Videos: Virginia Democrats Read Passages from Ken Kookinelli's Crazy New Book

The following video is from a press conference held a few minutes ago in the Virginia Capitol, with Democratic legislators reading some of the craziest passages from Ken Kookinelli's new book, "The Last Line of Defense." I've only read the portions that are available on Amazon.com, etc., plus what's been reported in the newspapers, but let's just put it this way: it confirms everything we ever thought about this extremist nutjob. Anyway, enjoy the videos (several more on the "flip")!

Video: Scarborough Says Cuccinelli is "certifiable when it comes to mainstream political thought"

So sayeth former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-FL):

Cuccinelli, right, so here's a guy - Tea Party favorite in Virginia - the guy is certifiable when it comes to mainstream political thought. This is a guy who attacks Medicare, he attacks Medicaid, he attacks Social Security, this is a guy who said he was thinking about not having his children get Social Security numbers because, quote, "that's how they track you." This is a guy that has said more things that will offend the voters that swing elections than is humanly possible.

Thank you, Republican Joe Scarborough, for echoing what Democrats, progressives, liberals, environmentalists, etc. have been saying for years: Ken Kookinelli is straightjacket/men-in-white-coats-level loony tunes. The scary thing is, Scarborough's list was a short one for Cuckoo: add to it climate science denial, which in and of itself puts you into the tinfoil hat camp of flat earthers and "the moonshot was faked" folks; dabbling in "birtherism;" vicious anti-LGBT attitudes; support for a "personhood" amendment, which would make abortion providers murderers and also make several popular forms of contraception (as well as embryonic stem cell research) akin to murder as well. There's a lot more than that, too, but we'll just leave it there for now. The fact that the Republican Party could nominate a total nutjob like this, and that it's not an isolated incident - see Todd Akin, Christine O'Donnell, Richard Mourdoch, and many others the past few years - really says it all about that party. Why would anyone in their right mind vote Republican at this point is truly beyond me.

Exclusive: Interview with Virginia Democratic LG Candidate Ralph Northam

Recently, I interviewed Aneesh Chopra, one of two candidates for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of Virginia. Yesterday, prior to the Brigades meeting at Neighbors Restaurant in Vienna, I had a chance to sit down with State Senator Ralph Northam, the other Democrat running for LG this year. I shot some video of Sen. Northam speaking to the 100 or so Brigades members in attendance. For this post, though, I wanted to concentrate mainly on the ground we covered in our interview. Here are my questions and Sen. Northam's answers, summarized for brevity. Thanks again to Sen. Northam for his time, and for an interesting, informative interview.Question #1 I asked Sen. Northam about a concern I've heard mentioned, that if he won the LG race, his Senate seat would open up and could be lost to the Democrats. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam expressed confidence that Democrats would hold the seat, specifically mentioned "two good candidates" - Lynwood Lewis and Paula Miller. Northam added that redistricting in 2011 swung the 6th Senate district "a few points in the Democratic [direction]," although of course no district is ever totally safe. Bottom line: Northam doesn't think this will, or should be, an issue in the LG campaign. Question #2 I asked Sen. Northam what he thought about the controversy over Republican efforts to re-redistrict the State Senate, just 2 years after it was redistricted following the 2010 census.

lowkell :: Exclusive: Interview with Virginia Democratic LG Candidate Ralph Northam

Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam noted that the Republican re-redistricting plan would mean that 46% of Virginians will have a different Senator. That, according to Northam,, "obviously is not good democracy, but it's also unconstitutional" (the Virginia constitution says redistricting should occur in the year ending in "1" every 10 years). Northam's hope is that Speaker Howell will rule this legislation "non-germane." If that doesn't happen, "we hope that the governor will have the spine to veto the bill, and if he doesn't, then we're going to end up in court; we're going to fight it to the end..." Question #3 I asked why Sen. Northam decided to run for LG this year, also why he changed his mind from his inclination earlier this year that he wouldn't run. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam spoke about the importance of getting "our majority back in the Senate...the only body right now that can stop the [Republican] social agenda, the voter suppression laws...last year "believe it or not, we were one vote away from the 'personhood' bill, you talk about taking the Commonwealth of Virginia back to the 19th century, that would have done it." In addition, Northam believes that as LG, he'll be able to "travel around the state and recruit good [Democratic] candidates" in both the Senate and House "and to change some of these seats." This is important, he feels, because "looking at their [social] agenda, their assault on women, their assault on democracy with voter suppression, there's no reasoning with these people...they don't have logic, so the only way to change that trend is to replace their seats" with "good Democrats." Finally, Northam noted that one of his medical practice partners had passed away in February 2012, and that "left a tremendous void." Since that time, however, Northam and his remaining medical practice partners were able to "make some adjustments in our practice." In addition, Northam's partners and his wife urged him to run, given the importance of health care issues. Question #4 I asked Sen. Northam what his view of the Virginia LG position was, other than breaking ties in the Senate. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam said breaking the ties and presiding over the Senate is the #1 function of the office, along with "maintaining the traditions of the Senate." As he already mentioned, recruiting Democratic candidates is important as well. And of course health care is a top priority, given all the uncertainties with the Affordable Care Act, to "put Virginia in the best possible posture to provide quality health care to all Virginians." Northam specifically mentioned the expansion of Medicaid, noting that it's VERY short sighted for Virginia not to be expanding Medicaid, the health care exchange, and the general evolution of health care from a quantity-based system to a quality- or outcome-based system ("that's the only way we're ever going to address costs...and that's what's driving the Commonwealth and the nation to its knees"). Northam argued that he could have more influence as LG than as 1 of 40 Senators, in a "couple ways," as an adviser to Governor McAuliffe, as well as working with the Secretary of Health and the Commissioner of Health. Finally, Northam said that as a doctor, he is "naturally a mediator," and he hopes to bring some moderation and bipartisan cooperation back to the Senate. Question #5 I asked Sen. Northam what other issues, aside from health care, that he'd be focusing on his campaign and as LG, if he's elected. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) The #1 priority, in Northam's view, is "our economy and jobs," and the "way to support that is through transportation...that has got to be the top priority for the Commonwealth." Northam hopes Gov. McAuliffe will "form a commission" to deciding out what our transportation needs are, how to find a sustainable source of revenue, etc. Northam said that he's "a big proponent of transit, we can't just keep widening roads and pouring more concrete...we have to look at ways of getting vehicles off the roads...we have to have a plan that involves the entire system." A couple other areas Northam stressed were education and energy. On education, he noted that he's a medical school professor, and he tells people that "other countries are not playing for second." Northam's a "tremendous advocate" for pre-K education. As far as K-12, "we still need to put more emphasis on vocational and technical training, as obviously not everyone's destined to go to college" and we need to have people prepared for the workforce. Finally, we're "blessed with good colleges and universities, but we can't get behind the curve on that...[also] taxpayers in the Commonwealth should have 'first dibs' on our colleges and universities." On energy, Northam stressed having a strong Renewable Portfolio Standard for renewable energy. He is strongly supportive of "decoupling" power production from the power companies' profits, arguing that incentivizing conservation and energy efficiency could probably reduce our energy consumption by 20%. Northam likened energy to health care, arguing that we need to move from a "quantity-based system" to a "quality-based system," and focus on the tremendous potential of things like Virginia offshore wind power. Bottom line: "we need some vision and we need a comprehensive energy plan...what are our needs and what are the best ways to move forward?" Question #6 I asked Sen. Northam specifically about climate change and the impacts on the Hampton Roads area. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam said he's spent a lot of time on this, was on Gov. Kaine's climate change commission, knows how important it is for us to prepare for sea level rise and other impacts of climate change. Northam noted that the science-denying attitudes of the attitudes of the Ken Cuccinellis of the world are an "embarrassment for Virginia in 2013." Question #7 We continued discussing Ken Cuccinelli and his attitudes beyond climate science... Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) According to Northam, everything Cuccinelli's done - his attack on women's reproductive rights, in vitro fertilization, contraception, etc. - has been "to take us backwards rather than in a positive direction." In 2013, Northam argued, we need leaders who understand how to interpret science and believe in science, because that's what's going to take us in a positive direction." Northam agreed with Sen. Herring that Cuccinelli's persecution of Michael Mann was "unAmerican." Northam quipped that he has a degree in psychiatry and neurology and he "can't figure Ken Cuccinelli out...his positions just defy logic." Question #8 I asked Sen. Northam what his case was for Democratic voters to support him over Aneesh Chopra in the primary. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam argued that he's been "in the trenches" for years, "fighting for the people of Virginia;" that he has numerous relationships and legislative accomplishments in a variety of areas; that he's run two winning campaigns in Virginia, demonstrating his "electability;" and finally the need for "diversity on the ticket" (he was raised in a "rural area," it's important for Hampton Roads to have representation in the state). Question #9 I asked Sen. Northam about rumors that he'd been approached by Senate Republicans in 2009 to switch parties, and that he supposedly had considered it. