CUCCINELLI'S BIG COCK PROBLEM

Janet Oleszek is playing the "cockfighting" card on Ken Cuccinelli in the last week.  I don't think this is the issue on people's minds day to day, but it is certainly an interesting and emotional one. 

Does Cuccinelli have a cock problem or is this issue just going to shoot over most voters heads? 

What do you think?

Comments

[Dan Geroe]

Most...disturbing...post title...ever.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Here's what Ken said about it in his Compass:

"Dear Fellow Republican:

Well, the cockfighting bill has reared its chicken head at the last moment of our election. The Humane Society has taken out ads in local papers complaining about my vote against the cockfighting bill last session. You can see the ad by clicking here. Highly unusual, to say the least. Well, I suppose the liberals stick together…

This is both serious and funny at the same time. I mean, we are talking about chickens after all.

Note that the Humane Society didn’t have any complaint whatsoever about the gambling element of the offense. All they cared about was making chicken fighting a felony.

Why Vote No on the Cockfighting Bill?

Two things about the current law to keep in mind: 1) cockfighting with gambling is already a crime punished as a class 3 misdemeanor. This is what Sen. Reynolds’ bill was addressed to. 2) Cruelty to animals is already a class 1 misdemeanor (including cruelty to chickens) (§ 3.1-796.122).

Some quick criminal justice background for you: There are four classes of misdemeanors, 1-4. Class 4 misdemeanors have a maximum penalty of $250, class 3 have a maximum penalty of $500, class 2 have a maximum penalty of 6 months in jail and $1,000 fine, and class 1 have a maximum penalty of 1 year in jail and $2,500 fine.

The lowest level felony is a class 6 felony. SB 1190 was put in by Sen. Roscoe Reynolds. It called for changing the penalty for cockfighting with gambling from a class 3 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony. Quite a jump! Mind you, I am no fan of criminal cockfighting, but spending $25,000 a year to put a chicken fighter in jail didn’t make sense to me.

Another side note: it costs roughly $25,000 per year to keep someone in prison, and about 70% of our prison beds are occupied by violent criminals (i.e., they were violent toward another human, not a chicken).

I would have supported changing the penalty from a class 3 misdemeanor to a class 2 misdemeanor so jail time would be available, but I try hard to make criminal justice decisions based on the WHOLE criminal justice system. Maybe you are asking, what do you mean by that Cuccinelli?

Well, let me tell you about some things that are class 1 misdemeanors, so you get an idea of what I am talking about…

Assault or Battery by Mob

Recruitment into a known criminal street gang (e.g., MS-13)

Kidnapping by a parent

Hazing of youth gang members

Reckless handling of a firearm so as to endanger life, limb or property

Assault and Battery

Assault and Battery against a household member (i.e., domestic violence)

Threat to kill or harm school personnel while on school property

Stalking, wherein the victim is put in reasonable fear of death or bodily injury

Sexual Battery

Infected sexual battery

Now, let me ask all of you, do you think that fighting chickens (remember now, they’re NOT HUMANS) is worse than domestic violence? Do you think it’s worse than infected sexual battery? Parental kidnapping? Assault and battery by mob? I do not.

Cockfighting does not warrant being treated as a worse offense than class 1 misdemeanors like these. Remember, when the bill was introduced, Sen. Reynolds wanted to make cockfighting a felony – much worse than a misdemeanor.

Senator Hanger proposed an amendment to the bill to reduce the charge from a felony to a class 1 misdemeanor. I supported the amendment to make the bill less bad. Not good, just less bad. That amendment passed by only 20-19!

At that point, I was sitting on the floor of the Senate saying to myself, ‘20-19? You have got to be kidding me!’

After the bill was amended down to a class 1 misdemeanor, the next question for me was, ‘is cockfighting just as bad as other class 1 misdemeanors like domestic violence, parental kidnapping, infected sexual battery, ‘regular’ sexual battery, assault and battery?’

Do you know anyone that’s been the victim of sexual battery? I do. It can have a profound and devastating effect on the victim and their family. Domestic violence can wreak similar devastation. And the list goes on…

How about fighting chickens? IMHO, it’s just not on the same level as other class 1 misdemeanors. Again, I don’t support fighting dogs, chickens, or animals of any kind for sport, for gambling, or for any other reason or no reason at all. I recognize that we need to address cruelty to animals as a criminal offense (as we already do).

I even support making cockfighting a jailable offense, i.e., a class 2 misdemeanor.

But we have to keep it in perspective. PEOPLE are more important than animals. Period. And we need to save and spend our precious tax dollars wisely.

I do not think it makes sense to spend $25,000 a year to put a chicken fighter in prison, when that money could be used addressing – or jailing – parental kidnappers, criminals that sexually abuse other human beings, those that commit assault and battery, etc.

THAT is why I voted against SB 1190 in its final form, because it put crimes against chickens on a par with crimes against human beings in our criminal justice system, and I do NOT support such a change.

