Posted at Disrupt the Narrative –

 CreighDeeds Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds  normally tweets about the mundane. The failed AG and Gubernatorial candidate routinely will let us know what’s on his Ipod (I must say he has a very good taste in music) or the daily fate of his Cincinnati Reds. So I was disappointed when he went out of his way to criticize Glenn Beck and the thousands of Virginians who participated in Saturday’s Restore Honor rally. First he very subtly tweeted a link to the anti-Beck Washington Post column by Eugene Robinson. Then another tweet linking to the anti-Beck NY Times column  by Bob Herbert. At this point another tweeter (jnowlin) questions why he would…

See more here:
Creigh Deeds Tweets -Nothing Honorable About Beck’s Rally-

Posted at Disrupt the Narrative –

The folks over at Keep America Safe have just issued a Congressional score card based on votes in the area of National Security. A cross-section of votes between 2001 and 2010 was taken to reflect a range of national security topics. Twenty-nine votes were selected in the Senate, and twenty-seven were selected in the House. The votes reflect a range of topics from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay and detainee issues to Iran to missile defense. Virginia: Cantor    A Boucher   C Connolly  F Forbes   A Goodlatte  A Moran  F Nye     C Perriello    F Scott       F Wittman   A Wolf    A Texas: Most get A’s or B’s, with the notable exception of: Doggett   F Edwards  C Gonzalez  F Green TX-9    F Green TX-29   F Hinojosa     F Jackson-Lee    F Johnson     F Ortiz     F Ron Paul     F 

More here:
National Security Scorecard

What is the price for opposing Barack Obama on Healthcare and Immigration?

Virginia found out on Monday. In a move straight out of Chicago Style Politics, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va would be closed down. Calling this a cost cutting measure, Gates admitted that thousands of Virginians would lose their jobs and the economic impact would be at least $240 million.

Almost immediately, Virginia’s Democratic lawmakers screamed foul. Even as they have supported the ObamaCare bill and sat silently as this Administration turned the Immigration problem into a political firestorm, they now act surprised?

No matter how much these Democrats scream and pretend to care about this economic blackmail, they still support the Obama agenda. Today’s vote to take money already appropriated to Food Stamps to give to the Union Teachers would have been a perfect opportunity for Virginia’s Nancy Boys to send a symbolic message loud and clear to Obama – We refuse to allow you to blackmail Virginia.

So, did any of the Nancy Boys stand up an draw a line in the sand? Are you kidding? They are right with Obama on more spending, especially if it means bailing out more Union workers, like the teachers. And starving kids are no obstacle. Besides, Michelle Obama says the little twerps are too fat anyway.

No, Virginia’s Democrats are content to pretend like they object to Obama’s heavy handed Chicago politics, yet they are happy to enable him at every turn.

So, is there any way we can stop the retaliatory closing of a Virginia Military Command and the loss of thousands of Virginia jobs?

Absolutely. Vote out the Nancy Boys on November 2, 2010 and put the adults back in charge of the House. Only then will this rubber stamp Congress finally begin working for the people, and not the left wing elitists.

This is a fascinating article about the possibility of a GED for college dropouts.  Chad Aldeman for The Quick and the ED has a great idea:  General diplomas for certain students.

Here’s his conclusion:

The first option would be to follow the GED model. Some respected organization, like ACE, would draw up a set of tests and allow the public a period for comment. The tests could be less about basic skills and more about critical thinking, and they could be computer-adaptive. In fact, there are already three different tests that fit this criteria that hundreds of colleges are already administering (see here, here, and here). Colleges and universities would be responsible for administering the tests, students would pay a small fee to take them, and states would determine the passing scores. The result would be some type of general diploma that would not be worth as much as a regular one, but would signal to employers that the student was capable of college graduate-level work.

Another option would be to bolster the measures that colleges and universities already have to get students out the door with degrees. To deal with super seniors and other students who’ve amassed more than the requisite number of credits but that do not fulfill any particular major, colleges across the country are expanding the use of general diplomas. Just like the first option, a general diploma would not be as valuable as one for a specific major, but they would get the student out the door with an earned credential.

I think that an idea like this could make Virginia an innovative state in education without violating conservative principles.  Get say VCU to adopt it as a pilot program to get college dropouts with a degree through testing and maybe course material online. 

Also, open the path to teaching by mandating that anyone with a college degree (graduate degree preferred) or substantial training/experience in the field be licnesed to teach.  Maybe have a brief course on education and legal issues etc. 

I urge Governor McDonnell to look into this.

Cuccinelli Casting Out Liberal Demons

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is exactly the right person at exactly the right time to preserve Virginia’s rights and protect her from the Great Federal Intrusion. And his effectiveness is intense. If you doubt just how effective Cuccinelli has been in the short time he has been Virginia’s Attorney General, just take a spin around the left wing media and blogs.

The daily mud tossed by these “progressive” Socialists is reminiscent of Father Damien Karras casting out the demons in The Exorcist. Even as the green split pea soup flows, Father Karras keeps with the task of ridding the world of vermin, so has Cuccinelli methodically focused on legal challenges to the overstepping federal government.

