Cuccinelli at the Bat

by: ProgressVA

Crossposted at ProgressVA  Photo via the Washington Post  In the classic baseball poem Casey at the Bat, the main character blows the game in the bottom of the ninth inning for his hometown due to his overconfidence in his own abilities.  Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is also striking out for his home team - the people of Virginia.  Casey's arrogance allows the first two strikes to fly by, and is followed by a whiff on the final pitch, causing a strike out and him losing the game.  But Cuccinelli is striking out with self-indulgent partisan legal pursuits, and in an inverse fashion from Casey - with two whiffs followed by a final passed ball third strike.Cuccinelli's first strike came in the form of a frivolous demand for documents from the University of Virginia regarding a former professor's work on climate change.  Despite regular indicators that he should drop the purely ideological inquiry, such as last week's judicial halt, the Attorney General continues to press on with an issue that couldn't be lower on a priority list for the people of Virginia. His second strike was quite similar - another philosophical crusade, and this one on another favorite partisan topic: attacking health care reform.   The 4thCircuit Court of Appeals called this second strike just last Thursday, throwing out his lawsuit ruling that Virginia lacks the standing to sue.  Not only has Cuccinelli been wasting his office's resources and time to go after meaningful health care reform, he's been doing it solo and independent of the similar legal challenge from 13 states who are working together, basically replicating each other's work.

ProgressVA :: Cuccinelli at the Bat

But despite unfavorable rulings on both climate change and anti-health care reform fronts the Attorney General fights on.  Neither of these purely political pursuits are helping protect or serve Virginians, as is his duty.  His constituents need him to investigate matters that have a direct bearing on their lives and the governance of the commonwealth.   The opportunity to do so presented itself last week, but instead of hitting the ball out of the park, the Attorney General chose to leave the bat on his shoulder and take that final passed ball third strike. After the Washington Post uncovered that panels working on reforming Virginia's government have been meeting in private in possible violation of open-meeting laws, Cuccinelli refused to investigate - even despite a request to investigate from Del. David Englin.  The Attorney General is using his office to go after issues that will grab national news and right wing headlines, and not the problems that have a direct impact of how Virginia is being governed.   This has been his story since he took office, and even now he signals his willingness to continue his climate change and health care pursuits. The courts are delivering continuous setbacks and Virginians are trying to voice their desire for an Attorney General who concerns themself with the issues that impact their daily lives.  But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Cuccinelli has struck Virginia out.

Andrew Sullivan: Last Night's Tea Party Debate "Indecent," Stank of Rotting Fish

I couldn't agree more with Andrew Sullivan on last night's Tea Party debate, and specifically with the the tea partiers in attendance cheering to let an uninsured patient die, rather than society having to pay for saving the unfortunate individual's life. That's not the America I grew up in, and frankly it's not an America I'd want to live in. Which raises three questions: 1) who ARE these crazy, warped, vicious people; 2) what the h*** is wrong with them; and 3) how can any American vote for candidates who agree with, or pander to, the likes of this crowd? It's truly disturbing, especially in the context of all their other craziness and idiocy (e.g., the moment in this debate when the crowd cheered a line about not spending money on programs we supposedly don't want; the only problem is, almost everyone in that audience probably "wants" Social Security, Medicare, and defense, which combined make up a HUGE chunk of the federal budget). ...even if such libertarian purity does make sense, that cannot excuse the emotional response to the issue in the crowd last night. Maybe a tragedy like the death of a feckless twentysomething is inevitable if we are to restrain healthcare costs. But it is still a tragedy. It is not something a decent person cheers.Similarly the execution of hundreds, while perhaps defensible politically and even morally (although I differ), is nonetheless a brutal, awful business. You don't delight in it. And the same is true of torture. Even if you want to defend its use in limited circumstances, it remains an absolute evil, no humane person would want to do it, and no civilized person would brag of it or dismiss any moral issue with it at all. And yet that is what Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney have repeatedly done. They are positively proud of their torture record.The fish rotted from the head down. Last night, we got a whiff of the smell.

Virginia's Labor Unions Endorse Offshore Wind

Outside the United Steelworkers Local 8888 in Newport News today, Virginia's largest labor unions together announced their support for Virginia offshore wind development. Standing in solidarity with the Newport News shipyards in the background were representatives with the United Steelworkers (USW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), Iron Workers, the Building and Construction Trades Council, and others.

