Cuccinelli comes clean – states his 2013 intent clearly
By JR Hoeft | Sunday, December 18th, 2011 | PoliticsWe pride ourselves on giving readers unfiltered and unencumbered access to leaders in the conservative movement. Today is no exception.
Here’s a very important email from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli describing his political perspective heading into 2012 and 2013 from his “Cuccinelli Compass”:
Four quick initial thoughts on the Governor’s race… in chronological order. First, back in 2008, then-Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell made a private agreement. They agreed that Bob would run for Governor in 2009 and Bill would run in 2013. Part of the deal of course was that in exchange for Bill stepping back in 2009, Bob McDonnell would support Bill Bolling for Governor in 2013. I was unaware of the agreement before it was announced, and I had no role in its development.
The Governor will uphold his deal with the Lt. Governor. My working relationship with the Governor is not going to suffer during the remainder of my tenure. Additionally, I am as readily available and willing to work with the Lt. Governor as ever. We are all allies in governance today and always, even if we will be competitors in politics in 2013.
Second, while I would note that some have complained to me about not “waiting my turn,” I didn’t get in a line and I am not in the habit of trying to stifle competition. I’m certainly not going to stifle it myself.
In the Republican Party, we talk all the time about the importance of free markets and open competition. It seems to me that if we don’t practice what we preach, we won’t have much credibility with others. Not sticking to our principles has done our party enormous damage over the last 10 years or so (it gave us the current President), and these are traps I have continually fought against in my time in politics and government. I don’t intend to change that when the time comes to elect our next Governor.
And lastly under this second point, I only recently made the decision that I intend to run for Governor in 2013. It was not something that I showed up in the AG’s office to do. Much of what I have learned and observed from the unique vantage point of an Attorney General has influenced my decision.
Third, when I do begin to campaign for Governor, I’ll begin the campaign gradually. The reason for the gradual nature of the campaign of course is that 2012 is the most important election in which we are ever going to be involved in our lifetimes. The stakes have never been higher, and my political work will reflect that. I hope all of you are ready to pitch in next year, as Virginia will be at ground zero as one of the most important swing states in the country.
Fourth, I have let it be known that, when I do begin to campaign for Governor, I will not step down as Attorney General. While other Virginia Attorneys General before me have resigned to run for Governor, its important to know that Virginia is the only state with such a tradition. No other state does this. Why?
Because AGs in other states are perfectly capable of doing their jobs while running for office (whether for re-election, Governor, or whatever). I am too.
Would I have resigned to run for re-election? No. Then why resign when we get in the Governor’s race?
I said when I was running for AG in 2009 that I fully expected to serve out my term, and I made such comments in the absence of a commitment to run or not run for any particular office.
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Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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15 Responses to "Cuccinelli comes clean – states his 2013 intent clearly"
Nice job by Ken’s communication shop.
1. While Ken may not have been a signator to the McDonnell/Bolling agreement, he was completely aware of it when he agreed to run on the “ticket.” Additionally, the rest of the party was aware of it, and Ken has spent 2 years fund-raising assuring all who would listen that he intended to run for re-election. Those assurances have been as current as the week of his announcement to run for governor. His assurances, both public and private, have been so solid that many now feel betrayed or outright lied to. But Ken is special and not all the rules pertain to him.
2. Ken’s ambitions have never been a secret and the result is he doesn’t always play well with others. He’s not much of a team player, either. To wit, Ken decides he knows better re: Obamacare and formulates his own legal case rather than joining 2 dozen other AG’s. Sure, it cost the Commonwealth unnecessary millions to prosecute their solitary claim rather than a couple hundred thousand to join the other case, but then Ken would remain anonymous. (Currently, the other case has been granted a writ of certiorari and the VA claim has been declined/rejected.)
And all of this personal ambition is wrapped in free market principles! How noble and patriotic. But Ken is special and the commonwealth and the cause of freedom really needs him.
3. Ken says that 2012 is a moment of unparalleled importance for the country and the commonwealth, and indeed it is. We have a tangible opportunity to win the WH, the Senate and to keep the majority in the House. Certainly, Ken intends to campaign vigorously to secure the wins of 2010 and to elect a Republican to replace Jim Webb. Will he also campaign vigorously for the GOP nominee for president, even if that is Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney, especially knowing that his competitor for governor is Romney’s campaign chairman in VA?
4. While other Virginia Attorneys General have found it prudent and responsible to step aside while they campaign full time to run for governor, Ken, as he has said, is not accustomed to stepping aside. The important work that called to him when he ran for AG will have to share his time and talent with a higher calling. True enough, there are dozens of critical issues in the AG office to fight for, but he assures us that being a part-time servant of the people will be sufficient.
Running for re-election, which in all likelihood he would do without a serious GOP challenge, is not the same as waging a long and divisive campaign against the other sitting GOP statewide officeholder. And to pretend that it is betrays an ambition that supersedes good judgement.
I don’t argue against Ken’s “right” to seek the nomination, just his self-serving arguments put forth in this letter. If this is an example of the candor and honesty we may expect of his future campaign, count me deeply disappointed.
