Radio America Online News Bureau

Virginia

Cuomo Blames Trump for Lost Revenue, Dem Voters Sticking with Northam, Fairfax Accuser Hires Ford’s Lawyers

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Listen to “Cuomo Blames Trump for Lost Revenue, Dem Voters Sticking with Northam, Fairfax Accuser Hires Ford’s Lawyers” on Spreaker.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America see a teachable moment as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blames President Trump and the GOP tax reform for many wealthy people leaving his state over high taxes, but the solution would seem to be pretty simple.  They’re also surprised to see 50 percent of Democratic voters in Virginia approving of Ralph Northam as governor – even after the yearbook controversy.  And they react to the accuser of Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax hiring Christine Blasey Ford’s legal team.

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Cuccinelli Dissects Northam Mess

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Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli III says he is surprised that the Ralph Northam he knows would put a racist photo in a medical school yearbook, but he thinks Northam needs to resign.  But he says revived allegations of sexual assault against the man who would replace Northam make things even more complicated.

On Friday, Big League Politics broke the story of the photo showing one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.  Northam initially apologized for appearing in the photo but later said he was certain he was in in it and has no idea how it got on his yearbook page.

Cuccinelli served with Northam in the Virginia State Senate and says the revelation came as a very big surprise.

“It’s really at odds with his personality and his behavior.  I’ve never observed him undertaking a racist act or statement or seen evidence of so much as a thought in all of the years I’ve known Ralph, which is more than a decade now.  So this is all the more shocking,” said Cuccinelli, who seems to agree that Northam can no longer effectively lead Virginia.

Cuccinelli says this saga also opens an old wound in the commonwealth’s history.

“I think this is a reminder that while we are growing out of the racist past Virginia had, those remnants are still around and they still matter in people’s lives,” said Cuccinelli.

Despite calls to resign from the vast majority of Virginia and national Democrats, Northam is refusing.  Some of his critics want state lawmakers to pursue impeachment charges, but Cuccinelli says they really can’t.

“It’s really up to the governor because impeachment in Virginia is more or less the same as at the federal level.  It’s only for acts taken in office,” said Cuccinelli.  “There’s no availability of impeachment here.  It’s really in Ralph Northam’s hands whether he resigns or not.”

The story got even more bizarre on Monday, with reports that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.  Fairfax is vigorously denying the charge, which was never prosecuted, but Cuccinelli says the Northam mess and the Fairfax allegation are emerging at the busiest possible time in Virginia politics.

Tuesday is what’s known as “crossover,” when the House of Delegates and the State Senate must pass any bills originating from their members or else the opportunity is lost for the year.  Key votes on tax relief and budgeting are taking place with both Northam and Fairfax heavily distracted.

If Northam exits and Fairfax becomes governor, Cuccinelli says the lieutenant governor’s position will remain vacant, but the Senate President Pro-Tem would effectively take over the duties of the office, which could lead to some interesting moments on deadlocked votes.

“[This] could allow him to vote on a bill which then ends up in a tie, and he gets to break the tie,” said Cuccinelli.

While Cuccinelli is aghast at the Northam allegations, he is also stunned that the media could barely stifle a yawn two days before the yearbook story broke, when Northam seemed to defend infanticide in a radio interview.

“The dichotomy has been quite extraordinary

Listen to the full podcast to hear Cuccinelli discuss the Northam and Fairfax allegations in more detail and his frustration with media’s disinterest in the Virginia abortion debate.

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Virginia Gun Control Effort Misfires

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his Democratic allies in the legislature are fuming after Republicans killed a gun control bill before it ever reached a final vote, and second amendment advocates say the contents of the bill would have instantly turned many law-abiding gun owners into criminals.

“I wish Ralph Northam had run on the issue of gun control.  I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be the governor now if he had said, ‘Oh, incidentally, I’m going to take away all your guns,'” said Gun Owners of America Legislative Counsel Michael Hammond.

