Cuccinelli Blasts Clark, Endorses Hurt in VA-05
By Shaun Kenney | Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 | Catch-AllHere’s the quote you can’t miss:
Now folks, I have been active in Virginia politics a long time, and Jeff Clarke has never shown up for those battles that conservatives have been fighting for years.
Ouch… that’s painful, and a not-too-uncommon complaint heard by conservatives who were Tea Party while the rest were still being brewed.
Rest of the Cuccinelli statement is below:
***
Dear Fellow Virginians,
With less than a week to go before November 2nd, Virginia once again is in the middle of the fight for the direction of this country. Virginia will, in large part, have a tremendous role in determining what direction our country will be heading in the next two years.
Nowhere is this more profound than in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, where State Senator Robert Hurt is challenging liberal incumbent and Pelosi rubber stamp, Tom Perriello.
18 months ago, Tom Perriello defeated Virgil Goode by less than 800 votes, despite John McCain carrying the district by several thousand. I have known Robert since he was elected to the State Senate several years ago, where I served at that time. During our time together in the State Senate, Robert consistently demonstrated his commitment to the conservative ideals that we hold dear.
Since July, the national democrats and special interests groups have poured millions into attack ads to save their “pet” liberal Congressman, Tom Perriello. It is amazing than in a district like the 5th, its Representative in Washington could vote so contrary to the will of the people he represents. On every major Pelosi/Obama initiative, Tom Periello has voted “aye”.
He supported the job killing “Cap and Trade” bill.
He supports “Card Check”, which would gut Virginia’s Right to Work laws.
He supported the government takeover of our health care system, despite being told by his constituents in 22 town hall meetings that they wanted him to vote no!
He supported the job-killing ‘stimulus’ bill, which now sits as a financial burden on our children.
And he supports the largest tax increase in American history – due to take effect in two months!
On issue after issue, Tom Perriello has DESERTED his constituents, and voted with Obama and Nancy Pelosi instead. No wonder President Obama has called Perriello his “favorite Congressman”!
Now, in a cynical attempt to deceive voters of the 5th, Tom Perriello has embarked on an effort to drive voters to the independent candidate, Jeff Clarke. Now folks, I have been active in Virginia politics a long time, and Jeff Clarke has never shown up for those battles that conservatives have been fighting for years. I find it strange, almost convenient, that out of nowhere, someone gets on the ballot as an independent, “CLAIMS” he is a conservative, claims he’s a member of the Tea Party (when the Tea Party says he isn’t) – and now, Tom Perriello and the Democrat Party of Virginia are running TV ads and sending mailers, to Republicans and conservatives alike – claiming Robert Hurt isn’t a conservative, suggesting that Clarke is.
My Friends – this is a cynical attempt to suppress conservatives from voting – and it’s a shameless tactic on public display by a desperate politician. I ask you to call your friends, call your neighbors, and if you don’t live in the 5th, but know someone who does, call them and let them know that this deceitful tactic is backfiring …and that a vote for Jeff Clarke – is, well…a vote to leave Nancy Pelosi right where she is – Speaker of the House.
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About the author
Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
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16 Responses to "Cuccinelli Blasts Clark, Endorses Hurt in VA-05"
Yes, this comparison is intentional. That money quote sounds exactly like what many of us were saying about Patrick Muldoon in 2009. Was Bolling perfect? No. But he had a record of fighting hard for many of the issues we believe in while Muldoon did not. Same thing going on here.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bearing Drift and Bob Adney, M. Wood. M. Wood said: RT @bearingdrift: Web: Cuccinelli Blasts Clark, Endorses Hurt in VA-05 http://bit.ly/blAqAu [...]
I have the utmost respect for AG Cuccinelli and view him as the tea party candidate who came before the tea party existed. However I have to disagree with his portrayal of Jeff Clark.
Clark is like tens of thousands of other people who were silent up until about 18 months ago. He is like many others who have had enough and do not want the same old boys who will promise anything just to get elected.
I also have to disagree with the AG’s portrayal of Hurt as a being committed to conservative ideals, since when is voting to increase the size of government and taxes considered conservative.
I certainly do not agree with the tactic the Democrats are using but I do not consider Clark to be a spoiler which I have outlined here:
http://va5thdistrict.blogspot.com/2010/10/who-is-real-spoiler-in-5th-district.html
So Bill, you would rather take the word of a man who has absolutely no record and no visible campaign (except that paid for by Tom Perriello and the DCCC) over a guy with a record who admits to casting a bad vote and has since made amends by voting for dozens of tax cuts and opposed overly bloated state budgets? Talk about faith-based voting! What’s more, Clark’s stated objective is to prevent Hurt from being elected. Sounds like a spoiler to me.