Only people possessed with liberal demons could oppose the Attorney General’s efforts to roll back federalism to a Constitutional level. Each and every one of the federal rules, laws and policies targeted by Cuccinelli are going to cost Virginians a lot in terms of money, jobs and freedom.

We have a Health Reform bill that we now know will add trillions of dollars to the national debt and push Virginians away from their current health plans to a government controlled disaster. The Attorney General has our backs on this. Independents and Conservatives understand that free choices and a free market will provide far better care than government mandates. The sooner we are able to defund, and repeal this bill, the sooner we can attack the real cause of high health care costs: the care itself. The liberals have attacked the symptom, health insurance, and left the high cost of care unchecked.

And for those that believe man has caused the earth to warm, in spite of the fact that it has been cooling for decades, Cuccinelli is like Holy Water to their Church of Climatology, searing and burning the foundation of their illogical religion. Thankfully, someone is demanding accountability for the “tricks” and outright lies these pretend scientists, led by Al Gore, have perpetrated on the world. This is about power, money and control and nothing more. Before we have an already bad economy made worse, Virginia’s Attorney General wants to be sure we are not being scammed.

For the left wing socialists to demand we believe in their scientific consensus (which simply means there is no scientific proof) is absolutely ridiculous.

What these people don’t seem to understand is that their radical agenda has turned America back to common sense Conservatism.

Or perhaps they do understand and that is the reason for the panic. They understand that they are the rising minority.

And perhaps if we could have Governor McDonnell learn some moves from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie we could shake off the last 8 years of Democratic mistakes here in the Commonwealth.

As the blue winter ends and the warm red shades of spring and summer are welcomed by Virginians, the agonizing screams of the left wing progressive blue blogs can be heard over the roar of Virginia’s rivers, swollen by the melting remnants of what the left calls global warming. But these cries are not because Virginians and most Americans are seeing the lies and venom of the left, no indeed.

These are the howls of left wingers that were hoping Northrup-Grumman would relocate it’s Headquarters to Maryland. Or more correctly, anywhere but Virginia.

Sour grapes make a bitter whine. They were all hoping Bob McDonnell would fail. The claws and knives were sharpened, hoping that the Defense Industry giant would find anyplace else a better option. So, fresh from blaming the McDonnell Administration for the West Virginia mine explosion, the Iceland Volcano and the Gulf of Mexico oil platform explosion, these mentally challenged bloggers keep the laughs at their expense coming. It really takes a lot of pluck to be so filled with hate.

If you follow blue blogs, you know the ones I am talking about. (If you don’t, just google racist lowell feld and you will find over 43,000 links to them.) Like a chorus of hacking, mucus filled coughs, the Blue Blogs have turned Green with envy at the successes of the McDonnell Administration.

They were hoping for McDonnell and Virginia to fail.

There is no doubt that Bob McDonnell’s pro business policies, which the left has criticized relentlessly, are the reason businesses want to locate in Virginia. And the knowledge that Attorney General Cuccinelli will protect Virginia businesses from the overreaching Federal intrusions are a value added comfort.

Gone are the left wing policies that put companies like the Henrico County Qimonda plant into bankruptcy.

Bob McDonnell has proven Virginia is now open for business!

Blunitic n – Blue Lunatic.

Is there no bottom to the slimy vat of depravity these left wing bloggers inhabit? Like eels slithering on the bottom sucking the bile and blood of each and every tragedy, Blue Virginia and Not Larry Sabato have attempted to exploit every disaster in the world and lay blame at the feet of Attorney General Cuccinelli or Governor McDonnell.

Now, it’s obvious that Ken and Bob are doing such a great job protecting Virginians against unpopular federal unconstitutional mandates, and these slim blogs are unable to find any support for their smear efforts, but to exploit death and tragedy is simply unacceptable.

Not that mainstream, intelligent people actually read the drivel from the black lagoon, but the fact that their “constituents” include eco-terrorists and Bill Ayers wannabes is cause for grave concern.

The left wing kooks are serious risks to act out violently by doing unspeakable things, just to please Ben and Jerry, er, Lowell.

By the same logic these lefty lunatics use, I suppose we should blame Obama and Kaine for the explosion at a Seattle Recycling Plant. After all, “green” ideology is responsible.

We are just suggesting that these Blunatics tone down the absurd blame game before they push their unstable element into more damage than they have already done.

An open letter to Governor Bob McDonnell.

Dear Governor McDonnell;

During your run for Governor last year I spent a lot of time researching your legislative record and your record as Virginia’s Attorney General. I spoke with your wife, Maureen and your daughter Cailin about your life outside of politics. I reviewed your academic credentials and professional life prior to entering politics.

And I came to the conclusion that you are as fine an example of a husband and father as can be found. And your political and professional life have been a shining example of integrity and honesty. I was impressed by your struggles to balance work, school and family at the same time and by how you excelled in all three as a young man.

And during your campaign for Governor, I watched as you fought the constant barrage from the left as they hurled salvo after salvo of vicious lies and distortions at you. I saw a true leader arise in battle as you stuck to your message, convinced that your vision for the Commonwealth was the correct path.

