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By O.Hank!, January 29, 2013 4:39 am

January 29, 2013 — This past week, we witnessed a Republican Party that is becoming increasingly out of touch – and desperate to hold on to power and the past!

On the state level in Virginia, GOP leaders continued their attempts to change the rules on voting and how Presidential elections are tallied.  They are still simmering over the President’s SECOND victory in Virginia, which propelled him to a second term. This happened even after GOP leaders spent last year passing legislation to disenfranchise minorities, college students and the poor.  So, this year, the GOP ramped up their efforts to make it even HARDER for these voters to exercise their Constitutional rights.

As if that weren’t bad enough, GOP leaders in the state Senate, split evenly between 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats, snuck in a redistricting bill on Monday, January 21, Inauguration Day, when Sen. Henry Marsh (D-Richmond), a noted civil rights leader in Virginia, went to D.C. to attend the Inaugural ceremonies.  With the Senate now divided 20-19, the GOP had the advantage and rammed through this bill.  Even Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Republican, was ashamed.  Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell distanced himself from the Senate action, but whether or not he will veto the bill remains to be seen.

And as if THAT weren’t bad enough, Virginia GOP Sen. Bill Carrico led the fight to change the electoral rules of Presidential elections from winner-take-all to proportional allotments by Congressional Districts, which the Tea Party/GOP Congress gerrymandered in 2011 and which would give the GOP the advantage.  This paralleled action in other states controlled by the GOP that were won by Obama.

With these actions, the GOP motto has become: If you can’t beat ‘em, cheat ‘em.  Remember, this is the “values” Party….

Let’s face it, Republican leaders are mad!  They HATE the fact that Obama is President – and won again!  They will do anything to gain and keep power, including lying, cheating and stealing.  They and their shrinking base of old white guys HATE the fact that the face of America and Virginia is changing, so they fuel the flames of fear and use lies to divide people, and pass laws that keep people from voting and change the rules so they can win.  They continue to call the President names, and on and on and on….

Sadly for the country, it’s SOS from the GOP – a bunch of Grumpy Old Pfarts.

The day after the Inauguration, GOP Speaker John Boehner accused the President of trying to “annihilate” the GOP.   At the rate they are going, Boehner and his GOP/Tea Party right-wingers will accomplish this feat all on their own.  Here’s to their success!

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By Marc, May 4, 2010 7:56 pm

The Democratic Party of Virginia released the following earlier today.

Governor McDonnell: Drilling at any cost

Meets with oil execs while Obama administration takes prudent steps to prevent future tragedies.

The Democratic Party of Virginia is calling on Governor McDonnell to support President Obama’s call to delay any new offshore drilling projects until a full understanding of the causes of this most recent disaster can be determined.  Both of Virginia’s United States Senators,  Jim Webb and Mark Warner, have made it clear that they support the President’s decision, and expect any lessons learned from the Gulf tragedy to be incorporated into federal regulations that would govern offshore energy production off Virginia’s coast. Yet Governor McDonnell continues to declare unrealistic goals for when drilling should begin and he appears to ignore the safety and environmental considerations that the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has brought to light.

“Some Virginia leaders are reconsidering their support for drilling off the state’s coast after a fatal well accident in the Gulf of Mexico, even as Gov. Robert F. McDonnell continues to lobby aggressively to drill for oil and natural gas without delay,” the Washington Post reported today. “McDonnell (R), who has made drilling off Virginia’s coast one of his administration’s top priorities, flew to Houston on Monday to tout the benefits of offshore drilling at an industry-sponsored conference.” [Va. officials reconsider support for drilling after gulf oil accident, Washington Post, Tuesday, May 4, 2010; A10]

And in an interview on WTOP Radio on April 27, Governor McDonnell stated, “”This is certainly a setback, but I certainly continue to be dedicated to making us first to drill, 2012 at the latest, and over the next couple years these safety and environmental issues will be addressed.”

“Governor McDonnell’s misplaced priorities have struck again – and this time it’s our environment that is at risk,” said David Mills, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia.  “When responsible leaders learn of relevant new information, they adapt their positions.  Senator Webb and Senator Warner have agreed that the President’s call for a delay on new projects is the responsible course of action until the cause of the tragedy in the Gulf is determined — yet Governor McDonnell continues to push for unrealistic timetables.”

