Good for Terry McAuliffe, calling out Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli for their crusade against health care coverage for all Virginians.

Both Republicans, McAuliffe told CNN, “are playing a divisive game of politics that hurts Virginia families and clearly hurts and affects the health care of millions of Virginians.”

“This is all bogus,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s nothing more than pure politics. These lawsuits will not be successful. This is more about playing to their own political base.”

What’s ironic is that many in the Republican “base,” particularly those in the middle and working classes, will benefit greatly from health care reform. So, as usual, Republicans are working against their own self interest, but apparently oblivious that they are doing so. Crazy.

P.S. See here for more on the McDonnell/Cooch news conference this afternoon, “where the governor ceremoniously signed a bill that will make it illegal for the state to require citizens to purchase health care.” As Terry McAuliffe said, “this is all bogus.”

Excellent work by my delegate, Patrick Hope. Thanks.

I agree with some of their points that we don’t go far enough on cost containment…but how this bill is implemented is really going to be where the rubber hits the road. I, for one, believe there’s more we can do around this issue of cost containment. And I would hope in the coming weeks and months, rather than fighting to repeal, that they would join with us in finding that common ground to make this legislation even better.

By the way, the World Meteorological Organization just issued a report  which “found that 2009 was the fifth warmest year on record ‘since the beginning of of instrumental climate records around 1850.'” But no, the world’s not getting warmer or anything. Hey, it snowed last winter! (snark)

This is where the type of overheated, angry rhetoric we see from some – not all, of course – Tea Party activists can lead.

Law enforcement authorities are investigating the discovery of a cut propane gas line at the Virginia home of Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother, whose address was targeted by tea party activists angry at the congressman’s vote for the health care bill.

An aide to the congressman confirmed to POLITICO that a line to a propane tank behind his brother’s home near Charlottesville had been sliced.

The FBI would not disclose the details of the incident, but said that they have been to the home.

As Politico also reported (on Monday), “Mike Troxel, an organizer for the Lynchburg Tea Party, posted on his blog what he thought was the congressman’s address, encouraging tea party activists to ‘drop by.'” Well, it looks like someone might have done just that. Wonderful.

P.S. If you want to support Tom Perriello, who has taken courageous votes for health care and climate action in the fact of the type of hostility reported above, please click here. Thanks.

UPDATE: Bradley Rees, who tends toward the Tea Party himself, weighs in and is not pleased.

IF (& I repeat, IF) an FBI investigation tracks this gas line incident to ANY conservative- I will do everything I can to see them jailed…Further- whoever did this, if it proves deliberate & not a bizarre accident (lawnmower, etc), should be jailed. It’s malicious either way.

UPDATE #2: Waldo Jaquith weighs in.

Federal, state, and local officials are investigating what’s is believed to be an attempt on the life of Congressman Perriello. Coleman is now claiming to be shocked that this “collateral damage” has resulted. This is the same Coleman who planned to burn Perriello in effigy. Having spent a year and a half suggesting that Perriello should be assassinated, we’re now to believe that he’s shocked-shocked!-that anybody might actually give it a whirl.

Teabaggers are completely ineffective in the political realm. So now they’re left attempting to murder their own congressman. This isn’t a political movement. It’s an assassination conspiracy. It’s terrorism.

UPDATE #3: Rep. Perriello’s office has issued a statement.

My number one priority right now is ensuring the safety of my brother’s family, and I am grateful to law enforcement for their excellent work. While it is too early to say anything definitive regarding political motivations behind this act, it’s never too early for political leaders to condemn threats of violence, particularly as threats to other Members of Congress and their children escalate. And so I ask every member of House and Senate leadership to state unequivocally tonight that it is never OK to harm or threaten elected officials and their families with anything more than political retribution. Here in America, we settle our political differences at the ballot box.

UPDATE #4: SEIU weighs in for Tom Perriello.

Democrats say “yes we can!”  Republicans say “hell no we can’t!”*

*Unless, of course, we’re talking about starting wars; taking rights away from people; giving wealthy corporations and individuals huge tax cuts they don’t need and didn’t ask for; worsening economic inequality and exacerbating social injustice; harming the environment; making us more dependent on oil from petrodictators and terrorists; etc.