2010-03-14T07:07:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Sunday "Clips."

1. BIAS DISPUTE KNOCKS MCDONNELL OFF STRIDE
2. HOUSE, SENATE REACH BUDGET DEAL AFTER MIDNIGHT
4. VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS REACH AGREEMENT ON BUDGET
8. GENERAL ASSEMBLY WRAP-UP: WHAT PASSED, WHAT FAILED
17. VIRGINIA HOUSE AGREES TO FORFEIT OVERTIME PAY; SENATE TO ACCEPT PAY
18. A ONE-MAN WINDOW INTO LAWMAKING
19. MCCLELLAN’S PREGNANCY BELIEVED TO BE A FIRST FOR HOUSE
20. BOUCHER WON’T SUPPORT HEALTH REFORM WITH MEDICARE CUTS
23. NUCLEAR STANDOFF
34. SOME VICTORIES, MUCH PAIN IN VA. GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION
36. FOR METRO'S STRAPPED BUDGET, A WEALTH OF IDEAS BUT NOT CASH
42. COUNTIES BRACE FOR BRUTAL CUTS TO SCHOOLS, POLICE, PARKS

Rich Anthony Joins the "Coffee Party"

2010-03-13T17:11:00.002-05:00

Earlier today in Vienna, Rich Anthony joined one of 400 coffee parties being held across the country. For a report on the Vienna Coffee Party, see Frank Anderson's report. Also, Rich Anthony tweets, "At the Coffee Party meeting in Vienna. Great turn out for a rainy Saturday morning. A lot of positive energy in the room." Once again, congratulations to Annabel Park and Eric Byler for starting and organizing the Coffee Party. Great work!

Krystal Ball Sweeps Fredericksburg, Stafford Caucuses: Is This Race Over?

2010-03-13T16:46:00.006-05:00

Krystal Ball tweets:

Now that's impressive: Every. Single. Delegate. So, with that -- Krystal picking up 1/3 of the committed delegates she needs to win, with Robinson picking up zero - is the race for the 1st CD Democratic nomination between Krystal Ball and Scott Robinson already over? After today's rout of Robinson, it certainly could be. Here's Marc Broklawski's take.

While there are plenty of contests left before the 1st Congressional District Convention in May, the math for Scott just got a whole lot harder to secure the nomination – if not impossible. The fact is that Krystal’s base of support is strong throughout the district, especially in the southern part of it. I’m also confident that Krystal understands that she cannot take anything for granted and will continue working hard throughout the entire district.

Scott’s field operation seemed non-existent today, if he even has one. Back in February, Scott believed that because of his background, the fact that he was raised within the district and the fact that he was a waterman as a kid that would translate into victory. His overly simplistic and naïve view of things, was clearly on display today; and should provide a moment of pause for democrats who were thinking of supporting him. His formula for victory is a losing one and his message, or lack thereof, is not resonating with the electorate. This election is too important and the stakes too high. Krystal is clearly our best chance of winning this year.

The wheels are clearly coming off of his campaign and his lack of a clear message and strategy is evident. It may be time for him to reassess the viability of his campaign and whether or not he drag out what appears to be an inevitable outcome.

I strongly agree with Marc's analysis and look forward to Krystal Ball taking on Rob Wittman (R) and/or Catherine "Bullet Box" Crabill (T as in "Tea Party") in the general election.

McDonnell/Cooch, Good Cop/Bad Cop?

2010-03-13T07:51:00.004-05:00

Do Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli differ in any substantive way on the issues? Or, are they actually two peas in a pod, playing a "good cop/bad cop" game, in which McDonnell pretends to be the "reasonable" one while Cooch plays himself as "the right-wing crazy?" That's certainly what Lee Hockstader of the Washington Post think, and I'm inclined to agree.

What McDonnell needed during the election last fall, and continues to need, is to establish that he is not a rigid right-winger whose ideological fervor trumps pragmatism. And that’s where Cuccinelli comes in so handy. In contrast to Cuccinelli, practically anyone looks like a moderate.

So when Cuccinelli staked out the hard-right turf by telling public colleges that they have no business banning discrimination against gays, it was like manna from heaven for McDonnell...

Look for McDonnell and Cuccinelli to maintain this good-cop-bad-cop routine for the foreseeable future, as McDonnell tries to cement the moderate cred that will make him a vice presidential contender in 2012 or 2016, and as Cuccinelli continues to sing sweet music to his base of gay-hating conservatives.

In sum, Bob McDonnell is probably ecstatic that Ken Cuccinelli is in the AG's office, pandering to "the base," and freeing up "Pat Robertson's Manchurian Governor" to appear "moderate" in public while actually being a Closet Cooch Clone. A Clever Closet Cooch Clone at that!

P.S. For an illustration of what Cooch's rigid homophobia and intolerance can lead to, read this superb diary by "The Nephew". I'd recommend the diary to McDonnell and Cooch as well, but they probably believe their private parts will spontaneously combust if they so much as click on such a thing (either that, or they're doing like "Sideshow Bob" Marshall and voraciously reading the "homosexual literature" - heh).

Whipple Clips Dozen: Saturday Morning

2010-03-13T07:17:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Saturday "Clips."

1. MCDONNELL SAYS HE’S DONE ENOUGH TO PROTECT GAYS
2. REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AS GAY RIGHTS DEFENDER: A SIGN OF THE TIMES?
3. MCDONNELL VISITS LEGISLATORS ON THEIR TURF, ENCOURAGES BUDGET DEAL
4. MCDONNELL ANNOUNCES NEW CLEMENCY POLICY
5. BOLLING: SUBCOMMITTEES CAN’T TAKE FINAL ACTION
7. CUCCINELLI NOT GIVING IN ON COLLEGES' GAY BIAS POLICIES
8. FORMER GOV. BALILES CHALLENGES CUCCINELLI ON COLLEGE GAY POLICIES
10. BUDGET BREAKTHROUGHS SEEN, BUT OVERTIME LIKELY
16. VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY GOES SLOW ON TOUGH ETHICS REFORM
18. VA. LAWMAKERS PASS CAR TITLE LENDING REFORM
20. APPALACHIAN EFFORT DEFEATED
31. IN VIRGINIA, A WATERED-DOWN BILL ON CHARTER SCHOOLS

President Obama: "Education for a More Competitive America & Better Future"

2010-03-13T06:11:00.001-05:00

The full transcript is here.

Catherine Crabill on Muslim Prayer to House of Delegates: "Just say NO to this blasphemy!"

2010-03-12T17:23:00.006-05:00

I may just make this a regular feature of Blue Virginia: "It's not just crazy, it's 1st CD (Republican? Tea Party?) candidate (well, maybe) Catherine Crabill Crazy!!!" Here's the latest from her Facebook page, in reaction to this article in today's Washington Post ("Boycott urged for Muslim imam's prayer in Virginia House"). Take it away - far, far away! - Catherine "Bullet Box" Crabill!

Again, this is a Christian Nation that extends grace to people of other faith's that are not reciprocated to Christians. Just say NO to this blasphemy! Islam is the enemy of liberty, period.

I reject Muslim's offering prayers sanctified by any branch or office of our government. The Koran is the antithesis of liberty. And because of the Christianity of our nation you Muslims have been offered a refuge here that we would NEVER be offered in your world. Please respect OUR faith and OUR heritage just as you would NEVER allow a Christian or Jew to pray in your mosque or place of government which does not offend me.

GOP: Racked by Scandal

2010-03-12T16:28:00.000-05:00

Baliles: Cooch's Legal Reasoning Flawed [UPDATE: Two Lies from Cooch]

2010-03-12T13:12:00.008-05:00

Former Gov. (and former Attorney General) Gerald Baliles refutes Ken Cuccinelli's legal reasoning on whether Virginia colleges and universities can protect gay students, professors, etc. from discrimination.

The Attorney General’s opinion, in my judgment, erroneously attempts to place colleges and universities into the same category as “local governments,” and therefore, subject to the Dillon Rule’s requirement of operating only within specific enumerated grants of power from the General Assembly.

For years – decades, even –public colleges and universities have operated pursuant to their “own charters.” In the Educational Institutions title of the Virginia Code, the specific statutes creating the Commonwealth’s public colleges and universities, and amended over the years, including recent restructuring legislation, grant very broad powers to presidents and boards of visitors to “make all needful rules and regulations” concerning their operations and to “generally direct the affairs of their institutions.” Thus, unless the General Assembly affirmatively revokes such powers, Virginia’s public colleges and universities may continue to engage in adopting rules and regulations necessary to their operations, including standards of conduct.

In short, we have an Attorney General who, aside from being a raging homophobe, is also ignorant of Virginia law. Great combination, huh?

h/t: Rosalind Helderman at the Virginia Politics Blog

UPDATE #1: The Alexandria City Council weighs in.

UPDATE #2: Cuccinelli makes a couple of claims that are almost certainly not true. First, Cooch that nobody disagrees with his legal reasoning. On this point, see Baliles' opinion above. Second, Cooch repeatedly claims that his office was just answering a question, and that there's no political motivation or anything else in this. The problem is, at least as far as I know, Cooch's office hasn't provided any evidence that it received a request on this subject. If so, I'd love to hear who made that "request," but barring any evidence, my assumption is that Cooch undertook all this on his own initiative.

It's Long Past Time For Federal Student Loan Reform

2010-03-12T12:24:00.006-05:00

It's a shocker, I know, but once again it looks like the U.S. Senate - aka, "the place where good legislation goes to die" - is holding up a common-sense reform that already passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin. Courtesy of Matthew Yglesias, here's the current state of play on efforts to reform student loans.

SAFRA, the Democrats’ long-standing and excellent plan to stop giving private student loan agencies a pointless subsidy and plow the savings into expanding the pool of tuition aid, sailed through the House months ago but has been stalled out in the Senate. The problem is that when you combine the 100 percent GOP lockstep opposition to everything with the fact that any effort to curb unjust subsidies hurts a local industry in someone’s state, it’s basically impossible to ever get 60 votes for public interest reform of this sort. The solution is reconciliation, and now it looks like SAFRA will be rolled into the health care reconciliation sidecar.

This is excellent news...

I agree, that is excellent news, and I would certainly hope to see the Senate pass this soon. Unfortunately, as the New York Times reports, even a "no brainer" (President Obama's words) like taking "billions of dollars from the profits of private lenders and giv[ing] it directly to students" can get hung up in Congress. Why? Follow the money.

Sallie Mae, a publicly traded company that is the nation’s biggest student lender with $22 billion in loans originated last year, led the field in spending $3.48 million in federal lobbying in 2009, an increase from $3.2 million in 2008, and other lenders spent millions of dollars more, according to an analysis prepared for The New York Times by the Center for Responsive Politics.

[...]

“We anticipated this,” Arne Duncan, the education secretary, said of the lending industry’s lobbying efforts. “They’ve had a sweet deal. They’ve had this phenomenal deal that taxpayers have subsidized, and that’s a hard thing to give up.”

Private lenders get a cut of the federally backed loans that they originate and service, with little risk of their own. At Sallie Mae, lobbyists for the firm are focusing on senators regarded as fiscal conservatives, as well as those in states that are home to lending centers with jobs at stake, including Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, New York and Pennsylvania, said John F. Remondi, chief financial officer for the company.

One state not mentioned in the New York Times article is Virginia, headquarters of Sallie Mae (in Reston). Over the years, Sallie Mae has been very generous with its donations, including to Virginia politicians. An interesting sidenote: Karl Rove "calls out" former Rep. Tom Davis "for trying to get Jeanemarie Devolites (now Jeannemarie Devolites Davis) appointed to the board of student loan giant Sallie Mae."). Now, presumably, Sallie Mae wants a quid pro quo - help in stopping legislation that would end the sweetheart deal they've been getting for years.

What piqued my interest in all this, other than the fact that this legislation could be coming up for a vote soon, is this Daily Kos article, which calls out Jim Webb and Mark Warner as "assholes" (his word, NOT mine!) for supposedly being 2 of the 6 Senate Democrats who are "stand[ing] in the way of progressive legislation that would save the federal government $87 billion over a decade and improve life for college students - most particularly, lower-income students." Now, being a Virginia Democrats who strongly supported the election of both Jim Webb and Mark Warner, this made me want to find out more. Last night, I contacted Webb's and Warner's office. As of this morning, I had heard back from Webb's office, but not (yet?) from Warner's. Here's what Webb's office had to say:

The letter simply suggests that reform be considered in a thoughtful manner—mindful of protecting local jobs. The Senators’ letter also acknowledges the need for federal student loan reform to protect tax dollars and enhance higher educational programs. From our standpoint, to suggest anything more is to overstate the intent of the letter.

I'm also told that "[Senator] Webb is 100% committed to education reform." That's good to know, and I hope to see him pushing for this in the near future. I also remain highly interested in hearing what Sen. Warner's office has to say on this subject. I'll let you know if and when I do, but obviously I hope Sen. Warner agrees that it's (long past) time for federal student loan reform.

UPDATE: Here's Mark Warner's statement.

Senator Warner wants to see reasonable and comprehensive reform, maximizing the resources actually available for student loans by streamlining the way we are paying lenders to originate and service these loans. Obviously, he also wants to make sure that we protect as many Virginia jobs as possible in the process. So, to put it simply, Senator Warner joined his colleagues on this letter to clearly state
his commitment to work to make sure that funding, and quality of service, are maintained for those students who rely upon the federal student loan program.

