Virginia Disingenuously Redesigns Standard License Plates

In a move that is the height of hypocrisy, Bob McDonnell - variously known as "Taliban Bob" and "Governor Ultrasound" - unveiled a redesign of Virginia's standard vehicle license plate to add the slogan "Virginia is for Lovers" along the bottom edge of the plates.  Virginia is for lovers if the lovers are not gay or lesbian or preferably not an interracial couple (thanks to Loving v. Virginia, such interracial couples can marry although not with much approval from the Virginia GOP  and its toxic party base).  Now anyone getting new license plates will have to pay extra to avoid getting plates that bear this false slogan.  I for one will not be rushing out to replace my plates that display Virginia's great seal with ones that bear an out right lie on them.  The Richmond Times Dispatch looks at this disingenuous bull shit:

The Department of Motor Vehicles has redesigned the state's standard license plate to incorporate the “Virginia is for lovers" slogan.

Gov. Bob McDonnell unveiled the new plate during remarks yesterday at the Governor's Transportation Conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

The new plates display the tourism slogan near the bottom of the plate in black letters with a red heart in place of the “v” in “lovers.” Underneath, in smaller print, is “Virginia.org.”

The new plate otherwise appears the same as the basic blue and white plates that have been the standard for decades.

Will someone please pass me a vomit bag? 

Will Bob McDonnell Be Indicted?

As the Richmond Times Dispatch reports, speculation continues on whether or not Bob McDonnell and/or Maureen "Marie Antoinette" McDonnell in connection with the more than $266,000 in gifts, cash payments and political contributions received from Jonnie R. Williams and Star Scientific.  As noted to date, part of Taliban Bob's defense is that he did not know who much loot his greed driven wife received from Williams.   Meanwhile, there seems to be no explanation from Ms. McDonnell on why she acted like Emelda Marcos in her pursuit of designer clothes on lavish shopping trips to New York City.  Personally, I find it beyond belief that something of wasn't done for Williams/Star Scientific in return for such lavish spending.   As for McDonnell's feigned lack of knowledge, it's what I have called the Sergeant Schultz defense.  I don't buy it.  Here are highlights from the Times Dispatch:

Attorneys and law professors are uncertain whether Gov. Bob McDonnell’s legal troubles could lead to a federal indictment.

But if McDonnell is indicted and declines to step down, Republican legislative leaders privately are steeling themselves to ask the governor to resign to spare the state from distraction as the government gears up to produce a two-year budget by December.

Andrew G. McBride, who spent seven years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, and three in the main Department of Justice, said the case doesn’t fit exactly a classic public corruption model — an official act in exchange for some form of compensation.

“At the same time, it has some egregious facts that might well lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office to indict.

“Or, I could very much see a situation, and this is authorized by the U.S. attorney’s manual, where they trade non-indictment of both the governor and the first lady in exchange for the immediate resignation of the governor.”

The coming weeks could be decisive. A decision or announcement could be made within two weeks to avoid getting too close to the November election.

Williams, the Star CEO, is facing his own potential legal troubles. Leading the defense team for Williams are Richard Cullen, chairman of McGuireWoods and a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Toby Vick, a former federal prosecutor.

Lawyers say he could have trouble with the income tax laws for cash gifts made to the McDonnells.

Federal investigators are probing whether McDonnell or his administration provided any benefit to Williams and his company in exchange for the more than $166,000 in gifts, loans and cash payments Williams provided to the first family — in addition to nearly $110,000 in campaign and political action committee donations. The governor has maintained that Star Scientific has not received any special treatment from his administration.

There's more to the piece for those interested.  Again, no one gives that much money without expecting something.

Bob McDonnell Probe Finds Tens of Thousands of Dollars of Undisclosed Items

Ken Cuccinelli isn't the only corrupt GOP politician in Virginia.  As the Washington Post reports, a federal investigation into gifts to Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and his family reveals that the McDonnells were lined up like pigs at a trough scarfing up tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts that were conveniently not disclosed as required by Virginia law.  Combined with Cuccinelli's office assisting a big campaign donor in private, civil litigation, the picture is one of widespread corruption at the highest levels of Virginia government.  Here are highlights from the Post story:

Federal authorities are asking Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s associates about previously undisclosed gifts given by a campaign donor to McDonnell’s wife that total tens of thousands of dollars and include money and expensive designer clothing, according to people familiar with the inquiry.

The questions are part of broad federal and state investigations into gifts to the governor and his family and whether McDonnell (R) took official action on behalf of anyone who gave gifts, people with knowledge of the investigation have said.

But the people with knowledge of the inquiry, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, say the scope is wider than just the wedding gift. The value and nature of additional gifts from Williams, including money provided in several checks, suggest that authorities are exploring a more extensive relationship between Williams and the McDonnells than previously revealed.

Additionally, famed Virginia socialite Patricia Kluge, who was one of the state’s wealthiest women before a dramatic and public crash during the recession, has been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury to answer questions related to the McDonnells, according to people who are familiar with her summons.  It is not clear what testimony authorities will seek from Kluge, who owned a winery and vast estate near Charlottesville before losing both in the economic downturn.

As public scrutiny of his relationship with Williams has mounted, McDonnell has declined to provide a full accounting of other gifts Williams provided to members of the McDonnell family.
A local prosecutor in Richmond is conducting a parallel investigation to the federal probe to determine whether McDonnell complied with state law in his annual financial filings.

That investigation could explore whether the governor received enough benefit from gifts given to his wife — particularly loans or gifts of money — that he should have considered them gifts to himself as well.

Federal authorities are exploring whether McDonnell performed official acts to boost the company in exchange for gifts from Williams, people familiar with the inquiry have said.

It would seem that McDonnell's aspirations for national office are going to be toast.

Bob McDonnell's Gift to Virginia - $1 Billion Bill for Tunnel

The antiquated Mid-Town Tunnel

In general rather than raise taxes and revenues for transportation, Governor Bob McDonnell and the Republican Party of Virginia have pursued "public-private partnership" projects which generally equate to private interest being given the right to screw the taxpaying public.  A case in point is the deal for construction of a second Mid-Town Tunnel tube that basically gives taxing powers to VDOT and private interests.  On Wednesday, a circuit court judge ruled that the deal violates the Virginia Constitution.  The result?  Virginia may be on the hook for the $1 billion project.  This disaster, combined with the growing Star Scientific scandal, would seem to make McDonnell's national aspirations about as unsinkable as the Titanic.  An article in the Virginian Pilot looks at the court ruling and possible fall out.  Some of the comments are delicious and would underscore that McDonnell's "legacy" may be tanking fast.  Here are some highlights:

The state would be on the hook for more than a billion dollars of debt if a judge's ruling striking down the Midtown and Downtown tunnel tolls stands, according to a ratings agency.

