The Old Right blog has published a very interesting article asking Ken Cuccinelli to retract his press release on the Islamic Saudi Academy. It is worth a quick read.
Before you go, here are my proverbial two cents thrown in. The Old Right has a point that the teaching of Islamic Law, as harsh as it is, is not itself an incitement just as a bible class teaching that the “civil authority” should stone adulters isn’t. I would think that Ken Cuccinelli, if he were to actually address this silly and ridiculous little issue, would tackle the doctrine of Islam and its false teaching head on instead of trying to hide behind the cover of a federal investigation.
C’mon Ken, we like you. But just come out and say something like, “The Islamic Saudi Academy is teaching hate filled religion to the young minds of our children. Where is the peace that passes all understanding in their doctrine? If they’re teaching X, Y, and Z, then their doctrine is not only unreasonable, but false. I call upon them to stop this unreasonable and false teaching. It is not in the American tradition.”
Keep pandering to the middle Ken and you’ll lose not only your enthusiastic supporters but you’ll lose next year. Instead of focusing on a silly issue with an Islamic school, go after a real fight. How about a press release demanding the end of that boondogle, that juggernaut called the Dulles Rail Corridor Tax Improvement District? How about asking that all the taxpayer dollars be returned to the taxpayers because the whole thing expired? I know you endorsed Frank “I love pork” Wolfe, but can’t you at least talk to him? The Oath calls upon Ken Cuccinelli to throw his support behind:
(1) a meaningful issue such as abolishing the Dulles Rail Corridor; AND,
(2) canceling out the old programs that do violence to both of our Constitutions or cause an unnecessary burden on Virginians.
Senator Cuccinelli is on the record as opposing rail to Dulles.
He repeatedly mentioned this during his re-election. Be a good lawyer, do a little research first, and acknowledge it. While I suppose he may not be as aggressive on this as you would prefer, he does not deserve the ankle-biting comment that he’s pandering to the middle.
Just because Cuccinelli supports Wolf does not mean he supports everything Wolf stands for.
Aggressiveness has nothing to do with it. I don’t think Ken is successfully pandering to the middle on this issue though he thinks he is. The middle wouldn’t be with him on this issue. Here’s how a leftist would respond.
“KC has told the ISA not to exercise a 1st Amendment right because it teaches Islam. We don’t agree with the ISA but we will protect their 1st Amendment right . . . .and this is the man we want for attorney general?” (The left will frame it exactly that way.)
KC should focus everyone on protecting rights instead of telling others not to use them. He’s got to address the “anti” prefixes he will face. If his press release framed it differently, maybe folks wouldn’t have responded the way they did.
Otherwise, the ISA is a petty, ankle-biting issue that won’t get him any votes. It could, in fact, cost him the 100 votes he might need in a close election. Focusing on the Dulles Rail Corridor is an easy issue and that’s my point. (I do know he’s come out against it but he is off message.) There are many easy issues out there but the ISA isn’t one of them.
The real problem is Ken Cuccinelli is not a leader and Virginia does not need an Attorney General like Ken Cuccinelli.
At the Virginia special session, he voted against Jill Vogel’s special interest bill on the first vote. Unfortunately, he slipped out of the room to avoid the second vote after strong bullying from Senator Dick Saslaw. Did it slip his mind that the big developer defendant in the lawsuit pushing this bill contributed to Saslaw’s campaign. Did he not sense the stink factor attached to this bill??? Ken wants to be Attorney General but he doesn’t vote against legislation that will tip the outcome of active litigation. Virginians don’t want an Attorney General that picks when to protect people’s rights and do the right thing or play the pandering game. The AG job is a 24/7 position. He needs to stay in the Senate where it’s easy to pick and choose the right moments to step up and play leader.
It’s funny that he stuck his neck out for Jill Holtzman Vogel and she talked to the Winchester Star following the vote and it comes up that you left the room for the second vote to pass it. She’s from your own party and didn’t even look out for you. Pretty stupid move and you lost my support, Ken.