Del. Surovell Calls on Gov. McDonnell to Resign, Implies Impeachment

Add Del. Scott Surovell to the growing list of Virginia legislators - all Democrats, so far - calling on Bob McDonnell to resign. Del. Surovell goes a bit further, strongly implying that if McDonnell won't resign, then impeachment proceedings (Surovell euphemistically calls them "other measures") would be in order. The legislative branch has a sworn independent responsibility to address corruption and malfeasance when we see them independent of criminal investigations. As Senator Chap Petersen said two weeks ago, silence implies acquiescence, and I cannot continue to stand silently. It's time for Governor Robert McDonnell to resign so the Commonwealth can continue its focus on improving the lives of its citizens, and he can shift his focus to resolving his family's mounting legal problems.  It's also time for other members of the legislature to remember their oath to the Virginians they represent and speak up as well. If he has not resigned by the end of this week, then other measures should be on the table. So now, the question is, how long are Virginia Republicans going to allow this situation to go on? Which prominent Virginia Republican elected official will be the first to say "enough's enough?" From what I'm hearing, they're getting increasingly concerned that Bob McDonnell's large and growing corruption scandal could deep-six the Republican Gov/LG/AG ticket. If that happens, of course, it's likely that Republicans will lose seats in the House of Delegates as well. Clearly, Camp Cuccinelli would like McDonnell gone, but they haven't had the cojones to say so directly. However, with a live-streamed debate scheduled for next Saturday, and with questions about the scandals sure to dominate, it's hard to see how they allow this to go on much longer...

Video: RNC Chair Says He's "All In" on Corrupt, Extremist VA GOP Ticket

Republican National Committee chair Reince Preibus came to Chesterfield, Virginia yesterday to open and office and make the case for Ken Cuccinelli. The problems are legion. First, Preibus has no credibility on anything, after his total #FAIL in 2012 (including blabbering about a "war on caterpillars", lying about pretty much everything, etc. Second, as the press release from the DNC (see on the "flip") notes, this is the guy who just 100 days ago (almost exactly) rolled out an "autopsy" of his party's disastrous 2012, the central thesis of which is to broaden the tent, hold primaries instead of conventions to bring more people into the process, and ultimately nominate more moderate and sane candidates. Now, just 100 days later, he's in Virginia celebrating the antithesis of his own autopsy - autopsy hypocrisy, if you will - in the extremist ticket (nominated by a few thousand hard-core right wingers in a convention, not a primary) of Ken Cuccinelli, EW Jackson (note that Preibus is standing right in front of a Jackson sign), and Mark "Criminalize Miscarriages" Obenshain.By the way, note Preibus' Big Lie in this video, in which he claims that President Obama has instituted "European health care in this country." In reality, of course, "Obamacare" doubles down on the PRIVATE, FOR-PROFIT health insurance system. Perhaps because it's basically identical to the 1994 Republican alternative to "Hillarycare," as well as to "Romneycare?" Perhaps because it incorporates the conservative idea of an "individual mandate" in it, in order to compel people to purchase private, for-profit health insurance? This is about as far away from "European health care" (motto: "less expensive than America, but much better results!") as can be. But no matter, this is Big Liar in Chief Reince Preibus we're dealing with, so the truth is not even optional, it's an alien concept. And THIS is the clown they've brought in to attest how wonderful the corrupt, extremist Ken Kookinell is? What a farce.

Obenshain Tries to Rewrite His Anti-LGBT Views; Richmond Times-Dispatch Lets Him Get Away with It

It's truly infuriating when the media simply acts as a stenographer for whatever politicians and candidates have to say. Isn't one of the main "value added" aspects to having journalists their willingness to dig a little bit, to uncover and report on discrepancies, to ask tough follow-up questions, and to let their readers know when a politician is snowing them?  Sadly, as Josh Israel of ThinkProgress reports, that was NOT the case with a recent Richmond Times-Dispatch story on several statewide candidates' positions regarding LGBT anti-discrimination policies. 