Portsmouth Circuit Judge James A. Cales Jr. declared the tolls unconstitutional Wednesday, saying the General Assembly exceeded its authority by delegating to the state transportation department "unfettered power" to set the rates "without any real or meaningful parameters."

Gov. Bob McDonnell said the state will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Virginia, and representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and its private partner said work will continue on the $2.1 billion project.

 

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to Cales' ruling have maintained since filing their challenge in July that the state was proceeding with the project at its own risk.

Fitch Ratings told investors in an April 9 report that if the litigation stopped Elizabeth River Crossings from collecting tolls, the state would be required by its contract to repay the debt that has been incurred for the project.

That amount includes $663.75 million in private bonds that were issued in April 2012 and a $422 million federal loan, according to the Fitch report. Elizabeth River Crossings bears the risk of repaying that debt under the normal terms of its agreement with the state, with tolling.

Fitch assigned a rating of BBB- on the debt, the lowest rating for investment-grade debt. Ratings lower than that fall into a category that investors consider speculative, said Scott Zuchorski, Fitch's primary analyst on the Elizabeth River Crossings account.

 

"If it's not resolved by the end of next January, then it could become more interesting," Zuchorski said.  Ratings downgrades cause the price of bonds to fall, potentially leading to losses to investors.

Again, for real fun, read subscriber comments on the piece.

Petroleum Association Bucks McDonnell and Asks For Gas Tax Increase

Anyone who commutes during rush hour in Hampton Roads or Northern Virginia knows that Virginia's transportation system is not only inadequate, it's also crumbling (e.g., the potholes on east bound Interstate 64 in Norfolk between the HRBT and the Granby Street exit that I drive each day  make the pavement look like its been bombed in places).  Meanwhile, the state's gasoline tax hasn't been raised in over a quarter century in keeping with the GOP's no tax increase mantra.  And rather than increase the gas tax, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell wants to scrap the tax, increase the state sales tax, and raid funds for already stretched programs.  It's idiocy that so far has been blocked by the Virginia Senate.  Now, the petroleum association that represents gasoline retailers statewide has come out in support of an increase in the gas tax and displayed far more logic than Taliban Bob. Here are highlights from a Virginian Pilot article:

How desperate are Virginians for a statewide transportation funding solution?  Here's one example: a trade group that represents gas stations is bucking tradition and backing a higher fuel tax to pump new money into state road building accounts.

The Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association this week has expressed support for raising the state's 17.5 cent per gallon gas tax to 23.5 cents starting in July. More than 25 years have passed since the state's gas tax was last adjusted.

In a statement, the group cited the mushrooming maintenance deficit that has required Virginia to increasingly spent more of its road construction dollars to repair its decaying road network,
"Should this continue it will eventually impact the productivity of our membership and other Virginia businesses, and affect the quality of life for many Virginians," the Feb. 7 statement reads.

The association also said it would work toward "consensus legislation for the 2014 General Assembly session that adjusts Virginia’s cents per gallon rate along with the biennial state budget, to accommodate the increase in federal gasoline efficiency standards for all passenger vehicles."

The transportation funding plan still alive in the General Assembly is the House of Delegates' version of Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to dump the current gas tax and replace it by increasing the state sales tax from 5 percent to 5.8 percent, among other plan wrinkles.

The transportation funding plan still alive in the General Assembly is the House of Delegates' version of Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to dump the current gas tax and replace it by increasing the state sales tax from 5 percent to 5.8 percent, among other plan wrinkles.  .  .  .  the Senate version of McDonnell's plan and several proposed amendments to it were defeated by Democrats who consider its revenue sources either unreliable or sacrosanct.

McDonnell needs to dump the GOP's failed approach on taxes and increase the gasoline tax and make sure all of the new revenues go to highway repair and expansion.

McDonnell Gives Ultimatum to UVA Rector and Board of Visitors

For the better part of the nine months, Virginia Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell has been more busy trying to posture himself for a vice presidential nomination on Mitt "Let them Eat Cake" Romney's ticket than he has been minding Virginia's business.  Initially, McDonnell seemed to want to avoid any involvement with the disaster created by University of Virginia ("UVA") Rector Helen Dragas and her co-conspirators/henchmen on the UVA Board of Visitors.  There was even conjecture that McDonnell would simply slip out of town to head to a Romney event in Utah while leaving the Commonwealth's flagship university in complete chaos.  Apparently, the realization finally hit McDonnell that doing nothing of substance was about to bite him in the ass big time.  Hence his ultimatum the the UVA Board of Visitors: "fix the problem by Tuesday or resign."  

While the UVA disaster has its own unique characteristics, it is symptomatic of a larger problem in Virginia: state boards and other positions are typically awarded as political plums for supporters.  The bigger ones monetary contributions, the higher the profile of one's appointment.  Years ago I was appointed to the Virginia College Building Authority (which issues tax-exempt bonds for the Virginia's public colleges and universities) and I actually had bond law experience.  That's not often the case. Of course, I had really wanted a slot on the Virginia Board of Education.  But that went to a friend who gave much more money even though the individual had little background in educational issues compared to me since I had been an education activist for some years already.  

But I digress.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot on Taliban Bob's message to Ms. Dragas and company:

Gov. Bob McDonnell gave an ultimatum Friday to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors: Resolve the school's presidency crisis at your meeting Tuesday, or you'll be replaced the next day.

The governor delivered that message in a letter to the board, which has been embroiled in controversy since the June 10 decision to oust President Teresa Sullivan from her post after two years on the job.

The board is to meet Tuesday to consider reinstating Sullivan, whose removal sparked an outcry among students, faculty and alumni and has stained the reputation of one of Virginia's most prestigious schools.
"Let me be absolutely clear: I want final action by the Board on Tuesday," McDonnell wrote. "If you fail to do so, I will ask for the resignation of the entire Board on Wednesday."

He told board members that regardless of the outcome, he expects them "to make a clear, detailed and unified statement on the future leadership of the University."

