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Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews Thursday night to discuss the proposed Repeal Amendment (see Norfolk Virginian-Pilot), a mechanism that would allow two-thirds of the states to nullify a federal law or regulation (see Speaker Bill Howell’s op-ed at Cato.org). Because A) he utterly disassembled Matthews, as he did Eliot “Client Number 9″ Spitzer a couple of weeks ago on CNN, and B) because no one watches MSNBC, we thought we’d post the video for your entertainment.

These things often are painful to watch. The liberal, in this case Matthews, either cannot grasp the issues and/or ignores them and makes, as the Attorney General accurately states, “assumptions” to suit his argument. In other words, the old leftist tactic of putting his negative words in your mouth and trying to force you to defend the absurd proposition. In this case, Matthews continue to ram the proposition that anyone who favors the repeal amendment was appealing to Johnny Reb and the redneck South. Nevermind that the U.S. Constitution was created by the states for the states, not to cede every element of life to a small band of federal government bureaucrats.

Never fear. Attorney General Cuccinelli would have nothing of it and, in the process, took apart and exposed the visibly disgusted Matthews — who plainly indicated his elitist belief that only Washington, D.C., can make good decisions — and revealed him as both of the above: clueless and a demagogue.

Update: The AG is saying tonight that the federal court ruling on the constitutionality of Obamacare will be issued Monday. Stay tuned. If he has a news conference, we will be there to cover it.

Enjoy the video (9:05):

A little knowledge is dangerous, Chris. Perhaps a little preparation next time? Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli takes apart elitist Chris Matthews. 

No wonder the liberal politicians who control the House, Senate and presidency think the economy is flying: Their immediate surroundings are, in fact, humming. There is no recession in Washington, D.C., and when you stay insulated inside the beltway, and all you see is fat cats living it up from from $3.5 trillion in government spending, no wonder President Obama and Vice President Biden call this the :summer of recovery.”

Andrew Little, a Richmond investment banker with John B. Levy & Co. recently wrote in a Richmond Times-Dispatch column that the real estate market, which burst and led to the recession and remains in the tank around the country, is booming in Washington.

As one lender put it, “the closer you are to the printing press, the better chance you’ll have of getting some business.”

Another lender unfortunately described just how exclusive the area is that is attracting capital: “We are focused on Washington, D.C., but only inside the Beltway.”

A recent sale of the Evening Star Building at 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington fetched a mind-boggling $790 a square foot, and there is talk that other buildings currently on the market will surpass $900 a square foot.

These numbers indicate a strong desire for investors to put their money into real estate again. But if “frenzied” describes Washington and four other markets, “frail” is more apt for virtually everywhere else.

He adds that interest rates in D.C. are lower than most markets (thus the “printing press” comment). He then notes a Memphis, Tenn., apartment building that sold for a minuscule $2.1 million after costs, or less than $2,500 per unit, even though the average price per unit nationally last year was $72,306. The lender eventually lost $37.3 million on the project. Since this doesn’t qualify for pocket change in Washington, we doubt few in the leadership are raising a red flag of concern. But why should they? Not only is real estate booming in D.C., so, too, are salaries (see CNSNews.com).

According to a CBS News report yesterday:

Federal salaries have grown 33 percent faster than inflation. Their pay and benefits averaged $123,049 in 2009, up 36.9 percent since 2000. Private workers averaged $61,051, up just 8.8 percent during the same time.

Even when factoring out education and experience (federal workers have more of each), The Heritage Foundation’s James Sherk found that federal employees get paid 22 percent more per hour on average than private-sector workers. The facts get worse. Conn Carroll of Heritage’s The Foundry blog cites the Wall Street Journal’s findings that personal incomes fell nationally last year except in markets with heavy concentrations of federal employees, as well as a USA Today report that federal salaries average double private sector wages.

Not only that, but Heritage research shows that while private sector jobs have decreased by 6.8 percent since December 2007, federal government jobs have grown 10 percent. Government work at all levels have added 64,000 new jobs in that period while the private sector has lost 7.8 million jobs. I could go on. For example, President Obama is pushing for a 1.4 percent raise for 2 million federal workers who also qualify for seniority raises, not to mention his most recent bailout, this one for the teachers union and rising pay and benefits for local and state employees.

