VA republicans will retake control of the VA senate

[windjammer]

^ But its not like the area is getting any friendlier and the GOP bench has grown since then.

Maybe but Warner still carried the district by the same margin at Virginia level in 2008. It would have been obviously close, but Appalachia seems to be a region that is really elastic!

I'd be more optimistic if 2013 went better. McAuliffe/Northam/Herring did just as bad (or worse in some counties) than Obama. The LG's race especially; 10 years ago, I don't see how a Democrat like Northam would lose most of these counties by 30+ points to a black preacher.

I'd be shocked if Warner carries this district again.

Remember Warner has an important Appalachia base! See his senate against Warner, see his gubernational races in 2001, see his 2008 senate race. Even if I believe his support among Appalachians will a bit go down, he will still massively overperform Mcauliffe/Northam/Obama.

And for the black preacher, it doesn't surprise me at all that he carried Appalachia. Northam was seen as a social liberal moderate fiscally, whereas the rep candidate concentrated his efforts on social issues!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

20K people in his district would benefit from the Medicaid expansion. His resignation precludes that now; definitely a bad way to go out.

It won't make much of a difference. There are several GOP Senators who are willing to make some sort of a deal to expand health coverage.  The obstacle to it is with the overwhelmingly GOP House.

[Gass3268]

There is some rumblings that McAuliffe might push through Medicare expansion with an executive order:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/with-no-legislative-approval-mcauliffe-has-begun-planning-for-medicaid-expansion/2014/06/04/2a7a8b4c-ea77-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html

[windjammer]

There is some rumblings that McAuliffe might push through Medicare expansion with an executive order:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/with-no-legislative-approval-mcauliffe-has-begun-planning-for-medicaid-expansion/2014/06/04/2a7a8b4c-ea77-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html

He will probably do that. If he does that, it would be great!

[Hifly]

It would be great, but unilaterally pushing through executive orders to avoid the democratic legislative process should really be avoided at all costs.

[Miles]

That was quick:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Russell County was one of Puckett's best counties. In addition to his stature as an incumbent legislator, Chafin's base there means he should easily carry the district against any Dem.

[moderatevoter]

Democrats literally have no bench in this district.

[Hifly]

Democrats literally have no bench in this district.

They have Joe Johnson, who retired last year. That's about it. Ben Chafin succeeded Johnson unopposed.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I don't know who is worse, Puckett, the Republicans who bribed him, or the hacks on this forum cheering blatant bribery.

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Democrats literally have no bench in this district.

They have Joe Johnson, who retired last year. That's about it. Ben Chafin succeeded Johnson unopposed.

I mean, he's 82... but maybe Dems can convince him to run and retire in 2015 if he wins?

[RogueBeaver]

Medexpansion has been dropped for now, agreed to pass budget. May reconsider in special session.

[Maxwell]

It would be great, but unilaterally pushing through executive orders to avoid the democratic legislative process should really be avoided at all costs.

Basically I agree on the second half of that sentence.

X is right on this, this is god damn blatant bribery and pretty shameful for VA Republicans.

[Frodo]

There is some rumblings that McAuliffe might push through Medicare expansion with an executive order:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/with-no-legislative-approval-mcauliffe-has-begun-planning-for-medicaid-expansion/2014/06/04/2a7a8b4c-ea77-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html

He will probably do that. If he does that, it would be great!

That would be ill-advised, considering the precedent set could easily be used by a Republican governor to push his own agenda.   And as someone who lives in this state, and therefore has to live with the consequences, I could do without. 

[Never]

It would be great, but unilaterally pushing through executive orders to avoid the democratic legislative process should really be avoided at all costs.

Basically I agree on the second half of that sentence.

X is right on this, this is god damn blatant bribery and pretty shameful for VA Republicans.

So how exactly are we proving the bribery, an accusation from a partisan website? I'm not saying it's impossible, but one of the Democrats in the State Senate is stating that it is not true that Puckett was bribed, as written in this Washington Post article.

[Maxwell]

It would be great, but unilaterally pushing through executive orders to avoid the democratic legislative process should really be avoided at all costs.

Basically I agree on the second half of that sentence.

X is right on this, this is god damn blatant bribery and pretty shameful for VA Republicans.

So how exactly are we proving the bribery, an accusation from a partisan website? I'm not saying it's impossible, but one of the Democrats in the State Senate is stating that it is not true that Puckett was bribed, as written in this Washington Post article.

Bribery isn't so direct, but in the eyes of the law, bribery seems to be literally handing money to a public official and then the public official doing his bidding. Rather, what Puckett is doing is resigning his job, and in exchange, he will get paid handsomely to work for a Former GOP official. In the law, that's not bribery, but it certainly is a form of bribery, and it's something that happens all the time in Washington, though not exactly like this.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

It would be great, but unilaterally pushing through executive orders to avoid the democratic legislative process should really be avoided at all costs.

Basically I agree on the second half of that sentence.

X is right on this, this is god damn blatant bribery and pretty shameful for VA Republicans.

So how exactly are we proving the bribery, an accusation from a partisan website? I'm not saying it's impossible, but one of the Democrats in the State Senate is stating that it is not true that Puckett was bribed, as written in this Washington Post article.

