Over the years, the deranged, theocratic bigot Marion G. “Pat” Robertson has given huge amounts of money to the Virginia GOP ($720k+). However, over the past few years, he’s largely disappeared, with just a few scattered donations (to EW Jackson, Ken Cuccinelli, etc.). I’d been wondering about this, and was thinking that maybe Virginia Republicans had told crazy “Pat” that they didn’t want to be associated with him anymore, given his many, many offensive remarks over the years. For instance, Robertson said:

*Gay Rights Activists Out to Destroy Family, God

*Planned Parenthood Backs Genocide, Inspired Hitler

*He Wants “Vomit” Button for Same-Sex Facebook Posts

*Gays are Really Straights with “chromosomal damage”

*Mocks “Climatism,” Hopes We Don’t “burn the officials of VEPCO”

*Gays Use Rings to Cut, Infect Others with AIDS

*Rants About Church-State Separation Inviting Radical Muslim “Fifth Column” into US

*Public Schools Are to “Indoctrinate” Children

*A Lo-Carb Diet Violates God’s Principles; Halal Food Funds Terrorism

*Non Christians are “termites”

*Blamed the Haitians for making a deal with the Devil

*Women should accept a cheating husband because “he’s a man”

*Joked (?) that a man should move to Saudi Arabia so he could beat his wife

On and on it goes; where Pat Robertson’s extremism, bigotry and outright insanity end, nobody knows. Except perhaps for Virginia Teapublican Attorney General candidate Mark “Criminalize Miscarriages” Obenshain, who on September 10 received $10,000 from Pat Robertson. Which raises a few big questions: 1) why has Robertson decided to give big-time money to Mark “Restrict Contraception and In-Vitro Fertilization” Obenshain (who the Washington Post calls “a doctrinaire conservative”), especially after being pretty quiet on the donation front the past few years; 2) why has Robertson focused on E.W. Jackson and Mark “Ban Abortion even in cases of rape and incest” Obenshain, because they’re two “peas in an extremist pod” or what; and 3) since Mark “Ken Cuccinelli’s a role model” Obenshain is happy to take Robertson’s $10,000, does he also agree with Robertson’s heinous views that I’ve listed above, or does he condemn them? Inquiring minds want to know.

P.S. Also see Mission Congo: how Pat Robertson raised millions on the back of a non-existent aid project and Pat Robertson Threatens Legal Action Against Filmmakers For Exposing Charity Scam to get an even better idea for this corrupt extremist slimeball.

P.P.S. Needless to say, if you want to see Pat Robertson’s pal Mark Obenshain defeated on 11/5/13, then please help Democratic AG candidate Mark Herring in any way you can. Thanks.

From the Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign. Also, note that Mark Obenshain raised only $564,449 in September, and has just $320,221 on hand – far less than Mark Herring on both counts. 🙂

Heading into final stretch, Herring has over $1.4 million on hand, more than previous AG candidates

The Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign announced it raised over $1.1 million in the month of September – more than any Attorney General campaign in previous cycles in Virginia.

Additionally, the campaign announced it had over $1.4 million remaining on hand – more than any Attorney General campaign in previous cycles in Virginia.

The campaign had nearly 1,500 contributors donate during the month, with an astounding 62% of them new donors to the campaign.

“I am proud of the support we’ve received from Virginians all across this Commonwealth who are ready for an Attorney General who will take the politics out of office and put the law – and Virginia families – first,” Herring said. “The Obenshain-Cuccinelli agenda is too extreme for Virginia, and voters are ready for new leadership. With just three weeks left in the campaign we are in a strong position to become the first Democrat elected Attorney General in 24 years, and we are going to continue our efforts to engage Virginians in every corner of the state to make sure we have a sweep on November 5.”

Below is Herring’s total amount raised during the month of September and the campaign’s ending cash on hand. Also below is information for both Democrats and Republicans in previous cycles.

From the Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign: 

The Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign released the following statement urging Mark Obenshain to denounce comments made by Obenshain supporter Jim Bob Duggar. Duggar made shameful remarks comparing the United States to Nazi Germany.

