by Lowell
Need any more evidence that Republicans keep lurching to the right? How about right here in Virginia, where in 2013, they nominated the infamous “extreme team” of conspiracy-theorizing extremist Ken Cuccinelli, bigoted wacko E.W. Jackson and Mark “Criminalize Miscarriages” Obenshain? And speaking of Obenshain, how about him for Virginia State Senate Majority Leader? Sounds crazy? Well…check this out.
Conservatives Senators are asking Majority Leader Tommy Norment (R-James City County) to step aside in favor of a new generation of leaders.
This morning on The John Fredericks Radio Show, Sen. Tom Garrett (R-Buckingham) indicated there is an effort underway to replace the head of their caucus.
… Two names are mentioned as possible replacements for Norment. The name we’ve heard most often is Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Franklin), but also mentioned (now that he’s announced he is not going to run for Governor) is Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg).
Now, I agree with Norment’s critics that he leaves much to be desired, including “personal indiscretions” like literally being in bed with lobbyist(s). On the other hand, Norment has consistently been able to outfox Senate Democratic Leader Dick Saslaw on numerous occasions, so I don’t see how he’s been ineffective as leader (unlike Saslaw, for instance). Anyway, we’ll see if Norment really ends up being ousted; I remain highly skeptical.
If Norment IS ousted, who would replace him? As noted above, The Bull Elephant mentioned Sen. Bill Stanley and Sen. Mark Obenshain. Regarding Stanley, you might want to check out Close Ally of Bob McDonnell, Robert Hurt Caught in Radioactive Scandal, which discusses how Stanley was purportedly asked by Gov. McDonnell “to lobby the county Board of Supervisors to shelve a resolution regarding uranium,” and how the incident “raises questions about the integrity of Stanley, who is one of the state Republican party’s fastest-rising young stars,” and “tends to implicate the McDonnell Administration in influence peddling.” Other than that, Stanley is basically an across-the-board right wingnut, as you can see from his Project Vote Smart ratings. Great, eh?
As for Sen. Mark Obenshain, we spent much of 2013 explaining his extremism, including this.
If a woman in Virginia has a miscarriage without a doctor present, they must report it within 24 hours to the police or risk going to jail for a full year. At least, that’s what would have happened if a bill introduced by Virginia state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R) had become law.
[…]
Under Virginia law, a Class 1 misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of “confinement in jail for not more than twelve months and a fine of not more than $2,500,” so Obenshain’s bill could lead to a woman who decides to take a day to grieve the loss of a pregnancy she’d hoped to carry to term spending a year of her life in jail for that decision.
So, bottom line: if Senate Republicans do end up ousting Norment, the two main options to succeed him are extreme and/or corrupt. Sounds like a plan! LOL
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