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam said there was a lot of misinformation (e.g., RPV chair Jeff Fredericks "didn't know what he was talking about"), that all it was a "Republican pipe dream," that he's a strong and longstanding Democrat who's fought for Democratic principles, and that he would "never even think about" changing parties. Northam added that "the Lieutenant Governor has to be extremely loyal to his party," and that he's been a loyal Democrat for years on issue after issue. Northam also noted that if Republicans put a good idea on the table that could help Virginia, he's willing to move forward with it as a "statesman." Question #10 Just as I did with Aneesh Chopra, I asked Sen. Northam about the same pieces of legislation being debated in this year's General Assembly, and asked him whether he supported or opposed it. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) 1. Bob McDonnell's transportation legislation. Northam says any plan that takes money from the general fund is a "non-starter." It also makes not "a bit of sense," in his view, to penalize hybrid vehicles. There also won't be any plan that gets out of the Senate that eliminates the gas tax. 2. Deeds bill: "Requires a background check for any firearm purchase." "Great bill" - YES. 3. Janet Howell bill: "Elections; absentee voting. Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee in person without providing an excuse or reason." "Great idea" - YES. 4. Mark Herring (SB 1084): "Health insurance; authorizes SCC to establish state plan management partnership exchange." "Excellent idea" - YES. 5. Mark Herring: "Classification as hospitals of certain facilities in which abortions are performed. Eliminates language classifying facilities in which five or more first trimester abortions per month are performed as hospitals for the purpose of compliance with regulations of the Board of Health..." "I was helping him with that" - YES. 6. Donald McEachin: "Constitutional amendment (first resolution); restoration of voting rights. Provides for the automatic restoration of voting rights to persons convicted of nonviolent felonies..." "Very supportive of that" - YES. 7. Chap Petersen: "Renewable energy facilities; eligibility for incentives. Establishes a requirement that electricity generated from renewable sources be generated from a facility located in the Commonwealth..." "A very good idea" - YES. 8. Donald McEachin: "Nondiscrimination in state employment. Prohibits discrimination in state employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a special disabled veteran..." YES. 9. Ralph Northam: "Study; mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard program..."  (It's his bill, so obviously YES) 10. Ralph Northam: " Ultrasound prior to abortion. Removes the requirement that a woman undergo a transabdominal ultrasound prior to an abortion." (Again, it's his bill, so obviously YES) 11. Mamie Locke: "Payday lending. Repeals provisions authorizing payday lending in the Commonwealth." "Very supportive" - YES. 12. John Miller: "Virginia Redistricting Commission created. Establishes a five-member commission to prepare redistricting plans for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Appointments to the Commission shall be made one each by the four majority and minority party leaders of the House and Senate." "That's a great idea" - YES. 13. Thomas Garrett: "Nonpublic school students; participation in interscholastic programs. Prohibits public schools from joining an organization governing interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation a student who (i) is receiving home instruction or is attending a private school that does not offer the interscholastic program in which the student wishes to participate" (Tebow bill) NO. 14. Charles Carrico: " Constitutional amendment (first resolution); freedom of speech. Expands the freedom of speech provisions of the Constitution of Virginia to permit prayer and the recognition of religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including public school property." "Very much opposed" - NO. 15. Charles Carrico: "Substance abuse screening and assessment of public assistance applicants and recipients. Requires local departments of social services to screen each Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW) program participant to determine whether probable cause exists to believe the participant is engaged in the use of illegal substances." NO. (Northam joked that perhaps we should do this for legislators instead of welfare recipients) 16. Chap Petersen: "Constitutional amendment (first resolution); tax credits. Provides that no tax credit shall remain in effect longer than five years unless it is reenacted by the General Assembly." "That's a great idea...probably needs to be on an individual, case-by-case basis," as businesses need to plan long term. But yes, we need to "look at all these credits." 17. Barbara Comstock: "Right to vote by secret ballot on labor organization representation. Declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees, the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement." NO. 18. Mark Cole: "Elections; polling place procedures; voter identification requirements. Removes several items from the list of acceptable identification documents that a voter must present when voting at the polls on election day: a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck that shows the name and address of the voter." "A terrible law...we should be making it easier, not more difficult, for people to vote." NO. ("They obviously got beat badly in 2012, so they're doing what they can to change the rules...") Question #11 I asked a number of quick questions on energy issues, including on offshore oil drilling, fracking and mountaintop removal coal mining. Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) Northam has "significant concerns" about offshore oil drilling and the potential for an oil spill: military training, NASA Wallops, aquaculture (oil spill would "totally wipe them out"), the risk to tourism of oil on the beaches, offshore oil drilling royalties wouldn't even come to Virginia, etc. More importantly, we have huge offshore wind resources, why don't we focus on that instead of "Drill Baby Drill?" Fracking: We have to be "real careful," we need to "wean ourselves away from fossil fuels." Mountaintop removal coal mining: Northam said there are a lot more, better jobs that would come from expanding wind energy compared to capital-intensive mountaintop removal coal mining. Question #12 Finally, I asked Sen. Northam how we can bridge the differences - economic, political, cultural, etc. - between different parts of Virginia? Sen. Northam's answer (condensed) In Northam's view, we live in a "diverse state...different areas, different interests, different agendas." The key to bridging those differences is "communication."

