Virginian Pilot Endorses Tim Kaine, Elaine Luria and Donald McEachin

Elaine Luria and Tim Kaine - the best choices on November 6, 2018

While be too soft on why Scott Taylor is not acceptable for re-election to the House of Delegates for the 2nd Congressional District, the Virginia Pilot nonetheless went on to endorse Tim Kaine, Elaine Luria and Donald McEachin for the U.S. Senate, 2nd congressional district, and 4th congressional district, respectively. In the case of the Republican candidates for Senate seat and the 4th congressional district, the Pilot properly notes that the GOP candidates are right wing whack jobs who would not properly represent the interests of Virginia and the 4th district.  In the case of the 2nd district, the Pilot correctly notes that Luria is the better candidate, particularly in light of Taylor's staff's involvement in felony level fraud in seeking to keep Shaun Brown on the ballot to split the non-Republican vote. Taylor's blatant dishonesty on his voting history and his unbelievable claims of ignorance about the effort to put Shaun Brown on the ballot in my view, disqualify him from re-election.  The following are excerpts from the Pilot editorial endorsements: 

 2nd Congressional District:

Taylor's opponent, [Elaine] Luria, also is a Navy veteran of 20 years, and a small business owner in Norfolk. She has never held elected office, but she seems to have a good sense of the district’s concerns, particularly when it comes to health care, the protection of social safety net programs, and the needs of veterans.

Taylor has tried through advertising to paint her as an acolyte of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but Luria projects as a centrist Democrat, which is keeping in line with the moderate electorate in the 2nd District. And her insistence on improving the way Washington works — improving the process by which Congress governs — is an issue with particular resonance in a place that depends so much on federal budgeting and spending.

Both Taylor and Luria are capable candidates, and both could represent the district well. But Taylor’s involvement in the cynical effort to place Brown on the ballot, his inability to account fully for the behavior of his staff and his lack of understanding of how his decisions raise legitimate questions about judgment and trust is a disqualifying offense.

Voters can be confident that by replacing him with Luria, they will be in good hands for the next two years.

4th Congressional District: 

Democratic incumbent Rep. Don McEachin . . . . remains the best candidate, as his opponents cannot make a compelling case to replace him. 

Libertarian Pete Wells is a well meaning and earnest candidate, but he lacks detailed knowledge of the issues facing the district.

And Republican Ryan McAdams might have enjoyed a turn in the spotlight when Vice President Mike Pence came to campaign for him recently, but his refusal to endorse the science of climate change — along with his endorsement of the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris accord and his belief that carbon might not be the cause of global warming, in opposition to countless scientific studies over decades — is unacceptable in a district where sea-level rise is an existential threat.

The 4th District needs McEachin to be a more familiar face in Hampton Roads — but it needs him to be the representative, above all.

U.S. Senate:

Finally, for U.S. Senate, incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine faces Republican challenger Corey Stewart and Libertarian Matt Waters in what should be a straightforward choice for Virginians.

Voters might not know Waters, who is running a lightly funded, almost Republican-lite campaign on his party’s ticket. But they are probably by now familiar with the bombastic Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

He came to statewide attention in 2016 as the chairman, for a time, of the Donald Trump campaign in Virginia before last year mounting an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

His time in the spotlight has done little to make him a palatable option to represent Virginia. The Minnesota native seized on the issue of preserving Confederate statues as a path to political relevance and has worked in the year since to distance himself from Jason Kessler, organizer of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, with whom Stewart appeared at a different 2017 rally.

In contrast with his GOP opponent, Kaine has conducted himself as a senator with the type of affable, common-sense professionalism that distinguished his four years as governor and his time as mayor of Richmond before that.

The 2016 Democratic Party nominee for vice president has been a pointed voice in favor of reasserting congressional authority on military engagement and on behalf of service members, veterans and their families, a great many of whom live and work in this region.

A former civil rights lawyer, Kaine advances policies promoting diversity and inclusion, rather than pushing the politics of division and bringing more anger into the public square. And he helped lead the effort to thwart repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the mechanism by which some 400,000 Virginians will soon have access to coverage through Medicaid expansion.

The Daily Press likewise endorsed Tim Kaine here.

Scott Taylor Paid to Get Failed Democrat Candidate on Ballot as "Independent"

Scott Taylor and his apparent role model, Donald Trump

I have made no secret of the fact that I want to see GOP Congressman Scott Taylor defeated this November and replaced by an individual who will not vote for Donald Trump's agenda roughly 98% of the time.  Now, Taylor, whose chances of re-election have been re-categorized as a "toss up"  has been exposed of engaging in dirty tricks and deceptive acts in  what can only be deemed an act of desperation given his seemingly declining re-election hopes. As the Virginian Pilot is reporting, Taylor paid his campaign workers to assist a failed Democrat primary candidate, Shaun Brown, who is facing charges of defrauding the federal government on the ballot for November as an independent.  The obvious goal - peeling off votes from his Democrat challenger, Elaine Luria.  Dirty tricks and corruption are one of the leading problems with Congress and by this action, Taylor has shown that he is indeed part of the problem and willing to engage in fraud and deception.  Here are highlights from the Pilot: 

Four of U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor’s paid campaign workers gathered more than half the signatures needed to assure Shaun Brown a spot on the November ballot as she faced charges of defrauding the federal government.

Brown, who had originally sought the Democratic nomination to challenge Taylor, is now running as an independent against Taylor, seeking to represent the Williamsburg-to-Eastern Shore 2nd Congressional District. Norfolk business-owner Elaine Luria is the Democratic candidate.

The staff members’ efforts were first reported by WHRO-FM radio, which obtained the records through a Freedom of Information Act request and are published on its website.

Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the Taylor campaign’s work was most likely an effort to split the vote against him.

“The first rule of politics is to figure out a way to divide your opposition,” Farnsworth said. “It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book …

Brown was still pushing hard on deadline day to nail down enough signatures – she herself gathered more than 50 that day, the elections department records show.

Federal Election Commission records, meanwhile, show that Taylor’s four staff members – Lauren Creekmore, Roberta Marciano, Nicholas Hornung and Heather Guillot – were each paid more than $1,200 the week after turning in the signatures.

