Robert McDonnell is sworn in as Virginia governor

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Washington Post

RICHMOND -- Robert Francis McDonnell was sworn in as Virginia's 71st governor on Saturday and immediately laid out his vision of a new Republicanism. He affirmed that government has a role in creating opportunity, but a limited one; pledged to drill offshore for oil, but in an environmentally friendly way; and urged all Virginians to contribute their cultures and traditions to the state's increasing diversity.

McDonnell said that creating jobs was the "obligation of our time" and that he would ease regulations and lower taxes on businesses. He promised to put more money into classrooms, try to add 100,000 college degrees during the next 15 years, improve the state's transportation network and use what he described as Virginia's God-given wealth of resources to make it the "Energy Capital of the East Coast."

In a 22-minute speech that evoked the legacies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, McDonnell said that it is the rightful role of government to create opportunity for all Virginians but that it is up to individuals to fulfill that opportunity.

"The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper and efficient role of government," McDonnell said before a crowd of thousands at the South Portico of the state's historic Capitol. . . .

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/16/AR2010011601187.html?hpid=topnews

---

So are you ready, my Virginian friends? Ready for an all out assault on a woman's right to choose, on gay people (not just marriage), on the poor and middle class while the rich make out like bandits?

Because from what I can see of McDonnell, he is no "new Republican." And there is no such thing, by the way. There is only the bleakness and the Rushness of what we see from all of them out there now.

All the best to you Virginians. You will need it.

[Grand Taurean]

1. And Chris Christie is no new republican

as Scott Brown (who has much support by the angry left) is no new republican either.

[bigwillq]

2. Hello.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Grand Taurean]

3. Hello.

:hi:

I hope you support Martha Coakley for Senate on Tuesday.

[bigwillq]

4. I don't live in Mass.

But I would vote for her if I did even though I don't think she's the best candidate. I also think she's ran a horrible campaign. Still, I would rather have her than Brown. Good Luck to her.

[FSogol]

5. A very sad day here. n/t

[kayla9170]

8. Sogol.....Don't Feel to Bad....We might be joining you in MI soon....

With a Republican Governor here after our now Democratic Governor Granholm term limited in 2010. Besides my State Representative-Alma Wheeler Smith (who is running for Governor but some So-Called Democrats are upset at her regarding comments made about Governor Granholm when frankly I held my nose both times I voted for Jenny Granholm) and with Lt. Gov. Cherry dropping out of the race....I do not see any Democrat candidate left that can take on or connect with the angry right teabaggers, the pissed off crying failure on the health care bill Democrats and the disconnected unemployed folks in-between. Besides Representative Wheeler-Smith, the only Democrat might could pull this election off is former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer....but I heard he is not interested.

[FSogol]

10. That sucks. n/t

[Faygo Kid]

18. I'm a native Michigander. Love Dennis Archer.

Know him personally. What a class act; he's been forgotten in all the Kwame dustup. But Dennis is 68 now, and entitled to slow down and enjoy his life.

Thanks for the memories. I hope to retire to Traverse City in about seven years, from here in DC. But I can't think of a nicer or classier guy I ever worked with than Dennis Archer.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. I am so sorry. :^(

[shadesofgray]

7. He's a fundie anti-woman freak. I wish I could move to MD.

I'm back to being embarrassed to admit I live in VA.

[FSogol]

9. McDonnell is even against birth control for married adults. n/t

[shadesofgray]

11. I know! He scares the shit out of me.

[niyad]

17. no birth control for married adults? geez, a real 18th century guy. HOW did this cretin get

elected?

I am so glad I was smart enough not to move to VA when I was asked to relocate.

[defendandprotect]

12. Thanks for the comments ... didn't know about O'Donnell as anti-Choice . ..

Well, I guess we have to believe this of Virgina --

but I'm having trouble believing a lot of these elections --!!

[muddrunner17]

13. We have a $4.3 Billion shortfall for the next two years.

Bob McDonnell is going to make it up almost exclusively from cuts in the state budget. This means drastic cuts to public education, public safety, and mental health services. I am a teacher and my school will now have 6 million dollar shortfall. We may have 78 jobs cut and 43 of them could be teachers. The budget isn't done, and we're praying it won't be that bad, but that is what we're expecting. At the same time, he praised the idea of charter schools. That will divert money from underfunded public schools and will leave rural Virginia high and dry, because there won't be a charter schools there. For those of us that have jobs, I am estimating that our take home pay will decrease by at least 3-4% because of reductions in state funding for our retirement and an increase in our healthcare contributions. He wants to get the economy going again, but leaves us in a situation where there will be thousands of teachers left unemployed and more with less income which means they won't be able to spend any money. On top of that, he says this is the wrong time to tax, but with increased state cuts, local taxes will need to be raised. It's how he gets to do it without his fingerprints being on it! It's infuriating!

[Faygo Kid]

14. Great post. All the best to you, and good luck.

You will need it. Because McDonnell is going to govern from Rushland.

[No Elephants]

20. Not defending this turd, but isn't everyone saying it's the wrong time to tax?

[alp227]

15. Sadly, it's really hard to recall elected officials in Virginia

According to the National Council of State Legislatures:

Virginia is not listed as a recall state because its process, while requiring citizen petitions, allows a recall trial rather than an election.

Grounds for recall:

Virginia: neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties when that neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office, or upon conviction of a drug-related misdemeanor or a misdemeanor involving a "hate crime" (§24.2-233)

http://www.ncsl.org/LegislaturesElections/ElectionsCampaigns/RecallofStateOfficials/tabid/16581/Default.aspx

There are 49 other states to live if you feel that McDonnell is being a jerk.

[niyad]

16. just to pick one thing out of that bucket of bs--HOW does one drill offshore in "an environmentally

friendly way"????

[DFW]

19. Drilling off the Virginia coast--there's a horror story for you

I grew up in Virginia. The coastline and the Chesapeake Bay were considered practically sacred natural resources, every bit
as defining of Virginia as the Shenandoah Valley or the many historical sites. We all read "Misty of Chincoteague" in elementary
school. If this clown allows drilling off the coast abd there is a spill, I hereby sentence him (in effigy, anyway) to vacate the
Governor's chair and spend the rest of his days, from dawn to dusk, cleaning it up with his bare hands.

[Festivito]

21. "More money for classrooms" and "lower taxes" BRILLIANT! (to the stupid).

Eco friendly oil drilling, and, less regulation.. RIGHT!

And a plurality of a people bought this.

So stupid, they can't even feel how badly the stupid hurts.