Virginia AG Candidate Blasts Ken Cuccinelli for his Assault on Climate Science

From the Brigades meeting this past weekend; just wanted to highlight this portion of Sen. Herring's speech with some "front-page" love.

The answer is, the Attorney General can do a lot in that area [of climate change]. First of all, we need to have an Attorney General who believes in science [APPLAUSE]. When Ken Cuccinelli went after Mike Mann, the researcher at UVA, that was one of those that really told me this is going to become a pattern with him. Sometimes there are grey areas in the law, but he has so manipulated the law; no reasonable attorney in my view could have reached the conclusion that the Fraud Against Taxpayers Act could be used to basically persecute a researcher, and the Attorney General did it because he disagreed with his ideas and conclusions, which is downright unAmerican, it is! So, number one, we need to have an Attorney General who believes that a lot of what we're doing here on Earth...is affecting the climate and to take some responsible action and believes in science. We also need to send a message that's the complete opposite of what he did; the message that that sent to people outside of Virginia was that we were a backward state, that we were anti-science, and here we are from an economic development standpoint trying to attract top researchers to Virginia's universities...attract technology companies. Well, if you're a researcher thinking about bringing a research team to Virginia, why would you do that if the Attorney General's going to come after you and subpoena your data; you're not...the Attorney General is the guardian of the public interest...and the public has an interest in making sure that regulations are applied equally and fairly, making sure that our environmental laws are being enforced, those are the kinds of things an Attorney General can do.

Personally, I can't wait for the election of Mark Herring as Virginia Attorney General. The enormous, positive difference from Ken Kookinell's reign of terror will be such a relief, and also such great news for Virginia, it's hard to overstate it. To help Mark, please click here. Thanks.

