Given the news that atmospheric CO2 concentrations have reached 400 parts per million, the highest in “probably more than 3 million years of Earth history,” I thought it was appropriate to post some video of former UVA Professor Michael Mann. Recall that Mann was the victim of a relentless, vicious, anti-science witch hunt by Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s modern-day version of the Inquisition against Galileo. For that reason alone, Cuccinelli should be unfit to ever hold ANY public office ANYWHERE in this country, let alone governor of Virginia. His actions have been not just those of an anti-science thug, but his assault on reason and free inquiry is also fundamentally un-American.

In stark contrast, Michael Mann is one of our nation’s – and planet’s, for that matter – heroes, and should be treated as such. The fact that a guy like Cuccinelli, heavily funded as he is by fossil fuel interests would – shocker! – feel threatened by the massive, overwhelming scientific evidence that fossil fuel combustion is ruining our planet and must be phased out as rapidly as possible, should not be surprising. It should, however, horrify and appall every one of us.

by Paul Goldman

Having been the one who wrote the fiscal plank to Mark Warner’s campaign platform – and provided the key fiscal stuff in the basic stump speech on the subject – it has been brought to my attention that Politifact is wrong again. Lowell has pointed it out before – as have I – they got it wrong on Democrats too.  No reason to repeat their stuff on that. Here at 200-proof politics, we don’t worry about which party is getting unfairly slammed, we just tell the truth and let everyone else sort it out. We like to try at least for this brief column to be like the legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow.  However, to the extent we can stop this stuff from getting on the Internet, it will help everyone. All any Democrat should want this year is a fair fight. If you can’t win that one, then you should pack up the party and let some other people have a shot.

Politifact uses Warner’s fiscal position in the 2001 campaign to buttress their argument that Cuccinelli was wrong in saying Virginia had never gone a year without passing a budget. According to Politifact, Cuccinelli was wrong because the General Assembly didn’t pass a budget in 2001. So they labeled Cuccinelli as telling a lie, although they used a more socially acceptable term.

It is true that in 2001, we in the Warner campaign did use what the media called the budget deadlock that year between GOP Governor Gilmore and the anti-Gilmore Republicans in the State Senate, rooted in their disagreement over whether to fund the next phase of the car tax phase out. The Senators thought it would be fiscally irresponsible. So they refused to go along, and the GA adjourned without passing a “budget” according to the media at the time and PolitiFact today.

HOWEVER: That is not true. Yes, the Warner stump speech criticized the gridlock and the failure to come to an agreement. We talked about their budget failures but in careful terms.  It is also true that I made sure the Warner platform supported the full phase out of the car tax….although with a carefully nuanced *asterisk. But you say: “Paul, you were trying to have it both ways?” Duh! What do you think a successful political strategy does, provide a platform from Gandhi? Dude, this is politics, not a salt march to the sea. As long as you tell the truth, you can “spin” it anyway you like.

So, what do I mean about “however?” Very simple: Virginia is on a two-year budget cycle. Thus, when the 2001 fight between Gilmore and the State Senate took place at the 2000 Session of the General Assembly, the state of Virginia had a budget in place for ALL of 2001 and half of 2002 [we are on a July fiscal year, so the next budget wasn’t due to go into effect until July 1, 2002. Or put another way: Virginia had a budget in place through June 30, 2002 no matter what happened at the 2001 GA Session between the Governor and his party].

This is why the anti-Gilmore crowd in control of the Senate could afford to screw him and their party in the gov. election year!

Contrary to what the media was writing, at least most of them, and to what PolitiFact is claiming, the 2001 gridlock between the governor and the Senate was over AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING BUDGET. It is true that historically, there had never actually been a a failure to make “mid-course” corrections. This had always been done as a matter of course, expected really.

But unlike Washington, which is on a one-year budget cycle, Virginia passes a two-year budget. Accordingly, the state already had a budget in place during the whole alleged “budget” gridlock.” This was at all times a fight over amending the existing budget.

Again, that is why the two sides could afford to stalemate: it would not be a case of what happened with Gingrich vs. Clinton in 1995, when the federal government didn’t have a budget and they couldn’t agree on a continuing resolution [that is fund government operations for a short period until the budget was passed.]

Therefor: PolitiFact is wrong… AGAIN.

Some truth tellers they: I believe candidate Warner, Governor Warner, advisor Goldman, were very careful about being precise in our wording. We used the term budget and others correctly if you understood the law and the reality.

FACT: Virginia, at all times, had a budget in place, there was NEVER ANY TIME WHEN IT LACKED A BUDGET as that term is used in finance and the law. Remember: If Virginia actually lacked a budget, then how did the state pay its bills once the GA and the GUV left town with supposedly not having passed a “budget’? If that were true, state government could not longer pay its bills. Why? Because there would be no legal authority to write a check except for emergencies as defined. Why? Because there would have been no monies legally appropriated to do it except as otherwise defined or implied under the Governor’s emergency powers.

PolitiFact is simply wrong, to the extent (let’s give them an out) they are implying that the state of Virginia had no budget when the General Assembly and Governor Gilmore threw in the towel and accepted the state of gridlock. THERE WAS A BUDGET, THE ONE PASSED IN 2000. It was still good law.

