Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Found Guilty In Corruption Trial & McDonnell found guilty on 11 corruption counts 4SEP14

EVERYONE who follows politics knew they were guilty, the question was whether the government prosecuters would prove it to the jury and if the jury would have the courage to find the mcdonalds guilty once presented the facts. Now to see if the judge has the courage to really sentence them for their crimes. From +NPR and the +Washington Post .....

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Found Guilty In Corruption Trial

by Chris Hopkins and Krishnadev Calamur

September 04, 2014 3:15 PM ET

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell leaves the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia with his son Bobby (right) on Thursday in Richmond, Va.

Alex Wong/Getty

Updated at 3:38 p.m. ET
A federal jury in Richmond, Va., has found former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell guilty on 11 of 14 charges in his corruption trial. His wife, Maureen, was found guilty on nine of 14 charges, including obstruction of justice.
Our partners at member station WAMU report that the McDonnells were found guilty "of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud for accepting gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams," the owner of Star Scientific, a nutritional supplement company.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the McDonnells sobbed openly, but quietly as the verdicts were read. Their family members and supporters also wept, the newspaper reported. It added that the verdict was likely to be appealed.
The jury of seven men and five women heard testimony from 67 witnesses and deliberated over three days before arriving at today's decision. Sentencing has been set for Jan. 6, 2015.
The trial has been a humiliating blow for the onetime rising GOP star who was elected governor in 2009 and just a few years ago was considered a possible running mate for Mitt Romney.
Shortly after he left office in January, McDonnell and his wife were accused of taking more than $165,000 worth of gifts and loans from Williams.
Attorneys for the McDonnells argued that as a result of the couple's disintegrating marriage, Maureen McDonnell craved attention and developed a crush on the Star Scientific owner, who testified that the couple accepted and solicited gifts from him.

C-SPAN/YouTube

"Well, the former governor, when he ran for governor, represented his family as essentially the Cleavers — bustling and wholesome," Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Jeff Schapiro told All Things Considered. "And five years later, now running for his life, his lawyers are depicting the McDonnells as the Louds — bitter and dysfunctional."
On the day he was indicted, Bob McDonnell told reporters, "I have apologized for my poor judgment, and I accept full responsibility for accepting these legal gifts and loans. However, I repeat again, emphatically, that I did nothing illegal for Mr. Williams in exchange for what I believe was his personal friendship and his generosity."
McDonnell said the loans had been "repaid with interest" and the gifts had been returned. He also has said that despite appearances of impropriety, there was no quid pro quo — that part of the role of governor is to support the state's businesses.
And Schapiro said there's some truth that this could be considered business as usual in Virginia.
"One wonders, given Virginia's long tradition of a business-friendly government, if perhaps some of these things took place and no one really noticed," Schapiro said. "Because for a long time, Virginia's government, like so many Southern governments, was controlled by a handful of like-minded conservative white guys. They looked out for business; business financed the political organization; the legislator came through with friendly laws and light regulation. This has been the pattern in the commonwealth for a long, long time."
McDonnell's status as a GOP luminary was cemented when he was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union speech in 2010.
But the corruption scandal that erupted in McDonnell's final months as governor killed what was left of his political career, says Virginia politics expert Larry Sabato.

National/global news alert  •  Thu., Sep. 4, 2014 3:13 pm

McDonnell found guilty on 11 corruption counts

Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell has been found guilty of 11 corruption counts. He has been found not guilty of falsifying loan documents. Maureen McDonnell has been found guilty of 8 corruption counts as well as obstruction of justice. She has also been found not guilty of falsifying loan documents. The McDonnell family was sobbing in the courtroom as verdicts were read. Follow our liveblog for the latest.

Live updates: Jury reaches verdict in McDonnell corruption trial

Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell walks to the courthouse in Richmond on Wednesday. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)

Jurors in the public corruption trial of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have reached a verdict. The McDonnells are facing a 14-count indictment that alleges that they lent the prestige of the governor’s office to a Richmond area businessman and that, in exchange, the businessman lavished them with gifts and money.
 Quiz: 10 questions | Interactive: McDonnell gifts list | Bob vs. Jonnie | Twitter: Latest | Previous days: The trial | Indictment

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McDonnell attorney vows to appeal verdict

Surrounded by reporters as he left the courthouse, Robert McDonnell defense attorney Hank Asbill said he “didn’t expect” the verdict.
“I’m obviously very disappointed,” he said. “We will appeal.”

Matthew Zapotosky

3:47 pm

McDonnells get into separate cars as they leave

Robert and Maureen McDonnell left the courthouse at the same time, getting into separate cars as they left.
Maureen said nothing as she was whisked out amid a huge media crowd.
But Robert, who was surrounded by the media scrum, thanked reporters “for the way you’ve handled this.”
“All I can say is my trust belongs in the Lord,” Robert McDonnell said before he ducked into his car.
Just before Robert McDonnell got in his car, a spectator shouted, “We still love you!”
Jurors were swept out a back door and declined to comment. One juror said, “I just want to go home,” according to the Associated Press.

Laura Vozzella

3:45 pm

What comes next for the McDonnells

The verdict read, U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer calmly expressed his gratitude to jurors for their time and attention, saying, “I know it has been a difficult task, but I thank you for your sacrifice.” As the group walked out, Robert F. McDonnell stood, but he did not look up at them.
Spencer asked the former governor and his wife to sit, then mildly asked the lawyers in the case if they were available for a Jan. 6 sentencing hearing. All said they were.
“We’ll get started at 10 o’clock,” Spencer said.
Spencer then asked the McDonnells to stand again and explained what will happen next. Before their sentencing, he said, someone from the probation office would reach out to discuss the case and various aspects of their background which might affect the sentence they will receive. He said if they choose to participate in the process, they could have their lawyers present. At the end of it, he said, a report would be generated.
“That completes this matter,” he said. “We’ll take a break and get back into the civil case.”