Virginians were so inspired with you and your leadership that we voted you into office with margins of historic proportion.

After your victory, you held a conference call with your supporters and asked that we hold your feet to the fire. At that point, I truly believed that would be unnecessary.

Sadly, I feel I must fulfill your request based on two recent events.

The first was the incident with Attorney General Cuccinelli. Although his opinion on special protections under Virginia Law is correct, and essentially the same opinion you issued while Attorney General, you released a craftily worded letter of appeasement that, while not disagreeing with the AG’s opinion outright, essentially undermined the office you used to represent.

Many think you threw Cuccinelli under the bus, and I do not disagree with that assessment. I truly wish I could.

One measure of a true leader is the ability to deal with controversy. I fully understand that this issue was fast becoming a national nightmare and a distraction to the important problems facing our nation and the Commonwealth, but I was convinced that you possessed the leadership skills to deal with a problem such as this without sacrificing our Attorney General.

I am still convinced you possess these skills, but I am disappointed that you decided to take the easy way out and not use the leadership abilities that put you in Virginia’s highest office.

And the second incident is the current Confederate History Month flap. The unfortunate manner in which you dispatched the Cuccinelli incident has left you vulnerable and weak, and the press and the Liberals are quite aware of this. And your immediate appeasement has now established a pattern that could very well define your legacy as Virginia’s Governor.

The strong leader that battled stiff resistance during the campaign is now gone. Replaced by a person that is afraid of criticism and no longer leads by conviction, but based on how much negative press he receives.

Surely you are aware what is happening, right? Had you initially recognized slaves in this proclamation, the press would have excoriated you for opening old wounds and the lefty blogs would be buzzing about how you long to return to the days of slavery. Now they will begin attacking you for not thinking things through and flip-flopping.

And these incidents will no doubt make your administration water down anything that could be seen as controversial and relegate you to 4 years of milk-toast, mediocre, gun shy leadership.

The press is now able to lead you by the nose on any issue. Your office has been neutered in 90 days and you allowed this to happen.

Perhaps your need to appease all who criticize you is a manifestation of your desire for higher office a few years from now. The trouble is, those you seek to appease would never vote for you under any circumstances. And those that would have supported you and followed you to the ends of the earth now must reconsider this allegiance.

You asked me to hold your feet to the fire and I intend to do just that. Virginia and America need strong Conservative leadership if we are to return this country to the land of Freedom and Opportunity that you and I, as Veterans, both fought to protect.

You showed the world what a leader is by conducting a focused campaign that inspired us and gave us hope.

Please don’t abandon us now. We really need you to be the leader we elected, now more than ever!

Tom White, Editor

Virginia Right!

http://varight.com

Dear Fellow Virginians,

Below is an Op-Ed I submitted which was printed in today’s Richmond Times Dispatch, I hope you’ll take the time to read it!  There’s been quite a lot of talk about my letter to Virginia’s Universities – I hope this will clear up any lingering questions you may have on the subject.

Also included below is a letter to the editor which was published this week in the Washington Post – it’s a must-read.

THE AG’S LETTER: Current Law Sets Agencies’ Boundaries

Sunday, March 14th

I firmly believe that the commonwealth’s colleges and universities comprise the best public university system in the nation. A proud product of that system, I feel that the controversy over my recent statement of Virginia law as it relates to nondiscrimination policies at our state institutions of higher learning deserves to be addressed.

While it is understandable that some are angry or confused about that statement of law, it is important to recognize it for what it was and remains. It is my permanently and long-held belief that government should not single out anyone for negative treatment.

Each day, more than 200 dedicated attorneys and staff work in the Office of the Attorney General to provide guidance, advice, and counsel to agencies impacting every aspect of the life of Virginians, from transportation to health care to public safety to education. Part of that job is advising state agencies that might be inadvertently taking actions not authorized by the law of the commonwealth. Much like local governments that are subject to the so-called Dillon Rule, public colleges and universities have only the powers granted to them by the General Assembly.

Over the past six weeks, I received a number of inquiries about the inclusion of sexual orientation as a specially protected class in the nondiscrimination polices of our colleges and universities. A review of the law and the opinions of no less than five of my predecessors — Democrats and Republicans alike — demonstrated that any decision regarding the creation of a specially protected class belongs exclusively to the General Assembly. A public university simply lacks the power to create a new specially protected class under Virginia law.

While our colleges and universities are governed by Boards of Visitors with broad rights and powers, those powers are not unlimited. Virginia’s public universities are, at all times, subject to the control of the General Assembly. They have no authority greater than that which has been granted them by the General Assembly. As the attorney for the public colleges and universities, and for the commonwealth as a whole, I provided legal advice reflecting the law as it is.

As a legal matter, this statement of Virginia law has not been seriously challenged. While issues related to sexual orientation are among the most emotional and controversial, they do not change this fundamental proposition of Virginia law. My now well-publicized letter simply stated the current state of Virginia law; it did not advocate for any particular legislative position. Should the General Assembly change the law, my advice will be consistent with it.