In a statement, Obenshain told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he supports Gov. Bob McDonnell’s directive against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in his administration......But Obenshain’s record does not match that claim.  Though a bipartisan super-majority of state Senators and Delegates in 2005 signed statements averring that they would not personally discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of sexual orientation, he declined to do so. Eight years later, he has still never taken this simple step.
In 2010, and again this year Obenshain voted against bills that would have codified this policy and officially banned discrimination against LGBT people in public employment in Virginia.
Obenshain explained his vote, claiming legal protections against LGBT discrimination would give "an avenue for filing lawsuits and grievances for perceived slights or for no perceived slight at all." He later opined that it is employers who choose to discriminate - rather than their LGBT employees - who need to be protected.

Then, just this past January, Obenshain walked out of the State Senate, rather than vote on the nomination of openly-gay judge Tracy Thorne-Begland.

Does this sounds like a guy who, as he claims, has "been clear that discriminatory employment practices on any irrelevant basis should not be tolerated in Virginia." Or, far more likely, is Mark Obenshain simply saying whatever he thinks will help him get elected? Remember, Virginia is now a state where amajority now support same-sex marriage, and an overwhelming majority supports protections against anti-LGBT bias on the job. But not Mark Obenshain, who continues in his far-outside-the-mainstream views on LGBT equality (and so many other issues), as part of a statewide GOP ticket with two like-minded anti-LGBT running mates. Which means that in November, there's only one thing for us to do: make sure that NONE of these guys gets elected.

P.S. Click on the image above to view two of Mark Obenshain's anti-LGBT votes.

P.P.S. An Equality Virginia pledge Obenshain refused to sign read, "The sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression of an 

Video: Fairfax City Council Approves New Ordinance Covering Women's Health Clinics

A few highlights from last night's controversial meeting of the Fairfax City council. First, though, you might want to check out a detailed discussion of the proposed zoning regulations pertaining to "clinics, hospitals, medical or dental offices, and related uses" in Fairfax City. Also, according to this:

{The} proposed ordinance would place women's health centers into the same category as hospitals, surgical centers and urgent care units, and would require clinics to have an expensive "Special Use Permit" as well as limit the locations they can operate in. Just to apply for a Special Use Permit costs at least $4,800 and can take as long as 6 months -- and city staff is arbitrarily able to deny or approve the application. What's worse, the new ordinance gives the Zoning Administrator power to decide exactly the amount of parking required of each clinic, and therefore gives him/her the ability to block a clinic's approval based on frivolous and arbitrary regulations such as - you guessed it - PARKING SPACES.

Back to the video: 1. Staff discussion (by Zoning Administrator Michelle Coleman) of the proposed amendments starts around 11 minutes in and runs through about 24 minutes. 2. The public hearing begins at about 24:40, with speaker after speaker disagreeing with the proposed amendments and urging that they be voted down. You'll hear words like "duplicitous," "arbitrary," "subjective," "vague," "unfair," "inconsistent," "complex," "finagling," "red tape," "splitting hairs," "ideology," "deeply troubled," "onerous," "medically unnecessary," "disproportionately difficult," and "TRAP regulations." The distinction between "offices" and "clinics" is brought up repeatedly, as well as the fact that these women's health clinics provide a variety of health care services. The public hearing portion ends at 1:08, and the discussion returns to staff and council members. 3. A bit after 1:37, Council member Dan Drummond says he feels Fairfax City is being consistent with other localities, but thinks "the public has raised some valid questions" and this needs some more "fine tuning" and staff work. He says "for that reason, I will not be supporting the motion that's been made." 4. The discussion then turns to an exploration of the options and motives for deferring the vote. At 1:39, Mayor Silverthorne says it's the council's prerogative to defer the vote, but he'd prefer to have a "straight up-or-down vote," unless the idea is "truly" to make the ordinance better. Possible deferred vote dates are batted back and forth, with September 24 as one possibility. 5. At around 1:41:45, Mayor Silverthorne says this isn't "politically correct" to say, but after asserting that he's "one of the more liberal" mayors in "the last 50 years," he says he feels like it makes no sense to have the staff rework this, that the council should have a "straight up-or-down vote," and that "dragging this out for the sake of additional feedback" won't resolve the questions out there about this. 6. At about 1:43, Mayor Silverthrone says he doesn't "appreciate some of the outside groups...NARAL...parachuting into my community" and "spreading some misinformation." 7. At 1:44:30, the council decides not to move ahead with Dan Drummond's motion to delay the vote until September 24. A bit later, at around 1:47, the council proceeds to approve the proposed measures on a 4-2 vote. Members in favor are Steven Stombres (R; Eric Cantor's Chief of Staff), Jeffrey Greenfield (R), Dan Drummond (D), and Michael DeMarco (D). Members against are David Meyer (D) and Eleanor Schmidt (R). Worth noting is that Dan Drummond had said just a few minutes earlier that he'd be voting "no," but ends up voting "yes." I don't get that one at all.