Asked if Taylor was aware of what the four were doing, spokesman Scott Weldon replied: “Yep, of course he knew.”

Brown, who was charged in December with defrauding the federal government, had originally planned to run as a Democrat. But after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Commission endorsed Luria, a Norfolk business owner, Brown began gathering signatures in May, seeking a place on the ballot as an independent. Luria campaign manager Kathryn Sorenson issued a statement Wednesday afternoon:

“Dirty and deceptive politics like this are exactly why Washington is broken and people are losing faith in their government. Clearly, Scott Taylor is terrified and willing to do anything to avoid going head to head with Commander Luria.”

Brown’s trial on charges of defrauding the government by overstating the number of meals her nonprofit agency distributed under a federal summer program for young people goes to a jury this week.

In a court filing for the case, prosecutors said they have evidence Brown lied to an investor while seeking funds for that agency, and that she falsified campaign finance filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

Lies, questionable morality, and loyalty to Trump define Taylor.  If you live in the 2nd Congressional District, vote for Luria in November and send Taylor into forced retirement.

Scott Taylor Defeats Homophobia Randy Forbes

Taylor at the 2016 Pride Fest launch

In yesterday's Republican primary for the Virginia 2nd congressional district and gay-friendly Republican, Scott Taylor, defeated the virulently anti-gay, pro-Christofascists Randy Forbes, a carpetbagger from the re-districted 4th congressional district.  (Taylor has personally donated as a sponsor of this weekend's HR Pride Fest).  Forbes represents everything that is wrong with today's GOP and I say go riddance.  Taylor has his short-comings, but at least he's living in the 21st century, unlike Forbes who wants to bring back all of the worst aspects of the 1950's.  Since the primary likely decided who wins in November, many in the LGBT community held their noses and voted for Taylor to rid Congress of Forbes' putrid, anti-LGBT presence.  Hopefully, other area Republicans will note that being anti-LGBT just might get them defeated as this  region becomes more progressive.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

An ebullient state Del. Scott Taylor won the 2nd Congressional District Republican primary Tuesday with a feisty grassroots campaign after being outspent almost 10-to-1 by U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, a eight-term legislator who was trying to move from his home district to a supposedly friendlier one nearby.

Taylor’s next challenge is the Nov. 8 general election, where he will face Democrat Shaun Brown, a relatively unknown Newport News businesswoman and former unsuccessful candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates and the Newport News City Council.

He emerged from a Town Center restaurant a few minutes after 8 p.m. to a fanfare of applause and handshakes.

“This is not done alone,” he said. “This is a team effort. People come together to sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves.”

Taylor’s victory came after a bruising primary campaign in which he and Forbes traded personal barbs that challenged each other’s character and ability to support national security and the region’s defense-centric economy.

Forbes’ defeat spells the end of his 15-year career in the House of Representatives as a lawmaker from the 4th Congressional District. When his House term ends later this year, he will have served 27 consecutive years in elected office after first being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1989.

Forbes said he regretted not enough people in the 2nd District agreed with his political vision.

There was a certain amount of vindication in Tuesday’s victory for Taylor, 36, who was twice elected to the state House of Delegates. He had been subjected to strong multimedia attacks in television ads, mailings and interviews where Forbes noted Taylor’s business failures and also implied his multiple speeding violations were criminal acts.

Taylor, a former Navy SEAL, ran against much of Virginia Beach’s GOP establishment, with several local elected officials as well as departing U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell endorsing Forbes’ candidacy. Rigell rented Forbes his former headquarters on First Colonial Road and sold him his email lists of supporters.

Rigell said Tuesday night he had “significant” differences with Taylor but would support the party’s nominee to replace him in Congress. 

Randy Forbes Defends Right to Discriminate Against Gays

As I have noted in previous posts, Randy Forbes - my one time law school classmate - has turned into a raging homophobe over the years and increasingly supports special rights for those I describe as Christofascists - folks who comprise a Christian Taliban that seeks to impose its views on all just as its Islamic namesake in Afghanistan and other parts of the middle East.  But you don't have to take my words for Forbes' support of exceptions to non-discrimination laws that place the self-anointed "godly folk" above the law.  As Huffington Post reported, Forbes co-authored an op-ed in the Washington Examiner that argued through code words that business owners should be free to refuse to serve LGBT individuals - and by implication, others as  well - based on their "religious faith." Indeed, in Forbes' mind, not allowing godly Christians to discriminate against and abuse others constitutes discrimination against these bigots themselves.  Here are excerpts from Huffington Post's take down of this batshitery:

Chipotle’s right to purchase humanely raised pork is based on the same freedom that would allow a business to discriminate against LGBT individuals, according to a new op-ed from two GOP lawmakers. But much like a messy burrito from the restaurant chain itself, their argument quickly falls apart.

Chipotle recently announced it was taking pork off the menu at many of its restaurants because a major supplier was violating animal welfare standards.

In a new op-ed in the Washington Examiner Wednesday, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) say business owners similarly should be allowed to make decisions based on their religious beliefs.

The lawmakers don’t name specific issues like LGBT rights in their op-ed, but opponents of same-sex marriage increasingly have been using religious freedom arguments to discriminate in hiring and service — and as a member of the House of Representatives, Lankford himself opposed employment anti-discrimination legislation for LGBT individuals, claiming that being gay is a choice.

Chipotle scoffed at the suggestion its business decisions were similar to religious beliefs that could lead to discrimination.

“It’s a pretty ridiculous comparison,” Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told The Huffington Post. “Our decision not to serve pork that doesn’t meet our standards isn’t discriminating against any customers or group of customers.”

“Using Chipotle’s business decision to not stock carnitas as a defense to give corporations having religious beliefs special legal protections is ludicrous,” said David Stacy, government affairs director for the Human Rights Campaign. “It adds nothing and indeed trivializes a very serious debate about whether corporations should be able to refuse to hire some employees and turn away some customers based on who they are or who they love.”

Both Forbes and Lankford have made national news before over controversial comments on LGBT issues. . . . In 2013, Forbes privately lobbied the National Republican Congressional Committee not to back gay candidates.

Forbes did not return a request for comment.

