This bizarre video by Ken Cuccinelli leaves me almost speechless at how totally f***ed up it is. Still, I’ll do my best:

1. The thing’s just creepy, from the bizarre/fake expression on Cuckoo’s face (blinking occasionally might help?), to the mawkish music, to the weird camera angles, to the length of this monstrosity (3 1/2 minutes of this crap?!?)…just the whole thing is FUBAR. Whoever was responsible for this should seriously be fired immediately. Wait! On second thought, as a Democrat who badly wants to see extremist nutjob Cuccinelli defeated, please KEEP whoever produced this video and have them do a bunch more! Yeah, that’s the ticket… 🙂

2. To paraphrase a Virginia Democratic friend, the fact that Cuccinelli is trying to hide his radical, public school privatization plan in some kind of civil rights struggle is extremely obnoxious. Of course, there are a lot of education reform views on both sides of the aisle, but Cuccinelli’s push to put money into religious schools is totally crazy. Heck, Cuccinelli can’t even get his party to agree with him on this stuff, it’s so extreme. Bottom line: We can’t have a governor who’s going to spend four years tilting at windmills and trying to turn us into North Carolina.

3. How bad is Cuccinelli’s education plan? See Del. Rob Krupicka’s demolition of it, also teacher/Democratic activist superstar Kip Malinosky’s. It’s not a pretty picture, particularly repealing the Blaine Amendment to allow public funding of religious schools, along with several other disastrous components which all justifiably earn “F” grades from Del. Krupicka.

3. To quote my friend Josh Israel, “Video by @KenCuccinelli actually tries to tie MLK legacy his school voucher scheme.”

4. Does Cuccinelli have ANY clue whatsoever what the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was all about? First off, the march was organized by a number of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations, led by Bayard Rustin, “a homosexual, a Communist, and a war resistor.” I’m sure Cooch would fit right in. Heh. Also, the March on Washington’s goals included, among other things, a “program of public works, including job training, for the unemployed;” a “$2-an-hour minimum wage nationwide;” and “enforcement of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution by reducing congressional representation from States that disenfranchise citizens.” None of those things, of course, are compatible with the agenda of Ken Cuccinelli and his Tea Party allies Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, etc. To the contrary, what we see in Republican-controlled state after Republican-controlled state are: efforts to block minimum wage increases; opposition to public works, job training and aid to the unemployed; and legislation aimed at taking the right to vote away from people who tend to vote Democratic (e.g., African Americans, poor people).

5. This video’s just a huge #FAIL any way you look at it. I can’t even believe this creep could have ever been elected to anything, let alone be a “major party” candidate for Governor of Virginia. SERIOUSLY?!?

I’m very pleasantly surprised at this (see Herring for AG statement below), as the Virginia Association of Realtors almost always endorses Republicans for statewide office. This year, so far, they’ve endorsed Terry McAuliffe for Governor, Ralph Northam for Lt. Governor, and Mark Herring for Attorney General over the extremist GOP ticket. Good stuff – go Dems!

The Virginia Association of Realtors®, through its Realtor Political Action Committee, has endorsed Senator Mark Herring for Attorney General. The association cited Herring’s long support of a transportation compromise, and focus in the Senate on creating an economic environment that attracts new businesses and creates jobs in Virginia as reasons for supporting Herring.

“Mark Herring is a strong supporter of the real estate industry, and he knows that housing is critical to the Commonwealth’s economy,” said Mary Dykstra, President of the Virginia Association of Realtors. “We are pleased to endorse him for Attorney General for his commitment to a strong housing market.”

The Virginia Association of Realtors is the largest trade association in Virginia, with nearly 29,000 members. Herring was proud to receive their support.

“I’m honored to receive this endorsement from the Virginia Association of Realtors. I’ve made it a priority during my time in the Senate to cultivate economic growth that fosters a strong housing market in Virginia, and to work with all sides to deliver real results for Virginians,” Herring said. “As Attorney General, I will continue advocating for a balanced economic approach that brings businesses to the Commonwealth, creates real jobs for all Virginians, and keeps our economy and our state moving forward.”

