Harry S Truman famously said that he never gave the Republicans hell – he just told the truth and they thought it was hell. The same applies to the current Virginia governor’s campaign and Democrat Terry McAuliffe campaign’s statements about Republican Ken Cuccinelli. The media has bought into a myth that both sides are running campaigns “dripping with venom.” (See Washington Post Aug. 7, front page) In fact, the Democratic campaign is just telling the truth about Cuccinelli –
• He urged that abortion be prohibited and pushed through Health Department regulations that have already closed of abortion clinics.
• He said that gay people are “self-destructive” and issued an opinion nullifying college anti-discrimination policies.
• He filed multiple lawsuits fighting Affordable Health Care, and opposed expanding Medicaid for needy Virginians.
• He opposed Gov. McDonnell’s bi-partisan transportation plan and the extension of Metro to Loudoun.
• He sued a UVa researcher as part of his ideological attack on climate change science.
• He proposes cuts to education, instead of paying teachers more.
• He opposes immigration reform for new Virginians.
• He took thousands of dollars of gifts from the Star Scientific CEO and invested in the company at the same time his office was litigating against it
• His lieutenant governor candidate has denounced the Democratic Party as “anti-God.”
• His Attorney General candidate fought to restrict Virginian’s voting rights.
Virginians need to recognize that non-Presidential elections matter and listen to the truth about the candidates.