Just remember, Marion “Pat” Robertson has given $718,000 to Virginia Republicans over the years, including about $100,000 to our corrupt, grifter Governor Bob McDonnell. And note that none of these Republicans ever condemn this bigoted imbecile’s remarks or return his money. Fascinating, eh?
by Paul Goldman
Yesterday, Governor McDonnell’s new official spokesperson – UVA Professor Larry Sabato, aka Cato The Elder – decried the irresponsibility of a Virginia conservative blog for claiming the Governor was likely to resign in the near future due to the controversy over alleged gifts received by him, his wife and family.
Here at 200-proof politics, we don’t consider ourselves expert enough to deem what is, and what is not, the spreading of an irresponsible rumor. First of all, who decides what is, or is not, irresponsible? Under the first amendment, we have freedom of the press. Mr. McDonnell is a public figure, and doing quite nicely, Rolex and all, thanks to his public position. If only Dr. Sabato and others were as concerned about the Governor’s irresponsible actions – a view supported by all the sensible newspaper editorial boards in the state – as they are about a blog post…
But that is too much to hope for, apparently. Therefore, let’s focus instead on the law, not the politics, of any resignation scenario. The big question: Could Governor Bolling get on the 2013 November ballot? From what I can discern from Dr. Sabato, blog posters and others, the consensus answer is this: NO. Perhaps I misread them. But whether I do or not, the answer is this: YES, Governor Bolling still has time to get on the ballot. He has three options, in order of likelihood of success.
1) The Sex Change Option.
Okay, I used the title to get your attention. Actually, it doesn’t involve a sex change, rather only a change at the top of the Libertarian Party ticket. As usual, the Libertarians had the money to get enough petition signatures to qualify their guy for the ballot as a candidate for Governor. He can’t win. But there is nothing in the law to stop the Libertarians from cutting a deal with Governor Bolling along these lines: We will replace our guy with you at the top of the ticket, provided we get something in return.
Admittedly, this is not the ideal situation with a sitting Governor. But, as they say in politics, it could be Billy Boy’s least worst option, indeed his only viable option, to become Governor. By law, the Libertarians can put Governor Bolling on their ticket. Who would win a three-way between Terry the Dem, Ken the Tea Partier, and Billy Boy the Libertarian? Sabato the Censor has forbidden me from answering. Sorry.
2) The Godfather Option
Sitting Governor Billy Boy could go to the GOP, and make them an offer they couldn’t refuse — or at least one they couldn’t refuse if they wanted to win. As I read the law, the GOP Central Committee could replace Mr. Cuccinelli on the ballot for violating certain party rules. Which ones and why? I am not sure they have to give a reason. So, the GOP high command could deal a real low blow to Mr. Cuccinelli, strip him of his nomination, and put Governor Bolling on the ballot. Mr. Cuccinelli would of course sue. It would be a big mess. Bottom line: His chances of winning would be nil even if he won court reinstatement as the GOP ticket head. As for Governor Bolling: If this turns out to be his only option, he is no worse off under any outcome then he would be off the ballot.
3) The Goldman Option
It is a legal theory that’s won a few cases. Virginia law says any independent hopeful for Governor, or minor party hopeful, has to file his or her qualifying ballot petitions on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in June. But in terms of the presidential election, any such hopeful for the White House has roughly until 75 days before the election to file said petitions to qualify for the ballot. This is roughly in the last week or so of August.
Ergo, the legal question: What is the state’s constitutional justification for the difference in filing deadlines? Variations of this rough theory have succeeded in derailing legal limitations requiring early petition filings in many states although mostly in the context of presidential elections. If the state can count the petitions of presidential candidates in time to qualify for the September printing of the ballot, then surely it can do the same thing for gubernatorial candidates. Given the new laws effective on July 1 of this year – enacted to deal with the questions raised by Morrissey and Goldman, LLC, and Tony Troy (now the Governor’s lawyer) in winning two cases against the state for two candidates denied access to the ballot – the legal theory has a better chance of succeeding. But the odds would be 50-1, if that good, in winning.