They failed to pass amendments to the 2000 budget in 2001. Legally, that is not the same thing as failing to pass a budget. Yes, it was Washington style politics, just the Warner campaign said, just as I wrote, just as everyone understood. And yes, in political terms, it was fair, with the right wording, to say they didn’t pass a new budget as had been always done previously.

BUT POLITIFACT IS DEAD WRONG IN SAYING THE STATE DIDN’T HAVE A BUDGET.

So when, in the next coming months, they slam Terry and the Dem ticket for telling lies – which they will – now even Republicans will have to concede they should be giving their awards back and surely change the name to something more appropriate to their track record.      

Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, May 11. Also, see President Obama’s weekly address, in which he “urges Congress to confirm Mel Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency and take action to give every responsible homeowner the chance to refinance and save money on their mortgage.”

*Heat-Trapping Gas Passes Milestone, Raising Fears (“The level of the most important heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, has passed a long-feared milestone, scientists reported Friday, reaching a concentration not seen on the earth for millions of years.”)

*Guatemala’s Rios Montt found guilty of genocide (My wife and I spent 3 weeks in Guatemala in 1997, studying Spanish and seeing this amazingly beautiful – but scarred by horrific violence – country. I am VERY glad to see this genocidal scumbag, who President Ronald Reagan praised, believe it or not, as “a man of great personal integrity and commitment” who “wants to improve the quality of life for all Guatemalans and to promote social justice” – behind bars at long last.)

*Obama calls on Congress to help more homeowners, confirm choice to lead federal housing agency

*Benghazi e-mails show State Dept., CIA clashed

*IRS admits conservative groups flagged for scrutiny (Ugh, not good…)

*Lawmakers urge McDonnell to accept federal funds for Medicaid expansion

*Kaine: Benghazi “not a scandal” (See here for video of Kaine’s interview

*McDonnell’s eldest daughter to wed Saturday in Hampton Roads (The big question: who’s paying for it?!? Also, where did the food and drink come from?)

*Virginia gubernatorial hopefuls tout tax reform

*Cuccinelli ventures to Pittsburgh for fundraiser (“The Republican was in Pennsylvania Thursday evening as the guest of CONSOL Energy, which hosted a fundraiser for him at the Pittsburgh Penguins professional hockey playoff game…CONSOL is a coal and natural gas company with mining operations in several states, including a Virginia site in Buchanan County.”)

*First lady’s activities with Star Scientific examined

*Marathon bombing suspect buried outside Richmond

*Star Scientific reports bigger loss and higher sales, discloses third lawsuit (Wow, what a company!)

*Kaine’s second Senate bill to protect Civil War sites

*Loudoun Co. downplays McDonnell FBI endorsement

*Nationals win fifth straight, thump Cubs, 7-3

*Capitals 2, Rangers 1: Mike Ribeiro wins Game 5 in overtime

Rep. Moran’s tireless advocacy for animals is one of the things I really like about him. Thank you to Jim Moran for his work to protect animals from barbarous practices like gas chambers for shelter pets. By the way, while we’re on the subject, I strongly urge everyone to adopt a shelter pet and to never EVER buy from a breeder!!!

Moran Introduces Resolution Opposing Gas Chamber for Shelter Pets

Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat and co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, today reintroduced a resolution, H. Res. 208, opposing the use of gas chambers to euthanize shelter animals. Introduced during National Pet Week, the resolution is supported by over 400 national, state, and local animal protection and rescue organizations.

“Using gas chambers to kill shelter animals is unnecessarily cruel, causing these animals to suffer in the last moments of their life. This resolution would bring more attention to this unacceptable practice,” said Rep. Moran. “With the continued advocacy of compassionate citizens, I hope we can stamp out this inhumane practice.”

The resolution calls upon states to require, when euthanasia is deemed a necessary course of action, the use of established injectable euthanasia agents.  Each year, 6-8 million animals are placed into the care of our nation’s local animal shelters. Unfortunately, nearly half of these animals are euthanized because adoptive homes are not able to be found for them.

Gas chambers also threaten the safety of shelter workers, causing the death of at least one human and severely injuring several others in recent years. By comparison, the use of euthanasia by injection causes animals to lose consciousness and brain function before their vital organs shut down, decreasing suffering and resulting in rapid clinical death.

“Death by gas is unnecessarily prolonged, terrifying and painful and it is unconscionable that this tactic is still being used in this country,” said Debbie Marson, local animal protection advocate and volunteer for Homeward Trails Animal Rescue.  “Lethal injection is more humane, more cost effective and only takes seconds.  Euthanasia, after all, means ‘good death.’  Death by gas chamber does not meet this definition.”

Laws determining euthanasia procedures for shelter animals are determined on a state-by-state basis, with several states responding to public concerns by outlawing gas chambers in recent years. Following the enactment of legislation in 2008, Virginia is currently one of 20 states that prohibit the use of gas chambers.

To view a fact sheet on H. Res. 208, please visit.

For a list of supporting organizations, please visit