"This is an opportunity to develop thousands of good paying union jobs in Virginia, which would enable our children and our children's children to raise a family and share in the American dream," said Bill Harriday, international staff representative for United Steelworkers.

"Our workers stand uniquely-equipped and trained to tackle green energy projects like offshore wind power. We believe our workforce to be one-of-a-kind when it comes to constructing advanced-tech wind turbines," said Josh Collins, Virginia political and policy director for the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA). "We welcome this opportunity to join forces with our allies in VA 4 Wind Coalition to push for long-term sustainable energy solutions that will be a boon to thousands of unemployed workers."

"Steel working, shipbuilding, construction, forging, manufacturing, you name it.  For decades, most of those jobs critical to the wind industry have been union jobs", said Eileen Levandoski, Virginia Conservation Program Manager with the Sierra Club. "Thus Virginia's unionized labor force, regardless of its 'right to work" policies, can and will be large and powerful advocates for offshore wind."

(Pictured here at the podium: Bill Harridy, International Staff Rep, United Steelworkers) 

According to the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), a 3,000-megawatt Virginia coastal wind energy project built out over 20 years would create 10,000 jobs for Virginians. Specifically, it could create more than 6,000 construction jobs and 5,000 ongoing operation and maintenance jobs.Leaders from Virginia's union, industry, and environmental communities agree that Dominion and Governor McDonnell should coordinate efforts to develop offshore wind energy. Because Dominion is the commonwealth's largest power provider, owns much of its transmission capacity, and has a great deal of political clout, Virginia's offshore wind industry could flourish with the company on board. Governor McDonnell should take a leadership role in this process by making Virginia "the Clean Energy Capital of the East Coast." "This is all about new manufacturing, fabrication, and construction jobs right here in Virginia. If the McDonnell Administration fails to act and Dominion does not move forward with offshore wind development, the commonwealth could lose thousands of jobs to other states in the region," said Randy Flood, executive director of Green Jobs Alliance. In addition to thousands of new jobs, offshore wind energy offers countless benefits for Virginians, cleaner air and water, stable electricity prices, increased energy security, and reduced global warming emissions. Beth Kemler, Virginia state director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said: "Especially in the wake of a global warming-fueled hurricane and massive flooding, it's more important than ever than we take aggressive steps toward the development of clean energy sources like offshore wind." VA4Wind is a coalition of Virginia organizations working together to spur offshore wind energy development off of Virginia's coast. Members include the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Green Jobs Alliance and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light. Learn more at www.va4wind.com.

NRA, VCDL Questionnaires Demonstrate How Out of the Mainstream These Groups Are

This post is written as part of the Media Matters Gun Facts fellowship. The purpose of the fellowship is to further Media Matters' mission to comprehensively monitor, analyze, and correct conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Some of the worst misinformation occurs around the issue of guns, gun violence, and extremism, the fellowship program is designed to fight this misinformation with facts.As we're probably all aware, poll after poll clearly demonstrates that the American people support reasonable, commonsense restrictions on guns in this country. For instance, by a 62%-35% margin, Americans believe "the federal government [should] be allowed to ban the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons, except for use by the military or police." By a 51%-7% margin, Americans believe "gun control laws in this country should be more strict than they are now" (39% say they're "about right" as they currently are). Here in Virginia, Hart Research has found that Virginians overwhelmingly support gun safety measures like requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns (95% favor); requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check (89% favor); and requiring sellers at gun shows to run a background check (88% favor). To a slightly lesser extent - but still strong majorities - Virginians support requiring gun owners to register guns (67% favor) and also support banning the sale of high-capacity ammo magazines (66% favor). Also, around the country, large majorities (69%-80%) oppose allowing guns in bars, in government buildings, or on college campuses. Keep those poll numbers in mind as you read the 2011 candidate surveys from the Virginia NRA and the Virginia Citizens Defense League, both of which are currently circulating to our state legislators and candidates. What on these questionnaires tells us a great deal, both about how out of the mainstream these groups' agendas are, and also specifically where they'd like like gun laws to go in Virginia and nationwide. For instance, from the NRA:

lowkell :: NRA, VCDL Questionnaires Demonstrate How Out of the Mainstream These Groups Are

