Are Perriello, Sanders and Warren Giving the GOP the Governor's Mansion?

With Ralph Northam, the right Democrat candidate for Virginia

As noted in a prior post, nearly 60% of Tom Perriello's campaign funds raised to date has come form sources outside of Virginia.  So have his major endorsements, including Senator Elizabeth Warren who frankly just lost my vote should she run for national office.  Virtually all of Virginia's major domestic Democrats have endorsed Lt. Governor Ralph Northam in the coming Democrat primary. Why? Several reasons, in my view.  First, because Northam is a steady candidate with years of experience unlike Perriello, a two year flash in the pan, despite Warren's efforts to fluff his resume.  Second, Northam has been in the trenches for years and has helped other Democrat candidates and worked with the party's grassroots, if you will.  The husband and I have been in those trenches, have been on host committees and given money over and over again.  Perriello has been nowhere to be seen.  Third, Northam is right on the issues - including LGBT rights which Perriello barely mentions - and brings the much needed perspective of a physician into play.  

Perriello's entrance into that contest is serving only three purposes: (i) to divide the party in Democrat Virginia - much as Bernie Sanders did in the 2016 presidential race, (ii) to divert funds that would be better spent on the general election against the eventual Republican opponent, and (ii) fan the vanities of Perriello and his out of state endorsers.  If the Republicans should win the governor's mansion in November, 2017, the consequences for many Virginians will be horrific.  LGBT rights, women's rights and minority rights will have to firewall to stop the ugliest efforts of the currently Republican controlled house.  Look no farther than North Carolina to see what GOP control of the governor's mansion could mean. All so that Perriello, Sanders and Warren can satisfy their egos?

While Virginia has "gone blue" in the last three presidential race, many Virginia Democrats continue to be somewhat conservative by national standards.  A so-called ulta-progressive candidate - which is what Perriello labels himself as despite no efforts to attract involved LGBT supporters - will likely not fare as well as one who is a bit more traditional.  Let's not forget that Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders by 228,404 votes in the 2016 Democrat primary.  She went on to beat Donald Trump in Virginia by 212,030 votes in the general election.  "Traditional" candidates who have evolved on key issues win in Virginia.  Bernie Sanders himself proved this.  I do not believe that Perriello can win against someone like the heavily funded Ed Gillespie and, if that happens, the outcome will harm Virginians and Virginia's economy for years to come.   

Please vote for Ralph Northam on June  13, 2017.  Don't be fooled by out of state endorsements driven by other agendas.

Republicans Worried About Cuccinelli’s Prospects

Meanwhile, as the ad mentioned in the last post prepares to run, panic appears to be setting in Republican circles.  This is a very good thing because, if the perception becomes one that Cuccinelli has already lost, it may depress Republican turn out.  The risk, of course, is that Democrats become complacent and stay home.  This cannot be allowed to happen because in my view it is crucial that Cuccinelli and the rest of the GOP extremist slate lose, but that they lose by a landslide.  Why?  Because the GOP slate was nominated by The Family Foundation and Tea Party extremists.  A horrific loss may be what the Virginia GOP needs to convince what moderates are left and the so-call GOP establishment to wrench the GOP back from the forces of hate and bigotry best personified by the Christofascists and Tea Party factions.  The Washington Post looks at the growing panic in the Virginia GOP.  Here are excerpts:

National and state Republicans are increasingly nervous about Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II’s campaign for Virginia governor, which they said is lagging behind Democrat Terry McAuliffe because of internal mistakes as well as forces beyond Cuccinelli’s control.

With seven weeks to Election Day, Cuccinelli is trailing in public polls and in fundraising. Republicans are scrambling to improve a field operation that underperformed in 2012. And while McAuliffe has faced scrutiny for his business dealings, the legal cloud surrounding Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) and a probe of how the attorney general’s office has handled a gas royalties case have cast a spotlight on Cuccinelli’s own ethics that neither party expected.

Several Republican officials and operatives outside the campaign, most of whom requested anonymity in order to be frank about the state of the race, said they believe Cuccinelli is down . . . .

“I think McAuliffe has a real advantage in the race,” said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

Now that Labor Day has passed, Rothenberg said, voters’ “opinions are gelling. That doesn’t mean the race is over, but there is a significant burden now on Cuccinelli to change the trajectory. . . . He’s going to have to get a significant portion of the people who haven’t made up their minds yet.”

 A Quinnipiac University poll released last month showed McAuliffe leading Cuccinelli among likely voters, 48 to 42 percent. Three other automated polls released this month showed McAuliffe ahead by similar margins.

The state inspector general is investigating whether an assistant in Cuccinelli’s office gave improper legal help to energy companies battling with Southwest Virginia landowners over gas royalties.


Republicans lamented Cuccinelli’s fundraising disadvantage; through June 30, he had raised $7.7 million, while McAuliffe had raised $12.7 million. Fresh fundraising numbers are due Monday.

In a memo on the state of the race issued Friday, McAuliffe spokesman Brennan Bilberry suggested the Cuccinelli team was becoming “shrill” and desperate.
 
“It is clear that the Cuccinelli campaign is seeing the same things in their internal polls that Virginians see in public polls: Terry’s position continues to strengthen while Cuccinelli’s position continues to slip as a result of his ethics scandals and extreme social agenda,” Bilberry wrote.

