On Friday, Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli once
again made clear why Virginians should not elect this man as their next governor.
Cuccinelli repeated his opinion, issued in response to Del. Robert G. Marshall’s
(Prince William) inquiries, that taxes imposed on localities in Northern
Virginia and Hampton Roads are unconstitutional and that a legislative
commission which ultimately approved the expansion of Medicaid does not have
the authority to do so.[1]
Both of Ken Cuccinelli’s opinions are nonbinding (i.e., are
not legally enforceable), but they apply pressure to Gov. Bob McDonnell before
Monday’s deadline for Virginia’s chief executive to approve legislation and
Virginia’s budget.
McDonnell’s spokesman, Jeff Caldwell, was predictably vague
about the implications of Cuccinelli’s opinions. “Every bill passed by the
General Assembly is reviewed by the attorney general, and we will consider that
advice as we make a final determination on necessary amendments to the
legislation,”[2]
Caldwell said.
Apart from all of the gory details as to why Cuccinelli gave
his opinion opposing portions of the transportation bill and Medicaid
expansion, the ultimate consequence may be another example of how far removed
Cuccinelli is from the average voter in Virginia, at least in the eyes of
voters themselves.
With the release of his book, “The Last Line of Defense”[3]
and the recent video emergence of Cuccinelli comparing the fight to end slavery
to the anti-abortion movement[4],
Cuccinelli has punched a canyon sized hole into any attempt to bring himself
back towards the middle of the political spectrum, if indeed he chooses to do
so at all.
Voters are skeptical, as well as they should be, of the
Republican brand of politics that has engulfed national and state politics for
at least the past two years. This brand of politics has done little to suggest
new ideas. Rather, it cuts its teeth on opposing supposedly liberal policies
and ideas (many of which are not too dissimilar from policies and ideas once
proposed by members of the Republican Party). And Cuccinelli is one of the
shining stars of this Republican brand of politics.
For Terry McAuliffe’s campaign, their greatest strategy at
this point should be to allow Cuccinelli to continue generating self-inflicted
wounds and subtly shape the image of Cuccinelli as extreme right-winger along
the way.
[1] http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/cuccinelli-raises-legal-issues-on-roads-plan-medicaid/article_ac5f5f1a-22c7-54b1-80bf-509083b009d6.html
[2] http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/cuccinelli-raises-legal-issues-on-roads-plan-medicaid/article_ac5f5f1a-22c7-54b1-80bf-509083b009d6.html
[3] http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/cuccinelli-book-no-apologies-86978.html
[4] http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/03/ken-cuccinelli-slavery-abortion-virginia-governor-election
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