Kaine Order To Shield Gays Called Unlawful

[Judi Lynn]

Kaine Order To Shield Gays Called Unlawful

By Michael D. Shear and Chris L. Jenkins
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, February 25, 2006; Page B06

RICHMOND, Feb. 24 -- Virginia's Republican attorney general said Friday that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) had violated the state constitution by issuing an executive order banning discrimination against gay men and lesbians in the state workforce.

Kaine said he would ignore the six-page advisory opinion from Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R).

"I'm not going to tell my Cabinet secretaries and agency heads that they are now free to discriminate," he said.

In his opinion, requested by a state lawmaker, McDonnell said Kaine's executive order "is beyond the scope of executive authority and, therefore, unconstitutional." In an interview, McDonnell said the governor had usurped the legislature's right to make law.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/24/AR2006022402003.html?nav=rss_metro

[JI7]

1. good for him, some have told me he is a lot more liberal

than he may appear and to the left of Mark Warner. i'm hoping he just ran a campaign appealing to the moderates to win, but will govern more as a liberal.

[SquireJons]

14. Yes and no...

I live in Richmond, VA and have been watching Kaine for a dozen years. Ideologically, he is liberal. His best moments came before he was an elected official, back in the early 90's. But his focus has always been on forging consensus and improving Richmond; now the state.

Having said all that, I don't like the man at all. Ever since he became a city councilman, he seems to have completely lost his ideals and is a vacillating, weak politician. I guarantee right here that Virginia will go back to being a red state after Kaine's term. The pugs are already pushing him around and he has no base, outside of Richmond itself. His political instincts are bad, even if his heart is in the right place. His tenure as Lt. Governor was almost invisible and he got elected exclusively because of the popularity of Warner.

The bottom line is that he is and always has been ineffective, and that's a killer. It's fine to be a liberal citizen, but it's really hard to be a liberal politician, at least around here. We do live in a democracy, where the supposed strength of your argument should win the day. A leader must appeal to more than one part of his base in order to be effective. That is why Warner was so strong. You may not like it, but compromise is everything in american politics. But one can only compromise from a position of strength, a luxury that Kaine does not have. He will be run over by the pug controlled legislature and by the A.G.

If Dem's want to have any say in national politics, they must find and appeal to the middle. That's what Warner(D) did, and Wilder (D), and Baliles (D), and Robb (D) and Dalton (R). It's the key to victory, assuming that's what you want. Unfortunately for Va, folks got tired of the constant infighting between Robb and Wilder and voted in a complete moron (George Allen) over an unpopular Dem A.G., Mary Sue Terry. It has taken 12 years to get back on track and Kaine is likely to take us over the cliff again.

It's all very depressing, and scary, since the national Dem's seem intent on giving Kaine a high profile. When he falls, he will drag the national party down with him. As I said before, being a liberal is fine as an individual, but a leader must first be effective. Kaine has never learned that lesson. You might say, give him a chance, but I've seen him in action, first hand. The man has no game plan; he just reacts, and poorly.

[Charlie Brown]

2. and this is all about "protecting marriage," right?

Republicans are evil.

[JudyM]

13. In this case it's about protecting the populace from "special rights."

For every aspect of eqaulity, they've got a negative spin version to get folks riled up.

[hfojvt]

3. apparently McDonnell has never heard of the

unitary executive. Just wait until 2008.

[xchrom]

5. unitary executive power applies only

to republicans.

it's in the fine print under the section entitled The Clenis.

[HuffleClaw]

4. BWHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAA

oh good lord, how transparent. a REPUBLICAN state AG disagrees with a democrat governor. what an utter crock of bigoted dreck.

[jackpan1260]

6. And this is why I support any dem over any republican

Kaine isn't as progressive as I'd like, any many people here would say he is a "dino," but he is still much, much better than any republican, especially Kilgore.

[LostinVA]

8. Kaine isn't a DINO at all

I don't agree with everything he believes, but I do think he is a good man, a good Christian, and truly believes that everyone has the same rights.

[SquireJons]

19. DINO?

As in Democrat in Name Only? That hardly fits Kaine. He's a Democrat, through and through. But his biggest problem is that he has terrible political instincts. He's a sure bet to push the wrong button.

[LostinVA]

7. The State AG is a major Freeper -- Creigh Deeds came THIS close to

beating him.

[Ignacio Upton]

16. Why weren't we ableto get a recount on that?

Unfortunately I didn't follow the results for VA AG much after the election itself, but I've wondered why McDonnell ultimately got into office. I say Deeds should run for Governor in 2009 after Kaine leaves (and hopefully by then President Warner will campaign for Deeds.)

[Selatius]

9. A Democrat PROPERLY FRAMED THE DEBATE for once!

It is an issue of discrimination. What a person does in the privacy of his or her life is of no damn concern of the government. All else being equal, it should be illegal to discriminate against a person because of sexual orientation.

[Laelth]

10. The Executive has the right to hire ...

... who he wants or direct the hiring or firing of whom he wants within the executive branch. If Kaine had issued an executive order saying that no business in the state could discriminate in its hiring practices, that would be making law and beyond his Constitutional power. But that's not what he did. McDonnell is blowing smoke and violating his duty as a lawyer not to mislead or misrepresent the state of the law. That's grounds for disbarment.

I sincerely hope Kaine sticks to his guns on this one.

-Laelth

[rodeodance]

11. Good for the Gov.

[Toots]

12. Governors can make Regulations and they carry the weight of Law

Regulations also can not be overturned by Legislative action, only by the Commissioner or Director that created or Directs them.

[Robbins]

15. Kaine

Look he may be pro life on Abortion but I admire the fact he Is also against the Death Penalty. I
am 100 percent pro Choice but I respect those who believe against abortion and Executions. Those
who cry about killing the unborn but support executions are hypocrites In my book. And the fact he
Is willing to stand up for the rights of Gays Is good.

[SquireJons]

18. Just look what it did for Clinton.

Not to mention the election of 2004. Right or wrong, standing up for gays anywhere outside of San Francisco or Key West is political suicide. We, as Democrats have got to find a way past this issue, and it's not by 'educating' a population of jusus loving homophobes. Ain't gonna happen in my lifetime, and the pugs know it.

It's sad how easy we are to manipulate.

[Pastiche423]

17. Is this the guy w/the oscillating eyebrows?