Patricia Phillips Endorses Steve Hunt for State Senate

Now that Ken Cuccinelli is the Attorney General Elect of Virginia, there is a special election for the 37th state senate seat coming up. At this point we don't know the date of the election, but it will probably be soon.

Right now we have three Republicans running to replace Ken Cuccinelli: Marianne Horinko, Will Nance, and Steve Hunt.

All the buzz I have been hearing has been about Steve Hunt. He has a very thorough and bipartisan list of endorsements.

Patricia Phillips (former Republican nominee for the 33rd senate district) recently endorsed Steve Hunt in this video.

Steve Hunt also gave a very stirring and inspiring kick off speech.

This is not an endorsement as I have not had a chance to look into all the candidates yet, but with his experience winning in Fairfax Co., and commitment to conservative principles he sure seems like someone to look into as we try to find Ken Cuccinelli's replacement.

It looks like whoever wins the Republican nomination will have a very good chance of winning the special election. The results from the Pat Herrity race were pointing that direction in February. The Democrats seem to be unable to find a candidate to support inside the 37th district, and the person they do have (Del. Marsden) will probably get "Shannonized".

This special election is very important. If you have the time please get involved, and definitely make sure any friends you have vote as we keep the momentum moving to 2010 and beyond.

VA Fraternal Order of Police Endorses Cuccinelli

. Paraphrased Press Release from September 25th:

This week Senator Ken Cuccinelli, Candidate for VA Attorney General, received the single most important endorsement in the Attorney General's race - the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police, the largest law enforcement group in the Commonwealth.

FOP President Tommy Edwards had this to say about the race:

"Ken Cuccinelli's outstanding recognition of the problems faced by the Supreme Court Case Melendez-Diaz, his early and outspoken push for a Special Session, and its ultimate success which will allow the prosecution of certain cases to proceed - is a testament to his skill, knowledge, and support of the law enforcement community."

The momentum is clearly building for Cuccinelli in this race.

Continuing to Follow the Money from Steve Shannon to... Acorn?

Earlier I posted about how Steve Shannon is practically being paid to call for Phil Hamilton to resign. Now it seems that as you follow Steve Shannon's money trail, it may lead to none other than Acorn. This web ad from the Cuccinelli campaign is pretty hard hitting on this connection. This ad has been picked up by the Wall Street Journal and Politico even though it has been out for mere hours.

For someone who constantly criticizes Ken Cuccinelli for having a "personal political agenda" it is ironic there are this many questionable money connections with Steve Shannon.

Should Steve Shannon Call for Himself to be Investigated?

In early September, e-mails came out that seemed to indicate Delegate Phil Hamilton funneled state money to Old Dominion University in exchange for a job. Steve Shannon immediately called on Phil Hamilton to resign, and called on Cuccinelli to do the same. He even began running radio ads in the Norfolk are going after Cuccinelli for not calling on Phil Hamilton to resign.

Cuccinelli has responded by arguing that it is wrong for an Attorney General candidate to weigh in on the issue because he might have to sit in judgment in the case. Some have argued that once again this is evidence that Cuccinelli understands the role of the Attorney General while Shannon doesn't.

Thanks to Virginia's public finance disclosure rules some interesting trends have turned up in donations to the Democrat Statewide candidates. It appears that Phil Hamilton's opponent's law firm gave over $120,000.00 to the three Democrat statewide candidates, including over $50,000 to Steve Shannon. Tom White of VA Right did an excellent job analyzing the numbers. This raises the question should there be calls for Steve Shannon to be investigated? If he was given money from Hamilton's opponent and then as a result started calling for Phil Hamilton to resign, isn't that prid pro quo?

Simultaneously posted on VASocialConservative, Bloggers for Ken Cuccinelli, and Off the Trunk.