BREAKING: Sen. Barbara Favola Calls for Bob McDonnell to Resign

Previously, only Sen. Chap Petersen had called on Bob McDonnell to resign as governor, and even then ONLY if he refused to "come clean" and repay the taxpayers. Sen. Barbara Favola has now gone even further, if anything. Interesting...

McDonnell Corruption Scandal Keeps Getting Worse

Just when you thought Grifter Governor Bob's corruption scandal(s) couldn't get any worse...they do. A prominent political donor gave $70,000 to a corporation owned by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his sister last year, and the governor did not disclose the money as a gift or loan, according to people with knowledge of the payments.The donor, wealthy businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr., also gave a previously unknown $50,000 check to the governor's wife, Maureen, in 2011, the people said. The money to the corporation and Maureen McDonnell brings to $145,000 the amount Williams gave to assist the McDonnell family in 2011 and 2012 - funds that are now at the center of federal and state investigations. Needless to say, a slimeball like Jonnie Williams wasn't giving this money to the McDonnells because he's a nice guy, or out of altruism, or whatever. The only question is, what was the quid pro quo exactly? I mean, we're talking a LOT of money here! My theory? I think Paul Goldman was on to something with this post, "Insider Trading in Star Scientific Stock?"P.S. Oh, and just to make Grifter Bob's day even worse, his son was arrested for public intoxication. UPDATE: CNN's Peter Hamby tweets - "text from top GOPer just now on latest McDonnell revelation: 'that's not survivable.'" Hello, Governor Bolling?!? UPDATE #2: Sen. Chap Petersen writes, "This Story is Going to Another Level." UPDATE #3: @LarrySabato just tweeted, "Look for Cuccinelli to break openly & sharply with McDonnell very soon." The problem, as many people are pointing out, is that Cuccinelli is also tied to Jonnie Williams - took undisclosed gifts/donations from him (5 digits), bought stock in his company, is close "friends" with him, etc. Plus, what did the Attorney General's office know, and when did it know it, about the Governor's Mansion/Chefgate scandals, and what did the Attorney General's office DO about it? (answer: nothing) Finally, was Cuccinelli really "walled off" from all this by his staff, as he claims, and if so how is that acceptable or even possible?!?  WTF? Inquiring minds want to know...

Video: Cuccinelli Says League of Women Voters/AARP Debate a "left wing, stacked" Forum!!!

So...Ken Cuccinelli is nuts AND corrupt AND extreme AND a coward. Check this out: Ken Cuccinelli Monday dismissed a proposed AARP Virginia and League of Women Voters gubernatorial debate as a "left wing, stacked" affair, one week after he missed a deadline to sign on as a participant in the forum.Responding to a reporter's question about why he declined the invitation, the attorney general and Republican nominee for governor offered that assessment while campaigning in Norfolk. "Oh, the left wing, stacked debate," Cuccinelli said. "Well, you've got MSNBC as the proposed folks running it." That debate had been tentatively scheduled for Oct. 14. It was to be moderated by CBS This Morning host Norah O'Donnell, a former MSNBC host, and  broadcast by Richmond area CBS affiliate and a local public television station, with the option for other broadcasters to pick up the feed. The jointly-sponsored event has been a traditional debate during statewide races in Virginia: Tim Kaine and George Allen participated last year, while Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds faced-off in that forum four years ago. So, this debate - which is NOT run by MSNBC, nor are AARP and the League of Women Voters "left wing" - was good enough for George Allen and Bob McDonnell, but not for Ken Cuccinelli? That really says it all about Cooch, huh?P.S. You've also gotta love Cuccinelli's claim that the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce is somehow neutral. In fact, according to VPAP, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce has given 65% of its donations to Republicans, 24% to "Other," and a miniscule 9% to Democrats since 2001. That includes$5,000 to Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), $2,250 to House Speaker Bill Howell (R-ALEC), etc. But this organization is fair and balanced in Cuccinelli's (warped) mind? Of course, he also probably thinks Faux "News" (aka, 24/7 GOP Propaganda Channel) is really "fair and balanced."  Heh. P.P.S. According to VPAP, the AARP has given 52% to Virginia Republicans, 48% to Virginia Democrats.

