Monday, March 25, 2013

VA AG Ken Cuccinelli restates his opposition to Medicaid expansion and parts of transportation bill


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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