Political Connections, and What they Mean

It seems this year more attention is being paid by the Democrat Candidates in Virginia to their opponents connections, than stances on the issues. Steve Shannon has attacked Ken Cuccinelli for his connections to the Tea Party movement, as well as his connection to Phil Hamilton. Creigh Deeds used his first TV Add to bring up the spectre of George Bush as he tries to gain ground against Bob McDonnell. In the spirit of ducking the issues both candidates refuse to debate their opponents, and Steve Shannon called Ken Cuccinelli's call for a special session (which ended up being successful) a "political stunt". While political connections are interesting they are most useful when they enlighten us on where the candidates stand on the issues.

Recently some pictures were taken that of a Deeds connection that illustrates his position on a critical issue.

(A "Deeds for Governor" sign at an abortion clinic in Richmond)

(Another picture of the sign)

Why does this matter? This medical facility, A Capital Women's Health Clinic, is exclusively an abortion provider. Unlike Planned Parenthood, they don't try to cover themselves by offering other health services. Among the "services" this abortion clinic provides are abortions for babies 14 weeks old or younger, as well as abortions by pill.

In the description of the "Abortion Up to 14 Weeks" the clinic's website says, "This five minute outpatient procedure involves the insertion of a small suction tube into the cervix to remove the contents of the uterus." Are infants no longer even fetuses, but simply contents to be suctioned like the junk in your mouth during a dental visit?

In the description of the "Abortion by Pill" the clinics website says, "This procedure is 92 to 95% effective and the patient must be willing to undergo the surgical abortion process if the pill fails." You mean if your child survives one attempt to kill it you need to commit to trying a second time. What persistence...

It is no surprise that Creigh Deeds is suppported by such a radical abortion group. While he tries to portray himself as a moderate, he has a record that is anything but moderate. He has a record of standing against the right for life at every opportunity, and even recently sided with the founders of the pro-choice movement in saying that abortions are for the "poor and desperate". It is no surprise a man who seems to think abortions should be used to reduce the number of poor people is supported by people who run an abortion clinic.

Ken Cuccinelli Successful During Special Session

Last month I described how Ken Cuccinelli called for a special session of the General Assembly to deal with a recent Supreme Court decision. After being accused of making political stunts, Tim Kaine eventually sided with Ken over Steve Shannon and called the special session. The session occurred yesterday, and in one day the solution bill that Ken introduced was passed through both houses of the general assembly.

Special Session

Successful;

Legislature Follows

Cuccinelli's Lead

RICHMOND - Today, Virginia's General Assembly passed legislation requested by Senator Ken Cuccinelli to address the problems created by the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts.

Sen. Cuccinelli remarked, "I would like to thank my colleagues in the General Assembly and Governor Kaine for working together to solve this issue quickly." Sen. Cuccinelli added, "Across the Commonwealth, drunk drivers were getting off scott free - this was a public safety issue, and we were able to address it with today's legislation."

On June 25th, the Supreme Court ruled in Melendez that prosecutors could not require defendants to call lab technicians to testify in drug and DUI prosecutions, as this shifted the burden from the prosecution to the defense to produce witnesses in a criminal case. This decision resulted in an explosion of defense subpoenas for lab technicians - threatening to overwhelm the department of forensic sciences and prosecutors across Virginia, thereby causing the dismissal of drug and DUI cases. This decision forced prosecutors to suspend drug and drunk driver cases and caused a bottleneck in Virginia's criminal justice system.

Commonwealth's Attorneys from all over Virginia were severely concerned over the situation and were scrambling for a fix to the problem.

After consulting with Virginia prosecutors and law enforcement, Sen. Cuccinelli was the first to pose a solution to the Melendez problem, and in a letter to Governor Kaine, called for a Special Session on July 9th, just two weeks after the ruling. On July 22nd, Governor Kaine announced during a press conference that a legislative fix would be needed and called the legislature into session.

On July 10th, Democrat Candidate for Attorney General and House of Delegates Member, Steve Shannon called Sen. Cuccinelli's request for a legislative fix a "political stunt," and said an administrative fix was all that was needed. Shannon was rebuked by Commonwealth's Attorneys and even by the Governor.

Governor Kaine endorsed Cuccinelli's approach, noting that "legislative action" was necessary to solve the problems posed by Melendez.