Dominion Virginia Power said Monday that it intends to move forward with plans for a third reactor at its North Anna Power Station as the international nuclear energy industry reels from the disaster at the Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Japan.-WSLS10, March 15, 2011

The operator of Japan’s tsunami-hit nuclear power plant sounded the alarm on the gravity of the deepening crisis of containment at the coastal site on Friday, saying that there are more than 200,000 tons of radioactive water in makeshift tanks vulnerable to leaks, with no reliable way to check on them or anywhere to transfer the water. -The New York Times, August 23, 2013

A friend asked me recently whether I thought the ongoing disaster at the Fukishima nuclear plant in Japan would have repercussions here in Virginia, where Dominion Power operates four nuclear reactors at two plants and wants to build another. I feel pretty sure the answer is no. Economics will kill Dominion’s nuclear dream, but not risk. We just don’t think that way.

We think like this: Fukishima was taken out by a tsunami. There are no tsunamis in central Virginia. Ergo, there is no risk to Virginia’s nuclear plants from a tsunami, so Japan’s sudden revulsion against nuclear power shouldn’t put us off our feed half a world away.

So why did countries like Germany, which also has no tsunamis, freak out and swear off nuclear for good?

They drew an entirely different lesson: Japan is a smart, technologically-advanced nation. Japan did not anticipate the disaster that destroyed Fukishima. Ergo, unanticipated disasters happen even in smart, technologically-advanced nations.

Or put another way: Murphy’s Law also applies to nuclear plants. We ignore Murphy at our peril.

But ignore him we do. We had our own brush with nuclear disaster two years ago, when a rare, magnitude 5.8 earthquake shook central Virginia and led to a months-long shutdown of the two North Anna nuclear reactors. No one expected an earthquake of this strength there, least of all the plants’ designers. Fortunately, the reactors survived intact, but I don’t know of anyone who wants to repeat the experiment. Presumably Dominion intends the “next” North Anna reactor to be designed to withstand stronger earthquakes. Do you feel better about nuclear now, or worse?

Murphy’s Law operates with ferocity across the energy sector. An industry expert told me the BP oil spill in the Gulf happened in spite of four different safeguards in place on the drilling rig, each of which should have stopped the blowout from happening. And that spill was not an isolated incident; only the year before, a similar blowout off the coast of Australia created a 2,300 square mile oil slick-about the size of Delaware. U.S. papers largely ignored it. Spills are so common in oil drilling that they rarely warrant a headline. Yet somehow those who support offshore oil drilling off the coast of Virginia feel sure it won’t happen here.

Or take mountaintop removal coal mining (please). Right now powerful explosives are blasting away the tops of mountains in southwest Virginia and across Appalachia. The rubble is being dumped into stream valleys, while huge machines scrape off the thin seams of coal. Federal law provides that no streams should be harmed, and the mountains should afterwards be restored-requirements so fanciful that neither mining companies nor state officials take them seriously. So it’s not surprising that streams and rivers are polluted, species disappear, building foundations crack, and residents die young. That’s not the plan going wrong, it’s the plan.

In the past most Americans participated in an unspoken agreement to ignore the risks involved in producing energy, because we had no intention of stopping what we were doing. If it’s a choice between risky energy and no energy, we will go with risky every time. Denying the risks is a coping mechanism that lets us sleep at night. Not incidentally, this is also the strategy used by fossil fuel interests to keep the public from demanding action on climate change.

But the widespread availability of cleaner alternatives gives us energy options we didn’t feel we had before. Increases in energy efficiency and tumbling prices for wind and solar mean we can afford to look more honestly at the damage we do and the risks we run by powering our 21st century economy with 20th century fuels.