In a rapidly changing world, Hampton Roads needs to modernize and prepare for a future where equality and equal rights will attract talent and innovative entrepreneurs.  Yet Forbes wants to take the region - and the country - backward in time.  Moreover, he has opened the region up to national ridicule.  It is long past time that Forbes be sent into political retirement.

Virginian Pilot Endorses Scott Taylor and Donald McEachin

It what must be a blow to ego of the perennially worthless and rabidly anti-gay Randy Forbes, that the Virginian Pilot has endorsed his GOP primary challenger, Scott Taylor, for Virginia' 2nd Congressional district.  For the 4th District which Forbes fled after its redrawing which took away his insured re-election, the Pilot has endorsed Democrat, Donald McEachin who is a long time supporter of LGBT and women's rights. Thankfully, in the editorial, the Pilot lists out Forbes' lack of constructive legislation over his tenure.  The only thing left out of the take down is Forbes' love of and advocacy for ever right wing Christian resolution coming down the pike.   Here are editorial highlights:

When federal judges in Richmond forced a redrawing of Virginia’s eastern congressional maps, Forbes’ reliably conservative 4th Congressional District seat became demographically untenable for a man known more as a Christian social warrior than an effective lawmaker.

So Forbes decamped into the 2nd District from the 4th, where he still lives. Because the 2nd District grew more Republican in that process, the June 14 primary is likely to determine the prohibitive favorite in November.

A candidate’s physical home may matter less than it once did, but it’s not irrelevant. Neither is a candidate’s record.  On that score, Forbes’ performance in Congress has been wanting since his election in 2001. The only bill to become law under his name was the one to rename a post office.

Forbes built his current candidacy on support for the military, his membership on the Armed Services Committee, and his chairmanship of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. But the record during his time in Congress presents its own problems.

• Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach suffered an existential threat during the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission round because Florida was better positioned and prepared than Virginia.

• A few years later Forbes fought to give Virginia localities the right to veto a new outlying landing field for Oceana, which would’ve tied the Navy’s hands.

• In 2011, the Pentagon disestablished the Joint Forces Command in North Suffolk, a decision that damaged the region’s push to make modeling and simulation a vector for growth.

• Just last month, in an Editorial Board interview, Forbes said he now opposes drilling for oil and gas off Virginia’s coast because of Pentagon concerns. Forbes’ reversal is curious because the Pentagon has said since at least 2006 that drilling off Virginia would imperil its training mission.

If Taylor brings inexperience to the task, Forbes’ tenure doesn’t inspire confidence.

Neither does his willingness to dwell on issues that divide rather than unite, including in 2013 waging “a lengthy crusade to convince his colleagues and the National Republican Congressional Committee brass they shouldn’t back some gay candidates,” according to Politico.

The 36-year-old Taylor has vowed to avoid such distractions, and has made it a point to strive toward the kind of big tent that has been missing from too many GOP campaigns. . . . . he’s also a candidate of intellectual heft, and his relative moderation would serve the voters of the 2nd District — as did Scott Rigell’s — better than the alternative.

The 4th District, which Forbes vacated, also has decisions to make. The vacancy attracted four candidates — two Democrats, two Republicans — and the winners of this month’s primary will face off in November.

The revised 4th District is more compact than its previous incarnation, with the furthest boundary moving east. It now includes Richmond and Petersburg, which means the center of power has shifted from Hampton Roads.

On the Democratic side, state Sen. Don McEachin appears best positioned to succeed in that role. A lawyer with 16 years in the General Assembly for the people of Henrico County, McEachin has family ties to the Peninsula and experience serving a diverse constituency.

He was quick to admit that he has a learning curve when it comes to advancing issues on behalf of Hampton Roads, and it shows. Though passionate on matters of social justice, he is more tentative when asked about the military or when to deploy it.

He shows a willingness to learn, however, and his success in the legislature inspires some confidence that he has potential as a D.C. lawmaker.

Randy Forbes' Dishonest Political Ad

German rescuer from the humanitarian organisation Sea-Watch holds a drowned migrant baby, off the Libyan cost May 27, 2016. The baby, who appears to be no more than a year old, was pulled from the sea after a wooden boat capsized last Friday. (Christian Buettner/Eikon Nord GmbH Germany/Handout via REUTERS)

Randy Forbes is busy spending his campaign war chest on television ads in advance of the Republican primary to determine who will be the GOP nominee for the Virginia 2nd congressional district race.  One ad I find particularly offensive and dishonest.  It starts out with all the usual GOP touches: Forbes on a front porch with an American flag in the background.  He then proceeds to talk about Islamic terrorists "coming to get you" and then promises that he will stop them.

The ad plays on fear and, sadly, the mindlessness of many in the GOP base.  The most dishonest thing, however, is Forbes' claim that he will stop the terrorists.  Forbes has had years in Congress to do something, yet has no signature legislation to his name unless one counts resolutions pandering to far right Christian extremists that are an affront to the concept of freedom of religion in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  Other than drawing a nice salary and perks that Forbes deeply enjoys - the reason Forbes is running as a carpetbagger candidate in the 2nd district -  Forbes has no reason to run for reelection.  He has no plan and has nothing from his past years in Congress to suggest that he will do anything but remain a extreme back bench seat warmer.  It would be difficult for Forbes' opponent, Scott Taylor, do do less than Forbes has done over the years in Congress.

The second portion aspect of the ad that is repulsive is Forbes' message that all Muslims - including the drowned child above - are would be terrorists.  Hand in hand with this is Forbes' callousness towards other humans  "created in the image of god" if you believe Forbes' feigned religiosity.  Other than being an extreme homophobe, virulently anti-abortion, and yearning to make America a Christian theocray with his form of Christian Sharia law, Forbes seemingly cares nothing for the Gospel message.  

Residents of the 2nd district need to give Forbes the boot and let someone else have the nomination and see if they can do more than Forbes has done.  It certainly would not take much.  It's time to send Randy Forbes into political retirement.

Disclaimer: I have known Randy Forbes since law school, and, in my opinion, he has become more extreme and less representative of Hampton Roads with every passing year.

