Virginia Tomorrow

1. Arizona East

If there was any doubt about how the Virginia GOP feels about the Arizona immigration law, it was erased this week. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli noted that Virginia law enforcement officials could inquire about immigration status for individuals suspected of committing a crime. Governor McDonnell disclosed that he has been asking federal officials to deputize Virginia State Police so they would have the power to enforce federal law. And Corey Stewart’s Rule of Law PAC is gaining national attention. The issue will be front and center in the 2011 legislative session.

2. Marshall in the Middle

Has anyone noticed just how often Bob Marshall shows up right in the middle of all the recent hot button controversies? Marshall was first to the Virginia post in calling the health care bill unconstitutional. He was the first to ask for Michael Mann’s emails at UVA.  And his requests for AG opinions and a gubernatorial executive order are referenced in the major stories about immigration. Want to know what’ll be in the headlines next week?  Just find out what Bob is asking the AG to opine upon.

3. Whiskey Business

Is becoming a defining battle of the McDonnell administration this year. The Governor has been making his case in town halls around the state. And the administration avers that the Democrats’ main objection- that privatization will result in a hit to the general fund- simply won’t materialize. I’m not quite sure why the Democrats have picked this issue to throw down the gauntlet- is state control of liquor sales really a Democratic issue?- but ABC privatization is becoming a far more partisan matter that it has been in its previous iterations.

4. Cuccinelli Goes National

Judge Henry Hudson’s decision to let Virginia’s health care suit get a full hearing catapulted Ken Cuccinelli to national prominence. Roz Helderman at the Post and others observed this week that Cuccinelli has become Fox’s go-to Attorney General. I’m not that surprised because he could not have been more explicit during the 2009 campaign that federal “overreach” would be a prime target of his administration. What I’ve only recently come to understand (though I probably should have recognized it sooner) is that Cuccinelli has the potential for developing a fund raising base that goes well beyond the usual donors to Virginia political campaigns- conservatives who  applaud what they consider his defense of constitutional principles in the face of a federal government running roughshod. It’s a new role in American politics: the 10th Amendment Hero.

5. Doug Who?

I think that this was the response that a Democratic delegate proffered when Doug Wilder refused to endorse Creigh Deeds in the 2009 gubernatorial race. My guess is that Vice-President Joe Biden isn’t asking Doug Who but was none too happy when the former Governor penned an op-ed in Politico calling for Biden’s replacement on the Democratic ticket in 2012 by Hillary Clinton. Wilder’s piece struck a nerve, especially with those Democrats who believe that Obama will have to shake things up if he stands to get re-elected in ‘12. By the end of the week, Washington was talking about a possible trade 2 years from now- Clinton to V-P nominee and Biden obtaining his long-standing wish to become Secretary of State.

6. Richmond’s Remarkable Dentists

I’ve been meaning to give a shout out to all the medical personnel who went to Southwest Virginia to provide free medical care at a Remote Area Clinic last week. It is an extraordinary event that services thousands of Virginians (though the fact that it has to happen in order for people to access care is not that encouraging). Over the years, a number of Richmond area dentists and the Richmond Dental Society have led efforts to organize care and to recruit dentists and dental assistants to participate. I’ve had the good fortune to know many of these individuals and I’m continually impressed by their dedication to providing care for people who simply wouldn’t get it otherwise.