The following email was sent by the young woman in the middle of the case against Del. Joe Morrissey. Although she’s 18 years old, ergo an adult, I’ve deleted her name, as I’d rather not be the one to publicly “out” her in such a sensitive case like this one. Her email is in response to this statement by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, calling for Del. Morrissey to “resign from office immediately,” and including Senator Mamie Locke’s comment that Morrissey had “abused his position of authority and his continued service brings blight on an institution that has stood as an aspiration for democracies for over 400 year.” The email further cites the “basic human right to not be preyed upon, especially in the workplace.”

Dear Senator Locke,

My name is ***** ***** and I am the young woman in question in regards to the Joe Morrissey matter. I have come across your statement made in respect to the situation. First, let’s be clear about one thing, I have not been asked by anyone to comment back upon your statement. I would like to express my deep disappointment of your statement. You have made harsh comments to which you have absolutely no knowledge about. In your statement, you have stated two things that are troubling. 1. The Democratic Party cannot be an organization that stands for the rights and interests of women yet allow someone who has admitted to endangering a young woman to continue to serve as one of our colleagues in the General Assembly. 2.This includes the basic human right to not be preyed upon, especially in the workplace. I intend to make a few things clear.

1.     I was NOT “preyed” upon, but rather given an opportunity to explore my passion of becoming and attorney and to pay for my college expenses that my father, whom I’ve been estranged from since 9 years old had no intentions of doing. For what’s its worth Mr. Morrissey and his law firm has been gracious and provided me with more than my father has in my entire life.

2.     You have stated that YOU and your democratic colleagues stand to protect the rights and interests of women, however, if that’s so, where were YOU and YOUR colleagues when my father was physically abusing me? Where were YOU and YOUR colleagues when my father stole my tuition money, but yet YOU and YOUR colleagues are about “protecting the rights and interest of woman”.

Despite the circumstances that I raised in and yet again another tragic issue in my life, I have continued to move pass all evil. I was accepted into a governor high school and finished up in 3 years as an A student. While in high school, I was 1 of 3 students to be accepted to attend Stanford Law School to participate in a mock trial. I have gone on to attend college and still maintain straight A’s. I intend help Mr. Morrissey clear his name and reputation. If not for me lying about my age and my family intending to extort money from Mr. Morrissey, he would not be in this situation. I appreciate him dearly for making the decision to enter an Alfred plea (to which he has NOT ADMITTED GUILT), sparing me the trauma of a trial and the embarrassment of my family. Next time you decide to express your opinion and pass judgment, I suggest you reach out and have your facts straight and focus on young ladies who have been beaten, victimized and raped.

Excellent news, looooong overdue! I mean, heck, we have diplomatic relations with Russia, China, and many other unsavory regimes, but not Cuba? Crazy.  

Today, the United States is taking historic steps to chart a new course in our relations with Cuba and to further engage and empower the Cuban people.  We are separated by 90 miles of water, but brought together through the relationships between the two million Cubans and Americans of Cuban descent that live in the United States, and the 11 million Cubans who share similar hopes for a more positive future for Cuba. 

It is clear that decades of U.S. isolation of Cuba have failed to accomplish our enduring objective of promoting the emergence of a democratic, prosperous, and stable Cuba.  At times, longstanding U.S. policy towards Cuba has isolated the United States from regional and international partners, constrained our ability to influence outcomes throughout the Western Hemisphere, and impaired the use of the full range of tools available to the United States to promote positive change in Cuba.  Though this policy has been rooted in the best of intentions, it has had little effect – today, as in 1961, Cuba is governed by the Castros and the Communist party.

We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.  It does not serve America’s interests, or the Cuban people, to try to push Cuba toward collapse.  We know from hard-learned experience that it is better to encourage and support reform than to impose policies that will render a country a failed state.  With our actions today, we are calling on Cuba to unleash the potential of 11 million Cubans by ending unnecessary restrictions on their political, social, and economic activities.  In that spirit, we should not allow U.S. sanctions to add to the burden of Cuban citizens we seek to help.

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, December 16. As for the news story on Gov. McAuliffe’s gun proposals, I’m including it mostly because they interview Lori Haas, whose daughter Emily was shot and wounded at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007.

*Taliban storm Pakistan school; at least 100 dead (Have I mentioned recently how much I despise religious extremists of all kinds?)