I like to think the Virginia legislature’s decision to maintain the ban on uranium mining-for now-shows that our ability to ignore risks has its limits. Mining anything hazardous is inherently risky in a climate like Virginia’s, where rainfall continually recharges the water table. Put nasty stuff between the rain and the water table, and you will find contamination downstream. The idea that water can be kept out of millions of tons of radioactive mine tailings for thousands of years strains credulity. The idea that this might be accomplished by a mining company whose sole purpose is to make money strains credulity altogether.

The fact that a good many of Virginia’s politicians lined up on the side of the mining company anyway is not necessarily evidence of their capacity for ignoring risk. More likely, it simply demonstrates how extreme is the corrupting power of money in Virginia politics. Unfortunately, that shows no signs of changing.

You know, there truly are days when I think perhaps there still might be SOME hope for the Washington Kaplan Amazon Post. Then I see “reporting” like this mound of reeking excretory secretions. So, let’s get the story straight:

a) Ken Cuccinelli for years has supported a “Personhood Amendment;” b) The Washington Post’s own “Fact-Checker” gave Cuccinelli “Three Pinocchios” for claiming that he never tried to make contraception illegal; c) Ken Cuccinelli voted AGAINST legislation aimed at clarifying that birth control is NOT equivalent to abortion; d) it goes on and on, endlessly pretty much (see the “flip” for all the sordid details of Cuccinelli’s “long record of fighting common forms of contraception,” courtesy of American Bridge).

Now, here’s the way the Washington Kaplan Amazon Post handles the story.

1. Has a wildly false, misleading headline. In fact, Cuccinelli dodged the question on personhood, lied to the people at the Ashby Ponds retirement community in Ashburn, and lied to reporters afterwards. Hello Post? THAT should be the headline!

2. Adds an even worse subheading, which tries to claim that it’s Democrats who are “painting” Cooch as an “extremist on such issues,” not the FACT that he really IS an “extremist on such issues” (aka, far outside the mainstream of where the vast majority of Virginians, and Americans, are on contraception).

3. Waits 9 paragraphs to point out that Cuccinelli’s lying.

4. Totally BURIES his OWN newspaper’s OWN “fact checker”‘s “Three Pinnochios” conclusion that “while Cuccinelli ‘might not have specifically sought to ban contraception, that likely would have been the practical effect of the bill he co-sponsored.‘”

In sum, this article basically violates every tenet of good journalism. It buries/destroys the lede, which in this case is Cuccinelli’s breathaking lies. It epitomizes mindless, cowardly “both sides” “reporting.” It refuses to clearly tell the reader what is accurate, what is a blatant lie, etc. It downplays and/or ignores the fact that Cuccinelli has extremely strong views on this issue, which he’s repeated a gazillion times over the years, and also a clear-as-can-be voting record, also of many, many years. (UPDATE: Almost forgot to mention Video: Cuccinelli Again Urges Bishops to Go to Jail Over “contraceptive, abortifacient mandate”)

And no, this isn’t Jennifer Rubin we’re talking about; we expect this crap from her, as she’s not a real reporter, nor does she have the slightest bit of integrity. But when a serious journalist does it? At that point, you’ve really got to question whether this newspaper’s even worth saving. Are you watching this, Mr. Bezos?!? Can you still take your money and run?!?

Cuccinelli Has A Long Record Of Fighting Common Forms of Contraception

The Washington Post Fact-Checker Gave Cuccinelli “Three Pinocchios” For Claiming That He Never Tried To Make Contraception Illegal. According to the Washington Post, during a gubernatorial debate, Cuccinelli was asked “And on contraception, would you again seek to make several forms, common forms, of contraception illegal, as you did several years ago?” Cuccinelli responded, “, I certainly didn’t do that several years ago. My focus in this race is on growing jobs for the middle class, and supporting them and not the well-connected. There are people, like me, who sincerely hold beliefs about protecting life, and I certainly bring those with me into the governor’s race.” The Washington Post gave Cuccinelli “Three Pinocchios.” [Washington Post, 7/23/13]