Clark should realize the only thing he is doing is playing spoiler.
Willie,
The comparison to Patrick Muldoon isn’t apples to apples. Patrick Muldoon, whom I supported, challenged Lt Gov Bolling in a convention, where it is the proper place to challenge. During the general Patrick supported all three GOP nominees.
Todd,
I agree with you there. nomination are the times for people to duke it out, and then unite afterwards. For doing that, I respect Patrick Muldoon. I was simply making the comparison of having an imperfect conservative being challenged by someone with no track record of fighting for conservative things before running.
Also I am impressed that all the other candidates for the Republican nomination united behind Hurt, after such a hard fought contest. I definitely wasn’t a Hurt supporter in the primary, but I sure hopes he wins big on election day.
[...] Ken Cuccinelli, in a campaign letter today: No wonder President Obama has called Perriello his “favorite [...]
Willie (& Will), thanks for coming on board for Robert Hurt.
Boy. Hoq ugly ia thia race gettng. Living in the Richmondd media market in the Northern Neck, I sure can’t vote for anyone in the 5th. I really should just tune it.
But I can’t seem to do that. I keep getting bomabarded with Periello ads acting like the Republican and “we can’t afford a world of Hurt:
That’s bad enough, but tonight I was subjected to ads by Jeff Clark (or so the disclaimer told me.) Even more Hurt bashing and outright endorsement of Periello. And this is so-called conservative? REALLY? You Hurt supporters have your work cut out for you. With friends like Kenny Golden and Jeff Clark, you sure don’t need enemies.
Absolutely shameful, but the old say is that Republicans are best when eating their own.
craig: gratefully, i watch virtually no local TV. But I feel your pain.
where did Clark get the money for the media buy? long ago, a political strategist told me that Perriello had 2 ways to win: 1) a huge mistake by Hurt (“maccaca moment” or being a rapist or serial killer) OR 2) elevating the candidacy of Jeff Clark so that Clark would receive 10-15% of the vote.
at this point, Clark doesn’t matter. Robert Hurt is our next Congressman from VA5.
[...] (via Shaun Kenney) Here is a letter from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli lambasting Independent candidate Jeff Clark and endorsing state Senator Robert Hurt in Virginia’s 5th district: [...]
Craig:
I reckon that is the question all along concerning Clark’s candidacy – is he really ‘one of our own’?
[...] Cuccinelli blasts Clark, endorses Hurt in VA-05 [...]
I have been urging people in Va-5 (for about 8 months now) to actually LISTEN to Jeff Clark speak on the issues. He has appeared on my shows numerous times, and is as solid as they come on the Constitution, our founding principles, and the Federalist papers. His political philosophy is governed by these principles. You can hear his own words here: http://blogtalkradio.om/cbmedia-network
Hurt’s political philosophy? I honestly couldn’t tell you, because, to my knowledge, he has never articulated it.
Do we honestly want a Congressman who cannot even quote (much less understand) the document he will take an oath to uphold? Before you cast your vote next Tuesday, ask yourself: “Have I ever heard Robert Hurt give more than lip-service platitudes on the Constitution? Have I ever ONCE heard him even mention the Federalist papers in passing?”
If you are honest, both answers will be not only “no,” but “HELL, no!”
That’s enough for me.
I find it very hard to believe that people would somehow associate the AG with the Tea Party at its inception. The Tea Party platfrom had zero social issues as part of its original founding or organizing. The Tea Party, like the Richmond Tea Party for instance, solely focused on fiscal issues like taxes, spending, the expansion of government. At NO time were the social issues that have divided conservatives(fiscal) from the social conservative wing of the VaGOP discussed. Afterall, the Tea Party in its creation was not about the establishing another wing or arm of the GOP regardless of what current leadership-which in the case of the RTP is not the founding leadership- stipulates. Unforutnately, whuile I may agree with the AG on the referenced issue, the AG is not widely supported by those in the Tea Party save the issue of Virginia taking on Obamacare in the courts. Thats it. If you were to present much of the AG philosophy to those in the TP that I know I do not think you would find much support in kind. The RTP ranks are railing right noe againt Rep. Eric Ivan Canot in the 7th and participating in get the vote out for Floyd Bayne- a supporter of the Tea Party and a Conservative candidate. The organization RTP, due to IRS filing issues cannot endorse any candidates officially but the rank and file (note: not the leadership) is out in support against Cantor. I find hard to believe these people would then support the AG across the board on a range of issues given their current rejection of Cantor. In fact, many of the same people working in support of Bayne are working in support of Hurt against Periello. In speaking with many of these people they see no real difference between Periello/Cantor in terms of things like TARP, REALID, MEDIACARE B, FISA, PEPFAR and NCLB all of which the Tea Party rank and file reject.
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