*Dick Cheney’s grotesque legacy: Why the record is so much worse than reported (“He was an unpopular VP, whom history won’t remember kindly. But this is Dick Cheney’s real contribution to America.” He needs to be tried for war crimes, as does anyone else who ordered torture or participated in it.)

*Ted Cruz reignites GOP civil war (Thank goodness for Ted Cruz. Oh, and please — don’t ever change! LOL)

*Poll: Dems want Hillary primary challenge (“The poll of Democrats nationwide finds that 48 percent say it is better if there is an active primary challenge to Clinton, compared to 43 percent who say it is better if Democrats coalesce behind Clinton early.” Jim Webb and Martin O’Malley both have net unfavorable ratings and basically no support in this poll.)

*Sorry, Putin. Russia’s economy is doomed (No sympathy for Putin, but unfortunately, the people of Russia will suffer.)

*Climate deniers get even more ridiculous (“The industry now says we need more CO2 in our lives, not less.” Utterly insane people who should be completely ignored – and certainly not elected to anything, that’s for sure!)

*Virginia Gov. McAuliffe to renew push to expand Medicaid (Lots of “red” states have expanded Medicaid, including three just since the midterms. What are Virginia Republicans waiting for?)

*Vivek Murthy confirmed as surgeon general (Finally!)

*McAuliffe takes bite out of tax preferences to deal with revenue shortfall (“The governor will propose on Wednesday to limit the tax credits and deductions that electric utilities and coal companies take for coalfield production and employment, property owners take for land preservation, and individuals take for purchase of long-term care insurance.”)

*McAuliffe rolls out gun reforms (How could anyone, including law-abiding gun owners, be against background checks?)

*Virginia governor announces new voting machines statewide (“Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he plans to include $28 million in his budget for new voting machines statewide. The move, he said, would create a paper trail for individual votes.”)

*Del. Michael Futrell joins race for open Virginia Senate seat (Did the Post do separate stories for Atif Qarni and Jeremy McPike when they entered the race? If not, why not?)

*After McDonnell conviction, Virginia needs to get tougher on ethics

*A lawmaker by day and a jailbird by night? You’ve got to be kidding. (Seems appropriate in anything-goes, no-ethics-laws-to-speak-of Virginia.)

*House’s Fightin’ Joe must go (“Del. Joe Morrissey was facing felony child porn and sex-related charges involving a 17-year-old staffer at his law office. Last week, he instead entered an Alford plea – maintaining his innocence but acknowledging prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him – for a count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”)

*As Morrissey hangs on, challenger backs off recall plan

*Jail for Joe (“Joe Morrissey has not attained the legendary status of Marion Barry, the late mayor of D.C., or Rob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto. But that is not for lack of trying.”)

*Colleges, including U-Va., rarely expel attackers after sex assaults (That’s crazy.)

*Arlington may give Signature $5 million loan and a break on rent

*A winter story may be ahead, but today it’s going to be rainy and mild

Here are the (strong) rumors — which I’ve now heard/had confirmed from multiple sources over the past couple weeks — as of now. What you’re hearing? Thanks.

*Steve Pazmino out as Virginia Democratic Senate Caucus Executive Director after many years. His last day will be Dec. 31, 2014.

*Brian Zuzenak heading over from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (where he’s political director) to take over for Pazmino.

*Michael Halle, currently Coordinated Campaign Director for the Democratic Party of Virginia, heading to New York to (reportedly) join “Hillaryworld.”

Any interesting rumors you’re hearing today? 🙂

P.S. I love how people “play dumb,” claim they have noooo idea, etc, even as the rumor ship is leaking like a sieve…

P.P.S. This all seems highly consistent with a Hillary Clinton for President announcement in the next few months.

UPDATE: I finally caught up with Steve Pazmino this morning. He said this was the “job of a lifetime” (that he’s held since January 2003), that he’s had a “fantastic run” and is very proud to have built a program here (from every little when he started) in Virginia which others think is worthy of emulating. He said that Gov. McAuliffe and his people have a right to bring in whatever folks they want to run the program.  He noted that we’ve had our ups and downs, going from 16 Senate Dems to 22 to 20 to 19.  Looking forward, Pazmino says we obviously we can’t control the national political climate, but we need to have good candidates here in 2015, run strong campaigns, and motivate the base to turn out and vote. Finally, we talked about Virginia’s evolution from more of a “Southern” state back in 2003 to more of a “mid-Atlantic” state today. Of course, it’s not inevitable that it will continue in this direction, but the demographics make that path look more likely than not. Still, Democrats obviously can never take anything for granted, and will need to work to convince people to vote for them – and to turn out!  Anyway, good luck to Steve Pazmino in whatever he does next, and good luck to the team that’s coming in for 2015!