The General Assembly has considered and defined the protected classes for purposes of nondiscrimination statutes. It has specifically defined unlawful discrimination at educational institutions. The Virginia Human Rights Act states that it is the policy of the commonwealth to “safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, or disability, in places of public accommodation, including educational institutions.” In addition to this affirmative statement, the General Assembly has on numerous occasions, including this session, considered and rejected creating a protected class defined by sexual orientation. No state agency can reach beyond such clearly established boundaries.

Nothing I have said or written authorizes unconstitutional discrimination against any person. My letter in no way addresses the legislative issue of including sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies. I believe that our colleges and universities do not illegally discriminate against any class of persons. Likewise, I do not believe they can or will after my restatement of Virginia law.

The people of the commonwealth, through their elected representatives, determine Virginia’s laws. I cannot bend the law to fit a particular outcome, no matter what a person or group might wish, myself included. I have simply stated what is and is not currently permissible under the laws of Virginia. That is my job as attorney general.

A double standard on gay rights?

A gay rights agenda?

Saturday, March 13, 2010

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times — for The Post’s unrelenting push for gay rights, that is. Call it “A Tale of Two Attorneys General.”

On the one hand, we have Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, whose reading of the clear language of Virginia law, like it or not, is that public colleges and universities cannot extend anti-discrimination measures beyond what the law permits. For that, Mr. Cuccinelli is predictably castigated by The Post ["Legalized discrimination," editorial, March 10].

On the other hand, less than two weeks earlier, Mr. Cuccinelli’s counterpart in Maryland, Douglas F. Gansler, read into Maryland law what is clearly not there; namely, the state will recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere, despite the fact that gay marriage is not allowed in Maryland. For that, Mr. Gansler is — also predictably — cheered on by The Post ["Lawfully wedded," editorial, Feb. 27].

Joseph Parisi, Annandale

Sincerely,

Like a priest casting out demons, the Virginia General Assembly’s final vote on the Senate Amendments was approved 80-17 telling Obama, Reid and Pelosi that Virginian’s will make their own decisions about Health Care.

I spoke with Delegate Bob Marshall at the Republican Advance last December who proudly announced that his bill had been designated HB-10 and the journey had officially begun.

I listened to the reasons outlined by Delegate Marshall in the cramped and extremely warm suite at the Williamsburg Marriott as to why we needed this legislation.

There are 34 other states that are in the process of passing similar measures to let the Federal Government know that the 10th Amendment still exists, and that the unprecedented power grab by these liberals will not stand.

There were 17 members of the House that failed to vote for Virginian’s rights. These Delegates believe that the office to which they were elected exists only to serve the Federal Government’s needs. This was a bill with broad bipartisan support, which means that those voting against it are out of touch with Virginians.

NAYS–Abbott, Alexander, Brink, Bulova, Carr, Englin, Filler-Corn, Herring, Hope, Kory, Plum, Scott, J.M., Sickles, Spruill, Surovell, Torian, Toscano.

And this just in from the Family Foundation:

Victoria Cobb, President

Monday, March 8, 2010

Information Alert: AG Follows Law, Gets Ripped

See Our Latest General Assembly Blog Posts @ www.familyfoundationblog.com

Sign Up for Twitter Updates @ www.twitter.com/TFFVA

Join Us On Facebook @ www.facebook.com

See Our Video Center On YouTube @ www.youtube.com/TheFamilyFoundation

Late last week it was revealed that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sent a letter to the state’s taxpayer funded colleges and universities informing them that, without General Assembly approval, they do not have the authority to issue non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation.  Apparently, the state’s public colleges and universities had issued such policies without the approval to do so.

And thus started a media firestorm.  Essentially the Attorney General, the office designated to instruct state entities on the law, told them to actually follow the law. But Democrat leaders and homosexual activists immediately pounced, calling Cuccinelli’s advice “hate” and vowed to revive legislation that died last week that would add sexual orientation to the Commonwealth’s anti-discrimination policy.

Today, several legislators are literally screaming about the issue on the floor of the House of Delegates all but accusing Attorney General Cuccinelli of hatred.  They are urging the House General Laws committee to act on legislation, SB 66, that was defeated in subcommittee last week, when the committee meets this afternoon (The Family Foundation will be there to ensure this does not happen).

It is quite interesting to listen to proponents of this major change in Virginia’s public policy.  In three separate presentations before committee and subcommittee, advocates for making sexual orientation a protected class have admitted that 90 percent of Virginians don’t think there should be discrimination.  They have admitted that the last three governors have had policies, either written or verbal, that they will not allow such discrimination.  At no point has any actual evidence of discrimination been presented.  Late last year the Washington Post editorialized that there are “thousands of homosexuals” working in state government.

Usually, the General Assembly passes legislation to remedy a problem.  They often defeat legislation that, as is said, is a “solution in search of a problem.”  That is exactly the problem with this legislation.

So what is the goal?  It really is not about discrimination.  It is about government recognition – acceptance – of the homosexual lifestyle.  Make no mistake, this debate is a serious one and it will have long term consequences for not just state government but private businesses and ultimately our marriage amendment.  The goal is not anti-discrimination – it is forced acceptance of a lifestyle that many Virginians find antithetical to their faith.