*"Would you support legislation amending Virginia concealed handgun statutes to permit a non-resident to carry a concealed firearm in Virginia if he or she has a valid license issued from his or her state of residence and carries such license on his or her person while in Virginia?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES")*"Anti-gun groups are promoting legislation that would mandate firearm manufacturers incorporate unproven technology that would theoretically "micro-stamp" identifying information about the firearms on a cartridge case upon firing...such a mandate would require de facto registration of guns...Would you support legislation mandating 'micro-stamping' in Virginia?" (their preferred answer is clearly "NO") *"Since the passage of the 'one-gun-a-month' law in 1993, there has been no credible evidence that this gun-rationing statute has reduced violent crime in Virginia or any other state...Would you support legislation to repeal the Virginia gun-rationing law outright?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Would you support legislation to restrict the sale, purchase, possession and transfer of semi-automatic firearms?" (their preferred answer is clearly "NO") *"...several states have recently considered legislation to require that locking devices be placed on firearms kept in the house...severely limit[ing] the ability to use a firearm for self-defense purposes and potentially increas[ing] the risk of a firearm accident. Would you support legislation requiring locking devices (safes, trigger locks, cable locks...) or other locking procedures for firearms stored in the home?" (their preferred answer is clearly "NO") *"The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages its members to ask many intrusive questions of their patients under the ruse of preventing 'gun violence.'...Do you believe firearm ownership is your personal matter and doctors should stop questioning patients about firearm ownership?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") Now, here are a few questions from the VCDL, which is even further to the "right" than the already outside-the-mainstream NRA. *"Will you vote FOR legislation recognizing all other states' concealed carry permits?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote FOR legislation to more closely conform school gun policy with federal standards by allowing concealed handgun permit holders to have a gun on their person while on school grounds?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote FOR legislation that would prevent public colleges and universities from penalizing students, faculty, and staff with concealed handgun permits who carry on campus?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote FOR legislation to repeal this double standard on carrying of concealed handguns in restaurants licensed to sell alcoholic beveragesfor on premises consumption?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote FOR 'Constitutional Carry' legislation that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms openly or concealed (at the individual's discretion) for any reason except the commission of a crime?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote AGAINST any bill that would allow localities to restrict the carrying or possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens in recreation centers, libraries, or other government facilities?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote AGAINST government mandated use of trigger locks or other such hazardous 'safety' devices which have the effect of making it difficult, if not impossible, to have a gun available to defend your home and family?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") *"Will you vote AGAINST any legislation designed to ban or restrict non-dealer private gun transfers (whether at gun shows or outside of gun shows)?" (their preferred answer is clearly "YES") Now, compare these questions to the polling on these topics. The contrast couldn't be more glaring, whether on the "gunshow loophole;" gun safety measures' guns in bars, schools, and government buildings; making guns and ammunition traceable; requiring background checks; etc., etc. The bottom line is that these gun groups are not innocent "rifle clubs" or whatever they like to call themselves.  They also are not in the least bit "mainstream," if "mainstream" is defined as "what the vast majority of people want or don't want." Instead, these are special interest groups,  pushing a very clear political agenda, focused on one issue (and one issue alone), and aiming to gut any and all laws restricting the ownership or use of firearms of any type. Also, as the person who forwarded these questionnaires to me (and who works intensively on this issue in Virginia) points out, many of the questions in these surveys misstate the facts, are disingenuous in a variety of ways, and are cleverly designed to trap and trick the candidates answering them. Probably the smartest thing 2011 candidates in Virginia can do is not respond to these questionnaires at all, because they really can't win if they do so. Even more troubling, think about what Virginia - and America - would look like if these groups get their way on many or most of their demands? Extremely powerful and deadly concealed weapons anywhere and everywhere, held by people who have received minimal if any scrutiny or training.  Basically, it's Virginia (and America) as the Wild West. Does that give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, or does it perhaps send a chill down your spine? Personally, I'd vote for the latter.