The governor's letter followed a decision by the man tapped as interim president, Carl Zeithaml, to step aside while Sullivan's fate remains unclear.

The governor's latest message drew praise on Twitter from university political science professor Larry Sabato, who said it put the board "on notice to clean up its mess."  The only way forward is to reinstate Sullivan, wrote Sabato, who later advised fellow Wahoos not to gloat or seek reprisal after the fact, but to work to "reunify quickly & repair damage."

McDonnell's letter can be viewed at the Virginian Pilot link.

 

Gay Marriage Positions Won't Impact Virginia Presidential Vote

A new Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday shows Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney 47 to 42 in Virginia.  Probably more distressing to the Christofascists at The Family Foundation (which truly deserves a "hate group" designation in my view), most Virginians say that Barack Obama's personal endorsement of same sex marriage will have little or no effect on their vote in November,  Other bad news for Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell is that adding Taliban Bob to the GOP national ticket does nothing to boost Romney in Virginia.  The Richmond Times-Dispatch looks at the poll results.  Here are highlights:

President Barack Obama leads Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney 47 percent to 42 percent in Virginia, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released this morning that indicates that Obama's lead would remain if Gov. Bob McDonnell were the GOP running mate.

The survey also shows Virginia voters oppose same-sex marriage 49–42 percent, but only 25 percent say it is “extremely important” or “very important” in deciding how they will vote for president. Sixty percent of those polled said Obama’s support for same-sex marriage won’t affect their vote.

A Romney-McDonnell ticket facing Obama and Vice President Joe Biden puts the Democrats ahead 48–43 percent.  Obama still posts a wide lead among women, 51–35 percent, while men go 49–44 percent for Romney.

“President Barack Obama remains ahead in Virginia, but he is hearing Gov. Mitt Romney’s footsteps.  His lead over Romney is built upon a continuing gender gap that favors him – essentially the president stays close among men while he is very strong among women,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

On Obama's support for same-sex marriage, 14 percent of those polled said it made them more likely to vote for him while 24 percent said they were less likely. Because of Romney’s opposition to same-sex marriage, 21 percent of voters are more likely to support him while 23 percent are less likely and 53 percent said it will not affect their vote.

Bob McDonnell Lies and Claims Never to Have Opposed Gay Judges

In his apparent quest to be Mitt Romney's VP nominee, Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell is trying to rewrite history and conveniently forget his past statements and video taped interviews.  McDonnell's claim is that he has never opposed the appointment of gays to the judiciary.  Having followed McDonnell's role in the lynch mob like crucifixion of former Circuit Court Judge Verbena Askew, there's only one word that describes McDonnell who earned the nickname "Taliban Bob" during the obscene treatment of Askew: LIAR.  McDonnell's claims are diametrically opposed to what actually happened and what is recorded in numerous local media accounts.  Here are highlights from a Washington Post story where McDonnell fabricates a new version of history:

Bob McDonnell would like you to know that he has not, in fact, evolved on gay judges.  Earlier this month, just before Virginia’s General Assembly rejected a gay judicial nominee, the Republican governor said that homosexuality should not disqualify someone from serving as a judge. He reiterated that stance on a radio program Tuesday and said that’s always been his position.

What about in 2003, host Mark Segraves asked. Back then, while leading a successful effort to unseat a lesbian Circuit Court judge, then-delegate McDonnell questioned whether someone who had engaged in oral or anal sex could serve as a judge because that behavior would violate the state’s anti-sodomy statute.

“It certainly raises some questions about the qualifications to serve as a judge,” he told the Daily Press of Newport News at the time. Segraves quoted that line back to McDonnell.

McDonnell: “No, I think you got that out of context.”  Segraves: “What is context for it?”  McDonnell: “What I said was someone, at the time, actually there were certain acts that would be a crime —”

Segraves: “It’s 2003. Anti-sodomy laws.” McDonnell: “Right. If someone had [committed] a crime, honestly that would call into question their ability to be a judge. But I was very clear in other statements of the time that those factors should not be an element of the decision making.”

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws later in 2003. Segraves asked if the now-invalidated law could still be used to disqualify gay judicial nominees — at least those who were sexually active in Virginia before the Supreme Court ruling. The question appeared to catch McDonnell off guard.

Segraves: “If a judge came before the General Assembly for confirmation now who is openly gay, admitted was openly gay in 2002, and having sexual relationships, and anal sex, which was against the law back then, would that disqualify them from serving as a judge now?”

Once he’d gathered his thoughts, the governor went on to say that he would not object to a gay nominee “if they are otherwise qualified to be on the bench based on merit, ability, judicial temperament and ability to follow the law regardless of what their political beliefs are.”

It should be noted that even though Lawrence v. Texas invalidated Virginia's sodomy statute, Bob McDonnell and his Virginia GOP cronies have blocked every attempt to have that statute repealed and  removed from the Code of Virginia.  Actions do speak louder than words.

The True Ugly Face of The Family Foundation

As has been noted in many media articles the true moving force against Tracy Thorne-Begland's judicial nomination was The Family Foundation ("TFF") - the Virginia affiliate of Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, although the latter group's name has quietly disappeared from the TFF web page since FRC was named a registered anti-gay hate group.  TFF likes to pretend that it's not a religious extremist organization that hold particular animus towards LGBT Virginian's but its actions speak louder than it always disingenuous words.  In Virginia politics one might describe TFF as akin to "The Empire" in the Star Wars movies: utterly ruthless, always out to trample on the freedom of others, seeking to impose its will on all citizens, and quick to malign and destroy those who dare to differ with its extreme right wing dictates.  In short,TFF is a pestilence that constantly pushes to move Virginia back into a 1950's world where white conservative Christians call all the shoots.  A piece in the American Independent looks at the real face of TFF - something every major news outlet in Virginia ought to do - and underscores the organization's toxicity and how it continues to dictate policy to the Republican Party of Virginia.  Virginia will not fully move into the 21st century until the power of TFF is broken.  The fact that the husband of the TFF president is a member of Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell's cabinet demonstrates the insidious power of TFF.  Here are article highlights:

The Family Foundation of Virginia was founded in 1985 and calls itself “the largest and most influential Virginia-based organization of its kind.”

