tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48698413416551146212024-03-05T15:53:51.472-05:00Blue VirginiaBlue VirginiaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5940125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-81259844629262117912022-03-19T07:13:00.002-04:002022-03-19T07:44:38.615-04:00Saturday News: "In a World on Fire, Stop Burning Things"; Biden Warns Xi; "Is Russia losing?"; "The Putin-Fox feedback loop"; "Virginia police officer pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charge"<b>by Lowell</b> <div><br /></div><div>Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, March 19. NOTE: We're still messing around with the migration of www.bluevirginia.us to a new server, so...hopefully things will be back to normal sometime today. For now, I'm posting this here.<ul><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/18/antarctica-heat-wave-climate-change/">It's 70 degrees warmer than normal in eastern Antarctica. Scientists are flabbergasted. </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/essay/in-a-world-on-fire-stop-burning-things">In a World on Fire, Stop Burning Things</a> ("The truth is new and counterintuitive: we have the technology necessary to rapidly ditch fossil fuels. ")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/18/four-climate-investors-explain-the-new-boom-at-ceraweek-panel.html">Four climate investors explain the new boom — where the money's going and risks ahead</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-18/shell-is-pushing-to-build-offshore-wind-farms-along-brazil-coast">Shell Is Pushing to Build Offshore Wind Farms Along Brazil’s Coast</a> ("Plan includes six projects, totaling 17 gigawatts of capacity; Shell expanding wind business as it pivots to renewable energy")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/green-startups-flush-with-cash-face-pressure-to-make-climate-advances-11647682202">Green Startups, Flush With Cash, Face Pressure to Make Climate Advances</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ancient-fertilizer-biochar-is-finding-a-new-life-as-a-solution-to-fight-climate-change">Ancient Fertilizer Biochar Is Finding a New Life As a Solution to Fight Climate Change</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/climate/climate-armed-conflict-water.html">Climate change is making armed conflict worse. Here’s how.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/18/us-covid-next-surge-variant-ba2">Warning signs for US as Covid cases rise in Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-19/belgium-to-extend-life-of-nuclear-reactors-for-another-decade?srnd=premium">Belgium to Extend Life of Nuclear Reactors for Another Decade</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/china-reports-first-covid-deaths-over-year-2022-03-19/">China reports first COVID deaths in more than a year</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vox.com/22977354/covid-19-outbreak-omicron-ba2-hong-kong-south-korea-china-asia-vaccine">Covid-19 cases are exploding in Asia. Here’s what it means for the rest of the world.</a> ("The mutations in the omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19, first detected in November 2021, make it the most contagious version of the virus known to date and allowed it to evade immunity — both from vaccines and from previous infections — better than other variants. Many of the earlier omicron waves were caused by a subvariant known as BA.1. Another omicron subvariant known as BA.2 is even more transmissible and is now driving a distinct spike in new cases.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/3/18/22977801/russia-ukraine-war-losing-map-kyiv-kharkiv-odessa-week-three">Is Russia losing?</a> ("Russia’s offensive is stalled. It has taken massive casualties. We are, according to one expert, 'seeing a country militarily implode.'")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/putin-ukraine-is-this-grozny-or-stalingrad/">Putin should know: Rain hell on Ukraine and it still may not fall</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-war-ukraine-business-sanctions-11647647580">The Month Companies United Against Russia’s War</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/even-us-allies-are-reluctant-confront-russia-invasion-ukraine-rcna20686">Oil, weapons and realpolitik: Why some countries want to stay on friendly terms with Russia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-19-22/h_155e2997f0e4db71afe85a410ce456ad">Russian forces dig in near Kyiv as brutal strikes continue</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/19/ukraines-zelenskiy-calls-for-urgent-peace-talks-and-warns-of-catastrophe-in-mariupol">Ukraine’s Zelenskiy calls for urgent peace talks and warns of catastrophe in Mariupol</a> ("Russia has a chance to limit the damage by engaging in ‘meaningful’ talks, says Volodymyr Zelenskiy, amid fierce shelling in the south")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60802572">Street fighting blocks rescue at Mariupol theatre - mayor</a></li>
<li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-lifestyle-moscow-1b564e5ac8cdc5e15904576ac8e96164">Ukraine’s leader warns war will cost Russia for generations</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/18/readout-of-president-joseph-r-biden-jr-call-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-2/">Readout of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Call with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/18/china-says-xi-biden-call-focused-on-the-need-for-peace-in-ukraine.html">Biden warns Xi of global backlash if China helps Russia's attack on Ukraine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/russia-china-said-their-friendship-had-no-limits-its-up-united-states-impose-some/">Russia and China said their friendship had ‘no limits.’ It’s up to the United States to impose some.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60785754">Ukraine conflict: Putin lays out his demands in Turkish phone call</a></li>
<li><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/18/russia-putin-ukraine-war-three-weeks/">How Putin Bungled His Invasion of Ukraine </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/ukraine-antitank-missiles-russia.html">Ukraine Is Wrecking Russian Tanks With a Gift From Britain </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/18/ukraine-military-aid-shipments/">Inside the transfer of foreign military equipment to Ukrainian soldiers </a></li>
<li><a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2022/03/ukraine-is-getting-switchblade-it-should-be-just-the-first-wave-of-loitering-munitions-for-kyiv/">Ukraine is getting Switchblade. It should be just the first wave of loitering munitions for Kyiv.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/specialist-drone-unit-picks-off-invading-forces-as-they-sleep-zlx3dj7bb">Specialist Ukrainian drone unit picks off invading Russian forces as they sleep</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/putin-needs-a-revised-theory-of-victory-that-excludes-the-capture-of-kyiv-20220317-p5a5j3.html">Putin needs a revised theory of victory that excludes the capture of Kyiv </a></li>
<li><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/598849-support-in-both-parties-grows-for-providing-air-power-to-ukraine">Support in both parties grows for providing air power to Ukraine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a39478341/vladimir-putin-traitors-scum-ukraine/">Never Go Full Stalin</a> ("Vladimir Putin said some crazy sh*t this week.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/putin-gnats-stalin_n_6235541ae4b019fd812e104a">Putin Likens Opponents To 'Gnats,' Evoking Stalin's Dehumanizing Language</a> ("Russian President Vladimir Putin used language that recalls the rhetoric from Josef Stalin’s show trials of the 1930s.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/russias-invasion-ukraine/putin-fox-feedback-loop">The Putin-Fox feedback loop</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/russias-invasion-ukraine/russian-minister-sergey-lavrov-praises-fox-news-coverage-putins-invasion">Russian minister Sergey Lavrov praises Fox News' coverage of Putin's invasion of Ukraine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/03/former-kremlin-dvorkovich-forced-resignation-opposing-putins-war/">The Ex-Kremlin Deputy Who Openly Opposed Putin’s War in a Mother Jones Exclusive Has Been Forced to Resign</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/putin-turned-to-a-chechen-warlord-to-intimidate-ukraine-it-hasnt-worked-11647614020?mod=djemalertNEWS">Putin Turned to a Chechen Warlord to Intimidate Ukraine. It Hasn't Worked. </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/19/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/">Nearly 10 million have fled their homes since invasion but defiant defense stalls Russian advance</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/28/the-complexities-of-the-ukraine-dilemma">The Complexities of the Ukraine Dilemma</a> ("The aid offered by the West may help, but it cannot relieve Volodymyr Zelensky of the terrible predicaments he must manage in the weeks ahead.")</li>
<li><a href="https://deadline.com/2022/03/putin-tv-speech-rally-cut-off-glitch-1234982208/">Putin’s Speech At Massive Rally Cut Off On State TV, Technical Glitch Blamed</a></li>
<li><a href="https://t.co/cdd4fHmISf">Propaganda war rages as Russians face huge pressure to back invasion</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-19/ukraine-update-russia-says-used-kinzhal-missile-in-strike?srnd=premium">Ukraine Update: Russia Says Used Hypersonic Missile in Strike</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60794809">Ukraine: Arnold Schwarzenegger's anti-war video trends on Russian social media</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-19/russia-steps-up-threat-to-target-arms-shipments-to-ukraine?srnd=premium">Russia Steps up Threat to Target Arms Shipments to Ukraine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/the-third-rail/6234aa276c90860020516e75/republican-conspiracy-russia-ukraine/">What the Russia Invasion Teaches Us About the Right </a> ("Contrarians aren't critical thinkers. They're gullible reactionaries, vulnerable to conspiracy theories.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/18/russia-backs-down-on-demands-in-iran-nuclear-deal-talks-making-revival-of-2015-pact-imminent.html">Russia backs down on demands in Iran nuclear deal talks, making revival of 2015 pact imminent</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/media/axios-ukraine-article/index.html">White House 'appalled' at Axios over Ukraine article</a> (Axios is awful.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/ukraine-biden-gop-trump/">The GOP is about to come after Biden on Ukraine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/19/climate/energy-transition-climate-change.html">There’s a Messaging Battle Right Now Over America’s Energy Future</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/republicans-losing-culture-war/">Why Republicans are excited about a culture war they know they’re losing</a> ("The fact that the world has turned against them can be mobilized into short-term victory at the polls." That's what Youngkin did.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/03/18/white-christian-nationalism-raskin-tlaib-democracy-freethought-secular/">Researchers warn that Christian nationalists are becoming more radical and are targeting voting </a></li>
<li><a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/598843-ginni-thomass-activism-sparks-ethics-questions-for-supreme-court">Ginni Thomas's activism sparks ethics questions for Supreme Court justice</a> ("The Hill" calls it "activism," when it's actually insurrectionism.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/josh-hawley-smears-ketanji-brown-jackson-child-porn-sex-offenders/">How low will the GOP go in taking on Ketanji Brown Jackson? Josh Hawley lets us know. </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/politics/republican-attacks-scotus-nominee-sentencing-record/">GOP senators push misleading portrayal of Ketanji Brown Jackson's record on child porn cases</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/supreme-court/baseless-oan-attack-ketanji-brown-jackson-echoes-qanon-conspiracy-theory">Baseless OAN attack on Ketanji Brown Jackson echoes QAnon conspiracy theory</a></li>
<li><a href="https://slate.com/">What to Watch Out for During Next Week’s SCOTUS Confirmation Hearings</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/politics/alva-johnson-donald-trump-arbitrator-ruling.html">Trump Campaign Owes $300,000 in Legal Fees After Another Failed NDA Case </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/03/mark-meadows-investigated-voter-fraud">The Voter-Fraud Tables Turn on Mark Meadows</a> ("North Carolina’s attorney general has requested an investigation into Trump’s former White House chief of staff’s voter registration.")</li>
<li><a href="https://presswatchers.org/2022/03/the-new-york-times-editorial-board-should-retract-and-resign/">The New York Times editorial board should retract and resign </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/jd-vance-canceled-minnesota-republicans/">Why is J.D. Vance getting canceled by his fellow Republicans?</a> ("Republicans are asking if Vance was canceled because of his controversial declaration about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last month, Vance said, 'I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.'"</li>
<li><a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/beware-bill-barr.html">Beware Bill Barr</a> ("His new book shows we have as much to fear from him as Donald Trump.")</li>
<li><a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/the-surge-zelensky-congress-daylight-saving-time.html">Mo Brooks Is Learning That Loyalty to Trump Gets Him Nothing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/peoples-convoys-reveals-ridiculous-new-goal-take-back-black-lives-matter-plaza?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4">People's Convoy Reveals Ridiculous New Goal: ‘Take Back’ Black Lives Matter Plaza </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/politics/texas-primary-ballot-rejections.html">Mail Ballot Rejections Surge in Texas, With Signs of a Race Gap</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/politics/dr-oz-trump-mccormick-senators-race.html">Dr. Oz's Heritage Is Targeted as Rivals Vie for Trump Backing</a> ("The Senate candidate's Turkish background has emerged as a focus of David McCormick's attacks in Pennsylvania's G.O.P. primary.")</li>
<li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-executions-south-carolina-columbia-e9e1e1108d337526883b1b2b179ba223">Firing-squad executions get the greenlight in South Carolina </a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/18/florida-working-hard-to-turn-florida-red/">Florida Republicans are living in a Trumped-up dystopia — and everyone's invited</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/03/19/disney-desantis-and-the-dont-say-gay-bill-a-florida-showdown-over-money-power-and-equality/">Disney, DeSantis and the "Don't Say Gay" bill: A Florida showdown over money, power and equality</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2022/03/18/alaska-us-rep-don-young-has-died-according-to-former-aides/">Alaska U.S. Rep. Don Young has died at age 88 </a></li>
<li><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/598792-virginia-officer-pleads-guilty-to-jan-6-charge">Virginia police officer pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charge</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wvtf.org/news/2022-03-18/state-lawmakers-must-work-out-a-3-billion-difference-between-house-and-senate-budgets">State lawmakers must work out a $3 billion difference between House and Senate budgets</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wvtf.org/news/2022-03-18/virginias-community-colleges-find-a-new-leader-as-youngkin-wants-more-focus-on-workforce-development">Virginia's community colleges find a new leader, as Youngkin wants more focus on workforce development</a></li>
<li><a href="https://richmond.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-gas-tax-debate-requires-a-more-complete-picture/article_595dd334-5cf8-5d7c-8a88-d0cfba5eb5fa.html">Editorial: Gas tax debate requires a more complete picture</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/vp-nw-statehouse-politics-richmond-20220318-4mepiua5sbeyvi7a77p53255s4-story.html#nt=pf-double%20chain~homepage-top-chain~flex%20feature~curated~po2~4MEPIUA5SBEYVI7A77P53255S4~1~1~2~9~art%20yes">The General Assembly session has ended. What changes might be in store for Hampton Roads?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://richmond.com/news/local/education/richmond-school-board-approves-tentative-plan-for-renovating-fox-after-fire-last-month/article_641fe9c4-5631-534c-9d2e-c0816393eae6.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">Richmond School Board approves tentative plan for renovating Fox after fire last month</a></li>
<li><a href="https://richmond.com/sports/college/teel-a-special-season-ends-for-hokies-in-first-round-ncaa-loss-to-texas/article_3a25b0d6-854d-561e-b55f-264013acf92d.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">Teel: 'A special season' ends for Hokies in first-round NCAA loss to Texas</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/19/dc-area-forecast-warm-saturday-cooler-sunday/">D.C.-area forecast: Warm ahead of a cold front today, with a few showers and storms possible</a></li>
</ul>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-90764920589216367022022-03-18T18:28:00.007-04:002022-03-18T20:05:57.792-04:002022 Virginia General Assembly “Batting Averages”…Presented with the Usual Slew of Caveats<p>I've been unable to post at the <a href="https://bluevirginia.us/">www.bluevirginia.us site</a> (WordPress) most of today (3/18/22), as the site is being migrated to a new - and hopefully better - server (don't ask! LOL), so I'm posting this here at the old bluevablog.blogspot.com site for now. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that...haha. Anyway, <a href="https://www.vpap.org/visuals/visual/state-legislators-2022-batting-averages/">VPAP</a> is out with its annual legislators' "batting averages," as you can see in the following screenshots. But first,<a href="https://bluevirginia.us/2021/03/2021-virginia-general-assembly-batting-averages-presented-with-a-bunch-of-caveats"> see here </a>for all the usual caveats:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>