Retraction - Neither Scott Taylor nor Randy Forbes Is Fit for Congress

Scott Taylor - Randy Forbes

Today Del. Scott Taylor proved that he is no real friend to the LGBT community by endorsing Donald Trump and suggesting to me that he was merely playing some of us in the LGBT community for fools, yours truly included.   Here's part of a press statement released by Taylor today:

I look forward to running with Donald Trump in November's general election. I encourage Second District Republicans to rally around Trump to help win Virginia for the GOP. The thought of a Hillary Clinton presidency should shock and scare every thoughtful American who knows our country is headed in the wrong direction. I will work with Donald Trump to put America first and get our economy growing again..

As for Scott Taylor's seemingly feigned pro-LGBT outlook, here's what the New York Times says in part about what Donald Trump has to say about his first 100 days:

Shortly after the Nov. 8 election, President-elect Trump and his vice president — most likely a governor or member of Congress — would begin interviewing candidates for the open Supreme Court seat and quickly settle on a nominee in the mold of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Has it dawned on Taylor that by endorsing Trump, he has joined with KKK leaders and white supremacy groups?   If the 2nd District is to be represented by a Republican, yes, Taylor might be better than Forbes, but not by much it now appears. I incorrectly had believed that Scott Taylor was someone who grasps that it is now the 21st century, not 1950.  Taylor has made it clear that he support the racism, bigotry and fascism that Trump supports and he may well believe in granting special rights and privileges to right wing Christians at the expense of other citizens.

I Was Wrong- Neither Scott Taylor nor Randy Forbes is Fit for Congress

Scott Taylor - Randy Forbes

UPDATED 5-4-16: Today Del. Scott Taylor proved that he is no real friend to the LGBT community by endorsing Donald Trump and suggesting to me that he was merely playing some of us in the LGBT community for fools, yours truly included.   Here's part of a press statement released by Taylor today:

I look forward to running with Donald Trump in November's general election. I encourage Second District Republicans to rally around Trump to help win Virginia for the GOP. The thought of a Hillary Clinton presidency should shock and scare every thoughtful American who knows our country is headed in the wrong direction. I will work with Donald Trump to put America first and get our economy growing again.

I retract my previous post:

Disclaimer: Randy Forbes was a law school classmate of mine.  Over the years, he has become less and less mainstream and hardly resembles the person I once knew. His main agenda in Congress has been far right wing and some of his pro-Christian extremist positions have subjected the Hampton Roads area to ridicule. 

The upcoming primary that will determine the for the Republican candidate for Virginia's 2nd District this November is an opportunity to send homophobic, theocracy loving, do nothing Congressman Randy Forbes into political retirement. Other than backing extreme Christian right efforts in Congress and enjoying the perks of being a member of Congress, Forbes has little to show for his years in Congress. 

Most ridiculous of all, when the Virginia 4th District which Forbes has represented since 2001 was reconfigured after federal courts found it and the 3rd District to have been illegally gerrymandered, Forbes opted not to run for reelection in the 4th District - fearing he would lose now that the district wasn't hand tailored to guarantee him  victory - to run in the Virginia 2nd District where the incumbent, Scott Rigell, is retiring.  What is shocking is that Forbes doesn't live in the 2nd District, has few ties to it, and is only ostensible renting an apartment to put some fig leaf over the fact that he doesn't live in or care about the 2nd District.  For Forbes, it's all about hanging onto the perks and salary of a member of Congress.

As the Virginian Pilot reports, Forbes has a huge amount of money compared to his challengers for the GOP nomination - his chief opponent is Del. Scott Taylor - and basically hopes to buy himself the 2nd District seat which leans Republican in elections.  In contrast to Forbes, Scott Taylor is forward thinking, supportive of equality for all - including the LGBT community - and wants to move the country forward rather than return it to the 1950's as Forbes continually seeks to do.  The 2nd District needs a representative that will represent all residents of the 2nd District rather than only right wing extremists  - Right Wing Watch has often reported on the batshit crazy bills and resolutions favored by Forbes.

I urge readers who live in the 2nd District to make sure they are registered and to vote in the GOP primary later this year and to vote against Forbes - and preferably for Taylor who has even been a sponsor of HR Pride.  Here are details from the Pilot on how Forbes hopes to buy the 2nd District for himself:

Even with the heavy spending, Forbes still had $875,406 cash on hand April 1 because he entered the race with a large campaign fund in place before he decided to leave the 4th. By comparison, Scott had $53,087 on hand April 1 and Cardwell, $9,519.

The winner of the GOP primary will compete in November against Democrat Shaun Brown of Hampton who entered the race near the end of the FEC reporting period. No financial information was available Friday.

If the 2nd District is to be represented by a Republican, it should be Taylor or someone who grasps that it is now the 21st century, not 1950, and who will not focus their efforts on blocking progress and granting special rights and privileges to right wing Christians at the expense of other citizens.

Supreme Court Rejects GOP Stay Request on NewVirginia Congressional

Redrawn Districts

In other news, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the petition of the Virginia GOP to stay the lower federal court ruling redrawing Virginia congressional districts.  While the Court will hear arguments in the case next month, the refusal to grant a stay of the lower court ruling often can signal that the petitioning party is likely to lose the case on the merits.  The ruling leaves Christofascist pander Randy Forbes of the 4th District with a dilemma of whether to run for re-election in his current district which may change significantly or move his residence and run for the open seat in the 2nd District.  The Washington Post looks at the development.  Here are article excerpts:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a request from Republican members of Congress to put on hold an election map that gives Democrats a chance to pick up a seat in this year’s election.
 
The ruling is the latest in a series of decisions triggered last year by a panel of federal judges who said Virginia’s map illegally packed African American voters into one district at the expense of their influence elsewhere.

Last month, the judges sought to change that by imposing a map that increases the number of African American voters, who reliably vote for Democrats, in a district that stretches from Richmond to Norfolk. It is represented by Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R).

Democrats viewed Monday’s decision as a sign that the June primary will take place under the new lines.  

It also increases the pressure on potential congressional candidates who are considering running in the newly drawn districts.

Forbes is reportedly considering a run for the seat currently held by Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.), who is retiring in 2017. State Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) has said he would be interested in running for the district currently represented by Forbes.

Because of the special nature of redistricting challenges, appeals from three-judge panels go directly to the Supreme Court.

