Spend a Lot of Time On Free Republic
Eating Like a Bird? (Twice Your Weight Each Day)
Give Back a Little and Donate
Sponsoring FReepers will contribute $10
Each time a new monthly donor signs up
Posted on 01/01/2012 7:11:25 PM PST by EDINVA
Email from Ken Cuccinelli, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia.
January 1, 2012
Dear Friends and Fellow Virginians,
As many of you read yesterday in the news (link here for the story) I was considering supporting an effort to change the rules to allow the full range of presidential candidates on Virginia's ballot on March 6th.
I obviously feel very strongly that Virginia needs to change its ballot access requirements for our statewide elections. However, after working through different scenarios with Republican and Democratic leaders to attempt to make changes in time for the 2012 Presidential election, my concern grows that we cannot find a way to make such changes fair to the Romney and Paul campaigns that qualified even with Virginia's burdensome system. A further critical factor that I must consider is that changing the rules midstream is inconsistent with respecting and preserving the rule of law - something I am particularly sensitive to as Virginia's attorney general.
My intentions have never focused on which candidates would be benefited or harmed, rather I have focused on what is best for Virginia's citizens, as hundreds of thousands of Virginians who should have been able to make their choices among the full field of presidential primary contenders have had their number of choices reduced significantly.
My primary responsibility is to the people of Virginia, and how best to fulfill that responsibility in these particular circumstances has been a very difficult question for me. I believe consistency on the part of public officials is an important attribute. And I believe that Virginians are best served by an attorney general who consistently supports the rule of law. That leads to my conclusion that while I will vigorously support efforts to reduce the hurdles to ballot access in Virginia for all candidates, I will not support efforts to apply such changes to the 2012 Presidential election.
I do not change position on issues of public policy often or lightly. But when convinced that my position is wrong, I think it necessary to concede as much and adjust accordingly.
Sincerely,
Ken Cuccinelli II Attorney General of Virginia
It’s a shame that you don’t get a choice of all the candidates.
Regardless of the blame, VA GOP or the candidates, it seems to me that the people of VA are being cheated. I don’t see why the GOP couldn’t go ahead and hold an emergency meeting to discuss lifting the rules for this election.
If I were a conservative in VA I would be really PO’d right now.
I agree. I don’t fault the VA GOP for following the law (maybe they didn’t in past primaries, but that’s not relevant in the context of this primary, IMO), although I think they should have verified Romney’s signatures.
I have no problem with Virginia’s 10k/400 requirement for the general election; however, for primaries I think that the legislature should consider relaxing it a bit, say 5k/200. Primaries are supposed to be about more choices, not fewer.
I agree with Ken Cuccinelli...we do need ballot changes in the future to make it where more than 2 of 7 candidates can qualify.
What really happened but you must listen to Mark Levin.
I know you want to believe in The Repbublican Party of Virginia but please listen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.