Steve Shannon’s unethical ethics

By Mark J. Fitzgibbons

Democrat Steve Shannon, who couldn’t identify the divisions within the Office of Virginia Attorney General when campaigning for that office, used a donor incident to criticize Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and to propose an ethics panel (“Virginia’s ethical labyrinth,” The Virginia Pilot).

Politicians are in hypocrisy overdrive when criticizing others about two things: fundraising and ethics. But I thank Mr. Shannon for opening the door for me.

Mr. Cuccinelli received a substantial contribution from Bobby Thompson, the director of a charity called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. The charity is now under investigation in several states for potential violations of what are called charitable solicitation laws. Mr. Shannon has not only already “convicted” Mr. Thompson of violating charitable solicitation registration law, he wants to pin multiple crimes against humanity on Ken Cuccinelli.

Mr. Shannon would have us believe the contribution was made for favors, which is a very serious allegation. He and some of his fellow Democrats, however, have taken a page from President Obama, who destroyed the families of AIG employees by presuming the company and its executives guilty until proven innocent. AIG was recently proven innocent. All the while, Mr. Shannon’s fellow Democrats load their campaign coffers with money from the corporations they attack.

Mr. Shannon attempts to link Mr. Thompson’s contribution to a bill — not introduced by Mr. Cuccinelli before he was elected Attorney General — that exempted veterans charities from registering under Virginia’s charitable solicitations law. Mr. Shannon also claims the contribution was related to a proposal by Mr. Cuccinelli to bring certain consumer regulatory affairs, such as charitable solicitation registration, into the attorney general’s office.

Mr. Shannon’s article opens, “As a former prosecutor.” Well, given the unprofessional, partisan quality of his attempted smear, Virginians should be most pleased that he is a “former” prosecutor. Mr. Shannon, being unfamiliar with the divisions of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, wouldn’t know that what Mr. Cuccinelli proposed is consistent with the structure of the attorney general offices in most states.

Here’s a primer for Mr. Shannon and his friends. Forty-one states have charitable solicitation registration laws similar to Virginia’s. Virginia is one of only two states in which charitable solicitation registrations are administered by the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Cuccinelli’s proposal, therefore, is consistent with the majority of states.

I deal with charitable registration laws daily. I’ve litigated about the constitutionality of those laws, and I fight abuses by state officials administering them. Personally, I would oppose a proposal by Mr. Cuccinelli to move charitable solicitation registrations to his office. I don’t believe the issuer of a license should also be the enforcer. However, the fact remains that most states are structured consistent with what Mr. Cuccinelli wants.

What Mr. Shannon’s article doesn’t say, which bolsters my position, is that attorneys general who administer charitable registration laws include his fellow Democrats Richard Blumenthal, Jerry Brown, Martha Coakley and Lisa Madigan. All of them received grades of A or A+ from the corrupt nonprofit ACORN, and all of them have sights on higher offices.

As to the exemption for registration by veterans charities, Mr. Shannon would have us believe that was quid pro quo. Some states, however, exempt veterans and other organizations.

Long before Mr. Thompson’s charity sought exemption from the registration requirements, I and others involved with nonprofit fundraising and First Amendment rights urged that Virginia revoke its charitable registration law. The first conversation dates back eight years, and was mentioned to two of Mr. Cuccinelli’s predecessors in the attorney general’s office. That was based in part on the United States Supreme Court saying on four occasions in the past three decades that nonprofit fundraising communications are protected by the First Amendment.

The exemption for veterans charities, therefore, is not a novel idea. Charitable solicitation registration laws divert a half billion dollars of donor contributions annually to compliance. They are constantly abused and even violated by offices that administer them. These laws act as prior restraints on, and licensing of, speech and press rights of nonprofit organizations.

Charitable registration laws are ripe for abuse by government officials, which is why I believe they should be eliminated altogether, and replaced with an alternative. For example, North Carolina’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, Elaine Marshall, administers her state’s law as Secretary of State. Despite campaigning as an advocate for abused women and consumers, Ms. Marshall has posted on the Internet the residential addresses of registrants with her office. That’s a violation of privacy, and makes life easier for identity thieves. It also exposes victims of crime, battered women and others to their stalkers.

The Virginia office that administers the law is among the best in the country. The trouble is, the current law makes it difficult for law-abiding charities, donors and law enforcement itself. Virginia’s statute, by the way, has a provision nearly identical to one declared unconstitutional on its face by the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals in litigation I conducted against Utah.

Mr. Shannon’s attack on Ken Cuccinelli attempts to knit together some loose facts, but is based in ignorance. Meanwhile his fellow Democrats play crony politics with, of all things, the Bill of Rights, as exemplified by the unconstitutional federal DICLOSE Act they are pushing. To get this unconstitutional bill through, Democrats gave exemptions to big, powerful lobbies such as the NRA, AARP and Sierra Club.

If Mr. Shannon were even close to sincere about fundraising ethics, he would need to criticize his own party first. President Obama has been one of, if not, the biggest beneficiaries of contributions from BP, Goldman Sachs and Fannie Mae. Mr. Cuccinelli sequestered the contributions from Mr. Thompson pending investigations of the Navy veterans charity. Mr. Obama has not done the same for the one million dollars in BP money, or any money from the businesses he’s charged with wrongdoing.