I guess you could say that I’m “pro-people.” Of course, I do like a good drumstick…"

[charles]

It would be so easy to just go along. It's nice to see someone who thinks that beating up your wife is a more serious crime than putting two chickens together to watch them fight.

Does Janet think people who participate in cock-fighting are worse criminals than those who kidnap children from their custodial parents?

[Greg L]

How is a big cock a problem, pray tell?

[Not Frank Hargrove]

Is it OK to play with one's cock as long as no violence occurs?

[Doug]

NFH- the problem occurs when two cocks are involved, not just one. The Republicans would normally want to pass all sorts of laws that keep two cocks apart, while secretly tapping out codes, donning wet suits or lingerie, and paying young, nubile "consultants" to stage cock fights in hotel rooms, mens rooms, wherever they think they can get away with it.

Ken's stance is odd, in that regard, to say the least. And it is ok to play with one's cock, but, remember, if you do it too often it can make it less special.

[Doug]

Ben- the way the flier plays it, shouldn't the title be Ken's Small Cock Problem?

Support for cock fighting, protecting gun rights even in public schools etc....Just another window into his flawed and rabid right character.

[TC]

Oh, come now. It's not a big problem. I'd say it's just a little cock problem.

[Alex P. Keaton]

Maybe Janet's entire campaign of attack Ken is really penis envy...

[Saidmypiece]

The Humane Society placed the ad in local papers. People respect the Humane Society (unlike PETA).

Ken's smart-ass intro to his compass piece shows what he really thinks.

And remember, the committee on which he sits turned down a dog-fighting protection provision too -- a simple requirement for vets to report suspected dog-fighting wounds. Ken has clout -- if he cared about animals he could have turned it around.

[Va Blogger]

This is like Jerry Kilgore's death penalty issue. People may have an opinion about it, but its not going to convince anyone to vote for or against someone.

[I.Publius]

Anon 7:18 proves that Janet's supporters understand issues about as well as she does.

[TC]

You don't give people enough credit. Many people have much stronger opinions about cruelty to animals than to humans, regardless of what Ken thinks.

[Doug]

Saidmypiece- in all seriousness, good point. I doubt many people understand the difference in debate and position between Animal Welfare Activitists and Animal Rights Activists. The former wants humane treatment, but generally finds food animals tasty. The latter wants no capitivity in any situation at any time for any reason.

I have to explain that to friends and relatives often. We only want humane treatment of animals and not wanton brutalization like dog or cock fighting. I have no problem with hunting and fishing in a respectful manner- quite the contrary to being wantonly brutal, hunting is very necessary and very humane in Virginia.

[TC]

My post at 8:32 was in reply to VA Blogger at 8:28

This isn't complicated. Cruelty and barbarism to animals OR humans should be unacceptable in a civilized society. What part of that doesn't Cooch understand?

[Doug]

Well 8:35- to give him credit, the line of what one person calls cruel and what another person does isn't always the same. Much of it comes from how you are raised and what others find acceptable. I think in our current culture, raising any animals to fight one another is clearly cruel, but that hasn't always been the case. And Ken's mixing of enjoying meat as a food source with raising animals to fight one another is pretty cloddish and clouds talking about the actual issue.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

I'm not going near the title of this post. Ben, really!

Cooch's problems with shady real estate deals and unpaid grantor's taxes on his transactions is a FAR bigger problem than this.

The perspectives on our public dialogues are so messed up sometimes.

I saw 3 Oleszek commercials on network this AM during the Today Show, and only 1 Cooch ad.

I also saw a Schultz ad twice during the Today Show, and one Vogel ad.

Interesting races.

[NotNotJayHughes]

Ben:

It’s good to know that you’ve got your eye on the ball with regard to this issue. Striking the balance between prioritizing human life and preventing animal cruelty is definitely hard. Janet should just come clean and admit she’s throwing a big bone to her huge animal rights activist supporters. Janet’s working it hard so some people will get jacked up in the short term, but come election day, I think Cooch’s big cock problem will probably just blow over.

[Arlington Hostage]

Methinks what we are seeing in this race - and others - is something relatively new in GA races. Campaigns with too much money to spend, and having trouble figuring out what to spend it on.

[Amazed]

I worked as a Delegate's LA when this cockfighting bill was tied to the now infamous dogfighting bill a few years ago. We were stunned at the turnout of cockfighters who came to the General Assembly, and ultimately it was stripped from the bill. Who knew so many people did this?

NotNotJayHughes: Have you ever had an animal you loved? If not, maybe that explains your callous views towards animals. Of course, Republicans are callous towards people, so why would we expect them to show any compassion for animals?

[!]

Since when is having a big cock a problem?

[David]

Cooch's dismissive, light-hearted attitude about this issue says a lot about him as a person, but even more importantly it demonstrates his lack of knowledge. Abuse of animals is an extremely strong predictor of abuse of other humans.

His "it's just a chicken," or "it's just a dog" ethos no longer has a place here. Scary, and perfectly consistent with his other outdated views.