These numbers can be *highly* misleading if you look at them the wrong way,</b> or as in the case of VPAP, they can be misleading if you fail to present the numbers with explanation, important context, etc. as VPAP indeed fails to do. </li><li>Also, as <a href="https://bluevirginia.us/2019/03/lies-damned-lies-and-batting-averages-the-case-of-vpaps-legislator-success-scorecard">Cindy Cunningham explained</a> back in 2019, “<b>There are many, many ways that a legislator might end up with a low ‘batting average’ on the VPAP scorecard.</b> The legislator might, in fact, put in lots of ill-conceived bills–ideas that haven’t really been thought through very well, poorly designed plays.” </li><li>Or, <b>“a legislator might also end up with a low score by putting in lots of controversial or partisan bills.</b>” </li><li>“On the flip side, <b>a sure way to get a high score is to put in a lot of relatively sleepy little bills–clean up some badly-worded or vague section of the code, solve some minor local problem</b>, be the patron of one of the many, many bills that are voted through unanimously – ‘in the uncontested block.'”</li><li>“Lastly, a<b> legislator may get a high score for having a good sense of what can or cannot pass, for working hard with stakeholders and other legislators before and during the process to tweak the language so that it will have as little opposition as possible, for being willing to amend on the fly as needed. </b>Think of this as playing good, smart, fundamentally sound baseball.” </li><li>“But just like a win-loss record is a poor measure of how your pitcher did, and how ‘advanced sabermetrics’ are far more revealing, <b>this VPAP ‘batting average’ is a poor metric for how our legislators did.</b>”</li><li><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Also worth looking at, along with the % of patroned bills passed, is how many bills each legislator put in, and how many total bills passed.</strong> Thus, clearly having a 100% batting average is not nearly the same thing if you patroned one or two bills that passed versus, let’s say, 40-50 bills, of which perhaps half or two-thirds passed. And again, one really needs to look at how complex, “significant,” etc. each bill is, as well as how much time/effort was required of the patron to get it passed, how much help they had in doing so, etc.</li><li>Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"> different members of the General Assembly have different roles.</strong> Thus, someone in leadership might spend a big chunk of their time…well, leading! As opposed, that is, to worrying as much about their own bills. Or maybe they try to do both. But regardless, the point is, again we’re somewhat comparing apples/oranges/bananas here.</li><li>With all those caveats, there’s an argument that, perhaps, “batting averages” and statistics like the following aren’t even worth presenting. Or maybe they’re worse than nothing, as they could be misleading? I’d argue that, <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">yes, that’s all true, if you just take the “batting averages” alone, and don’t do some serious “advanced sabermetrics,”</strong> as Cindy notes. In short, <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">I’d use the following numbers to *start* a conversation, most definitely not to *end* it.</strong> With that…here are the numbers, with a few things that jumped out at me (above each graphic)…</li></ul><div><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #800180;">Overall, in the 2022 General Assembly, 40% of introduced bills ended up passing - down from 57% last year and 45% in 2020. By party, Republicans passed 42% of their introduced bills, while Democrats passed 39%. Men passed 43% of their introduced bills, while women passed 35% of theirs. And those with the most seniority (16+ years) passed a whopping 52% of their introduced bills, while those with just 0-4 years in office passed just 26% (!) of their introduced bills (*huge* difference there). Finally, note the contrast from last year, when Democrats had a "trifecta" (control of the House of Delegates, State Senate and governorship), and when the highest legislative batting averages skewed heavily "blue," with the lowest - including Amanda Chase, Kirk Cox, Glenn Davis, etc. at zero - skewing heavily "red." This time around, with divided government, it's more of a mixed bag...</span><div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjizcxNzN7Rou5V-Ywnj2urE0PbkavY4mlBXFT_XRURr_5b4XTpf_TfUqhL0Eeh7jhd_gHPSijp_EzS-bebysXRFXejdWYpxojQ8RjHCs8NYZeBVUprgeXQhIKSihZFf2nMnjuHKL_mzMCIlYesiGznpJoYDz_TtKmwrDLyiUyYQ0lCE4abkyj5OEZ1AA=s753" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjizcxNzN7Rou5V-Ywnj2urE0PbkavY4mlBXFT_XRURr_5b4XTpf_TfUqhL0Eeh7jhd_gHPSijp_EzS-bebysXRFXejdWYpxojQ8RjHCs8NYZeBVUprgeXQhIKSihZFf2nMnjuHKL_mzMCIlYesiGznpJoYDz_TtKmwrDLyiUyYQ0lCE4abkyj5OEZ1AA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180;">Worth noting: six of the top ten "batting averages" are Republicans, with Sen. Janet Howell and Del. Clint Jenkins the leading Democrats at 3/3 (100%) and 1/1 (100%), respectively - although both had very few introduced bills - and Sen. Todd Pillion and Del. Barry Knight the leading Republicans at 11/11 (100%) and 6/6 (100%). (Also with high "batting averages" - House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore at 21/26 (81%), Republican Del. Tommy Wright at 8/10 (80%), Democratic Del. Rip Sullivan at 11/14 (79%), Democratic Sen. Monty Mason at 18/23 (78%), etc.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaVrxOECFy-bWrTKzaCOVfkgk69h1sbkyPX6WpZJbBpTh2mV0j-im7Uw1N1S5bzP1AqOq2IZpl8-ZHRBghCAwCF7vGG5-L5IPt9QwPwiMlkjb9C8vV5jPu9SOO4pXxl0ORZjOAYF7C79zKefGtpN_25-hgDEK0iLNt735tkKEuwj4i1YcRcOEDtHAylg=s737" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaVrxOECFy-bWrTKzaCOVfkgk69h1sbkyPX6WpZJbBpTh2mV0j-im7Uw1N1S5bzP1AqOq2IZpl8-ZHRBghCAwCF7vGG5-L5IPt9QwPwiMlkjb9C8vV5jPu9SOO4pXxl0ORZjOAYF7C79zKefGtpN_25-hgDEK0iLNt735tkKEuwj4i1YcRcOEDtHAylg=s320" width="243" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMYN4S1wrZ31PDNjMIS5LFFpDn7-gPDRIsTvTMx5ae5G0vhnKJuFoqBOLtPJWJ6r-s4vBjq0cGSV1Jx9FnTFxWgpAl_cLwpTMdWaRVjbfcvpgI-AC012kSslD1Wz1ypC1Zl06rXptlOL02YBdbGhfdcVFWK5QqlHAfWiAp32obgDZCmfaXCChGceNDnw=s728" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="562" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMYN4S1wrZ31PDNjMIS5LFFpDn7-gPDRIsTvTMx5ae5G0vhnKJuFoqBOLtPJWJ6r-s4vBjq0cGSV1Jx9FnTFxWgpAl_cLwpTMdWaRVjbfcvpgI-AC012kSslD1Wz1ypC1Zl06rXptlOL02YBdbGhfdcVFWK5QqlHAfWiAp32obgDZCmfaXCChGceNDnw=s320" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS1CiAHSy_zQIARNSzxTzZ0brQKeLhJ9ItzvBsMpsaRHF2x3OjEt-JeMzGmurIKIqWkavI6QhXIRIzxRb5Y94RZJRHCaoGYEa4Z1XAFQ08yOAVwOdpDKuGeqmVFVRsPZR081plxtQs89tP50riBojZ4GkegivmRzUTiUxqvXJKCFurnJMmNTYzzxgB_A=s742" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="598" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS1CiAHSy_zQIARNSzxTzZ0brQKeLhJ9ItzvBsMpsaRHF2x3OjEt-JeMzGmurIKIqWkavI6QhXIRIzxRb5Y94RZJRHCaoGYEa4Z1XAFQ08yOAVwOdpDKuGeqmVFVRsPZR081plxtQs89tP50riBojZ4GkegivmRzUTiUxqvXJKCFurnJMmNTYzzxgB_A=s320" width="258" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9Np0fAE1Be14d9NCDYE8utjYipZru8qqCvvDqcMzxV1lY-uEXeJArj8s-XvN1I-Ah0zAWT0fkfA5XZyFsFmIzy8fBuFs_7gQh4RViXkLJdQo2i5kbOe48XPOenRlbffyeJ40_4jrsy4k7VfU4JZ4eZtpuR4ozARjF01u54_9buGoPpctDbm7UlgS7Ng=s733" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9Np0fAE1Be14d9NCDYE8utjYipZru8qqCvvDqcMzxV1lY-uEXeJArj8s-XvN1I-Ah0zAWT0fkfA5XZyFsFmIzy8fBuFs_7gQh4RViXkLJdQo2i5kbOe48XPOenRlbffyeJ40_4jrsy4k7VfU4JZ4eZtpuR4ozARjF01u54_9buGoPpctDbm7UlgS7Ng=s320" width="233" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJoR2KTTUz2xwL2sP8LkU7YjCXCpmuCKUwtB2m-7hJImoTUKpp_BW6SVk_1s6MstLD7J2SM-ZurCDzsGs-1Wu0F6IYeWF9incPdlE7Ii2EksxvAxEpUmPxdlHRbBJDjdTz8ORxwIXmQyNaH0banSjRhrErjDQmEHSUIH3ENFqLdjufazGROb09OG1vgg=s738" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="509" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJoR2KTTUz2xwL2sP8LkU7YjCXCpmuCKUwtB2m-7hJImoTUKpp_BW6SVk_1s6MstLD7J2SM-ZurCDzsGs-1Wu0F6IYeWF9incPdlE7Ii2EksxvAxEpUmPxdlHRbBJDjdTz8ORxwIXmQyNaH0banSjRhrErjDQmEHSUIH3ENFqLdjufazGROb09OG1vgg=s320" width="221" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFUDgxh0OONIaEzbCBr0wimY2QbZBeHJyP_ynOXFtSkBcs6QVSIY1eBJOfRwjEPnvt3GmVS65i-TkvZ3pCPzGkofbhiVWN8s1rgbcLHuisUuuhgVZGiT-OhptA1JIc9nVlXsizbT1Lq-FullxusFydpZhHDtMQXJN_HLdLygKawoZr2Tjhsy-qo0Gixw=s733" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFUDgxh0OONIaEzbCBr0wimY2QbZBeHJyP_ynOXFtSkBcs6QVSIY1eBJOfRwjEPnvt3GmVS65i-TkvZ3pCPzGkofbhiVWN8s1rgbcLHuisUuuhgVZGiT-OhptA1JIc9nVlXsizbT1Lq-FullxusFydpZhHDtMQXJN_HLdLygKawoZr2Tjhsy-qo0Gixw=s320" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6DgBbjzXe848GRWbks-J1mFl49W0dU4khmeTa7wnHhHLI7VEMa7tdhGWmhZLCwviL7L9vTE9AD7nbpdIG3ewSVpZoiyAcP5QcR_f004twPFWT1oPSAEnLIRGq_Yb_zYVk7Lor8FpWtXJodllooYKhgxgSzh_OW1O0Om7tXaEAOSBQjbQ6ubLrMEZwcQ=s738" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6DgBbjzXe848GRWbks-J1mFl49W0dU4khmeTa7wnHhHLI7VEMa7tdhGWmhZLCwviL7L9vTE9AD7nbpdIG3ewSVpZoiyAcP5QcR_f004twPFWT1oPSAEnLIRGq_Yb_zYVk7Lor8FpWtXJodllooYKhgxgSzh_OW1O0Om7tXaEAOSBQjbQ6ubLrMEZwcQ=s320" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180;">The lowest "batting averages" were a mix of Democrats and some really far-right Republicans. For instance, far-right Delegates Marie March and Dave LaRock only saw 5% and 6%, respectively, of their introduced bills pass. Also-far-right Del. Tim Anderson and Sen. Amanda Chase actually passed NONE of their introduced bills, which is even worse considering that they both introduced a lot of bills (23 each). Also at 0% were Delegates Michelle Maldonado (0/5) and Candi King (0/6), although neither introduced many bills. Also under 10% were hard-right Del. Nick Freitas (at just 4/43, or 9%), Democratic freshman Del. Nadarius Clark (9%), Democratic Del. Wendy Gooditis (9%), Democratic Del. Kelly Fowler (5%), Democratic Del. Kaye Kory (5%), and Democratic Del. Alfonso Lopez (3%). Again, consider all the caveats noted at the top of this piece as you evaluate these "batting averages." Finally, note that for whatever reasons, three delegates (Democrats Ken Plum and Lamont Bagby; Republican Speaker Todd Gilbert) introduced no bills at all.</span></strong></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIHIESQe9eRJo1sbIhXlRGRIHpgwIhn2jmlTJbDE7pza67XvMvWxl4Zo2caWquevPZKVD1aKXUFKVAGGXk0z-5trR0hOnNjc1efWahavXeHw15sIaYzF6KpSu9ynAKsM7e4yYM0OusIhpM4r4_rZkFcwJ4Q9z34qLROcTlnVSPrtMXtjh6e0ek2tt6Pw=s736" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIHIESQe9eRJo1sbIhXlRGRIHpgwIhn2jmlTJbDE7pza67XvMvWxl4Zo2caWquevPZKVD1aKXUFKVAGGXk0z-5trR0hOnNjc1efWahavXeHw15sIaYzF6KpSu9ynAKsM7e4yYM0OusIhpM4r4_rZkFcwJ4Q9z34qLROcTlnVSPrtMXtjh6e0ek2tt6Pw=s320" width="297" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy_5h7l3waG3znI2NvuavUAUFUSST7yRbd2sT_oH9hUHPOOU-rResF_dOi-qmW2poXqYn63MWy1NGaq9hS7ks9GaXwzCL0AQeOzGWT5O5xcEAqHD0i4_zHjBc7lTNeGuwNV6wybS53Gyp-Dw2scYsRIoR2Yz0KA1NjUhuPIOtsinvtlcMPJEmOHaQU_A=s709" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="709" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy_5h7l3waG3znI2NvuavUAUFUSST7yRbd2sT_oH9hUHPOOU-rResF_dOi-qmW2poXqYn63MWy1NGaq9hS7ks9GaXwzCL0AQeOzGWT5O5xcEAqHD0i4_zHjBc7lTNeGuwNV6wybS53Gyp-Dw2scYsRIoR2Yz0KA1NjUhuPIOtsinvtlcMPJEmOHaQU_A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></strong></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-81381674757876737612016-02-18T16:07:00.001-05:002016-02-18T16:09:33.942-05:00Donald Trump Says No Leader Should "question another man's religion," Yet He's Done So Many Times<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="197" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gnv6tIRW86A" width="350"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Donald Trump today: "<b>No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith."</b><br />
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Donald Trump previously:<br />
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2/12/16: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-ted-cruz-evangelical-christian-2016-2">TRUMP: 'How can Ted Cruz be an evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest?'</a><br />
12/14/15: <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/donald-trump-ted-cruz-evangelical-152489/">Donald Trump Questions Ted Cruz's Evangelical Faith</a><br />
9/18/15: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/18/politics/trump-obama-muslim-birther/">Donald Trump's history of suggesting Obama is a Muslim</a> (many examples, going back years, such as suggesting in 2011 that Barack Obama's birth certificate might say he's a Muslim)<br />
9/18/15: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2015/sep/18/donald-trump-correct-question-obama-muslim-not-american-new-hampshire-video">Donald Trump fails to correct man calling Obama a Muslim and 'not even American' – video</a><br />
9/27/12: <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/251382918960783361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Donald Trump tweet</a> -- "Does Madonna know something we all don't about Barack? At a concert she said 'we have a black Muslim in the White House.'"<br />
<br />
P.S. It's worth noting that "JEB" Bush, who the corporate media likes to claim is some sort of moderate, the sane one in the wacko 2016 GOP presidential field, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/jeb-bush-trump-religion-218276">answered "no" to the question of whether Trump's a Christian</a> a few weeks ago.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-67600319543662299102016-02-18T10:26:00.001-05:002016-02-18T10:26:13.066-05:00To the Republicans: We Won’t Stand for Your Stealing What We Won Fair and Square<img align="right" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj5BLctT08wmaNN1zrCV_gPYwbDvXBK5Tv8diL5Q7L6cHm796rnaUEmNsHd2FXTlmsxfBSI9cdMCs-js77-Xo-qUOSI7Yv_Kwx-EW1n7gk1_st0rhFXipsznrn24ehIuv2smOoOJQ9rH_/s1600/mitchmcconnell.jpg" />
<b>by Andy Schmookler</b><br />
<br />
<i>Note: This piece will be running in newspapers in my conservative congressional district (VA-06).</i><br />
<br />
In 2012, Americans engaged in the constitutional process for deciding who would get the powers of the presidency. <br />
<br />
In that election - and the one in 2008 - millions of us Americans won an important right: to have our guy name the person to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court if any were to open up. We won it fair and square.<br />
<br />
We can talk about the president’s constitutional responsibilities and privileges, but ultimately this is about the rights of us American citizens who participate in the American electoral process.<br />
<br />
For a great many people – on both left and right – the president’s role in naming judges is a major reason we care who gets elected to the Oval Office. Understanding the importance of the Supreme Court, we work hard within our constitutional system of elections to see that – for the following four years – it will be our candidate who gets to shape that Court if the opportunity arises. <br />
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We won in 2012, and now that opportunity has arisen.<br />
<br />
You Republicans have had a stroke of bad luck. One of your guys on the Court has died at a time that one of our guys is president. Now, you're going to lose some power. Tough luck, but that’s how our constitution set up the rules of the game.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Accepting those rules is at the heart of the solemn compact we American made to deal with power in our constitutional system.<br />
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It’s not as though we on the other side haven’t had to accept losses. Think of how George W. Bush became president in 2000. Think of how a great jurist like Thurgood Marshall got replaced by a not-great jurist like Clarence Thomas. Think about how your five justices gave us the Citizens United decision, burying much of our democracy under the corrupting power of Big Money.<br />
<br />
To many of us, these were quite distasteful results, but that’s how the game played out. On those occasions, your side benefitted and our side had to accept the losses. Now it’s your turn to accept a loss, while we get to collect some winnings. Fair and square.<br />
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Senators have the role of “advise and consent,” but let’s be clear how that role is and is not supposed to be played. The Senate’s consent is required as a check to make sure that the president doesn’t misuse his or her rightful power. If the president proposes a worthy person, the Senate’s job is to consent.<br />
<br />
That’s what happened during the last year of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. In February of 1988, the Senate confirmed Reagan’s nominee for the Court – Anthony Kennedy – by a 97-0 vote. Of course, many of the Democrats joining in that unanimous vote had major differences in political ideology with Kennedy. But Kennedy was the president’s choice, and he met the criteria that are legitimate for the Senate to use in deciding whether to “consent.”<br />
<br />
These are legitimate criteria: is the nominee 1) a highly qualified jurist; 2) of good character; and 3) someone who cares about the good of the nation? With respect to ideology, one might add only this limited criterion: 4) do the nominee’s general views of the law and the Constitution fall within the broad mainstream of American jurisprudence?<br />
<br />
Within the limits of these criteria, the president gets to shape the Court. <br />
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You win some and you lose some. But you play by the rules and accept the outcome of the game. Some of these rules are implicit, and the Republicans’ refusal to confirm a worthy nominee from the president would be a violation of the Constitution’s implicit rules.<br />
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Can anyone argue with a straight face that our founders would approve of the position the Republicans have taken: refusing to confirm just because they want to wait until the power of the presidency might be theirs again? <br />
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Accepting losses as well as victories is at the heart of our constitutional system, which our founders gave us to enable us to live in peace with each other, rather than waging wars to determine who gets power. <br />
<br />
Respect for the rules is at the heart of our heritage: we reaffirm that whenever our leaders take the oath of office, and whenever we pledge our allegiance “to the Republic” for which our flag stands. <br />
<br />
By the rules, we won the right to have our guy - President Obama - name worthy people to fill judicial openings. And we’re not going to stand by and let Republican Senators steal that right from us.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-25584969868580056182016-02-18T06:27:00.001-05:002016-02-18T06:52:19.691-05:00Thursday News: Trump Appealing to "Voters' Primal Fears"; MSNBC Disgraces Itself; 2016 Campaigns Set to Rev Up in Virginia<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2016/02/17/all-the-gop-candidates-are-yelling-liar-and-now-were-finally-getting-somewhere/"><img align="right" border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi_tESIrJq3WOEKv9NtmQxklOVR3FtOOOCXVsqcZ6tzs9tg89QM2f7FopaXmBowMji1Dw-ancJQVbPZ-DyrJLe8Pi2wn4PPTB0E86Cbq4CocNg2kMR6A7HqdiGSwHNqXgiixpMLLSLygC/s320/tolesliarliarliar.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, February 18. Also check out the spot-on political <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2016/02/17/all-the-gop-candidates-are-yelling-liar-and-now-were-finally-getting-somewhere/">cartoon by the always-superb Tom Toles</a> and the word clouds by CNU's Wason Center from their just-released poll of Virginia voters.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/18/donald_trump_and_the_conservative_psyche_what_republican_operatives_dont_understand_about_the_donalds_transcendent_appeal/">Donald Trump and the conservative psyche: What Republican operatives don’t understand about the Donald’s transcendent appeal</a> ("Trump's disjointed views and lack of substance are irrelevant; he's winning by exploiting voters' primal fears" Ugly, ugly, ugly.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republicans-supreme-court-contortions/2016/02/17/504ac370-d5c4-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Republicans’ Supreme Court contortions</a> ("GOP determination to keep Antonin Scalia’s seat empty for now requires both logical leaps and political risk.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/18/upshot/potential-for-the-most-liberal-supreme-court-in-decades.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=image&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news">The Potential for the Most Liberal Supreme Court in Decades</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-officials-obama-could-use-recess-appointment-to-fill-scalia-seat/2016/02/17/75b0d1be-d5b9-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Senate Republicans divided on how to battle court nominee</a></li>
