Virginia News Headlines: Wednesday Morning (12/12/12)

by: lowkell

Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 06:42:32 AM EST

*Obama, Boehner trade offers but little progress apparent
*White House: NKorea Launch 'Highly Provocative'
*On debt ceiling, GOP is defining extortion down (Wildly irresponsible, but what else is new from the utterly despicable Mitch McConnell?)
*No fair wage for you ("'Right to work' laws, like the one signed Tuesday in Michigan, only hurt American workers.")
*Gov. McDonnell faces a challenge on gas taxes ("Mr. Norquist is entitled to his magical thinking. But when he uses it to try to intimidate Virginia lawmakers, Mr. McDonnell must push back.")
*Virginia teachers: Cuts would hurt poor, disabled
*U.Va. put on warning by accrediting agency (Why is Helen Dragas still on the UVA Board of Visitors?)
*Warning puts Dragas reappointment in greater spotlight
*Chance of avoiding fiscal cliff 80 percent says Warner (I don't fully understand how Warner knows this, given that he himself admits he's not "in that room.")
*Wolf, Warner: Fiscal Solution Is In The Middle (Actually, no, the "middle" is probably not the solution here, given unreasonable Republican demands to slash non-military spending and to NOT raise revenues by very much.)
*Catholic Bishop Walter F. Sullivan dies at age 84 in Richmond (Reading his obituary, Bishop Sullivan sounds like a strong progressive on a wide variety of issues ranging from war and peace to Vatican II to women's rights. He also "initiated an annual Mass for gays and lesbians in 1997 and established a sexual minorities advisory committee." Impressive!)
*Schapiro: Norquist-ian bargain on taxes turns Faustian ("Because this dust-up involves taxes and transportation - issues, in the election just passed and the election ahead, on which Republicans are vulnerable - McDonnell must double efforts to be seen as all things to all voters. His future in politics could depend on it. Or does it?")
*McDonnell takes aim at accelerated sales tax gimmick
*Bills would give General Assembly power to spike state regs
*Va. bill aims to protect secret union ballot
*Va. lawmakers turn cold shoulder to Fairfax transportation pleas
*More candidates pursuing Va. Beach legislative seat
*Former Virginia Beach sailor denied bond in spying case
*Save Va.'s roads despite Norquist (Again, Virginia's only response to Grover Norquist should be a raised middle finger.)
*Not 'panic time' yet as drought hits
*Redskins prepared with Cousins pick