Never Underestimate the Capacity of the GOP to shoot itself in the foot..
….with the younger generation. The vast majority of Americans under the age of 30 do not care one bit about conservative fearmongering concerning gay marriage and “special rights” for gays. Indeed, they support a wild notion that there should be equality for all. And just when you think the GOP was leaving the socially conservative wedge issues behind and embracing populism, Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) opened his bigoted mouth.
[Cuccinelli] has urged the state’s public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, arguing in a letter sent to each school that their boards of visitors had no legal authority to adopt such statements. In his most aggressive initiative on conservative social issues since taking office in January, Cuccinelli (R) wrote in the letter sent Thursday that only the General Assembly can extend legal protections to gay state employees, students and others — a move the legislature has repeatedly declined to take as recently as this week. […]
Cuccinelli’s move has dismayed students and faculty members. It suggests that Cuccinelli intends to take a harder line with the state’s university system, where liberal academics have long coexisted uneasily with state leaders in Richmond. […]
Colleges that have included such language in policies that govern university hiring and admissions — which include all of Virginia’s largest schools — have done so “without proper authority” and should “take appropriate actions to bring their policies in conformance with the law and public policy of Virginia,” Cuccinelli wrote. […]
“What he’s saying is reprehensible,” said Vincent F. Callahan Jr., a former Republican member of the House of Delegates who serves on George Mason’s board of visitors. “I don’t know what he’s doing, opening up this can of worms.”
I understand the point that the Virginia General Assembly has not passed a law like Delaware’s anti-discrimination law. But that does not and should not mean that Virginia’s colleges and universities must discriminate against gays and lesbians, which is what Cuccinelli is basically saying. He is saying it is not illegal in Virginia to discriminate against gays and lesbians, so the colleges and universities in Virginia should have at it, discriminate to their hearts’ content. This proactive action in the form of his direct advice in that letter reveals this. He could have simply let sleeping dogs lie. But I suppose it was not enough that gays and lesbians in Virginia are unprotected against discrimination in the work place and in their daily lives. He had to make sure gay and lesbian students knew their place as well.
Seriously, what is with conservatives and their hatred of homosexuality? Unless and until the GOP deals with this demon, the future outlook demographically for the GOP is disastrous. Yeah, they have got the haters now, but when they die off, and they will, they got no one.
One of Bob McDonnell’s first acts was to repeal the protections for LGBT state workers.
OK, now it’s time for the teabaggers to show their true priorities. Here’s an example of government overreach – the state AG is telling universities that they must discriminate. I expect to see Cuccinelli = Hitler signs soon, right? Here’s an actual example of someone taking away rights.
Virginia is NOT for lovers.
Like a lot of states including Delaware, Virginia has a split of urban/suburban blue voters and rural red voters.
The key for Dems to win in those kinds of states is to energize the Dem base. But Obama’s centrism and massaging of Republicans induces torpor in Democratic voters (let alone Independents). Which is arguably a big part of why we now have Republicans in VA/MA/NJ. A big visible Presidential push for a public option, or early repeal of DADT, might have made a difference.
Wasn’t VA the same state where the President’s parents could not have been legally married until, like 1967?
Democrats are so timid about enacting policies that a majority of people want, while Republicans are so brazen about enacting policies that only a dozen dim witted fuckwads want.
So you believe that public agencies should exceed their legal authority? And you find it reprehensible for a state’s attorney general to insist that such agencies not exceed their authority? What other aspects of limited government do you have a problem with?
Opposition to same sex marriage is not controversial in Virgina or most states except in the delusional minds of radicals. There is a reason that every state votes to preserve marriage. That is the will of the people. 5% of the people care about rewriting marriage. 50% care about keeping it the same. The rest don’t really want you wasting time on it. The issue is already settled, but if you bring it up, we will ensure that you are defeated.
Now to Cuccinelli, he may be right that the Universities exceed their legal authority when they enforce with public money that policy on individuals. In other words, if they fire someone for being within his or her legal right not to give special status to homosexuality, they are depriving that person of his or her rights to operate within the law. They are not private institutions.
Here is my three point plan for preserving the sanctity of marriage.
1) Don’t allow bachelor Republican office holders to get married and thereby avoid the inevitable divorce caused by the inevitable illicit dick sucking.
2) Don’t allow Republican office holders who are married (grandfathered in) go to the gay bars and thereby…well that one is pretty self explanatory.
3) Don’t let divorced and disgraced Republican office holders (who love sucking dick but make pretend that they HATE it) trick other hetero woman into getting married and thereby avoid the subsequent divorce(s).
You with me David?
Rights are something that belong only the straight white men.