<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1561/24810544030_fa500947b4_b.jpg"><img align="right" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1561/24810544030_fa500947b4_b.jpg" width="350" /></a>
<li><a href="http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/world/pope-francis-urges-governments-to-open-hearts-to-migrants/article_1e889b8a-98d8-565b-8a1f-7c6248018ae5.html">Pope Francis urges governments to 'open hearts' to migrants</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/surprise-trump-falls-behind-cruz-national-nbc-wsj-poll-n520296">Donald Trump Falls Behind Ted Cruz in National NBC/WSJ Poll</a> (Probably an outlier, but we'll see...)</li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/269675-graham-republicans-will-get-slaughtered-if-trump-nominee">Graham: GOP will get 'slaughtered' if Trump nominee</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/house-committee-investigate-planned-parenthood-issues-subpeonas">GOP Abortion Investigation May Endanger Researchers, Democrats Warn</a> ("And women's health providers as well.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/18/start_waving_goodbye_to_jeb_whatever_glimmer_of_hope_bush_had_post_new_hampshire_seems_gone/">Start waving goodbye to Jeb: Whatever glimmer of hope Bush had post-New Hampshire seems gone</a> (Yeah, he seems to be toast.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/02/msnbc_s_town_hall_with_donald_trump_was_disgraceful.html">MSNBC’s Town Hall With Donald Trump Was Disgraceful</a> ("The media’s coverage of Trump has been soft, insufficient, and without substance." The media continues to be pathetic.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/02/apple_s_stand_against_the_fbi_is_courageous_it_s_also_good_for_apple.html">Apple vs. the FBI</a> ("The company is taking an unlikely stand for consumers’ right to privacy. It may also be helping itself. ")</li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/02/17/3750542/obama-mcconnell-supreme-court-poll/">Poll Fails To Support McConnell’s Motivations For Blocking Supreme Court Nominees</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/politics/campaign-candidates-set-days-to-stump-in-virginia/article_fc4a4e4a-0cf1-5e71-a9a5-0517bd8253f2.html">Campaign '16; Candidates set days to stump in Virginia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/virginians-donated-million-to-presidential-campaigns-in/article_755c4956-705f-522b-be2f-9800a66b5530.html">Virginians donated $7.2 million to presidential campaigns in 2015</a> ("led by Democrat Hillary Clinton at nearly $2.9 million and Jeb Bush at nearly $1.3 million")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general_assembly/faith-leaders-still-pursuing-medicaid-expansion/article_a538d8de-ac7c-52c9-a146-bd02f7df137e.html">Faith leaders still pursuing Medicaid expansion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-norment-filing-20160217-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1">Norment corrects $400,000 oversight</a> ("... understating his stockholdings by at least $400,000, including more than $50,000 worth of stock in Dominion Resources Inc.")</li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/virginia/which-bills-passed-and-failed-in-the-first-half-of/article_a8ee18a7-23c3-5246-8073-2f8ed29cbc4c.html">Which bills passed and failed in the first half of the General Assembly session</a> (Shorter version: pretty much, anything even mildly progressive or pro-environment failed; a lot of bad stuff passed.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-is-supposed-to-be-clinton-country-but-dont-tell-that-to-sanders/2016/02/17/61e79aec-cab4-11e5-88ff-e2d1b4289c2f_story.html">Virginia is supposed to be Clinton country, but don’t tell that to Sanders</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/250k-for-mcauliffes-party-despite-gripe-about-meddling-new-yorkers/2016/02/17/8a7fae86-d595-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">$250K for McAuliffe’s party, despite gripe about meddling New Yorkers</a> ("McAuliffe’s out-of-towner spin against Bloomberg group does not stem huge donations from another New Yorker.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/virginia-taxpayers-pick-up-food-and-beer-bill-for-mystery/article_719c218b-fdbb-5be7-80d8-f91b6640952a.html">Virginia taxpayers pick up $2,435 food and beer bill for mystery guests in Redskins suite</a> (Utterly unacceptable.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/va-house-vote-hints-at-a-generational-divide-on-gay-rights/2016/02/17/4bd2985c-d594-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Va. House vote hints at a generational divide on gay rights</a> ("Polls show the Republican Party line is out of step with public opinion on the issue." And on many other issues, from guns to climate/clean energy.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-maryland-and-virginia-officials-are-headed-to-cuba--together/2016/02/17/f8825da6-d596-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">D.C., Maryland and Virginia officials are headed to Cuba — together</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbc29.com/story/31249217/central-virginia-groups-rally-against-new-atlantic-coast-pipeline-route#.VsWrFzmS5p0.facebook">Central Virginia Groups Rally Against New Atlantic Coast Pipeline Route</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/local/education/bill-on-virginia-high-school-graduation-requirements-moves-out-of/article_06ffae63-7e1e-5575-b0f8-613773a459c8.html">Bill on Virginia high school graduation requirements moves out of House committee</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/opinion/editorial/editorial/article_3c9aca86-2515-5c62-b33e-dd2bb6dbb442.html">Unnamed (for some strange reason) Virginian-Pilot Editorial</a> ("The simple truth is this: The old way of doing things — the so-called 'Virginia Way' — is no longer sufficient and the commonwealth must change, now, to preserve the public trust.")</li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/virginia-beach-has-until-april-to-commit-to-light-rail/article_8c3daffa-2104-5e87-aa5b-9db381e23f5b.html">Virginia Beach has until April 30 to commit to light rail, Transportation Board says</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/local/crime/virginia-beach-woman-to-be-tried-for-taking-chained-dog/article_bc75b785-b8a9-5c16-964e-e07c8fc23b4e.html">Virginia Beach woman to be tried for taking chained dog from home</a> (Seriously?!?)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/18/d-c-area-forecast-chilly-sunshine-today-gives-way-to-a-springlike-weekend/">Chilly sunshine today gives way to a springlike weekend</a></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-71119067992175869322016-02-17T16:30:00.001-05:002016-02-17T16:30:06.571-05:00Terry McAuliffe Signs "Governors Accord for a New Energy Future," But Does It Mean Anything?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahdMZ_1BeqURAm4I13hwjiON0jBY5ZUMFxAw6cucmTMRhareXfCJ_2u_G_qk6RJzCnItAUg0NDHmXQvssoc9zblvmuvzUApF8YDM3lqDhoxI70W4xvX3vcqzXkC0pg7lUPRzSjxYOdGpX/s320/govsigsnewenergyfuture.jpg"><img align="right" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahdMZ_1BeqURAm4I13hwjiON0jBY5ZUMFxAw6cucmTMRhareXfCJ_2u_G_qk6RJzCnItAUg0NDHmXQvssoc9zblvmuvzUApF8YDM3lqDhoxI70W4xvX3vcqzXkC0pg7lUPRzSjxYOdGpX/s320/govsigsnewenergyfuture.jpg" width="204" /></a>
<b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
I received the following statement by Environment Virginia earlier today, pertaining to yesterday's announcement of the "<a href="http://www.governorsnewenergyfuture.org/the-accord/">Governors Accord for a New Energy Future.</a>" Among others, you'll note that Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is a signatory. The question in my mind, which I'll discuss after the Environment Virginia press release, is whether this announcement actually, you know, means anything.<br />
<blockquote>
<b>Governors' Clean Energy Accord announced yesterday</b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Richmond, VA -- A bipartisan group of 17 governors announced a new initiative yesterday to commit states across the country to advancing clean energy, encouraging clean transportation, and modernizing energy infrastructure. The Governors Accord for a New Energy Future follows a Supreme Court ruling last week to temporarily block the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of the U.S. strategy to tackle global warming that encourages states to develop clean, renewable energy. The states signed onto the accord are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.<br />
<br />
Sarah Bucci, Environment Virginia's State Director, issued this statement:<br />
<br />
“The announcement of the Governors' Accord for a New Energy Future shows Virginia is on the path to become a clean energy leader. These states have leading the way on clean energy and clean cars, and this announcement shows Virginia's commitment. While the court may have temporarily blocked the Clean Power Plan, it can’t block progress toward wind and solar energy, affordable electric vehicles, and a more modern and efficient electric grid. Kudos to Governor McAuliffe for pledging to forge a path forward for climate progress and clean air.”</blockquote>
Sounds good, but what does this accord commit the governors to do, exactly? As far as I can tell, not much. From <a href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/56704ad6bfe873c2cc9eff73/t/56c3b30c62cd942b3f8c1dc5/1455665943323/Accord">reading through the document</a>, although it claims that the signatories "embrace a shared vision" of great things like expanding clean energy sources, there's also a bunch of less-than-great (or even bad) things in here, such as:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>no words like "commit," "pledge," or "required to do this;"</li>
<li>talk about upgrading power grids and other features of a top-down, centralized energy system, but no mention whatsoever of distributed power (e.g., rooftop solar, microgrids, battery storage);</li>
<li>zero mention of a major driver behind the need for a clean energy transition -- namely, climate disruption;</li>
<li>inclusion of the seriously problematic fossil fuel, natural gas (much of it "fracked," which leads to a wide variety of environmental problems, including leakage of the potent greenhouse gas, methane), as a "clean transportation option;"</li>
<li>no specific mention of supporting the Clean Power Plan (CPP);</li>
<li>included on the list of governors are at least two - Rick Snyder of Michigan and Brian Sandoval of Nevada - who have been abysmal when it comes to clean energy (e.g, Nevada just basically <a href="http://www.investors.com/news/technology/nevada-puc-contortionist-act-will-kill-rooftop-solar-sunrun/">killed rooftop solar power in that state</a>; Snyder <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/16/snyder-suspends-clean-power-mandate/80463856/">just suspended CPP complianc</a>e in Michigan)</li>
</ul>
I'd further point out that, here in Virginia, the General Assembly is dominated by anti-environment, bought-and-paid-for fossil fuel politicians. As for Gov. McAuliffe, while he has certainly been friendly towards clean energy, he also has continued to push in the 180-degrees wrong direction with regard to offshore oil drilling and new natural gas infrastructure, both of which are big mistakes. Given all that, I'm not exactly holding my breath for any positive serious action from our political "leaders" on kickstarting a clean energy economy here in Virginia.<br />
<br />
To end this downer of a post on a bit more positive note: as a pro-clean-energy friend of mine put it, at least this accord - albeit vague and nonbinding - represents some sort of benchmark by which to judge the governors who signed on. Also, to the extent that this moves the conversation more towards a focus on the optimal ways to move towards a clean energy economy, not WHETHER to move towards a clean energy economy, that's a good thing. Anyway, we'll see.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-57171703808074465162016-02-17T11:22:00.000-05:002016-02-17T11:22:50.047-05:00New PPP Virginia Poll: Clinton 56%-Sanders 34%; Clinton Holds 58-Point Lead Among African Americans<img align="right" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1510/24996238311_b7efdaff0c_b.jpg" width="400" /><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Yesterday, <a href="http://www.bluevirginia.us/2016/02/tuesday-news-gop-tantrum-over-scotus-is.html">a new CNU poll of Virginia</a> had Hillary Clinton leading Bernie Sanders for the March 1 primary by 12 points (52%-40%). Today, <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2015/March2016PrimariesPollingProject.pdf">a new poll by Public Policy Polling (PPP)</a> shows Clinton with an even larger, 22-point lead (56%-34%). That includes a 58-point lead (74%-16%) for Clinton among African Americans in Virginia. The bottom line is that, with 13 days to go until Virginia's presidential primary, Clinton's southern "firewall" certainly appears to be holding, at least in this state.<br />
<br />
How's the "firewall" looking in other, early March primary states? According to <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2015/March2016PrimariesPollingProject.pdf">PPP</a>: Clinton is "leading the way in 10 of 12, with double digit leads in 9 of
them. Bernie Sanders has an overwhelming lead in his home state of Vermont and also leads in Massachusetts. The race is close in Oklahoma where Clinton is ahead by just 2 points, but she has double digit leads in the other 9 states that will have primaries that week." What's the reason for Clinton's huge lead? Very simple: "She leads by anywhere from 40-62 points among black voters in the nine of these states that have more black voters than the national average. Her support ranges from 63-74% with black voters in those states, while Sanders gets 12-23%."<br />
<br />
Of course, Sanders is trying hard to catch up among African Americans, but the problem for him is that time is rapidly running out. Starting on February 27, with the South Carolina Democratic primary, there will be <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/primary-calendar-and-results.html">a deluge of primaries, caucuses, and delegates up for grabs</a>. As Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook pointed out a few days ago, "the 28 states that vote (or caucus) in March will award 56% of the delegates needed to win...In total, 1,875 delegates will be awarded in the first 15 days of March, including nearly 900 on Super Tuesday alone." So, basically, as impressive as Bernie Sanders' campaign has been, if he doesn't catch up in the next few weeks -- and particularly he needs to make major inroads among African Americans and Latinos -- the nomination could be all but over by the end of March. I'm certainly not saying he can't catch up, but no doubt he's got his work cut out for him. Stay tuned...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-38341518574167926212016-02-17T06:44:00.000-05:002016-02-17T06:45:38.272-05:00Wednesday News: Republicans "playing with fire" on SCOTUS; "Kaine's in vice presidential beauty pageant"<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="197" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6FQhRAHOlI" width="350"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, February 17. Also, check out President Obama's press conference yesterday in California following an ASEAN summit.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-rejects-gop-calls-to-let-next-president-choose-scalias-successor/2016/02/16/30a8a48a-d4f5-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html">Obama rejects GOP calls to let next president choose Scalia’s successor</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-would-scalia-do/2016/02/16/cd4c1dc4-d4f7-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">By seeking to thwart the Constitution, Republicans are playing with fire</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-a-constitutional-originalist-would-reject-the-gops-delay-delay-delay-tactics/2016/02/16/f30b2038-d406-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html">Why a constitutional originalist would reject the GOP’s delay, delay, delay tactics</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/02/16/3749883/gop-senator-obstructionists/">GOP Senator Breaks Ranks, Calls Party’s Supreme Court Strategy ‘Obstructionist’</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/obamas-next-supreme-court-pick-dream-teamer-or-confirmable">Obama's Next Supreme Court Pick: Dream Teamer or Confirmable?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/17/the_gops_supreme_court_strategy_stonewalling_is_what_they_do_best_so_dont_count_on_republicans_abandoning_their_hard_line_obstructionism/">The GOP’s Supreme Court strategy: Stonewalling is what they do best, so don’t count on Republicans abandoning their hard-line obstructionism</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2016/02/here_s_the_type_of_supreme_court_justice_obama_wants.html">We Know the Type of Justice Obama Might Pick</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/supreme-court-srinivasan-fossil-fuels-scalia-219358">Greens wary of Sri Srinivasan's fossil fuel past</a>("His work as an attorney representing Enron's former CEO and ExxonMobil raises hackles among some eco-activists.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/donald-trump-makes-me-miss-george-w-bush/2016/02/16/f72a533e-d4ea-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Donald Trump makes me miss George W. Bush</a> (I had that same thought, and given what a horrible president Bush was, that's saying a lot...)</li>