Matthew Zapotosky

3:43 pm

Gov. McAuliffe: 'Deeply saddened'

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who took over the office previously held by Robert F. McDonnell in January, released a statement a short time after the verdict was announced.
“I am deeply saddened by the events of the trial that ended in today’s verdict, and the impact it has had on our Commonwealth’s reputation for honesty and clean government,” McAuliffe (D) said. “Dorothy and I will continue to pray for the McDonnell family and for everyone who was affected by this trial.”

Mark Berman

3:37 pm

McDonnell wept as verdict was read

The moment the first guilty verdict was read, Robert F. McDonnell closed his eyes tightly, shaking in his seat as he wept.
Maureen McDonnell seemed to cry, too, though with her back to the courtroom, her tears were less obvious. In the wooden bench directly behind her, daughter Cailin McDonnell Young hunched forward and sobbed, her husband, Chris Young, hugging her as she did so.
As the eighth guilty count was read, Bob McDonnell buried his face in his hands. By the end, he was slumped in his chair, still crying.
The former governor did not look up as jurors each answered “yes” in turn to affirm their verdict. One juror appeared to be upset, and fidgeted in her seat.

Matthew Zapotosky

3:25 pm

Count by count verdict

Here’s the verdict, count by count, in the Robert F. and Maureen McDonnell corruption trial:
Count 1: Conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 2: Honest services wire fraud: $15,000 wedding check
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 3: Honest services wire fraud: MoBo $50,000
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 4: Honest services wire fraud: MoBo $20,000
Maureen G. McDonnell: Not guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 5: Conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 6: Obtaining property under color of official right: $50,000 in 2011 to MGM
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 7: Obtaining property under color of official right: $15,000 wedding check
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 8: Obtaining property under color of official right: $2,380 Kinloch 5/29/2011
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 9: Obtaining property under color of official right: $1,424 Kinloch 1/7/2012
Maureen G. McDonnell: Not guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 10: Obtaining property under color of official right: $50,000 MoBo
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 11: Obtaining property under color of official right: $20,000 MoBo
Maureen G. McDonnell: Not guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Guilty
Count 12: False statement to Townebank on 10/03/2012
Maureen G. McDonnell: N/A
Robert F. McDonnell: Not guilty
Count 13: False statement to PenFed on 02/01/2013
Maureen G. McDonnell: Not guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: Not guilty
Count 14: Obstruction of an official proceeding
Maureen G. McDonnell: Guilty
Robert F. McDonnell: N/A

Mark Berman

3:20 pm

Sentencing set for Jan. 6

With no fanfare, U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer set sentencing for Jan. 6 at 10 a.m.
Robert McDonnell, who sobbed throughout the proceeding, walked out with his head down. Maureen McDonnell hugged a friend at length in the aisle of the court.

Matthew Zapotosky

3:16 pm

The verdict: Guilty

A federal jury Thursday found former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, guilty of public corruption — sending a message that they believed the couple sold the office once occupied by Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson to a free-spending Richmond businessman for golf outings, lavish vacations and $120,000 in sweetheart loans.
After three days of deliberations, the seven men and five women who heard weeks of gripping testimony about the McDonnells’ alleged misdeeds acquitted the couple of several charges pending against them — but nevertheless found that they lent the prestige of the governor’s office to Jonnie R. Williams Sr. in a nefarious exchange for his largesse.
The verdict means that Bob McDonnell, who was already the first governor in Virginia history to be charged with a crime, now holds an even more unwanted distinction: the first ever to be convicted of one.
He and his wife face decades in federal prison, although their actual sentence could fall well short of that.

Rosalind S. Helderman

3:08 pm

Guilty on corruption, not guilty on falsifying loan documents

Robert F. McDonnell has been found guilty of 11 corruption counts. He was acquitted of falsifying loan documents.
Maureen McDonnell has been found guilty of eight corruption counts as well as obstruction of justice. She has also been found not guilty of falsifying loan documents.
The McDonnell family is sobbing in the courtroom.

Rosalind S. Helderman

3:06 pm

Maureen McDonnell guilty on eight corruption counts

Maureen McDonnell guilty on eight corruption counts and obstruction of justice.

Rosalind S. Helderman

3:04 pm

Robert McDonnell guilty on 11 counts

Robert F. McDonnell has been found guilty of 11 counts — all corruption charges.

Rosalind S. Helderman

3:04 pm

McDonnells found guilty on at least one charge

Mark Berman

2:59 pm

McDonnells walk to the courthouse

Robert F. McDonnell walked a half block down Broad Street in front of the courthouse, arm in arm with his son Bobby and alongside his sister Eileen with the priest trailing. The serene-looking former governor repeatedly said, “Okay, thank you all,” when asked how he was doing by the gaggle of press and cameramen surrounding him and his supporters.
The group was followed in quick succession by Maureen McDonnell and her entourage. She held hands with her daughters, stared straight ahead and said nothing.
— Jenna R. Portnoy

Mark Berman

2:58 pm

Video: The corruption trial, by the numbers

Mark Berman

2:51 pm

Looking at the indictment, timeline

The jury’s verdict will be read aloud in the courtroom shortly. In the meantime, here are two key resources to help you catch up on how we got here:

• The indictment: Filed in January, the indictment runs down the counts facing the McDonnells — jointly and alone — as well as the history of the relationship between Robert F. and Maureen McDonnell and businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr.
• The timeline: This runs down the history of the trial, from jury selection on through to the jury deliberations.