Of course, Republicans won't pass these commonsense/no-brainer ideas, because they're totally in the pocket of gun interests, but thanks to Gov. McAuliffe for pushing ahead anyway.

~ Proposals include common-sense measures to protect Virginia communities and keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands ~

ARLINGTON – Governor McAuliffe today announced a series of legislative proposals aimed at protecting Virginia residents and families through common-sense gun violence prevention efforts. The proposals include prohibiting the possession of firearms for persons subject to protective orders and those who have committed certain misdemeanor offenses, such as stalking, sexual battery, and domestic violence, as well as revoking concealed handgun permits for parents delinquent on child support payments and closing the gun show loophole.
 

“As Governor, there is no greater responsibility than ensuring the health and safety of the citizens I serve,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Our Commonwealth and our nation have seen too many tragedies as a result of dangerous weapons getting into the hands of the wrong people. These common-sense proposals will keep guns out of the hands of criminals, will keep our communities safe, and will help to build a new Virginia economy.”

“These are responsible policies that will benefit Virginia’s neighborhoods and families and will create safer environments for our law enforcement officials,” added Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “By implementing these common-sense measures, Virginia can lead the way on curbing gun violence and can prevent dangerous individuals from illegally obtaining firearms.”  

Governor McAuliffe’s legislative package on preventing gun violence includes:
 
Prohibit the possession of firearms for persons subject to protective orders
According to the American Journal of Public Health, when a gun is present in domestic violence situations, the risk of homicide for women increases by 500%. This proposal will aim to prevent domestic violence tragedies from occurring in Virginia by prohibiting the possession of firearms for persons subject to protective orders, which covers acts of violence against family members, inter-partner violence, and other dangerous behaviors.
 
Prohibit the possession of firearms for misdemeanor domestic violence offenders
Past violence is one of the biggest predictors of future violence, as handgun purchasers with violent misdemeanor convictions are 8 times more likely than those without prior convictions to be convicted of a new violent offense. This proposal will aim to stop that disturbing trend by prohibiting possession of firearms for certain misdemeanor offenses, including stalking, sexual battery, assault and battery against a family or household member, brandishing a firearm, and having two more convictions of assault and battery.

Curtail handgun trafficking by reinstating the one handgun a month law

As a gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment, Governor McAuliffe believes in the right to bear arms, but in a responsible way that prevents dangerous people from stockpiling and trafficking dangerous weapons. This common-sense measure, which was Virginia law for 19 years, limits handgun purchases to one a month and aims to reduce the chances of handguns causing violent tragedies in Virginia and across the nation.
  
Revoke concealed handgun permits for parents delinquent on child support payments
In order to build a new Virginia economy, it is essential that parents are receiving support payments and are able to provide for their children and families. Currently, there are 8889 parents with concealed handgun permits delinquent on child support payments, collectively owing over $15,675,000.
 
Keep handguns out of the wrong hands by closing the gun show loophole
Under current Virginia Law, only Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers are required to conduct criminal background checks prior to selling or transferring firearms.  At gun shows, private vendors are not required to conduct criminal background checks, creating an easy avenue for criminals to illegally gain access to guns. Governor McAuliffe’s legislative proposal changes that, requiring universal background checks for all purchases at gun shows.
 
Give Virginia State Police authority to process voluntary background check requests
Today, the Virginia State Police does not have the authority to process background check requests even when they have been submitted to them by private vendors. This proposal will give Virginia State Police the statutory authority to do so. Governor McAuliffe also is including an additional $100,000 in his budget to ensure that the Virginia State Police will be at every gun show in Virginia and available to perform these voluntary background checks.
 
Make unlawful purchases more difficult by clarifying what information can be displayed by gun show vendors

Today, gun shows can advertize that they are not required to conduct background checks, creating an easy environment to solicit business from individuals legally prohibited from buying firearms. This common-sense proposal will reduce the chance of dangerous people from illegally obtaining firearms at gun shows by preventing gun shows from advertising that they are not required to conduct background checks. 