Bottom line: The Libertarian Party line is likely the only option for Governor Bolling. But it is a legal option. Moreover, the Libertarians would likely to do it, as having the Governor on their line would surely get them enough votes to be considered a major party under the law. Plus, the Governor would have to give them a good quid pro quo in return.
What Annabel Park and Eric Byler are doing in North Carolina – our neighbor just to our south – is a nightmare vision of what COULD happen in Virginia if we elect Ken Cuccinelli as governor, EW Jackson as Lt. Governor, and/or Mark Obenshain as Attorney General this fall. That would, de facto, giving far-right-wing, John Birch Society-style extremist Republicans total control of the Virginia state government. And that, in turn, would lead to the kind of insanity you can see in the video below (e.g., lunacy about “Sharia law,” assaults on women’s reproductive health and freedom). We all need to make sure we prevent that from happening by a) volunteering for your favorite Virginia Democratic candidate(s); b) donating to your favorite Virginia Democratic candidate(s); and c) voting for the Democratic slate on November 5. The state you save from the terrible fate of North Carolina will most definitely be your own!
P.S. See Bills are laughable so N.C. is butt of jokes, which points out North Carolina Teapublican bills that would allow “North Carolina and its counties and towns have the right to establish an official religion;” that would exempt “‘a personal firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition’ manufactured in North Carolina and ‘that remains exclusively within the borders of North Carolina’ from federal law”; that would slap parents of college students with “a tax penalty if their children register to vote at their college address;” and that “not only creates a separate governing board for state charter schools but drops the requirement that those schools have licensed teachers and that they have to run criminal background checks on employees.” It goes on and on like this. And it’s coming to Virginia, SOON, if we elect Cuccinelli/Jackson/Obenshain. Don’t say you weren’t warned, and don’t try to pretend your vote doesn’t matter or that it doesn’t make a difference whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge. That’s just a load of crap.
From the Democratic Party of Virginia:
House of Delegates Democratic Leader David Toscano today sent the following letter to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli urging him to publicly release all of the information his office has given to his gubernatorial campaign related to the Attorney General’s involvement in the office’s investigation of Governor Bob McDonnell’s ties to Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams.
Dear Attorney General Cuccinelli:
The Washington Post reported recently that your office deliberately “walled you off” for five months from any knowledge of the scandal regarding Star Scientific and the Virginia Governor’s office because of your personal relationship with Star Scientific’s CEO Jonnie Williams. This report has raised additional significant questions as to when you were informed of certain aspects of the case and your relationship with Mr. Williams.
For months you have denied that your relationship with Jonnie Williams and Star Scientific was the source of any conflict of interest for your office’s involvement in this ongoing legal dispute, while failing to provide any supporting documentation. But the Washington Post’s report that the Office of the Attorney General seemed to have no problem handing over information about the case to your political campaign raises serious questions.
Virginians deserve to know how your campaign came upon this information; did your campaign submit a FOIA request to the Office of the Attorney General for this documentation? Did your campaign pay any fees associated with such a FOIA? Or did the Office of the Attorney General hand this documentation over to your campaign willingly to help your political cause?
In addition, Virginians deserve to know the full extent of the information your office disclosed to your campaign regarding this issue. Since the information has already been packaged, your office should voluntarily and at no charge provide this full information to the public. Freely sharing the information your office provided to your campaign would seem to be a basic responsibility of yours as Attorney General. I sincerely hope that you will agree to disclose this information, so Virginians can be assured that their leaders will respect the office that they have been elected to serve.
Sincerely,
Delegate David Toscano
Virginia House Democratic Leader
(For more on Fleming’s opponent, a nasty Islamophobe, see here. This is a strongly Republican-leaning district, unfortunately, but let’s hope Republican voters don’t want to be represented by a bigot. – promoted by lowkell)
World-renowned physicist and climatologist Dr. Michael Mann has endorsed Bill Fleming’s campaign for the House of Delegates in the 82nd District, located in northern Virginia Beach. This is Mann’s first endorsement in a House of Delegates race.
