Virginia Religious Leaders Unite Against McDonnell’s Liquor Plan

Gotta love this:

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is leading a coalition and a petition drive in opposition to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to privatize the state’s liquor stores.

[…]

The coalition, called Your Values, Your Voice, includes the Baptist General Association of Virginia, an umbrella group affiliated with more than 1,400 Virginia churches.

Uh, last I checked, that’s also known as “Bob McDonnell’s base.” Now, they are abandoning him over his cockamamie, misguided “plan” (if we can even call it that) to let the liquor industry run wild in Virginia.  Not surprisingly, religious conservatives aren’t falling for it. Nor, from what I’m hearing, are many other people.

All of this is making the McDonnell people a wee bit defensive and testy. For instance, check this out:

Stacey Johnson, press secretary to McDonnell, said the coalition’s objections “have been repeatedly proven incorrect. If these groups oppose gaining a half a billion dollars for transportation without a tax increase, that’s their prerogative. But they need to answer: How do they propose to fund transportation in Virginia?”

That’s right, the McDonnell administration is demanding that a coalition of Virginia religious groups come up with their own transportation plan! Is that bizarre or what?  Can anyone remember anything similar from a Republican governor, or even a Democratic governor, in recent years? Bizarre.