The rhetoric at the Capitol today is heated and not very tolerant.  It seems that those who oppose creating a special class for homosexuals are hateful and bigoted, which is an easy accusation to make when you have no other argument and no ability to make your case.

Snowbound. Cabin fever. It has finally reached the Virginia Blogosphere.

Here in the Richmond area, we have had more snow than I can recall in a long time, but areas to the north and west of us are beginning to make the photos from Virginia born Richard E. Byrd’s famous South Pole expedition look like a day at the beach.

SWACgirl has posted some pictures from SWAC country that are beautiful, inspiring and uplifting to everyone that does not have to deal with the massive frozen cover. Those that live there … not so much. But the pictures here are really cool. SWACgirl tells me that she has been forced to dig a pretty serious network of tunnels that rival those under the US – Mexico boarder.

And Crystal Clear Conservative has resorted to a special iPod mix to help relieve the cabin fever symptoms. To be honest, I would imagine that she has scratch marks on the walls and windows, as this is one energetic and outgoing lady.

To these ladies and the rest of the snowbound Virginians going nuts, I would like to pass on the wisdom of the 1970′s philosopher and poet that so enriched my youth that I will forever be indebted to his sage advice. I am, of course, referring to the late Frank Zappa. His wisdom transcends time and life itself with this important advice: Don’t eat the yellow snow!

Set your DVR’s if you can’t get home in time! Ken Cuccinelli – Neil Cavuto – tonight at 6:30 PM.

February 3, 2010

Dear Fellow Virginians,

I hope you can tune in to “Cavuto” with Neil Cavuto tonight on the Fox Business Channel at 6:30pm. I’ll be discussing healthcare issues as well as the recent healthcare developments in the Virginia General Assembly.

As always, your feedback is appreciated. Email me at kc4ag@cuccinelli.com with your comments, and let me know how I do!

Note: I received this letter from 5th District voter Clay Ramsay and think it is a great letter concerning the upcoming primary to purge Tom Perriello, a disgrace to all Virginians. Please note that Virginia Right! has not endorsed in this race as of yet, but any of those who have filed to run are far more qualified than the Progressive/Socialist we now have in office. Clay has started a new Conservative Blog, and it looks very good. Please check out OurFreedomRising.

I live near Charlottesville. I am of a conservative, libertarian, Constitutional frame of mind. I am concerned that our country is being led and pushed headlong off a cliff into what Reagan called “the dustbin of history”, aka the failed, dictatorial system of socialism.  I am writing this evening because I am concerned that we have an excellent opportunity to stop and reverse that trend, just as the people in Massachusetts just did, but we are in danger of blowing it.

In 2008, liberal Tom Perriello defeated six term congressman Virgil Goode by a few hundred votes.  It was a case of fortunate timing for Periello, as he slipped in on Obama’s coattails and dissatisfaction with Bush and Republicans in Washington.  However, a year later, this is a very vulnerable seat for the Democrats.  Buyer’s remorse has set in.  Citizens of the 5th district still want Hope and Change, but now, rather than an empty, feel good slogan, it has became a rallying cry of Tea Party anger.

So, given such a promising situation, how is it that we are in danger of blowing it in the 5th District?  We have 7 candidates seeking the Republican nomination, six of whom are very much in the conservative, limited government camp.  The remaining candidate, State Senator Robert Hurt takes generally conservative positions, except that he cannot explain away his votes for the two largest tax increases in Virginia history, votes on which he abandoned his party.  In spite of that, it appears he has been chosen by the national party as the nominee apparent.  Republican Whip Eric Cantor has given Hurt’s campaign over $7,000.  In addition, he is the beneficiary of the 5th District Party decision to select the nominee by taxpayer paid primary than by the convention that was requested by all the other candidates and by the local Tea Parties.  Unless the field is narrowed prior to the primary, the conservative vote will be split six ways, meaning that we could have a nominee whose position is supported by less than 20% of the voters.

This really is a shame, because we do have six good candidates who have stepped forward out of desire to serve their district, state and nation. They have each done so at great personal cost in time, wealth and in sacrifice for their families. They did so in expectation of a level electoral playing field.  It appears that will not be the case, but they are persisting.  All six are participating in a series of candidate forums sponsored by the Tea Parties.  Senator Hurt refuses to participate in these forums.

It is more than a shame, it is a potential disaster, because Senator Hurt is the one Republican candidate who probably cannot defeat Periello, in spite of the backing of the national party.  From what I have seen and heard, he cannot motivate the base throughout the 5th district.  The votes for Democratic tax increases are deal killers.  He says he was misled.  The voters are in no mood to accept representatives who can be duped into voting for big government.  The tide has turned.  It is a question of character and absolute commitment to principle.