<li><a href="http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/my-unicorn-problem/?_r=0">Paul Krugman: My Unicorn Problem</a> ("the Sanders insistence on the need for magical unicorns has led to invocations of economic as well as political magic")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_9fad74d0-35d8-5f29-8c0c-7732ce6d7c44.html">Governor stands pat on state revenues available for budget</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_9d2c513e-652e-546b-ab50-4c9151b125c9.html">Senate and House won't support Medicaid expansion, proposed tax cuts from savings</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/jeff-schapiro/article_f54e8f72-2f4a-5cfa-9ea6-a09e85ebb912.html">Schapiro: Kaine's in vice presidential beauty pageant</a> ("Tim Kaine is campaigning for Hillary Clinton in the early states. He's also giving voters a glimpse at a potential VP.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_ee0d2a1a-4b3f-50e9-975d-400de50a5ca4.html">Gastanaga: Granting Special Rights to Certain Beliefs: Limiting Freedom</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_c702ea1f-0e32-501d-a4ac-3d1c9744ad30.html">House passes religious freedom bill some call 'license to discriminate'</a> (VETO!)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-daily-press-lawsuit-20160216-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1">Judge rules against Daily Press in public records lawsuit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/business/news/atlantic-coast-pipeline-opponents-cite-costs-in-report/article_f6414ca9-1ac2-59c2-90b5-f4402fdf17e7.html">Atlantic Coast Pipeline opponents cite costs in report</a> ("Opponents of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline released an economic study Tuesday to bolster their argument that the $5 billion project ultimately would cost more than it’s worth to localities in its path..."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-house-passes-bill-that-legalizes-discrimination-on-religious-grounds/2016/02/16/84934282-d4c6-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html">Va. House passes bill to block agencies from punishing discrimination</a> ("Bill protects religious freedom in the face of shifting cultural attitudes toward gay rights, supporters said." Yeah, the freedom to discriminate. Blech.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-lawmakers-advance-a-flurry-of-bills-ahead-of-midnight-deadline/2016/02/16/319ca006-d4de-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html">Va. lawmakers advance a flurry of bills ahead of midnight deadline</a> ("Whether the issue was Airbnb or abortion, Tuesday was a do-or-die moment midway through the session.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-revive-the-electric-chair-in-virginia/2016/02/16/9ebaea50-d4eb-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Virgina, don’t revive the electric chair</a> ("The barbaric method of execution is nearly obsolete, and capital punishment overall is on its way out.")</li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/nation/gop-hopeful-ben-carson-to-speak-at-regent-university-on/article_7d5af13c-c7dd-5d77-924f-93c23d287b4d.html">GOP hopeful Ben Carson to speak at Regent University on eve of Virginia primary</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/virginia/virginia-house-subcommittee-where-democratic-bills-on-senior-voting-go/article_c3585046-71dc-5f31-bfac-fd6243eecd20.html">Virginia House subcommittee: Where Democratic bills on senior voting go to die</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/pipeline-surveyor-case-goes-before-virginia-supreme-court/article_c3a90869-2bbc-559b-858a-d037c524effd.html">Pipeline surveyor case goes before Virginia Supreme Court</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/state-transportation-board-accuses-virginia-beach-council-of-delaying-light/article_dfbff9bb-8f34-5c7c-8953-9f94c9602b67.html">State Transportation Board accuses Virginia Beach council of delaying light-rail decision</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/fairfax-executive-long-proposes-4-cent-tax-increase-to-meet-rising-needs/2016/02/16/4309f698-d4b8-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Fairfax’s county executive proposes a 4-cent tax-rate hike to meet rising needs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/business/news/roanoke/roanoke-council-criticizes-bill-that-would-cut-norfolk-southern-s/article_5cda7c3e-63a7-5379-9900-9d633ce2366f.html">Roanoke council criticizes bill that would cut Norfolk Southern's storm water fees</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/17/d-c-area-forecast-on-the-cold-side-until-weekend-warm-up/">On the cold side until weekend warm-up</a></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-8667861195794221452016-02-16T20:06:00.000-05:002016-02-16T20:06:06.731-05:00Three More Post-Scalia Thoughts<img align="right" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ40uApkJiV23UMkHz6zKcEmGCjnIfzwH5bTjeAwKNnhf7qSPB_37lA0lxiirtrGeZRamGz7mNi20aDFboXBLSqEVEpM2NMeE6J_Vwoj98xzMk1MWxe49PR37jL_SnJAEmeJsHQsssZjeq/s1600/antoninscalia.jpg" />
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<strong>by Andy Schmookler</strong></div>
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<b>1</b>. <strong>WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS ANTONIN SCALIA?</strong></div>
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It is important to me to be fair, to give credit where credit is due. Denying someone’s virtues just because they hold beliefs different from mine is something I strive not to do. So it is in that context that I find myself wondering about my judgment of the late Antonin Scalia.</div>
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I have believed, and I have written, that Scalia was a hypocrite and a fraud. He claimed to be an “originalist” in his approach to the Constitution, but what I thought I saw was a man determined to advance a corporatist and conservative agenda—using an originalist approach when that served his agenda, and ignoring it when it didn’t.</div>
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How does a genuine originalist find in the Constitution the idea that corporations are persons—an idea on which the terrible <em>Citizens United </em> decision was premised? And in <em>Heller</em> – the decision in which Scalia and his conservative allies found the Second Amendment to confer onto individuals a right to firearms altogether unrelated to any “regulated militia” (which our founders, for some reason, wasted words mentioning in the amendment). And so this supposed originalist came up with an interpretation beloved on the right but which had been deemed “a fraud” by the Republican-appointed former Chief Justice, Warren Berger.</div>
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Yet <a data-mce-href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/02/14/read_justice_ruth_bader_ginsburg_s_touching_statement_on_scalia.html" href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/02/14/read_justice_ruth_bader_ginsburg_s_touching_statement_on_scalia.html" style="color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none !important;">here</a> we have Scalia’s colleagues paying tribute to the departed, including the liberal-leaning Justice Breyer describing Scalia as a man of “integrity,” and Ruth Bader Ginsburg saying that he was altogether shaped by “an unyielding commitment to the Constitution of the United States and to the highest ethical and moral standards.”</div>
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His colleagues knew him far better than I. They should know more deeply than I what a “commitment to the Constitution of the United States” would look like.</div>
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So what kind of man was Scalia? Have I been guilty of being unfair to a man of principle? Or are his colleagues exemplifying how people prettify the picture of the person who just died? Or what?</div>
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<b>2. STOP THEM IN THE SUDETENLAND</b></div>
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There’s a Sufi story of a religious scholar who sat in his hut studying the sacred texts while an annoying fly buzzed about him. The scholar ignored the fly, which was not really just a fly but was an evil djinee. He ignored how day by day, that fly got bigger and bigger, ever more menacing. Finally, the fly is as big as a man and it kills the man as it bursts through the walls of the hut and flies out into the world.</div>
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That story came to my mind these past few days as the Republicans – without even allowing a decent interval to pass after the arrival of the news of Justice Scalia – told President Obama he should not <strong>dare</strong> to try to name a successor to fill the vacancy on the Court. They had no real justification for this pledge to obstruct the process for which the Constitution calls in this situation—no justification other than that they see that a great deal of power is at stake in whether the balance of the Court is shifted, and that power is all they care about.</div>
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The connection with the Sufi story is this: the Republicans’ refusal to acknowledge the President’s legitimate constitutional authority in the matter of Scalia’s replacement is but a continuation of their years-long effort to obstruct, in every way possible, Obama’s performance of his job. And these Republicans would never dare to play this game with the Supreme Court if they hadn’t been allowed to get away with it all this while.</div>
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This has been an ongoing travesty for seven years, and it should have been made the central political issue of the times, until the shaming took such a toll that the Republicans backed off and played the role of a normal opposition party. The American people twice hired Barack Obama to do an important job for them, and the Republicans’ refusal to respect the will of the people would have been made into a bludgeon with which to punish them.</div>
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Instead, this fly has been allowed to buzz around the national capital, without the kind of condemnation from the bully pulpit that it deserves. As a result, the Republicans had not even a moment of hesitation about possibly creating what some are calling a “constitutional crisis” by trying to steal from the president his rightful authority in the wake of Scalia’s death.</div>
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Better to have stopped them at the outset.</div>
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<b>3. THE TEXAS ABORTION CASE</b></div>
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People who likely know more than I about these things seem all to believe that the abortion case from Texas will now result in a 4-4 tie.</div>
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The tie would leave in place the federal appeals court judgment upholding the Texas laws that require abortion clinics to have hospital admission privileges within 30 miles. (The law has already resulted in the closure of many of Texas’s abortion clinics.) But the law would also leave in place other appeals court decisions that rule that such requirements impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to an abortion.</div>
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For that reason, it is generally said that the pro-choice side has dodged a bullet, since Scalia’s presence might have enabled the usual Conservative Five to use this case to do substantial damage to the rights conferred by <em>Roe v. Wade</em>.</div>
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But I wonder.</div>
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The conservative four may not be pro-choice, but they are pro-Court. The Texas law here, like the infamous proposal in Virginia to require a medically unnecessary “transvaginal ultrasound,” looks to have as its purpose the sabotaging of a right that was granted by the Supreme Court. Arguably, it is one thing to challenge a prior Supreme Court judgment in the courts, but quite another to simply try to sabotage an established right through legislation.</div>
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So I wonder: might not the one of the four remaining conservative justices decide that it is more important here to defend the Court’s authority rather than to ratify an anti-abortion measure that disrespects what the Court has decreed to be the law of the land?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-67265672922453988882016-02-16T17:11:00.000-05:002016-02-16T17:29:30.606-05:00Video: VA Del. Mark Sickles Speaks Out Emotionally, Powerfully Against Anti-LGBT Bigotry Bill; Right-Wing Republican Defends It<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="235" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zFPSrUvs1Q8?start=437" width="360"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
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The following is an emotional, powerful speech by openly gay Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax) against far-right-wing Del. Todd Gilbert's appalling <a href="http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=161&typ=bil&val=hb773">HB 773</a>, the Orwellian-named "Government Nondiscrimination Act." In fact, as Del. Sickles correctly explains, this bill isn't about "nondiscrimation," but "it IS a discrimination bill...that is going to hurt our state."<br />
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Del. Sickles then proceeds to cite example after example of major corporations, law firms, etc, etc. who sponsor the Equality Virginia annual dinner, and more broadly who support full equality for all their employees.<br />
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What's amazing is that anyone could actually defend the bigoted garbage in Gilbert's bill, let alone after an extraordinary speech like Sickles', but that's exactly what Gilbert attempts to do, whining about how bullies like him are actually the ones "constantly under attack," that it's not about "equality" but about "people of faith [being] driven out of this discourse...made to cower...to be in fear of speaking their minds...of living up to their deeply-held religious beliefs."<br />
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Of course, that's utterly unAmerican crap; in this country, fortunately, we are NOT a theocracy, but a democracy with the rule of law, where ALL men (and women) are created equal, and where EVERY citizen must be treated equally under the law, as spelled out in our constitution. What about any of this is difficult for bigots like Todd Gilbert to understand? Got me, but thankfully public opinion has dramatically shifted against the Gilberts of the world, and it's not going back to the dark ages anytime soon.<br />
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P.S. In addition to Del. Sickles' superb speech, check out the stirring words by Delegates Vivian Watts and Alfonso Lopez. As for Del. "Sideshow Bob" Marshall (R), I'd strongly recommend you just ignore him; it's not worth 5 minutes of your life to listen to this guy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-34402045578046488852016-02-16T11:51:00.000-05:002016-02-16T11:51:55.081-05:00GOP-Controlled Virginia House of Delegates Passes "Kim Davis" Bill, Another One to Defund Planned Parenthood<img align="right" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150922074822-kim-davis-marriage-kentucky-clerk-spencer-pkg-00003005-exlarge-169.jpg" width="300" /><b>by Lowell</b><br />
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The GOP-controlled Virginia General Assembly's in session, which means that disgusting bill after disgusting bill is pouring out of there like one of those antiquated combined sewer/runoff systems during a heavy rainstorm. Bottom line: it ain't pretty, it smells really bad, and it harms everything it touches.<br />
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The latest examples? Let's start with nasty anti-LGBT discrimination, in the Orwellian guise of something called "Government Nondiscrimination." As the Virginia House Democratic Caucus writes:<br />
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Today, the House of Delegates enshrined in Virginia code the right to discriminate for people who hold certain religious beliefs about extramarital sex, same-sex marriage, and the transgender community. The bill passed on a 56-41 vote.<br />
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<b>HB 773, patroned by Delegate Todd Gilbert, is a Kim Davis inspired bill that allows discrimination against same-sex couples, transgender people, or those engaging in extramarital sex within any government entity – from clerks of court to school sports coaches.</b> The bill would prohibit government from taking action against employees who refuse to do their job because it goes against their personal religious beliefs, and would allow clerks and others to refuse to provide service if they have a religious objection to doing so.<br />
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“HB 773 creates a quasi-protected class of people who are given a license to discriminate based on religious beliefs,” said David J. Toscano, Democratic Leader. “Jefferson and the founders felt strongly about religious freedom, but this bill would permit religious beliefs to justify discriminatory acts, something firmly disfavored by our Constitution."<br />
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<b>“Giving preference to one person’s religious beliefs over those of another is offensive and promotes inequality,”</b> said Charniele Herring, Democratic Caucus Chair. “Ensuring that all Virginians are equal in the eyes of the law should be the goal of the General Assembly. Granting a free pass to discriminate is simply wrong.”</blockquote>
Disgusting. But wait, there's more! See the "flip" for the Virginia House Dems' statement on passage of a far-right-wing bill to defund Planned Parenthood. Sad to say, this type of garbage - along with assaults on the environment, on the right to vote, on ethics, etc, etc. - on will continue until Republicans no longer run the Virginia General Assembly.<br />
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Today, on the last day before crossover, t<b>he Virginia House of Delegates passed HB 1090. Patroned by Delegate Ben Cline, the bill prohibits public funding of clinics that provide abortions for cases other than rape, incest, or life-endangerment.</b> The language of this bill makes it clear that the patron is attempting to single out Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, which provide various health services such as cancer screenings, birth control consultations, and even primary care services. The bill passed on a 64-35 vote.<br />
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“Access to adequate health care is a basic need for a healthy, viable workforce,” said David J. Toscano, Democratic Leader. “Bills like HB 1090 are distractions that attempt to play partisan politics with Virginians’ health, as opposed to being focused on keeping our workforce healthy to continue building the New Virginia Economy.”<br />
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<b>“Restricting a woman’s access to safe, affordable health care choices is just another way that House Republicans are trying to impose their personal feelings on abortion onto all Virginia women,” </b>said Charniele Herring, Democratic Caucus Chair. “This question shouldn’t even be about abortion – it should be about the thousands of women who receive cancer screenings and family planning consultations. It should be about keeping Virginia women healthy and find opportunity in the New Virginia Economy. Voting to remove this critical funding is voting against a woman’s ability to access the healthcare of her choice, and support and raise a healthy family in the Commonwealth.”</blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-86777156363873877342016-02-16T11:00:00.000-05:002016-02-16T11:02:02.879-05:00"In 2016, the line between ‘blogger’ and ‘journalist’ is no longer meaningful"<img align="right" border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgdhtq-evfqdEYL5X28lPUAPyf1EidTIKlEJx6HUi1KdrKJLYN6yLgAFMLJI-boom_2-reb6tZHAlaxQtKl3glBq9Gk-IxS03l2iBSac-WNojmdZt4hx9vj51_u0gvj9UOQ_JGY4nm__Q/s320/pressingforchangegaluszka.jpg" width="320" /><b>by Lowell</b><br />
