Election 2012: The Last Virginia Senate Debate

Many people are aware that the Senate race here in Virginia is a close and crucial one. In that race, the two candidates faced off in their final debate before the election. I'm sure followers this blog know that I am a supporter of Former governor Tim Kaine and I was looking for a strong debate performance from him...and that is what I got.Whenever his opponent George Allen tried to get him, Kaine struck back. Case-in-point: Allen tried to pin Kaine as "Obama's senator" because the President asked Kaine to be the DNC chairman (a request that Kaine accepted). Kaine returned with "It is not anti-Virginia to support the Commander-in-Chief." Kaine then went on to point out Allen's hypocrisy, given that Allen supported former Governor Jim Gilmore who served as the RNC chairman as well as current Governor Bob McDonnell who is serving as the chairman of the Republican Governors' Association.

There was a lot of talk about sequestration  - where Congress has to find a certain amount in spending cuts to the national budget or there will be across the board spending cuts, including defense - throughout the debate. In terms of the debt and the deficit, Kaine talked about balancing the budget using a balanced approach: looking at both taxation and spending cuts. Allen however is one of the many politicians who has signed Grover Norquist's pledge to never raise taxes...EVER.

Both candidates were asked if they would sign onto the Simpson-Bowles debt commission recommendations as is (this was a yes or no question). Both candidates talked mentioned changes they would like to see to the plan. The moderator asked them again, requesting a simple yes or no. Finally, Kaine was the one with the gumption to answer "no" for both he and Allen (and I think that the audience knew that this was the answer for both by that point, but Kaine was the one with the nerve to actually say it).

It really seemed to me that of the two candidates, Kaine is more likely to compromise with people from the other side of the aisle. The GOP as it currently stands has shown itself to be, with few exceptions, uncompromising (even anti-compromise). While I prefer Kaine's positions on the issues, there is also the large view that the GOP in charge of the Senate would not be good for the commonwealth of Virginia or for America as a whole. Tonight's debate but a spotlight on the differences between Tim Kaine and George Allen and I believe that Tim Kaine made the better case for his candidacy.

The Anti-LGBT Senate Candidate Dirty Dozen

From Think Progress:

VIRGINIA: former Sen. George Allen (R). In a 1994 radio broadcast, then-Gov. Allen told listeners that he didn’t want his children “even seeing the news of some of these things here, thinking that, this is acceptable behavior.” He added: “I don’t think this is acceptable behavior… and as a matter of government policy I don’t think we should condone that sort of behavior.” In the same broadcast, he praised Virginia’s unconstitutional Crimes Against Nature law –which made private consensual sex between same-sex adults a felony — saying “It’s against the criminal law in Virginia, that homosexual acts are illegal, and I think should stay illegal.” Perhaps unaware that President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law in 2009, on Allen’s current campaign website he bizarrely promises to “vote against adding sexual orientation to federal hate crimes statutes, as he did in 2005.”

MISSOURI: Rep. Todd Akin (R). He argued on the House floor that marriage is only “about a love that can bear children,” and warned that “anybody who knows something about the history of the human race knows that there is no civilization which has condoned homosexual marriage widely and openly that has long survived.” He called Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal “an eclipse of reason” and “the imposition of somebody’s social agenda that they want to impose on the military,” and criticized President Obama’s endorsement of marriage equality as an “unquenchable desire to tear down the traditional family unit brick by brick.” 

MASSACHUSETTS: Sen. Scott Brown (R). In 2001, he told the Boston Globe it was “not normal” for two women to have children. His comments — focused at then-State Sen. Cheryl Jacques and her domestic partner Jennifer Chrisler — also belittled Jacques’ “alleged family responsibilities.” While he later backed off of what he called a “wrong choice of a word that is probably going to crucify me,” Brown has to this day never directly apologized to Jacques and Chrisler. Brown refused to be in the Massachusetts delegation’s “It Gets Better” anti-suicide video and was one of just three state senators to oppose repeal of a 1913 anti-interracial marriage law that then-Gov. Mitt Romney used to prevent out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts.

WISCONSIN: former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R). Thompson’s opposition to LGBT equality dates back nearly three decades. In his successful 1986 campaign to for Governor of Wisconsin, he repeatedly pledged to eliminate his predecessor’s Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues. Dick Wagner, who co-chaired the council, told ThinkProgress that Thompson did not reauthorize the Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues but “did continue the Bicycle Coordinating Council.” During a 2007 Republican presidential primary debate, Thompson was asked whether employers who believe “homosexuality is immoral” should be allowed to fire gay employees. Thompson forcefully responded that “business people have to make their own determination” on whether to fire employees based on sexual orientation. A day later, he reversed himself, saying “I didn’t hear the question properly and I apologize.”

Virginia Senate Debate #2: Kaine vs. Allen

Election 2012: Allen vs. Kaine Debate in Virginia

Homophobic Senate Candidate George Allen (R-VA)

From Think Progress:

After losing his 2006 re-election after his infamous bullying of an Indian-American campaign tracker who he called “macaca,” former Sen. George Allen (R-VA) is seeking to return to the Senate. In June, he won the Republican nomination to run against former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) for the open seat of retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D). Unlike Kaine, who has a solid record of supporting equality, Allen has amassed a consistently anti-LGBT record.