Among the initiatives pursued by Northam and other Democrats are a ban on “assault weapons,” a ban on any firearm that can hold a magazine containing more than ten rounds, and strengthening of so-called “red flag laws,” which allow a court to take away guns from someone deemed to be an imminent threat to themselves or others.

Hammond says Northam essentially wants to ban semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15.  He says there are roughly 50 million semi-automatic rifles in the U.S. But he says that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“He goes on with universal background checks, which sets the stage for a national gun registry and would outlaw private gun transactions between you and your neighbor.  And he goes on to these insidious gun confiscation orders, which he calls red flag laws,” said Hammond.

Hammond calls them insidious because judges can order gun confiscation based only on a complaint and no due process for the person accused of being a threat.  He says any attempt to take someone’s gun away should be treated like a criminal charge, meaning the accused should have full rights to paid counsel.

According to Hammond, the confiscation orders are carried out in the middle of the night and can often lead to deadly consequences when a groggy gun owner fears what’s on the other side of the door.

Listen to the full podcast to hear Hammond explain why most mass shooters – from Parkland to Newtown and many places – could have been arrested for felonies or had their firearms taken away on clear legal grounds.  He also explains why gun owners in many states need to brace for fierce efforts to limit their second amendment rights in the weeks and months ahead.

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Virginia Dems Target Right to Work

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Democrats in Virginia are mounting an aggressive campaign to roll back right to work laws that have been on the books for more than 70 years, but a leading right to work activist says doing so would damage Virginia’s economy, limit personal freedom, and pit rank and file employees against organized labor.

“First of all, it’s an issue of freedom: individual freedom and choice and liberty in the workplace,  Nothing in Virginia’s right to work law stops you from joining a union if you want to or giving your entire paycheck to a union official if you choose to do that,” said National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix

Freshman Democratic Del. Lee Carter is leading the effort in the Virginia House of Delegates.  Carter is an avowed socialist who was part of a blue wave that nearly regained the majority for Democrats in 2017.

During his campaign, Carter expressed his animosity toward the right to work movement by filming the shredding of a questionnaire he received from Mix’s group.  Mix says he credits Carter for his consistency,

“He’s made good on his promise.  You have to give the guy credit.  He told people that he would introduce a repeal of Virginia’s right to work law that’s been in effect since 1947 and simply says no worker in Virginia can be forced to pay union dues or fees to get or keep a job,” said Mix.

Just two years ago, Virginia voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have written the right to work into the commonwealth’s constitution, but Mix says there hasn’t been a serious effort to repeal the right to work law since 1991.

Until now.

“It appears with the margins the way they are and the climate changing the way it has that this delegate is going to make an aggressive effort to try to force Virginians to pay union dues to work,” said Mix.

The Carter legislation specifically calls for the creation of “agency shops” as opposed to “union shops.”  A union shop requires all workers to join a union but a 1960’s court ruling declared it illegal to force anyone to join a private organization.  The agency shop does not require membership but it does require everyone to pay union dues and fees.

Mix says it’s a distinction without much of a difference.

“The unions will say, ‘No worker is forced to join a union or will ever be forced to join a union, but you’ll be forced to pay up to 100 percent of dues to keep your job, which is basically a union shop.

“Union officials had to create semantic differences so they could say no one is forced to join a union.  You’re just forced to pay dues to work, and that’s really what this bill’s about,” said Mix

The argument from organized labor is very different.  Their officials contend that all employees benefit from the collective bargaining agreements they negotiate and anyone who benefits from those negotiations ought to pay dues to the union that helped them get better pay or benefits.

Mix says labor leaders like to pitch the battle as workers vs. management but he says compulsory dues really create a different conflict.

“Basically what we’re talking about here is a fight between union officials and the rank and file workers they claim to want to represent.  Ultimately, that’s what this is all about.  They’re trying to force those workers who they “speak for” to pay for the privilege of working,” said Mix.