1. Jackson reiterates his frequently-expressed, yet still completely false, view that Barack Obama “is not a Christian.”

2. Jackson also reiterates his frequently-expresses, yet still completely false, view that America is a “Christian nation.”

3. Jackson claims that Barack Obama thinks he’s “smarter than the Bible” and “smarter than god.” (is this guy utterly obsessed with Barack Obama or what?)

4. He says if “any Christian who goes to a church where they say you ought to support the Democrat (sic) Party…you ought to get out of that church…[because churches like that] do not include the Bible and the word of god.”

5. “I say to black people in the Democrat (sic) Party who are caught up in it, as I was once caught up in it…I say to them…touch not the unclean thing.”

6. “It is clear that the Democrat (sic) Party has become the godless, anti-Christian, anti-faith, anti-bible, anti-family, anti-life party…Think about the progressive coalition that the party is part of…at some point as a Christian one has to ask, am I being on the lord’s side in associating myself with these people…all Christians must come out of the Democrat (sic) Party.”

7. “If I love god, and these people are demonstrating they hate god…because god is in the way of their amoral vision of what life ought to be…well then why in the world would any Christian or believing Jew want to be associated with them?”

8. He claims Barack Obama is an anti-Semite (because Obama won’t do everything Bibi Netanyahu wants him to do and because he follows long-standing U.S. policy about a two-state solution, settlements, etc.). Yes, Jackson’s completely bonkers, but remember, Republicans nominated him last year for Lt. Governor of Virginia.

9. Showing absolutely no self awareness of sense of irony, Jackson says he won’t follow Louis Farrakhan because Farrakhan is “full of hatred and evil and lies.” Speaking of “full of hatred” and “lies,” Jackson really needs to look in the mirror once in a while.

10. He strongly recommends watching Fox News, claims it’s really “fair and balanced.” He also recommends Rush Limbaugh as a “tremendous source of information.” Shocker.

The following political cartoon, sent to us by a talented artist, refers to this story on “Dominion’s Strange Tobacco Money.”

Dominion Resources, the powerful, Richmond-based utility with $13 billion in revenues, has strangely been getting $30 million public funds to bring a natural gas pipeline to a new generating plant in Brunswick County.

Odder still (or maybe not so) the public funds are coming from the GOP-controlled Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission which has figured in a wave of corruption since it was formed in 1999.

Even more bizarre, the tobacco commission made up of politically-appointed people arranged for Dominion to receive millions more than its own staff recommended, according to an intriguing report by the Associated Press.

Keep in mind, as the AP story points out, that “Dominion is without peer in terms of political sway in Virginia and routinely gets friendly legislation passed with broad bipartisan support.” Not coincidentally, Dominion “is the single biggest donor to state-level politicians, as well as one of the biggest gift givers – often treating lawmakers to Washington Redskins games or paying for them to attend events like the Masters golf tournament in Georgia.”> Oh, and “CEO Thomas Farrell II and McDonnell are childhood friends.”

Also worth noting is that Farrell – pictured in the political cartoon – received $10.9 million in compensation in 2013, while his company earned $545 million in the third quarter of 2014 alone. Does this sound like a company that needs any taxpayer-funded corporate welfare at all, let alone $30 million?!? In this case, the money came from the Virginia Tobacco Commission, headed up by that fine, upstanding public servant, Del Terry Kilgore – the same guy who offered Phil Puckett a job on his commission if he’d quit the State Senate and throw it to Republican control. Charming, eh?

Of course, this is the same company which has spent millions of dollars over the years to purchase our legislature, and with it the right to control Virginia’s energy policy. Keep in mind that this is a regulated utility with massive amounts of business before the state. The fact that they’re allowed to basically purchase the people charged with regulating them should be unacceptable to Virginians of all political persuasions. Also, just curious, but why is Bob McDonnell going to jail for 10 years regarding Star Scientific, when Dominion Power and its bought-and-paid-for legislators (e.g., Terry Kilgore) have been doing that sort of thing for much, much longer – and on a far, far larger scale?

P.S. As a reader points out, see this article about Tom Farrell essentially buying his son a seat in the state legislature, and also this article about how “Farrell and his father, Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell, made a movie last year about VMI cadets in the Civil War. The project got $800,000 in tax credits and, laughably, a $200,000 grant.” More taxpayer-funded welfare for the wealthy. Perhaps the Tea Party should be protesting crap like THIS for a change?!?