Democrats have many other ethical conflicts with their fundraising. The top nine donors to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for example, gave the DCCC $50 million so far this election cycle. Who are these donors who exceed the legal limit for contributions to the DCCC of $30,400 per year? It’s Nancy Pelosi and eight of her Democratic colleagues in Congress. That’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a legalized money-laundering scheme.

Mr. Cuccinelli has done what is consistent with the law and ethics. Mr. Shannon, in just another desperate attempt by the left to pin anything on Ken Cuccinelli — even when he’s 100% correct ethically and legally — isn’t being an honest broker of the facts or the law.

But thanks, Mr. Shannon, for raising the issue of ethics and fundraising.

Mark Fitzgibbons is president of corporate and legal affairs at a direct marketing and fundraising agency.

Saturday June 19, 2010 Roundup:

The Virginia Right! News Hound surfs the ‘net to take the pulse of the world every day. The links published below are opinions and takes on the news that we find interesting. By design, these links are mostly outside of the Mainstream Media. This feature is designed to save you the time of sifting through dozens of websites and blogs. Buckle up. It is going to be a bumpy ride.

The Other McCain:

Another Friday, Another Bank Shutdown

Redstate:

Kagan May Have Compared NRA to KKK

Daily Caller:

Arizona officials: Bring it on, Obama

American Thinker:

An Oil Spill Is Not a License to Suspend the Rule of Law

Big Government:

Blago Accomplice Running Chicago Census Bureau Office

Big Hollywood:

‘Red Eye’: A Funny Right-Leaning Show That’s Earned a Better Time Slot

Breitbart TV:

Watch Alan Simpson School a Lefty

Michelle Malkin:

OBAMA ‘STIMULUS’ VISIT STIMULATES DAY OFF WITHOUT PAY FOR WORKERS

Justice Dept. Confirms Lawsuit Against Arizona, Ecuador Just Nods and Says ‘We Know’

National Review:

Gulf War Three — By: Mark Steyn

Newsbusters:

CNN’s Cafferty: Obama’s ‘Serious Disconnect’ on Jobs and Spending

Sen. Nelson: Obama May Not Have Constitutional Authority, But He Has Moral Authority

Politico:

MSNBC gets a little less predictable

And From the Virginia Blogs:

SWAC Girl:

Augusta County: Employee stole $750,000 from American Safety Razor

Fishersville Mike:

“It takes a spillage”

Yankee Philip:

For New Soccer Fans….

Tertium Quids:

Steve Shannon is still with us

From on High:

Wake Me When The World Cup Is Over

#1 Winner: Conservatives and Republicans.

While a number of lefties are trying to say that the Republicans won because they ran a Moderate candidate in Bob McDonnell, that’s a bit much after months of hearing how Bob McDonnell was such a right wing monster he was going to chain women to the kitchen sink. And what about Ken Cuccinelli? And the NY-23 race sent a message to the Republican Party – No more squishy liberal Republicans. They can’t be trusted.

#1 Loser – Progressive Democrats.

Well, that was actually accomplished in June. The Primary put the Progressives away. Even Democrats have had enough of their Socialism, though most will not admit it. Massive losses this November in Virginia and New Jersey sent the message loud and clear. And the Progressives have their hands over their ears. Obama, Pelosi and the Progressive movement are all losers.

#2 Winner: Marriage

The Institution of Holy Matrimony, the union of one man and one woman. Marriage. In liberal leaning Maine, they said enough is enough. Do what you want to do, just not as a married couple.

#2 Loser: Gays and Lesbians

The end result of “in your face” is a massive backlash. This is not the beginning of discrimination and violence against homosexuals. It is a strong message that we are tired of your whining. Go do your thing and leave it at that.

#3 Winner: Virginia

With a fresh coat of RED paint, the voters of the Commonwealth began the return to her Conservative roots.

#3 Loser: Socialism

The results in Virginia were absolutely a repudiation of Obama.

#4 Winner: Issues based campaigning

Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli ran a clean campaign totally on the issues.

#4 Loser: Mud based campaigning

Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon had absolutely no issues on which to run. All three failed to tell voters why they should vote for the three of them, and spent the entire campaign telling voters why they should not vote Republican. But there was no viable alternative offered.

#5 Winner: The 10th Amendment and the Constitution

It is no longer an irrelevant and ever changing document. Ken Cuccinelli will use the power of the Attorney General’s office to keep Obama and Pelosi at a distance.

#5 Loser: More Big Government

The verdict is in. The era of big government is over. And the Conservatives are watching.

If you have not seen this video, you need to view it before you vote for Steve Shannon. This guy is totally clueless. Even worse, he is unable to say “I don’t know the answer”. At the end of the video, a reporter tries to get him to answer the question about the Divisions in the Attorney General’s office and his supporters and campaign workers block the video camera and attempt to hide Shannon’s clueless “deer in the headlights” evasion attempt.

Nothing says support better than your supporters making up their own fliers to say what you should have said. Embarrassed by Deeds’ lack of any type of Transportation plan, and seeing the entire Democratic ticket becoming the laughing stock of the Commonwealth, the Fairfax Democrats have decided to make up their own message to help out humiliated Democrats trying to explain the unexplainable.

