Ken Cuccinelli’s Arrogant and Untenable Position in Virginia

Despite a tradition that traces back to after World War II, Ken Cuccinelli has refused to resign as Virginia Attorney General as he campaigns for the Governor's mansion this November.  In the process there are serious questions as to his use of salaried state employees in his campaign which, combined with his own salary, add up to his forcing every Virginia taxpayer to subsidize his campaign.  But that is only the beginning of the problem as Kookinelli as he is best called works to politicize every issue possible in an effort to aggrandize himself and win points with the delusional Neanderthals and religious fanatics that now comprise the base of the Republican Party of Virginia.  Am article in the Washington Post looks at the continuing problem which in many ways is tantamount to Kookinelli telling the majority of Virginians to go f*ck themselves since he views himself as above the law and decades of precedent.  Here are article highlights:

SINCE WORLD WAR II, 10 of Virginia’s 11 attorneys general have run for governor. Nine of those 10, Democrats and Republicans alike, resigned to do so, and for good reason: They were loath to politicize an office whose effectiveness and prestige depend on making legal judgments untainted by politics.

Despite that wise precedent, Virginia’s current attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli II (R), has refused to follow suit. He has clung to his position even as he angled for his party’s gubernatorial nomination, bringing a cloud over his office and casting doubt on its ability to act impartially as the state’s legal counsel.

An unfolding example is Mr. Cuccinelli’s maneuvering over Virginia’s landmark transportation bill, awaiting Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s signature after the General Assembly approved it last month with bipartisan support. Mr. Cuccinelli, a darling of the tea party and an unyielding conservative, opposed the bill because it raises taxes. It’s unfortunate, and irresponsible, that he attacked a bill that he now may be called on to defend.

Although Mr. Cuccinelli has not yet identified constitutional or legal problems with the transportation bill, others have. Writing in The Post last month, Paul Goldman and Norman Leahy argued that the measure violates Virginia’s constitution by imposing surtaxes in two congested regions — Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads — that would not apply statewide.

If that or another alleged flaw becomes grounds for litigation, then Mr. Cuccinelli, already on record as opposing the bill, will be called on to defend it in court. How vigorously can Virginians expect him to do so? If Mr. Cuccinelli himself identifies a constitutional problem, how would anyone believe that his legal opinion has not been colored by his political thinking?

This sort of quandary is precisely why previous attorneys general chose to resign before running for governor. By refusing to do the same, Mr. Cuccinelli is doing Virginians a disservice and subverting the integrity of his office.

Of course, besides being the darling of the Tea Party forces, Kookinelli is also the darling of the Christofascists at The Family Foundation - something which likely explains Kookinelli's lack of integrity.  In Virginia there are few organizations that lie and spread deliberate falsehoods more than The Family Foundation and its "godly Christian" followers and water carriers.