The foundation, which identifies as nonpartisan, lists among its successes: requiring pre-abortion ultrasounds, adding a traditional marriage amendment to the Virginia constitution, instituting a ‘conscience clause’ to allow discrimination in adoption, and defeating an amendment to protect LGBT employees from workplace discrimination. The group said the 2012 legislative session was “one of the most successful policy sessions we’ve ever seen.”

The foundation also issues a report card for legislators every two years, which it calls “one of the most sought after political documents in Virginia.” The group says it distributed 100,000 report cards during 2009.

While legislators said the group held a great deal of power among the religious right, another faith-based group in Virginia said the Family Foundation misinterprets scripture and represents a fading sect of ultraconservative Christianity.

“It was clear that [the Family Foundation] frightened a great deal of folks in the General Assembly into either voting against Tracy’s nomination, or scared them out of showing up to vote,” said John Humphrey, an attorney and board member for People of Faith for Equality in Virginia.

“They talk about protecting families and protecting marriage and that they are not an organization that wants to discriminate,” Humphrey said, “but their actions opposing Tracy’s nomination clearly show that bigotry is at the root of the stands they are taking.

“They have the patina of a great deal of authority and influence,” Humphrey said, “and they do cow many legislators into following them, but the reality is that they represent a minority of opinion in the state on these issues and their influence is waning.”   [Delegate Jennifer] McClellan said that there was an understanding among Republican legislators, especially those from heavily conservative districts, that failing to follow the Family Foundation’s agenda could lead to political distress. She said votes on trans-vaginal ultrasounds and anti-abortion rights legislation earlier during the session demonstrated that reality.

“I have heard either directly or indirectly from some people who are a little more moderate or who personally don’t believe in some of the bills,” McClellan said. “But between pressure from the Family Foundation and conservative members of the caucus, they feel compelled to vote a certain way because those groups say, ‘If you don’t, you will get a primary challenge from the right and we will take you out.’”

Despite the fact that the Family Foundation’s efforts succeeded in blocking Thorne-Begland’s appointment, Humphrey said it would ultimately hurt the group in the long run.

“Their organizing of the opposition to Tracy’s nomination reveals how much oppression and venom remains embedded in our politics,” Humphrey said. “But, in that sense, I’m thankful for their opposition because it helps to point out and bring to light how deeply unfair and hate-filled their stance is.”

 From watching The Family Foundation's agenda over the years, it is best described as a constant campaign of hate, fear and bigotry.  Virginia will never achieve a better society until TFF ceases to weld power through threats and intimidation and the dissemination of deliberate lies and untruths.

Tell Gov. Bob McDonnell to Veto the Voter Suppression Bill

I've noted before that the Republican Party around the country is systematically seeking to bar young people, seniors and low-income citizens from voter under the guise of voter ID laws that claim to have a purpose of stopping voter fraud.  The truth, however, is that there is no big problem of voter fraud to be addressed in the first place.  Instead, it is all about seeking to bar likely Democrat voters from voting. Sadly, the Virginia GOP is operating off of the same national game plan.  Please sign the petition telling Bob "Taliban Bob" "Governor Ultrasound to veto the insidious SB 1 that would implement this sick agenda here in Virginia.  Sign the petition HERE.  Make it clear to Taliban Bob that he's being watched and will be held accountable.

Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell Losing Support of Virginians

It appears to be more bad news for Bob "Taliban Bob" "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell as he scurries about trying to land himself the GOP VP nomination slot: his popularity in Virginia and Virginians' outlook for the state are falling.  Not that McDonnell hasn't help inflict much of the damage on himself - with the aid, of course, of the religious extremists within the Virginia GOP.  McDonnell's ratings still exceed the 50% mark, but sizable drops are not what one needs when trying to whore himself out for the VP nod.  Especially in the demographic groups most needed by Mitt Romney to win in November.  An article in the Washington Post looks at Governor Ultrasound's woes.  Here are excerpts:

After a contentious legislative session that drew large protests and national ridicule to the state Capitol, Virginians are less supportive of Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and less optimistic about the direction of the state, according to a poll by The Washington Post.

The approval rating for McDonnell (R) dropped six points over the past year, from 62 percent to 56 percent. Thirty-five percent disapprove of the job he is doing — a nine-point increase from a year ago.

The governor still has firmly positive ratings at a time of political discord nationwide. But he has lost support among independents and urban women after a 12-month period that closed with a partisan standoff over the state budget and an uproar over a bill requiring women seeking an abortion to first undergo a vaginal ultrasound.

Fifty-two percent of women in Virginia approve of McDonnell’s job performance despite an 11 percentage point increase in his disapproval rating. Among independent women his disapproval jumped by 18 points.
More than seven in 10 independent voters, men and women, say that adding McDonnell to a national ticket would not affect their presidential choice — 8 percent are more likely to back Romney and 18 percent say it would push them toward President Obama.

Doug Murray, 70, an independent voter who said he probably would cast his ballot for Romney, said McDonnell spends too much time thinking about his next job.

A majority of those polled — 59 percent — think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
However, half of them oppose the ultrasound law. Democrats and independents are against the measure, and Republicans narrowly support it, the poll found. Men and women oppose it in nearly equal numbers.
Scott Hall, 41, a Republican from Loudoun County, said he has never voted for a Democrat and would like to see abortion outlawed. Yet he said he thinks Virginia is going in the wrong direction largely because of measures such as the ultrasound law.

Fifty-three percent in the poll support stricter gun-control laws. And 71 percent oppose the repeal of the limit, with solid majorities among Democrats, Republicans and independents.

Extremism comes with a price, and Governor Ultrasound may well be poised to pay the price if Romney passes him over.

New Poll Shows Romney Trailing in Virginia

Romney with extremists Michele Bachmann and Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell in Portsmouth, Virginia

In 2008 Barack Obama was the first Democrat to carry Virginia since LBJ in 1964.  If current polling holds, Obama may repeat the trick again in 2012.  For a state that in a moment of insanity gave control of the state government to the Virginia GOP - and as a result witnessed utter anti-woman and theocratic batshitery as the norm for the Virginia GOP during the last legislative session - the news is encouraging.  Just perhaps non-Kool-Aid drinking Virginians have come to their senses.  As the new Washington Post poll indicates, Obama's 7 point lead stems in large part to a belief that the Obama's ideology is a better fit for the state than that of Mitt Romney who has shown himself to be a hostage of the Christianist extremists. Meanwhile, Romney has tried to bolster his popularity by appearing in Hampton Roads with Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell and the certifiably crazy Michele Bachmann.  I hope the polling holds and that, if we are lucky, 2nd District Christofascist Scott Rigell goes down to defeat along with Romney come November.  Better yet, that the ever despicable Eric Cantor gets voted out as well.  Here are highlights from the Washington Post:

A majority of Virginians — 52 percent — say that “Barack Obama’s views on most issues are just about right” as compared to 37 percent who say the same of Romney’s views. Among electorally critical independents, 52 percent say Obama’s views were about right as opposed to just 34 percent who say the same of Romney.