Over his time as Governor of Virginia, in the U.S Senate, and as a candidate:

1. Allen said homosexuality was not “acceptable” and should be “illegal.” In a 1994 radio broadcast, then-Gov. Allen told listeners that he didn’t want his children “even seeing the news of some of these things here, thinking that, this is acceptable behavior.” He added: “I don’t think this is acceptable behavior… and as a matter of government policy I don’t think we should condone that sort of behavior.” In the same broadcast, he praised Virginia’s unconstitutional Crimes Against Nature law –which made private consensual sex between same-sex adults a felony — saying “It’s against the criminal law in Virginia, that homosexual acts are illegal, and I think should stay illegal.”

2. Allen has vigorously fought to stop any recognition for same-sex unions. As Governor, he signed Virginia’s state defense of marriage law in 1997. Allen campaigned for the 2006 state constitutional amendment that banned all state recognition of same-sex unions. He co-sponsored the “Federal Marriage Amendment.” He continues to reaffirm his support for both the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act and a federal constitutional amendment, noting “My stand on marriage is clear: I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.”

5. Allen opposed allowing same-sex couples to raise kids. In his 1994 anti-gay radio tirade, he said he opposes same-sex couples raising kids because it is “not in the best interests of a child to be raised in that environment.” His view has not evolved — last year, an Allen spokesman told Politico that the former Senator has never been a supporter of same-sex couples adopting and that he “agrees with Governor [Bob] McDonnell’s [R] recent decision to keep current adoption regulations in place.” Allen also backed efforts to allow adoption agencies to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. His campaign website notes that he “does not support same-sex couples adopting children.”

There is PLENTY more where that came from, and it only gets worse.

The Wrap-Up: May 9, 2012

Amendment One passed, and that's really all I have to say about that at this time.

According to a recent Gallup poll, Republicans are becoming increasingly anti-gay. No wonder Rick Santorum got so far in the nomination process.

A frequent Sean Hannity guest on Fox believes that letting women vote was a huge mistake for America. And people lend Fox credence because...?

A gay student has been told by his Catholic school that he can't accept a scholarship (named after Matthew Shepard) at the school. Obviously, this is what God would want.

Mitt Romney is STILL trying to take credit for the auto bailout...which he actually had denounced at the time. Rewriting history is the new GOP past-time.

The Senate race here in the Commonwealth is still extremely tight.

Delta Airlines has caved into far-right pressure from the Catholic League, which has a beef with The Daily Show.

A homophobic Tennessee school board member may be harassing an openly gay student (among others) in a high school in a totally different school district.

And lastly, to lift your spirits a bit, I give you Stephen Colbert (at his finest) with Eric McCormack.

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The Wrap-Up: April 30, 2012

In news that makes me happy I didn't go to a religious school, a student is being kept from graduating from Bob Jones University because he was caught watching Glee.

Here is the rundown of what you need to know about CISPA (which passed in the House and, as reported earlier, faces a veto threat from President Obama).

Wondering what the Tea Party is up to?

The price of homophobia keeps getting tragically higher.

Some Wisconsinites need to pick their heroes more carefully.

Here in Virginia's Senate race, former Governor Tim Kaine is relying very much on former Governor (and current Senator) Mark Warner in his fight against former Governor (and former Senator) George Allen.

The fact that violence against women was such a partisan issue does not speak well for the Republican Party.

And lastly, with their secrecy exposed, ALEC may be on the brink of destruction. One can only hope.

The Wrap-Up: March 7, 2012

Super Tuesday results. As I set this to post, Alaska's polls just closed and Ohio is too close to call (with Romney leading by a few thousand). As for the other 8 contests of Super Tuesday, Romney won 4, Santorum 3, and Gingrich 1.

Addendum: Romney won Ohio...barely...and Alaska.

In other Ohio news, several incumbent Congressmembers (from both parties) lost primary challenges, including Dennis Kucinich.

All of those voter ID laws that the Republican party has been pushing for across the nation has claimed one of their first victims: an 86 year old veteran with a VA issued ID. Absolutely unacceptable.

Gingrich reiterates his pledge to get the U.S. back into space. Many of us feel like he is already there right now thinking he'll win his party's nomination.

If Ann Romney really doesn't think she is wealthy, girl needs to learn some math.

Here in Virginia, GOP senate candidate George Allen has been deafeningly silent on the state's most controversial pieces of legislation.

Rush Limbaugh thinks there is such a thing as over-educated. Ironically, he is evidence that there is such a thing as under-educated. Also, he really needs to learn to shut his gob.

Apart from the lives that the Anoka-Hennepin school district's inaction cost (which was far too high), the financial cost just went up as well. Hopefully they learned a lesson and will change for the sake of the kids, some of whom they have failed completely.

And lastly, it really sucks to be...whoever this kid is. Serves him right though.

The Wrap-Up: February 23, 2012

Might Gov McDonnell (R-VA) finally be getting the memo?

Hawaii's governor will not be defending the state's marriage equality ban.

A church that doesn't allow kids? Wait until you see why.

Despite what some would have us believe, some religious groups are FOR the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obama Care).

While sometimes it seems like homophobia is increasing here in the States, things are a bit different across the pond.

Herman Cain's quest for relevance is just...sad.

Rick Santorum is attacking the media for asking him about the very social issues that he is constantly talking about (unprovoked) on the campaign trail. He really has no sense of reality.

I'm thinking Brady Quinn should worry less about Tim Tebow praying and more about his own career on the field.

Does Virginia want a Senator that has some serious memory issues (at least when it comes to his own record)?

Oklahoma's attempt at a state DADT bill has gone down in flames.

And lastly, My hometown makes it to national television again, and again, it's for the wrong reasons. Great job Lynchburg...

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