A sputtering message, muddled with “everything’s on the table” spewed so many times in order to attempt to give supporters something to say, other than the “Deeds will raise your taxes” truth, was making Democrats look silly. Well, that and Deeds himself.

As Blue Commonwealth puts it:

The City of Fairfax Democratic Committee has produced its own hand card of talking points for Creigh Deeds. The joint effort is being printed and distributed for use in door knocking and conversations (like in the grocery store, for example). The Committee, dissatisfied with the hand cards and flyers offered by the campaign, put their heads together and the following is the result. Included are points for Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, Steve Shannon, and David Bulova (Delegate for Fairfax City Area, 37th House District).

And as the RPV puts it:

Deeds: No Roads Plan – Fairfax Dems Forced to Wing It

The new-and-improved hand card includes this prompt for Deeds and Democratic grassroots workers to employ to harass their neighbors while shopping:

* Transportation: [Deeds] Will assemble a bipartisan commission to craft a comprehensive transportation plan

This vague promise of gathering people at a table to assess what is on the table, while everything is on the table is exactly the sort of gobbledygook Deeds spouts on most occasions.

We can happily report that Republicans and more importantly, voters are quite pleased with the in depth Transportation plan Republican Candidate has penned.

Volunteers for the Republican ticket are helping the McDonnell campaign by taking a comprehensive message of Transportation, Jobs, Education, Property Rights and Economic recovery to the doorsteps of voters. And the polls show this is what voters expect.

The Deeds campaign is now being second guessed by their own imploding support base. Deeds can’t even craft a message that his volunteers want to carry. How does he expect to craft a plan to fix Virginia’s problems?

Looks like Thanksgiving Dinner is already being served at Deeds table. Turkey and stuffing for all.

In a blow to the Democrats running for state wide office, the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Republicans Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli.

While McDonnell did a great job as AG and all three Republican candidates are strong supporters of law enforcement, Senator Ken Cuccinelli has twice distinguished his insight as spot on.

First, in the Melendez-Diaz Supreme court case, Cuccinelli calmly and correctly called for a special session to fix the laws invalidated by the Supreme Court ruling. While Democrat Steve Shannon tried to make political points, jeopardizing public safety as drug and DUI cases were dismissed, Cuccinelli held steady that a special session was needed and the problem was resolved, thanks to his calls.

Second, while Shannon is making a fool of himself by taking money from Delegate Hamilton’s opponent Robin Abbott and then calling for Hamilton’s resignation, Cuccinelli correctly refused comment in order to let the legal process work. The Attorney General could be called on to resolve the issue, and Shannon has already disqualified himself by showing a bias before he even heard the facts.

Congratulations to all three Republicans and kudos to Senator Cuccinelli.

In another devastating blow to the Democrats, former Governor Doug Wilder refused to endorse Creigh Deeds, even though President Obama called on Wilder to endorse.

Seems no one really trusts these Democrats, including their own party.

The only endorsements the Democrats received was the Acorn / SEIU kiss of death endorsement. Bet that one stings at this particular time.

As we reported last night, Democratic candidate for Attorney General Steve Shannon took $50,000 from Robin Abbott’s Law Firm and has begun a relentless attack on Republican Delegate Phil Hamilton, Abbott’s opponent. The ethics questions in this matter are obvious.

Steve Shannon put out a press release titled Accountability in Government. Keeping in mind that Steve Shannon is a member of the House of Delegates, he would also be subject to the same laws and ethics code to which he holds fellow Delegate Phil Hamilton. And taking $50,000 from Hamilton’s opponent could definitely be seen as causing “a reasonable person to question the legislator’s impartiality in the matter affecting the donor.”

Shannon quotes the Virginia Code in his press release. Perhaps Shannon should also take a look at his actions to determine his own compliance with the Statutes:

§ 30-103 – 10.
Accept a gift from a person who has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance of the legislator’s official duties under circumstances where the timing and nature of the gift would cause a reasonable person to question the legislator’s impartiality in the matter affecting the donor. Violations of this subdivision shall not be subject to criminal law penalties; or

As a matter of fact, all three of the Democrats running for State office, Candidate for Governor and current Senator Creigh Deeds, Candidate for Lt. Governor and current Treasurer Jody Wagner as well as Shannon are all in potential violation of the ethics code, as they all accepted money. (Note – Section 2.2-3103 – 8 would be applicable to Wagner.)

Will Steve Shannon call for an ethics investigation into his and his ticket mate’s possible ethics violation for accepting a combined amount of over $122,000 and then attacking Phil Hamilton?

Somehow I have to believe Steve Shannon’s indignation at ethics violations extends only to Republicans.

Has Chicago style politics come to Virginia?

Interesting thing, this disclosure requirement we have for our politicians. If you want to see who is giving money to which candidates, all you have to do is visit The Virginia Public Access Project and look around. You can often find some interesting information snuggled away among the more mundane data.

Once in a while, you might even see a big donation from unexpected places. And that can all be very normal.

But occasionally, when you see a big donation, and the candidate made a major announcement, or proclamation about the time they received the donation, and this announcement somehow benefits the donor, it makes you think. It could simply be a coincidence. But when the donor drops generous amounts of cash into the three top Democrats on the state wide ticket, and all three sing the same tune at the same time, which benefits the donor, it is hard to say this is a coincidence.