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I couldn't agree more with that quote by Waldo Jaquith in <a href="http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/pressing-for-change/Content?oid=2291645">this new Style Weekly article by Peter Galuszka</a>. Here's an excerpt, followed by a few thoughts by yours truly.</div>
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For years, a small group of political reporters operating through the association has kept bloggers, part-time correspondents and freelance journalists out of choice spots with access to legislators...<br />
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...<b>The whole concept is outdated</b>, says Charlottesville blogger Waldo Jaquith, who serves as director of U.S. Open Data and is adviser to the Sunlight Foundation....</blockquote>
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<b>“In 2016, the line between ‘blogger’ and ‘journalist’ is no longer meaningful,”</b> Jaquith says. “The Capitol press corps has withered to almost nothing over the past decade. They’re a pale imitation of what they once.”...<br />
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...Jim Hoeft, editor in chief of the conservative blog Bearing Drift, says he worked to get bloggers credentialed for years. <b>“We feel that we’re treated like second-class citizens by the press,” he says, “but we’re actually citizens who give a shit.”</b></blockquote>
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...“Protecting their membership from new media might have made sense 10 years ago,” Jaquith says, “but <b>at this point the Capitol press corps is a club so exclusive that there’s a plausible future in which it has no members.</b>”...</blockquote>
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...Lowell Feld, editor of the progressive Blue Virginia blog, says that <b>many bloggers are political veterans with just as keen of an understanding of the issues as anyone else.</b></blockquote>
To elaborate just a bit on my comment, I'd say that since I started covering Virginia politics in 2005, if I've seen any difference in quality between "the bloggers" and the "corporate media," it's mostly just a matter of style, with "the bloggers" much more honest about their opinions, snarkier, etc. But as far as raw knowledge of the subject material, depth and breadth of coverage of Virginia politics, insights into what's really going on, etc., I'd actually give the edge to "the bloggers," both progressive and conservative, with a few exceptions in the corporate media like the incomparable Jeff Schapiro and top-notch reporters like Jenna Portnoy of the Washington Post (and former Virginian-Pilot reporter Julian Walker).<br />
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For instance, as <a href="http://www.bluevirginia.us/2014/06/hey-journalists-dont-want-to-be.html">I wrote back in June 2014</a>, if journalists didn't want to be blindsided by Eric Cantor's loss to Dave Brat, they should have read political blogs like The Bull Elephant, JH Politics, Blue Virginia, etc. If they had, they would have seen that story growing over several months at Republican conventions, meetings, straw polls, etc, etc.. But the corporate media folks apparently didn't read the political blogs (or take them seriously if they did), which partly explains why they were so shocked by the Brat upset victory over Cantor.<br />
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Another example of how blogs actually provide far deeper, better coverage than the corporate media is this blog's coverage of the 8th CD Democratic primary in 2014. I personally attended numerous debates and forums at which there were no other reporters present. Even when they WERE present, their coverage didn't even come close to what Blue Virginia provided - video, analysis, transcripts, etc, etc. Same thing with the right-wing blogs' coverage of innumerable Virginia GOP conventions and other gatherings. I'd further argue that the best coverage of the 2013 Virginia GOP convention was not by the corporate media, but by folks like John Fredericks, Norm Leahy, Ben Tribbett, etc. And let's not even get into the 2006 Virginia race for U.S. Senate, first the "Draft James Webb" movement, which Raising Kaine was all over, then the Webb-Miller primary, which the Virginia blogs provided extremely detailed coverage of, then the Webb-Allen race, including the "macaca" incident (story broken by...yep, the Not Larry Sabato blog, with continued intensive coverage by the Virginia blogosphere - both right and left - in the weeks and months that followed).<br />
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Note that none of those bloggers I just mentioned are part of the Virginia Capitol Correspondents Association. Why not? Who the hell knows. Also note that the Virginia political blogs are NOT included in the morning news headlines provided by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), for absolutely no good or defensible reason. And yes, I've gone back and forth with the VPAP folks on this. To date, I haven't gotten an answer that makes any sense whatsoever. I've also discussed the VPAP situation with my fellow Virginia bloggers, and so far the best explanation I've received (from one of them) is that VPAP is in thrall to its corporate sponsors -- the folks (Altria, Dominion, etc.) who keep VPAP in business. Those folks have, as one of my fellow bloggers points out, figured out how to "work" the corporate media, but are not at all confident that they can influence and/or control non-corporate political bloggers. And that scares them.<br />
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Clearly, "the blogs" have always scared the corporate media as well, who see them as both economic competition and also a threat to their status (since if any citizen can also be a journalist, even do a better job than the corporate media does, then what makes the corporate media anything special?). No wonder why many corporate media outlets won't even do the most basic thing and credit/link to blogs that break stories. It's Journalistic Ethics 101, of course; yet much of the corporate media flunks miserably (note: Virginia political bloggers, from what I've seen since 2005, overwhelmingly DO properly credit and link to original sources). Anyway, we'll see if this situation ever changes, but for my part, I'm not counting on it.<br />
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P.S. In many ways, this situation reminds me of other industries other siege, like the government-protected-monopoly electric utilities. Those guys have had a cozy thing going for decades and want to keep the gravy train rolling, even as many of them espouse their love for the "free market." It would be laughable if it didn't have such serious, negative implications...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-66417899547610239452016-02-16T06:25:00.001-05:002016-02-16T06:37:37.512-05:00Tuesday News: GOP "Tantrum" Over SCOTUS Is a "Gift to Democrats;" VA Senate GOP Tries to Roll Back Ethics Reform<img align="right" border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3fCHPeiR4D5MJx9B0peKFFIlnRS1q4AVzIAb-4OTOauJq7zXpfGLInQX-euhN4L-OoJYWqoTd4WZbl7B2bhT_ucy9Lta1LtVGVHJitUErXuUj_d1SNp6sBxKPiDwg1NFPvRi-zcyD5GD/s320/cnudems021616.jpg" width="400" /><b>by Lowell</b><br />
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Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 16. Also, check out the results of the new CNU Wason Center poll of Virginia; Clinton leads Sanders 52%-40% and Trump leads Rubio and Cruz by a 28%-22%-19% margin, with Carson, Kasich and Bush far behind. And note the poll results a bit further down: by a 38%-24% margin, Republicans would be MORE likely to support a candidate who wants to bar all non-citizen Muslims from entering the country, while Dems by an 83%-1% margin would be LESS likely (and independents by a 50%-19% margin would be LESS likely as well). Finally, by a 52%-5% margin, Virginians would be LESS likely to vote for a candidate who is a "Democratic-Socialist."<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/battle-over-scalias-replacement-already-spilling-into-senate-races/2016/02/15/a36c9972-d414-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Battle over Scalia’s replacement spilling into Senate races</a> ("With Republicans saying they will block any attempt to confirm a new justice this year, the party faces the prospect of political damage to some of its embattled Senate incumbents up for reelection this fall.")</li>
<img align="right" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1465/25038015396_5fff5f5617_o.jpg" width="400" />
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/reid-to-gop-for-the-good-of-the-country-stop-your-nakedly-partisan-obstruction/2016/02/15/07f225e8-d42d-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html" r="">Reid to GOP: For the good of the country, stop your nakedly partisan obstruction</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republican-obstructionism-is-nothing-new/2016/02/15/2d856c12-d42c-11e5-b195-2e29a4e13425_story.html">Republican obstructionism is nothing new</a> ("Blocking any effort by President Obama to fill Justice Scalia’s seat is more of the same from the GOP.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/senators-do-your-job-and-vote-on-the-next-supreme-court-nominee/2016/02/15/be79a28a-d3fd-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Senators, do your job and vote on the next Supreme Court nominee</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/15/the_republican_supreme_court_tantrum_is_a_gift_to_democrats_especially_to_hillary_clinton/">The Republican Supreme Court tantrum is a gift to Democrats, especially to Hillary Clinton</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2016/02/15/antonin_scalia_s_climate_change_legacy.html">What Scalia’s Death Might Mean for Climate Change</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/15/3749689/rand-paul-scalia-supreme-court-obama-nominee/">Rand Paul: It’s A ‘Conflict Of Interest’ For Obama To Nominate A Supreme Court Justice</a> (The fact that many political pundits thought Rand Paul was a rising Republican star tells you everything you need to know...about those pundits.)</li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/15/3749709/trump-hints-at-independent-run-again/">Trump Threatens Independent Run If RNC Doesn’t Condemn Cruz’s Attacks</a> (Cool!)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/mcdonnell-menendez-scalia-antonin-supreme-court-219305">Scalia’s death could doom McDonnell and Menendez</a> ("The Supreme Court tumult increases chances of prison for the ex- Virginia governor, and could complicate the New Jersey senator’s trial.")</li>
<img align="right" hspace="5" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1577/24437535253_0251478991_o.jpg" vspace="5" width="400" />
<li><a href="http://www.fredericksburg.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-two-va-gop-congressmen-to-bid-their-seats-good/article_97276f72-1dfb-55a6-a098-aa4e06cd2894.html">Editorial: Two Va. GOP congressmen to bid their seats good-bye</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/poll-trump-and-clinton-lead-in-virginia-s-presidential-primary/article_3002517e-4cdd-5dd8-89cf-a0d399f7f776.html">Poll: Trump and Clinton lead in Virginia's presidential primary contests</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_3f889cda-f66b-554d-837b-8b949964f42c.html">Senate defeats constitutional amendment on charter schools</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general_assembly/senate-oks-coal-tax-credit-extension-with-veto-proof-margin/article_b0b7aeb0-a9da-5122-a315-62349959fa17.html">Senate OKs coal tax credit extension with veto-proof margin</a> (Propping up a dying, planet-killing industry with taxpayer money...great idea, guys!)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/maryland-to-fight-dominion-plan-to-release-coal-ash-water-into-va-creek/2016/02/15/7ceb7620-d44f-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Maryland to fight Dominion plan to release coal-ash water into Va. creek</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/bill-meant-to-pave-way-for-marijuana--oil-production-advances-in-virginia/2016/02/15/c9f9b63c-d429-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Bill meant to pave way for marijuana- oil production advances in Virginia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gun-safety-advocates-are-wrong-to-rebuff-gov-mcauliffes-gun-control-victory/2016/02/15/122a07e6-d1d1-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html">Gun safety advocates are wrong to rebuff Gov. McAuliffe’s gun control victory</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general-assembly-notebook-house-passes-bills-to-revamp-or-dismantle/article_1cab68fe-dc0f-57e6-b67b-ca7a477af58b.html">General Assembly Notebook: House passes bills to revamp or dismantle COPN system</a> (Stupid.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_d76d3fd0-26d7-53c7-a509-2d6841a176f1.html">Senators vote to undo parts of ethics reform law</a> (Veto!!!)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2016/02/16/icy-roads-and-sidewalks-for-drivers-and-pedestrians-in-tuesday-morning-commute/">Icy roads and sidewalks for drivers and pedestrians for Tuesday morning</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/virginia-house-approves-lighter-punishment-for-dogs-that-kill-chickens/article_9a932d5b-e751-5b8c-a96a-af703e656700.html">Virginia House approves lighter punishment for dogs that kill chickens</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/16/d-c-area-forecast-much-warmer-and-very-wet-today-but-drier-days-are-ahead/">Icy, treacherous start, then much warmer and very wet today</a></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-10968940337949009632016-02-15T13:27:00.000-05:002016-02-15T13:27:06.246-05:00How Republican Obstruction of Scalia’s Replacement Could Backfire<div class="MsoNormal">
<img align="right" border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2djEuwpGjFtLlA_LYppJi-IYE5tvlbL7Ax2soKEYdjW-8GO6YiCCNDQlfnqP_xt7ArV1sWPqVtspD-7TIzieElrFwaQj9o961vv5psqiJ56B8HxFXjzzOvDMftnVkBDhlH_5PCOTDaCd/s320/warrenscalia.jpg" width="320" />
<b>by Andy Schmookler</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Saturday night, upon reflecting on the Republicans’
shocking expressions of an unwillingness to consider a Supreme Court
nomination from President Obama, I had some thoughts that I decided I’d write
up yesterday after my Valentine’s celebration with my beloved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On my way to that task Sunday afternoon, however, I
discovered that someone had written essentially the same piece, and done a good
job of it. The piece, appearing on
Slate.com and written by Mark Joseph Stern, bears the title <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2016/02/senate_republicans_should_compromise_on_antonin_scalia_s_replacement_or.html">“The GOP’s SupremeCourt Gamble.” </a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The idea in Stern's piece -- which was also to be the heart
of mine -- is essentially this: The Republicans can probably get a moderate
justice appointed this year, but if they block that, and if the Democrats win
both the presidency and control of the Senate in the elections this November
(which is not unlikely), they could end up with a much more liberal justice
instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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If Stern's piece fully expressed my views, I would just
consider myself scooped, and not bother to write anything myself. But Stern's
piece contains one point to which I object, and leaves out another point that I
think bears mentioning.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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First, Stern's definition of a moderate that Obama might
nominate, and that Stern thinks the Republicans would be wise to confirm, gives
way too much ground to suit me. Stern writes:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There
are serious compromise candidates on the current shortlist, extraordinarily
qualified moderates like Sri Srinivasan who would likely refuse to overturn
treasured conservative precedents like Heller (establishing an individual right
to bear arms) and Citizens United (allowing unlimited corporate electioneering).</span></blockquote>
</div>
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Any justice who would refuse to overturn <i>Citizens United</i> is, in my view, hardly
qualifies as “moderate.” <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That
was one of the most disgraceful decisions in the Court's history - up there
with Dred Scot - with dire consequences for American democracy. That decision
-- which itself showed utter disregard for precedent -- deserves no deference
as established precedent from any justice that President Obama should consider.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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What we want in a "moderate" is someone who is
fair-minded and not a right-wing ideologue. The Republican-appointed justices
on the Court have prevailed in a great many 5-4 decisions that have required
torturing the law to get a desired right-wing result. (Besides Citizens United,
the decision gutting the Voting Rights Act comes to mind.) <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></div>
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Any reasonable, fair-minded jurist not wedded to a
right-wing agenda would likely give us 5-4 decisions going the other way on
some crucial matters. (For example, with any such moderate justice on the Court
instead of Scalia, I strongly doubt the Court would have put the Clean Power
Plan on hold the other day.)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Republicans may understand that the appointment of any
fair-minded, reasonable and moderate justice would be costly to them. It would
cost them the ally they've enjoyed, a Court that has worked with them to
advance their ideological and corporate agenda. But if President Obama puts
forward a genuine moderate with excellent qualifications and character, they
would block that confirmation at their peril.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Which leads to the second point—the one that Stern did not
make.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Stern does undercut the bogus case the Republicans make for
forcing a delay until after the elections. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Republican
presidential contenders agreed at Saturday night's debate, and the right-wing
press jumped into action to pretend that blocking a Supreme Court nominee for
11 months is a time-honored American tradition. (It's not.)</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1e1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">And
Stern also suggests that the Republicans could hurt themselves in the elections
by putting the Supreme Court front and center as an issue. Are the Republicans
really certain, he asks, </span><span style="color: #1e1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">“that
a presidential election entirely focused on the impact of the court on American