The Days Burned into Our Memories

by: Elaine in Roanoke

I taught English in high school for thirty-one years and loved every minute I was on the job. I still have dreams of being in the classroom, teaching. I was blessed with a chance to see kids achieve far more than anyone would have expected them to. Sadly, I also saw others throw away the best chance they would ever have to be prepared for the future. Many times I shared their happiness and sometimes I shared their sadness. Twice, we even shared communal sorrow and horror as tragedy unfolded on television before our eyes.On September 11, 2001, I was seated at my desk a few minutes before my first class started. A student came in and said, "Something has happened in New York. May I turn on the television?" I gave him the O.K. The first tower of the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane. Not long after that, as the rest of the class filed in and took seats, we watched together as the another plane smashed into the second tower. The rest of that day we spent seeing the unfolding drama of the most devastating single act of mass murder in the history of this nation. From the first, I refused to call al qaeda's evil act an act of war. No, it was a senseless, murderous crime against humanity by psychopaths. As we saw first one and then the other tower fall, horror compounded on horror. This heinous act murdered 2977 innocents in the towers and on the planes turned into weapons, while 411 first responders gave their lives in the line of duty that day desperately trying to save their fellow men and women. Most of us remember exactly what we were doing and where we were when we heard news that changed the direction of our nation: the assassinations of President Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, and September 11. For me, the young people I shared September 11 with will always be an integral part of my memory of that event. And that's not the only such terrible time I shared with the kids I taught. There was another time...That other time was January 28, 1986. I have always been a "space junkie," staying up late to see Neil Armstrong land on the moon July 1969, putting up in my classroom the famous photo of the earth from moon orbit taken by Apollo 8's Christmas voyage around the moon. After President Reagan announced plans to put a teacher in earth orbit, I told my classes that I envied that first teacher and wished it could be me.In 1986 my students and I were excited at the thought of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher, flying in space as part of the seven-man crew of the Challenger shuttle. I scheduled our class for the library conference room where there was a large television. Expecting to be thrilled by the sight of Challenger climbing into earth orbit, we sat in silent horror as the shuttle exploded just a minute or two after liftoff. The loss of the Challenger was a tragic event caused by faulty o-rings in solid rockets. It caused a nation to mourn the lives of seven heroes who had known the risks involved when they decided to reach for the stars. September 11 was far different from Challenger. On September 11 thousands of innocent men and women went to work as they always do. They had no reason to think that the day would be different from any other. Some were parents awaiting the birth of their child, people in love, people who never imagined that day would be their last. Then, madmen spurred on by other madmen who used Allah as the excuse for their crimes changed the lives of more than 3,000 people and the course of an entire nation. When I learned that Navy Seals had killed Osama bin Laden, I confess my first thought was, "Good. I hope that bastard suffered before he died." I haven't changed my opinion since that day.

A Decade of Global Warming-Fueled Extreme Weather

by: TheGreenMiles

I moved to Virginia in June 2002. Just since then, some of the records set in Washington, DC and at National Airport in Arlington: 4 of the top 10 warmest years on record 3 of the top 8 largest snowfalls on record Set the all-time record for most precipitation in a year with 60.83" in 2003 Capital Weather Gang looks at some of this week's highest rainfall totals, with Fort Belvoir's 8.82" ranking among the highest on record. Joe Romm has a good look at this month's East Coast flooding through a historic lens as we continue getting triple-teamed by tropical storms. The scary part is we're still in the very early stages of climate change. What kind of extreme weather world will our children face even a couple of decades from now?But no need to cut our climate pollution, right John Boehner, Eric Cantor & Mitch McConnell? Best to just keep waiting it out, cashing coal & oil checks, and blaming ... uhhh, moon volcanoes! Cosmic rays!

Major Flooding Paralyzes Northern Virginia

by TheGreenMiles

Heavy - perhaps historic - rains and flooding are inundating parts of Northern Virginia tonight. Some Huntington residents are being urged to evacuate due to flooding. As of 7:35pm, the Beltway was closed in both directions in Alexandria. WTOP reports Cameron Run threatens to overtop the Beltway. Check the Washington Post's @PostLocal Twitter feed for the latest updates.According to the Post's Capital Weather Gang, "Some rainfall totals in southern Fairfax County in just the [6-7pm] hour have been 3-4"!" The photo at left was taken tonight above the Reston north commuter parking lot for the Fairfax Connector. And it's not expected to improve much in the next few hours. CWG says, "Areas currently experiencing heavy rain may not see signficant improvement until after midnight. Rain is not moving quickly. This may have some in­cred­ibly bad consequences." I just drove from Richmond to my home in Falls Church. It was sunny when we left Richmond, but the drive from Fredericksburg north featured some of the heaviest rain I've ever driven through - and I drove through Hurricane Floyd in 1999. I couldn't see tail lights further than 50 yards in front of my car. Fortunately, everyone slowed down to about 35mph & we didn't see any accidents. How was your drive home? What are you seeing in your community? Let us know in comments. UPDATE 8:46pm: @BreakingNews cites AP as reporting floods have killed two people in Northern Virginia. The Washington Post reports one of the victims was the child earlier reported washed away by Piney Branch Creek in Vienna. Reports of I66 west closed near Route 50 & VRE trains being forced to turn back on the Manassas line due to flash flooding. UPDATE 9:40pm: CWG reports Fairfax County Schools will be closed on Friday. Photo via Laura Cochran

