Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Saturday “Clips.”

1. LAWYERS’ GROUP: MCDONNELL PLAN TO CHANGE FELON VOTING RIGHTS PROCESS NEEDS FEDERAL APPROVAL

2. MCDONNELL TO SPEAK TO NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS

3. IS ALLEN THINKING COMEBACK?

4. LOUISIANA OIL RIG FIRE COULD PLAY ROLE IN VIRGINIA DRILLING DEBATE

9. ADVOCATES FOR GAY TROOPS TARGET SENS. WARNER AND WEBB

10. SEN. WARNER VISITS HOPEWELL ALGAE PROJECT

12. VIRGINIA TO LAUNCH STANDARDIZED TEST FOR DISABLED STUDENTS

13. VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS HAIL VICTORY ON MAYPORT AIR CRAFT CARRIER MOVE…

15. MCAULIFFE SAYS HE’S MILL FINALIST

16. NORFOLK WRONG TO JOIN FIGHT OVER WEBSITE

19. GLENN BECK TO DELIVER LIBERTY UNIVERSITY’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

20. GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES BLACKWATER CONSERVATION

“As the auto industry and financial markets begin to stabilize, the President says the government’s emergency interventions are now winding down. He pledges that real reform, particularly on Wall Street, must now begin.”

From the Democratic Party of Virginia, check out their strong statement on Bob McDonnell’s first 100 days in office. I just wish we would get a lot more of this kind of thing from the DPVA. I also wish they hadn’t put this out late on a Friday afternoon when nobody is paying attention. Other than that, it’s superb! 🙂

RICHMOND – The administration of Governor Bob McDonnell, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling will have been in power for 100 days as of Sunday, April 25, 2010. As the first traditional time stamp approaches, Virginia Democrats must question the priorities of the McDonnell Administration.

Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Dick Cranwell released the following statement Friday declaring that Virginians deserve more from their elected officials, citing ideological distractions that have damaged Virginia’s reputation at home and around the nation:

“Governor McDonnell, Attorney General Cuccinelli, and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling have been in office for 100 days.  In that time it has become clear that this administration is struggling on one major front: setting clear priorities.  Virginians overwhelmingly expect a commonsense, results-oriented government, yet what we have endured for the last 100 days is a distracted government.”

Much more after the “flip.”

“Instead of prioritizing the state’s $4.2 billion budget shortfall, Governor McDonnell spent 100 days back-tracking and apologizing for actions that appealed to the far right-wing elements in his party.  Unfortunately he succeeded only in embarrassing the majority of Virginians by portraying us as a backward-looking, intolerant Commonwealth.  He omitted language condemning slavery from his “Confederate History Month” proclamation, and after being called out was forced to apologize and regroup.  He instituted a new obstacle for restoring voting rights and again backtracked after public outcry.  And he waited two days before issuing a token repudiation of  Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s misguided instructions to Virginia’s colleges and universities about equal opportunity.  While he was busy back-tracking and apologizing, he failed to submit a plan to fix Virginia’s crumbling and gridlocked roads, he attempted to cut millions of dollars in state support to our most vulnerable citizens and he tried to cut $731 million from Virginia’s public schools. Virginians deserve more from Governor McDonnell than ideological distractions, national embarrassments, and repeated apologies.”

“Meanwhile, Attorney General Cuccinelli has gone rogue, pursuing his own far-right ideological crusade and funding it with taxpayer money.  In the last 100 days, Cuccinelli has filed three lawsuits against the federal government: one to block healthcare reform, another to deny the science of climate change, and another to prevent the EPA from stopping polluters.  He ruled that Virginia’s colleges and universities did not have the authority to protect students and staff from discrimination based on sexual orientation.  He’s been a regular guest on right-wing TV and radio programs and traveled all over the state to speak at Tea Party rallies instead of devoting his time and efforts to the job he was elected to perform: serving as an impartial lawyer and providing legal advice to state agencies. His intolerant views and misguided actions have consistently earned Virginia nationwide ridicule, and he added insult to injury by establishing a political action committee so he could raise money from his political stunts. Virginians need more from their Attorney General than what they’ve seen over the last 100 days.”

“Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling has attempted to raise the profile of his part-time position presiding over the Virginia Senate, but he has only drawn attention after being called-out for his blatant hypocrisy in celebrating worthwhile economic development efforts that were funded entirely through a federal stimulus package that he vehemently opposed. Virginians deserve better.”    

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Friday “Clips.”

1. MCDONNELL UNHAPPY WITH REJECTED ETHICS BILL CHANGE

3. GOVERNOR TO SIGN ETHICS BILL, MINUS HIS 2 CHANGES

4. DESPITE A FEW LOSSES, MCDONNELL CLAIMS SUCCESS ON MOST ISSUES WITH ONE-DAY LEGISLATIVE SESSION

5. MCDONNELL LOOKS FOR WAYS TO SPEED UP RIGHTS RESTORATION PROCESS

6. A MEETING OF TWO GOVERNORS: MCDONNELL AND WILDER

7. CUCCINELLI SPEAKS TO AUGUSTA CHAMBER

8. MEDICAID UNCERTAINTY LEAVES VA. LEGISLATORS ANXIOUS

9. SENATORS PRESENT INDOMITABLE COLGAN WITH GAVEL FROM MARATHON SESSION

13. VA. SENATORS SEEK END TO ‘SECRET HOLDS’ IN U.S. SENATE

14. EX-NAVY SECRETARY WEBB: CARRIER MOVE IS ‘UNLIKELY’

17. ARLINGTON WINS FIRST BATTLE IN HOT LANES LEGAL WAR

22. VA. TO USE NRA MEASURES IN NEW GUN-SAFETY PROGRAM

Can we get any more vapid, empty, and lacking in substance than Bob McDonnell’s “Earth Day” statement? Here are excerpts from it, with my (snarky) [annotations]

Here in Virginia, we are blessed with countless beautiful open spaces, scenic rivers, the Chesapeake Bay and rolling mountains…[blah blah blah meaningless pabulum, whatever]…I took a hike with local schoolchildren and planted trees while talking to them about the importance of a clean environment…[did they ask you about your AG’s assault on the environment? how did you respond?]…The recent good news that the Blue Crab population in the Chesapeake Bay has increased by 60% since last year [right, that improvement was under Tim Kaine, now you’re governor and we’re looking to see what you’re going to keep that progress going exactly], and is now at its highest level since 1997, demonstrates that good public policy [for instance, do you support doing something about sprawl? pollution from coal-fired power plants? impermeable pavement? encouraging “green roofs?” climate change?] will lead to a cleaner and healthier environment…[of course, all those efforts will be for naught if we don’t do something about climate change, ASAP]…I encourage all Virginians to conserve, preserve and give back to clean up our environment…[except that, when it comes to public policy, you’re not doing even 0.1% of what you need to be doing on that front].

Amazing; Bob McDonnell issues an “Earth Day” statement and doesn’t even mention the #1 “Earth” issue – climate change. He also doesn’t mention the fact that his fellow Republican, Ken Cuccinelli, is one of the most rabid anti-environment Attorney Generals this country has ever seen, and that McDonnell says they’re totally in sync with each other.

Also not mentioned by McDonnell: this last General Assembly session, members of his party – presumably with McDonnell’s acquiescence if not encouragement – killed basically every piece of strong legislation on energy efficiency, renewable power, and seriously protecting our environment. On the other hand, McDonnell “took a hike with local schoolchildren and planted trees,” so all is well in the world I suppose. Ugh.

UPDATE: Now this is more like it; thank you, President Obama!