life—as this one surely now will—plays to their advantage?" "Most Americans," he adds, "</span><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-28/bloomberg-poll-americans-want-supreme-court-to-turn-off-political-spending-spigot"><span style="color: #520026; text-decoration: none;">absolutely despise</span></a><span style="color: #1e1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> <i>Citizens United</i> and want to </span><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/160058/majority-americans-support-roe-wade-decision.aspx"><span style="color: #520026; text-decoration: none;">keep <i>Roe v. Wade </i>on the books</span></a><span style="color: #1e1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">. An election that focuses
overwhelmingly on money in politics and first-trimester abortion is a losing
election for Republicans.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1e1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">(If
“most Americans…absolutely despise <i>Citizens
United</i>,” why President Obama would want to nominate a “moderate” who would
leave it standing is beyond me. This is precisely the kind of argument the Democratic
president, and the party generally, should be glad to pick.) </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
But there's another way the Republicans could hurt
themselves with such obstructionism. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To fail to vote on a President's Supreme Court nominee, with
nearly a year to go in his term - it's not as though Scalia's death created
this vacancy only a month before the election - would be unprecedented. (At
least, so I believe. Has any Senate refused to vote on a Supreme Court
nomination submitted nearly a year before the end of the president's term?) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indeed, their immediate, unjustified, and wholly partisan
warning to the president not to nominate a successor to Scalia was disgraceful,
a violation of American political norms. It reveals the Republicans utter
commitment to their own power, regardless of how it shreds the American
political tradition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such a disgrace, in itself, could be made a potent election
issue, affecting the presidential race, and even more directly affecting the
fight for control of the Senate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So it is not just that putting a focus on the Supreme Court
raises issues that might be disadvantageous for the Republicans in the coming
election. But it is also that they might hand the Democrats an opportunity to
expose the Republicans for the political atrocity that they've become.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is true that there have been no shortage of such opportunities,
and it is true that the Democrats have often shrunk from seizing such
opportunities and making the Republicans pay a political price for their
scandalous behavior.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this is an election year, and - as the Republicans have
lately been in disarray --the Democrats have been showing more boldness and
confidence in the political fight. Moreover, they will soon have a new standard
bearer who may be more disposed to press such a battle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I certainly hope so. There's so much at stake, and the
Republicans have shown themselves once again deserving of whatever political
punishment an effective Democratic Party can dish out.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-55141193581380099212016-02-15T07:26:00.000-05:002016-02-15T07:26:36.596-05:00Atif Qarni, Justin Wilk Urge Virginia State Senate to Vote No on Charter School Amendment<img align="right" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WHdDy5sDMRY/hqdefault.jpg" width="250" /><b>by Prince William County teacher <a href="https://twitter.com/qarniforsenate">Atif Qarni</a> and Prince William County School Board member <a href="https://twitter.com/justindavidwilk">Justin Wilk</a></b><br />
<br />
A few days ago, the <a href="http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=161&typ=bil&val=hj1">Virginia House of Delegates passed HJ1</a>, a constitutional amendment which would give the s ate power over local school divisions to fund charter schools. The <a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+cab+SC10212SB0588+RCSB3">Senate will likely vote on the amendment</a> soon. <br />
<br />
<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1151610107/IMG_3313_400x400.JPG" vspace="5" width="200" />As a Prince William County school board member (Justin David Wilk) and a Prince William County school teacher (Atif Qarni), we have been advocating that members of the General Assembly vote <b>against</b> this bill. Prince William County has the lowest rate of per pupil funding but also the largest teacher to student ratio among the eight school divisions in Northern Virginia. We believe this bill sets a dangerous precedent in the Commonwealth and is harmful to the public education system in Virginia. <br />
<br />
We have seen firsthand the challenge of trying to provide students with a "world-class education" when the county budget does not provide adequate resources to fund teacher salaries or fund base operations. In fact, Virginia consistently ranks well below the U.S. average in state spending for public education. <br />
<br />
Republicans, who overwhelmingly support this legislation, cannot have it both ways. When Republicans continue to cut public education, it is not fair for them to blame the local school divisions for its shortcomings or failures. If the system is broken or failing, it’s the politicians who should be blamed. <br />
<br />
Education reform should be in the hands of educators, not politicians and corporations. Unfortunately, most Virginia legislators do not understand that charter schools are not the solution to the problems plaguing public schools. Charter schools may create an illusion of functionality, but in reality there are significant concerns associated with this type of educational system that cannot be ignored.<br />
<br />
For example, in Detroit, the charter school movement allows administrators to essentially “handpick” students for admittance. The Detroit Public Schools report that 17% of the student population is categorized as special needs, yet Detroit charter schools report that only 9% of its student population is categorized as special needs. Even better, there is no documented evidence indicating that the students who attend charter schools in Detroit are outperforming the students in public schools.<br />
<br />
The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), a pro-charter organization, even concluded that in places like Chicago, charter school students had lower reading and math test scores than their public school counterparts. Many studies have also shown that no significant gains were made in student performance when school divisions transitioned from public to charter schools.<br />
<br />
In 1992, the California Charter Act was passed, resulting in the creation of a large number of charter schools in the state. The charter schools in California are not only highly segregated but some even operate in strip malls or places with little or no building code requirements. Many teachers and administrators working in the charter schools are also not licensed. Given these serious issues, there is a large grassroots movement in California to repeal the Act.<br />
<br />
We believe that establishing charter schools means giving up on the concept of public education and local control. Virginia needs to invest in the necessary improvements to public education, instead of diverting funds to charter schools. We cannot risk allowing politicians in Virginia, who have little to no classroom experience, determining whether a charter school should be allowed in a local school district. This decision should be left to those individuals the public puts their trust in to manage their school system.<br />
<br />
Instead of solving real problems in public education, charter schools create a new education system that is not necessarily better or cheaper. With private sponsors and funding, the charter school system also is subject to less oversight and transparency. The charter school system is most problematic because of the social and racial inequalities that it creates. Its “specialty programs” can marginalize families with children that are disabled, and the lack of transportation to/from school mostly impacts low income families. The last thing the Commonwealth needs is an education system that creates further racial and economic disparities.<br />
<br />
A quality education should be the right of all Virginians, not the privilege of a select few. The future of our children should not rest in the hands of for-profit corporations. The public school system should be great equalizer in society, not a great divider. Further investments in public education – not charter schools – are needed to better the prospects of our students being able to compete in a global economy. Local school boards, not politicians in Richmond, should have the final say in authorizing charter schools. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-80812860811275317482016-02-15T07:12:00.002-05:002016-02-15T07:21:38.874-05:00Monday News: GOP's "dangerously dogmatic Supreme Court obstructionism;" "Scalia's death could affect McDonnell appeal"<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="263" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pVtBLWJpfE0" width="350"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for a snowy Monday, February 15. Also, check out Mitch McConnell back in 2005, attacking Dems for obstructing President Bush's judicial nominees, and arguing that "any president's judicial nominees...deserve a simple up or down vote."<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gops-dangerously-dogmatic-supreme-court-obstructionism/2016/02/14/7d348124-d348-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html">The GOP’s dangerously dogmatic Supreme Court obstructionism</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/debate-rips-open-gop-wounds-and-party-risks-tearing-itself-apart/2016/02/14/886312c2-d334-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html">Debate rips open GOP wounds, and the party risks tearing itself apart</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/scalias-death-flips-supreme-court-dynamics-hurts-conservative-hopes/2016/02/14/b8f1f8ac-d322-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html">Scalia’s death flips court’s dynamics and hurts conservative hopes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/results-in-key-cases-could-change-with-scalias-death/2016/02/15/94c5d848-d3c9-11e5-a65b-587e721fb231_story.html">Results in key cases could change with Scalia’s death</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/opinion/the-supreme-court-after-justice-scalia.html">Editorial: The Supreme Court After Justice Scalia</a> ("A delay in the nomination process until President Obama leaves office would not serve the cause of justice.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/us/politics/mitch-mcconnells-stance-in-confirmation-fight-could-help-and-hurt-gop.html">A Risk for McConnell in Fighting Nomination</a> ("In vowing to block a nominee, Senator Mitch McConnell could alienate moderate voters and imperil Republicans in swing states.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/opinion/how-america-was-lost.html?_r=0">Paul Krugman: How America Was Lost</a> ("Once upon a time, the death of a Supreme Court justice wouldn’t have brought America to the edge of constitutional crisis. But that was a different country, with a very different Republican Party. In today’s America, with today’s G.O.P., the passing of Antonin Scalia has opened the doors to chaos.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/srinivasan-lynch-fit-obamas-formula-for-nominees-219296">Srinivasan, Lynch fit Obama's formula for nominees</a> ("In pushing candidates through a reluctant Senate, he has emphasized demographic firsts and cooperation with GOP.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbc29.com/story/31219661/sen-tim-kaine-to-campaign-for-hillary-clinton-in-south-carolina">Sen. Tim Kaine to Campaign for Hillary Clinton in South Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_415e59b4-3039-5be3-834c-3c3298e9c53d.html">Where key legislation stands ahead of crossover</a> ("The budget in both chambers is likely to focus on new spending for economic development, K-12 and higher education, and Medicaid waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/scalia-s-death-could-affect-mcdonnell-appeal/article_d658bdbe-315d-5a3d-9c13-bbcfc0c26979.html">Scalia's death could affect McDonnell appeal</a> ("Experts say the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia could have an impact on former Gov. Bob McDonnell's appeal, as well as a GOP challenge to a newly imposed congressional redistricting map for Virginia.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general_assembly/general-assembly-still-contentious-halfway-through-session/article_2aa9063d-84a5-5a72-8107-21af456a6a0a.html">General Assembly still contentious halfway through session</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/vas-growing-craft-distillery-industry-pushes-against-regulatory-roadblocks/2016/02/14/ef233eae-d0ed-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html">Va.’s growing craft distillery industry pushes against regulatory roadblocks</a> (Don't Republicans supposedly believe in the "free market?" Oh wait, of course they don't, at least not in many other sectors, like energy.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-why-roanoke-loses-so-many-airline-passengers-to/article_2671e489-8ca7-53e9-8937-3597b667287f.html">Our view: Why Roanoke loses so many airline passengers to other cities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/local/education/public-schools/virginia-s-education-chief-holton-talks-budget-norfolk-schools-and/article_c09cdb99-7dbc-5460-9d91-82660bcf41c3.html">Virginia's education chief Holton talks budget, Norfolk schools and her time in office</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/prince-william-board-halts-effort-to-reduce-concealed-carry-permit-fees/2016/02/12/3d72dc08-d0e0-11e5-b2bc-988409ee911b_story.html">Prince William board halts effort to reduce concealed-carry permit fees</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/the-boiler-may-fail-rafters-may-crack-alexandrias-city-hall-needs-cash-now/2016/02/14/dd5804dc-d0db-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html">The boiler may fail, rafters may crack; Alexandria’s City Hall needs cash now</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/local/chesterfield/article_4bf7f6b5-6f12-5e77-9410-cc0245ccdcf5.html">Local, state government eyeing BRT project as future of local transportation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/article_beb66038-7030-5927-8e53-cdd91c8e37a6.html">Editorial: Do Richmond schools need more money?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/spotsylvania/u-s-sen-tim-kaine-gives-keynote-spech-at-black/article_2ba9b53e-2428-5811-bdcf-c9783039978b.html">U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine gives keynote spech at Black History Month event in Spotsylvania</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/15/d-c-area-forecast-snow-changes-to-ice-late-today-and-then-rain-into-tuesday/">Snow changes to ice late today, and then rain into Tuesday</a></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-55106688536603136572016-02-14T12:34:00.001-05:002016-02-14T12:35:44.731-05:00The GOP 2016 Presidential Candidates: Lies, Lies and More Lies; Here Are Two Big Ones<a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/11/19/more-mexicans-leaving-than-coming-to-the-u-s/"><img align="right" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1450/24729513790_38c4e13753_b.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
How can you tell when 2016 GOP presidential candidates are lying? Basically, whenever their lips are moving. I could spend all day - really my entire life - working to debunk their lies, distortions, fabrications, etc. on issues from climate science to Planned Parenthood to U.S. military strength to the hysterical "world is on fire" bull**** to...yeah, it's endless. For now, here are two recent ones (both mentioned in last night's freak show...er, "GOP debate" in South Carolina) that I find particularly obnoxious.<br />
<br />
1. Republicans keep using variants of the phrases, "we've got to secure the border," "immigration is out of control," "we don't even HAVE a border," etc. It's completely, wildly false - backwards, actually, <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/11/19/more-mexicans-leaving-than-coming-to-the-u-s/">according to Pew</a>. Also see <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/19/432930086/analysts-see-u-s-border-with-mexico-as-more-secure-than-its-been-in-40-years">Analysts See U.S. Border With Mexico As More Secure Than It's Been In 40 Years
</a> (NPR; 8/15). Is the border airtight, 100% "secure?" I mean, even with Donald Trump's "great wall," that would almost certainly be impossible to achieve, at least not without massive expenditures and adverse policy ramifications. But the main point is that GOP 2016 rhetoric on immigration is almost completely detached from reality, in addition to being inhumane, counterproductive, xenophobic and just plain nasty!<br />
<br />
2. Their latest Big Lie has to do with the death yesterday of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and their bizarre claims about what's common practice for a president in his last year in office regarding Supreme Court nominations and Senate confirmations. Here's <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4869841341655114621">PolitiFact</a>, which as usual goes WAY too easy on Republicans, but still manages to rate RoboRubio's claim about it supposedly being "over 80 years since a lame-duck president appointed a Supreme Court justice" as "Mostly False." Also see <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/2/13/10987692/14-supreme-court-confirmations">Vox</a>, which explains, "At least 14 Supreme Court justices have been confirmed during election years" (including Frank Murphy in 1940 and Antonin Scalia in 1988).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4869841341655114621"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1548/24931803111_26a4225d3a_b.jpg" width="550" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-22792075397114324342016-02-14T10:40:00.000-05:002016-02-14T11:39:31.106-05:00Dominion Power "Accepting Responsibility" for Its Oil Spill That's Killed 21 Birds So Far? If You Believe That One...<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="197" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IhA-O8wNjVo" width="350"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Late yesterday, when of course almost nobody was paying any attention, our pals at Dominion "Global Warming Starts Here!" Power <a href="http://wtop.com/alexandria/2016/02/dominion-power-accepts-responsibility-potomac-river-oil-sheen/slide/1/">issued the following statement</a>, "accepting responsibility" for their oil spill into the Potomac River (which, so far, has killed 21 birds and injured many more).