And when the generous donor also happens to be a candidate for House of Delegates, it is nearly impossible to believe that this is not Chicago style pay for play.

Such is the case for 93rd House District candidate Democrat Robin Abbott. Ms. Abbott’s Bio on her campaign website proclaims the is an Attorney and a partner in the law firm Consumer Litigation Associates, P.C. with offices in Newport News. The website for her Law Firm also lists Leonard Bennett as a partner.

If we go back to VPAP and look around for these names, we find the following Contributions for Democrat AG Candidate Steve Shannon:

$40,000 Consumer Litigation Associates P.C 08/31/2009
$10,000 Cash Donation 03/19/2009

So, Steven Shannon receives a generous donation from Abbott and starts calling for Ms. Abbott’s opponent, Phil Hamilton, to resign. It looks like the price for Hamilton’s due process from Steve Shannon is $50,000.00.

So, I wondered if Ms. Abbott and her Law Firm had anything to do with Democratic candidate for Governor Creigh Deeds’ recent call for Hamilton’s resignation, or Lt. Governor candidate Jody Wagner’s echoed call for resignation. Surely, with the three statewide Democrats suddenly campaigning on ethics I wouldn’t find Ms. Abbott’s money flowing to Deeds and Wagner. All three of them wouldn’t take money and then call out, in chorus, for Hamilton’s head, right?

Wrong.

Deeds’ reports taking:

$50,000 Consumer Litigation Associates PC 07/15/2009
$2,400 Bennett Mr. Leonard A. 07/20/2009

A total of $52,400.

And Wagner reports:

$10,000 Consumer Litigation Associates P.C. 08/31/2009
$10,000 Cash Donation 03/21/2009

A total of $20,000.

I bet Jody is livid. She did equal work, yet the men were paid more than double.

That’s a total of $122,400.00 for all three candidates.

And her Law Firm has also dumped nearly $100,000 into Ms. Abbott’s campaign.

And after taking $50,000 from Hamilton’s opponent and calling for Hamilton’s resignation, Steve Shannon has the nerve to say:
(From Blue Virginia)
“If Ken Cuccinelli won’t stand up and call for Phil Hamilton to resign, how can Virginians expect him to vigorously defend their interests against other acts of public corruption?”

Steve, you know that the Attorney General’s office could ultimately be called upon to look at this case. You have accepted money, already made a conclusion without hearing evidence, and tainted the proceedings should this case ever be referred to a Steve Shannon AG office. The proper thing for you to do was to remain neutral. Too late.

Ken Cuccinelli has enough experience to know when it is unwise to get involved in something he may end up being asked to decide. And I am sure no amount of money could make him compromise the office he seeks for political or financial gain.

If Deeds, Wagner and Shannon want to be ethical in this matter, they need to return the money to Ms. Abbott and apologize to the citizens of the Commonwealth AND to Phil Hamilton.

The Latest From Virginia: Governor’s Race, No Change. Lieutenant Governor’s Race, No Change. Attorney General’s Race, No Change. In statewide elections in Virginia today, two months until votes are counted, Republicans sweep, taking the statehouse away from the Democrats and holding the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General offices, according to SurveyUSA polling for WDBJ-TV Roanoke and WJLA-TV Washington DC.

For Governor, Republican Bob McDonnell appears undamaged and today defeats Democrat Creigh Deeds. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released five weeks ago, the race has tightened slightly, not dramatically. There is movement to Deeds in the Washington DC suburbs, where a 15-point McDonnell lead has evaporated, but there is no GOP erosion in the rest of the state. There is softening in McDonnell’s support among voters age 50+, but that is offset by gains for McDonnell among voters age 35 to 49. Of those who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and who are judged by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in November 2009, 13% cross-over for McDonnell, twice the number of McCain voters who cross-over for Deeds.

For Lieutenant Governor, Incumbent Republican Bill Bolling is today elected to a second term, defeating Democrat Jody Wagner, former Treasurer of VA and VA Secretary of Finance, 52% to 42%. Compared to a SurveyUSA poll released 5 weeks ago, the contest is largely unchanged. There is movement to the Democrat in Southeast and Northeast VA and offsetting movement to the Republican in Central VA.

For Attorney General, Republican state senator Ken Cuccinelli today defeats Democrat state representative Steve Shannon 54% to 41%. Compared to a SurveyUSA poll five weeks ago, the race is unchanged. There is movement to the Republican among women, offsetting movement to the Democrat among men. Both men represent adjoining districts in Fairfax County. Cuccinelli is at or above 50% in every region of the state.

Ok, I know that Delegate Phil Hamilton has said he did something that, in retrospect, he should not have done. Everyone seems to have their knickers in a bind. If only he had done something minor, like driving off of a bridge and leaving a woman to drown while he wondered off in a drunken stupor. Or ran a male prostitution ring out of his home. Or failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes.

Or even something as minor as lying to a federal grand jury about some chick named Monica.

These were much less offensive than… what was it Delegate Hamilton did again? Nobody really knows, but in a politically charged election year it really doesn’t matter. Anything that sounds like it might be something bad causes the Democrats to act like the sky is falling and the Republicans to act as if Phil has the Swine Flu.