Shannon voted for Cuccinelli's legislation, despite his early and loud opposition to resolving this issue through legislation.

"I'd like to thank Steve for voting for my 'legislative fix'," said Sen. Cuccinelli. "I'm glad Steve and others changed their mind and recognized that my urgent request over a month ago was indeed not a political stunt." Sen. Cuccinelli added, "I will continue working alongside law enforcement and Commonwealth's Attorneys to make sure that this fix has the intended effect - to stop drunk drivers, and drug offenders, from going free due to Melendez."

Sen. Cuccinelli also noted that he looked forward to addressing other approaches to alleviate the Melendez problem, such as live video transmissions from lab technicians. "I just hoping I'm doing it as Attorney General, not as a State Senator," Sen. Cuccinelli concluded.

Senator Cuccinelli was one of five members on the Courts of Justice Sub-Committee which crafted this legi

Tim Kaine Agrees With Ken Cuccinelli, Decides to Call Special Session

One of the biggest stories in the Attorney General's race is Ken Cuccinelli's call for a special session to deal with the Melendez-Diaz v. Massacheusetts decision. While Shannon thought Cuccinelli was going to far, and wanted Kaine to find an administrative solution, it now appears that Tim Kaine agrees with Ken Cuccinelli.

The AP is reporting that a Virginia lawmaker says Kaine will call a special session to deal with the issue later today.

RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia lawmaker says Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine will call a special session to deal with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that's having repercussions in the state's courts.

The legislator spoke on the condition of anonymity Tuesday night because he was not authorized to pre-empt the governor's announcement. Kaine has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday, but his office says only that he will make two public safety announcements.

A second legislator, House Democratic Leader Ward Armstrong of Henry County, said Kaine has told him he's leaning toward calling a special session.

The announcement is expected to take place sometime later today.

Cuccinelli was the person who realized how important this issue. He accurately predicted DUI cases would be dismissed, and made the difficult but correct decision. Once again he has stood up for what is best for Virginians, even if it may be politically difficult. Kaine's decision to side with a candidate from the opposite party over his own candidate for Attorney General means that he realized administrative solutions were impossible, and the special session is what is necessary to fix this problem. His actions will validate Cuccinelli's foresight, and accurate understanding of the law.

(Cross posted at Off the Trunk, and Bloggers for Ken Cuccinelli.)

Cuccinelli Outriases Shannon with Historic Fundraising Period

In the last fundraising period Ken Cuccinelli ouraised his opponent, Steve Shannon, by $7,000.00. Ken Cuccinelli raised $291,704 and Steven Shannon raised $284,733. (Contrary to what the Richmond Times Dispatch may write this actually means Ken raised more money.) Not only did Ken outraise Steve, but he also had the most donations. He had 292 donations greater than $100.00 compared with Shannon's 238. On donations of $100.00 or less Cuccinelli had 487 more than eight times as much as Steve Shannon's 57. If donors are votes Ken Cuccinelli is in good shape.

Not only did Ken outraise Steve Shannon this quarter, he pulled in a historic haul. According to Chris Lacivita,

"This was more than the last two GOP candidates for attorney general, Bob McDonnell and Jerry W. Kilgore, raised in the same period, campaign consultant Chris LaCivita said. It also includes no national GOP money, he said."

This historic fundraising report follows only a week after Ken's polling lead was announced. Let's keep this moment going by volunteering, and continuing to donate. If we work hard we will see Ken Cuccinelli as our next Attorney General.

(Simultaneously posted by VASocialConservative and Cuccinelli4AG.)

Ken Cuccinelli Calls for Special Session of the General Assembly

Ken Cuccinelli Calls for Special Session:

"We need to Protect Virginians from Drug Dealers and Drunk Drivers."