Mark Berman

2:49 pm

McDonnell gifts list

As we await the verdict in the McDonnell trial, now might be a good opportunity to revisit some of the case’s other details.
Here is an interactive depicting the gifts that the McDonnells received from businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr.

Mark Berman

2:34 pm

Statistics on the case

The McDonnells are now gathering with their lawyers to hear the verdict of the jury in the federal corruption trial of the former Virginia governor and his wife.
Some statistics about the case so far:

• The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for more than 17 hours over three days. They submitted not a single question to the judge that could be used to discern the direction of their conversations.
• The jury heard testimony from 67 witnesses over five weeks — 48 for the prosecution and 19 for the defense, of whom 15 testified for Robert F. McDonnell and four for Maureen McDonnell.
• Businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr. spent 15 hours on the witness stand, spread over parts of four days.
• Bob McDonnell spent 24 hours on the witness stand, spread over five days. Of that time, 8.5 hours was cross-examination by prosecutors. The rest came as he answered questions from his own lawyers or those for his wife.
• The couple jointly face 14 counts. They each face 13. Of those, 11 are corruption related. They share one count of lying on financial documents related to omitting liabilities from Williams on a loan application submitted on Feb. 1, 2013. Bob McDonnell is charged alone with a second count of lying on financial documents stemming from a personal financial statement he submitted to a bank on Oct. 3, 2012. Maureen McDonnell is charged alone with one count of obstruction of justice, related to returning a box of clothes Jonnie had purchased for her in March 2013, along with a note in which prosecutors allege she falsely indicates he loaned them to her. That was after her interview by Virginia State Police.

In probe of Va. Gov. McDonnell, prosecutors agreed to delay decision on charges 18DEZ13

VIRGINIA Democrats need not crow too much over the (yet to come) trials and tribulations of Gov bob mcdonnell r VA and his wife considering we just elected terry mcaulife D VA to replace him. When it comes to the business community and the rich and powerful they are birds of a feather and it will be a miracle if we get through the next 4 years without a scandal involving the governor's office. From the Washington Post....

By Rosalind S. Helderman, Carol D. Leonnig and Sari Horwitz, Published: December 18 E-mail the writers

Federal prosecutors told Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell last week that he and his wife would be charged in connection with a gift scandal, but senior Justice Department officials delayed the decision after the McDonnells’ attorneys made a face-to-face appeal in Washington, according to people familiar with the case.
Dana J. Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, told the McDonnells’ legal teams that he planned to ask a grand jury to return an indictment no later than this past Monday, people familiar with the conversations said.

Timeline

McDonnell's involvement with Star Scientific

Virginia gifts database

In the wake of an FBI investigation of McDonnell, here’s a look at the records of gifts given to Va. officials.

Past coverage of the Va. gifts scandal

ARCHIVES | See previous Washington Post stories on the Va. governor and Star Scientific.

• Related documents obtained by the Post

Photos: McDonnell’s time in office comes to a close

Images of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s time in office as his four-year term comes to a close in Richmond.