“Science and technology jobs are powering the 21st Century economy. Virginia needs leaders in Richmond who understand the value of ensuring every student a strong science education to compete for these jobs. As a physicist, Bill Fleming will be a leader when it comes to shaping Virginia’s science education standards and creating scientific and high tech jobs in the Commonwealth. Bill Fleming is the best choice for the 82nd District House of Delegates,” Dr. Mann said.
Dr. Mann was targeted by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for his research in the fields of global warming and climate change. Cuccinelli filed an unsuccessful Civil Investigative Demand against the University of Virginia that cost the University over $570,000 to fight.
“Virginia needs to be a state that embraces science and technology,” Bill Fleming said. “As Delegate, I will work to strengthen the math and science curriculum in Virginia’s schools so that every student has the opportunity to compete for the high tech jobs that Virginia needs to attract for a vibrant economy,” Fleming added.
Bill Fleming earned his Ph.D.in Physics from North Carolina State University. He worked at IBM’s Almaden Research Center conducting basic and applied materials research. He is now seeking the 82nd District House of Delegates seat that is being vacated by Delegate Bob Purkey. The 82nd District covers northern Virginia Beach.
For more information about the Bill Fleming for Delegate campaign, visit http://www.billflemingforva.com.
Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, July 8.
*Dozens of Morsi Backers Are Killed in Cairo Protest
*Paul Krugman: Defining Prosperity Down (“But that healing process won’t go very far if policy makers stomp on it, in particular by raising interest rates. That’s not an idle worry.”)
*Asiana pilot had little experience flying Boeing 777
*North Carolina’s abortion sham (Under total Republican control, our neighbor just to the south is rapidly, and disastrously, falling apart. Remember this, Virginia voters, when you go to the polls this November 5!!!)
*Governor’s former chef wants his case tossed (And here in Virginia, under Republican control, corruption is running rampant…)
*Teresa Heinz Kerry is reported critically ill (“Her condition is called stable; was flown from Nantucket to MGH”)
*An unnecessary change in voting rules (“Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli wants voters to identify their party affiliation.”)
*Don’t tamper with maintenance dollars (“The Commonwealth Transportation Board is examining the funding formula used for urban road repairs in cities and towns.”)
*PolitiFact: Cuccinelli wrong about McAuliffe’s opposition to right-to-work law (Cuccinelli lying about something? I’m shocked! shocked I say!)
*Groups say Virginia meeting most bay cleanup goals (“Groups say state behind in three areas, including stormwater investment”)
*Forecast: Unending humidity, shower/storm chances; cooler temps by late week
*Nationals vs. Padres: Offense gives Stephen Strasburg support in Washington’s fourth straight win
Today (Sunday) drove from Heathsville to Kilmarnock through Tappahannock to Fredericksburg and back.
Saw four vehicles with Republican bumper stickers. Each vehicle had two bumper stickers:
— Cuccinelli for Governor
— Obenshain for Attorney General
E. W. Jackson’s name did not appear anywhere.
( – promoted by lowkell)
by Paul Goldman
When Bob McDonnell came into office, Star Scientific stock was at its low point for his entire term. In the past 12 months alone, it has traded in a range between $1.15 a share to nearly $5 a share. This is a stock prone to wide swings in price on a percentage basis, and it is also a stock clearly subject to manipulation; just read up on it. The federales know this. It has no earnings. It exists on hype, as well as on stock recommendations from less than the best sources. Star Scientific knows how to pump and dump this stock.
Could insider trading be a subject of the federal probe swirling around Governor McDonnell and his pal Jonnie Williams, the head guy at Star Scientific? If you look at the stock chart, you have to think: It sure could be. This is one way a guy like Williams ropes you into his web: it gets you some “easy money,” gets you to buy the stock before it is going to manipulated up. He may even loan you the money, even buy it for you, sets up an account for you. It is so easy to suck folks like the McDonnells given what we now know about their view of entitlement.