Sen. Chap Petersen Calls on Bob McDonnell: "Come clean," Return gifts...or Resign as Governor

I'm very happy to see this letter from Sen. Chap Petersen. Among other things, it's good to see someone in the Virginia Democratic Party establishment who's willing to call for our corrupt, grifter Governor to come clean on his burgeoning corruption scandals or step down. What's ironic is that it took one of the most moderate/conservative Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly to do this. Where's everyone else on this? I mean, it's not like this story is hard to understand - Bob McDonnell's corrupt, and Ken Cuccinelli is both corrupt AND covering up for McDonnell - and both of them need to resign, immediately. I'm amazed that leading Virginia Democrats (e.g., the "Progressive Caucus") haven't done what Chap just did, but thanks to Chap for having the cojones to do what's right. Not that our Grifter Governor will give a rat's hindquarters...

Jim Gilmore Demonstrates Why GOP Won't Win Back African-American Vote for a Long Time to Come

Clearly, former Virginia Gov. Jim "No Car Tax" Gilmore is a right wingnut - and a loser - of the first order. Still, he was elected Governor of Virginia, also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, as well as President/ CEO of the Free Congress Foundation. Presumably, he's still very well plugged in to Republican thinking. Which is why when somebody tipped me off that Gilmore had written an op-ed in the African-American-orientedRichmond Free Press on how Republicans should go about winning back the African-American vote (click on image at right to "embiggen"), I was curious what he had to say. I mean, you know, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn occasionally, so you never know, right?Except...no. Jim Gilmore's op-ed is so stale, silly, insipid, stupid, it might have been written by a squirrel. A dead one. Seriously, check out what Jim Gilmore thinks passes for wisdom, with regard to Republicans winning back African-American voters, after years of convincing 95% of them NOT to vote Republican if they were the last party on earth! Gilmore Lesson #1: Go back 50 years, 150 years (to Lincoln, perhaps?), whatever it takes to find a time when the GOP actually gave a crap about civil rights, helping African Americans move up the ladder, etc. Talk about "the GOP's history as the party of civil rights," which ended in the 1960s, when the former "Party of Lincoln" took on the former "Dixiecrats" (Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, etc., etc.) and switched to the infamous "Southern Strategy" - "gaining political support or winning elections in the Southern United States by appealing to racism against African Americans." Sadly, that "Southern Strategy" hasn't changed a great deal for decades, with Republican political candidates talking about "welfare queens," Willie Horton, "black hands", "minorities" loving "Obamacare" (and other benefits the "47 percent" supposedly get from the government, making them suckers for voting Democratic). What a pathetic joke that Jim Gilmore (and presumably other older, white, male Republicans like him) thinks African Americans would possibly vote for a party which holds them in such contempt, and which uses FEAR of them to win the votes of white racists. Wow. Gilmore Lesson #2: Lie through your teeth, totally reverse reality. Thus, according to Gilmore, "Democrats are offering no real opportunity for African-Americans or anyone else to grow out of poverty and grasp the American dream." In reality, of course, almost every single federal program - Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, the GI Bill, investment in crucial infrastructure and education, etc, etc., has "Democratic" written all over it. To the contrary, essentially the only thing Republicans have offered the past few decades has been supply-side/trickle-down economics (aka "Voodoo economics"), crony capitalism, unpaid-for wars, and massive dis-investment in America's future, America's urban areas, America's people. Other than that, Republicans offer a great deal to people...if you're in the top 0.1%, perhaps. Again, does Jim Gilmore really think that people of any color - black, white, whatever - are so stupid that they're actually going to believe that the party of the rich and of big business gives a crap about those who are NOT rich or big business? If so...wow. Gilmore Lesson #3. That's really about it, other than throw out a few more lame attacks and bromides. I just wanted to make one more point, actually a question: Why on earth would Jim Gilmore write a column about how Republicans need to reach out to African Americans in an African-American newspaper, and not in a Republican newsletter or whatever? After all, it's not African Americans who need to change, it's Republicans who are doomed to losing national elections indefinitely, as long as they keep alienating African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and enlightened white people. So, again...why is Gilmore spreading his nonsensical ramblings to African Americans (95% of whom are Democrats), and not to Republicans? So weird. Bottom line: if this is all Republicans have to offer, they won't be winning back African-Americans' votes for a long, loooooong time to come. #FAIL