Appalachia Activists Ask Webb to Help End Mountaintop Removal

2010-03-12T11:55:00.001-05:00

Cross-posted from The Green Miles

Dozens of activists with the Alliance for Appalachia visited Sen. Jim Webb's office this week, asking him to join their efforts to end mountaintop removal coal mining. The Virginians pictured here were part of a much larger group from across America that was lobbying for change this week on Capitol Hill (more details in the great video at the bottom of this post).

As investigative journalist Jeff Biggers writes at Huffington Post:

Webb's state of Virginia stands on the frontlines of the clean energy and climate debate--and Webb, born fighting for progressive causes in Appalachia and America, now must decide whether he will come to the forefront of the battle for clean energy and an end to deadly coal mining and burning, or quietly watch the fate of his state decided by outside interests.

Every Virginian--and American--needs to call Sen. Webb today to not only support desperately needed clean energy and climate legislation, but to sign on as a co-sponsor with Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of the Appalachian Restoration Act to end mountaintop removal at Virginia's climate ground zero.

Biggers then quotes from Webb's book, Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America:

The ever hungry industrialists had discovered that West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southwest Virginia sat atop one huge vein of coal. And so the rape began. The people from the outside showed up with complicated contracts that the small-scale cattle raisers and tobacco farmers could not fully understand, asking for "rights" to mineral deposits they could not see, and soon they were treated to a sundering of their own earth as the mining companies ripped apart their way of life, so that after a time the only option was to go down into the hole and bring the Man his coal, or starve. The Man got his coal, and the profits it brought when he shipped it out. They got their wages, black lung, and the desecration of their land.

You can reach Sen. Webb's DC office at (202)-224-4024.

Northern Virginia Democratic Business Council Fundraiser For Tom Perriello

2010-03-12T10:16:00.001-05:00

This looks like a good event, check it out and help reelect Tom Perriello to Congress!

Whipple Clip Dozen: Friday Morning

2010-03-12T06:53:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Friday "Clips."

1. FOR MCDONNELL, RIGHTS DIRECTIVE IS 'BALANCING ACT'
2. MCDONNELL: VA. ENERGY GOAL REALISTIC
3. MCDONNELL'S NONDISCRIMINATION DIRECTIVE CARRIES FORCE OF OFFICE, NOT LAW
5. ON-TIME STATE BUDGET LOOKS LESS AND LESS LIKELY
8. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS PRESS MCDONNELL TO PROTECT GAY RIGHTS
9. TRADITIONAL ALLIES AT ODDS OVER CHARTER SCHOOLS
10. MARSH STOOD IN WAY OF PRO-GUN LEGISLATION
12. SENATE STRIPS ANTI-BIAS LANGUAGE FROM BILL
13. PROTESTORS OPPOSE NORTHERN VIRGINIA IMAM SET TO DELIVER HOUSE'S OPENING PRAYER
18. GENERAL ASSEMBLY LAWMAKERS PASS CAR TITLE LENDING REFORM
39. 'WITHERING' REPORT SAYS METRO NEEDS 3 YEARS TO BE TURNED AROUND
41. FAIRFAX, FALLS CHURCH PROPOSE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE HIKES

This Looks Like Fun

2010-03-12T06:09:00.004-05:00

Fun, if you're a duck perhaps. By the way, flooding and warmer-than-normal temperatures is evidence neither for nor against global warming. Just thought I'd mention that for all the "skeptics" out there. Heh.

Farris Blasts McDonnell On The "Sin" of Homosexuality

2010-03-11T22:02:00.006-05:00

It looks like Bob McDonnell's "base" isn't happy about his "executive directive" on anti-gay discrimination in state employment.

"I think this action is incredibly disappointing, to the point of being shocking," said Michael P. Farris, the chancellor of Patrick Henry College, a private Christian college in Loudoun County. "The deeper message it sends is that people who think homosexuality is a sin are wrong. They are irrational."

Farris, a lawyer and constitutional scholar who ran for lieutenant governor in 1993, said he thinks McDonnell's policy statement will be used in courts to help challenge Virginia's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which McDonnell supported. "I don't think the people advising him were doing anything other than reading polls," Farris said.

In addition to Farris, we've also got "Sideshow" Bob Marshall calling McDonnell's directive no more than "a press release with fluff around it" and Virginia Cobb of the Family Foundation declaring that "adding additional classes of persons to the Commonwealth’s non-discrimination policy is unnecessary."

The bottom line is that McDonnell may have defused this issue with most people, but he doesn't appear to have mollified his "base" in the least. Unfortunately for McDonnell, defusing social issues while not completely pissing off his base is going to represent a continuing, and difficult, challenge on "social issues" like this one, all while he attempts to be the "Bob's for Jobs" governor in the middle of a deep recession. If he can pull all that off, I'll definitely take my hat off to his political skills. If he can't, well, he didn't really want to be president anyway. :)

UPDATE: VA Social Conservative writes, "I also have to side with Dr. Farris in expressing my disappointment in Governor McDonnell. If you can't stand up for traditional values when the law is on your side and the General Assembly is with you, when can you?"

Rep. Perriello on Bill to Create Rural Energy Savings Program

2010-03-11T15:58:00.002-05:00

Tom Perriello understands that "the cheapest electricity is the electricity you don't have to buy in the first place, because you are conserving." He also understands that energy "efficiency improvements pay for themselves over time," but that many people can't afford the upfront investment. Hence, Perriello's rural energy savings program to provide low-cost financing. Save money, cut carbon emissions, and create jobs: that's a "win, win, win" right there. Great stuff by one of our country's best young congressmen.

Rachel Maddow on "Executive Directive" vs. "Executive Order"

2010-03-11T14:54:00.004-05:00

Sounds awesome, right? Sounds like a man who might want to run as a compassionate conservative at the national level some day. The thing is, the details matter here. In Virginia, an executive directive doesn't have the weight of law behind it like, say, an executive order, which is what he used to rescind gay rights. An executive directive is like a...a request. So Governor McDonnell is basically saying to state agencies, c'mon guys, do me a favor, no gay discrimination ok? It's very convincing coming from him, right?

By the way, according to Howard Fineman of Newsweek, the McDonnell people think they "deftly threaded the needle here." But, as Fineman points out, they may only have "deftly threaded the needle within the confines of the people who vote in Republican primaries in places like Virginia." The real motivation here, according to Fineman, is political - specifically, Bob McDonnell's "national aspirations" and desire to portray himself as a "moderate, compassionate conservative." How McDonnell's going to reconcile that with Ken Cuccinelli and the other "social conservatives" is beyond me, but it should be an interesting next four years.

CBO: Senate Health Reform Bill REDUCES Deficit $118 Billion

2010-03-11T13:23:00.006-05:00

From the Congressional Budget Office a bit earlier today:

[Congressional Budget Office] and [Joint Committee on Taxation] now estimate that, on balance, the direct (mandatory) spending and revenue effects of enacting H.R. 3590 as passed by the Senate would yield a net reduction in federal deficits of $118 billion over the 2010–2019 period. (Direct spending—as distinguished from discretionary spending—is spending that stems from legislation other than appropriation acts.) In our earlier estimate, the budgetary impact was a net reduction in deficits of $132 billion.

So much for the Republican "argument" that the Senate health reform legislation will increase the deficit. So, what other arguments against this do they have? Other than insane (and, of course, completely false) charges like "death panels" and "government takeover of health care," that is. [cue sound of crickets chirping]

P.S. Let's not forget that a robust public option, which we should certainly have, "provides the largest deficit reduction over 10 years." Remind me again why that isn't in the Senate bill?!? Because Republicans and a few conservadems are against giving people an option, also known as a choice, of a public health care plan along with all the private ones? Oh, horrors! Socialism! Communism! Lions and tigers and bears! Heh.

Stephen Colbert Demonstrates Eric Massa's Non-Sexual "Groping"

2010-03-11T10:46:00.002-05:00

Also, check out Tom Toles' cartoon on this topic. As usual, Toles nails it!

Moran to McDonnell: "Offshore drilling revenue are a mirage"

2010-03-11T10:33:00.005-05:00

Yet another reality-based person - Rep. Jim Moran, in this case - weighs in regarding Bob McDonnell's delusional belief that offshore oil revenues are just sitting out there, waiting for us to "drill baby drill" 'em out of the ground. To the contrary, as Chap Petersen pointed out, this is "a fraud wrapped in a chimera concealed within a pyramid scheme." And now, Jim Moran uses a different metaphor - a "mirage" - to describe the same thing. Either way, the point is clear and Bob McDonnell is revealed as having absolutely no clue or plan other than cut, cut, and cut some more.

I appreciate the Governor’s desire to bring in new transportation dollars, but any projections for offshore drilling revenue are a mirage.

As I stated in my March 5th letter to Governor McDonnell: even under the most optimistic scenario, drilling would not occur for at least another eight years. Because drilling would occur in federal waters, by law all royalties must go to the federal government.

Due to a solid coalition of non-coastal states who believe that offshore drilling royalties belong to all the States, there’s little to no chance the Commonwealth would receive special consideration.

Putting aside the obvious environmental concerns, drilling off Virginia’s coast could also hamper our efforts to ‘Save the Carrier’ at Norfolk. The Navy and Department of Defense are strongly opposed to any activities in the proposed region that would affect training operations. Erecting oil rigs in this zone could add fuel to Florida’s efforts to take our carrier and jeopardize other naval and NASA assets along our coastline.

McCartney: "Maybe McDonnell should look again at his Web site"

2010-03-11T06:49:00.003-05:00

From this morning's Washington Post, check out Robert McCartney's latest column, "Va.'s McDonnell slow to fulfill campaign pledges." The gist is that Bob McDonnell made broad, sweeping promises in his 2009 gubernatorial campaign, but now he's running up against that hard wall known as "reality." For instance:

Even before the legislature arrived here, McDonnell (R) decided to put off the vital question of how to find the billions of dollars needed to repair and improve the state's roads. You'll remember he was quite vocal about the topic during the campaign, boasting about his multi-point plan that everybody could find on his Web site. It turned out it wasn't as easy as he suggested.

There's also no sign of how he's going to pay for another whopper of a promise, to expand colleges and universities by 100,000 degrees over 15 years. He's won approval for proposals to promote job growth and charter schools, but they're modest and mostly amount to window dressing.

[...]

For example, one of McDonnell's best-known campaign proposals was to sell the state's ABC liquor stores and spend the proceeds on roads. Some top legislators expected he'd propose that in January.

But when one of his transition teams looked at the issue in December, it decided quickly that the matter required a lot more study. What sort of companies are going to buy the stores, and under what regulation? How does the state make up for losing more than $100 million a year that the stores generate? How does it prevent unsightly private stores from popping up in places where they aren't wanted?

"It turned out to be a whole lot more complicated than just selling the stores," said Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), who was part of the study group. "We started working on it, and we said there's just no way that with the three or four weeks that we had before the bills were due that we were ever going to figure this out."

Wow, governing a state is "more complicated" that just making breezy, pie-in-the-sky campaign promises? Who woulda thunk it? :)

Of course, none of this is the least bit surprising to anyone who examined McDonnell's campaign promises carefully and didn't just fall for his sweet-talking, all-gain-no-pain rhetoric. A key moment for me was listening to former Governor Linwood Holton in September 2009. Among other things, Holton predicted: 1) "There will be no sale of the ABC system in Virginia as long as the General Assembly of Virginia exists, they will not permit the sale of a source of revenue that produces $100 million a year for them to use for schools and other public needs"; and 2) "[Revenues from oil drilling] couldn't possibly bring us a dime within the next 10 years...oil profits is a false promise."

Both of those assertions by Holton are 100% accurate, yet Bob McDonnell's "Big Lie" (or is it "self-delusion?") continues, with a statement issued just yesterday that McDonnell "will allocate 80% of future offshore royalties and revenues to transportation and the remaining 20% to the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, which researches and develops renewable energy solutions." Only one problem with that: WHAT "future offshore royalties and revenues."

As Chap Petersen pointed out a few weeks ago, this is "a fraud wrapped in a chimera concealed within a pyramid scheme" and "a train going nowhere." The fact is, there may not even be any oil off Virginia's coast, and even if there is, it may not make economic sense to recover, and even if it does, the revenues might not even go to Virginia, and even if they do, it might be many years into the future, and even... Anyway, you get the point. The question is, does Bob McDonnell get the point, is he willfully ignorant, or is he simply finding that when campaign rhetoric meets reality, one of them has to give, and it's never, ever reality. Perhaps it's time, as Robert McCartney suggests, that Bob McDonnell "look again at his [own] Web site."

Whipple Clip Dozen: Thursday Morning

2010-03-11T06:45:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Thursday "Clips."