The fact of the matter, Republican Senator and Attorney General candidate Ken Cuccinelli is the only one with enough class to get it right. He said that there is a process when things like this occur and the knee jerk reactions are not helping.

The other Republican candidates fear some mud may fly off and tarnish their white coats. Understandable in an election year, but still not the best answer.

Governor Kaine and Steve Shannon, when asked about the need for a special session wanted to avoid a knee jerk reaction, wanted to get all the facts and then make the right decision. But not with Delegate Hamilton. No, sir. With both knees planted squarely on their jaws, Kaine and Shannon toss due process out the window when it comes to Delegate Hamilton and demand he jump out in front of a bus. They got the special session wrong and they got this wrong.

Delegate Phil Hamilton has served the 93rd District with distinction and has exhibited the kind of leadership that has made Virginia one of the best run states in the country. Twenty-one years! Everyone you talk to that knows Delegate Hamilton has nothing but good things to say.

There is much talk from both sides accusing one another of being un-American. I will tell you what is un-American. Denying Phil Hamilton his due process under the law and the rules of the House. Anyone calling for his resignation without knowing the facts is simply wrong, no matter your political situation. His name is not Kennedy, Frank, Clinton or almost any Obama nominee, but his error was nowhere near the crimes these men committed and they are idolized by many.

So. Sit back. Take a breath. And let this play out in an orderly and legal fashion. Phil Hamilton has served this Commonwealth with distinction for over two decades. He has earned that right.

Democratic candidate for the 73rd House District held by Republican John O’Bannon, MD sent out a flier this week to residents of the 73rd House District.

A few weeks ago, I attended a Town Hall meeting held by Shields to correct his false claims that Delegate O’Bannon was somehow responsible for the Qimonda failure and the loss of 2100 jobs. The fact is, nothing could have saved Qimonda. The owner of the company was not interested in saving it. From a Reuters Report:

“Nobody can save a company whose owner does not want to save it,” he told Saechsische Zeitung, a daily published in the Saxony state capital Dresden, where Qimonda’s main European site is located.

The German owners of Qimonda had begun selling assets of the Henrico County based plant and all that money went to Germany. $289 million to be precise. The grant was just $5.4 million. That would have ended up in Germany, too.

The points made in the Shields Ad were:

False Claim #1:
Last year, the House of Delegates debated on whether to give chip manufacturer Qimonda a grant to protect jobs.

Truth:
The “grant” was part of a contract deal signed when Qimonda agreed to locate in Virginia. Deligate Morrissey wanted to give Qimonda the installment due to be paid in 2011 earlier, in 2009. The argument against this was presented by GOP Whip Kirk Cox who correctly said to give Qumonda this money early would signal that all contracts in Virginia were open to renegotiation. Meny Democrats voted against the Morrissey amendment including Democratic Attorney General candidate Steve Shannon.

False Claim #2
During the debate, John O’Bannon is told that a no vote means Qimonda jobs could be lost in Henrico County.

Truth:
Give me a break! Joe “Chicken Little” Morrissey thinks the sky is falling on every bill. Morrissey is well know for his hyperbole. If the House of Delegates spent money on Morrissey’s say so, we would be far more than $6 Billion in the hole. Qimonda needed $418 Million to stay in business and the EU refused to give it to an owner that wanted his business to fail.

False Claim #3
O’Bannon votes against the grant anyway.

Truth:
Because the financial genius Joe Morrissey said so? Qimonda Henrico had told Republicans they would be there for the long haul. Morrissey failed to offer evidence, or bring in someone from Qimonda to substantiate his claims.

False Claim #4
After O’Bannon’s vote Qimonda shuts down it’s plant and Henrico County loses 2700 jobs.

Truth:
Qimonda remained in business for a year. And the fact is, the plant shut down long before the payment would have been made even if the amendment had passed. An article in today’s Times Dispatch shows just how bad the financial trouble was at Qimonda: Claims against Qimonda total more than $2.5 billion. They were over $2.5 BILLION in debt. What does Tom Shields think would have happened to taxpayer money if we had given them the $5.4 million – a drop in the bucket. It would have gone to line the German owner’s pockets.

False Claim #5
O’Bannon refuses to own up to his actions, claims he didn’t know his vote could cost local jobs.

Truth:
O’Bannon saved the state $5.4 million dollars by voting with Democrats Shannon, BaCote, Bowling, Brink, Bulova, Dance, Mathieson, Miller, Howell, Phillips, Spruill, and Toscano. One can only assume Shields holds his fellow Democrats responsible as well. To not hold their feet to the same fire would be intellectually dishonest.

Tom Shields has spent his entire career hiding in the ivory towers of academia. This attack is simply proof that Shields is totally incapable of understanding complex financial problems. He has always asked for what he wants and the University has to worry about the money.

This is nothing more than a desperate attack from a campaign so lost in space that they will never find their way back.

At both Shields town hall meetings, his followers asked for expensive program after expensive program. I gave him the nick name Santa Shields. He doesn’t have a clue when it comes to money.

Last night there was a special guest at the GOP Va Victory center on Parham Road in Richmond. State Senator and Republican Attorney General nominee Ken Cuccinelli spent some making calls and talking to voters from the Call Center.