Scott Rigell Will Not Seek Re-election

Hate group leader endorsed GOP Virginia 2nd District Congressman Scott Rigell has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2016.  Perhaps the prospect of a possibly less gerrymandered district helped push his decision.  Whatever the real cause, having an open race in a presidential election year could bee a boon to Democrats.  The Virginian Pilot looks at Rigell's decision and the furry of activity it will prompt.  Here are excerpts:

U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, a three-term congressman from Virginia Beach, surprised supporters and colleagues Thursday by announcing he will not seek re-election this year.

His decision sets the stage for a competitive contest to replace him during an election cycle in which Hampton Roads and the rest of Virginia will be a main focus of presidential candidates who likely have to win the state to win the White House.

Once elected, Rigell supported House Republicans’ repeated attempts to abolish the Affordable Care Act. He also supported efforts to limit nondefense discretionary spending while consistently championing Pentagon programs and veterans’ issues. He called them vital to the country but also key linchpins of the Hampton Roads economy and his district’s dense military population.

Rigell broke ranks with Republicans on some issues. He joined Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, in recent months to demand that Congress take a vote to authorize the use of military force against Islamic State terrorists – a vote that GOP leaders refused to allow.

With his departure, the district’s voters, who narrowly favored Obama in both his elections, may be open to considering a Republican or a moderate Democrat. Rigell’s stepping down also may be unsettling for Republicans nationally who viewed a strong incumbent’s re-election in the 2nd as helping them carry Virginia in the presidential election.

“I don’t see a path to the White House without Hampton Roads,” said Curtis Colgate, GOP chairman of the 2nd District.

State Del. Scott Taylor, one of five Republicans who unsuccessfully competed against Rigell in the GOP’s 2010 2nd District primary, said Thursday that he’s considering running.

University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato said people shouldn’t read too much into Rigell’s decision. He noted that Rep. Robert Hurt, a Virginia Republican who also was first elected in 2010, also decided not to run again.

Rigell's departure is no loss to fair minded Virginians.  Interestingly, the young and good looking Scott Taylor has made overtures to support the Hampton Roads LGBT community and attended last year's HR Pride launch.

Why the Fate of Virginia’s Congressional Map Matters

Here in Virginia despite changing demographics and urban growth that are hostile to the policies of the Virginia GOP, Republicans remain in a stranglehold over the House of Delegates and a disproportionate number of Congressional seats remain in Republican hands. How has this happened?  One word describes the problem: gerrymandering.  State and congressional districts were carefully draw to give Republicans an advantage so that minorities and "liberal" areas were packed into a small number of districts.  Now, Virginia's congressional district map is facing revision after court rulings struck down the horrifically drawn 3rd District that is pictured above (I live in the 3rd district, but used to be in the 2nd until it was redrawn to protect Republican Scott Rigell).  A piece in MSNBC looks at why the outcome of this redistricting matters.  Here are excerpts:

When voters in Virginia went to the polls in 2012, a narrow majority backed President Obama’s re-election bid, just as they’d done four years earlier. In a closely watched U.S. Senate race, the commonwealth’s voters also elected Sen. Tim Kaine (D) over former Sen. George Allen (R) by about six points.

 

But just a little further down on the ballot is where things get tricky. If you add up all the votes case in each of Virginia’s U.S. House races, roughly 49% of Virginians voted for Democratic candidates, while about 51% supported Republican candidates. The state has 11 congressional districts, so if there was some kind of parallel between voter preferences and partisan results, we might expect to see five Democrats head to Congress from the state, along with six Republicans.

 

Except that’s not what happened. Of Virginia’s 11 U.S. House seats, Democrats ended up with three victories to the GOP’s eight. Dems may have won nearly 49% of the vote, but they also won about 27% of the representation.

After the 2010 Census, Virginia’s Republican-dominated state government carefully crafted a district map intended to maximize GOP victories. How? Step one, of course, was drawing lines in such a way as to keep as many African-American voters together as possible, effectively creating noncompetitive districts.

 

Late last week, this map ran into some trouble. The Washington Post reported:

A panel of federal judges issued a ruling Friday that Virginia lawmakers illegally concentrated African American voters into one congressional district to reduce their influence elsewhere, bringing the state a step closer to being forced to redraw its election map.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia affirmed its earlier decision and ordered the Virginia House of Delegates to redraw the state’s 11-district congressional map by Sept. 1.

 It’s not yet resolved – an appeal is inevitable – but this has the potential to be a pretty big deal.

If you’re thinking this might be a contentious process, you’re not alone. As the Post’s report added, “Democrats and advocates for reducing the influence of politics on redistricting applauded Friday’s decision. And they could benefit politically: Diluting the African American makeup of the state’s black-majority district would make adjacent districts less Republican and potentially vulnerable to Democratic challenge.”

 

If appeals fail, Virginia lawmakers would have to return for a special session this summer.

The approach of today's Virginia GOP is that if you cannot win because of your policies and agenda, you win by disenfranchising minorities and gerrymandering the districts.

Vote to Move Virginia Forward in November

Attorney General Mark Herring, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam, Rep. Bobby Scott, friends Claus and Robert and Suzanne Patrick in yellow.

The following is a reprint of my latest column in VEER Magazine which makes the case for re-electing Mark Warner to the U.S. Senate and electing Suzanne Patrick to replace Scott Rigell in the Virginia 2nd Congressional District:

For non-political junkies (for the record I will admit that I am a political junkie!), living in Virginia can be exhausting given its off year state elections which result in Virginians undergoing political campaign overload literally every year.  But every year’s election cycle does matter and the outcome can have a huge impact on our lives and the society in which we live.  The 2014 mid-term national elections are no exception and, if voters are complacent, the wrong candidates could end up being elected to the detriment of many Virginians.  This year’s important contests are for (i) the United States Senate between incumbent Democrat, Mark Warner, and former lobbyist and GOP candidate Ed Gillespie, and (ii) for the 2nd Congressional District between GOP incumbent, Scott Rigell and Democrat Challenger, Suzanne Patrick.

I have the distinct advantage of knowing three out of the four candidates involved.  From my perspective, the November election in these two contests is a very clear choice between moving Virginia and the nation forward or a destructive effort to move backwards in time to a mythical time that never existed.  Despite my long Republican past, the two candidates that deserve election and who will move Virginia and America forward are Democrats Mark Warner and Suzanne Patrick for the reasons that I will set forth.

