McDonnell: Junior flunky created policy on voting rights
Bob McDonnell / AP
It’s getting more and more weird over there in Richmond.
Not long after Gov. Bob McDonnell admitted forgetting the significance slavery had to the Civil War, word comes from his administration that a junior flunky had instituted a policy regarding the constitutional right to vote.
Until January, many Virginia felons could have their voting rights restored by filling out a simple form.
Under McDonnell, the policy changed to this: the felon had to write an essay detailing how he/she has turned his life around and therefore deserved to have his/her voting rights restored.
I was going to have some fun with this one.
I was going to draft a form letter for those felons to copy in their own handwriting, filling in the blanks with different offenses and good deeds to demonstrate their worthiness to vote — and promising always to vote Republican, of course.
But those infernal brains in the governor’s office headed me off at the pass, so to speak.
They withdrew the new policy (darn it!) and blamed it all on an unnamed staffer who was acting without the proper authority.
Who was this? And what other policies have they made that we don’t know about yet?
April 14, 2010 - 11:09 AM
Bobby sure is one competent governor, isn’t he? And there are people who have mentioned him as presidential material? Good lord, one of his “staffers” would probably “accidentally” nuke someone.
Here’s a good column about his pitiful first 100 days. It explains how Bobby in fact deserves credit for not meddling or fighting with the governor’s office when he was AG, but now he’s bending over backwards for part of his rabid right base, causing the commonwealth embarrassment. This column ran on the always conservative RT-D opinion page.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/op_ed/article/ED-SIGNER13_20100412-174204/336742/
The sad thing is that there was a real moneymaking opportunity here — ghostwriting essays for felons.
(Date)
Yo, Governor Bobby,
“I got released from (fill in name of prison here) back in (fill in the release date here).
I truly am sorry for the (fill in the correct nonviolent felony here) I committed. I am a new (fill in “man” or “woman” here depending on your sex).
Since my release, I have (make a list of all the good deeds you’ve performed, such as helping old ladies across the street, writing letters to the editor in support of Confederate History Month and all the volunteer services you have performed, such as working in a soup kitchen, hospital, picking up litter, so long as they are volunteer activities).
So as you can see, I deserve the right to vote once again.
I want to reregister to vote, Gov. Bobby, but I need your approval.
If you give it I promise to vote Republican in all elections in the future.
Sincerely,
(Write your name)
I fear that we are quickly becoming the this year’s South Carolina.
#3 Dan, you forgot the part about attending church regularly.
I’m pretty sure the staffer’s name is “Goat, S. Cape”.
Real Money Making Opportunity???? Your trying to pitch a product to prison inmates… ! EPIC FAIL!
Restoration of voting rights… I find it quite ironic that Mr. Casey is all about making it easier for convicted felons to regain the right to vote. If this issue concerned restoration of gun ownership rights, I’m sure he would not only hold the opposite opinion, but would be outraged at the very idea, and deluge us with more “blood in the streets” terror.
It would seem Mr. Casey believes some rights are more sacred than others… or perhaps he just knows that convicted felons are more likely to vote in accordance with his own personal politics.
Nice hatchet job.
Move to Jersey you hack.
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/mcdonnell-says-critics-his-felons-rights-restoration-plan-are-wrong
We fought an entire war over taxation without representation. If former felons are going to be denied the right to vote, they should also be exempt from paying taxes.
#7 Prison inmates can’t petition to get their rights back and they can’t do it as soon as they get out, either. The ones who actually petition are the ones who are most likely to actually be working and earning money. So wrong, Walker, this wouldn’t be pitched to prison inmates.
EPIC FAIL on your comprehension skills.
#4
Mike Scott: “I fear that we are quickly becoming the this year’s South Carolina.”
Judging by comments 7, 8, and 9, I fear that we already are this year’s South Carolina.
you think the comments are bad, check out #9′s website and ideas about separating from the USA.
It’s ROFL-tastic.
“A pro-Southron, pro-liberty source for Virginia’s native sons and
daughters, and seekers of truth throughout Dixie and the world.”
Where, o where, are our spell-checkers in chief?
From the article posted by Confederate Son:
“There’s no essay,” McDonnell said. “We’ve asked for just a simple statement of what the person has done in order to be reintegrated into society, a little bit about the crime, what they’ve done to get back into society – any community activities.”
I think Dan’s form letter would do the job!
Kristen, #14. I noticed that misspelling also and thought maybe it was intentional. Could it be some type of code that only certain people understand? Maybe it’s a select club that only Southern men named Ron can join. Although, maybe they’re progressive and allow women named Veronica to join also. (Of course only if their nickname is Ronnie, and they’re willing to shorten it even further to Ron). Oh, well. I guess I should give my momma a call and thank her for not naming me Veronica- think of the choices she saved me from having to make.
Good point Mag…maybe it’s code.
The dog barks at midnight.
Please kindly point out which word is misspelled.
If you are referring to “southron” that is not a misspelling and, among those of us actually FROM the South who honour and cherish our heritage rather than act ashamed of it like the yankee interlopers and Lincoln worshipers would prefer, it is a word commonly and widely used to describe descendants and citizens of our occupied, sovereign nation.
One thing this blog ain’t is boring.
Convicted felons are more likely to vote in accordance with their own personal politics.
How about this…
Execute 30 deathrow inmates every 60 days per 50 states for 1 year.
I betcha violent crimes will diminish by 90%.
CS…Magpie and I were correct…it’s double super secret “Southron” code.
Be happy the Yankee invaders brought some spelling with them.
Amateur…too bad there’s little to no reason to believe that those on death row are actually guilty of anything. Otherwise your idea might have some merit, if I weren’t 100% anti DP anyway.
Do felons generally put their criminal activities to a vote first?
I’m sure you feel ultra-superior for “figuring” out our “double-secret” code word for honourable and respectable.
Now, kindly emigrate to Jersey where you belong. Take Danny boy with you.