Cuccinelli Co-Sponsored A Bill That Would Have Added Language To The Virginia Constitution Stating That “Life Begins At The Moment Of Fertilization” And Granting Full Protection Of The Law To “Each Born And Preborn Human Being From The Moment Of Fertilization.” According to the Washington Post, “In 2007, when he was a member of the Virginia Senate, Cuccinelli was co-sponsor of House Bill 2797, which would have added this line to the Virginia constitution: ‘That life begins at the moment of fertilization and the right to enjoyment of life guaranteed by Article 1, § 1 of the Constitution of Virginia is vested in each born and preborn human being from the moment of fertilization.'” [Washington Post, 7/23/13]

The Washington Post Fact Checker Wrote That A Ban On Contraception “Likely Would Have Been The Practical Effect Of The Bill” That Cuccinelli Co-Sponsored. According to the Washington Post, “We were told we would receive a response from the Cuccinelli campaign, but never got one. Cuccinelli’s answer was too cute by half, perhaps an effort to soften some of his conservatism. While he might not have specifically sought to ban contraception, that likely would have been the practical effect of the bill he co-sponsored.” [Washington Post, 7/23/13]

PolitiFact Agreed That Personhood Laws “Could Limit Some Forms Of Birth Control.” According to PolitiFact, “Romney supports laws that define life as beginning at conception, but we have not found that these laws bar the use of contraceptives — at least, certainly not the most common forms. Personhood laws could limit some forms of birth control, but Romney has not supported those measures. And Romney has repeatedly said he supports the use of contraceptives.” [Politifact, 11/2/12]

Cuccinelli Pushed Passage of Radical “Personhood” Bill Which Jeopardized Contraception Access And Risked Criminal Prosecutions For Miscarriages

Cuccinelli Pushed for Passage of 2012 Fetal Personhood Bill. According to the News Advance, “This personhood bill recognizes a scientific reality. Life begins at conception. Make sure you talk to your senators. Advocate for this issue.” [News Advance, 2/16/12]

Legislation That Defines A Fertilized Egg As A Human Being Would Ban All Abortions, Including Those Resulting From Rape And Incest, And Would Declare Common Forms Of Birth Control, Like The IUD, As Murder. According to New York Times, “A constitutional amendment facing voters in Mississippi on Nov. 8, and similar initiatives brewing in half a dozen other states including Florida and Ohio, would declare a fertilized human egg to be a legal person, effectively branding abortion and some forms of birth control as murder. […]The amendment in Mississippi would ban virtually all abortions, including those resulting from rape or incest. It would bar some birth control methods, including IUDs and ‘morning-after pills,’ which prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. It would also outlaw the destruction of embryos created in laboratories.” [New York Times, 10/26/11]

Virginia Bill Would Open Families and Doctors to Lawsuits over Miscarriages. According to the Washington Post, “‘This bill requires every single code section in Virginia that uses the word ‘person’ to apply to a fetus,’ Del. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) said. ‘That opens families and doctors to a wide variety of criminal and civil lawsuits for health-care decisions not only in cases of unwanted pregnancies, but every pregnancy and even miscarriage.'” [Washington Post, 2/13/12]

Cuccinelli Cosponsored Personhood Legislation That Would Criminalize Common Forms Of Birth Control As Well As Abortions Resulting From Rape Or Incest

In 2007 Cuccinelli Cosponsored A So-Called “Personhood” Bill. On January 10, 2007, Sen. Cuccinelli cosponsored legislation that would expand “the right to enjoyment of life” protected by Article 1, § 1 of the Virginia Constitution to “preborn human beings from the moment of fertilization.” The bill was rejected by a 43-53 vote in the Virginia House of Delegates on February 2, 2007. [HB 2797, 2/5/07]