Video: Merrick Proves Herself a Standard-Issue Right Winger at Arlington Candidates Forum

Last night, I attended the Arlington County Civic Federation Candidates forum at the Washington-Lee High School Auditorium. Last night's candidates included Democrats and Republicans running in the 30th, 31st and 32nd State Senate districts, as well as the 45th, 47th, 48th, and 49th House of Delegates districts. Most of these are totally safe Democratic, and nothing last night indicated otherwise (e.g., the Republican running against Adam Ebbin is a total right wingnut, whose "only one promise" is to "uphold the constitutions of the United States and of Virginia" -- whatever). However, the 31st State Senate district is definitely of interest, as Republican Caren Merrick is extremely wealthy, and also has been portraying an image of being a "moderate." Also, Barbara Favola just finished up a rough, tough, even brutal primary campaign against Jaime Areizaga-Soto, giving Merrick a potential opening in this (still) strongly Democratic-leaning district. However, if Merrick's performance last night is any indication, Favola might not have anything to worry about after all. I found the first question to be particularly revealing, as Merrick has been studiously avoiding any mention of social issues on her website, or in the 8-page glossy color mailer she sent out the other day. Instead, all we've been getting from Merrick is "soccer mom," "entrepreneur," and "jobs." Other than that, we've known basically nothing about her positions on the issues that people in the 31st district (Arlington, McLean, Great Falls, eastern Loudoun) care about. Well, as of last night, and particularly the first question (on abortion and gay rights), we're starting to find out. Barbara Favola clearly believes the Marshall-Newman amendment should be repealed, is a strong supporter of LGBT equality, and is 100% pro-choice. In stark contrast, Caren Merrick identifies herself as "pro-life" (aka, anti-women's choice). As for LGBT rights, Merrick completely dodged the question, talking about how she's never hired anyone based on their sexual orientation, but not at all getting at the core of the question, which is how she'd vote as a State Senator for things like LGBT adoption, gay marriage, etc. I think we can take that as a "no" from Caren Merrick on whether she fully supports LGBT rights. If she did, she would have said so -- clearly. But she didn't. On question #2, on creating jobs, Merrick gave the usual Republican response -- the problem is "too many regulations, too many taxes." In Virginia? Is she serious? This is one of the lowest-taxed states in the country (e.g., we have the lowest gas tax in the region), one of the most "business-friendly," winner of multiple "best place to do business" awards, etc. Yet Merrick still thinks the way to create jobs in Virginia isn't to invest in our infrastructure and our people, but to cut taxes and regulations on businesses even further? Sorry, but that's just utter nonsense, utterly detached from reality, and right-wing ideological blather. Is Caren Merrick getting her talking points straight from Bob McDonnell, Ken Cuccinelli and Eric Can'tor or what? It sure seemed like it last night. Finally, when asked if she'd support an increase in the gas tax, or any other dedicated stream of revenues, to improve transportation, Merrick punted yet again (Or, one could say, engaged in "magical thinking," a world where things somehow pay for themselves and revenues materialize out of thin air, pixies and fairy dust. Oh, and purple polka dotted pony-unicorns. Lots of those.). According to her, a gas tax is not "sustainable." Instead, the answer is drill baby drill -- mythical (see here for Chap's explanation as to why that's the case) revenues from offshore oil drilling. As Chap explains, "state transportation proposals which rely on 'royalties' from off-shore oil drilling are laughable -- you'd have better luck relying on royalties from the next Jonas Brother album." Apparently, Caren Merrick is a big Jonas Brothers fan! :)

Dick Saslaw on Virginia Teapublican Senate Candidates: "A lot of them are nut jobs"