1. VA. GOV. MCDONNELL PROHIBITS BIAS AGAINST GAY STATE WORKERS
4. VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN CUCCINELLI'S LETTER DRAWS FIRE NATIONALLY
11. VA. GOV MCDONNELL SIGNS OFFSHORE ENERGY BILLS
12. VA.'S MCDONNELL SLOW TO FULFILL CAMPAIGN PLEDGES
13. MARCH TO CAPITOL FOLLOWS ANTI-CUCCINELLI PROTEST AT VCU
15. PROGRESS SEEN IN VIRGINIA BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS
21. VA OKS 1ST BILL BANNING MANDATED HEALTH COVERAGE
22. VA. SENATE OKS ETHICS OVERHAUL; MCDONNELL TO SIGN
25. BOYCOTT URGED FOR MUSLIM IMAM'S PRAYER IN VIRGINIA HOUSE
26. VA. LAWMAKERS APPROVE DEATH PENALTY EXPANSION
30. SENATE PANEL VOTES TO ADD NONDISCRIMINATION TO NORTHROP GRUMMAN BILL
35. MIMS APPOINTED TO VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Health Care Reform WILL Pass

2010-03-10T21:29:00.005-05:00

At a "Get Women Elected Now" event in Arlington a bit earlier this evening, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-20th) talks about the prospects for health care reform legislation passing in the near future. The event was held at the home of Arlington County Board member Mary Hynes, and the person asking the question was Arlington County Board member Barbara Favola. Thanks to Arlington School Board member Libby Garvey for inviting me.

UPDATE: Here's Debby Wasserman Schultz on Republicans' "women problem."

UPDATE #2: Here's Wasserman Schultz on the importance of "carrying a crayon."

DPVA: McDonnell "Instituting Half-Measures Necessitated By Political Crisis"

2010-03-10T20:55:00.005-05:00

From the Democratic Party of Virginia, obviously not overjoyed about Bob McDonnell's "half-measures necessitated by political crisis" on protecting GLBT people from discrimination. I couldn't agree more that "Governor McDonnell should just send down a bill that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation." Why won't he?

Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director David Mills released the following statement Wednesday regarding Gov. Bob McDonnell's attempt to distance himself from the brewing controversy over Virginia's discrimination policy:

While we applaud the administrative gesture made by Governor McDonnell today, his non-binding statement of policy does little to protect Virginians from discrimination. The Governor is instituting half-measures necessitated by political crisis, and the time for these games is over. We call on Governor McDonnell to definitively and permanently eliminate the threat that discrimination poses to the lives, jobs, and welfare of all Virginians.

Rather than play legal games, Governor McDonnell should just send down a bill that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Under Governors Warner and Kaine, Virginia became the best state for business by enacting the tolerant policies that attract world-class employers to our Commonwealth. No matter how many administrative gestures he makes, the fact remains that Bob McDonnell and his [Attorney General] Ken Cuccinelli have rolled back protections against discrimination.

UPDATE: Sen. Donald McEachin's statement.

I welcome and commend the governor on his directive. However, we will not quit the struggle until no Virginian has to live in anticipation of a gubernatorial directive or in fear of an Attorney General letter. The fight will go on until we can codify into Virginia law that each and every Virginian deserves equal rights, equal opportunity, fairness and justice. As in the civil right struggle of the last century, we appreciate every step forward, but our goal is to ensure that all barriers are toppled and all hurdles are dismantled.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Virginians from across the Commonwealth and especially those who are part of our college and university families. Their willingness to stand up and be counted, their intolerance for hatred and bigotry has made all the difference. They have demonstrated to the governor by their generosity of spirit that they want to live in a Virginia where all are welcome and all can expect to be judged on their merit and their character, not on other insignificant criteria.

I promise to continue this effort. We may have succeeded for now, but we have more to do and, together, we will accomplish it.

Coffee Party Overtakes Tea Party!

2010-03-10T17:47:00.003-05:00

Great news; the "Coffee Party" Facebook group (107,899 members) has overtaken the largest Tea Party Facebook group (107,892 members) after just a few weeks of the Coffee Party's founding. Congratulations to the Coffee Party and its leaders, Annabel Park and Eric Byler! And don't forget, this Saturday is "National Coffee Party Day".

Virginia General Assembly Bans Mandated Health Insurance

2010-03-10T16:28:00.005-05:00

This is both unconstitutional and embarrassing, not to mention dumber than a door knob.

Virginia's General Assembly is the first in the nation to approve legislation that bucks any attempt by President Barack Obama and Congress to implement the national health care overhaul in states like Virginia.

Without debate, the House of Delegates voted 80-17 Wednesday to accept Senate amendments to a bill that supporters say preserves Virginia's prerogatives as a state.

Heckuva job, guys!

UPDATE: I'm informed that this vote was only on the Governor's amendment, not on the underlying bill (got that?). Apparently, the main bill has already been passed by both houses and will be enacted, so supporting the Governor's amendment was the only chance for Democrats to make a problematic bill a little better.

McDonnell: "Employment discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated"

2010-03-10T15:55:00.007-05:00

I certainly didn't expect this, but at first glance it looks strong. I'm particularly impressed (and amazed) that McDonnell's order specifies "one’s sexual orientation" as a "class of persons" that can not be discriminated against in state employment. Wow, is Ken Cuccinelli's head now exploding? What about "Sideshow" Bob Marshall's? Ha.

STANDARD OF CONDUCT FOR CABINET MEMBERS, EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCY HEADS, MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS AND EMPLOYEES CONCERNING EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

As the chief executive officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia, I hereby establish a standard of conduct to ensure that all cabinet members, Executive Branch agency heads, managers, supervisors and employees understand and enforce state and federal law prohibiting employment discrimination.

Employment discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated by this Administration. The Virginia Human Rights Act recognizes the unlawfulness of conduct that violates any Virginia or federal statute or regulation governing discrimination against certain enumerated classes of persons. The Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution prohibits discrimination without a rational basis against any class of persons.

Discrimination based on factors such as one’s sexual orientation or parental status violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. Therefore, discrimination against enumerated classes of persons set forth in the Virginia Human Rights Act or discrimination against any class of persons without a rational basis is prohibited.

Consistent with state and federal law, and the Virginia and United States Constitutions, I hereby direct that the hiring, promotion, compensation, treatment, discipline, and termination of state employees shall be based on an individual’s job qualifications, merit and performance. No employee of the Executive Branch shall engage in any discriminatory conduct against another employee.

Executive Directive 1 (2010)

Executive Directive 1 (2010)

Allegations of any violation of the law or this standard of conduct shall be brought promptly to the attention of the Director of the Department of Human Resource Management for review and corrective action. Any cabinet member, agency head, manager, supervisor or employee who discriminates against a state employee or prospective employee in violation of the law or this standard of conduct shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, ranging from reprimand to termination.

I further direct agency heads to ensure that every manager and supervisor in their respective agency is aware of and enforces this standard of conduct. Civility, fair treatment, and mutual respect shall be the standard of conduct expected in state employment.
/s/ Robert F. McDonnell, Governor

Note: Decision Virginia broke this story. Nice work!

P.S. By the way, didn't Attorney General McDonnell tell Tim Kaine that this was the realm of the legislature and not the executive branch? Apparently, politics trumps principle for Bob McDonnell, which in this case is a good thing!

UPDATE: Equality Virginia has issued a statement.

Equality Virginia Chief Executive Officer, Jon Blair, issued the following statement in response to the Governor's issuance of Executive Directive #1 today:

Equality Virginia is gratified that the Governor has responded positively to our call for action. The Governor took a major positive step forward today toward assuring that gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender workers will not be subject to discrimination in state employment. Equality Virginia applauds his implementation of a "standard of conduct" that recognizes that discrimination based on sexual orientation is unconstitutional and establishes a strict prohibition against such discrimination in the state workforce. At the same time, however, the directive is silent regarding discrimination based on gender identity, and does not afford any protection to students at our state colleges and universities, so it is clear that there is much work still to be done.

Accordingly, Equality Virginia will continue to urge the Governor and the legislature to work together with us to codify workplace protections for all gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender state employees and to support future legislation that protects Virginians from all discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Equality Virginia sincerely hopes that the Attorney General agrees that the Governor's action today is within his authority and that he will defend the Governor's enforcement of Executive Directive #1.

Catherine "Bullet Box" Crabill To Take On Rob Wittman?

2010-03-10T11:43:00.006-05:00

This is great news. If you're a Democrat who wants to unseat Rob Wittman, that is! :)

More insanity from Catherine "Bullet Box" Crabill's Facebook page:

*"I stand with Dr. Dobson."
*"Go Bob Marshall! You're my hero!"
""Thank God for Delegate Bob Marshall! A hero for life and liberty!"
*"Still standing in support of Delegate Bob Marshall who has been misquoted and eviscerted by the wicked media and his own pathetic party. Where's the loyalty to a hero of liberty and life? Shame on McDonnell, et al."
*"Not so shocking considering Obama is a Marxist/Communist/Whatever..."
*"More "global warming" troubles as insidious lies give way to the liberating truth...."
*"Can we 'Wish Away' Al Gore? He can't afford to give this lie up because it will cost him millions...or more!"
*"I was made aware of a newly forming “resistence” movement to the Tea Party called the Coffee Party. You can search facebook to find it. SOme of the “stickers” I saw posted there were promoting anarchy. I don’t doubt that many mislead young Americans will be drawn to this organization and that they may be encouraged and enflamed by those on the left that see them as useful idiots. This is a spiritual battle for the minds and hearts of our country and our countrymen. Prayer is the weapon of choice, coupled with activism. My prayer is that God would reveal the plans of the wicked who are bent on destroying this great and glorious land and give us the wisdom and courage to know how to respond within the rule of Law as per our inspired Constitution."
*"Beware the nationalization of Student Loan! Contact your senators!"

I'll tell you, the next few months could really be entertaining in Virginia's 1st CD.

P.S. Go Krystal!

Video: "Sideshow Bob" Says There's No Anti-Gay Discrimination

2010-03-10T11:15:00.002-05:00

Check out this video of yesterday's debate (starting around 4:45) on the nondiscrimination bill Del. Ken Plum brought to the House floor. Among other things, Del. "Sideshow" Bob Marshall claims that there's no anti-gay discrimination ("these folks have more jobs than the rest of us, more discretionary money"), asserts that "the term sexual attraction or orientation" is far beyond same-sex inclinations or appetites," and adds that there "are at least 29" types of sexual orientation. Del. David Englin compares anti-gay discrimination today to discrimination in U.S. history, when there were signs that said "Jews need not apply, Italians not welcome" and "No Irish allowed."

Jon Stewart Mocks Virginia GOP's Anti-Gay Crusade

2010-03-10T10:50:00.002-05:00

VAYD President Sean Holihan On Cooch's "War" Against State Colleges, Universities

2010-03-10T10:35:00.006-05:00

Sean Holihan writes.

Attorney General Ken Cucinnelli has gone after rules at our Universities protecting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender employees. In spite of people from both sides of the aisle condemning Cucinelli's persecution of gays in state employment, Governor McDonnell and elected Republicans have backed Cuccinelli's decision. Enough is enough. Governor McDonnell is being anti-equality and anti-jobs. He is breaking his campaign promises: to not discriminate, to bring high quality jobs to Virginia, and to do what's best for Virginia's schools. Tell Governor McDonnell to live up to his word, to stop bashing gay and lesbian Virginians, to stop scaring away good jobs and top talent. Tell Governor McDonnell to lead his party out of the wilderness and into the 21st Century by passing non-discrimination protections for state employees.

I couldn't agree more, got git'm Sean!

McLaughlin & Associates Publishes Lamest Poll Ever?

2010-03-10T08:55:00.004-05:00

You'd think that a consulting firm, no matter how much it needs the clients (and their $$$), wouldn't want to completely trash its reputation over one poll for one client in one race. Yet, if there's any justice in the world, that's exactly what McLaughlin & Associates may have done with its Keith Fimian poll.

I'm not so much concerned with the top-line number, which has Keith Fimian ahead of Gerry Connolly 40%-35%, although that's not particularly plausible. What really blows my mind is that McLaughlin & Associates thinks we're all stupid enough to believe that Virginia's 11th CD is far more conservative than the country as a whole. To quote McLaughlin & Associates, "On the generic ballot for U.S. Congress, the Republican candidate has a 19 point advantage over the Democrat candidate (52% to 33%)." Hahahahahahahahahaha.

OK, now back to reality, which is that the national "generic" Congressional ballot is tied between Republicans and Democrats right now, at 43% a piece. Which means McLaughlin & Associates wants us to believe that Virginia's 11th CD - where Democrats just won a couple of special election victories (Marsden, Filler-Corn), and where Democrats Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Barack Obama, Gerry Connolly, Sharon Bulova, etc., etc. all won in recent years - is 19 points more Republican leaning than the rest of America.

To the contrary, it's likely that VA-11 is similar to the rest of the country or significantly more Democratic, meaning that the supposed 40%-35% margin for Keith Fimian over Gerry Connolly is more likely a 10-15 point lead for Connolly. But hey, if Republicans want to believe this garbage, more power to 'em. I only hope they start using McLaughlin & Associates for all their candidates this year! :)

P.S. By the way, I love use, in a polling memo, of the juvenile pseudo-epithet "Democrat candidate," as opposed to the grammatically correct "Democratic candidate." Very professional, guys! LOL

h/t: Good catch by Not Larry Sabato

Eric Cantor: Weasel Words and Lies

2010-03-10T08:35:00.004-05:00

Watch this video and see for yourself as Eric Cantor demonstrates that the only two things he's got in his arsenal are weasel words and lies.