“The Obenshain-Jackson-Cuccinelli ticket continues attract extreme Tea Party support. It’s not surprising based upon the Obenshain-Cuccinelli record of trying to ban common forms of birth control and outlaw abortion even in the cases of rape and incest. The latest surrogate to come to Virginia to stump for the ticket is Jim Bob Duggar, who last week compared the United States to Nazi Germany. Mark Obenshain should be embarrassed by these comments, but instead he chooses to accept their help and support. Obenshain should denounce Mr. Duggar’s outrageous comments and issue an immediate public apology.”

Today, members of the Duggar family were in Virginia campaigning for the extreme Tea Party ticket. Jim Bob’s son, Josh, who is the Executive Director for FRC Action, the lobbying arm of the conservative Family Research Council, tweeted “Great time here in Richmond at the #VA capitol rallying for @Cuccinelli4Gov @JacksonForLG @MarkObenshain.”

Josh Duggar has said that Cuccinelli, Jackson and Obenshain “really are exemplary of their values.” A copy of their “values” can be found here.

The Duggar family previously campaigned with Obenshain in June. Obenshain tweeted “Great to be with Mike Farris and the Duggar family on this rainy afternoon at the Home Educators Assc Convention!” A picture of them campaigning with failed Lt. Governor candidate and Patrick Henry college Chancellor Michael Farris is above. 

I think the video speaks for itself, but just a few quick points.

1. It’s important to realize what the Family Research Council is – a hate group. That’s right, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the FRC’s “real specialty is defaming gays and lesbians,” with the goals being “to denigrate LGBT people in its battles against same-sex marriage, hate crimes laws, anti-bullying programs and the repeal of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. Charming, eh?

2. Jim Bob Duggar is a right-wing extremist who just recently compared the United States to Nazi Germany at the far-right-wing loony “convention” called the “Values Voter Summit” (see video in the comments section).

3. C’mon, a bunchy of reality show freakazoids, famous for breeding like rabbits? Is this the best Ken Cuccinelli can do? Wow.

4. Finally, the fact that the Duggars believe that Ken Cuccinelli, EW Jackson, and Mark Obenshain are “exemplary” of their “values” really says it all. Needless to say, it’s urgent that you vote in 21 days, and of course that you vote Democratic!

The irony? Del. Rich Anderson (R-51st) voted AGAINST the bipartisan transportation package earlier this year, yet choose the subject line, “Don’t get stuck in traffic,” for his latest fundraising email? Puh-leeze.

Now, here’s a NON-ironic way to show your displeasure of Del. Anderson – vote for his Democratic challenger, Reed Heddleston, on November 5. Then Rich Anderson can spend more time enjoying the Northern Virginia traffic gridlock he voted to perpetuate ad infinitum.

Here’s the story.

An assistant state attorney general improperly advised two energy companies in a natural gas drilling royalty fight against southwest Virginia landowners, but she did so without her supervisor’s knowledge, according to a report from the Inspector General’s Office obtained by The Associated Press.

In the report issued Tuesday to the Attorney General’s Office, Inspector General Michael F. A. Morehart wrote that the assistant attorney general “inappropriately used commonwealth resources in support” of private litigation fighting class-action lawsuits by landowners who claim the companies cheated them out of tens of millions of dollars in royalty payments for natural gas drilled on their properties.

The assistant attorney general, whose name was redacted from the report, provided “litigation strategy” to attorneys for the energy companies when she claimed to be defending the constitutionality of a state law, the report concluded.

Of course, the part about Cuccinelli supposedly having no clue about what was going on – for a long time, by the way – in his own office is highly dubious, to put it mildly. And meanwhile, even after Cuccinelli found out what had happened with the attorney (Sharon Pigeon) in his own office, he took no action. Zero. Nada. He didn’t discipline Pigeon in any way, let alone fire her for wildly unethical and inappropriate actions. And he hasn’t returned the $111,044 he’s received from CONSOL. So pathetic.