I attended the recent Tea Party sponsored Candidates Forum in Charlottesville. In front of a packed crowd of about 400 citizens, six candidates explained their positions on a wide variety of issues.  One candidate stood mute. It was a cardboard cut-out of Senator Hurt, who chose not to appear at Tea Party sponsored Forums.  I have also studied the websites of all the candidates.  They are all very strong on stopping and reversing the outrageous spending and abuse of power in Washington.  I would give my full support and vote to whichever of these candidates wins the nomination.   I could not vote for Senator Hurt. My feeling is that if the choice is between two candidates who both support big government, I would rather that responsibility rest with Democrats.

I hope that conservatives all around the state will look closely at the candidates in this race. It is going to be one of the closely watched races around the country, as it was a conservative seat that went Democratic.  Will it swing back, or will it continue to be a guaranteed vote for socialism?

I think the candidate best suited to win this race is Michael McPadden.  He was a Navy pilot for 22 years, and is now a commercial pilot for Delta.  His goal is to be a very active member of the new wave of conservatives who will be elected in 2010. He is strongly motivated to return our Federal government to the constitutional principles on which it was founded.  His website contains a great deal of policy information and about 20 video clips of position statements.  Please check him out at www.mcpaddenforcongress.com

Clay Ramsay

For those of you that have not yet subscribed to our new Attorney General’s News Letter, the Cuccinelli Compass, below is the latest version. This one shows that Ken is already hard at work fixing the many wrongheaded mistakes made by the Kaine Administration.

It is really great to have a governor we can trust not to release murderers and looking out for the underhanded “drive by”, sour grapes items Kaine thrust upon Virginians in the closing days of the failed Administration.

These guys truly are looking out for us!

January 31, 2010 Dear Fellow Virginians, Well, it has been a while since I’ve sent out a particularly meaty Compass.  So here goes. This one is relatively short, but I hope you’ll enjoy it.  I’m going to point to ‘goings on’ in my first two weeks in office, and address one issue (US debt and a balanced budget) that is not even close to the AG’s office! First Two Weeks Well, the swearing in was January 16th and the swearing at began on the 17th. During the first week, we worked with Gov. McDonnell to stop an attempt by former Governor, now full-time DNC Chairman, Tim Kaine, to turn a double murderer over to Germany where he would have been released in about two years. Rather than use his absolute constitutional power over clemency, then-Gov. Kaine used a treaty and its implementing statutes to try and turn double-murderer Jens Soering over to the Germans (Soering is the son of a German diplomat).  Had that transfer gone forward (and on Friday, January 15th, Kaine’s folks told us – incorrectly – that all of the necessary steps for the transfer had been irreversibly taken), Soering would have been transferred to German custody where he would’ve most likely been paroled in two years. We determined that, in fact, all the steps necessary for the transfer had NOT been taken and asked Gov. McDonnell to revoke Gov. Kaine’s request for transfer.  Gov. McDonnell did exactly that and we stopped the transfer process. Now, if the Dept. of Justice wants to transfer Soering, they will literally have to sue us (Virginia) for the release of a double murderer.  I suspect that is not something they really want to do. In week two we were confronted with Gov. Kaine’s executive order 107, which changed the process of propounding a regulation to Kaine could avoid the AG office’s role in the process.  Why do that?  Because they wanted to issue a regulation allowing for a renamed ‘domestic partners’ healthcare coverage for state workers.  Such a policy, as we determined in my office, would have violated Virginia law. Needless to say, a Governor cannot put in place a regulation that flies in the face of Virginia law.  Also, a Governor cannot ignore the requirements of law for the issuing of regulations. Kaine did (or tried to do) both. We advised the Governor of the situation and they pulled the proposed regulation pursuant to our advice. And that’s just one item from each week… there’s plenty more cooking in the AG’s office (and out of the office, e.g., speaking to the TEA Partiers on Monday, January 18th, at the bell tower.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7q2xdc_78k ).  I can’t wait to get to work for week 3! Thank you all for entrusting me with the high honor of representing you in the Office of the Attorney General! Coke Debt > US Debt I saw the article below in the WSJ online recently, and I wanted to share it with you. As an engineer, I’m a numbers person.  At some point, our national debt will be rated with an eye toward our inability to repay it.  It appears that is starting to happen, as you can see in the article below. For those folks that think some sort of balanced budget amendment is a good idea, my own expectation is that the only way it ever happens is in the market for debt, not in Congress.  Once lenders don’t trust us to pay back our debts, they won’t lend us money.  At that point, the federal government won’t be able to spend more than it takes in – and then, bang, we have a de facto balanced budget requirement. I hope you find this article as interesting as I did: “Along with giving Ben Bernanke another term, the Senate voted yesterday to boost the federal debt ceiling by another $2 trillion to a titanic $14.3 trillion. Yet as Democrats debate whether to use the headroom to launch a new trillion-dollar health care entitlement, the choice may not reside with the House (which must still vote on the debt ceiling) but with the bond market. Trading in the credit-default swap market this week shows that investors now view a default by the U.S. Treasury as more likely than a default by the Coca-Cola Company. Until very recently, this scenario seemed about as likely as Coke winning a taste infringement suit against Coke Zero. Now the United States has taken its place next to Italy and Spain in a special club that no major country wants to join — countries whose debt is considered less safe than that of Blue Chip businesses. Mr. Obama may not be deterred by the verdicts rendered by voters in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia lately. But he won’t be able to ignore investors if they send Washington’s currently cheap borrowing costs soaring. That would surely be the result if markets become convinced that spending and inflation are destined to run out of control under the combo of Nancy Pelosi and Ben Bernanke. To be sure, we’re not there yet. But the recent financial crisis should have taught us that, when markets make up their mind that the story has changed, they can turn against you with blinding speed.” See you soon! Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II

Tell others to sign up for The Cuccinelli Compass at Senator Cuccinelli’s Website: http://www.Cuccinelli.com (look in the upper left corner)

Statement from former Governor George Allen

Allen: “Americans want job opportunity and debt reduction ideas emitted from government.”