So, the more people suffer, the less Washington liberals know what to do. They seem to care even less. From what they see, all is good.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: school choice is coming to Virginia. The questions that remain are “When?” and “How?” There is no “if.”

In fact, it’s not just The Family Foundation (and the public via polls) in support of school choice. It’s the mainstream media and Hollywood!

Last Sunday, CBS’ 60 Minutes aired a piece on the SEED school in Washington, D.C. SEED, an urban public boarding school similar to charter school initiatives, first opened its doors in 1998. It immediately gave inner city students a chance at educational success that they normally would never think to dream. In a community that normally graduates only 33 percent of its high school students, 97 percent of SEED graduates are accepted into college. Due to its overwhelming success, SEED began another school in Maryland and is working with Ohio and New Jersey to begin schools in those states.

 Sewing SEEDs of education and opportunity: 60 Minutes spotlights a success government-run schools couldn’t replicate with all the tax payer money in the world.

In fact, SEED has been so undeniably successfully, it has been heralded by the Obama administration as a “true success story.” Even another notoriously liberal institution — Hollywood, of all places — has noticed: The directors of Al Gore’s climate change conspiracy film, An Inconvenient Truth, have produced a documentary entitled Waiting for Superman (see Variety review) in which an underprivileged student hopes to win a drawing for a slot at SEED in order to get the opportunity for academic success — and a change in life. Waiting for Superman received the Audience Award for Best U.S. Documentary in this year’s Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters this fall. See the trailer below:

A Washington, D.C. student waits for Superman. Virginians still wait for even modest education choice.

As SEED clearly demonstrates, contrary to testimony and liberal senators’ reactions in the Senate Finance Committee this past General Assembly (if you haven’t yet, you must see this, click here), the benefits of school choice cross racial, socio-economic and political party lines. School choice is the obvious solution for many families. Why has Virginia waited so long to adopt this common sense approach?

This past session, Delegate Jimmie Massie (R-72, Henrico) introduced a bill (HB 599) that would have created a tax credit for businesses and individuals that donate to scholarship funds for children attending K-12. Carefully designed to be fiscally neutral to the Virginia and fiscally positive to localities, this bill would have created a way out of failing schools for low-income families. In partnership with Delegate Massie, The Family Foundation will work this summer to build an even broader coalition of support for school choice initiatives and will once again push for educational freedom next session.

The 60 Minutes segment and Waiting For Superman prove an undeniable truth about human nature: The young naturally are curious and want to learn. Unfortunately, there’s a counterbalancing truth as well: Government wants to control and, to that end, provides obstacles to freedom — and its people suffer.

Remember in the fall when President Obama came to Fairfax to campaign for the failed statewide Democrat ticket? He basically told everyone who disagreed with him to “shutup.” Funny how things turn around. The public is disagreeing with him now, and very loudly, saying “No!” to his scheme of a government takeover of our health care system. Now, he’s coming back to Fairfax — tomorrow. Just in time for us to disagree with him, again — and hopefully with the same degree of success he had the last time.

This just in from our friends at Americans For Prosperity and its Virginia director, Ben Marchi:

President Obama will speak in Fairfax tomorrow (Friday) at at George Mason University’s Patriot Center — get directions here. Doors open at 9:00 a.m.

The White House says, “There are no tickets needed for this event, just show up.” So we’re going to. If you want to get inside for the rally, you will likely need to get there early and stand in line. If you want to bring signs to send your message outside the arena, be aware that if you want to go inside afterwards, “no signs or banners are permitted, and those who come are encouraged to limit personal items and not bring bags or purses,” according to the White House Web site.

Then on Saturday, tea party groups from across the nation are coming together to send a resounding “KILL THE BILL” to Capitol Hill. Let’s join them and say “Hands Off My Health Care”!

Saturday at Noon in Upper Senate Park — AFP President Tim Phillips will be speaking along with others. If you can get there earlier, some tea party groups will be rallying starting at 10 a.m. on the East Lawn of the Capitol. For a Capitol Hill map, click here.

Please note: If you’re driving into Washington, D.C., on Saturday, take note of road closures due to the National Marathon. A list of closures and when roads will re-open is available here.

This is crunch time! Look forward to seeing you there!

Ben Marchi

State Director