There is no reason for this stock to have ever traded near $5 during McDonnell’s term. Looking at the chart, it has gone from the $1.50 range to nearly $5 a share up and down…TWICE in the last two years. It was manipulated up by the use of the press and recommendations and planned buying.
Back in 2011, the stock price rose VERY FAST in a short period of time. If I remember correctly, it was due to rumors about this new line of “health” stuff they claimed to have, I think it had something to do with curing Alzheimer’s or something like that. Totally bogus. Of course, this has happened before with this stock, when it tried to get money out of the tobacco companies on a worthless claim of patient infringement (or something like that in a trial in New Jersey federal court if I remember correctly).
Bottom line: Is all the federal interest in the McDonnell/Williams connection actually not related to alleged “gifts” at all, but is there a stock trading angle? All I know for sure is this: If you look at the stock chart, and you know the history of this stock, then the first step rise of 300% in a short period of time early in the McDonnell term is a totally manipulated one. It had nothing to do with the real facts about the company and its products.
If Mr. Williams gave someone a wink or a nod – and further if he loaned money to someone to buy stock, or in any way helped someone profit from his inside knowledge – then you are going to have a lot of federal interest if the federales think this might have been the case.
I am not making any claims or charges or whatever. But when you look at the stock chart, overlap it with the relationship/alleged gifts and help give Star by the First Family, it would raise flags to any federal or state investigator.
Clearly, the positive press given Star by its association with the Governor and First Family in 2011 and 2012 – efforts which boosted Star’s credibility as Mr. Williams intended – helped increase the stock price. This can not be denied. Any investigator will see that at the beginning. My prediction: There is a stock scam somewhere here.
I know getting this area has the potential of opening up a lot of stuff on both sides, if true. I am not naive. But if you take one look at the stock chart of Star during the McDonnell term, there is no way an honest writer can avoid the following: the alleged gifts, the special help given by the McDonnell to boost Star’s credibility on their “health” stuff, it is simply too coincidental to be a coincidence anymore relative to the stock price. Williams knew what he was doing.
by Paul Goldman
While AG Cuccinelli was suing UVA over climate change, he apparently missed the big story: a UVA professor was using state money to bolster his theories of reincarnation. That’s right – this professor claims to be the reincarnation of none other than Cato The Elder. Never met Cato? No, not the house guest at OJ Simpson’s place famously testifying at his murder trial. I mean Cato The Elder, famed Censor of the Roman Empire. The title fit the post: The Censor issued edicts on what a good citizen could, or could not, say in public, especially about public officials. Cato The Elder didn’t take no Lip, Sass, or whatever: Of course, there were no blogs back then.
But there are blogs today. And apparently, Cato The Elder, aka UVA Professor Larry Sabato, felt the need to smack down Bearing Drift, the blog site claiming to be the one true north voice of conservative thought in the Commonwealth. I recently debated one of the honchos at the site on the subject of E.W. Jackson, the GOP nominee for LG. Shaun put up a spirited defense of Mr. Jackson, from A to Z. Needless to say, I had trouble not laughing on air: indeed, I actually did laugh on air.
So you ask: “Okay PG, what the heck got Professor Sabato’s panties all rolled into a tight bunch?” My answer: First, he is Cato the Elder, not Professor. Second, Cato’s wrath was aimed at what Virginia’s Censor called the blog’s “irresponsible” post – a post so immoral to Cato that he “sought and received official permission” to OUT the blog as publishing pure, unsupported rumor!
So you ask: “Okay PG, what exactly did Bearing Drift post last night that would get Cato The Elder to issue an authorized, public smack down?” Let me get to the bottom line of the story. Last night, Bearing Drift published a post by one of its posters claiming “Bob McDonnell to resign as a part of plea agreement.” The poster is Willie Deutsch. According to Bearing Drift, Mr. Deutsch is a “Christian, Conservative and Republican.” Deutsh is also “Editor-in-Chief for NetRightDaily.com.”