For most Virginians, Mark Warner is a known commodity, having served as a popular governor (he ran against and defeated one of my former law partners) and a very good U.S. Senator for Virginia.  Mark has a track record of putting the nation first and political party second, and has demonstrated that he will strive to work on a bipartisan basis despite the Republican Party obstructionism which has made the current Congress one of the least productive in history.  As I have noted in past columns, America has one of the most expensive and least cost efficient health care systems of any advanced nations where those with insurance coverage pay exorbitant bills to pay for the treatments written off by non-profit hospitals.  Recognizing this reality, Mark Warner has supported the Affordable Health Care Act which, although not perfect, over time will decrease the rise in health care costs and expand the number of Americans who have health care insurance.  He also supports legislation that will aid increasing jobs and boosting the economy. He also understands that our broken immigration system needs reform.  On social and civil rights issues, Mark supports equal rights for LGBT individuals, supports immigration reform and minority rights and respects a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions with the counsel of her physical and family.

Mark Warner’s opponent, Ed Gillespie, in contrast is supportive of all of the failed Republican policies of the last 35+ years.  Gillespie talks in generalities about jobs, the economy, and energy resources, but offers few specifics beyond the typical GOP approach of slashing taxes for the wealthy, slashing social programs (using subtle race baiting code words, of course, in his ads to suggest that some undeserving individuals are free loading off others), seeking to repeal safety and environmental regulations, and over all leaving the middle class to slowly regress further economically.  With upward social mobility now higher lower in America than “Old Europe” as the Republicans derisively call it, Gillespie offers nothing except the canard that cutting takes and cutting regulations will create jobs to reverse this downward spiral.  On health care, Gillespie would repeal the Affordable Health Care Act and return us to the totally broken health care system that predated it where insurance companies control the market place.  Worse yet, on social issues, Gillespie would keep LGBT Americans second class – if not 3rd class – citizens and would have women’s health care decisions made by aging white men and/or religious extremists such as those at The Family Foundation who believe women should be subordinate to men and basically bare foot and pregnant in the home. In short, Gillespie seems to yearn for a recreation of a misogynist version of the 1950s when gays, blacks, Hispanics, and women “knew their place.” Oh, and did I mention that Gillespie was a lobbyist for Enron?

Given the contrasts between Mark Warner and Ed Gillespie, anyone who wants to see Virginia and America move forward in the coming years needs to vote for Mark Warner.

A similar contrast is presented to voters in the 2nd congressional district between Scott Rigell and Suzanne Patrick.   Like Gillespie, Rigell’s main mantra to improve the economy is to (i) cut taxes for the affluent, (ii) repeal the Affordable Health Care Act and leave millions of Americans without health care coverage, and (iii) allow offshore oil drilling off Virginia’s coast.  As a former in-house counsel for a Fortune 50 oil company’s oil and gas subsidiary, I suspect I know far more about oil exploration than Mr. Rigell.  First, should such drilling be permitted, most of the jobs created would go to oil industry companies based outside of Virginia that would bring in personnel from outside Virginia.  If jobs were created as Rigell boasts, few would be Virginia jobs.  As for offshore oil production being a quick fix for America’s foreign oil dependency, even if oil were to be found in economically feasible quantities off Virginia’s coast, bringing such production online would take a decade or more at the earliest and provide little relief.

On social issues and women’s rights, Rigell, like Gillespie is more than willing to prostitute himself to religious extremists at The Family Foundation. On gay rights, Rigell has followed the dictates of the Christian Right and, although invisible on his current campaign website, Rigell has been endorsed in the past by the founder of a leading anti-gay hate group. Rigell also was a leader of a far right group that broke away from Galilee Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach following the ordination of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. True to form, Rigell also opposes a woman’s right to access family planning services and would restrict access to contraception.

Opposing Rigell is Suzanne Patrick, a retired Navy Commander, who like myself has held government appointments from Republican office holders. Suzanne is a fourth generation military officer who has had overseas postings in Beijing, Berlin, Delhi, Seoul and Warsaw.  In 2001, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy.  In short, she knows the needs of our military from the inside out unlike Mr. Rigell.  On job creation, Suzanne has ideas that go far beyond tax cuts for the rich and leaving millions of Americans without access to healthcare insurance, including the need to rebuild America’s infrastructure and to position Virginia’s port facilities to remain competitive in the changing international market place.

On social issues, Suzanne Patrick’s positions are 180 degrees from those of Scott Rigell.  She believes in civil law equality for all Americans and Virginians, including LGBT individuals. Unlike Rigell, Suzanne has attended events of the local LGBT chamber of commerce and been willing to listens to the needs of the LGBT business community.  On women’s issues, Suzanne believes that women and their doctors should make health care decisions for women, not aging white men in the House of Representatives.  Suzanne understands that with America’s changing demographics, the 1950’s mindset of Scott Rigell (Rigell’s idea of “outreach” is joining the James River Country Club) will hold both the 2nd District and America back.

This column does not permit the space to go into an in depth analysis to fully compare the four candidates discussed.  Suffice it to say, Ed Gillespie and Scott Rigell hold views that want to repeat the failed GOP policies of the last 30+ years which will in the process hold both Virginia and America back, if not move it backwards in time.  In contrast, Mark Warner and Suzanne Patrick recognize that Virginia, America, and the world are changing.  Therefore, our elected officials need to seek innovative solutions and recognize that the policies of the past no longer work.  If you want to vote to move Virginia forward, get out and vote in November and support Mark Warner and Suzanne Patrick.

Disclosure: Michael Hamar is a former 8 year member of the City Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia Beach and held a four year state appointment under former Governor Jim Gilmore. 