Mt. Vernon, Va. – Former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen issued the following statement today in reaction to President Obama’s new rules that the federal government reduce its emissions by 28% over the next decade:

“President Obama’s call for a 28% reduction in the federal government’s emissions is a worthy goal if it reduces taxpayers’ costs by 28%. Government must operate more efficiently by adopting the most innovative technologies, systems and equipment for heating, cooling, and illuminating government buildings, and reducing transportation and operational costs.

“Virginians and Americans wish to be served by an Administration looking to cut government spending as well as government emissions. Washington is creating a nightmare scenario with unprecedented deficits, steep inflation and potential sharp tax increases to pay for burgeoning debt. Americans are concerned that this unprecedented, dangerous debt will mean our children will not enjoy the same levels of opportunity that past American generations have enjoyed to achieve the American Dream.

“The Administration’s “spending freeze”, which amounts to a less than 1% reduction in spending sometime after elections this November, does not go far enough. Additionally, although the White House anticipates $15 billion in savings with this “freeze”, it has already spent almost $900 billion on a failed stimulus that has created no jobs, and is proposing upwards of $100 billion more in “stimulus”. We the people call on the President and Congress to set spending reduction goals closer to 28% than 1%.”

I just set my DVR to record Governor George Allen today on Fox News Channel’s “Happening Now” with Jon Scott and Jane Skinner at 11:30 am ET. He will discuss whether or not the Democrats will scale back on the push for health care reform in light of Scott Browns inspiring victory.

(Thank you “satellite company” for letting me do this remotely.)

On a personal note, it is really great to see Governor Allen and his wife Susan working so hard for Virginia and the Country. I seem to run into them at nearly every event I attend. Their tireless efforts on behalf of Virginia have had a tremendous impact on the successes of the Republican Party, but mostly on all Virginians. Please check out the American Energy Freedom Center the Governor is involved with and sign the petition. Thank you.

Governor Allen released the following statement on the Massachusetts Senate race victory by Scott Brown:

Mt. Vernon, Va. – Former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen issued the following statement today, Congratulating Scott Brown and calling on Washington Democrats to “start over” on health care reform.

“Susan and I congratulate Scott Brown for his impressive, inspiring victory and for running an honest, ideas-based campaign.

“I’m sure we can all find it wonderfully ironic that one of the Tea Parties’ greatest victories to date came in Massachusetts, which is where this movement derived its name and philosophy. Scott Brown’s historic election is getting the attention of Washington officials who need to listen to the American people. I think we will be watching with great interest in the days and weeks ahead to see how some in Washington will run for cover trying to hide their role in the massively expensive government-run health care experiment, while others may defiantly push forward to pass it in the face of clear opposition from Americans all across the country.

“I call on Democrats to join their Republican colleagues to start over and put forth common sense health care reforms. Options such as Health Savings Accounts could benefit all Americans and make health insurance more affordable, personalized and portable rather than enacting more national debt, higher taxes dictates and unfunded mandates from Washington.

“I also hope that Democrats avoid any gamesmanship while seating Scott Brown. As he pointed out during his campaign, this is the people’s seat and they spoke loud and clear last night.”

From Virginia State Senator Ryan McDougle

Editor’s Note: For those that have not had the pleasure of meeting Senator McDougle, he is one of the good guys. He is very involved in the Hanover Republican Committee and has always gone above and beyond for Hanover and Virginia. This is a proposal that I believe holds a lot of merit and will allow State Administrations to fully implement their vision for Virginia regardless of party.

Virginia Should Change Its Budget Process

Last month, Virginians spoke loudly. With over 58% of the vote, we elected Republican Bob McDonnell as the 71st Governor of Virginia. Additionally, we added a net of six Republican seats in the House of Delegates.

McDonnell and his Republican ticketmates won running on a platform that included a commitment to not raise taxes during a time of recession. They knew that the worst time to consider a tax increase is while Virginiaâ?Ts families are having trouble making ends meet.

They pledged to balance the current budget shortfall through targeted cuts, efficiencies, and spending reductions. And they vowed to aggressively seek to improve the economy by attracting new jobs and economic development opportunities to Virginia.

Voters responded well to this message as the election results prove.

Less than 45 days after the election, Governor Tim Kaine proposed a new two-year budget for Virginia. Embedded in his budget is a proposal to end car tax relief and to replace the car tax with a new income tax â?osurchargeâ? of 1% of a personâ?Ts income. The result of this proposal is a net tax increase on the citizens of Virginia.