I am disapointed that the letter did not address the statements he had previously made about not running for Governor.
Additionally, I am dissapointed that the letter did not address his plans to use tea party folks to overwhelm mass meetings across the state for the purpose of removing chairmen who are against having a Convention as opposed to a primary (using market forces -voting- to determine who the nominee will be versus picking a nominee by seeing who can bus the most nutjobs to a convention)
Princeton, I’m a bit disappointed by your comments.
There are many rational arguments both for and against conventions and primaries. Personally, I prefer conventions as they tend to create more conservative candidates, don’t make the taxpayers foot the bill, and are a blast to attend and meet up with activists all across the state.
Unfortunately, for no other reason than my thoughts above, I’m guessing you’d likely lump me in with the “nutjob” crowd. Are there any other arguments you would care to add that avoids name calling?
While I did include my opinion on primaries verus conventions, what I want you to focus on is that idea that Cuccinelli feels it is ok to have a group of people, not members of the republican party, take over local parties for his own personal ambitions, regardless of the damage it does to the existing party and the structure that the republican party has developed.
I find it funny that the tea party hates the republican party establishment so much, but also is so jealous of our branding and ability to win elections. They don’t think we are smart enough to be “conservatives” but they are admitting they aren’t smart enough to win elections without us. Its almost petty jealousy really – and sad. They aren’t smart enough to do it on their own. If the tea party and ken cuccinelli wants to win that badly, make your own party and see how far that gets you.
Unless you think a third party is a great idea, start being a team player.
a) I need to hear more from Bolling. Has he been as active around Tea Party type events as Cuccinelli, whom I’ve heard on two or three occasions?
b) The whole “gentlemen’s agreement” about who is to run when smacks of old-school back room deals, and doesn’t excite me about any of the three men.
c) Serve up a primary, and let Virginians figure it out. If the Cooch is a modern day Icarus, the vote will tell the tale.
…and well said by Ken. Not sure why both candidates (Bolling and Cuccinelli) are still dwelling on this, though.
Less is more. The table for ’13 is set. We move on.
Ken is outdoing Newt in head size!
Such arrogance!
Ken has made his statement and I think its clear he has every right, and is extremely qualified to run for Gov. now that he has spoken can we all focus on 2012 !! We have a Senate seat to win as well as making sure Virginia does not turn blue again…lets get to work!!
Back room deals about who should become the next GOP nominee for Governor of Virginia are unacceptable. Where are the people in that decision? The more the merrier in the primary as far as I am concerned. I don’t know who I will support yet, but no one has a right to be the nominee without the support of the voters. End of story.
I think we can all agree that backroom deals are unacceptable and the nominee should have the support of voters *all voters – aka a primary.
Once Ken’s supporters purge the party ranks of Bolling supporters, they will then become the establishment and an animal farm type scenario will play out. Will he have a plan to eliminate more than 10% of the scope of the state government in the first year in office?
When Ken’s supporters realize that after he is Governor they will still have to pay taxes, who will be the tea party of the tea party?
I have not even come close to deciding who I would vote for to be Governor in 2013. I have been by most definitions a member of the establishment of the Republican Party, but lean towards the Tea Party much more nowadays. I think it is pretty insulting to suggest that all Tea Party members are stupid enough to believe that they will pay no taxes. I believe in most cases the Tea Party pushes the Republican Party to get back to its more conservative roots.
It was hyperbole to make the point that yes, Tea Party folks do have unrealistic expectations and also, a purist mentality to a fault. Its like their worship of Ron Paul – he has been in Congress for what, 25 years? And what has he done for their movement (and what are his accomplishments) – essentially nothing. The Fed does whatever the hell they want, the defecit is beyond control BUT as long as have someone writing a thousand page dissertation on the topic and ranting on youtube videos, they equate that with success. Success is being able to get elected and actually stop bad things from happening. Its almost as if they care more about their conciensce than results.
Give me a break, this is a free country and Ken has every right to run for Governor. Why should he “wait in line”? Bolling is acting like a child who is complaining that it is his turn to go down the slide.
The Governorship of Virginia should be earned, and if you are afraid of a little competition, you shouldn’t get in the ring
@Princeton – I agree that they are more purist than the Republican establishment. However, I would NEVER describe Ron Paul to be the leader of the Tea Party. They intersect for sure, but unlike what Paul claims, the roots did not originate with him. I am certainly not a supporter of Ron Paul.
You do have a point about a lack of realism and the Tea Party. However, at the federal level, I don’t think realistic expectations got us anywhere in the Republican Party. Lest we forget, we spent into oblivion when we controlled Congress and the White House.
We as Republicans need to get over this nonsense about whose “next in line” and chose people based on whether they’re best fit for the job. If you believe that Bolling best fit to be Governor then fine, but don’t choose him simply because he’s the heir apparent. For all any of you know Bolling made the deal knowing McDonnell would succeed and was planning on riding the wave of that success to the Governorship in 2013.
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