McDonnell (R) and his wife, Maureen, would have been charged with working together to illegally promote a struggling dietary-supplement company in exchange for gifts and loans from its chief executive, the people said.
The plan to seek the felony charges this week changed, however, after attorneys for the state’s first couple met with Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole on Dec. 12.
The attorneys argued that the governor had done nothing improper to assist businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr. In particular, they focused on the credibility of a key witness, said a person familiar with the presentation. They also argued that if prosecutors proceeded with charges, they should wait until after McDonnell left office Jan. 11 to allow a smooth transition of power to Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe (D).
Some element of the lawyers’ arguments apparently persuaded the Justice Department to delay, according to people with knowledge of the case. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
On Friday, the day after the meeting, McDonnell’s attorneys were told that the decision would be put on hold, the people said. A final decision about whether to press charges is now not expected before Jan. 2 and could come as late as February, they said.
Jason Miyares, a spokesman for McDonnell’s legal team, and William A. Burck, an attorney for McDonnell’s wife, declined to comment. Boente and a spokesman for the Justice Department also declined to comment. McDonnell has maintained that he has done nothing wrong.
It is not unusual that a high-profile target, especially a sitting governor, would be allowed a chance to appeal a U.S. attorney’s charging decision to top officials of the Justice Department. It would be very rare, however, for the Justice Department to ultimately overturn a decision made by a U.S. attorney.
Relationship probed
Federal prosecutors have been investigating the McDonnells’ relationship with Williams for most of this year. Williams provided more than $165,000 in gifts and loans to the governor and his family. The gifts came as the McDonnells took steps to promote Williams’s company, Star Scientific Inc., including hosting a lunch at the Executive Mansion to mark the launch of a new product. The McDonnells also helped company executives secure meetings with state officials.
McDonnell has apologized for the relationship, but he insisted that he treated Star just as he would have any other Virginia-based business. The company received no state grants, contracts or board appointments.
He has said in several recent interviews that he would like to see the investigation concluded as quickly as possible.
“I’m hoping it will all be resolved in the very near future,” he told The Washington Post last month.
But privately, as prosecutors signaled their intent to file charges, McDonnell’s attorneys have been pressing Justice Department officials to reconsider or delay — at least long enough for McDonnell to complete his four-year term and avoid becoming the first sitting governor in state history to face criminal charges.
The investigation has focused on whether McDonnell violated the Hobbs Act, which makes it a federal crime for a public official to receive payments or other financial gifts, knowing that those payments are in return for the official’s promise to take action in his government role.
To prove the crime, it is not necessary to show that the public official actually took the steps or that any of the official acts resulted in benefits to the person making the payments. Private citizens can also be charged under the law if they caused the public official to take actions or make such promises.
McDonnell is also the subject of a state investigation into whether his annual financial disclosures complied with Virginia law. It is a misdemeanor under Virginia law for an elected official to knowingly submit false or incomplete information on annual financial disclosure forms.
McDonnell has said he complied with state law, which allows elected officials to accept gifts of any value provided they disclose those worth more than $50; they are not required to disclose gifts to their families or loans to their businesses.
Attorneys working for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) learned in March 2012 of allegations that McDonnell’s forms might be incomplete. As required by law, Cuccinelli designated a local prosecutor to conduct a full investigation, turning the case over to Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Herring in November 2012.
But Virginia law requires prosecutors to press charges within a year of being alerted to possible legal violations. That statute of limitations is expiring, which has become a factor in both the state and federal investigations.
Herring had reached an agreement with McDonnell’s attorneys to extend the statute of limitations into this month, said a person familiar with its terms. But the state probe has been on hold while federal prosecutors decided whether to proceed with more serious felony charges, and federal prosecutors felt pressured by the looming state deadline, the person said.
On Friday, all sides agreed to extend the deal on the state charges — known as a tolling agreement — into early February. That allows more time for federal authorities to make a final decision.
Herring would not comment on the federal probe other than to say that he is “awaiting a final decision from the Justice Department.”
“But,” he added, “I have to plan for other contingencies as well, such as the matter being returned back to my office.” Herring would not provide information on the tolling agreement.
Witnesses at issue
The McDonnells’ attorneys argued to the Justice Department last week that key witnesses were problematic, a person close to the case said.
Among other issues, the attorneys have been telling federal prosecutors that there could be weaknesses in the testimony of Mary Shea Sutherland, the former chief of staff to Maureen McDonnell.
E-mails obtained under a freedom of information request show that Sutherland was intimately involved in the planning of an event held at the governor’s mansion in August 2011 that marked the launch of a Star Scientific dietary supplement called Anatabloc.
Prosecutors believe that the luncheon event was one way the couple helped Williams’s company, people with knowledge of the case said.
Attorneys for the McDonnells have argued that they could convince a jury that Sutherland was trying to curry favor with Williams, including by helping to organize the mansion event, according to a person close to the case.
Sutherland corresponded with Star Scientific executives before the company issued a news release touting the event. She also urged the governor’s scheduler to ensure that the governor attended. When the scheduler suggested that McDonnell might be busy, Sutherland wrote back, “The [first lady] isn’t going to be happy about it.”
In that same time frame, Sutherland was given an expensive dress by Williams on a New York City shopping trip during which Williams also bought $15,000 in high-end clothing for the first lady, the people said.
The defense attorneys also point to a draft of a 2011 contract they said shows that Williams and Sutherland were in negotiations for Sutherland to leave her government job and work for Williams through an independent event planning firm.
The employment contract was never executed. Ted Bruns, an attorney for Sutherland, declined to comment. He has previously said Sutherland never worked for Williams and has called the idea that Sutherland attended a Star event without the first lady’s knowledge “curious.”
The event was held at the governor’s 200-year-old official residence, and the first lady served as host. The governor attended as well. It was paid for by the governor’s political action committee.
Asked about the Star Scientific mansion event in March, a spokesman for the governor said all requests for use of the mansion are approved by the governor’s chief of staff. “The decision to have the event was based solely on the benefit to the Commonwealth,” spokesman Jeff Caldwell said in a statement then.



Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/prosecutors-were-ready-to-charge-va-gov-mcdonnell-but-final-decision-delayed-by-justice-officials/2013/12/18/32260fa6-67fa-11e3-a0b9-249bbb34602c_story.html?wpisrc=al_comboPN 

Tell Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to veto proposed voter ID laws 1MAR13

JUST like the redistricting plan the right wing extremist passed in the General Assembly in Richmond (that was rejected by the governor) this legislation is not to protect democracy in Virginia, it is to restrict it for the economic and political benefit of the rich and corporate masters of the gop / tea-bagger politicians in Richmond. This legislation will make it difficult, if not impossible, for students, those serving the nation in the military, the poor, the elderly and disabled, to vote. Please click the link and sign the petition to Gov McDonnell telling him to veto these bills that restrict one of our most basic civil liberties, the right to vote.

Partisan extremists in the General Assembly have just rammed through legislation designed to make it harder for Virginians to vote. The proposed legislation does nothing to combat voter fraud and is nothing more than an attempt to suppress voter turnout. 

These efforts need to be stopped. Newspapers across the Commonwealth have berated the Republican attack on voting rights as "a throwback to the Jim Crow era," "an impediment to voting that would adversely affect poor, elderly and minority voters," and "a burden on citizens who are homebound, disabled, deployed in the military, away at college or otherwise unable to vote in person."

These proposed laws would limit the forms of acceptable voter identification, adding obstacles for many voters. Governor McDonnell himself has acknowledged that the current system works. We should not make it more difficult for people to vote.

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to Governor Bob McDonnell, which says:

Several bills have passed the General Assembly that would make it harder for Virginians to vote. There is no demonstrated need for stricter voter identification laws in Virginia. Veto these bills and any attempt to disenfranchise voters in the Commonwealth.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Aneesh Chopra

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Aneesh Chopra didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Virginia Is For Wackos! Now They Want To Create Their Own Currency 7FEB13

ONE thing we can always count on in Virginia, the repiglican leadership will always provide glaring examples of just why the South lost the war. From Crooks&Liars......

by Heather

Stories like this one aren't going to help the Republicans much with their so-called "rebranding' effort:Virginia is for lovers of their own currency:

Virginia sure has been a hotbed of activity on issues with national implications, hasn't it? Republicans in the commonwealth pushed a scheme to rig the electoral college (which failed soon after), launched an ugly redistricting scheme (which now appears doomed), and crafted absurd voter-ID bill (which seems likely to become law).
And while all of those are clearly important, this is the one that amazes me.

