Virginia House of Delegates Elects Tracy Thorne-Begland to Richmond Judgeshi

UPDATED: Shortly after I posted this blog earlier today, the Virginia Senate likewise voted to appoint Tracy Thorne-Begland to a six year judicial appointment.  Twenty-eight members of the Senate voted to confirm the appointment while 12 Senators who either were fearful of the the wrath of The Family Foundation or who as Christofascists themselves walked out and refused to vote.   Needless to say The Family Foundation (which has no problem with activist religious extremists on the bench) is NOT happy.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot: 
 

Minutes later, he won approval in the Virginia Senate, where 28 senators voted for him and 12 Republicans opted not to vote -- they left their seats instead.

The House vote is a reversal of the outcome after a past-midnight debate last May when questions about his sexual orientation, political activism and military service derailed his candidacy.

Not everyone was pleased, however.  Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William County, said Republicans who voted for Thorne-Begland abandoned "a significant portion of the social issues platform."
He suggested party activists and donors would remember their votes.

And days before the vote, the socially conservative Virginia Family Foundation in a letter to legislators warned that giving Thorne-Begland a six-year term on a local court now could lead to a later appointment to a higher court where he could "use that position to act as an activist judge."

 Frankly, here in Virginia there are few better arguments as to why one would not want to have anything to do with Christianity than Bob Marshall and The Family Foundation.  Hate and bigotry against gays, blacks, immigrants, and the less fortunate are their principal hallmarks.

ORIGINAL POST: In what can only be described as a pleasant surprise, by a vote of 66 to 28 with one abstention, the Virginia House of Delegates elected openly gay Tracy Thorne-Begland to a six year term on the Richmond General District Court bench.  Early indications are that he should sail through approval in the Virginia Senate.  One can only imagine the conniptions and spraying spittle engulfing the offices of The Family Foundation - a hate group in all but official certification by SPLC - which had vigorously opposed Thorne-Begland's election and which demonizes LGBT Virginians whenever possible.  Here are details from the Richmond-Times Dispatch:

The Virginia House of Delegates today elected Tracy Thorne-Begland, the state’s first openly gay judge, to a full six-year term as a Richmond General District Court judge
Thorne-Begland, a former Naval aviator, received 66 votes in his favor and 28 votes against. There was one abstention.

A majority of the House and Senate must approve nominations for a judge to be elected. The vote in the Republican-dominated House is Thorne-Begland's toughest challenge.

Last year social conservatives questioned whether he would be an advocate on gay issues from the bench. Some lawmakers with military backgrounds balked at Thorne-Begland's decision in 1992 to publicly come out in opposition to the now-defunct policy against gays serving in the armed forces.

The judges of the Richmond Circuit Court exercised their prerogative to appoint Thorne-Begland to the vacant Manchester General District Court post, where he has served since July, handling criminal and traffic cases south of the James River.

Gov. Bob McDonnell had expressed support for Thorne's re-nomination.

Despite this surprise rebellion against The Family Foundation's dictates, it is safe to bet that the Virginia GOP will block other LGBT friendly bills pending in the General Assembly.  A rooster of the house vote is set out below.  It is noteworthy that locally Delegates Stolle and Pogge voted against appointment.