Worth noting: Among all Virginia registered voters, the gap is slightly more narrow; 49 percent of registered voters in Virginia say that Obama’s views on issues are “just about right” while 39 percent of registered voters say the same of Romney.

Why does this data point matter? Because lots (and lots) of people make up their minds about who they will vote for based on which candidate they think best understands them.  And, at the moment, a majority of Virginians believe that Obama is closer to how they think about issues than is Romney. That matters — big time. 

The Post does note, however some reasons for caution for those pleased by the poll results:

First, Romney has been hurt across the board by the protracted Republican presidential primary which, in the final few months of the campaign, wound up focusing on contraception and other social issues that played into a preconceived notion among many independents that the GOP was beholden to their social conservative wing.

Second, the Virginia presidential primary was a non-event as only Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul spent any time in the state. (Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum did not qualify for the ballot.) That means that Romney has not been properly introduced — and by that we mean through a slew of positive television ads — to many voters in the Commonwealth.

The more time Romney spends in the state and the more money he and his campaign (and various super PACs) spend on TV ads promoting him as a centrist problem solver and the President as a liberal partisan, the more likely it will be that he can close this “thinks like you” gap.  But the gap is real. And to win — in Virginia and elsewhere — Romney has narrow it.

It will obviously be crucial that the Christianists remain tied firmly around Romney's neck.  One can only hope he does more appearances with nut jobs like Bachmann and that his visit to the coven of religious extremists at Liberty University for that institutions commencement gets LOTS of coverage.  Liberty is increasingly making Pat Robertson's Regent University look moderate, so I hope the Obama campaign has plenty of folks on the ground for the commencement taking photos and recording the theocratic craziness that will likely mark the event. 

The GOP VP Hunt - Has McDonnell Disqualified

One has to suspect that Bob "Taliban Bob" "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell may be regretting some of the extremist batshittery he's knowingly embraced in the past since it may be what thwarts his ambition to be Mitt Romney's VP nominee.  In a piece that weighs the pros and cons of various possible VP nominees, the Richmond Times-Dispatch describes McDonnell as follows: 

Bob McDonnell Governor of Virginia Pros: Leads key swing state with 13 electoral votes. State’s 5.6 percent jobless rate could bolster economic argument. Cons: Law requiring an ultrasound before an abortion could be a distraction; questions about graduate school thesis could resurface.

McDonnell's other dilemma is what to do with the anti-minority voter ID law that was passed by the GOP controlled General Assembly.  The Washington Post looks at McDonnell's quandary: sign the bill and please the Tea Party crowd and Christofascists or veto it and avoid looking even more extreme to general election voters:

FACED WITH VOTER ID legislation that would disenfranchise thousands of Virginians, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell is in a quandary. He can veto the bill and incur the wrath of fellow Republicans, or sign it and reinforce the GOP’s image of hostility toward young, poor and black voters.

Mr. McDonnell is all too aware that the bill, passed by Republican lawmakers despite his warning about legislative overreach, is gratuitous at best. That’s why he sent it back to the General Assembly with amendments that would eliminate its most obnoxious feature: a requirement that ballots cast by voters who lack identification be thrown out unless the voters make a separate trek to local electoral offices to prove their identity.

But the General Assembly restored that provision and sent the bill back to Mr. McDonnell, who now faces a decision: Does he want to be known as a partisan street brawler, or as a grown-up who governs with restraint?

[M]ost responsible Virginia Republican leaders acknowledge there is no evidence of systematic voting fraud in the commonwealth. The unavoidable conclusion is that the voter ID bill is a solution in search of a problem — the sort of government meddling that the GOP usually hates.

The real reason Republicans have pushed to change the system is that they hope to inconvenience, and thereby disenfranchise, the 12,000 or so Virginians who lacked IDs when they voted in 2008 — a group, comprised disproportionately of blacks, the poor and young voters, who tilted to the Democrats. 

Do I feel any sympathy for McDonnell?  Nope, none whatsoever.  He made this problem for himself.

Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell Does a Fast Dance on Abortion

With a number of articles now predicting the Bob "Taliban Bob" a/k/a "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell's chances in the GOP vice presidential sweepstakes have plummeted, it looks like Taliban Bob is jettisoning some of his decades old opposition to abortion in almost all cases in a desperate attempt to make himself more palatable.  Taliban Bob's spokesman is trying to spin the changes as a case of McDonnell's views not having been properly understood.  He's taken a position for roughly 20 years and only now it's "misunderstood"?  I don't think so.  Not surprisingly, the Virginia Christofascists are none too happy with Taliban Bob.   The Washington Post looks at McDonnell's effort to do his own version of Etch A Sketch reset.  Here are some highlights:

As a legislator, attorney general and governor, Robert F. McDonnell has said he opposes abortion in all but one instance: if continuing the pregnancy would put the woman’s life in danger.  But McDonnell, a possible vice presidential candidate, recently said through his spokesman that he would also allow it in cases of rape or incest.

The statement has prompted many supporters and opponents to believe that he has modified one of his core political stances. Some suspect he has done so to improve his chances of being picked as a running mate for presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, whose own position on abortion has shifted over time but makes exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the woman.

“That shocks me,’’ said Olivia Gans, president of the Virginia Society for Human Life, which endorsed McDonnell for governor. “I have never heard him make those comments. It was certainly not his position when he ran for attorney general or governor.’’

But McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said the governor’s position has not changed. It has been misunderstood, he said, over the past two decades. He did not explain why McDonnell had not tried harder to correct the record if that was the case.  Since McDonnell’s days as a delegate from Virginia Beach, countless news accounts have reported that he opposes abortion except when the woman’s life is in danger.