<br />
<blockquote>
Dominion has reviewed the oil testing data conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard. <b>We concur with their findings that the substance was transformer mineral oil and we accept responsibility. </b>As we have stated from the very beginning when we were made aware of the oil sheen, <b>we would have no hesitancy in accepting responsibility should testing link our January 24 transformer spill to the sheen. </b>We will move with all due haste to work with the agencies to ensure the remaining cleanup work is done.</blockquote>
So...great that Dominion is "accepting responsibility" for its oil spill into the Potomac River, right? Well sure, except for several problems.<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Let's see if Dominion pays up for the damage it caused,</b> including for "the cost of the response and cleanup" and "the rescue and rehabilitation of impacted birds." I mean, this is a company which has <a href="http://www.vpap.org/donors/120206-dominion/?start_year=all&end_year=all">spent nearly $14 million</a> over the years buying up the Virginia political system, so they clearly have the money to burn. Of course, having bought the Virginia political system, will there be any pressure on them?</li>
<li>Continuing with that last thought, note that since <b><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/runoff-or-oil-sheen-spotted-on-potomac-with-no-cause-found-yet/2016/02/04/3623c498-cb82-11e5-88ff-e2d1b4289c2f_story.html">this story broke on February 4</a> (actually on <a href="http://redbricktown.com/2016/02/spill-being-investigated-in-the-potomac-river-developing/">Feb. 3 in Red Brick Town</a>) - nearly two whole WEEKS after Dominion's "13,000-gallon spill at its Crystal City substation Jan. 24"</b> - I've heard VERY little comment from either Dominion Power or relevant elected officials, whether in Arlington County (where the spill originated nearly three weeks ago, yet I see absolutely NOTHING about this on the <a href="http://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/all-county-news/">Arlington County website</a>!) or in the Virginia General Assembly, with the exceptions of Del. Mark Levine (who looked into this situation and <a href="http://www.bluevirginia.us/2016/02/del-mark-levine-has-some-excellent.html">pointed his finger at Dominion on February 6</a>) Sen. Scott Surovell (who has been on top of Dominion's coal ash pollution, as well as this situation, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Surovell/posts/10153487726735857">writing earlier today</a> that this "incident <b>raises questions about community notification</b>") and Sen. Adam Ebbin (who has posted on Facebook and tweeted multiple times about this situation). As the <a href="http://potomac.org/oil-spill">Potomac Conservancy</a> wrote on Tuesday:</li>
<blockquote>
<b>The lack of communication and tepid response from government agencies so far is frustrating</b>...Pollution is alarming in and of itself and the impact on wildlife is devastating. But <b>the lack of accountability and almost nonexistent response to this spill is most disturbing....Why has the public been kept in the dark?</b> Why have so many critical details about this spill remained unanswered for nearly a week? <b>Why is no one being held accountable for polluting the Potomac River?</b></blockquote>
<li><b>As far as Dominion is concerned, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/runoff-or-oil-sheen-spotted-on-potomac-with-no-cause-found-yet/2016/02/04/3623c498-cb82-11e5-88ff-e2d1b4289c2f_story.html">their initial reaction</a> was FAR from accepting responsibility. To the contrary, they denied it</b>, with a spokeperson claiming that <b>"there is no evidence that the oil in the river involved the utility." </b>Except that there was TONS of evidence when the spokesman made that fallacious statement, including the fact that Dominion <i>had known since January 24</i> that it had experienced a 13,000-gallon oil spill at its substation located just a few blocks from Roaches Run, where the oil was eventually discovered.</li>
</ol>
<div>
The bottom line is that Dominion Power, as is almost always the case when it comes to just about anything other than keeping the power on, is highly evasive and certainly not to be trusted. When it comes to environmental protection, they're way beyond evasive and untrustworthy. As the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChesapeakeClimate/posts/10153439910972219">Chesapeake Climate Action Network put it</a> yesterday afternoon:</div>
<blockquote>
Earlier this week, we learned <b>Dominion illegally dumped 33.7 million gallons of coal ash into Quantico Creek in May</b>, and today we learned they caused the oil spill that has killed dozens of waterfowl in a wildlife sanctuary on the Potomac.<b> It's clear Dominion has a deep disregard for the rivers and land in our region, this leak is just another example of why we need to #DumpDominion.</b></blockquote>
"Deep disregard for the rivers and land in our region" pretty much sums it up, except that I'd add the words "air quality," "climate" and "planet" to that list. Just a horrible, horrible company all around.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-71669036402907714022016-02-14T07:20:00.000-05:002016-02-14T08:27:32.049-05:00Sunday News: Scalia's Death Raises Stakes for 2016; Trump Blames Dubya for 9/11 in Chaotic GOP Freakshow...er, "Debate"<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="263" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/81CHV2JJ3NQ" width="350"></iframe><b>by Lowell </b><br />
<br />
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, February 14.
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/14/2016_is_now_all_about_the_supreme_court_this_is_how_justice_scalias_death_deadlocks_the_court_and_changes_presidential_race/">2016 is now all about the Supreme Court: This is how Justice Scalia’s death deadlocks the Court — and changes presidential race</a> ("Republicans are likely to stonewall any Obama nominee, turning the '16 race into a Supreme Court battleground")</li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/02/13/3749464/the-simply-breathtaking-consequences-of-justice-scalias-death/">
The Simply Breathtaking Consequences Of Justice Scalia’s Death</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/2/13/10987392/clinton-statement-scalia">Hillary Clinton says Republican calls to leave Justice Scalia's seat vacant "dishonor our constitution"</a> (Exactly!)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2016/02/obama_s_supreme_court_shortlist_is_full_of_great_candidates.html">Obama’s Supreme Court Shortlist</a> ("It would be ridiculous for Republicans to oppose these perfectly qualified candidates.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/02/justice_antonin_scalia_s_death_may_lead_to_a_constitutional_crisis.html">Could Justice Antonin Scalia’s Death Lead to a Constitutional Crisis?</a> ("Republicans may refuse to let Obama fill Scalia’s Supreme Court seat.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2016/02/scalia-death-conservatives-obstruct-obama">Cruz, Rubio, and Other Conservatives Want to Stop Obama From Replacing Scalia</a> (Sorry, but that is NOT what the constitution says the president and Congress have obligations to do.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/minutes-after-scalias-death-right-wingers-seek-to-block-nominee-obama-hasnt-even-appointed-yet/">Minutes after Scalia’s death right-wingers seek to block nominee Obama hasn’t even appointed yet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/republican-debate-trump-cruz-kasich-rubio-scalia">The Top 5 Moments From the Republican Debate</a> ("Trump blames W for 9/11, Cruz gets booed, and much more.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-let-the-cadillac-tax-die/2016/02/13/de3fbcce-d1b6-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html">Don’t let the ‘Cadillac tax’ die</a> ("Enacting an amended version of the levy in 2020 would be good policy — and should be good politics.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/donald-trump-blames-george-w-bush-911">Donald Trump Blames George W. Bush for 9/11</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/14/republican_debate_insanity_an_ugly_fight_that_saw_the_gop_succumb_to_trumpism/">Republican debate insanity: An ugly fight that saw the GOP succumb to Trumpism</a> ("Nasty personal attacks, Donald Trump's big gamble, and a bilingual immigration fight mark a wild GOP debate")</li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/13/3749525/debate-total-chaos/">Republican Debate Descends Into Total Chaos, Moderator Threatens To ‘Turn This Car Around’</a> (None of these nuts should be let anywhere near the nuclear trigger. Ee gads.)</li>
<li><a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/02/13/watch-cbs-moderator-john-dickerson-correct-ted/208579">Watch CBS Moderator John Dickerson Correct Ted Cruz's Facts, Then Get Booed By The GOP Debate Audience</a> (More evidence Republicans live in an alternate universe, conditioned by the right-wing media, where facts not only don't matter but are bad things.)</li>
<li><a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/02/14/cnn-analyst-at-gop-debate-candidates-fighting-t/208587">CNN Analyst: At GOP Debate, Candidates "Fighting To Get Farther And Farther Away" From Most Americans On Immigration Reform</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/jeff-schapiro/article_cdb04b66-c787-5695-a896-46aa6336a473.html">Schapiro: GOP faces tough choice - raise money or fire judge</a> ("Republicans are fast running out of time to outmaneuver McAuliffe...The current session cannot run beyond 60 days, and it’s unlikely that McAuliffe — having made this mistake last August, needlessly imperiling Roush’s appointment in the process — would call legislators back for a special session in which they again would be free to elect judges.") </li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_30d9d438-c950-52aa-a29f-1becabbf4284.html">LePrell: Restoring Virginia's waterways depends on support this GA session</a> ("Please ask your legislator to support full funding for Virginia’s clean water programs. The health of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay depends on it.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/time-runs-out--again--for-mcauliffes-supreme-court-pick/2016/02/13/0092903c-d192-11e5-b2bc-988409ee911b_story.html">Time runs out — again — for McAuliffe’s Supreme Court pick</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/virginians-chance-to-weigh-in-on-presidential-candidates-is-coming/article_4d434a50-77bc-5e1c-bcb2-356520e96401.html">Virginians' chance to weigh in on presidential candidates is coming</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-ga-holdings-20160213-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1">Lots of interests, private and public, in the General Assembly</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/lacking-lethal-injection-drugs-va-might-turn-to-the-electric-chair/2016/02/13/9a331dea-d02c-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html">Lacking lethal injection drugs, Va. might turn to the electric chair</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/mcauliffe-lawmakers-argue-over-coal-tax-credits/article_1f87ea57-77d3-5671-9918-f8554ff908ea.html">McAuliffe, lawmakers argue over coal tax credits</a> (Take every penny of those and put them into clean energy.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/donald-trump-predicted-as-republican-presidential-nominee-at-washington-and/article_c5b9971d-2530-52fc-aaf2-2a9ce5acafe3.html">Donald Trump predicted as Republican presidential nominee at Washington and Lee mock convention</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/roanoke/sherman-lea-clinches-roanoke-firehouse-primary/article_5a1bedbf-d258-5bfb-a785-d35473e9714f.html">Sherman Lea clinches Roanoke firehouse primary</a> ("The Roanoke councilman is now poised to be the city’s second black mayor after a day of heavy voter turnout — and some voter frustration.")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/article_d74d2cdc-28fd-5ebb-ab3e-9581d4c2ed62.html">Public Square: What do we need in a new mayor?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-the-future-of-portsmouth/article_f6f70db8-a69a-58cb-b670-a937becd2a59.html">Editorial: The future of Portsmouth</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/local/state-official-says-he-will-drop-light-rail-funding-if/article_9e605942-9d45-521e-ae5d-c361df3b7ae2.html">State official says he will drop light-rail funding if Virginia Beach has a referendum</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/14/d-c-area-forecast-brutal-cold-continues-today-wintry-mess-on-track-for-tomorrow/">Brutal cold continues today, wintry mess on track for tomorrow</a></li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-82203330125845933182016-02-13T17:30:00.002-05:002016-02-13T20:26:23.315-05:00Ted Cruz-Supporting Extremists, Bigots E.W. Jackson and Dick Black Weigh In on Death of Antonin ScaliaIn predictably insane fashion, of course...<br />
<br />
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1634/24711927710_bedeec5d5b_b.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE</b>: Hillary Clinton's statement NAILS IT: "My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Justice Scalia as they mourn his sudden passing. I did not hold Justice Scalia’s views, but he was a dedicated public servant who brought energy and passion to the bench.<br><br>
The Republicans in the Senate and on the campaign trail who are calling for Justice Scalia’s seat to remain vacant dishonor our Constitution. The Senate has a constitutional responsibility here that it cannot abdicate for partisan political reasons."<br><br>
<b>UPDATE #2</b>: President Obama delivers a statement at 8:30 pm ET.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XckfQq3CUjY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-50602357258628018472016-02-13T10:46:00.004-05:002016-02-13T10:47:26.389-05:00Video: Senator Adam Ebbin Denounces Vote as “Bigotry Cloaked Under the Guise of Religious Freedom”<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="269" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cBHftN0pEVA" width="359"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Great job by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria, Arlington), and shame on every (Republican) member of the State Senate who voted for this anti-LGBT garbage.<br />
<blockquote>
Richmond, VA — Senator Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria) expressed deep concern following the party-line vote to pass SB41, legislation that would allow marriage celebrants to refuse to solemnize a marriage if doing so would violate their “sincerely held religious beliefs.”<br />
<br />
Speaking on the Senate floor, Ebbin said, <b>“This bill is thoroughly unnecessary. It sanctions discrimination by government employees. We are the birthplace of the Statute for Religious Freedom.</b> We enjoy one of the richest histories of any state when it comes to that freedom. Proposals like these — licenses to discriminate — desecrate the very things they claim to protect. <b>This bill carves out a space for bigotry cloaked under the guise of religious freedom.”</b><br />
<br />
If SB41 were to become law, it would allow all persons authorized to perform marriage ceremonies in Virginia, including judges and public officiants, to refuse to conduct marriages that violate a “sincerely held religious belief.”<br />
<br />
Ebbin continued, <b>“The legislation would allow judges to turn away certain couples at the courthouse door. Government officials should not be allowed to pick and choose which of their duties they will fulfill or which services they will provide and to whom</b>, especially when the result would be blatant discrimination and the service to be denied involves a fundamental human right. Nor should government employees be allowed to impose their personal religious beliefs on those whom they serve.”</blockquote>
<a name='more'></a><blockquote>
Senator Ebbin said that Virginians are already well-protected against government discrimination based on religion by the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which forbids government entities from burdening a person’s free exercise of religion. He added that the state should not, and under existing law it does not, force clergy and houses of worship to perform or host marriage ceremonies with which they have religious objections.<br />
<br />
The bill narrowly passed the Senate 20-19, with one member not present for the vote, and now heads to the House of Delegates for their consideration.</blockquote>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IBX2hdoKGV8" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-11706457086307119412016-02-13T07:03:00.001-05:002016-02-13T08:13:23.928-05:00Saturday News: President Obama Talks About the Sorry State of American Politics; "J.C. Penney becomes laugh line in Virginia Senate"<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="197" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hKcgN1vWzp8" width="350"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, February 13. Also see President Obama's weekly address, in which he talks about the current, toxic state of American politics.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-02-12/trump-and-cruz-trade-punches-as-south-carolina-turns-fierce">Trump and Cruz Trade Punches as South Carolina Turns Fierce</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-sexist-double-standards-hurting-hillary-clinton/2016/02/12/fb551e38-d195-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html">The sexist double standards hurting Hillary Clinton</a> ("A subtle, even unconscious misogyny is dragging down her campaign.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-groups-move-to-ramp-up-financial-firepower-for-clinton/2016/02/12/23ca8e00-d1b1-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html">Actions by two Democratic groups could mean huge financial benefit for Clinton</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bewildered-by-2016-race-george-w-bush-returns-to-the-trail-to-boost-jeb/2016/02/12/49cf7242-d1a6-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html">Bewildered by 2016 race, George W. Bush to return to the trail to boost Jeb</a> (It's scary, but at this point, given how insane, extreme and downright NASTY the current GOP field is, I'm almost looking back on Dubya with a bit of nostalgia. Almost.)</li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/269336-clinton-seeks-to-shore-up-black-support-in-sc">Clinton seeks to shore up black support in South Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-south-carolina-2016-swearing-219204">Trump's potty mouth meets mannerly South Carolina</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/12/the_brainwashed_rebels_of_the_bundy_siege_why_something_like_this_was_eventually_bound_to_happen/">The brainwashed rebels of the Bundy siege: Why something like this was eventually bound to happen</a> ("In a conservative bubble that encourages conspiracy theories and violence impulses, it was only a matter of time")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/jim-gilmore-ends-presidential-bid/2016/02/12/323642da-d1d0-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html">Jim Gilmore ends presidential bid</a> (Yaaaaaaawn.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/13/opinion/madeleine-albright-my-undiplomatic-moment.html">Madeleine Albright: My Undiplomatic Moment</a> ("I should know better than to tell a group of women to go to hell. But the sentiment behind my statement is true: Women need to help one another.")</li>
<li><a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/02/12/msnbcs-rachel-maddow-the-ted-cruz-campaign-has/208576">MSNBC's Rachel Maddow: "The Ted Cruz Campaign Has A New Test" Following Ted Nugent's Anti-Semitic Facebook Post</a></li>