Let me ask: I thought we were all Americans first, got to put being a Virginian in there too, I mean he lists three things, two of them are related to his politics, the other to his religion. Jesus didn’t define himself by being a Jewish Rabbi first, nor would he today.
But back to Larry Sabato and his Cato Coming Out Party. This post by Mr. Deutsch flipped Professor Sabato’s reincarnation switch big time. Virginia’s Cato issued an official censure of the website. Call me old-fashioned: But I don’t like the idea that anyone can officially censure someone in the use of his or her first amendment rights. Isn’t that one reason we had the American Revolution, isn’t that a big reason TJ, founder of UVA, founded UVA?
Now, I concede: Dr. Sabato does see himself as Virginia’s Censor, and the state gives his Center a lot of money or at least they did when Senator Chichester controlled the Senate budget committee. Professor Sabato is a very insightful guy, one of the best educators in the Commonwealth, and the state is fortunate he stayed at UVA, that he spends so much time teaching frosh and working with high school seniors to promote their interest in being informed citizens. To the extent the state pays him to do all that, Virginia doesn’t pay him nearly enough.
But this idea of Sabato The Elder, aka Cato The Elder, is troubling or at least it should be to you. With all due respect, I ask again: Who gave him this “official permission” to attack Bearing Drift for publishing irresponsible rumors?
I concede calling Mr. Deutsch a journalist would make John Peter Zenger turn over in his grave. With all due respect, Bearing Drift has made some rather incredible claims in its role as publisher of the conservative gospel. But do they deserve to be “officially” censored? Should that kind of attitude even exist in our political and public discourse?
200-proof answer: NO. In America, we don’t have “official” censors issuing censures to Americans exercising their first amendment rights to be idiots, or geniuses, or somewhere in between.
I don’t know whether Bearing Drift has made a complete fool of itself, indeed whether it even has a reputation that could be damaged. Still, it doesn’t need Dr. Sabato’s permission, much less Seal of Approval, to post fact or fiction, truth or dare, rumor or reality. This isn’t Rome, its not the Colonial Era, we are well into the Age of Enlightenment.
Will the Governor resign, will he get indicted, will he be cleared of all charges and rumors and innuendos? I don’t know, neither does anyone else at this point. What we do know for a fact is this: The W—–T—– nature of his actions, and those of his wife, in using the office of Governor for personal profit in the form of personal compensation thinly disguised as “gifts”, and the self-evident expectations of future monetary rewards from Mr. Williams should their efforts help his new business venture has NOT BEEN DEFENDED by any single GOP office-holder, any single GOP leaning newspaper, any single independent leaning newspaper, indeed BY NOT A SOUL.
No former Governor, no advisor to any former Governor, has DEFENDED what the First Family has been doing with the public trust given to them by the people of this state. And whatever defense the Governor claimed originally has been totally shot by his refusal to give back the Rolex.
Let’s cut to the chase. If Mr. Sabato is proof of reincarnation, then Governor McDonnell is proof positive of climate change at the Governor’s Mansion. No previous Governor or First Lady has ever used their position for personal gain as have the McD’s. Never, ever.
As I have said several times, this is not an issue that should be decided by Plea Bargains, Resignation, and edicts from Censors past nor present. Moreover, Senator Petersen is wrong: We need tougher gift rules, indeed we need laws BARRING GIFTS PERIOD! As Laurie Morgan sang; What is there about NO that you don’t understand?
No gifts, no Censors, no official edicts as to whose posts are acceptable and whose are not. The people of Virginia are plenty smart. If Mr. Deutsch and his blog believe their facts, then should be encouraged to print it without fear of censuring directly or indirectly by some officialdom, real or imagined.
Dr. Sabato worries about irresponsible blogs. I would rather hear his opinion on our irresponsible Governor. Why isn’t the faculty of UVA censuring McDonnell, not just Ms. Dragas?