I've gotta agree with Virginia State Senate Democratic Majority Leader Dick Saslaw on this point. Democrats, behind in recruiting and fundraising, think the conservative crop of Republican candidates selected last month to run in November gives them the edge they need to hold on to their thin majority in the Senate."A lot of them are nut jobs,'' Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said. "They've nominated a group that makes the governor of Texas look sane." A few examples cited in the article demonstrate why Dick Saslaw is 100% correct in his comments.1. "Adam Light, a Republican running for state Senate in southwest Virginia, has advocated ending Social Security and Medicare." (What percentage of Americans agree with Light that we should ditch Social Security and Medicare? Let's just say, this guy's on the fringes...) 2. "Former Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, a GOP candidate in Northern Virginia, said Darwin's theory of evolution 'was used by atheists to explain away the belief in God.'" (Don't believe in evolution; yeah, you're a nut job.) 3. "Dick Black, running in Loudoun and Prince William counties, was criticized by leaders of his own party in 2003, when as a delegate he sent fellow lawmakers pink plastic models of fetuses as they prepared to vote on an abortion bill." ('Nuff said on that one - Black's completely bonkers in just about every way, obsessed with sex in general and homosexuality in particular, he should be in a shrink's office getting therapy, not running for public office).

lowkell :: Dick Saslaw on Virginia Teapublican Senate Candidates: "A lot of them are nut jobs"

4. "Tom Garrett... has proposed mandatory drug testing for all welfare recipients and has advocated abolishing the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which is charged with keeping air and water clean." (Yes, brilliant, let's totally trash Virginia's air, water, forests, etc. Nut job.) 5. "Ben Loyola, a businessman and veteran who is running against freshman Democrat Ralph Northam in Norfolk, has said he wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education and eliminate corporate taxes and the income tax." (And without any corporate or income taxes, I guess we can just shut down the military, the roads, the schools, the police, the fire departments, the prisons, etc. Brilliant, huh? Or maybe just bonkers?) 6. "Del. Bill Carrico of Grayson, who is running against Democrat John Lamie in the race to replace retiring William Wampler in southwest Virginia, introduced a bill permitting prayer on public property, including schools." (Yeah, let's tear down the church-state separation wall, start turning America into a theocracy. Brilliant.)Also, let's not forget the certifiable Del. "Sideshow Bob" Marshall and many other Republican candidates this year whose platforms focus on dismantling government, bashing minorities (Muslims, gays and lesbians, immigrants, etc.) showering largesse on corporations (aka, "crony capitalism"), making assault weapons easier to acquire, trashing Virginia' environment, escalating the war against working people, privatizing anything and everything, making abortion illegal, pushing for the 21st century version of nullification (an issue most of us were taught was settled in the Civil War), etc. That, my friends, is the Republican Party of Virginia these days, with no moderate Republicans like the John Chicesters and Russ Potts'es of the world to be found. It's not pretty, and it's not even close to moderate or mainstream. Instead, it's Tea Party extremist all the way. In stark contrast, Virginia Democrats are about as centrist - or even, in the cases of people like Phil Puckett, conservative - a bunch of politicians as you can get. As a progressive, that doesn't thrill me, but if the choice is between "mainstream" and "nut jobs," I'll take "mainstream" any day. UPDATE: Also see Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult, in which Mike Lofgren, who "served 16 years as a professional staff member on the Republican side of both the House and Senate Budget Committees," argues that the Republicans Party is "full of lunatics," that "the crackpot outliers of two decades ago have become the vital center today," that "the Republican Party is becoming less and less like a traditional political party in a representative democracy and becoming more like an apocalyptic cult, or one of the intensely ideological authoritarian parties of 20th century Europe."  All true, certainly in the cases of the Virginia Teahadists mentioned above!

Del. Jim LeMunyon Tries Desperately to Hide His Crystal Clear Tea Party Ties. Fails.