Mills further stated, “Just last night, Governor McDonnell was in Texas rubbing elbows with oil industry executives as they discussed the profits to be had from offshore drilling. A spill of this magnitude off Virginia’s coast would devastate our coastal economy and endanger the effectiveness of the world’s largest navy base at Norfolk. A responsible leader with the right priorities for Virginia would join Senators Webb and Warner in their commonsense approach. “

Very well said by the DPVA!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Priorities Bob, Priorities. The responsible thing to do is take a step back and pause. Throughout this debate, we’ve been repeatedly told how safe offshore drilling was and how any fear was unfounded. Clearly this is a huge issue now and the safety of such rigs must be looked at more carefully.

McDonnell is more concerned in assisting the oil industry fat cats than Virginia businesses and workers who rely on a strong coastal economy. Imagine what kind of hit a spill like this would be to Virginia’s tourism industry that relies so heavily on state beaches ($19.2 billion industry, 210,620 jobs) or its fishing industry ($1.23 billion in output sales, $717.4 million in value-added income and 13,015 jobs). This doesn’t even take into consideration the negative environmental impact to our wetlands, wildlife and aquatic life or water quality. Oh yeah, the U.S. Navy is also deeply opposed to drilling.

Could you imagine the impact that a spill would have on our economy?! I cannot even begin to imagine.

Given the immense risk of drilling, one has to wonder is it worth it? The Virginia Conservation Network’s data clearly suggests no.

The Atlantic OCS has significantly less recoverable oil and gas reserves than any other OCS region, with an estimated 3.82 billion barrels of oil and 36.99 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. At current rates of consumption, the entire Atlantic OCS would supply the U.S. with only 6 months worth of oil and 18 months worth of natural gas; Virginia’s offshore supply of oil and gas would last less than 7 and 18 days, respectively.

Meanwhile, four times more gas and oil is available in areas already open to drilling than in waters protected by the moratorium, and the industry is using only a fraction (18-20%) of what it already has access to. These unused areas could produce an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day, nearly double current domestic oil production.

Weighing the effect such a spill would have on our economy against any potential benefit, I would have to say that drilling doesn’t seem worth it to me. Regardless, the only course of action right now should be to pause and reassess. This decision is far too important to be made rashly and the consequences too great. McDonnell should follow the lead of Senators Warner and Webb and put commonsense above ideology.

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By Marc, April 29, 2010 9:22 pm

Another week, another controversy has erupted for Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA). As the Washington Post reported yesterday, McDonnell made the decision to “quietly” reverse “a policy banning Virginia State Police troopers from referring to Jesus Christ in public prayers.”

For those of us in the Fredericksburg-region, you may recall the 2005 controversy surrounding City Councilman Hashmel Turner’s. In addition to being on the Council, he is also an ordained minister and part-time pastor at a local church. He filed suit in 2005, after the City Council implemented a policy requiring that all legislative prayers be nondenominational. He insisted that this violated his First Amendment rights and that he must close his prayers in the “name of Jesus Christ.”

The United States Fourth Circuit of Appeals eventually ruled that since the “prayers at issue here are government speech, we hold that Fredericksburg’s prayer policy does not violate Turner’s Free Speech and Free Exercise rights.” This ultimately resulted in police chaplains being instructed, in 2008, to offer only nondenominational prayers at any department-sanctioned public event. This had been the standing policy, until McDonnell “quietly” reversed this decision recently.

Virginia Legislators have stood behind this policy, since 2008, and defeated several bills over the years to legislatively change this policy.

The Jewish Community Federation of Richmond has responded to this controversy by sending a letter to McDonnell, blasting the prayer policy change.

It leads us toward unnecessary religious clashes, demeans our Commonwealth’s Jeffersonian principles, and creates an unwelcoming environment for the Commonwealth’s Jewish citizens and other religious minorities. A final concern is the likelihood that revisiting this guidance would ultimately lead to litigation costly to our Commonwealth.

In the letter, Fredericksburg Rabbi Devorah Lynn sums things up best when commenting on this issue, “When you are asked to speak in public for a group of people with different religious practices you need to think not of who you are praying to but who you are praying for.”

McDonnell once again proves that he is more interested on pushing his radical social agenda than on focusing on critical issues facing the Commonwealth. This has become a disturbing pattern with him.  He continues to move Virginia backwards, essentially slamming the door shut on creating a more welcoming environment for all in favor of pushing a divisive social agenda. He seems more interested in spending time in the courtroom than the boardroom. Priorities Bob, Priorities.

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By chris, April 14, 2010 12:11 am

Southern California native George Allen finally made it to the big screen in the 2003 film 'Gods and Generals'

“Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.”
– Vice President of the Confederacy, Alexander Hamilton Stephens

Stephens was considered a “moderate” among secessionists and was known for his generosity and intellect. His “Cornerstone Speech” was delivered in 1861 soon after he was elected Vice-President of the Confederate States of America and co-authored the government’s constitution.