From the Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign:

CONSOL campaign donation confirms Obenshain, like Cuccinelli, is the wrong choice for Virginia

Today, the Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign released a television ad exposing Mark Obenshain and Ken Cuccinelli’s cozy relationship with an out-of-state energy company seeking to swindle Virginia landowners out of millions in gas royalties.

The new TV ad can be viewed here.

“The donation that Mark Obenshain took after the scandal was exposed was nothing more than a down payment from Consol Energy to Mark Obenshain to continue the special treatment the company has experienced under Ken Cuccinelli,” Herring said. “This is about whose side Mark Obenshain is going to be on. It’s clear that just like his ticket-mate Ken Cuccinelli, Mark Obenshain would side with out-of-state energy companies, not Virginia property owners. Virginians want the next Attorney General to be a break from Ken Cuccinelli, but Obenshain is going down the same path. As Attorney General, I’ll take politics out of the office, put the law – and Virginians – first.”

The ad, titled “Property,” frames the Obenshain-Cuccinelli approach as right for Consol, but wrong for Virginia. In a class action lawsuit against Virginia citizens, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sided with Consol Energy, the out-of-state company that has donated $111,000 to Cuccinelli’s campaign for Governor.

Consol’s $15,000 contribution to Mark Obenshain’s campaign for Attorney General signals Obenshain’s willingness to continue to take the side of out-of-state companies the way Cuccinelli has.

TRANSCRIPT:

Narrator: Ken Cuccinelli took thousands from Consol Energy. And his office took their side in a fight with Virginia property owners. Now, Attorney General candidate Mark Obenshain is following Cuccinelli’s lead, pocketing $15,000 dollars from Consol Energy. Obenshain – Cuccinelli: Right for Consol. Wrong for Virginia.

Mark Herring: In America, when you own property, its resources belong to you-not some out of state company. I’m Mark Herring, candidate for Attorney General and I sponsored this ad because I’ll fight for your rights.

From the DPVA: 

RICHMOND – Today, Virginia House Democrats as well as Democratic candidates for the House of Delegates called on Virginia House Republicans to demand an immediate end to this reckless government shutdown.  

“The ongoing government shutdown is exactly what happens when our elected leaders put ideology ahead of what is best for the people they serve,” said Major John Bell, candidate for the House of Delegates 87th District. “This shutdown is especially harmful to families in Northern Virginia and needs to end today. Now more than ever, extreme partisans like David Ramadan and Ken Cuccinelli need to put aside their hardline partisan ideology and push Congress to come together, pass a clean CR, and end this needless crisis.”

“Our country is on the edge of a fiscal disaster orchestrated by the extreme wing of the Republicans in Congress,” said Kathleen Murphy, candidate for the House of Delegates 34th District. “I call on Delegate Comstock to urge her friends on the right to end this madness by voting for a clean CR and a debt ceiling increase without riders.  Tell them to stop their plan to force a default by the United States on our debt. End the shutdown now. This is hurting families. Let our residents get back to work!” 

“Washington needs to grow up, stop political posturing, and pay our nations bills,” said Jeremy McPike, candidate for the House of Delegates 31st District. “This isn't a game.  Too many hard working families have been hit hard by furloughs and the shutdown. It’s time for the Tea Party to end the shutdown so that thousands of people in my district can get back to work.”

“In a district like the 51st, where so much of our workforce is made up of government employees and military personnel, it is unthinkable that a legislator whose duty is to represent the families of Prince William County would not be doing everything he could to get those families back to work,” said Reed Heddleston, candidate for the House of Delegates 51st District. “While this may have been a partisan game to score political points by the Tea Party, it has terrible effects on everyday Virginians. When I talk to families in our district they are furious that Rich Anderson has not done anything to help end this shutdown. I call on Rich Anderson to demand his friends in the Virginia Tea Party Congressional Delegation pass a clean continuing resolution that gets Prince William County families back to work as soon as possible.” 

“Delegate Marshall needs to tell his Tea Party friends in Congress to support a clean CR vote today,” said Atif Qarni, candidate for the House of Delegates 13th District. “The dysfunction in Congress is emblematic of Marshall's tenure in the statehouse. Marshall's unwillingness to work in a bipartisan way, much less with his own party, is a huge problem.”