Senator Cuccinelli spent a few minutes greeting the volunteers and discussing – well, anything you wanted to talk about. Which is normal for him. We discussed the recent Special Session and the Melendez-Diaz ruling that necessitated it. I thanked Senator Cuccinelli for recognizing the danger the ruling was putting Virginians in and not playing politics like his opponent, Steve Shannon and Governor Kaine. It is refreshing to have a politician that actually has the best interests of the Commonwealth in mind, even in the midst of a political campaign.

I have had the opportunity on many occasions to speak with Senator Cuccinelli, and he is always ready and willing to freely and openly give his opinion, relate his experiences or just plain chit chat. He never seems in a hurry, or the worse for wear.

And for those that have never had a conversation with the man, I can tell you, I am impressed every time I speak with him at the way his mind works. He thinks 10 steps down the road on any issue or problem. He doesn’t stop at Plan B. He continues until he has analyzed the problem and the solutions to a complete conclusion.

The law of unintended consequences does not stand a chance around Ken Cuccinelli.

If you have not heard, Attorney General candidate and State Senator Ken Cuccinelli will be at the Virginia Victory office this evening located at 2819 N Parham Rd, Suite 230, Richmond, VA 23294.

Ken has one of the strongest grassroots organizations Virginia has ever experienced. This is due to the fact that Senator Cuccinelli never fails to impress anyone he comes in contact with. His knowledge of the US Constitution and what it means is unsurpassed. It is this knowledge that his opponent fears most. His opponent is content to allow the Obama administration overstep it’s constitutional authority and run Virginia. Ken Cuccinelli knows our rights and will protect us from the unconstitutional and unprecedented power grab.

The left fears him, which is one of the best reasons I can think of to make sure Cuccinelli is elected as our next Attorney General.

Want proof?

A few weeks ago, the US Supreme Court delivered a ruling that had the effect of wiping out our laws on rules of evidence. As a result, many drug cases and DUI cases were dropped, not prosecuted, or the suspects were allowed to walk away free. Ken Cuccinelli was the first to call for a special session. His opponent and Governor Tim Kaine decided to try to play politics and score points against Cuccinelli. This backfired badly and Kaine and opponent Steve Shannon ended up with egg on their face and our streets more dangerous than ever.

Please stop by and meet Ken and make some calls with us between 5PM and 9PM this evening. Extra phones were added and we would very much like to set a new record for number of calls in one night. If we have to play tag team on the phones, that would be awesome.

In addition, Ken is trying to reach a goal in his fund raising efforts. Please donate whatever you can! Please visit this link!!!

Below is a statement from Senator Cuccinelli on this fund raising effort:

Dear Fellow Virginians,

It’s official. Since I sent out the Compass last Wednesday night challenging you to help us raise $20,000 by our finance deadline, we’ve brought in $15,069.26.

What an amazing response! We got donations in ranging from $1 to $1,000. So thank you for responding to our plea for financial help…but we’re not done yet!

We’ve got just a little over 24 hours until the deadline. And we’ve still got $4,930.74 to raise to meet our $20K goal.

Can you help us out?

Remember, it doesn’t matter if you give $5 or $500. It all helps tremendously, so please give what you can.

Get your donation in by the deadline and donate here: http://www.cuccinelli.com/donations.htm

I’ll be sure to let you know how we did when the clock stops ticking at midnight, tomorrow night!

See you on the campaign trail!

Sincerely,

Senator Ken Cuccinelli II

August 20, 2009

Dear Fellow Virginians,

Now that the special session is over – and overshadowed by the Governor’s [admission] announcement of a $1.5 billion shortfall – I wanted to share with you the analysis of Dr. Bob Holsworth of VCU regarding the session.

Below is his article on the subject.

From Virginia Tomorrow:

The Cuccinelli Session

by Bob Holsworth, August 19, 2009

Is over.

Not a minute too soon for Steve Shannon.

Cuccinelli was the first statewide candidate to recognize the impact that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Melendez decision would have on prosecutions in Virginia.

In essence, the Court’s ruling made it far easier for defense attorneys to compel live testimony by forensic analysts in drug and DUI trials. Tyler Whitley reported today that in July, 2008 there were 43 subpoenas for drug examiners in the state- this year there were more than 900.
Cuccinelli understood from the get-go that this would result in an intolerable strain on the relatively small number of forensic analysts in the state and precipitate a backlog, in both court trials and in crime scene testing.

More importantly, he also contended that the only way to solve the problem was a special session in which the Assembly would try to find ways of reducing the backlog while still complying with the Court’s mandate that crime analysts be physically present if a defendant wishes.

Steve Shannon initially thought that the matter could be handled administratively and rejected Cuccinelli’s call for a special session as a “political stunt.”

Unfortunately for Shannon, the Governor agreed with Cuccinelli.

The decision to hold the special session helped Cuccinelli in three specific ways.

First, it was confirmation that Cuccinelli’s initial judgment was sound and on-target.

Second, it enabled Cuccinelli to dispense with one of the principal arguments that his opponents had raised about him: namely, that his lack of direct experience as a prosecutor made him a less qualified candidate.

