In a conference call with reporters, AG Ken Cuccinelli played a role few would have anticipated him taking a few months ago: a beater for the Romney campaign.
It makes sense: since taking office in 2010, Cuccinelli has made a hobby out of challenging the Obama administration in federal court over health care and EPA regulations. But in this call, his object was the Administration’s crony capitalism problem — its loans and grants, largely to failed green energy companies, that featured either Obama campaign bundlers or former staffers on the corporate letterhead.
But still…Cuccinelli going to bat for Romney? It seemed so odd, one reporter asked him about it. In reply, Cuccinelli explained that it’s a two person choice in November and Romney is the only candidate who will focus on economy “I don’t have to sacrifice anything to campaign for Romney,” he said.
And campaign he did.
Cuccinelli said that under Obama, a small and select group has gotten their payoffs, while the middle class gets its layoffs. He said the deals made with Solyndra, First Wind, BrightSource Energy and others were examples of taxpayer monies being handed to Obama campaign bundlers. And in the case of BrightSource, which received $1.6 billion from the federal government, Cuccinelli pointed out that it hired Vice President Joe Biden’s one-time chief of staff as its lobbyist. And the company’s former CEO? He went on to become Commerce Secretary (he later resigned after suffering a seizure).
Cuccinelli said he could not recall an administration that was so brazen in its efforts to spread taxpayer monies to campaign donors and staffers. Perhaps (the Teapot Dome scandal comes to mind).
But I asked Cuccinelli the obvious question: crony capitalism has been rampant — and bipartisan — on Capitol Hill for generations. Spending bills have routinely been used to return or curry favor, or punish those who refuse to play ball. How would a President Romney end these corrupt practices?
By vetoing such bills, Cuccinelli said, and by pursuing a course to shrink the federal government.
We shall see.
Still, the most interesting thing to come out of the call was Cuccinelli himself. There can be no doubt that he’s comfortable in the role of designated beater, and his tenure in the AG’s office has demonstrated that’s he’s open, and even eager, to take on the Obama administration. For Ken, then, it’s another instance of doing what he’s always done. For Romney, though, having Cuccinelli out there swinging is something of a coup.