Demolishing Ken Cuccinelli's Brain-Dead "War on Coal" Graphic

A few points on the graphic by Ken Cuccinelli's campaign is putting out, pushing their false/ginned up "war on coal" meme against Terry McAuliffe.1. As I demonstrated the other day, Virginia coal mining employment is UP - repeat, UP! - under President Obama. It went DOWN - repeat, DOWN! - under President Bush. So, should we conclude by these statistics that Republicans are waging a "war on coal?" I mean, that's just as brain dead as Cuccinelli's idiotic attack line. 2. As I also pointed out, Cuccinelli's ally Randy Forbes got it exactly backwards when he (hysterically) warns of job losses at the Port of Virginia. In fact, any reduction in Virginia coal consumption at U.S. power plants, while Virginia coal production remains constant, will result in HIGHER net exports of Virginia coal. Nice try by Rep. Forbes, but no cigar. 3. So...Cuccinelli claims that "Virginia coal is 19,260 jobs." Sound like a lot? Well, it certainly is to the 19,260 people who have those jobs, and that matters. But in context, out of a Virginia civilian labor force of 4.2 million jobs, Cuccinelli is talking about 0.46% of Virginia jobs. And remember, per point #1, those jobs are UP under President Obama. But the main point is that 99.54% of Virginia employment is NOT in coal, and Ken Cuccinelli's backwards, regressive, trickle-down policies would be disastrous for that 99.54%. They also wouldn't help the 0.46% of Virginians employed in the coal industry, just as George W. Bush's policies didn't help (again, coal mining employment in Virginia was DOWN under Bush). 4. As for economic activity, Cuccinelli claims that coal accounts for $2.5 billion Virginia economic activity. First of all, that's unlikely. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis' statistics, economic output for ALL mining activities in Virginia (oil and gas, coal, etc.) was $2.3 billion, which is obviously less than $2.5 billion. But let's even say that Cuccinelli's numbers were right; we're talking about $2.5 billion out of total Virginia economic activity of $446 billion in 2012. That means mining (coal, natural gas, etc.) makes up 0.56% of Virginia's economy, while 99.44% is made up of everything else. And again, Ken Cuccinelli's rob-from-the-middle-class-and-give-to-the-rich economic policies would hurt that 99.44%, while not helping the 0.56% in any way either. 5. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis' statistics, Virginia wages in 2011 were $204 billion. Cuccinelli claims $1.4 billion of that's in coal mining,. which would amount to 0.69% of total Virginia wages. That means that 99.31% of Virginia wages are NOT coal mining related. And again, Cuccinelli's right-wingnut economic and social policies would seriously harm those 99.31% of Virginia wages, while doing NOTHING to boost the 0.69% related to coal mining. So much for THAT line of attack. Next? P.S. Meanwhile, Cuccinelli continues to deny climate science, and the existential threat posed by global warming, while offering ZERO ideas to deal with this crisis. That will do wonders for places like Hampton Roads, when it's under water, or the rest of Virginia, when we face increasingly severe droughts and storms, etc. P.P.S. I forgot to mention the first claim in this graphic, that "every dollar raised at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner is a dollar that will go to funding the McAuliffe/Biden/Obama war on coal." Actually, every dollar raised at the JJ goes to funding the Democratic Party of Virginia, which helps elect Democrats in Virginia. That enables us to promote economic fairness and social justice, a clean energy economy, LGBT equality, a woman's right to choose, everyone's right to vote, and many other important policy goals, while blocking Teapublicans' extremist agenda. If you're interested in helping achieve those goals, I urge you to give to your favorite Virginia Democratic candidate - for gov, LG, AG, or House of Delegates - today!  Thanks.