Virginia Del. Robert G. Marshall fears that a financial apocalypse is coming and only one thing can save the Commonwealth: its own currency.
The idea that Virginia should consider issuing its own money was dismissed as just another quixotic quest by one of the most conservative members of the state legislature when Marshall introduced it three years ago. But it has since gained traction not only in Virginia, but also in states across the country as Americans have grown increasingly suspicious of the institutions entrusted with safeguarding the economy.

Marshall's proposal sailed through the House of Delegates this week, passing by a two-to-one majority.
No, seriously.
And why, pray tell, does Marshall see the need for Virginia to have its own currency? Because he and other stark-raving-mad lawmakers fear the wholesale collapse of American civilization, as precipitated by the Federal Reserve. The Washington Post noted that Bob Marshall believes it's possible the U.S. could look like "the Weimar Republic of Germany after World War I: a worthless currency, skyrocketing inflation and a crumbling government."
Of course, Sideshow Bob also believes in "death panels," equated the Recovery Act withslavery, and is convinced that women who have abortions subsequently have disabled kidsbecause God is punishing them.
This is the man who wants to shape monetary policy in Virginia. Read on...

And from Blue Virginia: Help Virginia Design Its Own Currency!:

Please don't view the new House of Delegates-passed bill for Virginia to study creating its own currency as a sign that this state is governed by ignorant, wacko, redneck, conspiracy theory-driven morons who just crawled out of some godforsaken Hillbilly Hell.
No -- view it as an opportunity. Because what could be more fun than designing your own money?
In the spirit -- as always -- of aiming to assist our Republican overlords, I am initiating this brainstorming session on what our new Commonwealth Cash should look like. Come on and add your own ideas. The only rule is that this currency must be limited to right-wing figures and themes, since Democrats of course lack the wisdom and foresight to protect us from UN conspiracies and stuff. So, here goes:
- The Ken Cuccinelli $397 bill: Because round numbers are a liberal conspiracy. The front of the bill would depict His Cucciness on a throne holding a scepter while scientists around him are being whipped and beaten. The back would depict the goddess Virtus -- whose left breast Cuccinelli ordered covered up as one of his first acts as Attorney General. This time, she'd be wearing a chador.
- The Bob McDonnell's hair $100: Have we ever had a governor with such newscaster-worthy hair? The front of the bill would pay tribute to Gov. Bob's hair. The back would be devoted to depicting all of the governor's accomplishments during his term. It would be blank.Read on...

We've got more on Marshall here and here as well.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/proposal-virginia-create-its-own-currency

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2013

REPUBLICANS: STILL INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY INSANE

This actually happened:

A proposal to study whether Virginia should adopt its own currency passed the state House of Delegates on Monday....

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) has been fighting for the bill for three years as a safeguard against what he believes is a central banking system that has swung out of control. But until Monday, the plan seemed little more than a quixotic quest. The House voted 65 to 32 to approve the measure....

The plan calls for spending $17,440 to create a 10-member commission, which would determine the "need, means and schedule for establishing a metallic-based monetary unit" -- in other words, a return to a gold standard.

It is unclear how Marshall's measure will fare in the Senate. And Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has said in the past that he does not support the commonwealth printing its own money. But that the bill has made it even this far underscores the depth of distrust among some surrounding the nation's central bank....

I'm used to thinking of Bob Marshall as crazy -- as I told you in December, when he was proposing that Virginia schools be required by law to arm some teachers or other school personnel, this is a guy who once said that women who have abortions subsequently have disabled kids because God is punishing them, and once blocked the appointment of a gay judge because he believed being gay meant the judge couldn't uphold the Virginia constitution. I failed to mention a few choice quotes:

Bob Marshall's take on the Obama Agenda: "Suicidal deficits, enemies lists, abortion, euthanize seniors, health care that kills capitalism ... 'Live and let die,' Obama theme song!"

Bob Marshall compares the economic stimulus package to slavery: "It is as much a chain as ankle bracelets were as to African-Americans in the 1860s in this state. It's just invisible. But it is a chain of death that we're not going to escape."

On Abortion in the case of incest and rape Marshall said:"Sometimes incest is voluntary." Marshall added, with regard to rape, that "the woman becomes a sin-bearer of the crime, because the right of a child predominates over the embarrassment of the woman."

Marshall on the Morning After Pill: "We have no business passing this garbage out and making these co-eds chemical Love Canals for these frat house playboys in Virginia."

Yes, they call him "Sideshow Bob" in Virginia -- but the sideshow has moved to the main stage if his crazy bill passed one house of the GOP-controlled legislature by more than a 2-to-1 margin. You're the clowns, Republicans -- all of you -- if this is mainstream in Virginia.

http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2013/02/republicans-still-individually-and.html

TELL YOUR DELEGATE IN RICHMOND TO VOTE NO ON THE REDISTRICTING PLAN NOW, VOTE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY 31JAN13

THE Virginia House of Delegates is voting on the illegal Virginia Congressional redistricting plan passed by the VA Senate on 21 JAN. The Bold Progressive community is asking all to call their delegates in Richmond to tell them to vote against this bill and to call gov mcdonnell and tell him to veto it if it is passed. If you can't call (click the link for the phone numbers) please e mail your delegate http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/VGAMain?openform and the governor http://www.governor.virginia.gov/aboutthegovernor/contactgovernor.cfm  From the PCCC / Progressive Change Campaign Committee....