FAIRFAX -- Today, State Senator Ken Cuccinelli, (R-Fairfax), and Republican Candidate for Attorney General, called on Governor Tim Kaine to bring the Legislature back to Richmond immediately to address the problems created by the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts. This decision has begun forcing prosecutors to suspend drug and drunk driver prosecutions, "which is a situation that is bad and will likely get worse if we don't act quickly," said Cuccinelli. "The first priority of Government is public safety. It is with this in mind that I call on Governor Kaine to convene the General Assembly as soon as possible to fix the problem with our notice waiver statute in the Virginia Code. While Virginia's law was ruled constitutional by our Virginia Supreme Court, that ruling was a close 4-3 decision, and it is on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. While I share our Attorney General's opinion that Virginia should prevail under the current statute, the U.S. Supreme Court will not reconvene to hear this case until at least October, and the case is clearly a close call at best," said Cuccinelli. "Commonwealth's Attorneys are on the front lines in the war on crime, they need to be secure in knowing that all Virginia's statutes are constitutional and that their prosecutions will not be undone because of Melendez. And of course the state has an obligation to the defense, to ensure protection under the 6th Amendment. I believe the only way to ensure constitutionality is to conform Virginia's notice waiver statute to Georgia's, which the U.S. Supreme Court said is constitutional in theMelendez case. Anything less I believe would be a disservice to Virginia's Commonwealth's Attorneys and its law enforcement community," concluded Cuccinelli. Until the ruling in Melendez-Diaz, the Virginia state forensic lab was able to submit a certificate of analysis of their findings for use in court in drug and D.U.I. cases. Virginia law allows the certificate of analysis as proof of the drugs involved in the case or blood alcohol content. "With the volume of cases analyzed, requiring court appearances by the scientist in every case has the potential to cripple the criminal justice system," noted Cuccinelli. Local prosecutors across the Commonwealth are also asking for a special session to fix the problem. Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Garrett said, "Across the Commonwealth drunk drivers and drug dealers are going free in cases that would have been certain convictions two weeks ago." Senator Cuccinelli said, "A legislative fix would be much better than hiring 100-200 new scientists, which we couldn't do now even if we tried." Senator Cuccinelli noted that under the Virginia Constitution, if the Governor does not act, the legislature can call itself into session if 2/3 of the Senators and 2/3 of the Delegates write to the Governor making such a request. "We can call the special session now, before too much damage has been done, or we'll end up doing it later, after hundreds or thousands of drug defendants and drunk drivers have gotten off spot-free. I think we should act right now."

New Poll is Great News for Ken Cuccinelli

Today the first poll of all three statewide races was released by Public Policy Polling. On the CRFV Blog I posted about the good news this is for the whole Republican ticket. I would take a moment to analyze what this poll means for Ken Cuccinelli.

The poll reports that Ken Cuccinelli leads Steve Shannon 45%-38% overall and 44%-26% among independents. (Ken also enjoys the support of 85% of Republican voters compared to Shannon who only has 80% from his own party.) While this is great news (especially since Shannon is well funded and had no primary contest) when you analyze the undecideds the poll gets even better. Independents have the largest percentage of undecided voters with 30%. Since Ken seems to do well among these voters there is more room for his lead to grow their. Interestingly 14% of Democrats are undecided. If they are undecided this far into the campaign season their has to be a possibility Ken can pick up some of these votes as well.

The person who some people say is too radical to win in Virginia is leading in the first poll, and even leading among independents. Let's continue to work hard and make sure Ken and the rest of the ticket win this fall.

Ken Cuccinelli Needs Your Help Now

I know money isn't plentiful, that is just how it is with the current economic situation. However, Ken has a critical fundraising deadline coming up, and even if you can just donate $5.00 please do it. I strong showing in this fundraising quarter will give the campaign momentum, and the campaign needs money anyways. Ken explained the importance of your donation in today's Cuccinelli Compass.

June 29, 2009 Dear Fellow Virginians, I need your help today. We have our first post-convention fundraising period ending tomorrow at midnight -- and we MUST have a strong showing. Our challenger, Steve Shannon, ran unopposed for the Democrat primary, and as a consequence has been stockpiling money for over a year now. With just one month since we won the convention, I need your support to help us play catch-up! While Steve Shannon was stockpiling cash, I was driving around the Commonwealth meeting with Virginians and building a grassroots network of volunteers and supporters. We are miles ahead in our grassroots organization, but now I need your support to help us close the financial gap. You can help us show a strong report by donating to our campaign before midnight tomorrow night, June 30th. And remember, it doesn't matter if you give $5 or $500. It all helps tremendously, so please give what you can. Donate here today at : http://www.cuccinelli.com/donations.htm Thank you and see you on the campaign trail! Sincerely, Senator Ken Cuccinelli II

Cuccinelli Consistent. Shannon Shifting.