No Banking on Shad Planking

by Dan Sullivan

Shad Planking tickets are on sale. Last year the event was snubbed by Senator Kaine, leaving George Allen the featured speaker. Bill Bolling's campaign poured a lot of beer. Four years ago, T-Mac made a splash, but like Allen and Bolling, it mattered not. The event is a sideshow.Granted, it is not as disappointing as most carnival attractions. If nothing else, you get a bony lunch. And there is something else. If you have any interest at all in the anthropology of Virginia political thought, this is an enlightening event. It bears all the authenticity of a historical re-enactment. The only way George Allen could have been more at home would have been if he'd come dolled up in the confederate uniform he wore in his movie cameo role.  You find vestiges of antiquated culture here you might never observe out of the closet in more accessible public venues. That is the evolutionary branch of this event: a program to appease a demographic yearning for the comfort of a time that they dream could exist. Their future is some choreographed replay of an imaginary past. Here, the attendees who represent diversity are most often caricatures that appease that yearning. You know...they know their place, they toe the line. Radtke and Bishop offered many who would never vote for them the opportunity to feel better about themselves. All is right with the world where diversity is only skin deep. When Democrats crash the party, you can almost sense time folding. They really can't step through that barrier between the two perceptions of past, present, and future. So while it is an engrossing play, that is all it is. And this play is not the thing. It is long past the time when this was an event where relevant political trends could be measured or influenced. There is every reason to attend as an observer, but no reason to take the role of respectful and acquiescing participant; particularly this year, when the program will be a Cuccinelliphant love-fest. Last year candidate Kaine couldn't attend due to scheduling. This year, Democratic candidates should schedule not to attend.

Audio: Sen. Herring Says Ken Cuccinelli's Lawsuit Against Michael Mann Was "Downright UnAmerican"

State Senator/AG candidate Mark Herring (starting at around 15:55 of this audio):

Something else that is important to have is an Attorney General who helps foster a more forward looking image [for Virginia]. If you look at one of the very high-profile actions our Attorney General did was to sue a UVA researcher. He did it because he disagreed with the researcher's ideas and conclusions, and that is downright unAmerican. It was very costly to taxpayers, and it was costly to our state's reputation, because it sent a signal to people around the country that Virginia was anti-science or not welcoming to researchers and technology. If we want to attract top researchers to Virginia, if we want to attract technology companies to Virginia, we can't have an Attorney General who's suing researchers at our universities because he disagrees with their ideas and their conclusions... ...We've seen a number of actions where our current Attorney General's actions have really been outside the mainstream. I've talked a little bit about his action against the researcher who studied climate change. He's also really, I think, misused the powers of the office to intimidate the board of health in adopting regulations that were onerous and restrictive on women's health centers, that will make it more expensive for women to get health care, will make it less accessible for women. I think the things that I have worked for in the Senate show that I am much more in the mainstream.

Great stuff, all 100% true. By the way, John Fredericks tried to hype this segment by claiming that Sen. Herring somehow " breaks ranks with his fellow Democrats on keeping taxes low and reducing red tape in order to advance business development in the Commonwealth." I listened carefully to the interview and heard nothing of the sort. All Sen. Herring said, in fact, was that he didn’t want to draw any lines in the sand when it comes to transportation. Wow, shocker huh? LOL Anyway, great job by Sen. Herring in this interview, especially since it was with two Republicans/right wingers who have no love for the "Democrat" Party (as they like to call it, 7th-grade-adolescent-boy style), and who love to pretend that extremists and science deniers like Ken Cuccinelli are somehow "in the mainstream" (they are not!) or analogous to people in the Democratic Party (nope again!), when nothing could be further from the truth. No matter how you look at it, Ken Cuccinelli's an extreme outlier, on the far fringes of John Bircher/tinfoil hat Loony Land. And no, there are most definitely no equivalents on the Democratic side of the aisle in Virginia, certainly not anyone running for statewide office in 2013 (or 2009, or 2005, or 2001...).