Thanks Stephen C.!

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By Marc, April 9, 2010 5:19 pm

It’s about time that Jon Stewart weighed in on Bob McDonnell’s “Confederacy History Month” proclamation. He pokes fun at McDonnell’s omission of a certain little fact that actually led to the war; highlights the new pantsless griffin mascot at William & Mary (he actually graduated from W&M); and explains the north’s “Union Victory Appreciation Month.”

On the subject of “Union Victory Appreciation Month” Stewart explains that “it would be hypocritical of me to complain about Virginia’s confederate holiday when our part of the country, the north, is marking Union Victory or United States Victory Appreciation Month celebrating our rich heritage of kicking the Confederacies ass.”

Enjoy!

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By Marc, April 8, 2010 8:31 pm

As I’ve previously written, RNC Chairman Michael Steele is embroiled in a heavy wave of criticism, from fellow Republicans, over his profligate spending of party funds. This includes an expenditure for a well-publicized trip to a lesbian bondage-themed strip club.

What’s Steele’s excuse for all of this criticism? The race card. Yes, the same race card he has repeatedly “accused Democrats of using.” You have to love hypocrites!

Quick, when race is involved who’s the first person that you would seek an opinion from? Naturally, George Allen.

So what does George Allen (R-VA) think about all of this?

WARREN: “He [Steele] says he gets extra scrutiny because of the color of his skin, that there is less room for error because he’s black. Do you buy that?”

ALLEN: “I don’t care what his skin pigmentation is. Understand that I grew up in football families. You don’t care about someone’s race or religion or ethnicity. You care about can they do the job. I think Michael, I like Michael. When I was chair of the Senate Campaign, I’d have Michael speak because I think he’s a good, enthusiastic leader regardless of his race.”

So, Allen learned how to be colorblind by playing football. Allen recently explained, “In sports, what you have is a level playing field…you don’t care about race, all you care about is who can help you win.”

So what Allen is trying to say is that he learned to overlook a person’s color for the sake of winning. If only Macawitz would have followed this winning game plan in 2006, he may have still been Senator. I know, scary thought.

What’s worse is that several of his former college football teammates painted a different picture of him back in 2006. These former teammates say that he “repeatedly used an inflammatory racial epithet and demonstrated racist attitudes toward blacks.”

Allen’s race problems have been well documented.

Here’s some advice: if you want to learn how to be tolerant, don’t ask or follow George Allen. If only someone would have told Bob McDonnell that, before deciding to follow Allen’s lead in omitting any mention of slavery when recognizing Confederate History Month.

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By Marc, April 7, 2010 10:14 pm

Gov. McDonnell has just issued a statement of apology.

The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission. The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed. The abomination of slavery divided our nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War. Slavery was an evil, vicious and inhumane practice which degraded human beings to property, and it has left a stain on the soul of this state and nation. In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly approved a formal statement of “profound regret” for the Commonwealth’s history of slavery, which was the right thing to do.

When I signed the Proclamation designating February as Black History Month, and as I look out my window at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, I am reminded that, even 150 years later, Virginia’s past is inextricably part of our present. The Confederate History Month proclamation issued was solely intended to promote the study of our history, encourage tourism in our state in advance of the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, and recognize Virginia’s unique role in the story of America. The Virginia General Assembly unanimously approved the establishment of a Sesquicentennial American Civil War Commission to prepare for and commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the War, in order to promote history and create recognition programs and activities.

As Virginians we carry with us both the burdens and the blessings of our history. Virginia history undeniably includes the fact that we were the Capitol of the Confederacy, the site of more battlefields than any other state, and the home of the signing of the peace agreement at Appomattox. Our history is perhaps best encapsulated in a fact I noted in my Inaugural Address in January: The state that served as the Capitol of the Confederacy was also the first in the nation to elect an African-American governor, my friend, L. Douglas Wilder. America’s history has been written in Virginia. We cannot avoid our past; instead we must demand that it be discussed with civility and responsibility. During the commemoration of the Civil War over the next four years, I intend to lead an effort to promote greater understanding and harmony in our state among our citizens.”

In addition the Governor announced that the following language will be added to the Proclamation:

WHEREAS, it is important for all Virginians to understand that the institution of slavery led to this war and was an evil and inhumane practice that deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights and all Virginians are thankful for its permanent eradication from our borders, and the study of this time period should reflect upon and learn from this painful part of our history…

It’s about time! While I applaud him for finally doing the right thing, it should not have taken him so long. Shame on him.