On the "weasel words" front, observe as Cantor tries to have it every which way with regard to Eric Massa. Cantor won't denounce fellow Republicans for attempting to twist a man's personal and professional meltdown into some kind of negative commentary on health care reform. At the same time, Massa leaves the door open to deep dark conspiracy theories, with the nonsense that he's just getting the news like everyone else (suuuuure) and that he really doesn't know the answer to why Massa resigned (even though Massa himself admitted he hadn't been pressured to resign and Steny Hoyer said point blank, on the same show as Cantor, that Massa hadn't been pressured).

On the "lies" front, listen to Cantor's whopper about how Democrats are "short-circuiting the rules" on health care reform legislation, even though he knows full well that this is false. In fact, health reform legislation has already passed the House and Senate, in the latter case with a "supermajority" of 60 votes. Now, the two Houses are doing what always happens with legislation when there's a Senate version and a House version - the two chambers negotiate differences and vote on a final bill, or one chamber simply votes to adopt the other chamber's legislation. This is exactly how bills become laws, as anyone who's ever taken a civics class knows. Either Eric Cantor skipped civics, or he's lying and he knows he's lying. Of course, this is the same guy who has spent the past year spewing out disinformation to the American people about "government takeover of health care" and other rubbish (e.g, that the stimulus isn't working, even though almost every economist says it's working exactly as designed), so what else can we expect? It's sad, though, that a formerly great American political party has been reduced to this.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Wednesday Morning

2010-03-10T06:42:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Wednesday "Clips."

1. ASSEMBLY BUDGET NEGOTIATORS AT ODDS AMID GRIM TAX REPORT
2. SENATE TRIMS FEES SLIGHTLY IN BUDGET OVERTURE
4. BOLLING ENTERS DEBATE OVER TAXES AND FEES IN VIRGINIA
5. CUCCINELLI ASKED IF PROPOSED FEES WOULD VIOLATE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION
6. VA. BUDGET PLAN WOULD SHRINK GENERAL SPENDING TO 2006 LEVELS
11. VA. SENATE PASSES GOVERNOR'S PLAN TO EXPAND CHARTER SCHOOLS
16. RESTORING PROTECTION FOR GAY STATE EMPLOYEES FAILS
17. VA. HOUSE OKS RESOLUTION OPPOSING SOERING
21. MCDONNELL PLEDGES NOT TO DISCRIMINATE, BACKS CUCCINELLI'S LEGAL REASONING ON GAYS
34. IN VIRGINIA, LEGALIZED DISCRIMINATION IS ALIVE AND WELL
36. FAIRNESS, JOBS THREATENED BY STANCE ON GAYS
37. GAYS ON CAMPUS DESERVE PROTECTION

Chiefs of Police, Sens. Webb, Hatch, Specter & Graham Urge Vote on Criminal Justice Commission

2010-03-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

Great work by Senator Webb on this issue. Now, let's pass the National Criminal Justice Commission Act (S. 714) and start reforming our broken criminal "justice" system!

Crazy vs. Crazier: Who's Craziest?

2010-03-09T19:12:00.002-05:00

The Daily Beast writes:

Well now. The much-anticipated sit-down between Glenn Beck and Eric Massa got off to a weird start Tuesday, as the contrite-but-not-really former Rep. Massa offered to slit his wrists on camera, then whipped out a visual aid to show how a Navy ceremony might, out of context, "look like an orgy in Caligula."

Alrighty, then. Meanwhile, 538.com reports on the conclusion of this bizarre moment in Idiot Box Boob-itude.

By the end, however, a frustrated Beck clearly had heard enough of Massa's vague and shopworn complaints--he depicted the whip system in Congress as corruption--and his lack of any real evidence to back up his public charges. Turning directly to the camera to address his viewers, Beck confessed, "I think I've wasted an hour of your time." It was one of the most honest moments I have ever seen on television.

It's hard to out-crazy Glenn Beck, whose show is sponsored by the Yoshi Knife, and gold brokers running ads featuring Gordon Liddy and the dude Matt Damon chumped down in the famous bar scene from Good Will Hunting. But this afternoon, Massa did just that.

In sum, what we had here today was "crazy" vs. "crazier," with the only question being "who's craziest?" That's one tough call.

DNC: Republicans Don't Understand The Problem On Health Insurance Rates

2010-03-09T18:22:00.003-05:00

Effective, populist framing by the DNC.

Sen. Mark Herring: "Cuccinelli's letter is an embarrassment to our Commonwealth"

2010-03-09T17:25:00.005-05:00

The following is from Senator Mark Herring (D-33). I couldn't agree more with what Herring has to say.

In recent weeks, Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been making headlines for the wrong reasons. Most recently, it has been revealed that Cuccinelli sent a letter to state college presidents and other officials advising them that they do not have the authority to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Cuccinelli’s statement would give the green light to firing professors and denying admission to applicants for no other reason than their sexual orientation.

Discrimination is unacceptable, period, and it certainly should not be permitted in employment and admissions at public colleges and universities in Virginia.

Cuccinelli’s letter is reprehensible. It not only threatens the quality and competitiveness of Virginia’s higher education system, it severely damages the progress Virginia has made in recent years to embrace diversity and become the best place in America for business. By not repudiating his statement, Governor McDonnell has made it clear that his administration is content with turning the clock back on civil rights.

This distraction comes at a time when the General Assembly is facing its toughest budget process in years, with painful cuts due to an unprecedented decline in state revenues. Instead of focusing on fixing our economic problems, the Attorney General and the McDonnell Administration seem to be intent on scoring political points with their base. This is not the sort of problem-solving, pragmatic leadership Virginians were promised during last fall’s campaign.

Attorney General Cuccinelli’s letter is an embarrassment to our Commonwealth. His position and Governor McDonnell’s tacit support of it are moving Virginia out of the mainstream and into the political fringe.

Emotional Speech By Sen. Yvonne Miller Blasting Charter Schools

2010-03-09T17:24:00.003-05:00

...One of the things you must understand, I'm the product of public schools in the city of Norfolk, I'm a product of Norfolk State University, I'm a product of Virginia State University...

I am here to tell you that this bill at this time is like a kick in the gut. And the reason it's like a kick in the gut is because we are underfunding public education, we are cutting public education, we are in a global competition for intellectual power and we are saying in Virginia, it's ok to skim from the population that needs a high-quality education and to regulate the largest part of that population to an inferior, underfunded education. In a state as rich as Virginia...we are saying, we are not willing to educate our children...

The education of children should be a top priority for all Virginians, not just the ones who are the recipients of the luck of the draw in a lottery. All of our children should have a high-quality, first-rate education. We have the resources to do that. We are now running a scam on some of our families, saying that this is a way to solve some very serious problems.

Education is the great equalizer...before considering charter schools, we should first fund the public schools...just the accident of birth in Virginia often determines the quality of the schools that children will attend. If you are born in a rich locality, your public schools are very, very good. If you are born in a poor locality in Virginia, your education may be substandard...These bills are saying, let's not educate all the children of all the people, let's select a few children and educate them very well.

This is a very bad bill, based on our history, we should be ashamed of ourselves to even introduce such legislation.

UPDATE: Also, see the excellent speeches by Sen. Henry Marsh, Sen. Mamie Locke, Sen. Louise Lucas, and Sen. Philip Puckett.

AFSCME, Farm Team, PCCC Endorse Krystal Ball for Congress

2010-03-09T13:39:00.006-05:00

Good news from the Krystal Ball for Congress campaign.

As the nominating process to select the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s First Congressional District kicks off, key Democratic constituency groups are making it known who they think will be best prepared to take on Rob Wittman in November’s election.

Today, Krystal Ball for Congress has announced the support of three additional organizations; AFSCME, The Farm Team, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).

Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) said, "We are very impressed by Krystal, her positions, her willingness to fight, and the Krystal Ball campaign operation."

"I have been so impressed with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s commitment to issues that are important to Democrats, especially their support of a strong public option," said Ball. "Their support, along with that of AFSCME and the Farm Team, gives us a sense of momentum going into this nominating process."

AFSCME is the largest public employee and health care workers union in the United States.

Congratulations to Krystal Ball on these impressive endorsements. If you want to contribute to Krystal's campaign and help ensure that we have a strong, progressive candidate in Virginia's 1st CD, please click here. Thanks.

Mark Warner on Jobs and Unemployment

2010-03-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

"Senator Mark Warner spoke on the Senate floor on March 8th after returning from a federal job fair hosted by his office in Stafford, Va. Over 7,000 jobseekers participated, waiting up to three hours to get inside."

Rich Anthony Slams Frank Wolf For Defending "Dept. of Jihad" Slander

2010-03-09T11:35:00.002-05:00

Great stuff by 10th CD candidate Rich Anthony, slamming Frank Wolf for defending Liz Cheney's "McCarthyism." Here's an excerpt, but definitely check out the whole thing (and recommend if you can).

We've known for some time now that Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) had no intention of engaging in the hard work of moving this country forward. Instead, Wolf has been content to simply take cheap shots from the sidelines. So I guess that it comes as no surprise that with all the free time that comes with not doing your job, Frank has decided to sink to a new low by joining Liz Cheney and dragging the good names and reputations of 9 Justice Department lawyers through the mud. It comes as no surprise to those of us who have been closely watching Mr. Wolf and his criticisms of President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder. The attack by Cheney and Wolf on these lawyers - and, more broadly, on our nation’s legal system and rule of law – was over the line and unacceptable, modern-day McCarthyism at its worst.

[...]

That’s right, Frank Wolf is siding with the most extreme, McCarthyist elements in his party, people like Liz Cheney, and is defending their outrageous claims in an official letter sent to the Department of Justice. This is the guy I’m running against in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. Wolf’s behavior is inexcusable, which is why we need to send a message to him loud and clear. If you find Wolf’s assault on our legal system and defense of Liz Cheney’s McCarthyist tactics as deplorable as I do, please help me send a message to Rep. Wolf that this kind of rhetoric will not be tolerated. How about $9 for the 9 DOJ lawyers ($1 for each of them) who have been unfairly slimed by Frank Wolf's attacks? Thank you.

Sexually Harass Male Staffer, Become "conservative media hero"

2010-03-09T06:59:00.004-05:00

This says it all about conservatives' desperation to attack Barack Obama on health care or anything else.

He’s spent only 431 days in Congress, has never seen any of his bills pass out of subcommittee and was best known for voting against major pieces of legislation because they weren’t liberal enough for him — at least until he was accused of sexually harassing a male staffer.

Meet Eric Massa, conservative media hero.

[...]

Rush Limbaugh vowed to make a “national story” out of Massa’s claims that Democrats orchestrated his downfall because he voted no on health care reform...

...And Glenn Beck took to Twitter to announce that he’d have Massa on his show for “the full hour” Tuesday because “all Americans need to hear him.”

Huh? "All Americans need to hear" someone accused of sexually harassing a male staffer? On the other hand, why would that stop the likes of Rush "Barack the Magic Negro" Limbaugh and Glenn "I'm on the verge of moral collapse at any time" Beck? Apparently, this kind of thing just encourages them.

At least one right wingnut appears to have a bit of sense about this Eric "what I really ought to be doing is fracking you" Massa business -- Michelle "In Defense of Internment" Malkin, of all people.

Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin warned her readers not to be fooled by a “weapon of Massa distraction.”

“He’s been a progressive zealot and political opportunist his entire career,” Malkin wrote Monday afternoon. “He’s claimed conspiracy before, is intimately bonded with the nutroots and climbed the political ladder with backing from the odious, anti-war-hoaxer-embracing Gen. Wesley Clark. What Massa dismissively calls his ‘salty old sailor’ talk should raise bright-red flags about possible long-standing predatory behavior.”

Sorry, Michelle, but apparently "long-standing predatory behavior" is a good thing among most of your fellow members of the conservative punditocracy. At least among the homophobic male members.

P.S. I agree with BarbinMD at Daily Kos, that "Rarely in the annals of politics, has someone fallen so fast" as Eric Massa, and that "One can only hope that this will be rock bottom for [him]." Very sad.

UPDATE: Mo Elleithee weighs in.

If the right wing wants to embrace a guy who is accused of sexual harassment and ADMITS to a pattern of inappropriate behavior dating back to his days in the Navy, I say have at it. It just further underscores that they have no productive vision for our nation. Massa may be good for their ratings, but his bizarre rants certainly aren’t adding anything to the national dialogue. The more he speaks out, the more he solidifies his position as the kookiest ex-congressman in America. Given that, Glenn Beck may just be the PERFECT platform for him.

Cooch Fires Up Students

2010-03-09T06:46:00.000-05:00

It's great to see that Ken Cuccinelli is doing some good as Attorney General; he's inspiring students across Virginia to become activists!

Campus activists across Virginia put spring break on hold Monday to mobilize against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, who has riled student groups with a letter advising public universities to retreat from their policies against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

More than 3,000 people joined the Facebook page "We Don't Want Discrimination In Our State Universities And Colleges!" Nearly 1,000 people joined another, started by activists at the College of William and Mary. The University of Virginia group Queer & Allied Activism urged students to protest on Cuccinelli's Facebook page and on Twitter.

Students at Virginia Commonwealth University, one of the few in the state not on break, planned a rally for noon Wednesday, with several hundred students committed. At Christopher Newport University, student Republican and Democratic leaders will discuss their next steps at a bipartisan meeting Friday.

