Justin Higgins over at JHPolitics continues to keep a finger on the pulse of a McDonnell administration that has chosen to go “into the bunker” (as one well-connected Virginia Republican stated) and fight:
The single event on his calendar for this week is a visit to Walter Reed which is closed to the press, meaning that McDonnell is going another full week without a public appearance. As I’ve noted before, this really calls into question his ability to govern. According to sources in the House of Delegates, the Governor has already missed out on some crucial business development meetings due to his cowering in the corner, so it’s not like the state isn’t suffering.
Meanwhile, the governor’s office is losing friends fast. This was no more apparent than at the gubernatorial debate this weekend.
Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II of Virginia said Saturday that Gov. Bob McDonnell should consider resigning over the lavish gifts he and his family took from a political benefactor.
Mr. Cuccinelli, who is running to succeed Mr. McDonnell, went further than he has gone before in criticizing his fellow Republican. His remarks came during a debate with his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe.
The governor is the target of state and federal investigations into influence peddling by Jonnie R. Williams Sr., on behalf of his company, Star Scientific. Mr. Cuccinelli also accepted gifts from Mr. Williams, and the attorney general has strenuously sought to distance himself from the governor, lest the scandal harm his campaign.
The subject came up late in the 90-minute debate, which was held in Hot Springs, Va., and streamed online, but it added some drama. Asked if Mr. McDonnell should resign, Mr. Cuccinelli said, “It is appropriate to ask him to think about it.”
The New York Times had other thoughts on the course of the debate, but it’s readily apparent that McDonnell has now become a tow anchor on the Republican ticket. With the governor’s favorability ratings in freefall at the moment, the bunker mentality alluded to before is only going to become worse as the drip of information continues to leak out. The story is not going away.
So long as McDonnell remains in the Governor’s Mansion, McAuliffe gets a free pass on his most vulnerable issue — ethics.