Republicans control both chambers of the Virginia legislature but both majorities are very narrow.  The GOP holds a 51-49 edge in the House of Delegates and a 21-19 edge in the state senate.  All 140 of those seats are up for election this year in Virginia.  Republican leaders insist they will vigorously oppose the Carter legislation.

Listen to the whole podcast to hear Mix lay out more of the debate and discuss why right to work laws make a big difference in the economy of the states where they exist.

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Prime Time Trump, Slowing the Shift in Syria, Corey Calls It Quits

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see President Trump making a detailed case for border wall funding in tonight’s televised address, a more effective strategy than tweets and sound bites.  They also like National Security Adviser John Bolton’s clarification that the Trump administration does want to get our troops out of Syria but we also have no intention of letting ISIS grow again or letting Turkey slaughter the Kurds.  They slam the door behind failed Virginia GOP Senate and gubernatorial candidate Corey Stewart, who says he will not run for re-election to his local office and is getting out of politics.  And Jim is in rare form as he and Greg discuss the fact that every year is an election year in Virginia.

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Virginia GOP vs. Dem Gov. in Tax Debate

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is excited because the recent federal tax reforms mean an extra $1.2 billion is headed to the commonwealth’s coffers, but Republicans say the apparent windfall is nothing more than a de facto tax increase that must be addressed.

At issue is the federal law reducing deductions taxpayers can take on state and local taxes.  Critics of the law frequently pointed to high-tax states like New York, California, and New Jersey.  It will also impact Virginia.

And while Northam is already drafting plans to use the extra revenue for higher teacher salaries and assist low-income families, Republicans say the responsible thing is to reform the state tax code and ease the burden on taxpayers.

GOP Delegate Nick Freitas says the $1.2 billion is not just some serendipitous discovery.

“If the governor gets what he wants, this is definitely a situation where Virginia taxpayers will be on the hook,” said Freitas.  “Gov. Northam is trying to make this into a situation where he has this sudden windfall, and that’s just really not the case.”

And who exactly will be paying higher taxes because of the change regarding state tax deductions?

“Your average home, where maybe you have someone in law enforcement or maybe you have someone in academia or a teacher, when you have a dual income like that a lot of those people fit neatly in those income brackets that would experience a tax increase as a result,” said Freitas.

While Northam describes the the money he would like to give back to low-income Virginians as tax relief, Freitas says it’s nothing more than redistribution and that creates a toxic atmosphere.

“When you punish people for producing, when you punish people for their success, you’re disincentivizing success.  (Late British Prime Minister) Margaret Thatcher said it best: ‘Sooner or later, you run out of other people’s money.'” said Freitas.

“No politician has any idea of the various sacrifices that people make to get a business to a point where it’s finally turning a profit.  The politicians just show up with their hand out and then they convince other people that are maybe experiencing some difficult times that (if you) elect them, they’ll take from this person and give it to you.

“That just creates a society of greed and a society of envy.  That’s not what we want.  We want an aspirational society.  We want an opportunity-driven society,” said Freitas.

The Virginia legislature returns Jan. 9.  Freitas says the slim Republican majorities are planning to fix the tax code so Virginia families do not get socked by the changes in federal law.

“The Republican Caucus and our leadership have all been very adamant that we want to see a conformity bill that does not involve a tax increase of any kind,” said Freitas.

Del. Freitas would like to see sweeping tax reform in Virginia that reduces rates for everyone while also ending many tax credits and exemptions.

“Let’s not make our tax code a contest over whoever has the best lobbyist wins,” said Freitas.

Listen to the full interview to hear what Freitas sees as a much better way to help the poor than to redistribute money from wealthier people and what he sees as another major debate impacting the Virginia economy as Republicans and Democrats gear up for midterm elections in the Old Dominion in November.

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Brat Sees Momentum in Tough Race

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Conservative Virginia Rep. Dave Brat is facing his toughest Democratic challenge since coming to Congress but says clarity on the issues and a reinvigorated GOP base have him peaking at the right time.