During his campaign, McDonnell vowed to pay for transportation improvements in part by selling and privatizing Virginiaâ?Ts ABC operations. In his budget, Kaine embeds revenues from a proposed 2% increase on liquor prices at ABC stores.

Setting aside personal feelings on the policies proposed in Kaineâ?Ts budget, the objectives do not mesh with the policies laid out by the incoming Governor and incoming House of Delegates. This demonstrates an inherent weakness in Virginiaâ?Ts budgeting process.

Since the mid-nineteenth century, Virginia has operated under two-year budgets. Currently, when the General Assembly meets for sixty-day sessions in even-numbered years, we enact a budget for the following two years. When we meet for forty-five day sessions in odd-numbered years, we review the budget passed the previous year and make appropriate mid-way revisions to the budget in light of economic changes.

The process begins when a Governor introduces a budget proposal in December. The Governorâ?Ts introduced budget becomes a bill that serves as the starting point for the General Assemblyâ?Ts work on the budget.

The problem with the current system is evident considering Governor Kaineâ?Ts proposal on Friday. With less than one month left in his term, Governor Kaine introduced a budget that includes vastly different priorities than those of the incoming McDonnell Administration and General Assembly.

There was little motivation for Kaine to do otherwise. He will not have to shepherd the budget through the General Assembly and, come March, he will not have to make a decision of whether to sign, veto, or amend the budget passed by the General Assembly. In short, after introducing a budget proposal this year, Kaineâ?Ts direct involvement ends for good.

But while Kaine is ending his involvement with the budget, he is making the job of the General Assembly that much harder. Knowing the current political realities and the priorities of the incoming administration, we know the tax and fee increases embedded in Kaineâ?Ts budget proposal will not succeed. As a result, we must start from scratch to determine appropriate cuts. The Kaine proposal will not prove a useful starting point.

To address this exact issue, I introduced legislation last year to alter Virginiaâ?Ts budgeting process. While still allowing for a two-year budget, my legislation proposes that the General Assembly pass the two-year budget in odd-numbered years and make revisions to it in even-numbered years. The lengths of the sessions are reversed accordingly.

Such a change will be particularly beneficial during a gubernatorial transition every four years. Under my plan, a new administration will enter office during the middle of a two-year budget already enacted. During the Governorâ?Ts first General Assembly session, he or she will oversee revisions to a budget already in place.

This change prevents a situation like our current one, where an outgoing Governor presents a budget that is not in line with the priorities of his successor.

The legislation has the added benefit of allowing an incoming administration an extra year to learn the process and develop expertise before having to develop an entirely new two-year budget.

And my bill ensures that whenever a Governor introduces a two-year budget, they will be present to advocate for their budget before the General Assembly, to sign, veto, or amend what the General Assembly passes, and to govern for at least one year under the new budget.

Last year, my proposal failed to advance through the General Assembly. I am introducing the measure again this year and am hopeful our current predicament clearly demonstrates the wisdom of this change.

_____________________________________________________

Ryan T. McDougle (R-Hanover) is a member of the Senate of Virginia representing the Fourth Senatorial District.

The letter to the editor listed below appeared in the Sunday, Nov. 8 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The letter was submitted to address inaccuracies in Dr. Mark Ryan’s Op/Ed column Health Care: Only the Public Option can Resuscitate Reform that ran Friday, Oct. 30.

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

After reading Dr. Mark Ryan’s Oct. 30 Op/Ed column ["Health Care: Only the Public Option Can Resuscitate Reform"], I felt compelled on behalf of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to address a few glaring inaccuracies that need to be corrected.

First, Ryan incorrectly stated that WellPoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, made $61 billion in profit in 2008. The number Ryan used as profit was actually the revenue figure of a company with 40,000 employees and 34 million members. WellPoint’s actual profit in 2008 was $2.5 billion, which yielded a 4 percent profit margin. The net profit margin for the health insurance industry as a whole is generally 3 percent to 6 percent, ranking it 35th among 53 industries ranked by Fortune magazine.

Second, Ryan is incorrect when he claims we “work to deny care to patients” and “reward” employees for rescissions. Each and every day, our associates work hard to ensure all of our members have access to the care they need under the insurance coverage they have purchased.

Frankly, we found Ryan’s comments to be offensive to the more than 4,000 Anthem-Virginia associates who work hard to provide Virginians with the peace of mind that comes with having Anthem coverage.

Ryan certainly has a right to express his opinion regarding the health care reform debate, and we are open to frank discussions. However, unfounded accusations against Anthem and the hard-working individuals employed here warrant a strong defense.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has long been engaged in the discussion about health care reform, and we have stated on numerous occasions that we support responsible reform, including the elimination of pre-existing conditions and other insurance market reforms if paired with an effective, enforceable personal coverage requirement for everyone to have health insurance. We also oppose the “public option” in part because it, like Medicare and Medicaid, would underpay physicians and hospitals for the services they deliver.

All we ask for in this discussion is the common courtesy of an accurate and fair argument.

Scott Golden
Director, Corporate Communications
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield