Not Larry Sabato

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Analysis of Marshall-Gate

Guest Post by Not A Radical Centrist

Bob Marshall is a very smart man. That’s what his supporters run around saying anyway. They believed so much in Marshall that they had hopes (read pipe dreams) that the Prince William delegate would win the Republican nomination in 2012 to take on Senator Jim Webb.

No more. Marshall’s statewide aspirations went spiraling down the toilet the moment he suggested disabled children are God’s or Nature’s vengeance for abortions. It’s still shocking to think this “smart” man actually said or inferred that.

But as often is the case in politics, it isn’t so much the crime that unravels a political career as it is the cover up. And Bob Marshall and his team of social crusaders have screwed that up so royally that it makes George Allen’s Macaca Recovery Tour look like a brilliant example of crisis communications. (As an aside, ironically it’s George Allen’s entourage that are enjoying Marshall’s fall more than anyone. Allen’s team viewed Marshall as at least an obstacle to the 2012 nomination).

Back to Marshall.

As the story of his malevolent comments went viral, Marshall had some choices to make. Apologize and let time heal the wounds or mount a defense. Marshall apparently decided there was a middle ground where he could put out a non-apology apology by suggesting that no one who ever knew him would believe he would “intend to communicate” that disabled children are God’s punishment for prior abortions. That’s what Marshall said in his first statement, but that seems to contradict Marshall’s second statement which includes a transcript of what Marshall actually said. This is part of the transcript from Marshall’s website.

“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion who have handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first-born of any, Nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children. In the Old Testament, the first-born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest. …”

That paragraph above quoting Marshall, yeah, that reads to me like Marshall intended to communicate that disabled children are Nature’s punishment for prior abortions, and Christian’s should view that as a special punishment.

The second Marshall statement, much like the first, is highly defensive. “I never made this statement,” Marshall says. After a few more non-apology apologies, Marshall suggests he was trying to make a point when not intending to communicate anything. From his statement “My purpose was to show how authentic medical findings demonstrate that abortion has consequences …”

So, you did intend to communicate that disabled children are punishment for abortions or not?

If the contradictory and defensive public statements coming from Marshall weren’t sloppy enough, for some reason Marshall’s public relations guy--Bob Maistros for those not wanting to repeat Marshall’s mistakes--decided to put Marshall on some sort of media tour. He was on WTOP, FOX 5 News, WMAL, gave an interview to Talking Points Memo and God knows whatever media outlets--the whole time issuing various incoherent defenses for his position and mixed messages

His talking point seems to be “I didn’t say that, but it’s true, just look at this study.”

Does Marshall’s team really think that trying to explain the details of some random VCU study is going to come across well in a 5 minute radio interview or a 20 second sound-bite on Fox 5? I sure hope Bob Maistros knows better than that.

And the most recent development in Marshall’s earned media tour? The delegate went to the House floor to demand a correction from the news outlet that broke the story. I’m sure they’ll jump right on that because Marshall certainly would never intend to communicate that disabled children are a punishment for prior abortions ….

At this point Marshall needs to unequivocally apologize and get this over worth to save what remains of his 2012. But I’m guessing that won’t happen. I think Marshall believes what he said is true and he’s too proud to admit he’s wrong.

And that’s just not smart.

It's Hard To Use Any Word To Describe This...

Except "evil" or "bigot".

Senator Petersen Picks Up Fans On Facebook

He must have made a really good point in the budget debate today...

(Click to enlarge)

REPUBLICAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AIDE SENDS AROUND RACIST PHOTOSHOP- UPDATED

Should I release the name and office of the person sending this filth around?

UPDATE:  After reading your emails, tweets and comments a majority of people have asked this information be released.

The aide in question was Mike Hazelwood- an aide to Delegate Bill Janis.  Prior to his defeat in November, Mike worked for Phil Hamilton.  Given the evidence that criminal activity may have taken place in Hamilton's office, and Janis' decision to then hire Hamilton's chief aide raises serious questions on what is going on in the office of Delegate Janis.  Apparently they are not only corrupt, but enjoy a racist joke every now and then too! 

What Is "New South Investments"?

I've been doing some research and interviews this morning- will update you all soon on what I found out!

Health Care In The House of Delegates

UPDATE:  We are over 1/3 having responded so far!  In addition- we also had our first refusal this morning- Delegate Bill Janis doesn't want to say if he is using the state health insurance program!  Is he against transparency in government spending?

Last week I submitted a request to House Clerk Bruce Jamerson:

Bruce,

Writing today with a quick request. I know Delegates can sign up for health care for themselves and their families once elected. Obviously since the House is a part time position, I assume some of the members do not take advantage of this program because they already have health care through their employers.

What I'd like to see is which Delegates do enroll in health care through your office. Statistics would be nice, but I'd really like to get down into individuals, and whether they sign up for themselves, or their entire families. Would your office be willing to make this information available? I requested this from Beth earlier, and she suggested I email you directly about it.

Thanks in advance,

Ben Tribbett

From that, I received this impressively timed reply given that no one has ever requested this information before:

Dear Mr. Tribbett,

I am in receipt of your request for information concerning health care enrollments by members of the House of Delegates. Please be advised that health care enrollment records relating to specific House members are protected from disclosure as personnel records pursuant to § 2.2-3705.1 (1) and thus will not be released in that form. However, I am attaching aggregiate information, which does not identify individual House members, that is responsive to your request.

Please be further advised that nothing in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) prevents you from contacting House members directly for more specific information.

Thank you for contacting this office.

Bruce F. Jamerson Clerk of the House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth

With that, I began a process Thursday and Friday of calling all 99 offices and requesting information on whether or not the member had enrolled in the state program- and if they had, which one they did.  So far I have received replies from 25 27 36 48 offices and began plugging those names into the statistics that Bruce sent.  Here's what we've got so far:

Single Coverage (6 of 13) Todd Gilbert, Mark Sickles, Charniele Herring, Adam Ebbin, Riley Ingram, Joe Morrissey

Dual Coverage (7 of 25): Jim Shuler, Ken Plum, Jim Scott, Lee Ware, Johnny Joannou, Robin Abbott, Glenn Oder

Family Coverage (15 of 32): Ward Armstrong, Bob Marshall, Scott Garrett, Matt Lohr, Ed Scott, Kaye Kory, Tim Hugo, Dave Albo, David Englin, Jackson Miller, James Edmunds, Manoli Loupassi, Sal Iaquinto, Chris Peace, Albert Pollard

Waived Coverage (20 of 29): Will Morefield, Bill Carrico, Dickie Bell, Tag Greason, Joe May, Barbara Comstock, Mark Keam, David Bulova, Vivian Watts, Scott Surovell, Patrick Hope, Bob Brink, Rich Anderson, Luke Torian, Bobby Orrock, John Cox, Jennifer McClellan, Lionell Spruill, Matthew James, Paula Miller

For any members reading this who are not yet included, please email me (notlarrysabato@hotmail.com) your information ASAP, and I will continue to update this post.  I'll make another round of calls this week and keep doing so until we get all 99 members.

Thank You Dick Saslaw

The Senate forms a new subcommittee to kill "absurd" bills from the House, and the "Mark of the Beast" bill goes there first.

Anita and Math

It gets ugly!

Is Any Republican Going To Condemn Marshall's Comments?