Ken Kookinelli Claims Medicare, Social Security "make people dependent on government"

We've been saying for years that Ken Cuccinelli's far out of the mainstream, but now he's putting it all down in a book (note: it's readable in part on Amazon, available in full on February 12), so that there's no doubt whatsoever. He's also doing his best Mitt Romney "47% dependent on government/moochers" looniness. - "Sometimes bad politicians set out to grow government in order to increase their own power and influence. This phenomenon doesn't just happen in Washington; it happens at all levels of government.The amazing this is that they often grow government without protest from citizens, and sometimes they even get buy-in from citizens - at least from the ones getting the goodies."One of their favorite ways to increase their power is by creating programs that dispense subsidized government benefits, such as Medicare, Social Security, and outright welfare (Medicaid, food stamps, subsidized housing, and the like). These programs make people dependent on government. And once people are dependent, they feel they can't afford to have the programs taken away, no matter how inefficient, poorly run, or costly to the rest of society." The Democratic Party of Virginia has put out a press release, which says "Ken Cuccinelli's extremism has reached a new low with his statement that Americans who have paid into Medicare and Social Security are 'dependent on government', 'getting the goodies' and completely ignorant about their own best interest." It concludes, "Cuccinelli's opposition to Medicare and Social Security reflects his extreme worldview and should alarm all Virginia families." You can say that again. Wow.P.S. In his book, Cuckoo also calls the Environmental Protection Agency "this agency of mass destruction." And, of course, he mocks the science of anthropogenic global warming, which is basically the equivalent at this point of mocking gravity or evolution, the science is that strong. In a sane world, that ALONE should disqualify Cuccinelli, or anyone else, from holding public office in this country. We'll see if it does in Virginia later this year...

EXCLUSIVE: Ohio Dem Party Women's Caucus Director Hired as New DPVA Executive Director

Meet your new Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director, who will be starting her new job within days. Lauren Harmon, Women's Caucus Director Lauren Harmon joined the Ohio Democratic Party as Women's Caucus Director in June of 2011. She brings with her years of fundraising and campaign experience from Arizona and the Southwest. After getting her start as a field organizer and running field programs in Republican districts, Lauren went on to manage and lobby on behalf of a statewide Building Trades political action committee. She later served as Senior Deputy Finance Director for the Arizona Democratic Party. Lauren has managed campaigns from city council to Attorney General, including her most recent position running the campaign of an EMILY's List candidate for Las Vegas City Council. Harmon certainly has an impressive LinkedIn profile, with basically all the main attributes you'd want in an executive director of a major state party: finance/fundraising experience, campaign management experience, field experience, knowledge of PACs, etc. I wish Lauren Harmon the best of luck in her new job, and sincerely look forward to her work in rebuilding this party - along with top-notch people like DPVA Political Director Clark Mercer, who is doing a great job, by the way - and kicking serious Republican tail in 2013 and beyond! :)P.S. In the video, Harmon speaks at the beginning briefly, and then at the end at more length. She seems very impressive.

Powerful New Video Explains What Republicans Are REALLY Up To with "Voter ID" Laws

This video, by Annabel Park's and Eric Byler's Story of America project, explains extremely well what Republicans are up to with their "voter ID" and other laws to combat the mythical unicorn of "voter fraud." Listen as Rev. Dr. William Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP, explains the history of efforts to prevent African Americans from voting and from achieving any form of political power in the South. One thing enemies of expanded voting are terrified of is "fusion politics" - an alliance of African Americans with Latinos, Asian Americans, and progressive (racially and otherwise) whites. In 1898, for example, the "Wilmington Riots" resulted in white supremacists ousting a duly elected, biracial city government. What happened next? Dr. Barber explains:

The first thing they attacked - there were always five things they attacked - they attacked educational laws, they attacked labor laws, they attacked fair criminal justice laws, they attacked taxes - they wanted to cut taxes so the government wouldn't have any money to fulfill the promises that had been made to the former slaves - and they attacked voting rights. If your grandfather was a slave, you couldn't vote; or poll taxes...white supremacy is rewritten into the laws of the state, and by 1910, black voting power is virtually nothing, zero.