Victory! Thanks to huge outrage from Virginia voters, the bill to rig elections was defeated in committee. By stopping this law, we sent a clear message to other states that voters will not stand for rigged elections.
Unfortunately, that bill isn't the only challenge to voter freedom in Virginia. Today, the House of Delegates will vote on a redistricting plan heavily favoring Republicans that went through without warning, without public comment, and almost without debate.
You defeated rigged elections and you can defeat this too. Click here to call Governor McDonnell and your delegate. 
While Democratic state Senator Henry L. Marsh III attended the inauguration, Senate Republicans rammed through a new redistricting plan that strengthens their districts and weakens many held by Democrats. It was a clear power grab that took advantage of Sen. Marsh's absence to pass the bill along party lines.
Can you call Governor McDonnell and your delegate? Click here and tell them to stand against this unconstitutional bill.
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
--Michael Snook, Amanda Johnson, Anton Medvedev, and the PCCC team

Romney party yacht ‘Cracker Bay’ flies Cayman Islands flag in Tampa & Cap'n Mitt and the Pirates of Cracker Bay 29AUG12 & 7SEP12

FLAUNTING his wealth and his off shore tax haven bank accounts mitt romney's yacht "cracker bay", a name reflecting mitt's sense of humor referencing all us common people, flies the flag of the Cayman Islands while in Tampa. Those attending the romney fund raiser on board didn't seem to have any problem with handing over their money to purchase their presidential candidate on board his foreign flagged boat, offering proof of whose interest he will represent if elected. 

By David Edwards

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign on Wednesday partied with wealthy donors on a 150-foot yacht that flies the flag of the Cayman Islands, according to an ABC News report.
Members of the Romney Victory Council, who have each raised more than $1 million for the candidate, mingled with Romney’s brother, Scott, and other relatives in Tampa aboard the luxury yacht “Cracker Bay.”
While they waited outside the unadvertised event, ABC News snapped photos of the Cayman Islands civil ensign flag flying on the yacht’s stern.
Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) was reportedly scheduled to speak to the more than 50 people attending.
“It was a really nice event,” billionaire energy industry executive Wilbur Ross told the network. “These are good supporters.”
Romney came under fire earlier this year when it was revealed that he had millions stashed in the Cayman Islands, a notorious tax haven. In August, Vanity Fair reported that Romney still had a personal stake in at least 12 of Bain Capital’s Cayman Island funds, worth up to $30 million.
The candidate recently insisted to Fox News host Chris Wallace that “there was no reduction — not one dollar reduction — in taxes by virtue of having an account in Switzerland or a Cayman Islands investment.”
“I think it’s ironic they do this aboard a yacht that doesn’t even pay its taxes,” a woman who lives at the marina where Cracker Bay is moored told ABC News.
Watch this video from ABC News, broadcast Aug. 29, 2012.
Photo: Flickr/Daniel Cornwall]

[Correction: An earlier version of the report incorrectly identified Fox News host Chris Wallace]
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/29/romney-party-yacht-cracker-bay-flies-cayman-islands-flag-in-tampa/ 

Cap'n Mitt and the Pirates of Cracker Bay

Ever since humans first took to the sea, pirates have inexplicably vanished and reappeared along our coasts and waterways.  Who were those mysterious figures who appeared along the mist-shrouded docks and beaches of Tampa Bay during last week's Republican Convention?  While all eyes were on the Democrats, we decided to find out.
Pirates are often portrayed as a festive lot, so our investigation began with an ABC News report of an event where corporate campaign donors were lavishly entertained by The Commodores, whose hit "Brick House" captivated 70's-era dancers with its hypnotic chorus --
Chick-a-maw, chick-a-maw, chick-a-maw-maw,
Chick-a-maw, chick-a-maw, chick-a-MAW-maw!
-- and the extra syllables and syncopated pauses added to selected word:"She's a ba-rick" --(pause) -- "house/she's mighty mighty just lettin' it all hang out ....
It is a wondrous thing to watch rich white people getting down -- trust me, I know -- and many a groove thing was undoubtedly shaken at the Commodores event, where Sen. John Cornyn of Texas thanked donors from Blue Cross Blue Shield, AFLAC, and AT&T. Each has financial interests affected by the law known as "Obamacare."
But boogieing and piracy are not the same thing, so our search continued. Elsewhere in Tampa a conservative group called the American Access Network sold access to elected officials "advertised the chance to mingle with members of Congress and senior staff at an arena skybox overlooking the convention floor for $30,000," according to ABC. And even better offers were available:
"Full access to the group's intimate luncheons and hot ticket concerts were open to their biggest supporters -- those who gave $250,000."
As the Commodores might say: Yeeowww!
Unethical? Sure. But piracy? We weren't sure. The trail grew warmer when we learned about the yacht party thrown by a Florida developer for "bundlers" who had raised $1 million or more for Mitt Romney's campaign.  ABC reports that more than fifty people were entertained aboard the Cracker Bay, a yacht flying the ensign of the Cayman Islands, where the American-owned vessel was registered.
As the astute reader may have already noted, the boat shares its nationality with a big chunk of Mitt Romney's money.
We wondered at the use of the name "Cracker," a derisive Southern term for white males, since that appeared to be the primary's demographic group represented at these affairs. Were these wealthy men mocking their poorer counterparts, who are sometimes disparaged with the term? But another GOP patron professed ignorance when reached aboard his boat, the SS Peckerwood.
"We let the help name our boats," he explained.  
In true piratical fashion, guests aboard the Cracker Bay attempted to conceal their identity, in this case by covering up their name tags as they boarded the boat. But reporters observed  Texas oil heir Charlie Moncrief, whose family saga would put Dallas to shame.
Another guest was ultra-right real estate investor Melvin Sembler, who earned notoriety for running a sadistic and exploitative string of youth "rehabs."  It would ruin the lighthearted tone of this piece to describe the horrors which STRAIGHT, Inc. inflicted on young people, so we'll leave the  horrifying details to Alternet and the Institute for Policy Studies instead.
Self-respecting pirates would be ashamed to be associated with the likes of Mel Sembler, who bought himself the ambassadorships to Australia and Nauru under George H. W. Bush and the Italian ambassadorship under George W. Bush. Which ambassadorship might Sembler purchase under a Romney Administration? The U.N.? The moon?
Then there's Cracker Bay "captain" Gary Morse. Morse owns the development company behind "The Villages," a string of "master-planned" retirement communities in Florida.   Florida's unusual "special taxing district" regulations allow private corporations like Disney to usurp government functions, including taxation, while exempting themselves from most government regulations. (Mystery writer Carl Hiassen has written a nonfiction book called Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World which addresses Disney's misuse of these laws).
"The Villages" are governed by "Community Development Districts" -- most of which are controlled by Morse himself. From a comprehensive and compelling Bloomberg report:

Morse controls almost every facet of life at the Villages... On a 33-square-mile parcel... he's built and sold more than 44,000 homes... created 39 golf courses and developed 4.5 million square feet of commercial space, including two hotels, 60 restaurants and two movie theaters... Morse owns the local newspaper, a television channel and an AM radio station... (his) commercials have been fixtures on the Golf Channel. His bank lends to retirees fleeing south; his insurance company provides them coverage. He even gets paid to pick up the trash and organize tee times.

It's like something out of The Prisoner, Patrick McGoohan's surrealistic 1960s television series on the BBC. "Be seeing you!"  How does Morse do it?  Bloomberg explains: "Morse... has become one of America's wealthiest real estate tycoons with the help of tax-exempt municipal bonds issued by special government entities he's created to fund the expansion of the Villages."
Traditional pirates operate outside government control, often in self-governed areas which anarchy theorists sometimes describe with the acronym "TAZ" (for "Temporary Autonomous Zone").  But if pirates have typically been "non-state actors," Morse hijacks government itself and exploits them to expand his own wealth.  In other words, he's a lot like Mitt Romney and other wealthy Republicans: They gripe about the cost of government, even as they exploit it to enrich themselves at public expense.
"Special taxing districts" are a microcosm of the para-piratical dystopia Republicans would create for the entire country, where corporate rule is supreme and democracy is as faint a memory as oceangoing corsairs.
Bloomberg reports that Morse's empire includes "four jet planes -- including a 21-seat Dassault Falcon 900 and two 22-seat Dassault Mystere-Falcon 50s, which can fly 3,623 miles without refueling." That sounds like the makings of a fleet.  Was there a secret global flotilla of conservative bandit ships ringing the world's oceans?  To help us find out, local informants arranged a secret meeting with a figure known to us only as "Cap'n Mitt." In the minutes just before dawn, a schooner emerged as if by magic from the mists off Tampa Bay.
The pirate ship's rigging creaked in the salty breezes as an ageless figure, his ample hair and square jaw strangely familiar beneath his eyepatch and sailor's hat, peered at us from the fog-shrouded deck.
"Are you a Republican?" we asked him. "Aye," he said tersely. From the crow's nest high above us, a dog barked. "But are you a pirate?"  He chuckled.  "Well, we don't run from government, we own it. But what do Republicans do then?" he asked rhetorically. "We privatize public services." I waited. "And what's another word for 'pirate'?" He paused for dramatic effect.
"'Privateer,'" he answered himself with a smirk.

"Is the Cracker Bay part of your fleet?" He nodded.
"What part of the Republican Platform appeals to the rich men who fly your flag?" we asked.  "Is it the return to the lawless days of deregulation?" He chuckled. "That pleases them mightily," he said.  "What about taking away government agencies' ability to protect people from corporate predators?"  He smiled. "Aye," he said, "that does too."
"But how do you explain this piracy to the voters?"
He chuckled, then cast off for deep waters. The ghostly ship was already fading back into the mist-shrouded deep as he said "Everybody loves a party." He smiled enigmatically. "So we pretend they're invited to ours." I shouted my final words as the ship began to vanish into the mist: "But they're not!  That's  obvious by now! What can you possibly say to sell a program like that?"

The now-invisible buccaneer chuckled. "With enough money and media power behind me, all I have to say is ... "  The unseen freebooter's voice echoed across the fog-shrouded waves: "... chick  a maw, chick a maw maw! Yeoww!"
And with that his vessel disappeared, never again to be seen by human eyes or revealed by campaign disclosure laws.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/capn-mitt-and-the-pirates_b_1866158.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications

PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE! ACTION NEEDED!!! 26APR12

VIRGINIA'S HB 9 will strip the right to vote from students, the poor, disabled and people of color. It is a right-wing extremist attack on the most basic of our civil liberties. The closest thing we have recently had to voter fraud in Virginia was the 1500 signatures on newt gingrich(k)'s petition to get on the gop / tea-bagger presidential primary ballot (they were all signed by the same person), but this was NOT voter fraud! This is not a problem in Virginia and will not be unless the governor signs this bill, then the fraud will be the election being held with tens of thousands being denied the right to vote! Please send a message to Gov McDonnell telling him to veto HB9 and protect everyone's right to vote, click the link......