Today was the first Attorney General debate of the general election. In the leadup to it, Steve Shannon wanted to limit the use of audio and video clips from the debate. I think Ken Cuccinelli's press release explains why.

Cuccinelli answers questions, takes positions - Steve Shannon? Well, he was there.

Candidates agree that debates are substantive for campaigning, agree to hold more.

Virginia Beach - In the Commonwealth's first debate for the office of Attorney General hosted by the Virginia Bar Association, Republican Senator Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Steve Shannon touched on a host of issues that demonstrated a wide difference in opinion and approach as to how they would operate as Attorney General. Cuccinelli made clear that he would support and defend Virginia's right to work laws, where Steve Shannon has a 100% voting record with the AFL-CIO. Shannon refused to take a position on "Cap and Trade" - an issue that the next Attorney General will have to deal with as Washington continues to encroach on States economic prerogatives. "I am pleased that Steve and I had this opportunity to debate on such a wide variety of topics said Senator Ken Cuccinelli. Virginians will be surprised to learn that not only will Steve Shannon not take positions on important issues but that if and when he does he will almost assuredly change them. Virginians need an Attorney General they can count on. As your next Attorney General I will interpret and defend the constitution and will remain consistent in my beliefs" added Cuccinelli. In a debate lasting a little over an hour, moderated by the Executive Director of the Sorensen Institute at the University of Virginia Bob Gibson, members of the Virginia State Bar and Virginia's current Attorney General Bill Mims could witness first hand Steve Shannon's unwillingness to state a position on any major issue. His refusal to answer a question on the pending 4th Circuit Court ruling on Partial Birth Abortion and changing (again) position on the marriage amendment is indicative of a man without any sense of direction. He most certainly will have to deal with these and many other questions as Attorney General, but his silence speaks volumes. Senator Ken Cuccinelli was the only candidate to unveil any major policy initiatives that he would pursue as Attorney General. These proposals will be discussed in detail in the weeks ahead, but go to the core of the job of Attorney General. "The first, consolidating the office of Consumer Affairs under the office of Attorney General would streamline government, provide a clear line of authority for business and get consumers off the Merry-go-around of where to go to get help said Ken Cuccinelli. How much sense does it make to house part of consumer affairs in the Agriculture Department?" added Cuccinelli. The second policy initiative would make the Virginia Court of Appeals a middle level of appeal for all cases, unlike its current, very limited authority. "This will help bring consistent application to the law of Virginia, and will offer the chance for truly meritorious appeals that now do not get consideration because of the Supreme Court's workload limitations," said Senator Cuccinelli. "It's a change a long time in coming."

# # #

So who is Steve Shannon?

Now that both parties have their candidates, it is time to begin analyzing the Democrat candidates. If you have been reading this blog at all you have a feeling for who Ken Cuccinelli, and what I think of him. Now it is time to begin to explore who his opponent is in the Attorney Generals race, Steve Shannon.

Mason Conservative describes Steve Shannon by saying,

As for Steve Shannon, none of this trio fits the term "backbencher" better than Shannon, who's spent four years in the House of Delegates just smiling away, not doing much, but being young and raising money and convincing people that he's electable. Its the kind of guy that always emerges when one party starts to really prosper - young pols who get elected on coattails and seem to convince everyone they are the future based on nothing but fluff.

RPV Chairman Pat Mullins described him similarly in his election night e-mail by saying,

“Steve Shannon is looking to leave behind his status as a back-bencher in the legislature to continue to promote his belief in higher economic burdens on working families. His record reflects full-voiced support for higher taxes and staunch opposition to tax relief. When Virginians are hurting and are in need of new and better jobs, his view of the taxpayer as an unlimited funding source is the last thing we want.

