NO! – A Response to NLS

Recently NLS asked Is Bob McDonnell Finished? He joined a host of other opportunistic bloggers here, here, and here trying to drum up some political capital over Marshall v. Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled the regional taxing authority unconstitutional. The Court held:

If payment of the regional taxes and fees is to be required by a general law, it is the prerogative and the function of the General Assembly, as provided by Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution, to make that decision, in a manner which complies with the requirements of Article IV, Section 11 of the Constitution.

Supporters of Creigh Deeds, Brian Moran, and Bill Bolling see this Court decision as an opportunity to attack Attorney General Bob McDonnell over HB 3202. Oddly enough they have chosen a bipartisan bill as the catalyst of their venom.

The irony is that every major candidate for Governor in 2009 and party leaders from both sides of the aisle supported this bill, specifically the Transportation Authority. Governor Tim Kaine supported the authority stating:

I applaud the House of Delegates for approving this proposal and sending a transportation plan to the Senate. . . . [The transportation problem is] especially acute in the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads regions. A solution will require substantial additional revenues. And the discussion also must include reforms that promote accountability and strengthen the link between transportation and land use.

Speaker Howell was its Patron. It passed by overwhelming majorities in the Houses (85-15) and Senate (29-10), and Governor Kaine signed it. Congressman Brian Moran and Senator Creigh Deeds not only supported it, they voted for it. Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling wrote an Op-Ed where he stated his support for the Transportation Authority. He touted:

But our Republican accomplishments go far beyond the abolition of parole, welfare reform, or higher academic standards in the public schools. While Republicans have led our General Assembly . . . We have provided $3 billion in new funding for transportation construction, created innovative new tools to enable localities to better plan for growth and prevent sprawl and instituted performance and accountability measures to improve VDOT and its road-building operations.

Bill Bolling. “The Republican Record: GOP moves Old Dominion Forward.” The Washington Times. November 5, 2007, Monday, OPED; A17.

As NLS correctly noted, McDonnell helped bring the House of Delegates and Senate together on a compromise for this bill. As always, compromises aren’t perfect, but every member of the compromise must take responsibility for the bill that results. The idea that you can ignore some supporters and string up others is ludicrous.

As far as the claim that somehow McDonnell supported this bill more than all the others because he defended it in Court, it is just uneducated at best. It is the Attorney General’s duty to defend laws passed by the General Assembly, regardless of his or her personal viewpoint. McDonnell did his job, the job he was elected to do. He along with all of the other potential candidates for Governor supported the bill, and it has been ruled unconstitutional.

So to NLS and the rest of the opportunists, if McDonnell’s done then so are Kaine, Howell, Moran, Deeds, and Bolling. Realistically, they are all in the same boat on this bill. Read More. . . .

General Assembly Analysis: SB7

In the spirit of reviewing bills in the Virginia Senate, I will today be taking a look at SB7, which was brought to my attention by a concerned reader of this blog. SB7, sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds, is intended to extend to persons with any disability or illness the legal ability to obtain an absentee ballot. An identical bill, HB310, was sponsored by Del. Al Eisenberg in the House of Delegates.

Our concerned reader, the father of a 49-year old intellectually disabled man, expressed his concern that this bill presents a serious opportunity for extensive voter fraud. The reader's son is capable of writing, but does not understand what he is putting on the paper. Permitting someone in his condition, living in a group home, to vote by absentee ballot would allow the management of such homes to unduly influence the votes of all of the homes' residents. Statewide, there are about 20,000 votes that could be improperly influenced in such a manner. Current law requiring intellectually disabled persons to vote in person ensures that multiple voting officials will be present to prevent fraud.

No legal voters should be deprived of the right to vote, but it is of utmost importance that nobody be permitted to take advantage of intellectually disabled persons for the purpose of unfairly influencing elections. Physically disabled persons unable to reach polling sites are already permitted to vote via absentee ballot under Virginia law. Any amendments to the current law to expand the availability of absentee voting must be carefully crafted to protect against dishonest people taking advantage of the intellectually disabled.

SB7 passed the Senate in a unanimous vote, but was continued until 2009 in the House Committee on Privileges and Elections. HB310 was also continued by the P&E Committee. Read More. . . .

Erbody’s Gotta Blog!

I know it may sound like a rap song, but it’s true that more and more politicians in Virginia are starting their own blogs. Yesterday the news came out that former Governor George Allen has started his own blog, GeorgeAllen.com.

Former Governor Jim Gilmore started his own blog a few weeks ago, Virginia Patriot. Representative Eric Cantor has had his own blog for some time now. The Republican Party of Virginia started its own blog with the help of Shaun Kenny. Several members of the General Assembly have also joined the blogosphere: Delegates Kris Amundson and Bob Brink at 7 West, Delegate Adam Ebbin, Senator Chap Peterson at Ox Road South, and Delegate Chris Saxman contributes to VA Cost Cutting.

This begs the question, why aren’t more politicians in Virginia blogging? It seems that it would do Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, Creigh Deeds, Brian Moran, and Tom Davis good to start their own blogs. In fact candidate blogs may be as much a necessity as a campaign website. What better way to reach out directly to the constituency? Prominent political figures such as George Allen and Jim Gilmore are setting the bar high for future leaders, especially since Gilmore is responding to comments frequently.

Direct contact between candidate and constituents through blogs or at least live blogging on others blogs may be the wave of the future. Candidates who blog directly with the people have a distinct advantage over those who only communicate through a Press Secretary. Look for more candidates to start their own blogs in the very near future.

We have added each of these blogs to Commonwealth Campaigns (with the exception of VA Cost Cutting as Saxman is only an infrequent contributor to the overall blog). Read More. . . .

Dirty Deeds on DWJ

The zany crew over at the Daily Whack Job has their Live Blog with state Senator Creigh Deeds up. Check it out. Read More. . . .

Deeds Ethics Poll: Southwest by Southeast

Speaking of polls, Southwest by Southeast has an excellent poll on what you think of Deeds’ ethics. The poll is not only well thought it is quite technologically savvy too. Check it out.

Read More. . . .

Deeds' Dirty Little Secret

Senator Creigh Deeds (almost Attorney General of Virginia and candidate for governor) devises the solution to all ethical problems: if your actions are unethical, don’t change your actions; change the law!

In a Washington Post article late last week, Deeds is accused of violating the states ethics rules prohibiting a state legislator from working for a law firm that does any lobbying – which Deeds does. Deeds has become one of the strongest supporters of a measure that would remove the current ethical ban on lobby/legislator law firms. Deeds is so focused on getting into the Governors mansion that he will do anything to get there, including breaking ethical codes. He said in an interview with the Post, “For me to be able to continue the political journey, I had to find some stability. I had to do something.” What he forgets is that the good people of Virginia have had a close eye on two people over the past 2 years, Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds. McDonnell has made some of the most extensive reforms to Virginia’s criminal justice system in the Commonwealth’s history, while Deeds is advocating a rule change that would redefine his unethical actions as ethical.

Southwest by Southeast has an excellent story on this issue.

What will be really interesting is when the Attorney General is asked to make a ruling as to whether this is actually an ethical violation. Regardless Deeds has given the silver bullet to democrats and Republicans alike that challenge him for the Governorship.


More on this story can be found here, here, and here. Read More. . . .