Nice, But Wrong

If you look at the Republicans who remain of power and influence in Virginia, there is a recurring persona. These officials are nice, but wrong.

Over the past eight years or so, Virginia has done an excellent job of removing Republican officials who were ignorant, or mean or incompetent. The Republicans who remain in office in Virginia are generally personable, even friendly. Of course, they're still voting and acting against the best interests of the people. But hey, they're nice about it.

I can think of three prime examples of the "nice, but wrong" Republicans in Virginia:

• Frank Wolf - Representative VA-10 - Frank Wolf is the epitome of the "nice, but wrong" Republican. He comes across as a kindly grandfather, and is always around for a photo op with babies and hardworking families. Of course, that did not prevent him from enabling the Bush administration's assault on the middle class for eight years. Nor did it help his constituents when they were blindsided by the near-cancellation of Rail-to-"Dulles." It seems that these-days, the only qualification that Frank Wolf has for office is that he is "nice."


• Eric Cantor - Representative VA-07 - Eric Cantor is the "fresh, young face" of the Republicans in Congress. He is also the architect of their strategy to blockade the agenda that America has voted for twice in three years. He certainly seems "nice." Indeed, he is probably the image of the good grandson to many voters. Of course, he has stood in the way of helping out grandparents everywhere with his opposition to reasonable health care reform, and his opposition to President Obama's tax cut for the middle class. He is the man who smiles while sticking the knife in the back of working families. The smile does not make it any better.


• Bob McDonnell - Attorney General of Virginia - The Republican presumptive nominee for Governor has a highly-polished ability to seem friendly and reasonable. But the real Bob McDonnell is someone very different. He is a doctrinare conservative, deeply affiliated with the most reactionary wing of the Republican party. He does not want the working people of Virginia to do better, or even have better options. He wants them to stay in their place, where they belong. But he will smile and shake their hand. He certainly seems nice.

So this is our new challenge. How do we take on Republicans who make themselves seem nice and reasonable to their constituents, even while voting - consistently! - to reduce opportunities, gut aid and generally do a disservice to the interests of those constituents?

The best answer is to reveal their records, and never let a week go by without reminding the public that someone can be nice, but very, very wrong. Our future depends on our officials doing right by us, serving our needs and interests, not on whether they are "nice."

In closing, I will reprise something I said a year ago:

But being a nice man is not a sufficient reason to give someone your vote! Being a nice person is what you want in your friends and neighbors. But a Congressperson is supposed to be our advocate, our representative, the one who defends our liberties and promotes our interests. - Leesburg Tomorrow, April 6, 2008

And the same is true of our Governors. Think before you vote.