"I've never gotten so many e-mails from students wanting to do something," said Brandon Carroll, 21, president of the student government at Virginia Tech. He said any erosion in gay rights at state universities is "going to make us lose top students. It's going to make us lose top faculty."

The students are right and I strongly encourage them to continue, and intensify, their activism against Cooch's bigotry. Not that I expect that a fanatic like Cooch will back off, but hopefully the students (and others) can exert pressure on others to rein Cooch in.

By the way, it looks like one of the people exerting pressure on Cooch will not be Sen. Robert Hurt (R-16), who apparently thinks state-sponsored bigotry against an entire group of people is fine and dandy.

"It seems to me that he was trying to get out his legal opinion," said Sen. Robert Hurt (R-Pittsylvania). "It doesn't seem like a clarion call to discriminate against anyone."

Oh no, not at all, it was just a harmless, innocent, unbiased legal opinion on an innocuous matter by Virginia's Attorney General. Uh huh.

Senate Kills Howell's Asbestos Bill

2010-03-09T06:40:00.000-05:00

Once again, thank you Democratic-controlled State Senate!

A Virginia Senate committee on Monday killed a proposal championed by House Speaker William J. Howell that would have helped protect a Fortune 500 company from asbestos lawsuits.

The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted down the measure 13 to 2 with just one Republican and one Democrat siding with Howell, who had quietly maneuvered behind the scenes for much of the legislative session to garner support for the bill, HB 629. The House of Delegates narrowly passed the bill last month.

And once again, shame on the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, which passed Bill Howell's asbestos protection act 49-48 on February 9. Yet another example of why we need Democrats in charge in Richmond.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Tuesday Morning

2010-03-09T06:39:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Tuesday "Clips."

1. K-12 CUTS AT CENTER OF BUDGET TALKS
2. TEA PARTY TARGETS BUDGET, DEMS' GUN BILL TACTICS
3. HOWELL DISPUTES JOB LOSS FIGURES
6. VA. SENATE PANEL KILLS BILL THAT WOULD SHIELD BUSINESS FROM ASBESTOS LAWSUITS
9. SOME PRO-GUN BILLS ADVANCE WHILE OTHERS FOUNDER
10. MCDONNELL SCHOOL REFORMS ADVANCE DESPITE OPPOSITION
11. BILL TO PROTECT GAYS LIKELY IS DOOMED
16. DEATH PENALTY EXPANSION BILLS PASS SENATE PANEL
20. STUDENTS IRATE AT CUCCINELLI OVER GAY-RIGHTS POLICIES
23. MILLS TO LEAD VIRGINIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
28. ANTHEM ALSO RAISES RATES FOR VIRGINIANS
38. VIRGINIA'S BACKSLIDING ON MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROMISES

Video: Donald McEachin On "Living the Thesis"

2010-03-08T17:56:00.002-05:00

Great speech by Donald McEachin, declaring that "the struggle [for civil rights] continues...today for us." Specifically, McEachin refers to Ken Cuccinelli's assault on gays and lesbians in Virginia and asserts that we are "living the [Bob McDonnell Regent University] thesis." To paraphrase a Republican speaking about Barack Obama, my hope is that this Republican overreach will constitute "their Waterloo" politically. Unfortunately, how many people will have to suffer in the meantime? Even if it's one person - and it's far more than that, of course - it's completely inexcusable.

Coffee Party Hits 100,000 Facebook Fans!

2010-03-08T17:27:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the Coffee Party USA, now at 100,000 fans on Facebook. By the way, the Coffee Party Facebook page is now within about 6,000 fans of the Tea Party Patriots page. Impressive, and I bet Coffee surpasses Tea leading up to the March 13 national coffee party (see video above). Great work by my friends Annabel Park and Eric Byler!

Dave Mills Named New DPVA Executive Director

2010-03-08T16:55:00.003-05:00

As I reported last Tuesday:

Like our big announcement for JJ last week, I wanted to let you know that our search for a new Executive Director is over before we send out the press release. David Mills has been named the new ED for DPVA. Dave was our Finance Director and has also worked raising money for Brian Moran's campaign for Governor as well as for Creigh Deeds for Governor. I am very excited to continue to work with David as we build our party stronger.You can email him at dave@vademocrats.org...

Thanks for all you do,

Don

By the way, I had a long phone conversation with Dave Mills last night and was very impressed. I'm a lot more encouraged after speaking with him and hope this bodes well for the future of DPVA/netroots relations. Good luck to Dave in his new job!

Virginia's Budget Problems Solved!

2010-03-08T15:33:00.005-05:00

Thanks to a reader for sharing this solution to Virginia's budget problems. Now, if we can just get the General Assembly to listen! ;)

Had one of those wild thoughts while standing in line waiting for something or other earlier today that just might help close Virginia's budget deficit.

Currently there is a debate on-going in South Carolina for the repeal of the state's "Subversive Activities Registration Act". If VA were to institute such a subversives registration program with a a fee similar to that charged in SC, then under the current definition of subversives I'm sure that VA's budget woes would be completely erased.

If we were to expand the definition of subversives to gays, people of color, alcoholics, non-Christians and those Christians that aren't currently held in high repute with the members of the Belles of Heaven Republican Womens Club, then I would have no doubt in my mind that the resulting revenue stream would far outweigh the revenue stream from the Governor's proposal to include royalties from off-shore oil drilling!

Budget problem solved!

Think I'll contact [my state senator/delegate] and have him introduce a bill this session at the earliest possible opportunity.

Family Foundation Leaps to Cooch's Defense on "homosexual lifestyle"

2010-03-08T13:39:00.003-05:00

Up is down, right is wrong, war is peace, black is white...the Family Foundation speaketh.

Late last week it was revealed that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sent a letter to the state’s taxpayer funded colleges and universities informing them that, without General Assembly approval, they do not have the authority to issue non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation. Apparently, the state’s public colleges and universities had issued such policies without the approval to do so.

And thus started a media firestorm. Essentially the Attorney General, the office designated to instruct state entities on the law, told them to actually follow the law. But Democrat leaders and homosexual activists immediately pounced, calling Cuccinelli’s advice “hate” and vowed to revive legislation that died last week that would add sexual orientation to the Commonwealth’s anti-discrimination policy.

Today, several legislators are literally screaming about the issue on the floor of the House of Delegates all but accusing Attorney General Cuccinelli of hatred. They are urging the House General Laws committee to act on legislation, SB 66, that was defeated in subcommittee last week, when the committee meets this afternoon (The Family Foundation will be there to ensure this does not happen).

It is quite interesting to listen to proponents of this major change in Virginia’s public policy. In three separate presentations before committee and subcommittee, advocates for making sexual orientation a protected class have admitted that 90 percent of Virginians don’t think there should be discrimination. They have admitted that the last three governors have had policies, either written or verbal, that they will not allow such discrimination. At no point has any actual evidence of discrimination been presented. Late last year the Washington Post editorialized that there are “thousands of homosexuals” working in state government.

Usually, the General Assembly passes legislation to remedy a problem. They often defeat legislation that, as is said, is a “solution in search of a problem.” That is exactly the problem with this legislation.

So what is the goal? It really is not about discrimination. It is about government recognition – acceptance – of the homosexual lifestyle. Make no mistake, this debate is a serious one and it will have long term consequences for not just state government but private businesses and ultimately our marriage amendment. The goal is not anti-discrimination – it is forced acceptance of a lifestyle that many Virginians find antithetical to their faith.

The rhetoric at the Capitol today is heated and not very tolerant. It seems that those who oppose creating a special class for homosexuals are hateful and bigoted, which is an easy accusation to make when you have no other argument and no ability to make your case.

Ward Armstrong, The "Gentleman From Statewide?"

2010-03-08T10:37:00.003-05:00

Anita Kumar heard it as "the delegate from statewide." I heard it as "the gentleman from statewide." Either way, it appears that Ward Armstrong is interested in running for governor in 2013. If so, he would join a growing list of names - including Terry McAuliffe, who commented "the more the merrier" on Armstrong's potential candidacy - de facto in the race. Now, I know it's early, but it's extremely unlikely that I would ever support someone with ratings like these: 0% from NARAL, 10%-67% from Equality Virginia, 60%-88% from the conservative Family Foundation, A from the NRA, and 33% from the Virginia National Organization for Women. No thanks.

Sen. Whipple: House Budget Will Be "huge step backwards" for Pre-K

2010-03-08T10:12:00.002-05:00

Thank you to my Senator, Mary Margaret Whipple, for fighting against House Republicans' plans to "undo years of progress in closing the achievement gap." As Sen. Whipple says, "Early childhood education is one of the smartest investments we can make for the future." So why on earth would we do anything that would harm these programs?

Will Virginia GOP Commit "Mass Suicide" Over "Social Issues?"

2010-03-08T05:50:00.000-05:00

Not Larry Sabato thinks it's possible.

... now thanks to Ken Cuccinelli's letter last week telling colleges they can and should have policies that allow for gay employees to be fired for that reason alone- this issue is going to swing right back on the GOP in 2011. Making it even worse for Republicans is they went on record in the full House to kill a proposal preventing this two weeks ago.

I'll have more on this later this week- but by my count this puts 19 of the 61 GOP Delegate seats into peril, with another 4 likely to be added in areas through redistricting that are also put into play. That's 23 of 61 seats, or almost 40% of the entire GOP caucus! The problem the GOP is running into here is not that gay rights is popular statewide (the 06 amendment would still pass today- although by a slightly smaller margin) but that the strength of that support is in areas of the Commonwealth that are losing population and legislative representation while the rest of the state has a large majority looking onto this activity with repulsion.

In short, it looks like Republicans have figured out a way to put their House majority in jeopardy for the first time since taking it in 1999- something House Democrats have been too inept to do on their own.

But wait, you say, something that happened in early 2010 won't have any impact on elections in November 2011, right? Well, yes, I agree that in isolation this wouldn't have much impact. The problem for Virginia Republicans - and the tremendous opportunity for Virginia Democrats - is that this almost certainly will not be an isolated incident. To the contrary, it is highly likely that Ken Cuccinelli et al. will continue and even intensify their crusade against gay people, their assault on global warming science, their refighting of the Civil War on "state's rights," not to mention their trashing of Virginia's education system and quality of life.

Ultimately, Virginia voters are likely to recoil at Cuccinelli's far-right-wing/"Moving Virginia Backwards, Separately" agenda, and to start branding Virginia Republicans as a bunch of crazy extremists. If that happens, then NLS is 100% correct; Virginia Republicans will get wiped out in the Hampton Roads-Richmond-NOVA "urban crescent," where Barack Obama racked up huge victory margins in 2008 and where people don't take kindly to this sort of nonsense. Now, we just need a revitalized and aggressive Democratic Party of Virginia, combined with strong candidate recruitment, to fully capitalize on the Republicans' massive overreach. If all that happens, I agree with NLS that 2011 could be a very good year for Virginia Democrats.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Monday Morning

2010-03-08T05:45:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Monday "Clips."

1. NEGOTIATORS MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS ON VA. BUDGET
3. FEES EMERGE AS CENTRAL DISPUTE IN VA. BUDGET
4. LARGE LAYOFFS POSSIBLE IN VIRGINIA
5. LOBBYISTS STOP ANTI-LOOPHOLE BILL ON HOTEL TAXES
7. VIRGINIA DELAYS STORMWATER STANDARDS; MARYLAND CONSIDERS THE SAME
8. GOV. MCDONNELL EXPECTED TO SIGN BILL ALLOWING CREATION OF BVU AUTHORITY
9. TEA PARTY MEMBERS MEET UP AT YORKTOWN FOR TWO-DAY RALLY
14. WIDE LOAD TO FILL TWO LANES OF I-95
16. PAROLING GRANDPA
17. COMMON GROUNDS
18. METRO, LAID BARE
19. SLAVERY MUSEUM NEEDS A NEW HOME

Hope For Sanity In the Republican Party?

2010-03-07T22:11:00.004-05:00

I don't agree with all of this; nonetheless, "Cato the Elder" at Too Conservative (combined with Brian S.'s strong condemnation of Ken Kookinelli and "Loudoun Insider"'s stand against right wingnut Mark Sell) gives me hope that there might be at least a bit of sanity in the Republican Party. Here's an excerpt from "The Great Oil Shakedown".

Let’s face it, oil needs to go the way of the dinosaur. Anyone out there making a serious argument for drill baby drill is conducting self-examination for colon polyps. The best case scenario I’ve seen for ANWR is a 6 month supply. If we go after every drop around the continental shelf we might find 7-8 years worth at current consumption rates. We use approximately 20 million barrels per day, and produce about 8, which means we’re sending our capital offshore at a rate of about 1 billion dollars daily...

We should tax gasoline at .50 per gallon and raise it every year until we get to 2 bucks.

If we did this, in combination with a cash for clunkers type of program and tax credits for fuel efficiency we could reduce our fuel consumption by approximately 50%, buying us valuable time to develop renewable sources of energy...

Good stuff, is there a bit of Teddy Roosevelt lurking at Too Conservative? I'm going to keep watching and hoping...

"Annabel Park Is Not an Obama Operative"

2010-03-07T14:16:00.003-05:00

It's exasperating and amazing that the Coffee Party people even have to write this, but the right wingers are doing their usual "Big Lie" thang again, so I guess there's no choice.