Bribery isn't so direct, but in the eyes of the law, bribery seems to be literally handing money to a public official and then the public official doing his bidding. Rather, what Puckett is doing is resigning his job, and in exchange, he will get paid handsomely to work for a Former GOP official. In the law, that's not bribery, but it certainly is a form of bribery, and it's something that happens all the time in Washington, though not exactly like this.

Actually Terry Kilgore is a current GOP official

[DrScholl]

If this situation happened in reverse, it would no doubt be called bribery by Republicans. There are ways of doing dishonest things without breaking the law. An executive order in comparison to this is nothing and at least it would make the whole bribery scheme for naught.

[IceSpear]

There is some rumblings that McAuliffe might push through Medicare expansion with an executive order:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/with-no-legislative-approval-mcauliffe-has-begun-planning-for-medicaid-expansion/2014/06/04/2a7a8b4c-ea77-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html

He will probably do that. If he does that, it would be great!

That would be ill-advised, considering the precedent set could easily be used by a Republican governor to push his own agenda.   And as someone who lives in this state, and therefore has to live with the consequences, I could do without. 

This is pretty much the same argument used against abolishing the filibuster, but we all know that if Democrats were a minority and obstructed as much as the Republicans did, they'd get rid of it in a second.

[Mr. Reactionary]

If this situation happened in reverse, it would no doubt be called bribery by Republicans. There are ways of doing dishonest things without breaking the law. An executive order in comparison to this is nothing and at least it would make the whole bribery scheme for naught.

I don't recall most of the Republicans accusing Max Baucus of taking bribes when President Obama gave him a cushy job so that he'd resign early to help Democrats try and hold on to that seat. It's kind of like how a lot of the Democrats in Virginia who were mad last November about the Republicans trying to change policy through a budget shutdown were fine with Terry McCrook trying to change policy through a budget shutdown.

This thing with the shutdown and Puckett is no different than what has been going on recently in other circles. It's just this time, team red and blue are reversed.

[free my dawg]

Puckett has withdrawn consideration, however, the language of Virginia's law against bribery is as follows:

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Now I'm not sure what the state tobacco commission's salary is, but considering the state senator salary is $14k a year, it looks like the law's going to give Puckett as much grief as he's given to Virginia's lower class.

[free my dawg]

If this situation happened in reverse, it would no doubt be called bribery by Republicans. There are ways of doing dishonest things without breaking the law. An executive order in comparison to this is nothing and at least it would make the whole bribery scheme for naught.

I don't recall most of the Republicans accusing Max Baucus of taking bribes when President Obama gave him a cushy job so that he'd resign early to help Democrats try and hold on to that seat. It's kind of like how a lot of the Democrats in Virginia who were mad last November about the Republicans trying to change policy through a budget shutdown were fine with Terry McCrook trying to change policy through a budget shutdown.

This thing with the shutdown and Puckett is no different than what has been going on recently in other circles. It's just this time, team red and blue are reversed.

Yeah, there's no monetary gain from Baucus resigning though. He takes a downgrade in money and status.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

If this situation happened in reverse, it would no doubt be called bribery by Republicans. There are ways of doing dishonest things without breaking the law. An executive order in comparison to this is nothing and at least it would make the whole bribery scheme for naught.

I don't recall most of the Republicans accusing Max Baucus of taking bribes when President Obama gave him a cushy job so that he'd resign early to help Democrats try and hold on to that seat. It's kind of like how a lot of the Democrats in Virginia who were mad last November about the Republicans trying to change policy through a budget shutdown were fine with Terry McCrook trying to change policy through a budget shutdown.

This thing with the shutdown and Puckett is no different than what has been going on recently in other circles. It's just this time, team red and blue are reversed.

Yeah, there's no monetary gain from Baucus resigning though. He takes a downgrade in money and status.

And even if there had been, how exactly does that justify bribing Puckett to resign?  I swear, it's like complaining about imaginary Obama "scandals" has become the Republican party's version of "Oh yeah?  Well, I'm rubber and you're glue, so anything you say bounces off me and goes back to you."

[Mr. Reactionary]

And even if there had been, how exactly does that justify bribing Puckett to resign?  I swear, it's like complaining about imaginary Obama "scandals" has become the Republican party's version of "Oh yeah?  Well, I'm rubber and you're glue, so anything you say bounces off me and goes back to you."

Who was bribed? It doesn't appear that Puckett is getting a magical money sack. He's not getting a shiny new job. His daughter's appointment is probably going to go through, but the holdup was his fault in the first place for being a sitting legislator. It's not like the Republicans just invented that custom out of thin air. Huffpost and ThinkSoros are quick to use the word "bribery" even though there isn't any evidence of it, other than that there's an outcome detrimental to Democrats. For all we know, Puckett resigned because Josh Lyman bullied him too much, or his wife has cancer, or he's getting a divorce. But because Terry's plan falls apart, the automatic assumption is that icky Republicans "bribed" the Democrat to get him to resign. What happened here is no different than the Max Baucus Ambassadorship.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Its someone else's turn to argue with the brick wall.  X out!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

It doesn't look good, but I don't see there being any smoking gun.