Legislation That Defines A Fertilized Egg As A Human Being Would Ban All Abortions, Including Those Resulting From Rape And Incest, And Would Declare Common Forms Of Birth Control, Like The IUD, As Murder. According to New York Times, “A constitutional amendment facing voters in Mississippi on Nov. 8, and similar initiatives brewing in half a dozen other states including Florida and Ohio, would declare a fertilized human egg to be a legal person, effectively branding abortion and some forms of birth control as murder. […]The amendment in Mississippi would ban virtually all abortions, including those resulting from rape or incest. It would bar some birth control methods, including IUDs and ‘morning-after pills,’ which prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. It would also outlaw the destruction of embryos created in laboratories.” [New York Times, 10/26/11]

American Congress Of Obstetricians And Gynecologists: So Called “Personhood” Legislation Would Abolish Regular Forms Of Birth Control Like The IUD And The Common, Everyday Birth Control Pill. According to a statement from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Although the individual wording in these proposed measures varies from state to state, they all attempt to give full legal rights to a fertilized egg by defining ‘personhood’ from the moment of fertilization, before conception (ie, pregnancy/ implantation) has occurred. This would have wide-reaching harmful implications for the practice of medicine and on women’s access to contraception, fertility treatments, pregnancy termination, and other essential medical procedures. These ‘personhood’ proposals, as acknowledged by proponents, would make condoms, natural family planning, and spermicides the only legally allowed forms of birth control. Thus, some of the most effective and reliable forms of contraception, such as oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and other forms of FDA-approved hormonal contraceptives could be banned in states that adopt ‘personhood’ measures. Women’s very lives would be jeopardized if physicians were prohibited from terminating life-threatening ectopic and molar pregnancies. Women who experience pregnancy loss or other negative pregnancy outcomes could be prosecuted in some cases.” [ACOG, 2/10/12]

Personhood Amendments, Which Aimed To Define A Fertilized Embryo As A Person, Would Make Forms Of Birth Control, Like The Common, Everyday Birth Control Pill, Illegal Because They Prevent Implantation Of A Fertilized Egg. According to Salon, “But [Mississippi’s] Initiative 26, which would change the definition of ‘person’ in the Mississippi state Constitution to ‘include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the equivalent thereof,’ is more than just an absolute ban on abortion and a barely veiled shot at Roe v. Wade – although it is both. By its own logic, the initiative would almost certainly ban common forms of birth control like the IUD and the morning-after pill, call into question the legality of the common birth-control pill, and even open the door to investigating women who have suffered miscarriages. … [T]he Personhood movement hopes to do nothing less than reclassify everyday, routine birth control as abortion. The medical definition of pregnancy is when a fertilized egg successfully implants in the uterine wall. If this initiative passes, and fertilized eggs on their own have full legal rights, anything that could potentially block that implantation – something a woman’s body does naturally all the time – could be considered murder. Scientists say hormonal birth-control pills and the morning-after pill work primarily by preventing fertilization in the first place, but the outside possibility, never documented, that an egg could be fertilized anyway and blocked is enough for some pro-lifers.” [Salon, 10/26/11]

Cuccinelli Voted Against Legislation To Clarify Birth Control Is Not Abortion



Cuccinelli Voted Against Senate Bill 1104, Which Established That “Contraception Is Not A Form Of Abortion.” According to the Virginian-Pilot, “A bill stating that contraception is not a form of abortion may be in trouble in the House of Delegates. The House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions declined to vote on SB1104. Instead, it sent the measure to the Courts of Justice Committee. The author of the legislation – Sen. Mary M. Whipple, D-Arlington – said it will be hard to win approval from the Courts panel. Whipple said she has been concerned by the avalanche of bills that have sought to restrict abortion. She said she was especially troubled by HB1741, which is pending in the Senate. It would allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense any prescription they believe would cause an abortion. Birth control could fall under that category, Whipple said.” [Virginian-Pilot, 2/12/03; Senate Bill 1104, 2003]

Cuccinelli Voted To Send Senate Bill 456, Which Established That “Contraception Is Not Abortion,” Back To Committee. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, “The Senate rejected a ‘contraception is not abortion’ bill by voting 24-14-1 to send the measure back to committee to consider next session.” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 2/17/04; Senate Bill 456, 2004]