The reason Dr. Sabato has lifetime tenure is because of academic fears of being censured out of a job for voicing opinions not held by those in political power. So instead of going after Bearing Drift, Dr. Sabato and his colleagues might show the courage to speak out against how the Governor is permanently staining the Office of Governor.
Cato The Elder, ironically, would have done just that.
A bunch of great questions from the Democratic Party of Virginia. Any answers, Ken?
Memo: Cuccinelli’s Political Effort to Downplay Star Scandal Raises More Questions than it Answers
Late last week The Washington Post reported on an effort by Ken Cuccinelli’s campaign to explain his and the Office of the Attorney General’s involvement in the prosecution of former Governor’s Mansion Chef Todd Schneider.
Gifts that Cuccinelli received from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, along with unreported stocks that he bought in Williams’ company, have raised questions about Cuccinelli’s impartiality in prosecuting Schneider, who catered the $15,000 Governor’s mansion reception for Governor Bob McDonnell’s wedding. Williams paid the check for the reception but McDonnell never disclosed the gift.
Cuccinelli’s campaign tried to explain away the many conflict of interest questions Cuccinelli’s conduct has raised by presumably asking the Attorney General’s Office to prepare a memo of when Cuccinelli knew what in the chef’s case, which the campaign then forwarded to The Washington Post.
Whether it is a proper use of public resources for the campaign to ask state employees to prepare purely political explanations of its candidate’s official behavior is one question that the Post story raises. Below is a full list of the many others that Cuccinelli should answer if he wants Virginians to believe his rhetoric about transparency and accountability:
1. How did your political campaign for Governor receive an official document from the Office of the Attorney General?
2. Did your political campaign pay FOIA fees for this official document?
3. Why did the email released to the Washington Post to “corroborate” your campaign’s claim that you were “walled off” for five months from knowledge about the former Executive Mansion Chef Todd Schneider allegations against Governor McDonnell NOT mention the words “walled off” or imply that you were kept from information about the case? In fact, the email is dated April 2012 and your campaign has claimed you were “walled off” since March 2012.
4. Can a Chief Deputy Attorney General make the decision to “wall off” the Attorney General from a case involving the office’s most important client, the Governor?
5. What precedent is there for such an action? For reference, the last time you were “walled off” from a case because of your conflict of interest with “Bobby Thompson” you chose to do it yourself.
6. Why did your office make the determination to inform you of the allegations in the Schneider case in August 2012 when they were first informed by the defendant of allegations involving the Governor as early as March 2012?
7. Do you stand by your claim that you have not spoken to Jonnie Williams since summer 2012? Is it still true that the last gift you received from Williams was in July 2012?
8. Why did your campaign cite the only conflict of interest you had with Williams as staying in his home in 2010? At that point in time (March 2012) you had reported an additional trip to Kentucky paid for by Williams, $6,700 in Anatabloc, and use of Williams’ lake house and boat.
9. Was there a particular conversation or occurrence during your stay in his home that they were concerned about?
10. Why, after being informed of Schneider’s allegations against the Governor in September-October 2012, did you still continue to “forget” that you had not disclosed $5,000 in gifts from Williams even when you went back and corrected your forms to disclose your Star Scientific stock?
11. Your campaign claims that you were briefed in September and October 2012 on the Schneider allegations against the Governor and other “Star-related issues.” Why did those “Star-related issues” not include Star Scientific’s $1.7 million tax lawsuit against the Commonwealth?
12. What role did you play in the ongoing Schneider case between October 2012, when your campaign claims you were fully briefed, and March 20, 2013 when the indictments were first made against Schneider by the Multi-Jurisdictional Grand Jury?
13. Did you sign off on the indictments against Todd Schneider? If not, who in your office signed off? Further, if you did not sign off on the indictments why did a charge involving your most important client, the Governor, NOT go to your desk?
14. Did you speak to the Governor about the indictments before March 20, 2013 or after?
15. Why, when your campaign claimed your official office “walled” you off from the Schneider case because of your conflict of interest with Williams, did you not recuse yourself from the case immediately and instead wait for public pressure?
