Virginia Democrats Question Priorities of McDonnell's First 100 Days

by: lowkell

Fri Apr 23, 2010 at 16:42:20 PM EDT

RICHMOND - The administration of Governor Bob McDonnell, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling will have been in power for 100 days as of Sunday, April 25, 2010. As the first traditional time stamp approaches, Virginia Democrats must question the priorities of the McDonnell Administration.

Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Dick Cranwell released the following statement Friday declaring that Virginians deserve more from their elected officials, citing ideological distractions that have damaged Virginia's reputation at home and around the nation:

"Governor McDonnell, Attorney General Cuccinelli, and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling have been in office for 100 days.  In that time it has become clear that this administration is struggling on one major front: setting clear priorities.  Virginians overwhelmingly expect a commonsense, results-oriented government, yet what we have endured for the last 100 days is a distracted government."

"Instead of prioritizing the state's $4.2 billion budget shortfall, Governor McDonnell spent 100 days back-tracking and apologizing for actions that appealed to the far right-wing elements in his party.  Unfortunately he succeeded only in embarrassing the majority of Virginians by portraying us as a backward-looking, intolerant Commonwealth.  He omitted language condemning slavery from his "Confederate History Month" proclamation, and after being called out was forced to apologize and regroup.  He instituted a new obstacle for restoring voting rights and again backtracked after public outcry.  And he waited two days before issuing a token repudiation of  Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's misguided instructions to Virginia's colleges and universities about equal opportunity.  While he was busy back-tracking and apologizing, he failed to submit a plan to fix Virginia's crumbling and gridlocked roads, he attempted to cut millions of dollars in state support to our most vulnerable citizens and he tried to cut $731 million from Virginia's public schools. Virginians deserve more from Governor McDonnell than ideological distractions, national embarrassments, and repeated apologies."

"Meanwhile, Attorney General Cuccinelli has gone rogue, pursuing his own far-right ideological crusade and funding it with taxpayer money.  In the last 100 days, Cuccinelli has filed three lawsuits against the federal government: one to block healthcare reform, another to deny the science of climate change, and another to prevent the EPA from stopping polluters.  He ruled that Virginia's colleges and universities did not have the authority to protect students and staff from discrimination based on sexual orientation.  He's been a regular guest on right-wing TV and radio programs and traveled all over the state to speak at Tea Party rallies instead of devoting his time and efforts to the job he was elected to perform: serving as an impartial lawyer and providing legal advice to state agencies. His intolerant views and misguided actions have consistently earned Virginia nationwide ridicule, and he added insult to injury by establishing a political action committee so he could raise money from his political stunts. Virginians need more from their Attorney General than what they've seen over the last 100 days."

"Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling has attempted to raise the profile of his part-time position presiding over the Virginia Senate, but he has only drawn attention after being called-out for his blatant hypocrisy in celebrating worthwhile economic development efforts that were funded entirely through a federal stimulus package that he vehemently opposed. Virginians deserve better."