Again, we need a massive Democrat turn out to hand Cuccinelli, Jackson and Obenshain a massive defeat.  The Family Foundation and Tea Party extremists nominated this nutcases and a devastating loss would be wonderful to hang around their necks.  Such a defeat would lead to delicious back biting and backstabbing within the Virginia GOP and perhaps embolden Republicans elsewhere to seize the party back from extremists and white supremacists.  The Family Foundation and Tea Party extremists need to become persona non gratis within the Virginia GOP from November 5th on forward.

Ken Cuccinelli’s Arrogant and Untenable Position in Virginia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy New Year!

I want to wish every reader a very Happy New Year and to also thank each of you for your readership,  I hope that 2013 turns out to be a wonderful year for all.  It certainly will not be dull in the political realm either in Washington or here in Virginia where it is crucial that Ken Cuccinelli and the Virginia GOP - a group I increasingly view as the forces of evil - are defeated in November.  The boyfriend and I rang in the new year at a party down the street which summed up our somewhat unique neighborhood here Chesapeake Avenue with a crowd that ranged from an Air Force general, two FBI agents, many retired military and more than a half dozen gay couples. 

Among our things to look forward to in 2013 is the arrival of another grandchild around July 1st.  I hope readers will continue to allow me to share my thoughts and tribulations in the coming year.

Bob McDonnell Falsely Casts Himself As a Moderate

The eyes of the country will be on Virginia this coming November to see whether or not the Democrats can continue their march towards making Virginia a consistently blue state. The Republican Party standard bearer will be Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell who is now apparently attempting to depict himself as a moderate. I've known Bob McDonnell personally since 1994 and while I truly do not see him to be a bad person, a moderate he is not. Put another way, if Bob McDonnell is a moderate, then so are James Dobson and Benedict XVI. Back in 2003, McDonnell was a part of the lynch mob that barred Circuit Court Judge, Vebena Askew from reappointment to the bench based on rumors she might be - the horrors - a lesbian. Lambda Legal at the time reported as follows:

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"There is certain homosexual conduct that is in violation of the law," said Robert F. McDonnell, a Republican member of Virginia’s House of Delegates and chairman of the legislature’s House Courts of Justice Committee. “It certainly raises some questions about the qualifications to serve as a judge.” Virginia's sodomy law criminalizes oral and anal sex between straight and gay couples -- including private, consensual intimacy between adults -- but is almost exclusively used to discriminate against lesbians and gay men. McDonnell was referring to Newport News, Virginia, Circuit Judge Verbena Askew, whose reappointment is set for a hearing Friday.

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I doubt McDonnell's views have changed even in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas which struck down Virginia's sodomy statute. In the coming campaign, it will be crucial for Democrats to make sure the public knows just how much of an extremist McDonnell truly is. It will likewise be crucial that the three contenders for the Democrat nomination NOT so damage one another that they assist McDonnell in achieving a victory in November. Here are some highlights from a Washington Post column that looks at McDonnell's allege new found moderation:

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Democrats don't yet claim Virginia as their own, but they have won two straight governor's races, both U.S. Senate seats, two out of three House seats in the Washington suburbs and a majority in the state Senate. So who does the Republican Party choose to pry the door to the Washington suburbs back open?

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How about a hard-core social conservative who was groomed for politics at the Rev. Pat Robertson's Regent University law school, a man who has spent most of his adult life in Hampton Roads and Richmond, a clean-cut fellow with a military bearing and an unabashed conviction that he can become Virginia's next governor by pushing hard on many of the same issues that have sent his party to defeat again and again in recent years.

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McDonnell contends that he stands a far stronger chance of winning -- and capturing support in the Washington suburbs -- because he's focusing more on transportation and health care than on the guns, gays and God hot-button issues Republicans have tried to ride to Richmond in the past decade. . . . . Yet as he prepares to take on whoever emerges from June's Democratic primary, McDonnell is positioning himself as a moderate who shares the growing popular disenchantment with the GOP.

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With the governor's race turning into the nation's premier political contest this year, McDonnell is bringing in the big guns of his own party, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, "and a number of other rock stars," probably including Alaska's Sarah Palin.

Anti-Gay Virginia Attorney General Resigns to Run for Governor

Today Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell resigned as Virginia's Attorney General in order that he can devote 100% of his efforts to his campaign to become Virginia's governor in the election this coming November. As long as McDonnell doesn't win in November, the resignation is obviously good for LGBT Virginians inasmuch as it is unlikely that which ever Deputy Attorney General moves up to fill the vacancy will be a homophobic and married to the Christianist far right as McDonnell has been. While I have known McDonnell since 1994, he has become increasingly extreme and beholden to the Christian Right and Daddy Dobson's Virginia affiliate, The Family Foundation. As the campaign moves forward, it will be interesting to see whether McDonnell is asked about his covering up for former Congressman Ed Schrock - McDonnell was told about Schrock's "extra curricular activities" by yours truly roughly eight months before Mike Rogers "outed" Schrock on BlogActive.com. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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Attorney General Bob McDonnell is resigning as attorney general to focus on his gubernatorial campaign. McDonnell, a former House of Delegates member from Virginia Beach, announced his plan in an e-mail sent to employees in the state Attorney General's Office shortly before 8 a.m. today.

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In stepping down, McDonnell is continuing a tradition observed by past Republican and Democratic Virginia attorneys general who have left office in the final year of their term to run for governor. The most recent example is former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, who left office in 2005 to concentrate on his gubernatorial bid.

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McDonnell, 54, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination and is the party's presumptive nominee for governor. A social and fiscal conservative, McDonnell is a U.S. Army veteran with roots in Northern Virginia and South Hampton Roads. Before being elected attorney general in 2005, he served 14 years in the House of Delegates. . . . . He received his law degree from Regent University. . . .