Panel of Federal Judges Declares Gerrymandered 3rd District Unconstitutional

The GOP approach to winning elections is to (i) disenfranchise as many voters as possible who might vote for Democrats and (ii) shamelessly gerrymander districts to protect Republicans.  The Virginia GOP has carefully implemented these nefarious methods.  The husband and I used to live in Virginia's 2nd congressional district until the GOP controlled House of Delegates redrew the lines of the district to protect GOP incumbent Scott Rigell.  Then suddenly, we found ourselves in the 3rd congressional district which had been carefully drawn to pack blacks into a single district and thereby improve the chances of GOP candidates in surrounding districts.  The map above shows the ridiculous boundaries of the 3rd district as redrawn.   Now, a panel of federal judges has declared the district as redrawn to be unconstitutional and ordered the General Assembly to revise it by next spring.  Sadly, that will not benefit voters in elections next month.  Both the Virginian Pilot and the Washington Post have details.  Here are highlights from the Pilot:

In a decision with potential implications for Virginia's congressional delegation, three federal judges ruled Tuesday that the lines of the state's 3rd Congressional District were drawn in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The panel of judges allowed next month's election to proceed under the existing district lines, but ordered the General Assembly to redraw them by April 1, in time for the next congressional election in 2016.

The 3rd District is the only one of Virginia's 11 congressional districts with an African American majority. It has been represented since 1992 by Rep. Bobby Scott, a Newport News Democrat who is unopposed in the Nov. 4 election.

In a 2-1 decision, the judges agreed with the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed a year ago that the congressional redistricting plan adopted by the Republican-controlled Assembly in 2012 amounted to racial gerrymandering, packing African American voters into Scott's district and leaving adjoining districts safer for their Republican incumbents.

Moreover, the judges said, the 3rd District is marked by "an odd shape and a composition of a disparate chain of communities, predominantly African American, loosely connected by the James River."

The district, which stretches from Norfolk to Richmond, is the least-compact district in Virginia and splits more city and county boundaries than any other district, the judges said.

In order to comply with the panel's ruling, the legislature might have to pull some Democratic-leaning voters out of Scott's district and redistribute them to surrounding districts, possibly creating less-hospitable electoral terrain for Republican Reps. Randy Forbes of Chesapeake and Scott Rigell of Virginia Beach.

The Washington Post notes in part as follows:

Michael Kelly, a spokesman for Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D), said state lawyers were “reviewing the decision and assessing its impact and how best to move forward.” The attorney general’s office, in consultation with the Department of Elections, will decide whether to appeal, he said.

But there was broad agreement Tuesday that, if the decision is not appealed, its impact could ripple across several districts in the state. Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report tweeted this on Tuesday: “Depending on how VA’s map is redrawn for 2016, the big loser here could be #VA04 Rep. Randy Forbes (R).”

Republican reaction to the ruling was muted; a spokesman for Virginia House Speaker William J. Howell (Stafford) declined to comment. But privately, some members of the GOP conceded that the redrawn map would probably make at least one and possibly several heavily GOP districts competitive for Democrats. If the state doesn’t appeal, the General Assembly would address the process when it reconvenes in January.

Republicans and Democrats would be taking a big risk if they did not find a way to come to an agreement. If the GOP-controlled legislature did not pass a plan that McAuliffe would be willing to sign, more uncertainty could ensue: A veto from McAuliffe would send the map to the courts for the judges to redraw.

 Sadly, the Virginia GOP has become a coven of religious extremists and open racists that opposes rights for minorities of all stripes and which seeks to infuse Christofascist religious beliefs into the laws of the Commonwealth.  To truly move forward, Virginia needs to see the Virginia GOP as it currently exists wither and die.

Scott Rigell (and Other Republicans) Endorsed by Anti-Gay Hate Group

Once again GOP candidate for the 2nd Virginia Congressional District, Scott Rigell (pictured at right), has been endorsed by an anti-gay hate group.  As previously noted, Rigell has been previously endorsed by Lou Sheldon, founder of the virulently anti-gay hate group, Conservative Values Coalition.  Joining Sheldon in endorsing Rigell is the political arm of Family Research Council, another registered anti-gay hate group. Along with Rigell FRC Action has endorsed Randy Forbes for the 4th District and Rob Wittman for the 1st District.  

And let's be clear about something: an organization does not gain a hate group designation for merely stating religious beliefs.  It takes much more - the knowing and deliberate dissemination of lies and untruths aimed at creating animus toward a targeted group.   The litany of lies untruths disseminated by FRC that depict gays as diseased, mentally unstable, promiscuous, sexual predators, etc., would fill pages and pages.  No one should by the crocodile tears that FRC has been falsely labeled as a hate group.

In addition to LGBT citizens and their friends and family members, minority voters should also be deeply concerned about these endorsements in light of FRC's documented anti-minority stances not to mention FRC president Tony Perkins' long ties to white supremacy groups.  A full list of the candidates endorsed by FRC Action is set out below.  Anyone who cares about equality or religious freedom should vote for whoever is opposing the FRC endorsed candidates.  In the case of Rigell, they need to vote for Paul Hirschbiel.

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Paul Hirschbiel Calls Out Scott Rigell for Being an Extremist

While our Hampton home has been redistricted out of the Virginia 2nd Congressional District I am closely following the contest there between Scott Rigell - who was endorsed by hate group founder Lou Sheldon - and Paul Hirschbiel who, unlike Rigell, understands that religious freedom applies to others besides the Christofascists.   Hirschbiel also, unlike Rigell, opposes a return to the failed economic policies of Chimperator George Bush and the disastrous foreign policy championed by Emperor Palpatine Cheney.  In their first debate, things go heated, especially when Hirschbiel challenged Rigell on his support of a "personhodd" bill entitled the Life At Conception Act.  I have the added perspective of having formerly lived in the same neighborhood as Rigell, so that I know just how extreme Rigell's views are on nearly everything - including his utter contempt for LGBT Virginians.   If one wants an example of the Christian Taliban mindset, look no further than Scott Rigell.  Here are some excerpts from the Virginian Pilot on the debate fireworks:

In their first debate this election season, the two men competing in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District pointed out their sharp differences Friday night on health care, abortion and handling the federal government's fiscal problems.

The most aggressive exchange in the one-hour forum that was broadcast live on WHRO-TV came when Democratic challenger Paul Hirschbiel criticized U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell's support for anti-abortion legislation.
Hirschbiel, who favors abortion rights, noted that Rigell supported the Life At Conception Act. The bill, cosponsored by Rigell and 120 other lawmakers, would affirm that human life begins at conception and, from conception on, would be guaranteed full constitutional rights.

