Comments on: Colbert mocks Va. Senate Republicans for redistricting ambush

By: jjwalker

jjwalker — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:31:25 +0000

To Earl B…”non humans”? Seriously?
And to the Roanoke Times…have you no shame? Where were you when 60 Democrats in the Senate voted in the middle of the night on Obamacare? Where were you when not one single Repub in Congress voted for an act consisting of 3200 pages that was voted upon within 20 hrs by all but 34 Democrats in Congress? Isn’t this the so called “pot calling the kettle black”?
I for one can be consistent. The way Obamacare was voted upon…and the way the Va Republican Senate handled redistricting…should be rejected by the citizens. We can do better.
Your newspaper and the newspaper industry in general is dying a slow death simply because you refuse to be consistent in your opinion regardless of political consequence. Continue using the power of your ink for political purpose. Shameful.

By: Art Hill

Art Hill — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:19:26 +0000

Governor McDonnell now has a chance to secure his legacy as a statesman and trustee of the Virginia Way. Veto this chicanery, Sir, and be done with it.

By: J

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:51:49 +0000

Hey @namewithheld, The 21st, which this year was also MLK day, is Stonewall Jackson’s birthday so that’s why they closed in remembrance on that day. And like I said, Jackson educated and helped slaves so…

By: A Jackson

A Jackson — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:24:11 +0000

Henry Marsh represents me. Monday was a federal holiday and Senator Marsh was honoring the memory of Martin Luther King in Washington DC while attending the swearing-in of our president. This bothers me not! What does bother me is why the VA Senate met on a federal holiday that was also the same day as the swearing-in. This is nothing but dirty politics as they decided to pull this crazy bill out of a hat, and didn’t mind blindsiding not only Senator Marsh but the governor and lt governor as well. If McDonnell has any guts at all, he will veto this bill when comes before him. Everytime VA gets in the news lately it is due to some Republican nonsense!

By: Cold n P

Cold n P — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:10:46 +0000

That’s ok GOP. You reap what you sow.

And then you close out the day with such an act of cowardice by honoring General Jackson. He would be ashamed of your actions this day.

Shame, shame on your sorry representation of Virginia.

By: Stephen from C'burg

Stephen from C'burg — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:27:57 +0000

I guess if I am a Democrat I would like to know why Senator Marsh was in Washington when the state that he was elected to represent had business in Richmond. I’ve commuted between these two cities before on I-95 and it doesn’t take that long to get back and forth. It seems like he took an ill-timed junket, and got caught with his pants down. As a New River Valley resident, the last thing that I want is somebody from Franklin County representing me. I’m thinking about running in the next election; I just haven’t decided if I’m going to have a (D), a (R) or a (FU) after my name on the ballot.

By: KevinL

KevinL — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:11:49 +0000

The Republicans’ move is not politics as usual. Democrats in Virginia and elsewhere have gerrymandered districts to their advantage. However, redistricting by convention (and, by law in Virginia) has only been done once a decade in response to new census information. Republicans, such as those in Virginia now and in Texas a few years ago, are the ones who are deciding to redistrict whenever it suits their purposes.

It’s part of a general Republican trend to violate and ignore all of the unwritten and informal “rules” of politics, which in the past at least offered some semblance of comity and the ability to work together, in the name of unyielding partisan advantage.

By: jack mcguire

jack mcguire — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:08:29 +0000

Actually MLK day WAS originally Lee Jackson day. It was moved for the same reason MLK day even exists. The never ending appeasement of blacks. A bottomless pit that will never be satisfied.This is this south. Those that don’t like it know the way back up north.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:58:50 +0000

No kidding, June. It seems that whenever Virginia makes the national news it’s for something fail. The Democrats need to make it clear to McDonnell that if he wants anything at all to happen during his last year in office, he needs to not sign that crap.

Leave it to the GOP to use a day honoring a black man to screw over the state.

By: Name Withheld

Name Withheld — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:39:17 +0000

#2 Would you choose Veteran’s Day to adjourn in celebration of Elder John Kline? Would you adjourn on Lee-Jackson Day in celebration of the ca. 50,000 Virginians who fought for the Union?