Annabel Park, who created this fan page and ignited the Coffee Party movement, volunteered for Obama in 2008 along with millions of her fellow Americans. She and her partner, Eric Byler, created a YouTube channel for filmmakers to contribute videos supporting Obama (www.youtube.com/unitedforobama). No one got paid.

A Korean reporter (Annabel is Korean American) mistakenly thought that she worked for the campaign as a videographer. You can FOIA the Obama campaign and White House payroll and check this.

While we're at it, let me also refute this malarky, that Annabel supposedly "led the grassroots effort for Webb." In reality, of course, Annabel was one volunteer in the 10,000-strong "ragtag army" of grassroots Jim Webb supporters. I should know, since I was netroots coordinator on that campaign, working closely with the grassroots coordinator, Josh Chernila. As I wrote in my book, "Netroots Rising", Annabel came to volunteer for a week or two but ended up staying longer than expected. During the 2 months or so she volunteered for the Webb campaign, she and Eric Byler did great work with the Korean-American community in Annandale, as well as with the grassroots group they formed, "Real Virginians for Webb." Here's Annabel's description of how she came to be a (super) volunteer on the Webb campaign in the fall of 2006.

I’m single, I heard the men in Virginia were really hot. (ha) Actally, I found out because of the Macaca incident on TV news, not through the blogs. Then, I started Googling it trying to find out more, came across Raising Kaine. I didn’t know that there was a Progressive community in Virginia, came across your articles, they were really well written, I was very impressed with Raising Kaine. I didn’t consider coming to work on campaign until Eric said he was coming out for 2 weeks during the film festival.

…I didn’t think we were going to win either [and] had never volunteered on other campaigns before.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the right wingnuts can believe whatever they want, project their own paranoia 'til the cows come home, but that doesn't make it in the least bit true. The fact is, Annabel Park is an extraordinary activist - smart, creative, resourceful, and above all, true to her own "north star." To imply that Annabel is a "puppet" of anyone is of course insulting, but even more than that, it's utterly laughable for anyone who knows Annabel. And speaking of laughter, something tells me Annabel will be the one who laughs last, as her "Coffee Party" movement now has almost 100,000 fans on Facebook and has nearly surpassed the largest Tea Party Facebook page in just a couple weeks. Ha!

"Too Conservative" Blog Blasts Cooch: "bad policy, bad politics and bad law"

2010-03-07T11:41:00.003-05:00

If you're Ken Cuccinelli, you know you're out of the mainstream when a prominent, pro-Republican blog named "Too Conservative" calls you out.

...there’s more to this than simply bad policy and bad law. There’s bad politics here as well. As I have already noted here and on other blogs, this issue seems to have appeared out of nowhere. We do not know who requested this letter, and the Attorney General’s office has not, to my knowledge, released that information. ...This letter flies in the face of the Governor’s own statements that he will brook no discrimination in state agencies on any grounds, and it complicates our legislative efforts at the end of the current General Assembly session. Considering that we do not yet have a budget, it seems to me to be counterproductive to start creating divisive social issues out of thin air – especially when those issues can be used by the Democrats in the Senate to gain concessions in the budget process. The Attorney General’s opinion, further, doesn’t have the force of law, so I cannot find an upside to sending this letter right now. If there is one, I would be welcome to hearing it.
.
Discrimination is wrong. Period. The Republican party has a long history of supporting the rights of all Americans to be free from discrimination. Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party freed the slaves. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed with overwhelming Republican support – support that, had it not existed, would have made final passage of the act impossible. Our party has long been a party that has advocated for employment systems based on merit, not on race or gender. We should continue that tradition by demonstrating that we support the dream every American has of finding an honest day’s work. Working is not a right, but a workplace free from discrimination should be the right of every American. We sully our traditions and our history when we let petty prejudices get in the way of doing what is right. This letter is bad policy, it is bad politics and it is bad law, and I strongly urge its repudiation.

Other than the fact that Republicans haven't really advocated for Americans "to be free from discrimination" since the early 1960s, and that they have firmly opposed granting GLBT Americans the same rights as all other Americans, I strongly concur with the overarching sentiment of this blog post. The bottom line is that the country is moving in a diametrically opposite direction from "Ayatollah" Ken Cuccinelli. Here in Virginia, Bob McDonnell was elected specifically to focus on the economy, not to start a culture war and drive business away from our state.

So why is McDonnell so quiet about Ken Cuccinelli's crusade against gay people? Perhaps because, as Jeff Schapiro and Jim Nolan suggest, McDonnell and Cuccinelli are working closely together on this issue? Perhaps because they're simpatico in terms of being Pat Robertson-style culture warriors? Perhaps because it's in Republicans' DNA to overreach, to pander to their far-right-wing "base," and not to focus on the issue they were elected to address? Just remember that when you go vote this coming November, and most definitely remember it when you go vote next November, when every seat in Virginia's General Assembly will be up for grabs.

Scientists: Evidence for Human-Caused Global Warming "much stronger than previously stated"

2010-03-07T10:09:00.003-05:00

Once again, the global warming "skeptics" -- mostly paid for (or duped by) by the fossil fuel and fossil-fuel-intensive manufacturing industries -- have been proven wrong.

The evidence that human activity is causing global warming is much stronger than previously stated and is found in all parts of the world, according to a study that attempts to refute claims from sceptics.

The “fingerprints” of human influence on the climate can be detected not only in rising temperatures but also in the saltiness of the oceans, rising humidity, changes in rainfall and the shrinking of Arctic Sea ice at the rate of 600,000 sq km a decade.

The study, by senior scientists from the Met Office Hadley Centre, Edinburgh University, Melbourne University and Victoria University in Canada, concluded that there was an “increasingly remote possibility” that the sceptics were right that human activities were having no discernible impact. There was a less than 5 per cent likelihood that natural variations in climate were responsible for the changes.

The study said that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had understated mankind’s overall contribution to climate change...

As DarkSyde at Daily Kos writes, "There is no substantial scientific controversy on evolution or climate change, just as there's no controversy in general over dozens of other political items outside of science, like the use of reconciliation. But that doesn't stop conservatives from lying every which way about them."

Other than conservatives lying - what else is new on that front? - we've also got the American Petroleum Industry and other well-financed interests buying off our politicians and running millions of dollars in ~~propaganda~~ ~~disinformation~~ ads that attempt to muddy the science, confuse people, and ultimately delay or head off our government responding to the climate crisis by placing a price on greenhouse gas emissions. So far, unfortunately, money and ignorance appear to be winning out over science and reason. And, so far at least, mankind appears to be failing one of the biggest tests it's ever been up against - heading off horrendous damage to the only home we've got.

Jeff Schapiro on Cooch's Sex Obsession, Charter Schools, etc.

2010-03-07T06:31:00.000-05:00

"Why is it we're always talking about sex when Ken Cuccinelli's name pops into the news?" - Jeff Schapiro

Whipple Clip Dozen: Sunday Morning

2010-03-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Sunday "Clips."

1. MCDONNELL'S PUBLIC SCHEDULE OMISSIONS DRAW COMPLAINTS
2. MORE STATE JOB CUTS LOOM
3. FINAL WEEK OF SESSION FINDS BUDGET UNRESOLVED
6. GAY-RIGHTS GROUPS ASSAIL AG’S OPINION ON BIAS
8. U.S. SENATE BILL WON'T DETER VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN CUCCINELLI FROM FIGHTING EPA
10. DEMOCRATS TAP MINNESOTA'S SEN. KLOBUCHAR FOR JEFFERSON-JACKSON DINNER
13. OFFICIALS SAY RAIL IS VA.'S TRANSPORTATION FUTURE
19. TRICKLE-DOWN TAXES FROM RICHMOND
22. WINDMILLS COME ROUND AGAIN
29. KAINE ADMINISTRATION OVERESTIMATED REVENUE FLOWS
30. VIRGINIA'S BACKSLIDING ON MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROMISES
31. CHARTER SCHOOLS COULD HELP -- EVEN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Equality Virginia to Bob McDonnell: "End your silence"

2010-03-06T20:13:00.003-05:00

The following letter, calling on Bob McDonnell to "end your silence" on anti-gay discrimination, was issued this evening by Equality Virginia:

BY FACSIMILE AND FIRST CLASS MAIL

March 6, 2010

The Honorable Robert F. McDonnell
Governor of Virginia
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218

Dear Governor McDonnell:

I write to ask you to end your silence, and to act on behalf of all Virginians.

Since taking office in January, you have chosen not to support efforts to amend Virginia law to codify a state “policy” against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. You have explained your inaction and your “no position” on pending legislation saying that you have a “policy” against such discrimination in your office, even though that “policy” does not, and according to the opinion you once issued as Attorney General, cannot apply to all state employees or even to the employees of your own Cabinet members.

Now, a letter, signed on March 4, 2010 by the current Attorney General and sent to the state’s colleges and universities, casts doubt, under your own legal analysis, about whether you can even enforce a “policy” of nondiscrimination within the Office of the Governor. Applying your joint legal theory, the Attorney General states that both an official policy enacted by a university board of visitors and an informal policy implemented by the president of an institution (your corollary) would be equally invalid in the absence of legislative endorsement.

If yours and the Attorney General’s analysis of existing state law is correct (and we strongly question whether it is), this means that you would be acting without legal authority if, as Governor, you sought to enforce your “policy” against discrimination to protect any person in your office from adverse action based on his/her sexual orientation or gender identity. Thus, you cannot argue with any validity that you can, as Governor, protect anyone from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity without a change in the law.

The good news is that it is not too late for you to exert leadership to change the law, as many Virginians, our academic and business leaders, and the Richmond Times Dispatch and other editorial writers have urged you to do. Under the Constitution of Virginia and the legislative procedural rules, you may send a bill down for consideration at any time before the legislature adjourns sine die on Saturday, March 13, 2010.

Accordingly, Equality Virginia respectfully requests that you write the House of Delegates or the Senate requesting the immediate introduction of either or both of the following:

1) a bill to amend the nondiscrimination policy in Section 2.2-3900 B.1. of the Virginia Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity (such legislation would moot the Attorney General’s advice to the colleges); and

2) a bill identical to SB 66 governing nondiscrimination in the state workforce or HB 1116 governing nondiscrimination in state and local employment (such legislation would implement the nondiscrimination policy for public employees, including those in your office and at state universities and colleges).

Failure to take positive action during this legislative session to encourage enactment of a state policy against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity will be seen by the thousands of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender Virginians (and the many thousands more Virginians who count themselves among their families and allies) as confirming that your promise of a “Commonwealth of Opportunity” is a hollow one for them.

Repeating that you believe discrimination based on sexual orientation is wrong no longer carries any weight. The Attorney General’s and your legal opinion makes crystal clear you believe (rightly or wrongly) that neither you nor any other state officer has authority to hold anyone accountable when they practice such discrimination.

Actions always speak louder than words. Virginians expect our leaders to lead. Going forward, your actions in this case, not your words, will determine the credibility of your promise of opportunity.

Very truly yours,
/s/
Jon Blair
Chief Executive Officer, Equality Virginia

Will Loudoun County Republicans "return to the Dark Ages" Today? [UPDATE: Yes They Did!]

2010-03-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

According to Too Conservative, the "fate of the [Loudoun County Republican Committee]" is being determined from 10am to 2 pm today at Belmont Ridge Middle School. As "Loudoun Insider" writes, "Choose confident, committed, and responsible leadership in Candace Strother, or a return to the Dark Ages. Your decision, people."

The candidates are former Reagan Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor (for OSHA) Candace Strother and Mark Sell. A few factoids on Sell:

*Equality Loudoun writes, Sell is "a close associate of professional gay-basher Eugene Delgaudio."

*Too Conservative reports that the infamous Dick "Baby Pesticides" Black endorsed Sell.

*NOVA Townhall blog posts an endorsement of Sell from none other than our crazy gay-bashing, climate-change-denying Attorney General. Cooch writes, "Mark has worked side-by-side with many of us over the last decade on key conservative issues ranging from the fight against tax hikes to the Marriage Amendment."

Along with the choice for 10th CD Republican chair, today's election will definitely help define what the Republican Party in this part of Virginia stands for, and specifically whether they choose to go off the Delgaudio/Cooch extremist deep end into political oblivion. As a partisan Democrat, part of me is hoping for the latter. But as a Virginian and an American, a bigger part of me is hoping that Republicans come to their senses and draw back from the abyss. We'll see.

UPDATE: LoudounGOP tweets, "Mark Sell elected as LCRC Chairman http://www.LoudounGOP.com"

UPDATE #2: All hell apparently breaks loose over at Too Conservative, with Loudoun Insider writing, "Suzanne’s Bitch Pulls It Out!"

UPDATE #3: Extreme homophobic bigot Eugene Delgaudio is jumping up and down for joy.

Mark Sell wins over Candace Strother 512-458

Sterling turned out big time and Mark Sell is elected today in a special election for Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Party, an unpaid position.

Sell had been endorsed by Eugene Delgaudio, Mike Farris, Dick Black, Suzanne Volpe and Virginia's top conservative leader Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

Thanks goes to the Sterling crowed that turned out in response to messages from Delgaudio and Cuccinelli in recent days and decided to send a message to the Democratic Party and President Obama and his allies on the local Board of Supervisors to reduce spending and lower taxes.