These are a couple quick summaries of who Steve Shannon is, and I'm sure that in the coming months we will delve deep into his voting record. As a member of the House of Delegates from Fairfax County, Steve Shannon shares two precincts with Cuccinelli's senate district. It is interesting to note that Democrat blogger Ben Triblett of Not Larry Sabato wrote a detailed analysis of Shannon's electoral history and doesn't believe Shannon will be able to run away with NOVA. Since Cuccinelli resonates well in southern and southwestern Virginia, has been elected in Fairfax County, and Shannon may not do well in NOVA, Ken may be in a very good electoral position.

The one major advantage Shannon has is money. At the end of the last filing period he had atleast a 10:1 money advantage over Cuccinelli. If you support limited government, lower taxes, private property, and strong families please donate to Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General.

Ken Cuccinelli
for Attorney General of Virginia
$

If you are interested in hearing Ken's thoughts on the upcoming Attorney General primary, Ken shares them at the end of the following video.

Bearing Drift interviews Ken Cuccinelli from Beehive Video on Vimeo.

More Good News for McDonnell/Bolling

Only three days after claiming the nomination today has been full of good news for McDonnell/Bolling.

A recent Survey USA poll of Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Loudon, Prince William, and Arlington counties) has McDonnell tied with McAuliffe and Deeds and only 5 points behind Moran. For McDonnell to be competitive in an area Democrats need todominate is a very good sign.

McDonnell: 44%
McAuliffe: 44%

McDonnell: 43%
Deeds: 43%

McDonnell: 42%
Moran: 47%

The new fundraising numbers also are very good. The latest financial reports cover April 1st through May 27th. PWConservative sifted through the reports and McDonnell raised $3.7 million in that period and has $4.9 million cash on hand. He raised more than all the other Democrats combined in that period, and has over double the cash on hand than the Democrats combined.

Bolling has also enjoyed similar success fundraising over the past two months. He raised $448,000 over this period and has $928,000 cash on hand over three times more than the nearest candidate.

The RPV had a very energetic and unifying convention last weekend and the top of the ticket is polling well and fundraising well. Let's go door to door these weekends and make sure the GOP succeeds this fall.

Also Ken Cuccinelli has a significant fundraising gap to make up with Democrat Steve Shannon. Pleas consider donating to the Cuccinelli for Attorney General campaign.

Ken Cuccinelli
for Attorney General of Virginia
$

Cuccinelli Outraises Brownlee

The filing reports for money raised by candidates for executive office between July 30th and December 31st were due last night.  During a fundraising period that included both the 2008 elections, and a recession, Ken Cuccinelli outraised John Brownlee.

During that period, Cuccinelli raised $225,244 and has $220,536.  In that same period, John Brownlee raised $111,714 and now has $116,589 cash on hand.  While $30,000 of Cuccinelli's total was a transfer from his state senate account, Cuccinelli still significantly outraised Brownlee. 

Not only did Cuccinelli out raise Brownlee, but in another demonstration of his strong grass roots support, he also outperformed in sheer number of donors.  Cuccinelli had a total of 939 donors while Brownlee had 277 donors.  Cuccinelli also outraised Brownlee 724 to 158 in donations under $100.  

These numbers are important for at least two reasons.  Cuccinelli's strong fundraising performance will be important for the general election since Steve Shannon is waiting on the Democratic ticket with a war chest that currently sits at $740,000.  The grassroots strength reflected in these numbers will help Ken overcome a financial deficit in the general election as it has in past elections.  These new fundraising numbers reflect just how strong the Cuccinelli campaign is.

Ken is 3-0 in demonstrations of the strengths of the Cuccinelli campaign.  He had the best showing in the petition drive in the beginning of December, won the Republican Advance strawpoll, and now had the best showing in this past financial period.  Now it is on to the delegate elections.    

Sources for this article include the Bearing Drift article, AP article, and VPAP reports for both Brownlee and Cuccinelli.