If you missed it, this morning's Oakton Patch had a fascinating article, entitled "Clingan Accuses LeMunyon of Serving Tea Party Interest Over His Constituents." That would be Eric Clingan, the Democratic candidate running against Republican incumbent Del. Jim LeMunyon in the 67th House of Delegates district. As the Patch article points out, correctly, LeMunyon received a $50,000 loanfrom something called the "Middle Resolution PAC." As you can see from the information below, this PAC pretends to be middle-of-the-road, but in fact is Tea Party and far-right-wing all the way.Evidence to back up this charge? For starters, Jim LeMunyon himself credits the "Middle Resolution PAC" with winning him the 2009 election over Chuck Caputo in the McDonnell wipeout of Creigh Deeds: "Our 2009 Virginia House race had no funding for television until Middle Resolution decided to become a partner in the campaign, and pay for substantially all of our TV advertising in October. We won by about 1100 votes out of more than 20,000. Did the television advertising help swing 1100 votes our way? Absolutely." Del. Jim LeMunyon Next, read the following from the Patch article: The [Middle Resolution] PAC supported two pieces of legislation in 2011: the Repeal Amendment, which LeMunyon introduced in the House, and the Secret Ballot, which LeMunyon voted in favor of. Both bills passed the House, but died before reaching the Senate floor.The Repeal Amendment calls for a constitutional amendment that would allow states to repeal any federal law or regulation.The Secret Ballot legislation advocates allowing workers in a labor organization to vote by secret ballot. Clingan said not only did Middle Resolution "buy" the Repeal Amendment legislation through their 2009 contributions, but the legislation itself "opens the door to attack every piece of federal legislation ever written. As a constitutional lawyer, it is a rather far-reaching, reckless approach to government." Clingan is absolutely correct; what LeMunyon and his far-right-wing supporters are pushing here is a truly dangerous, "far-reaching, reckless approach to government." Essentially, it allows states to nullify federal laws. Didn't we settle this question in the Civil War? Apparently not, in Jim LeMunyon's opinion.The only question is, do Jim LeMunyon's constituents know that their delegate is a Ken Kookinelli, Rick Perry-style extremist all the way, not in the least bit a moderate or middle-of-the-road representative for his strong Obama district? Perhaps they don't know it yet, but if Eric Clingan does his job right, they certainly should be aware of it by election day in two months. So, who's financing the "Middle Resolution PAC?" First, there's Robert W Bailie, "CEO of Service Partners, LLC, a Hanover County distributor of residential fiberglass insulation and related contractor accessories," who has given the PAC a whopping $423,187. Other than "Middle Resolution PAC," Bailie's also donated nearly $400k to Virginia Republicans - including the most extreme, folks like Ken Kookinelli and Bob Marshall, as well as the Va Conservative Action PAC, Bill Bolling, Bob McDonnell, you name it - and ZERO to Virginia Democrats. Second, there's Frank B Bradley, III of Fas Mart Convenience Stores,who has given the PAC $134,556 (Bradley's also a huge donor to Bill Bolling and other Republicans). Getting the picture here?As for "Middle Resolution PAC," they claim to be "a grassroots coalition with members from across the political spectrum." They also claim that their PAC "was designed to appeal to anyone whose views lie within fifteen points to the right or left of the political 'center.'" If so, then how do they explain the following links, all of which clearly tie them to the hard-right-wing Tea Party, ALEC (also see ALEC Exposed: A Nationwide Blueprint for the Rightwing Takeover), etc.? 1. "Middle Resolution PAC" sponsored a panel by ALEC entitled, "Uniting States to Restore Federalism." 2. Sponsored a seminar at the VA Tea Party Convention led by the CATO Institute and entitled, "Is social security reform possible?" 3. Co-sponsored the VA Tea Party Convention in 2010. 'Nuff said. 4. Listed under "Affliliated Tea Party Info" by the Williamsburg Tea Party. OK, so there's no doubt regarding the connection between the Orwellian-named "Middle Resolution PAC" (Orwellian because there's absolutely NOTHING "middle" about these guys!) and the Tea Party (and ALEC, etc.). There's also no doubt that "Middle Resolution PAC" is a huge financial supporter of Del. Jim LeMunyon. All of which raises the question, why is LeMunyon running away from that connection by issuing denials via "staff" (see the Patch article), instead of proudly embracing his inner teahadist? Doesn't Jim LeMunyon believe that his constituents are entitled to know just how much their representative is beholden to a far-right-wing interest group and far-right-wing donors (all based outside his district, no less). Perhaps Jim LeMunyon's reticence has something to do with the fact that his district went for Barack Obama by 15 points in 2008, and in general is a moderate, Democratic-leaning district? Hmmmm. This should be a fascinating race to watch!