Third, Shannon and the Democrats had hoped to put Cuccinelli on the defensive from the outset of the campaign. But this didn’t happen. Instead, Cuccinelli and his chief strategist, Chris LaCivita have not missed an occasion to remind people that Shannon labeled the call for a special session a “political stunt.”

The early polls indicate that Shannon is running essentially even with Deeds, decisively lagging Cuccinelli.

Democrats believe that Cuccinelli is the weakest link on the Republican ticket. They don’t think that his social conservatism plays well across the state. And more than one Democrat has told me that “unlike McDonnell, he doesn’t try to hide it.”

Now that the special session is over, Democrats hope that Shannon can begin to draw contrasts that depict Cuccinelli as a far right ideologue, perhaps leading voters to question the perspective of the entire GOP ticket.

Shannon has accumulated a sizeable war chest and is likely to deploy it in this matter.
But it’s not a simple task.

No Democrat has been elected Attorney General for 20 years.

And the Cuccinelli session will make it almost impossible to convince voters that he’s not qualified for the Top Cop part of the AG’s role.

I expect that Shannon will heat the campaign up quickly, trying to move the dialogue away from Cuccinelli’s very successful “political stunt.”

In Case You Had Any Doubts…
Steve Shannon still won’t debate me… we have one (1) debate scheduled at this point, but not until October 22nd in Richmond. It is my view that we need to get to each of the parts of Virginia for a debate, as people don’t pay attention to the AG race unless it’s in their backyard. So, if Steve actually wants the people around Virginia to hear and contrast our positions (ha!), then he’d have to join me in debates around Virginia.

For reasons I’ve explained in previous Compasses, he just isn’t going to do that. It’s clear that they have already decided that letting their candidate out to debate is not a winning proposition. They actually want FEWER people, not more, to have the opportunity to compare and contrast the two candidates for AG.

Still Need $$$ Help

While we’re ahead in the polls, our opponent’s strategy is clearly to hunker down and try to beat us with negative ads in October. He can only do this if we don’t catch up to him in the money race. So, I need to ask you to donate today, as this is our area of greatest need. So, please, help us make up our only shortcoming with our opponent, his fundraising lead.

Can you please donate $500? $250? $100? $50? Anything? We need it!

See you on the campaign trail! And please don’t forget to donate today!

Sincerely,

Senator Ken Cuccinelli II

Bad news for Creigh Deeds and company. A recent SurveyUSA poll showed a 15 point lead for Republican Bob McDonnell. Many of the liberal bloggers took issue with such a large lead, and not surprisingly, attacked the polls methods and weighting.

Around the McDonnell campaign, the feeling after that poll was, we are up, but that probably overstates it a bit.

A just released poll by the group Public Policy Polling shows Bob McDonnell with a 51% – 37% advantage, a 14 point lead.

Deeds lack of any coherent policies, “me too” approach to issues – having the same approach on issues after McDonnell articulates them, running away from Obama, now running away from Kaine, leaves a seriously disorganized candidate unsurprisingly falling behind the strong leadership of the Unified Republican Ticket.

The poll also shows an across the board swing to Republicans in a state that has lately been leaning Democrat. Lt. Governor candidate Bill Bolling showed a 48% – 34% lead over Jody Wagner and Attorney General Candidate Ken Cuccinelli a 45% – 32% lead over Democrat Steve Shannon.

The results of the poll can be viewed here.

PRESS RELEASE
July 31, 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Chris LaCivita
(804) 594-3710
Cell (202) 907-1055

Cuccinelli receives warm reception at the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Services Council convention;

Shannon distorts…and misses…again.

FAIRFAX — This morning, Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax) addressed the annual summer20convention of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Services Council. Speaking to this group, Senator Cuccinelli touted his strong support of law enforcement as a member of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, where he has served since joining the State Senate in 2002

Cuccinelli also rolled out a pro-active platform of law enforcement issues that resonated with Virginia’s prosecutors. Among the proposals that Cuccinelli mentioned were protecting law enforcement officers by adding all law enforcement officials to the capital eligible victims list as well as addressing custodial arrest by reversing the Moore v. Commonwealth decision.

Senator Cuccinelli remarked that the biggest issue currently facing prosecutors in Virginia is the new 6th Amendment standard imposed by the Melendez-Diaz Supreme Court decision. After gathering the advice of prosecutors from every corner of Virginia, Cuccinelli was first to ask Governor Tim Kaine to call a special session to amend Virginia’s law. The special session, scheduled for August 19, will help prosecutors from having to either release DUI and drug offenders or accept an unreasonable plea bargain.

Amazingly, Senator Cuccinelli’s opponent, Steve Shannon flip-flopped from his earlier position on the Special Session. He originally referred to Cuccinelli’s call for a special session as a “political stunt.” Shannon now supports the Special Session that Sen. Cuccinelli first called.

Shannon also wrongly claimed t hat Cuccinelli was opposed to hiring more lab technicians to alleviate the bottleneck of DUI and drug cases. On July 22nd, Senator Cuccinelli released a statement commending Governor Kaine for calling a special session and also called for the hiring of additional lab technicians.

Cuccinelli spokesman Chris LaCivita commented “This morning Delegate Shannon proved that he either doesn’t know what Senator Cuccinelli’s actual position on Melendez is or that he is attempting to intentionally mislead Virginia’s prosecutors on Senator Cuccinelli’s record.”