Hirschbiel criticized Rigell's vote in favor of the GOP budget plan, drafted by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin - the party's vice presidential candidate - that would reduce spending on programs including Head Start, make changes to Medicare benefits for those under 55, and reduce taxes for upper-income America.

Hirschbiel said a key to job creation and economic revival are strong educational programs.  He said he wanted keep intact the so-called Bush tax cuts for everyone except those earning $1 million or more each year. The tax on the high-earners, he said, would generate hundreds of billions to ease deficit spending but still allow federal spending on education and health care.

Why is Hate Group Endorsed Scott Rigell Lying to Hampton Roads Voters?

Click image to enlarge

I'll be right up front on my dislike of Congressman Scott Rigell of the Virginia 2nd Congressional District.  Mr. Rigell has (1) been endorsed by Louis Sheldon, founder of Traditions Values Coalition - perhaps one of the most dishonest and virulently anti-gay of the "family values" hate groups in America - (2) voted in lock step on woman's issues with Missouri's insane Todd Akins, and has voted for the Paul Ryan budget plan which would rape and pillage the middle class, and (3) voted for the Paul Ryan budget seven (7) times.  Now, faced with a credible challenger in the person of Paul Hirschbiel, Rigell is out right lying to local media outlets and obviously seeking to dupe voters.  His endorsers and actions in Washington tell the only story voters need to know.  Here's a sampling of the lies and bullshit being spewed by Rigell via the Daily Press: 

NEWPORT NEWS – U.S. Rep Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, said Monday that while he believes federal spending needs to be cut, the economic crisis facing the nation cannot be overcome without also raising taxes.

"The American people are ready for the truth — they can handle the truth," Rigell told the Daily Press editorial board. "They can handle solutions. They want solutions and they want leadership."

And the truth, Rigell says, is that the "Bush tax cuts" coupled with Grover Norquist's "no new tax pledge" signed by the vast majority of Republicans in Congress have locked federal revenue in at a rate that is unsustainable.

Rigell said he's willing to "compromise" with Democrats and bring revenues up to 20 percent of gross domestic product while cutting spending to the same level.

Rigell pointed out that federal revenues are at an 11-year average of 16.9 percent of GDP, which he said was the lowest level since 1959.

He said federal spending stands between 23 percent and 24 percent of GDP — peaking at 25 percent of GDP at the height of stimulus spending.

Rigell said the budget plan put forward by GOP vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., lowers federal spending to 18.5 percent of GDP in 24 years.

But Rigell said the Ryan budget plan, which he has voted for, is "indefensible mathematically" without "revenue enhancements."  Ryan's austere budget plan makes deep cuts to social-safety-net programs, while protecting defense spending.

This change lead Rigell to disavow Norquist's "no new tax pledge" in February. However, he has voted to extend the Bush tax cuts for all income levels.

Steven Jones, spokesman for Rigell's Democratic opponent in the 2nd Congressional District, Paul Hirschbiel, said this is an example of Rigell "saying one thing in Hampton Roads and doing another thing in Washington."  "You can't say you are serious about a bipartisan approach when you have voted seven times to protect subsidies for big oil companies," Jones said.

In the interest of full disclosure, I used to live in the same neighborhood as Rigell and the man is a real bastard to put it mildly. He and his wife are pompous, arrogant, and just as out of touch with the reality of the circumstances as Ann "Marie Antoinette" Romney and her bumbling Louis XVI equivalent.

Local Republican Connections to Anti-Gay Extremists

Click image to enlarge.

On Thursday I wrote about a nasty flyer that was being circulated by unknown parties attacking Senator Ralph Northam and claiming he was advancing the "Homosexual/Gay lifestyle." The flyer went on to lay out incredibly nasty lies about LGBT individuals. While I'm not aware that the flyer has been directly tracked back to the campaign staff of Northam's challenger, Ben Loyola, there are some disturbing connections that appear to underscore just how anti-gay many within the local Virginia GOP party structure have become. Tidewater Campaign Solutions, a/k/a TCS Consulting ("TCS"), is working for Ben Loyola's campaign. TCS also worked for far right 2nd District Congressman Scott Rigell's campaign. As noted before, Rigell was personally endorsed by Lou Sheldon, the founder of Traditional Values Coalition - a Southern Poverty Law Center registered anti-gay hate group. Even after Sheldon's hate group ties came out, Rigell never disavowed Sheldon's endorsement.

As the above screen shot reveals, TCS also worked for Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition - an organization that promotes an decidedly far right Christian extremist agenda. Interestingly enough, after the anti-Northam flyer became an issue, TCS scrubbed references to Faith and Freedom Coalition from it's website. A mere coincidence that the reference vanished that very day? And is it any surprise that the Faith and Freedom Coalition has endorsed Loyola?

The other interesting "coincidence" is that they anti-gay vitriol in the flyers seems to directly track some of the foul anti-gay propaganda on Traditional Values Coalition's website. Here's a sampling:

Exposed: Homosexual Child Molesters
Date: June 16, 2011
Homosexuals claim that “heterosexuals” molest most children but statistics show that homosexuals molest at far higher rates than do hetero... READ ARTICLE

Exposed: NAMBLA And Homosexual Activism
Date: June 16, 2011
Pedophiles And Homosexual Activists Push For Total Sexual Liberation In August, 2003, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the state of ... READ ARTICLE

Exposed: The Myth That Psychiatry Has Proven That Homosexual Behavior Is Normal
Date: June 16, 2011
In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed homosexuality as a mental disorder from the APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-II). This decision was a significant vict... READ ARTICLE

You get the drift. Yet miraculously - just like the TCS reference to the Faith and Freedom Coalition - when one clicks on the "Read Article" link,, the reports are no longer available. Yet another coincidence?

A number of local Republicans refuse to open their eyes as to what is happening to a once respectable political party that actually supported the U.S. Constitution and believed in the separation of church and state. As Andrew Sullivan has argued a number of times, the GOP is now a sectarian party. Those who continue to vote for GOP candidates, like it or not, are supporting those who want to subvert freedom of religion. They can cite supposed support for limited government, etc., by they are supporting those who want a Christian theocracy.