Prominent Republican Donor, Evangelical to RNC: I Quit!

2010-03-06T16:55:00.004-05:00

Hopefully, Mark DeMoss will be the first of many.

Mark DeMoss, who heads a major Christian public relations firm in Atlanta and served as a liaison to the Evangelical community for Mitt Romney in 2008, wrote Chairman Michael Steele yesterday that he was "ashamed" of the presentation, calling depictions of Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid "shameful, immature and uncivil, at best."

"I’m afraid the presentation is representative of a culture and mindset within the Republican National Committee," DeMoss, a past member of the RNC's "Eagle" program for top donors who gave the party $15,000 in 2008, wrote in the letter to Steele, which he shared with POLITICO. "Consequently, I will no longer contribute to any fundraising entity of our Party—but will contribute only to individual candidates I choose to support."

Barack Obama: "What Health Reform Will Deliver – This Year"

2010-03-06T06:52:00.000-05:00

See here for a listing of "how health insurance reform measures will benefit Americans this year." For instance, pre-existing condition exclusions for children will be eliminated in all new plans, as will lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits. New plans will be required to cover an enrollee’s dependent children until age 26. In addition, health care reform will "[p]rovide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool." That's just a sampling of what will kick in this year. Not too shabby...

Whipple Clips Dozen: Saturday Morning

2010-03-06T06:46:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Saturday "Clips."

1. VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO COLLEGES: END GAY PROTECTIONS
6. WARNER SAYS CUCCINELLI'S LETTER GIVES VIRGINIA COLLEGES AUTHORIZATION TO DISCRIMINATE...
7. CRITICS CONDEMN CUCCINELLI SEXUAL ORIENTATION LETTER
8. HOUSE BUDGET TEAM OFFERS CONCESSIONS
9. WILL MCDONNELL APPROVE PROPOSED 18-CENT PHONE 'FEE' THAT'S REALLY A 'TAX'?
10. VA. LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS CONCERNED ABOUT STATE BUDGET
15. VA. HOUSE PANEL BACKS CLOSING ACCESS TO VOTER HISTORY LISTS
21. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER ARMSTRONG LOOKS TO RUN STATEWIDE IN 2013
24. NYE DONATES $14,000 FROM DISGRACED N.Y. LEGISLATOR
25. VERGA ACCUSES HURT OF RAISING TAXES, ‘ONCE AGAIN’
32. GENERAL ASSEMBLY: STEALTH TAXES
35. RISKY MANEUVER IN VIRGINIA'S HOUSE

This Weather Is More Like It!

2010-03-06T05:57:00.003-05:00

After the "snowpocalypse" and "snowmaggedon," is it finally spring? Based on this forecast, it's finally starting to look like it!

Video: Tom Perriello at NOVA Democratic Business Council

2010-03-05T17:16:00.002-05:00

From this morning's Northern Virginia Democratic Business Council breakfast at the Fairview Park Marriott Hotel in Falls Church, check out the following videos of Tom Perriello speaking about how he'll win in 2010 and the future of health care.

Also, see Tom speaking on deficit reduction and delivering his introductory remarks (part 1 and part 2). We really need to help Tom Perriello win in 2010, he's definitely one of the best we've got!

Cranwell, Plum, Lucas McEachin Condemn Cuccinelli [UPDATED]

2010-03-05T15:46:00.009-05:00

I just got off a conference call by the Democratic Party of Virginia on Ken Cuccinelli's latest outrage. Here are the highlights.

DPVA Chair Dick Cranwell pointed to the irony of these "less government people using government to further a social agenda" and to "micromanage the entire state of Virginia." Cranwell remarked that this is "not in [Cuccinelli's] job description" and recommended that it's time for Bob McDonnell to "rein him in." Cranwell said that Cuccinelli should be focusing on how to hold down the cost of tuition rather than micromanage the college system "from the Attorney General's office." Cranwell added that Cuccinelli's refusal to confirm or deny his own memo is not exactly a sign of "open government." Cranwell concluded, "who knows what Cuccinelli is going to do next?"

Del. Ken Plum predicted that this is going to end up costing Virginia jobs. For instance, Northrop-Grumman has strong corporate policies for GLBT employees, and Cuccinelli's actions are not going to make Virginia more attractive to that company. Also, piling a social agenda on top of our colleges will not motivate any big corporations who are thinking about relocating here.

Sen. Donald McEachin said that we aren't surprised about Cuccinelli's actions, that essentially he is "living the thesis...governing by the thesis."

Sen. Louise Lucas said that we've known for a long time what Cuccinelli's legislative priorities were. So, although this is not surprising, she is "totally upset" by it. Lucas agreed with Plum that "this is going to cost us a lot of jobs."

UPDATE: Add Mark Warner to the list of Cooch condemners:

I am puzzled why the Attorney General would authorize our public colleges and universities to discriminate.

A decision on whether to hire, promote or offer admission should be based on whether or not the individual is qualified – period.

I believe the Attorney General’s advice will hurt the ability of our colleges and universities to attract the very best faculty, staff and students, and damage the Commonwealth’s reputation for academic excellence and diversity.

UPDATE #2: See Rich Anthony's condemnation here.

UPDATE #3: The Virginia Young Democrats weigh in as well.

In just the first two months of the McDonnell, Bolling and Cuccinelli administration, we have gotten the message again and again that members of the LGBT community are no longer welcome in state employment,” said Sean Holihan, president of the Virginia Young Democrats. “Instead of playing politics with jobs, Bob McDonnell, Bill Bowling, and Ken Cuccinelli should focus on actually creating them.”

“The McDonnell, Bolling, and Cuccinelli administration have it backwards: meddling in our universities’ internal affairs hurts Virginian schools," said Lauren Gilbert, College Caucus Chair of the Virginia Young Democrats. "Allowing our colleges to hire the best talent - regardless of sexual orientation - makes our schools better. Between scaring away good professors and cutting the higher education budget, McDonnell, Bolling, and Cuccinelli are putting their personal prejudices ahead of what’s best for Virginia schools."

UPDATE #4: A few more quotes from Democratic State Senators.

Mary Margaret Whipple: "Virginia is the proud home to world class colleges and universities who can determine appropriate discrimination policies for themselves. Our schools and our state should welcome the best and brightest from all over the world without discriminating based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics."

Dick Saslaw: "The Attorney General’s actions are unconscionable. It's this kind of misguided behavior that can cost Virginia high-paying jobs with companies that value diversity."

John Edwards: "Attorney General Cuccinelli is turning the clock back on civil rights in Virginia. His advice to Virginia’s colleges and universities has no basis in the law."

Donald McEachin: Cooch Is "living the thesis"

2010-03-05T13:01:00.005-05:00

If you missed this Washington Post story, you have to read it to believe it. Yes, our insane, fanatic, know-nothing Attorney General is at it again.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has asked the state's public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, arguing in a letter sent to each school Thursday that their boards of visitors have no legal authority to adopt such statements.

[...]

The opinion is likely to spark outrage with many students and faculty at Virginia schools.

"What he's saying is reprehensible," said Vincent F. Callahan Jr., a former Republican member of the House of Delegates who serves on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University. "I don't know what he's doing, opening up this can of worms."

I mean, damn, I knew this guy was crazy, but this move leaves me almost speechless (not to mention enraged) at it sheer hatefulness. For now, I'll just repeat what Senator McEachin said to me via email, that "It certainly appears as though the Governor and his attorney general may be living the thesis." Hello, my fellow citizens of Virginia? Are you having a bit of "buyer's remorse" yet?

P.S. Rachel Maddow weighs in, writing that Virginia is "rolling civil rights back, again." What a disgrace.

Happy Birthday Rich Anthony

2010-03-05T13:00:00.001-05:00

From the Rich Anthony for Congress campaign:

Since I have joined the campaign, I have learned a few things about Rich. He has an amazing drive, strong work ethic and passion for our progressive values.

Rich has been tireless in getting his message out to the public and working to energize Democratic voters.

Sunday is Rich’s birthday, and I can not think of a better gift that he could receive from us than a little boost to his campaign.

A donation of $100.43, in honor of his 43rd birthday, will mean a lot to Rich and give our campaign a little extra energy to get our positive message out to the 10th District

With your support and your donations , we will beat Frank Wolf in November.

John Murphy
Campaign Manager
Richard Anthony for Congress

Webb Delivers Floor Remarks on Taxpayer Fairness Act

2010-03-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

Senator Webb delivers remarks on the Senate floor in support of his legislation, the Taxpayer Fairness Act. The measure puts a one-time windfall tax on 2009 bonuses above $400,000 paid to executives of financial institutions that received $5 billion or more in taxpayer support from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). It would raise billions of dollars toward reducing the deficit and offsetting the costs of pending legislation.

Nice job by Senator Webb.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Friday Morning

2010-03-05T06:23:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Friday "Clips."

1. VIRGINIA BUDGET NEGOTIATORS MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS
2. FEE HIKES APPEAR LIKELY AMID VIRGINIA'S BUDGET WOES
4. VA. MISSES FIRST CUT FOR FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDS
6. VA. SENATE PANEL APPROVES CHARTER, LAB, VIRTUAL SCHOOL BILLS
10. VA. SENATE PANEL KILLS HOUSE BILL THAT WOULD HAVE REPEALED GUN PURCHASE LIMIT
18. BAKE SALES AIM TO FIND MONEY TO PLUG BUDGET GAP
20. MCAULIFFE WORKS TO BURNISH LOCAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY CREDENTIALS IN VA.
21. EX-VIRGINIA GOVERNOR WILDER TALKS GUNS, OBAMA, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND RACE
23. GOODE GRACES LYNCHBURG TEA PARTY EVENT
29. REALLOCATING EDUCATION MONEY HURTS POOR CHILDREN MOST
33. LAWMAKERS' VOTING RECORDS
39. EX-N.J. TRANSIT CHIEF NAMED INTERIM MANAGER OF D.C. METRO

Republican "Damage Control" Over Fundraising Fearmongering

2010-03-05T05:54:00.006-05:00

Hilarious.

National Republican leaders scrambled Thursday to control damage caused by an internal party document that caricatures President Obama as the Joker and stokes fear of socialism to raise money in a critical election year.

[...]

"You don't defend it," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele said Thursday in an interview on Fox News. "It was unfortunate...inappropriate."

Sen. John Thune (S.D.), a member of the Republican leadership, said: "There is no place for this....

Said Tom Rath, a former RNC member from Concord, N.H.: "We're not going to win the election by drawing those kinds of comparisons...

Perhaps they're not defending it and perhaps they don't believe this is helpful, but I find it fascinating that Republicans are only condemning this when they get caught red-handed doing it, and when they fear it will hurt their precious fundraising (and also reinforce the Democrats' case that Republicans are the "Party of No"). More telling is the fact that, as the DNC points out, we didn't hear "Michael Steele condemning these things in August during the 'tea party' protests." And by "these things" we're talking about lunacy over "death panels," "Obama is a socialist," Obama as "The Joker," etc., etc. Back then, apparently it was all perfectly fine with Republicans. Now that it threatens their fundraising, it's not fine. Got it?

Press Conference Refutes Myths on "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

2010-03-04T16:40:00.003-05:00

According to Rep. Jim Moran (D-8), "...there are opponents who will do all that they can to prevent repeal [of DADT]. Media Matters just recently released a report outlining all of the false and misleading accusations that opponents of reform have been trotting out in recent weeks...they're getting scared." For more, see Media Matters. And keep pressing to have this antiquated, harmful policy repealed once and for all!

William & Mary Student Explains Why She Supports Krystal Ball (and Not Scott Robinson)

2010-03-04T15:02:00.007-05:00

The following email is a William & Mary student (and registered voter in Williamsburg) named Leksa Pravdic. It is reprinted with her permission. I am particularly struck by Ms. Pravdic's second paragraph, about how "passing meaningful and progressive legislation is 'what it's all about,'" and also how "winning elections is not an end but rather a means to an end." Obviously, Ms. Pravdic sees these qualities in Krystal Ball, as do I. Just as obviously, Ms. Pravdic does not see these qualities in Scott Robinson (let alone in Rob Wittman).

All in all, this email is a strong argument for why 1st CD Democrats should (strongly) support Krystal Ball for the nomination, because Krystal inspires people to give of their time, talent and energy. That's how we're going to win this election, by giving people something to be for and by motivating them for progressive ideas, not by nominating someone who is all about politics, positioning and attempting first and foremost to get himself elected.

Ms. Ball,

I'm a student at William and Mary and was at the Young Democrats meeting you visited several weeks ago. At tonight's meeting, Scott Robinson visited us. I had been looking forward to this because I was interested to hear what his views on the issues were, especially considering his website touches only briefly upon three topics: internet coverage, education, and veterans' issues. To my dismay, I was disappointed; Mr. Robinson took it for granted that we were all invested in helping him get elected and did not elaborate on his platform. Instead, he seemed to be most interested in getting our opinions on the best strategy for winning the campaign because "at the end of the day, this [electing democrats] is what it's all about... I'm passionate about winning."

Though I understand the importance of running effective campaigns, I guess I fundamentally disagree with Scott Robinson's statement. To me, passing meaningful and progressive legislation is "what it's all about;" winning elections is not an end but rather a means to an end. This is what I admired and appreciated about your visit to us. You specifically told us your viewpoints on all the major issues (as well as including them on your website), and made it clear that you would not sacrifice your values to party politics and petty bargaining. I think we need more politicians who see things this way, who aren't willing to just say what they think sounds best.

