McAuliffe announces plan for greater transparency in Virginia’s government amid Star scandal

On Thursday, Democratic Party candidate for Virginia governor, Terry McAuliffe, said he’ll ban gifts of $100 or more to a governor or his/her family. McAuliffe of course made the statement as the scandal surrounding Star Scientifics’ CEO Jonnie Williams Sr. continues to shroud Republicans Bob McDonnell and McAuliffe’s opponent in the gubernatorial run, Ken Cuccinelli, in an ever more uncomfortable fog of ethical wrongdoing and even illegality.

McAuliffe’s statement is a political no-brainer, a way of separating himself from his Republican opponent and highlighting the questionable relationship between Ken Cuccinelli and Jonnie Williams Sr.

McAuliffe commented, “Virginia taxpayers deserve to know that their elected officials are representing the Commonwealth first,” while also announcing a plan that will increase transparency in Virginia’s government.

But as Blue Virginia’s Lowell Feld noted, McAuliffe’s victory towards the Governor’s Mansion won’t be the cake-walk that it would be if a good deal of Virginians were sane enough to see how off his rocker Cuccinelli really is. Many Virginians seem more than willing to bypass the loony side of Cuccinelli for what they perceive as his more mainstream conservative policy platform.

As long as the election for governor continues, Virginians aligned with McAuliffe shouldn’t pat one another on the back. The fat lady is very much still in the building (can you imagine a Democratic candidate for Virginia governor getting away with AC/DC’s “T.N.T.” as part of their campaign ad?!).