Brat shot to stardom in June 2014, when he stunned sitting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the seventh district’s Republican congressional primary.  But after two smooth general election victories, Democrats see Brat as vulnerable in a district that stretches from near Fredericksburg south of Richmond.

Former CIA operative Abigail Spanberger won the Democratic nomination earlier this year and a recent New York Times poll showed Brat ahead 47-43 percent but the margin of error was as big as his lead.

Nonetheless, Brat says momentum is on his side after the intense confirmation fight that concluded last week.

“After the Kavanaugh hearings, I think it’s four (points) plus a big upward bump.  The American people are finally zooming in.  They’re noticing that my opponent doesn’t have a platform.  She’s not running on any issues whatsoever,” said Brat.

Brat says the strong economy is better than any ad he could run.

“My district is booming.  The jobs are doing great.  There’s more job openings than people searching,” said Brat.

Spanberger is attacking Brat for trying to end mandates that insurance providers extend coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions.  Brat says the charge is ludicrous.

“The mainstream media doesn’t do news anymore.  If everybody missed the memo, that was the biggest debate of the year.  We had the health care vote and we all voted for pre-existing conditions.  That shows you how the Democrats are hurting.  We’re ahead.  They’re losing, so they have to spread total pants-on-fire falsehoods,” said Brat.

Listen here for the full interview as Brat reacts to House Republicans promising to vote on legislation to fund the border wall after the midterms and he discusses a controversial element of Spanberger’s past.

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Great Jobs Numbers, Virginia GOP Caves on Medicaid, Reid-ing Between the Lines

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America toast better-than-expected unemployment numbers, the best in 18 years.  They also lambaste Virginia Republicans for rolling over and approving the Obamacare Medicaid expansion they claimed to oppose for years.  And they dig through more eye-opening posts from Joy Reid’s supposedly hacked blog, including her likening of John McCain to the Virginia Tech shooter, endorsing the removal of the Israeli government to Europe, and likening illegal immigration to slave labor for multinationals.

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Freitas Champions ‘Individual Liberty’ in Virginia Senate Race

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Virginia Del. Nick Freitas is racing to the finish line ahead of the commonwealth’s June 12th U.S. Senate primary and says his message of individual liberty, smaller government, and thriving markets is resonating with voters.

Freitas got a major political boost in March when his passionate defense of the second amendment on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates  went viral.

“When 40 million people see something, that helps with your name ID,” said Freitas.

While recent polling is scarce in the GOP primary, the viral video is helping Freitas raise his profile against primary rivals Corey Stewart and E.W. Jackson, both of whom have run statewide before.  Freitas has dwarfed his rivals in fundraising in recent months and he recently secured the National Rifle Association endorsement.

Stewart, who currently serves as chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, is known for his aggressive, confrontational style of politics.  He says that approach will be necessary to defeat incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine in November.  He also claims that his ability to win in a blue part of Virginia makes him the natural choice for a nominee.

Freitas strongly disputes that.

“Donald Trump does not need a cheap imitation of himself in order to win in Virginia.  There’s only one Donald Trump.  Let Trump be Trump.  What the Republican Party needs in Virginia is someone who can go around and explain and advocate for the positive, substantive policies that have made people’s lives better,” said Freitas.

“He thinks it’s a divide and conquer campaign.  I think it’s more of a divide and lose campaign.  It’s unfortunate because there are good things about Corey Stewart and there are good things he’s done in Prince William County.

“But there’s other things he’s done there that have really given people pause.  He’s voted to raise taxes several times in Prince William County, and there’s other things that people are just skeptical of,” said Freitas.

Freitas believes he has the ability to bring people together to get things done.

“We need to be able to unify Virginians around a central message and that message is we’re going to empower you, not government programs,” said Freitas.

Freitas also believes he separates himself from Stewart and Jackson in three critical ways, starting with his service as a Green Beret in Iraq.