To make a long story short, meeting Mr. Robinson tonight inspired me to get in touch with you and see if there's any way I can get involved and help you win the democratic nomination. I heard through Young Democrats that you are looking for student interns to help you through November. Unfortunately, I will not be in Williamsburg over the summer (I will be in D.C.) and I will be in Argentina next semester. However, if there's any way that I can get involved on a more short term basis in the Williamsburg area, I would love to. Please let me know if you have a need for this type of help.

Thank you very much,

Leksa Pravdic

Cato Institute's Bizarre, Vulgar Attack on Health Reform

2010-03-04T13:04:00.002-05:00

Am I really seeing this? Check out this disgusting tweet from the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon:

Does Cato agree with Cannon's vulgar language? Just an hour earlier, Cato was plugging Cannon's podcast:

I'd hope an immediate apology is coming from Cato.

UPDATE 1:31pm: Cannon first tweeted in response, "Oh, please. My feed is not a Cato operation," then immediately followed with "Tell you what. I'll delete & post a rewrite that'll assuage your delicate sensibilities." He's also added "opinions expressed here are my own" to his Twitter bio, yet still uses his Cato title & links to his Cato page.

UPDATE 3:38 pm (by Lowell): Media Matters has more about "what happens when you have no substantive arguments."

Must-Read OpEd on McDonnell and Southside

2010-03-04T10:53:00.006-05:00

I strongly recommend this oped by Tom McLaughlin in the South Boston (VA) News & Record. Here's an excerpt, but definitely read the entire thing:

McDonnell and his minions in the General Assembly are well on their way to refashioning Virginia, one of the wealthiest states in the nation, after the image of Southside, one of the poorest areas of the Commonwealth. Virginia’s $4 billion budget debacle is the wedge that McDonnell and crew are using to separate Virginians from their senses; the birthplace of Washington, Jefferson and Madison is now Tea Party nirvana, a place where ignorance, short-sightedness and plain meanness have found a home.

[...]

...McDonnell is applying age-old concepts of Southside Virginia misgovernance — low taxes, dismal public services — to the rest of the state, he is doing more to undermine the region’s prospects than any governor in memory. McDonnell’s strategy for economic development is to mimic the policies of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, that politician-led flop. (Superimpose the Tobacco Commission’s service area over a map of the state’s highest unemployment regions and you’ll see what I mean). Long-term, there is only one solution for what ails Southside: a laser-like focus on developing a well-educated society, by pushing the ranks from within and recruiting talent from without. It’ll never happen as long as our system of public education is treated as an afterthought and government services are gutted with sneering disdain by Tea Party-style ignoramuses.

I wrote during the campaign that McDonnell’s priorities would be a disaster for Southside Virginia. The prediction was off the mark. The McDonnell administration is shaping up as a disaster for the entire state of Virginia, although by virtue of being on the bottom already, Southside will catch the worst of it. McDonnell’s apparent fondness for the failed Southside Virginia way suggests that we’ll soon yearn for the days when Jim Gilmore was governor. And being among the regions that lent McDonnell such fervent support mere months ago, we have only ourselves to blame.

March Networking Breakfast with Congressman Tom Perriello

2010-03-04T09:48:00.001-05:00

Rep. Tom Perriello will be speaking to the Northern Virginia Democratic Business Council breakfast tomorrow morning, check it out.

New Ad Airing in Virginia Connects Oil Addiction & America's Enemies

2010-03-04T08:56:00.000-05:00

Cross-posted from The Green Miles

From Huffington Post's Sam Stein:

A progressive veterans group is making a fiery push to get comprehensive energy reform passed into law, going up on air with a new ad tying oil consumption to Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. troops.

In a spot set to air in eight key states, the group, VoteVets.org (with an assistance from the energy independence group Operation Free) splices footage of highly developed improvised explosive devices being used against U.S. soldiers alongside Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Narrated by Iraq War veteran Christopher Miller, who earned a Purple Heart as the result of an IED explosion six years ago, the ad makes the case that passing energy legislation is a national security imperative.

You can be sure organizers are hoping the ad moves Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), who voted with 2008's Climate Security Act but since then has expressed discomfort -- if not outright hostility -- at efforts to promote clean energy & curb climate pollution.

Here's the ad:

The "fear-mongering lunatic fringe" and "the big lie"

2010-03-04T06:50:00.007-05:00

Two articles in today's Washington Post pretty much sum up where the GOP - the formerly serious, even great, party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, even Barry Goldwater - is at these days.

First, with regard to the Republican National Committee fundraising document that portrayed President Obama as the psycopathic Joker from Batman, unabashadly pushed "fear" and "extreme negative feelings" as the fundraising tools of choice, and even parroted Glenn Beck crazy talk about "sav[ing] the country from trending toward Socialism!", we have these reactions:

Said Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse: "If you had any doubt, any doubt whatsoever, that the Republican Party has been taken over by the fear-mongering lunatic fringe, those doubts were erased today." He added, "Republicans across the country have cheered on crowds where these very images appeared."

[...]

Raynard Jackson, a GOP activist who has worked to attract blacks and other minority members to the party, was outraged by word of the presentation.

"This is just beyond the pale," he said. "And the best we can get is Michael Steele issuing a statement through a spokesman? And they wonder why they can't get minorities, especially black people, involved in the party?"

As if that's not bad enough - and it is! - we also have "The Republicans' big lie about reconciliation".

Republicans, however, don't want to talk much about the substance of health care. They want to discuss process, turn "reconciliation" into a four-letter word and maintain that Democrats are "ramming through" a health bill.

It is all, I am sorry to say, one big lie -- or, if you're sensitive, an astonishing exercise in hypocrisy.

[...]

No. The health-care bill passed the Senate in December with 60 votes under the normal process. The only thing that would pass under a simple majority vote would be a series of amendments that fit comfortably under the "reconciliation" rules established to deal with money issues. Near the end of his column, Hatch conceded that reconciliation would be used for "only parts" of the bill. But why didn't he say that in the first place?

Of course, the "big lie" is directly connected to wild-eyed fear mongering, as one feeds into (and reinforces) the other. In addition, we could list a whole series of lies and insanity coming out of Republican leaders' mouths over the past year.

Just a short list of Republican falsehoods in recent months would include: "government takeover of health care" (big lie - actually, this is being criticized from "the left" because it specifically does not move away from the "health care for profit" system), "death panels" (big lie - they aren't "death panels," and they actually were another Republican idea), "the stimulus isn't working" (big lie - nearly all economists agree, it's working as designed), "apology tour" (big lie - this one's just invented out of whole cloth, who even knows what they're blabbering about), "socialism" (big lie - not even worth discussing, it's so stupid), "Obama wasn't born in the United States" (big lie - actually, he was), "Republicans don't really want Obama and the Democrats to 'fail'" (big lie - they have voted no on just about everything and said point blank that they wanted Obama to fail, wanted to "break him," etc.), "reconciliation is unprecedented and would be the end of the Senate" (two big lies in one - actually, Republicans used reconciliation many times for big legislation, and the Senate survived), "the Senate health care bill doesn't include a lot of Republican ideas" (big lie - actually, this health care bill is very similar to the 1993 Republican alternative to "Hillarycare"), "global warming is a hoax" (big lie - actually, there is vast scientific evidence, collected over many decades by thousands of different scientists and research centers, that global warming is occurring), "Obama is not fighting the war on terror" (actually, Obama has referred to the "War on Terror" many times; also, we're doing great against the Taliban and Al Qaeda right now, arguably better than under Bush/Cheney), "the individual mandate is unconstitutional" (big lie - actually, this was the Republican alternative to the employer mandate).

We could go on and on all day with this, but why spoil the Republicans' fearmongering and "Big Lie?" After all, they're having so much fun with it, and after all it's so becoming of a national political party. I just wonder what Republicans Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Barry Goldwater would say...

UPDATE: Check out this video.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Thursday Morning

2010-03-04T06:44:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Thursday "Clips."

1. MCDONNELL, BUDGET NEGOTIATORS MEET
4. MCDONNELL CRITICIZES ‘KILL BILL’ SUBCOMMITTEES; SENATE PANEL COULD SPIKE GUN BILLS TODAY
5. FILLER-CORN SWORN IN AS DELEGATE, ONE DAY AFTER NARROW WIN IN FAIRFAX
7. MCDONNELL CONGRATULATES FILLER-CORN ON WIN, AND BOLOGNESE FOR "UPBEAT CAMPAIGN"...
8. SENATE PANEL WEIGHS EDUCATION AGENDA TODAY
9. EDUCATION PLANS ADVANCE IN HOUSE, PANEL VOTES
10. 'CASTLE DOCTRINE' DEADLY-FORCE BILL TABLED
11. LANDMARK GUN CURB FACES TEST IN VIRGINIA SENATE
12. NORTHERN VIRGINIA GROUP LOBBIES FOR DENTAL CARE FUNDING
18. ROVE: RELATIONSHIP WITH TOM DAVIS "FROSTY" AFTER DEVOLITES APPOINTMENT REQUEST
19. WILDER SAYS GOVERNMENT SHOULDN’T FOCUS ON ‘NICETIES’
31. TIME FOR MCDONNELL TO KEEP HIS PROMISE

Arlington Democrats Adopt Resolutions on Cooch, "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

2010-03-03T20:41:00.006-05:00

Brian Devine tweets that the Arlington County Democratic Committee adopted two resolutions this evening, one condemning Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for his actions "to petition to reverse and obstruct US EPA's climate change endangerment finding;" and the other in favor of ending "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Also, Devine reports that Rep. Jim Moran gave a "great speech to @arlingtondems on [Don't Ask Don't Tell]."

To read the resolution regarding our embarrassment of an Attorney General, click here. The resolution on Don't Ask Don't Tell "strongly urges Congressman Ike Skelton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to include language in the FY2011 National Defense Authorization Bill to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law in 2010; and...calls upon Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner, Congressman Jim Moran, and other members of the Virginia Congressional delegation to support full legislative repeal of the 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' law in 2010."

Nice job by Chair Mike Lieberman and the Arlington County Democratic Committee!

UPDATE: I almost forgot to mention that earlier today, Rep. Jim Moran held a press conference "to bring attention to the human impact of 'Don't Ask Don’t Tell' (DADT)." According to Moran, "Lost among the statistics, the testimony of our military leaders, and the debate over the political implications of repeal, are the soldiers themselves- those who want nothing more than to serve their nation honorably and honestly." Moran added, "Now, not next year, is the time to finally honor the sacrifice of all of our service members by repealing this policy." He vowed, "We will not give in…not when the facts and the American public are on our side." Good work, let's do it!

RNC Document Mocks Donors, Pushes "Fear" As Core Message

2010-03-03T17:25:00.004-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Republican Party, which brags about pushing a message of "fear," "extreme negative feelings toward...Administration," and "visceral" "reactionary" tendencies of donors. They also mock their donors, calling them "ego driven" and easily swayed by "tchotchkes!" Oh yeah, and this is not a parody, they also say that when you don't have the White House or Congress, what you can "sell" is the message, "save the country from trending toward Socialism."

In the end, what boggles my mind is that this is actually a major political party in this country, not just a bunch of fringe wackos like the John Birch Society. Of course, the John Birch Society actually sponsored the Conservative Political Action Committee conference a few weeks ago, so who knows...

Video: Eileen Filler-Corn Sworn In To House of Delegates

2010-03-03T13:44:00.001-05:00

Awesome, Eileen is going to make a great delegate!

"Pointless Babble" and "Self Promotion" in VA-Gov Race '09

2010-03-03T13:22:00.004-05:00

I don't agree with everything in this study, but I think it's interesting nonetheless (if nothing else, that someone actually did a study on candidates' tweeting habits!). This quote is priceless:

For most Twitter accounts, Self-Promotion accounted for the majority of tweets. The exception was @CreighDeeds, where Pointless Babble constituted a plurality (44.32%) of tweets. In fact, Deeds devoted more tweets to his musical tastes (39 tweets) than his transportation plan...

Brilliant, huh? No, didn't think so, unless of course you had a deeper interest in Creigh Deeds' music favorites than in why you should support him for governor.

This is interesting as well:

Multiple accounts led to message dilution. Campaigns that maintained more than one account found that their messages did not reach a wide audience. For example, although the Deeds campaign official Twitter feed had more than 3700 followers, only 3% of these also followed any of the Deeds staff who were tweeting unique information about the campaign.

That's even more problematic if the staff are the ones putting out "news" and other factual information, while the candidate is tweeting about whether he listened to Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty that morning.

And then there's this:

Across multiple Deeds campaign Twitter feeds, tweets about Bob McDonnell's thesis exceeded tweets about transportation policy by a ratio of 3-to-1.

Ugh, the Deeds' campaign in a microcosm right there.

Finally, I find it fascinating that the "[s]hare of Twitter feed devoted to conversations with followers" was just 0.35% for Bob McDonnell and 5.68% for Creigh Deeds, compared to 18.1% for Scott Brown in his recent victory in Massachusetts. That's something candidates really need to pay attention to, in my opinion, that the nature of social networking is interactive, not one-directional. At this point, as far as I can tell, very few seem to truly understand that.