Do you like being able to vote? Did you know that pretty soon in Virginia it could be harder for you to do so? Right now, HB9 is waiting for Governor McDonnell's signature. This bill would make it harder for thousands of Virginians to vote, maybe including you.
Can you sign our petition to Governor McDonnell right now asking him to veto voter suppression bill HB9?
Voting is a fundamental American freedom. Now conservatives are pushing through laws to make it harder for students, people of color, and seniors to cast a ballot because they'll do anything to win. The right to vote and choose our leaders is at the heart of what it means to be an American. We can't let them take it away.
Sign the petition to Governor McDonnell now to demand he veto voter suppression bill HB9.
Virginia has always been for voters. Let's keep it that way.
Onward,
Brian

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Ultrasound Bill Passes VA Senate 28FEB12 & Amy Poehler Returns To 'Weekend Update' For 'Really?!?' With Seth Meyers On Birth Control (VIDEO) 19FEB12

MEN deciding what is best for women. I just don't get it, when are women going to flex their political muscle and put an end to being treated as second class citizens? Here's Virginia's latest assault on women's health and rights.....and REALLY !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!! with Seth and Amy of SNL (click the link at the end of this post).....

Today, the Virginia Senate passed the mandatory ultrasound bill (House Bill 462), which requires women seeking abortion care to first have an ultrasound in a separate encounter for the purpose of demeaning and shaming women seeking reproductive health care.
Contact Governor McDonnell to tell him to VETO this overreach of the government. Call him at 804-786-2211 NOW and email him by clicking here. It has never been more important to make your voice heard. Tell him the government should not be interfering with personal, private medical decisions that should be best left to women and families and their doctors. 

Does taking action make a difference? Yes it does! Here's what the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition accomplished during our Day of Action on Feb. 23rd: we made over 7,000 calls to Virginians about HB1 the so-called 'Personhood' bill; HB 62, which would have cut funding for low-income women seeking abortions due to severe fetal anomaly; and the mandatory ultrasound bills. The results?

> HB 1 'Personhood' has been recommitted to Senate Education & Health committee and moved to 2013!

> HB 62 didn't pass out of Senate Finance today! It is passed by indefinitely.

Add your voice to the movement and tell Governor McDonnell to VETO HB462, mandtory ultrasounds!
You can share this news and critical opportunity on your Facebook, Twitter and listservs by clicking here. Thank you for taking action today!

And from the Washington Post

RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday for a scaled-back version of a contentious proposal that would require women to undergo external ultrasounds before abortions, but not the transvaginal ones.
The 21-19 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate — mostly along party lines — came after Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked legislators to soften the bill following protests on Capitol Square and mocking on national television, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Saturday Night Live.’’
McDonnell, an abortion opponent who had said he would sign the bill, asked lawmakers to amend the measure after it became clear the original legislation would have required a vaginal ultrasound in most cases because abortions usually occur in the first trimester.
The Senate amended the bill to exclude women who have reported to law enforcement that they are victims of rape and incest. But women who know that their fetus suffers from birth defects would have to undergo an ultrasound.
Two Democrats — Sen. Charles Colgan (Prince William) and Phil Puckett (Russell) — voted with Republicans. One Republican, Sen. John Watkins (Chesterfield), voted with Democrats.
Because another amendment was added to the bill on Tuesday, the measure goes to the Republican-dominated House of Delegates for approval before it heads to McDonnell for his signature.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/331282/saturday-night-live-really-with-seth-and-amy-birth-control

Bob McDonnell's war on birth control and choice 17FEB12

YES Virginia, there is an extreme right wing repiglican / tea-bagger administration in Richmond who's agenda is to establish "christian" sharia as the rule in our Commonwealth. ALL forms of birth control are under attack, the goal is to make them illegal. And for Virginia women who may have made the extremely difficult decision to seek an abortion, for whatever reason, they will experience the degradation of a trans-vaginal ultrasound, probably done by a man. Please sign this petition circulated through MoveOn.org to VA gov bob mcdonnell, lt gov bill bolling and the entire VA Senate in Richmond to defeat HB 1 and HB462.

Below is an email from Brian Devine, a MoveOn member who created a petition at SignOn.org

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Dear Virginia MoveOn member,

This week, conservatives in Virginia's House of Delegates passed "personhood" legislation that would grant legal rights to fertilized eggs. This bill seeks to ban safe, legal abortion in all circumstances and threatens women's access to birth control.

Unfortunately, they didn't stop there. They also passed legislation requiring some women to undergo an invasive, unnecessary transvaginal ultrasound before getting an abortion. Just in case that wasn't extreme enough, those same legislators rejected a commonsense amendment requiring a woman's consent before she is penetrated with a vaginal ultrasound probe.

This war on women has got to stop. 

That's why I created a petition to Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling; the Virginia State Senate; and Governor Bob McDonnell on SignOn.org, which says:

I'm writing to express my opposition to bills before the General Assembly that insert the government into women's private medical decisions. Please oppose HB 1, which would define a fertilized egg as a person and could outlaw abortion under all circumstances and restrict women's access to birth control, and HB 462, which will traumatize women by forcing some to submit to an invasive, transvaginal ultrasound before seeking an abortion.

I've had enough of this war on women and I'm asking you to get back to work on Virginians' priorities: investing in our economic growth, ensuring our kids get an excellent education, and repairing our crumbling transportation infrastructure. We sent you to Richmond to make life better for Virginia families, not make it more difficult for women to access comprehensive reproductive health services.

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=271249&id=35866-17549061-VrEnvlx&t=2

Thanks!

–Brian Devine

The text above was written by Brian Devine, not by MoveOn staff, and MoveOn is not responsible for the content. This email was sent through MoveOn's secure system, and your information has been kept private.