Political observers say McDonnell’s inclusion of rape and incest exceptions could help him on the national stage, allowing him to appeal to conservatives who oppose abortion rights while picking up the backing of moderates and independents.

Most pundits weighing McDonnell’s vice presidential prospects say the chairman of the Republican Governors Association’s biggest negative is that he may be perceived as too socially conservative, especially after signing a bill into law last month requiring that women undergo an ultrasound before an abortion.

Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said McDonnell is trying to change his views after years of being out of the mainstream.  “Privately, he still holds extreme positions while publicly he is trying to portray himself as someone else,’’ she said. “You don’t switch your viewpoint on this overnight. These are your core values. It’s obvious governor McDonnell is trying to Etch a Sketch his record.’’

For years McDonnell has prostituted himself to the worse religious extremists in Virginia and it would be poetic justice if that is what now sinks his national level ambitions.  Bob, you should have thought about these issues a bit more in the past.   

More Details on the Heinous Hampton Roads Toll Plan

I've noted before how Hampton Roads is being singled out from the rest of Virginia in terms of new taxes. Of course, in typical Virginia GOP fashion, the reach into residents' pockets isn't called a "tax" but rather "tolls." No matter how one describes it, Hampton Roads residents will be out the money. Even as other areas of the Commonwealth see huge highway expenditures made without similar tolls. As the Virginian Pilot notes, the deal stinks and Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell is screwing local residents while running up a bill that will be left for future governors to pay. It's not exactly a pretty picture of leadership, but the norm in today's Virginia GOP. Here are some highlights:

[A]s Del. John Cosgrove, a Chesapeake Republican recently put it, the state's relying on "borrowed money."

The deal also ensures Hampton Roads drivers pay tolls to cross the Elizabeth River - $1.84 one way for cars during rush hour and $7.36 for trucks; $1.59 for cars in off-hours and $4.77 for trucks - for the next four years, perhaps more, until the new Midtown tube is finally completed.

Starting in 2017, when the Midtown is set for completion, tolls on both tunnels can be increased by 3.5 percent per year - or more - until 2070.

Drivers using Interstate 264 through the Downtown Tunnel will pay tolls for the duration of the contract without ever seeing a new lane of capacity.

ERC will be allowed up to a 13.5 percent annual return on equity, at a time when few investments pay anything close to that.

McDonnell often justifies this plan by declaring that there are "no free lunches" when it comes to transportation. But it's doubtful that any one expected lunch to be this expensive.

Never mind the nearly $1,000 annual tax hike that McDonnell's Elizabeth River Crossings deal imposes on thousands of working men and women. Most, if not all, settled in Hampton Roads under the assumption that their government wouldn't tax them disproportionately for roads that benefit the entire state's economy. Most, if not all, never thought they'd be ordered to pay an inordinate fee to sit on a daily basis in the same traffic they're sitting in now.

The $4 billion that McDonnell mentions comes mostly in the form of "borrowed money" that will be repaid from heaven knows what sources.

It allows the governor to reap the political reward that comes with racking up projects on the commonwealth's credit card; the bill, meanwhile, is a problem for Virginia's taxpayers and a future governor. McDonnell will be long gone by the time it comes due.

Yep, the deal sucks for those of us in Hampton Roads and benefits the private company disproportionately. And worse yet, this is the type of leadership Governor Ultrasound wants to take to Washington. That's scary.

Virginia Voters Strongly Disapprove of the Virginia GOP's Christianist Agenda

I have noted many times that in Virginia, the Republican Party of Virginia ("RPV") is a de facto arm of the Christianist hate merchant organization known as The Family Foundation, an affiliate of Focus on the Family and the registered hate group, Family Research Council. Rather than seeking to implement policies and legislation that will respect and improve the lives of all Virginians, RPV's - and often Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell's - sole concern is not offending or disappointing the demands of the dominatrix like President of The Family Foundation, Victoria Cobb. In fact, the image at left, in my opinion, well illustrates the sick relationship of the Virginia GOP to Cobb and haters at The Family Foundation. If Cobb and her fellow religious extremists are happy, RPV's attitude is that the rest of Virginia's citizenry can literally go to Hell. Happily, this brazen disregard for the majority of Virginians and slavish obedience to The Family Foundation appears poised to bite RVP and Bob McDonnell in the ass. As Blue Virginia is reporting, the results from Quinnipiac Polls indicates that a majority of Virginians are none too pleased with the Virginia GOP. Here are some poll highlights:

Virginia voters disapprove of two hotly debated measures, to make it harder to get an abortion and easier to buy a handgun, as job approval ratings for Gov. Bob McDonnell and the State Legislature both drop, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Voters approve 53 - 32 percent of the job Gov. McDonnell is doing, down from a 58 - 24 percent score February 9 and McDonnell's lowest rating [since the polls began]

Virginia voters disagree 52 - 41 percent with a new law that requires women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound examination at least 24 hours before the procedure.

Voters say 72 - 21 percent that government should not make laws which try to convince women seeking an abortion to change their minds.

Voters also prefer 53 - 40 percent Virginia's old law which limited an individual's handgun purchases to one per month, over the new law which has no limits.

McDonnell gets a 77 - 13 percent approval among Republicans compared to 83 - 7 percent last month. His 53 - 33 percent approval rating among independent voters compares to 59 - 19 percent then. Democrats disapprove 49 - 35 percent, little changed from 47 - 34 percent last month.

The state's other statewide elected officials all retain their net positive ratings:

• U.S. Sen. Mark Warner 62 - 23 percent;
• U.S. Sen. Jim Webb 49 - 28 percent;
• Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling 36 - 21 percent;
• Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli 45 - 32 percent.

Women disapprove of the new ultrasound/abortion law 49 - 44 percent, while men disapprove 56 - 38 percent. Republicans approve 61 - 31 percent, while disapproval is 67 - 27 percent among Democrats and 56 - 39 percent among independent voters.

Women want the one-per-month limit of Virginia's old gun law 58 - 33 percent while men are split 47 - 48 percent.

Hopefully, kissing the bigoted asses of The Family Foundation while ignoring the desires of other Virginians will continue to cost McDonnell support and dash his dreams - or perhaps delusions - of a vice presidential nominee nod.

