Virginia's Public Square
Virginia's Public Square
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP) that applied to approximately 500 streams and wetlands to be crossed by the Mountain Valley Pipeline in southern West Virginia. The court wrote, “If any part of a project requires an individual permit, then the NWP does not apply and all portions of the project must be evaluated as part of the individual permit process.” The sites must now be stabilized.
As Virginia’s $25 billion tourism industry is now the fifth largest employer, big production companies like Netflix and looking to make the Commonwealth their next home for their expansive production plans.
Following Governor Ralph Northam’s call to veto the GOP plan for legislative redistricting, Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) said, “After weeks of feigning interest, the governor has admitted at last that he wants federal judges appointed by President Obama to draw a redistricting map to deliver a Democratic majority in the House of Delegates.”
At the moment, Riggleman is running with all the confidence of an accomplished incumbent.
Republicans stalwart Denver Riggleman is wasting no time taking the fight to the Democrats, up with a new advertisement this week defending the “Trump tax cuts” in the face of insistence by Leslie Cockburn and her allies in Washington that not only will they be reversed but potentially increased.
From the advertisement:
“Leslie wants to repeal the recent tax cut. Leslie’s plan would cost the average family another $1,600 in tax…”
Riggleman seems to be drawing the line firm in the sand, with Cockburn holding a firm to progressive orthodoxy that might play well in Northern Virginia and Charlottesville, but not so well in places like Buckingham and Danville. From the Cavalier Daily:
Cockburn vowed throughout the debate to stand up against President Donald Trump’s agenda by pushing democratic policies, while Riggleman promised to work with the president and demonstrate a willingness to show bipartisanship when needed.
At the moment, it is Riggleman who — after what could only be characterized as a special election event — is running with all the confidence of an accomplished incumbent. Cockburn’s haphazard campaign in contrast is still reeling from criticism of her anti-Israeli book and failure to connect with the more traditional values of the district.
In terms of population size, the hypothetical Richmond-Hampton Roads metropolitan area would rank right around the Seattle-Tacoma region. Based on 2015 statistics, the mega-region could rank in the top 20 for GDP.
The war between Democrats and Republicans have made a position in the federal government which should be solely non-political, a very political, possibly even ideological seat, with the qualifications being based not on interpretation of Supreme Court precedence, but an adherence to the victim versus oppressor ideology.
“I am reconvening the House of Delegates on October 21st to fulfill our constitutional duty to pass a redistricting map. I am firmly against judicial overreach and allowing federal judges to draw the map,” said Speaker of the House Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights).
Referencing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the 63-year-old landmark Brown II case, State Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) is looking to form legislation next session to direct Virginia to provide schools that are “fully modernized or maintained as seemingly required,” by the U.S. Constitution.
As law enforcement agencies seek to catch criminals with license plate readers, which cast an astoundingly large net over the community, they must still understand that it leaves the community with a net cast over them.
After moving through the Senate Judiciary Committee, now pending a week-long FBI investigation, the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court will be voted on this week per the comments of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). During a Senate floor speech on Monday, McConnell said that “the time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close. Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is out of committee. We’re considering it here on the floor and…we’ll be voting this week,” according to The Hill.
Republican senators have not designated a specific time to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation, arguing that the FBI could wrap up its work before the Friday deadline. Therefore, the presumed plan is for the majority leader to file for cloture on Friday, setting up an initial vote on ending debate as early as Sunday.
As Republicans hold a one-member majority in the upper chamber, they can only afford to lose one member, causing Vice President Mike Pence to break the tie vote. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) remain undecided on Kavanaugh.
Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a occasional harsh critic of President Trump, was the member of the committee that called for an FBI investigation during last week’s meeting before the vote to send the nominee out of committee to a full floor vote. Though, this comes as Flake has reiterated that he supports Judge Kavanaugh.
Nevertheless, this entire “sham,” as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) calls it, is not about Kavanaugh, it never was. This is why there were people in the streets of Washington, D.C., holding signs with blank spaces on them before President Trump announced his nominee to the Supreme Court months ago. If anyone other than Kavanaugh – aside from Merrick Garland – were nominated, the protesters and the dissenters in the streets and in the Senate would have written another name into the blank to fill the slogan “STOP _______.”
Even if Judge Kavanaugh is fully confirmed, there are already plans in the works to try and impeach him.
Why? Because of the hatred of President Trump from Democrats.
Senator Flake said last week, “The reason I supported an FBI investigation is it’s good for everybody. We need more information, not less.” We, however, do not have a shortage of information. If anything, we have a surplus of information – more than we ever asked for. Judge Kavanaugh has been asked – in both written and verbal – more questions than any other Supreme court nominee in history, combined.
Testifying in the front of the Senate was not being used to gather more information – it was to get Kavanaugh to slip up and commit perjury.
Though, didn’t the #MeToo movement give women courage to seek judgement for their assaulters? Yes, of course it did. The world is a better place when evil actions are punished. However, it’s gone past that.
Social movements are now being used for political profiteering. Pepsi using Black Lives Matter to sell drinks. Nike using Colin Kaepernick to sell shoes. Rolling Stone using UVA to sell magazines and perpetuate a preconceived narrative. Now, Democrats are politically profiteering off of the #MeToo movement to further satisfy their lust for power.
All of this is being done to tear down a party and a presidency that doesn’t agree with them.
For those who think a vote on the Kavanaugh confirmation will end the madness, brace yourselves, it’ll happen to someone else.