<li><a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/02/12/fox-guest-blacks-should-no-more-vote-for-hillar/208556">Fox Guest: "Blacks Should No More Vote For Hillary or Bernie Than They Should The Grand Wizard Of The KKK"</a> (This network is demented.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_4ff439de-b88d-5470-92d5-c209b49b9595.html">Abortion-banning bill carried over to 2017</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_4c69ffea-9b99-5f21-b508-e4b7c58d64cd.html">Senate OKs exemption on same-sex marriage</a> (Charming. What next, an exemption for other forms of bigotry?)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general_assembly/hospital-reform-bill-survives-voice-vote/article_dee5a6c7-fad8-5a79-8aac-a206990803cf.html">Hospital reform bill survives voice vote</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/virginia/lawmakers-kill-bill-that-would-have-required-recording-of-closed/article_5b6477bc-701a-5434-9a1e-018b963435dc.html">Lawmakers kill bill that would have required recording of closed meetings</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/opinion/columnist/guest/jennifer-herrera-shocking-deal-from-nra-mcauliffe/article_ab449cf0-310e-5f1e-b587-0e77c15e071b.html">Jennifer Herrera: Shocking deal from NRA, McAuliffe</a> ("Jennifer Herrera is the Virginia chapter leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.")</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/jc-penney-becomes-laugh-line-in-virginia-senate/2016/02/12/25337a8e-d1b8-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html">J.C. Penney becomes laugh line in Virginia Senate</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/potomac-oil-spill-came-from-common-source-coast-guard-wont-say-who/2016/02/12/d40802ec-d19e-11e5-b2bc-988409ee911b_story.html">Potomac oil spill came from Dominion, utility admits</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-opinions-are-local/wp/2016/02/12/terry-mcauliffe-is-mastering-the-art-of-making-and-losing-friends/">Terry McAuliffe is mastering the art of making deals</a> ("The Virginia governor made a deal to get I-66 widened and tolled.")</li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/local/frank-wagner-bill-to-change-hampton-roads-gas-tax-passes/article_5c15154e-adf1-5072-83c0-282b1d13b463.html">Frank Wagner bill to change Hampton Roads gas tax passes Senate</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/local/scott-taylor-mcauliffe-was-lobbied-to-draw-randy-forbes-into/article_05d834a4-0f95-5b99-a8bf-c91db05a010e.html">Scott Taylor: McAuliffe was lobbied to draw Randy Forbes into Rigell's district</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/virginia/virginia-naacp-director-says-lucas-s-concerns-with-democratic-party/article_3d75872d-ed26-58f8-b3ff-d4f87dceb64b.html">Virginia NAACP director says Lucas's concerns with Democratic Party are valid</a> (I thought it was just Saslaw, and he clearly needs to go. If it's broader than that, anyone with these kind of attitudes should be gone, immediately; no place for it in the Democratic Party.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-ga-tolls-20160213-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1">Senate backs HRVA gas tax increase; House works on tolling plan instead</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-why-are-roanoke-democrats-voting-in-february/article_8dbcf483-ccf8-5864-b2d7-73b4039b7336.html">Our view: Why are Roanoke Democrats voting in February?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/atlantic-coast-pipeline-to-propose-new-route-to-avoid-sensitive/article_2c063c3f-ab05-5177-ab58-900e4981f09a.html">Atlantic Coast Pipeline to propose new route to avoid sensitive areas of national forests</a> (Just ditch the entire idea, it's idiotic.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/13/d-c-area-forecast-bone-chilling-wind-today-and-still-very-cold-on-sunday-then-a-winter-storm-approaches/">Bone-chilling wind today and still very cold on Sunday; Some snow likely on Monday</a></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-8196038575098054112016-02-12T17:24:00.000-05:002016-02-12T17:54:11.279-05:00President Obama's Executive Orders: The Only Tool Available to Him to Perform His Job?<img align="right" src="http://www.snopes.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/obama-bans-confederate-flag.jpg" width="330" /><i>The following piece will be appearing in the coming days in several newspapers in my conservative congressional district.</i> -- <b>Andy Schmookler</b>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
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<div class="Body">
Republicans in Congress have called President Obama a tyrant for
using executive orders to advance policies he favors. A challenge to one of his
executive orders – <span lang="FR">on immigration </span>–
has reached the Supreme Court. They claim that the president exceeded his authority.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
I don’t know whether the president exceeded his authority. Good
arguments have been put forward on both sides. (My big hope is that the Court
does not rule 5 to 4, with five Republican-appointed justices on one side and
four Democratic-appointed justices on the other. That would undermine the notion that the
Supreme Court is governed not by partisan allegiance but by the Constitution
and the law.)</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Whatever the court rules, would it be right to condemn Obama for
going too far with executive orders<span lang="DE">? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="DE"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="DE">Ob</span>ama has
issued such orders at a slower rate than any president in the past century. But
beyond the sheer numbers — lower than those for George W. Bush, Bill Clinton
and Ronald Reagan — any discussion of
this president’s use of executive orders should take into account the
political context of these years.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
It is well-established that the Republicans decided even before
Obama was inaugurated, in 2009, to do all they could to make the president
fail. But it was not until after the election of 2010, when the Republicans
took control of the House, that they achieved the power to obstruct everything
the President proposed. </div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
And it’s not as though the issue has been anything “extreme”
about his proposals.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Republicans have fought the president even when he advocates
policies that originated on their side.<span lang="PT"> “</span>Cap and Trade,” for example, was once a Republican idea. So was
Obamacare. It originated in the conservative Heritage Foundation, was proposed by Senate Republicans as an
alternative to Hillary Clinton’s plan for health care reform in the 1990s, and was
implemented at the state level by a Republican governor of Massachusetts
named Mitt Romney.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Nothing that Obama has proposed on any issue has been radical.
None of his ideas – whether they are good or not – has been outside American
policy thinking of the past two or three generations.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
So when President Obama turned to executive orders, it was
because he had been deprived of the usual means — legislation -- by which an
American president can give the nation the leadership the American people have
hired him to provide<b>.</b></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Whether you applaud Republican obstruction, or consider it a
violation of American political norms, the question
should be asked: <span lang="DE">“</span>If I were
in President Obama’s position, what would I do?”</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Here’s my answer to that question.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
I would see myself as having been chosen, by the American people,
to do the job of president—a job that our founders regarded as of great
importance. In the modern world, the president has a responsibility to move the
nation forward. The president is especially called upon to make progress in
those areas that he talked about when he ran for the office.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
For the nation to be totally stalled by partisanship is contrary
to how the American system is supposed to function.</div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
So if I came to understand that it had become impossible for me
to perform my role as president by working with Congress to pass legislation, I
would turn to my legal counsel and my policy advisors and give them this
assignment:</div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="DE"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="DE">“</span>Come up with
everything – consistent with the law and the Constitution – that I can do on my
own to move the country forward in the ways I pledged myself to do when I was
elected to this office. </div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="DE">“</span>The American
people are ill-served if we acquiesce in governmental paralysis, especially
when we have so many major challenges.</div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="DE"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="DE">“</span>I don’t want
to do anything that exceeds my rightful authority. But, in view of the
destructive effects on the nation of our inability to achieve any kind of
progress through Congress (witness our having had lately the least productive
congressional sessions in our history), I don’t want you to err on the side of
caution. Wherever a truly good case can be made for presidential authority,
give that authority the benefit of the doubt.’’</div>
<br />
<div class="Body">
If that is what the President has done, it is<span lang="IT"> inappropriate </span>– even hypocritical – for
Republicans to attack him as a tyrant for turning to the only tool available to
him -- executive orders -- to perform his job.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-13097425259444120542016-02-12T13:12:00.003-05:002016-02-12T13:31:50.790-05:00Sen. Tim Kaine: Bernie Sanders Would Be "Incredibly Risky" on Foreign Policy, as Commander in Chief<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ls55eqa1Svo" width="300"></iframe><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
On a Hillary for America conference call a few minutes ago, Sen. Tim Kaine shared his thoughts on Hillary Clinton and what the Clinton campaign is calling "the Commander-in-Chief Gap" between Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Here's a partial transcript of Kaine's introductory remarks, followed by other videos.
<br />
<blockquote>
The debate last night really demonstrated a very <b>clear and decisive difference between Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders,</b> and that is a real passion and understanding and ability to be effective <b>when it comes to one of the most important roles that a president plays, the role of Commander in Chief and chief diplomat for the country. </b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Secretary Clinton has just an amazing track record, including service on both the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees...before her then important service as Secretary of State...<b>The person [President Obama] wanted as the face of American diplomacy was Hillary Clinton, </b>because he knew she could walk into any room in the world with an independent gravitas that would lead folks to immediately have respect for her. And on the contrary...and this is a very fundamental point: people come to the Senate and they work on the issues that interest them...but <b>foreign policy and diplomacy and national security are not issues that interest [Bernie Sanders].</b>..that's the choice that he gets to make...but because of the important role that a Commander in Chief plays, because of the importance of American diplomacy to global stability. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<b>I just think somebody who's never really shown much of an interest in these topics is an incredibly risky bet...What folks saw last night [from Sanders was] repetition of phrases again and again, and kind of slogans, but no real details.</b>..We've got to have a Commander in Chief...who wouldn't [as Donald Trump has been doing] talk about our military with disrespect and contempt, she'd talk about it with gratitude and respect...[Both Turkey's and Israel's leaders] were asking me about some of the extreme and frankly anti-diplomatic rhetoric coming out of the [Republican candidates]... </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Hillary Clinton is the right person to demonstrate [foreign policy and national security] leadership immediately upon taking the oath of office in January 2017 as I hope she'll do.</blockquote>
<i>More audio on the "flip," including on Sanders' criticism of Clinton on the Iraq War. </i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ls55eqa1Svo" width="300"></iframe>
<br />
<blockquote>
...It seems like [attacking Hillary Clinton over her 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq is] kind of Bernie's only play,<b> when issues come up that would require that he show some mastery of the issues or even interest in the issues, he just says "Secretary Clinton voted for the Iraq War." That's just not enough</b> for the challenges that are going to confront America in 2017. And I think the debate last night did a pretty good job of exposing - whether it was on what should be done in Afghanistan or what's the right strategy to combat ISIL - <b>these are just not issues that Bernie can address with a lot of fluency. </b>And again, no surprise...these issues of foreign policy, diplomacy, national security <b>they've just not been areas of interest for him.</b></blockquote>
<iframe align="right" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tgNY5l9idRI" width="300"></iframe>Kaine says he encouraged Clinton to run for president in April 2014 because "I felt like <b>head and shoulders she would be the best person,</b>" but that he didn't have any "illusions that this would be easy." According to Kaine,<b> Clinton will "be the underdog until the last vote is counted,"</b> given that she's trying to be the first woman elected president and also in the post-Citizens United enviroment. Kaine added that the <b>"Iowa and New Hampshire were two of Bernie's best three states - Vermont being the third; he just happened to get a good calendar draw."</b> Kaine feels that Clinton is well positioned for the upcoming contests, including in Virginia ("I think she's going to do fine"). "You've got to have the person who can get the job done, and...there's just really, on the results side, <b>no comparison between Secretary Clinton and any of the other candidates, including Senator Sanders."</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869841341655114621.post-77531338950888190642016-02-12T08:28:00.003-05:002016-02-12T08:29:01.120-05:008 Ostensibly Anti-Abortion Virginia Senate Republicans Vote Against Measure that Could Reduce Odds of Abortion by 46%!<img align="right" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1610/24950530426_868fa34e5b_o.jpg" width="380" /><b>by Lowell</b><br />
<br />
So far, the 2016 Virginia General Assembly session has seen a bunch of crappy bills get passed and a bunch of excellent bills go down in flames. A great example of the latter category is Sen. Mamie Locke's <a href="http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=161&typ=bil&val=sb404">SB 404 Medical assistance; health insurance, payment for prescription contraceptives.</a>. What this bill would do is to require the Virginia "State Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in its state plan for medical assistance a provision for the payment of medical assistance for any prescribed drug or device approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration <b>for use as a contraceptive and requires such provision to provide payments to dispensers for dispensings of prescription contraceptives intended to last for a 12-month period."</b> The bill further requires "health carriers with health benefit plans that cover prescription contraceptives to<b> reimburse their dispenser for dispensings of prescription contraceptives intended to last for a 12-month period."</b><br />
<br />
Why does being able to get a 12-month supply of oral contraceptives (and having insurers pay for that supply) make so much sense? Simple: as <a href="http://www.vasenatedems.com/news/gop-controlled-committee-kills-attempt-to-make-it-easier-for-va-women-to-access-contraception">Sen. Locke explains</a>: "Other forms of contraception last longer. Injections, IUDs… These are effective for much longer than one month. <b>There is no medical reason for women to not obtain more than a month’s supply at a time. It is an inconvenience that actively prevents lower income women from taking full control of their reproductive health.</b>” Or, as Sen. Barbara Favola puts it: "Virginia women have every right to make their own health care decisions. <b>This kind of unnecessary barrier makes it more difficult for women to access safe contraceptive care by requiring them to make repetitive and unnecessary monthly trips to the pharmacy. </b>There is no reason for it and the law needs to change.” Finally, as <a href="http://www.naralva.org/in-our-state/billwatch.shtml">NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia explains</a>: "This bill would allow women to receive a 12-month supply of birth control instead of having to pick up a prescription each month.<b> This would dramatically increase access to birth control for women who need it, and would particularly benefit young women, low-income women, and rural women who face disproportionately-high barriers to reproductive health care."</b> (Note: a companion bill in the House, by Del. Patrick Hope, was <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=161&typ=bil&val=HB592">"laid on the table"</a> - aka, "killed" - by voice vote in late January)<br />
<br />
<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1470/24608289649_0316151861_o.jpg" vspace="5" />Why would anyone vote against a no-brainer bill like this? For anyone who's against abortion, it's particularly baffling (and infuriating), as an <a href="http://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/1101/ot19.html">important study in 2011 found that</a> "Dispensing a 1-year supply of oral contraceptive pills (OCs) to low-income women receiving family planning services is associated with <b>a significant reduction in unplanned pregnancies and abortions as compared with dispensing a 1-month or 3-month supply</b>." According to the study, we're not talking about a small effect either, but a 30% reduction in unplanned pregnancy and an enormous "46% reduction in the odds of an abortion."<br />
<br />
Which means that the eight hard-right Senate Republicans (Newman, Black, Carrico, Garrett, Cosgrove, Dunnavant, Chase, Suetterlein) -- all virulently hostile to abortion and women's reproductive freedom in general - who voted against Sen. Locke's 12-month-contraceptives bill <i>de facto</i> voted NOT to reduce the odds of an abortion by 46%. To put it another way, those eight Senate Republicans, all ostensibly "pro life," voted against a measure that has been proven to sharply reduce abortions, which they consider as tantamount to murder.<br />
<br />
Why? The only reasons I can come up with are: a) their irrational hostility to allowing women easy access to oral contraceptives trumps their hostility to abortion; and b) they are doing the bidding of the health insurance industry, which doesn't want to pay for 12 months of oral contraceptives, and they care more about corporate profits than about reducing abortions. Either way, the right wingers' votes against this legislation completely undercuts their argument about the importance of reducing the number of abortions. Ironically (?), it's pro-choice people like the Democrats on the committee who voted for the 12-months-of-contraceptives bill, who care a LOT more about actually, in the real world, reducing unwanted/unintended pregnancies and abortions. Ironic, eh?<br />
<br />
By the way, I spoke last night with Sen. George Barker (D), the lone Democrat to vote with the eight hard-line, anti-abortion Republicans to "pass by indefinitely" (aka, "kill") this bill. I also talked to Tarina Keene of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. And after all that, for the life of me, I'm still struggling to understand why Barker, who <a href="http://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/69989/george-barker#.Vr3bu_IrLIU">has received consistent 100% scores from NARAL</a> and has been a champion on women's health issues, voted against this bill. Apparently, Barker believes that the legislation is redundant, and that it's already possible for physicians to write a 12-month prescription for oral contraceptives. Even assuming that's the case, what would be the harm of voting for Sen. Locke's legislation? Even after talking to Sen. Barker, I still don't understand...just baffled (as, by the way, are NARAL and their allies, from what I'm told).<br />
<br />
Bottom line: allowing women to receive 12 months of oral contraceptives and have that covered by their insurance companies is a no brainer, whether your focus is on women's reproductive health or whether you are strongly anti-abortion. Either way, this bill should have passed unanimously, not been "passed by indefinitely." Crazy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com