Senator Cuccinelli stated: “After initially calling my proposal a ‘political stunt,’ it is good to see that my opponent has reversed course and endorsed the proposal that I and Governor Tim Kaine bipartisanly agreed would be the best way to proceed in addressing the Melendez issue. It’s too bad that he didn’t show the leadership to initially stand with me and call for a special session.”

A new poll taken by SurveyUSA has Republican Bob McDonnell up by 15 points over Creigh Deeds. Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli are also up double digits over their opponents. Here are the results:

Asked of 526 likely voters

Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.3%

If the election for Virginia governor were today, would you vote for… (candidate names rotated) Republican Bob McDonnell? or Democrat Creigh Deeds?

55% McDonnell (R)
40% Deeds (D)
5% Undecided

Asked of 526 likely voters

Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.3%

Virginia will also elect a lieutenant governor. If the election for lieutenant governor were today, would you vote for… (candidate names rotated) Republican Bill Bolling? or Democrat Jody Wagner?

54% Bolling (R)
42% Wagner (D)
4% Undecided

Asked of 526 likely voters

Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.4%

Virginia will also elect an attorney general. If the election for attorney general were today, would you vote for… (candidate names rotated) Republican Ken Cuccinelli? or Democrat Steve Shannon?

53% Cuccinelli (R)
42% Shannon (D)
6% Undecided

A Press Release on the special session from the Republican Party of Virginia.

- Legislature to Fix Prosecutorial Mess Against Steve Shannon’s Sage Advice -

- Cuccinelli Had Called for Special Session; Shannon Called it a “Stunt” -

RICHMOND – Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins today praised Governor Tim Kaine’s decision to agree with Ken Cuccinelli to call the Virginia General Assembly into a special session to fix a prosecutorial morass following the U.S. Supreme Court decision Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts.  The ruling has caused chaos among Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorneys regarding the difficulty in having forensic scientists who test material evidence personally testify at trial.  As a result, many criminal cases are having to be dismissed or are lost at trial.

“Steve Shannon, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, initially called Ken Cuccinelli’s request for a special session a ‘stunt,’” said Mullins.  “Well, I guess the governor from his own party disagrees with him.  I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you want to pull if you’re arguing to be the state’s top lawyer.”

In response to Ken Cuccinelli’s first call for a legislative fix, Shannon said it was a “stunt,” a position he continues to trumpet by posting a supportive editorial on his website.

Perhaps even more embarrassingly, Shannon criticized Cuccinelli for supposedly opposing a bill that never reached the Senate, in which Cuccinelli serves.  Inasmuch as Cuccinelli was never able to vote on the legislation, it further reveals that not only is Shannon ignorant of Supreme Court precedent vis-à-vis Virginia law, but he also does not understand the legislative process.

Shannon’s House Bill 3086 died in committee in the House of Delegates and was never communicated to the Senate, where Cuccinelli might have had a chance to weigh in on it.

“This is astounding,” Chairman Mullins said.  “This guy seriously wants to be the attorney general of the Commonwealth, but doesn’t get the severity of a Supreme Court ruling and doesn’t know that his own bill died in committee.  That’s almost too funny to make up.”

Finally! Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has decided to quit playing politics and call for a special session of the Virginia Legislature. Kaine announced at a press conference this morning that the date will be August 19, 2009. I hope oft absent governor remembers to pencil in the date between DNC duties.

As reported on this blog and other sources, Virginia Republican Nominee for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been calling for a special session to address the recent US Supreme Court ruling in the Melendez-Diaz vs. Massachusetts case. Virginia Right! has been behind Cuccinelli on this and we have expressed regret that Governor Kaine and especially Democratic Nominee for Attorney General Steve Shannon decided to try to use this issue for political gain.

Senator Cuccinelli has done what he always does: acted in the best interest of the citizens of the Commonwealth. His opponent, Shannon, decided to try to make this a political issue and disregard the safety of Virginians. Most Virginians are quite aware that this should have never been a political issue. Shannon has displayed a reckless disregard for the safety of the public in a desperate attempt to find an issue with which to attack Cuccinelli. It was Kaine and Shannon that took an important issue and turned it into a public spectacle that pitted the two against Senator Cuccinelli and the majority of prosecutors.

It is important for the Commonwealth’s Attorneys to know that the next Attorney General is someone that places public safety and law enforcement above petty politics. Cuccinelli has proven that he is the only Attorney General candidate that can be trusted in that regard.

In the Melendez-Diaz vs. Massachusetts case, the Supreme Court decided that the defendants have the right, under the 6th amendment to confront their accuser. In this case, the lab technicians. This ruling had the effect of making the Virginia Statutes unconstitutional.

Now that the political games have finally been called off by Kaine, we can get on with the business of running the state and debating the real issues.

And special thanks to Hanover Attorney Elwood “Sandy” Sanders for immediately recognizing the severity of this ruling and the devastating impact it would have on Virginia’s public safety. At a time when some failed to realize the importance to Virginia of this ruling, Sandy’s clarity and foresight on this issue was spot on. The ink was not even dry on the Supreme Court decision when Sandy sounded the alarm with this guest blog. And several follow up posts as the situation evolved. Well done, Mr. Sanders!