Sound familiar? If not, it should, because in many ways it's the same thing today. That takes us to 2008 and 2012, when Barack Obama put together a campaign "rooted in the idea of fusion politics." And "guess what, he wins in places like North Carolina, in the south...[with an electorate that's] broad and it's deep and it's young and it's old and it's LGBT and it's black and it's Hispanic and it's Asian and it's people who want to push America beyond the vestiges of racism...But that new electorate scares the whatever out of those who have a homogeneous view of life, it does not fit their world view, so what do you see, an all-out assault once again, this attack on voting rights starts immediately after President Obama is elected." But wait, you say, aren't there numerous cases of people voting fraudulently? Well, no, actually. But listen as Dr. Barber explains how laughably convoluted, implausible, and just completely "ludicrous" mass voter fraud would be. Beyond that, of course, the 15th Amendment is very clear, that "[t]he right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." What exactly about the 15th amendment don't these anti-"voter fraud" Republicans understand? In reality, what they're doing is in blatant violation of the 15th Amendment, as stringent voter ID laws overwhelmingly affect minority and poorer voters, who might not happen to have a driver's license or other photo ID. So why should Republicans make it harder for these people to vote, given that there's no "voter fraud," certainly not of any significance? It's obvious: they know that blacks, Latinos, and other minorities vote overwhelmingly Democratic, and they want to prevent that from happening. End of story. Any other "reasoning" they give you? It's just a bunch of bull****. Same thing for any corporate media reporting that presents "both sides" of this "issue." Utter bull****. So, when these bills come before the Virginia General Assembly in coming days, just remember what this is all about, and let your Delegate or Senator know exactly what you think about this crap (by the despicable Del. Mark Cole) or this crap (by the utterly heinous Sen. Dick Black). Thanks. P.S. If you're going to be in North Carolina on February 9, you should check this out.

Virginia House GOP Holds Huge Financial Edge Over House Dems Heading into 2013 Elections

Have you seen a horror movie recently? Any interest in checking one out? Well, no need to spend $10 on a ticket, plus whatever ungodly sum they charge for artery-clogging popcorn and diabetic coma-inducing candy and soda. Nope: if you're a Virginia Democrat, or simply a Virginia citizen who doesn't want to see our state plunged into the Dark Ages by the Teahadists, all you need to do for a serious scare is check outcash-on-hand numbers over at VPAP. From a progressive and/or Democratic point of view, they're terrifying.So, which party has all the money as we head into an election cycle during which every single House of Delegates seat will be up for grabs (and in which Dems currently hold only 32 seats out of 100)? Hint: it's not the one with the donkey as a logo. To the contrary, as of December 31, 2012, Virginia's Republicans held an elephant-sized cash-on-hand advantage over Dems of something around $4.5 million. That's right, it's approximately $6 million "red team" to about $1.5 million "blue team" (note: I say "approximately" and "about" because it depends exactly what you count; also, there's at least one strange-looking number in there, for Adrianne Bennett, who either has $211,000 or minus $42 cash on hand, depending on which page you look at). [NOTE: See the "flip" for a list of the top Democratic cash on hand totals] By the way, note that one of the top Dems in terms of cash on hand is Johnny Joannou, with $144,621, yet he's given only $11,500 to the House Democratic Caucus since 1997 (no, that's not a typo, and yes it averages out to less than $1,000 a year!). Clearly, we've got some "issues" here. It's not just Cash on Hand, either; it's also the amount of money raised leading up to 2013. Out of the top 10 highest totals from 7/1/2012 to 12/31/2012, as of the end of last year, 9 of those are Republicans: Howell ($244k), Kilgore ($219k), Cox ($201k), Hugo ($198k), Ramadan ($169k), Comstock ($165k), Watson ($143k), Jones ($140k), Farrell ($128k). The only exception: House Minority Leader David Toscano, who raised $282,000 during the second half of 2012. Meanwhile, several Democrats in solid "blue" districts in some of the wealthiest areas of the state raised very little money (e.g., in the $20,000-$30,000 range). Clearly, part of this advantage for the Republicans is that they're in the majority, and it's a lot easier to raise money when you've got the power. Another advantage is that they get reams of money from the usual suspects - corporations, fossil fuel interests, etc. Still, the fact that the gap is so large is disturbing. The question is, what are we going to do about it?