Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, June 11 (Virginia Democratic primary today – please take a few minutes and vote!).
*Majority Views NSA Phone Tracking as Acceptable Anti-terror Tactic (Fascinating: Republicans supported these programs 75%-23% in 1/06, when Bush was in the White House, but now are only at 52% support when Obama is in there. Meanwhile, Democratic support is way up, from 37% when Bush was president to 64% now. Hmmmm.)
*Leaks raise questions about outsourcing intelligence work (It’s definitely a concern, although I must say I worked with many fine private contractors when I was in the government.)
*Edward Snowden is No Hero (“…our system offers legal options to disgruntled government employees and contractors. They can take advantage of federal whistle-blower laws; they can bring their complaints to Congress; they can try to protest within the institutions where they work. But Snowden did none of this.”)
*Obama administration drops fight for age restrictions on morning-after pill (I never understood this one; glad they’ve dropped it.)
*In NSA programs, democracy works in secret (“Just as it is important not to exaggerate the national security risks of transparency, it is also important not to give into the anti-government paranoia of grandstanding politicians such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who on Sunday invoked the tyranny of King George III to criticize programs that are the result of a checked, deliberative process across three branches of government”)
*Va. senator seeks inquiry into Cuccinelli’s office over gas litigation (“A Southwest Virginia legislator Monday called for an state Inspector General investigation into Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office after a federal judge rebuked a lawyer on his staff for assisting two energy companies as they defend against lawsuits from citizens over natural gas royalties.”)
*Voters to complete Democratic ticket in Virginia primary
*AG stands with citizens (Ken Cuccinelli misleads and distorts in the Roanoke Times. In no way, shape, or form has Ken Cuccinelli enforced the laws of Virginia impartially, regardless of who stood to benefit, as Attorney General. That’s beyond laughable.)
*Setting stage for November
*Virginia Democrats to complete statewide ticket Tuesday
*McDonnell flees queries about probe (“Governor says he can’t talk about a federal grand jury investigation into gifts”)
*Virginia GOP Lt. Gov. Candidate: “Satanic Rock,” Witches Destroying Society
*Ken Cuccinelli’s Running Mate Is More Moderate Than Him on At Least One Thing: Banning Gay S
*Va. mortgage borrowers getting $33M in deal
*Warner appointed to chair Senate Commerce subcommittee
*Study: most Virginia college spending not on instruction
*Critics: Va. inconsistently applies health rules to abortion clinics, hopsitals (Seems like this should be the basis for a lawsuit.)
*Democrat Brian Lang joins race for Hollins District seat
*What’s broken about the Nats that can’t be fixed in two weeks? Nothing.
*Storm brings flooding, tornado
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