What a (unconstitutional/illegal/partisan) term it has been so far for the Democrats in Richmond (and after tonight, in Washington).
Consider:
JANUARY 16th:
– Days before former Governor McDonnell will be indicted for far flimsier charges and circumstantial evidence, Governor Terry McAuliffe appoints Republican turncoat/handout-seeker Boyd Marcus to one of the cushiest Virginia state government jobs as a thank you for joining his campaign. Based on precedent in the federal indictment of McDonnell, McAuliffe had better lawyer up. DOJ officials can’t point to a quo for McDonnell, while McAuliffe and Marcus have given them quid, pro AND quo.
Then in the past five days…
THURSDAY
– Last Thursday, Attorney General Mark Herring sets the inter webs ablaze with his (borderline) decision to no longer defend the Virginia constitution, and further, his (massively unprecedented) decision to join the plaintiffs and sue Virginia voters.
– Thursday afternoon, Governor Terry McAuliffe leaves Herring twisting in the wind, first responding to early reports with preferences of a legislative fix, then avoiding the media, leave his spokesperson to assure media that in fact the governor supports Herring’s political play, when actions suggested otherwise.
FRIDAY
– Left out on a limb, on Friday Herring clinged to his ‘THIS HAPPENED BEFORE!!!’ defense, conveniently forgetting that for both of his previous Virginia Attorney General citations, Cuccinelli and Kilgore, neither of them reversed their positions and sued the taxpayers who fund their offices. Herring issues op-eds to major news outlets and leftie blogs, who regurgitate the ‘there’s a precedent’ defense, while refusing to acknowledge the truth, or address the lack of precedent in reversing a state’s legal position in an ongoing lawsuit. (We’re still waiting.)
MONDAY
– After leaving Herring out on a limb for the weekend, McAuliffe responds to the media to answer a letter from Delegate Bob Marshall, telling the media he will not follow Virginia law, when the AG forgoes his duty and appoint special counsel. Let’s ignore, for now, how tacky it is that a sitting governor couldn’t be bothered to write a reply, but let Delegate Marshall hear about his response from the media instead.
TUESDAY
– Senate Democrats push throw a new rules package in the State Senate, forcing all House of Delegate bills ‘similar’ to go to the Democrat-stacked Rules Committee, essentially giving the Rules Committee veto authority over all bills coming from the House. State Senate Republicans howl in anger, and newly-inagurated Lt. Governor Ralph Northam quickly gets in over his head, not sure how to proceed and frequently having to rely on the State Senate clerk and Democratic leaders to get a handle on what’s happening in front of him. Ultimately, the vote falls 20-20 to reject, and Northam casts the deciding vote against, ushering in the new rules package that favors Senate Dems.
– President Obama in the State of the Union announces that he will no longer allow Congress to stand in his way, issuing pledge after pledge to use executive action to bypass Congress (and the Constitution) to achieve his agenda.
Wow. Hard to keep up with the number of ways Democrats are trampling on the law, the Virginia AND United States Constitution.
1) Terry McAuliffe sets himself up for federal indictment on the McDonnell precedent by a blatant quid pro quo, which looks 10000x worse when Boyd Marcus’ emails to the Cuccinelli seeking a handout come out.
2) Mark Herring violates the Virginia constitution by holding that despite no court action or decision to date against the Marshall-Newman amendment, he’s arbitrarily decided to no longer defend it. Herring argues his commitment is to the US Constitution first (possible), and that there’s precedent (debatable). Herring then shoots a broadside through both of those arguments when he reverses the state’s position and sues the defendants, that’s us/you/me/all of Virginia, violating both his oath and Virginia bar requirements.
3) Terry McAuliffe announces that while Virginia law mandates special counsel be appointed to defend the General Assembly when the Attorney General won’t, he doesn’t need to worry about that. Because there are already defendants…or something.
4) State Senate Democrats, eager to jump back into power, ram through a rules package, despite past precedents holding that rules packages exist for ten years, that gives the Democrat-controlled Rules Committee unconstitutional legislative veto authority over essentially every bill coming from the House of Delegates, negating a 40-body chamber.
5) President Obama in the State of the Union pledges to circumvent Congress/check and balances and the legislative branch by using any and every executive order he can issue. Congressional Democrats shout ‘DO IT! DO IT’ in encouragement for the Commander-in-Chief to bypass the Constitution (and them) as frequently as possible.
So after just two and a half weeks into their terms, the three statewide elected officials, in addition to their duties have to worry about:
– Federal indictment (McAuliffe)
– Being disbarred, impeached, censured, stripped of his budget (Herring)
– Looking incompetent (Northam)
Banner start to your 2014 term gentlemen, and if there’s anything Virginia Republicans need right now, it’s a uniting factor. With the top three Democrats already screwing up pretty much everything to date, the top three offices are going to be ripe for the taking in 2017.
Paging Pete Snyder/Mark Obenshain/Rob Bell/Ed Gillespie/etc
Things are only going to get better from here for Virginia Republicans.
So in spite all your illegal/unconstitutional/downright stupid decisions…y’all keep up the good work fellas.
