Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Something quite basic and very important has been lost in the haze of rhetoric launched in the races for Virginia’s statewide offices; namely, the fact that those elected to the positions have duties made incumbent on them when they are elected and that they are required to faithfully discharge those duties.

The governor’s seat in Virginia is not a throne. The person elected to that position is assuming the requirement to implement and uphold the laws passed by the residents of the commonwealth of Virginia through their representation in the General Assembly. They are bound to do so even when they personally do not approve of those laws. If you are a fellow Virginian who cares about this, join me in voting for Ken Cuccinelli for governor.

Just listen to Democratic hopeful Terry McAuliffe and his running mates, and you’ll hear how they would refuse to enact or support this or that law. Mr. McAuliffe isn’t even elected yet and already he’s threatening to force a shutdown of Virginia’s government if the General Assembly doesn’t expand Medicare and fully enact Obamacare. This in spite of the opposition of most of Virginia to the law, as demonstrated in the state’s choices of representation. The Democratic candidate for attorney general, Mark Herring, is indicating that he would refuse to defend Virginia’s Constitution, a pre-emptive violation of the oath he would take on election.

As a strong supporter of gun rights, Mr. Cuccinelli had the opportunity to press his personal agenda in 2010 when George Mason University sought the attorney general’s opinion on the legality of their gun ban on campus. Many of Mr. Cuccinelli’s supporters were surprised and frankly angered when he issued an opinion that the university regulation was consistent with the Virginia Constitution. Given the chance to advance his political agenda, Mr. Cuccinelli instead demonstrated that he was a faithful public servant. That’s integrity.

I urge my fellow Virginians to ask themselves whether having public officials who will abide by our laws is important to them. I would ask that they consider the demonstrated adherence to the laws by Mr. Cuccinelli and the full-throated promise, made by his opponent, to violate the oath of office.

RIC JAMES

Sterling, Va.

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