Lawsuit to Challenge Governor Ultrasound's Toll Plan for Hampton Roads

While the Virginia GOP controlled General Assembly found plenty of time to wage a legislative war against gays, women and minority voters, no meaningful plan was devised to address Virginia's huge transportation system deficiencies and what did get passed will saddle Hampton Roads with ultimately economy killing tolls. The first tolls will hit the Midtown and Downtown tunnels and isolate Portsmouth and parts of Chesapeake from Norfolk. In time similar barriers will likely be put in place to create a barrier between the Peninsula and south side Hampton Roads. What makes local residents so upset is other than the Dulles toll road, the expressway tot he Outer Banks and a relatively cheap toll road in Richmond, nowhere in the rest of Virginia is the state inflicting tolls on daily commuters. That burden is targeted for Hampton Roads alone. Now Patrick McSweeney and others are planning to challenge the toll plan which gives too much power to VDOT and bestows future financial windfalls on private developers. Meanwhile, Virginia's gasoline tax - one of the lowest in the nation - has not been raised in 25 years. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

Predicting they are in for a "long, bitter fight," an attorney who is fixing to wage battle against tolls at the Downtown and Midtown tunnels began to roll out his strategy Monday to hundreds of supportive residents.

Patrick McSweeney said he will file a lawsuit within days in Portsmouth Circuit Court to challenge the legality of the $2.1 billion transportation project the state agreed to in December with a private partner, primarily to expand the Midtown tunnel.

McSweeney said his case will rest on the argument that state legislators unlawfully delegated "unfettered power" to the Virginia Department of Transportation to craft the deal, which relies heavily on tolls.

He spoke to an estimated 500 people who crammed into a funeral chapel owned by state Del. Kenny Alexander, D-Norfolk, who retained McSweeney to work on the suit. . . . Several state legislators who represent Hampton Roads sat at the front of the room, and a few spoke briefly. Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, recalled for the crowd his criticism of the Midtown project, including the way it was signed without final public review and the fact that the Downtown Tunnel will be tolled with no expansion of its capacity.

But when Jones said he was still working on a way to bring down the cost of the tolls, people in the crowd shouted him down. They wanted no talk of reduced tolls.
"No!" they yelled. "No tolls! No tolls!"

As the project stands, tolls are scheduled to begin this fall at the tunnels, starting at $1.84 during peak travel times. That would cost a commuter nearly $1,000 a year, an expense critics say will cripple Portsmouth, divide the region and unfairly burden students, low-income households and other regular users.

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has promoted the project as a way to get major, much-needed transportation projects funded with scarce public dollars.

McSweeney, a former state Republican party chairman, told the crowd he is not concerned about the policy debate over tolls. Rather, he said, he was focused on finding legal defects with the agreement, a thick, binded copy of which he held up for the crowd.

McSweeney successfully challenged a state transportation plan before, when he filed suit against a regional taxing authority in 2007. The Virginia Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the authority's taxing power, as granted by the General Assembly, was unconstitutional.

"Taliban Bob"McDonnell a/k/a Governor Ultrasound Gets Hammered on Meet the Press

As noted before on this blog, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell apparently should have thought a little bit more about his political future rather than following the demands of the Christofascists at The Family Foundation. Over the weekend Taliban Bob - whose seems to be acquiring the new moniker "Governor Ultrasound " - appeared on Meet the Press and seemed to be paying a price for his blind allegiance to the religious extremists in the Christian Right and the Virginia GOP base. Spotlighting Taliban Bob's awkwardness was the fact that he shared the guest slot with Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley who understands that we are in the 21st century, not the 19th century (or even the 11th century). The Maddow Blog has these highlights on McDonnell's problems during the appearance:

The host [David Gregory] asked the governor a pretty straightforward question: "You backed an abortion bill initially that included a very invasive procedure as part of an ultrasound that the state would have required and then you backed off of that. Were you wrong to support that initially or did you simply back off because the political heat got turned up the way it did?"

Under the circumstances, that was hardly an unfair inquiry. McDonnell had announced his support for a measure that would have required women in Virginia to undergo a state-mandated vaginal probe in order to terminate a pregnancy. Once the proposal generated a national controversy, the governor dropped his support and opted for a different forced-ultrasound measure.

Despite weeks of debate, McDonnell struggled with Gregory's question, repeatedly trying to change the subject. For those who can't watch clips online, the full transcript is available, but after repeated exchanges, the Virginia governor eventually offered this underwhelming defense.

GREGORY: This was the state of the Virginia mandating women have an additional procedure, a mandated health procedure. I thought that's exactly what conservatives opposed?

McDONNELL: David, this was about stating what informed consent is and saying that women have a right to know certain things before a procedure. Every invasive procedure has an informed consent requirement.

The Virginian obviously still hopes to be added to his party's presidential ticket, but before McDonnell packs his bags for Tampa, he'll need a more coherent explanation of his record.

He publicly endorsed a proposal to require women, against the wishes of physicians, to undergo an invasive, medically-unnecessary procedure, because some right-wing culture warriors want to shame patients. McDonnell ended up signing an only-slightly-less outrageous measure that still requires Virginians to undergo state-mandated, medically-unnecessary ultrasounds, to satisfy the demands of far-right activists.

McDonnell claims to want smaller, less obtrusive government. Yet he just signed a law that mandates unnecessary procedures - which may not be covered by insurance - against the will of women even as he whines about the insurance mandate of what he derides as "Obamacare." Which is more intrusive?

On the issues outside of forced intrusive medical procedures, O'Malley walked all over McDonnell. Here's some analysis from Blue Virginia:

Although Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is cordial to his "friend" (in quotes because I have no idea if they're really friends, although they do seem to get along pretty well) Bob McDonnell, he nonetheless demolishes McDonnell's record as governor. Key points:

*Creating jobs and expanding opportunity should be the central issue, but these "divisive wedge issues...rollback of women's rights...rollback of voting rights, rollback of workers' rights, all of these things that take us back are not strengthening our economy and creating jobs."

*"People start to see a pattern emerging in states like Wisconsin...even in Virginia, where these cultural issues are crowding out the things that really should concern us most."

*"The question is whether we're making the right investments in jobs, education, more affordable college that will keep Virginia in that top ranking [economically] in the future; Maryland's there -- we're making college more affordable, we're creating jobs at twice the rate of Virginia -- and these cultural battles that drive people apart are not helpful to driving us forward."

McDonnell, of course, has no answers to any of this.

If McDonnell gets passed over for the VP nomination slot - which would be the best thing for the nation - I do hope he will wake up to the fact that his pandering to religious extremists is what did him in.