“I’m the only combat veteran in the race, which means I understand a key component of the federal government, which is providing for national defense.  I fought counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and unconventional warfare.  President Trump needs more people in the Senate that share his view that we are not the police force in the world but we need a strong military and I can provide that kind of advice,” said Freitas, who believes the U.S. does need to be a leader on the world stage but does not need to deploy the military unless absolutely necessary.

He also says his time in the Virginia House of Delegates sets him apart from Stewart and Jackson.

“I’m also the only candidate that’s served in the legislature.  So I understand what it’s like to take an idea from concept all the way through the legislative process.  I know how to effectively engage constituents in the process when there’s that critical vote in the subcommittee or full committee,” said Freitas.

Third, Freitas says his message distinguishes him from the rest of the field.  He says his goal is not to gain power to reward friends and punish political foes but to return power to where it belongs.

“My goal is to get in a position where we can disperse power back where it belongs and that’s to the people, that’s to states, and that’s to localities.  And then if we keep the federal government within its proper boundaries so it can do its intended jobs well instead of doing a hundred other jobs poorly,” said Freitas.

But what does that look like for a candidate who embraces major strains of both conservative and libertarian thought?  Where does he come down those beliefs conflict?

On the role of the military, Freitas believes in having a strong military and using overwhelming force whenever force is absolutely necessary.  He also wants to see Congress return to its constitutional role of authorizing war.

On cultural issues, Freitas says his deeply-held Christian beliefs inform him on the definition of marriage but he believes much of the political debate over it misses a key point.

“You’ve got some people wanting the government to define marriage one way.  You’ve got other people who want that government to define marriage another way.  And I’m sitting here going, ‘Why is the government defining marriage?’

“I understand why government has to handle civil contracts, but I certainly don’t understand why the government needs to be in the process of coercing people to accept a particular definition that they may not want to,” said Freitas.

Freitas did introduce religious freedom legislation that would protect conscience rights for Virginians.

“(Former Virginia Gov.) Terry McAuliffe had signed an executive order which essentially prevented any religious organizations that happened to hold the viewpoint that marriage is between one man and one woman from being able to team with the government to help hungry, sick, and addicted people.  I said that was ridiculous,” said Freitas.

On abortion, Freitas says science and the law make it clear that unborn life deserves protection.

“At the moment of conception, we’re talking about life.  If we use science to determine between human life and other forms of life, we find at the moment of conception we’re talking about human life.

From a legal perspective, I don’t think there’s any doubt that we’re also talking about innocent human life.  So the question for me is does the government have an obligation to protect innocent human life?  I think it clearly does,” said Freitas, who was born out of a crisis pregnancy.

“I don’t know what it’s like to be that young woman who finds herself pregnant and completely unprepared for it, but I do know what it’s like to be her son,” he said.

On fiscal matters, Freitas is appalled by the $1.3 trillion omnibus shepherded through Congress and signed into law – all by Republicans.  He says Congress desperately needs transparency and open debate on what is worthy of taxpayer money.  He also says Congress, like the Virginia government, fails to use common sense on spending issues.

“On the things that we agree on – that are legitimate functions of government – the military, law enforcement, public safety, certain things with transportation and others – great, let’s fund them.  But let’s not hold those things hostage because certain congresspeople have different goodies that they’ve got to hand out to various constituents to help their re-election chances,” said Freitas.

Freitas says he’s also ready to tackle health care policy, especially after fighting against Gov. Ralph Northam’s efforts to enact Obamacare Medicaid expansion in Virginia.  In addition to stating that medical care for Medicaid patients is not much different than it is for the uninsured, he says government intervening in health care is a guaranteed failure.

“What’s so frustrating to me is that what wee clearly need in health care is more competition and more market forces, which always have a tendency to increase quality and drive down prices,”said Freitas, noting that the cost of vision correction surgery, such as Lasik, has dropped from $2,500 per eye to $500 per eye while the reliability of the procedure has improved drastically.

“Unfortunately, there are many, especially on the left, (for whom) the only solution they will accept is a government solution.  The problem is government does the opposite of what we need.  Government almost always causes prices to go up and quality to go down,” he said.

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