"Taliban Bob" McDonnell Signs Forced Ultrasound Bill

As referenced in the prior post, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell has lived up to his nickname and signed legislation that will force any woman seeking an abortion to under go a non-medically necessary (and possibly non-insurance covered) trans-abdominal ultrasound. In addition, the bill requires that the woman be "offered" the opportunity to view the image and listen to the heartbeat. Obviously, the goal is not to "inform women" but to brow beat them and intimidate them. I cannot help but wonder if the ordeal won't be enough to push some women to harm themselves or end their lives. As to why Taliban Bob decided to sign the bill, the speculation varies. Some believe that it merely proves McDonnell is a religious extremist as indicated by his 1989 thesis at Pat Robertson's CBN University Law School. Others believe he was afraid to cross the Christofascists at The Family Foundation who the GOP will need this November and in November 2013. Still others speculate that Taliban Bob thought becoming "Ultrasound Bob" - to quote Rachel Maddow - might make him a more attractive VP nominee. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

After a debate that drew protesters to the state Capitol and put Virginia in the national spotlight, Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed legislation that will require women to submit to an abdominal ultrasound before having an abortion.

Weakening the law did little to quell the firestorm that surrounded it. Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, said the governor's endorsement shows he "cares more about pandering to his extreme conservative political base than the rights of women."

Many of the comments on the article rip criticize McDonnell and "rip him a new one." One summed up the overall failure of the GOP controlled General Assembly:

We have very pressing issues in the Commonwealth regarding transportation infrastructure, the economy, and jobs...and this is what the big debates were during the session. Oh sure, saw Jeff McWaters touting some various minor bills that were passed. But with the majority of the gen. assy on his side, the gov. had no earth shaking legislation that would help our Hampton Roads economies. We ended up with the 'McDonnell tolling' that will cripple many industries that rely heavily on the tunnels. Basically, I am not impressed. This will hurt McDonnell in this area if he has designs on higher office.

Another telling comment was this one:

Dr. Bob McDonnell, said " I believe that we become a more compassionate society when we enact reasonable legislation to protect innocent human life...."
Which is why he signed a low permitting anyone to purchase an unlimited number of guns in the State of Virginia.

Abortion Bill Hurts Taliban Bob McDonnell’s V.P. Prospects

I've written a number of times that Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell, Virginia's current governor and V.P. nominee want to be, may have cut his own throat by slavishly supporting the extremist, theocracy supporting agenda of The Family Foundation and Virginia GOP lunatics like Del. Bob Marshall who seems to hate all gays and women with equal vigor. While the image immediately below comes from Oklahoma where GOP extremists are pushing measures akin to what the culture wars obsessed Virginia GOP has sought to inflict on all Virginians, it sums up what many women are feeling in Virginia and will hopefully remember when they are in voting booths in November, 2012, and November 2013:

A column in the Washington Post looks at Taliban Bob's self-inflicted damages and pretty much mirrors my analysis and that of my former undergraduate classmate, Larry Sabato, which I noted in a previous post. Here are some column highlights:

When Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) asked antiabortion zealots in the General Assembly last week to soften the controversial ultrasound bill, he faced a dilemma in explaining his move: Shall I appear ill-informed or weak-willed?

McDonnell chose the former. He says he just didn’t realize the measure he had been broadly supporting would require many women desiring to end a pregnancy to undergo a particularly invasive ultrasound in which a probe is inserted in the vagina.

Because of McDonnell’s intervention, the bill soon headed for his signature would require only an abdominal ultrasound, performed outside the belly. That’s still an outrageous violation of women’s rights, for abortion defenders (like me). But abortion opponents view it as a disappointing compromise.

I’m skeptical that the governor’s explanation is the whole story. I agree with the hard-core social conservatives who said he had “suddenly gone squishy,” as one blogger wrote, when faced with an outpouring of opposition. That included having the law (and by extension, the state) become a punch line for late-night comedians.

Unfortunately for McDonnell, the nuances of his position drowned quickly in the raging ideological whirlpool that is abortion politics, particularly at the national level. It doesn’t matter to the Democratic Party — much less MSNBC commentators or “Saturday Night Live” satirists — that McDonnell repeatedly urged GOP legislators not to “overreach” on social issues.

As a result of the uproar, he has probably sacrificed whatever chance he had of being picked as the GOP vice presidential nominee this year, said a wide range of political analysts, including Republicans sympathetic to the governor.

Assuming that the Republican presidential candidate is Mitt Romney, it would be much harder for him now to tap McDonnell as a running mate. The two of them would immediately have to devote time to defending the ultrasound bill, in addition to McDonnell’s controversial 1989 master’s thesis saying, among other things, that working mothers hurt families.

“I think the moment in the sun is over,” said a Republican source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the governor’s prospects. The ultrasound controversy “was probably very unhelpful to the calculus that Romney will make at the convention. Together with the thesis, this creates a second object of ridicule,” the source said.

McDonnell didn’t help his own cause when he signed a bill to repeal a longtime law limiting firearms buyers to one handgun a month— which he supported when it originally passed.

If Democrats win Virginia in November as a result, with both the White House and U.S. Senate in play, the Republicans might wish they had better heeded McDonnell’s counsel.

As noted in prior posts, Bob McDonnell needs to talk to Virginians outside The Family Foundation/Christofascist bubble and if he refuses to do so, he does so at his own peril. And on a personal level, it's not the first time that McDonnell has refused my advice and learned the hard way that I may be gay, but I'm not stupid or lacking in political sense. What am I talking about? Several things, but the most memorable is when I told McDonnell - actually the entire Virginia GOP delegation to the Virginia General Assembly - that they had a problem in the form of former Congressman Ed Schrock and that if the Virginia GOP anti-gay agenda did not cease, Schrock was going down. Did Taliban Bob listen? Of course not, and ultimately Mike Rogers outed Schrock with some help from yours truly.

I don't wish McDonnell ill, but he has made a pact with the Christianist devils and needs to pay the price for his betrayal of concepts such as freedom of religion for all citizens. If McDonnell wants to repent, he can start by firing Victoria Cobb's husband from his cushy state government job, veto the anti-gay adoption bill, and start looking after the interest of Virginians who don't imbibe Christianist Kool-Aid by the gallon full. Will he do it? I doubt it and it could be why he may never get the VP nomination.