Two Democratic predecessors defend Ken Cuccinelli

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
Font Size:

Bipartisanship and civility might be passé, but not in the Commonwealth of Virginia. On two separate occasions, when Republican Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) Ken Cuccinelli came under attack, it has been former Democratic Attorneys General who publicly came to his defense.

In response to a suggestion that Cuccinelli had played politics in regards to women’s health issues, an unlikely allie emerged to say he acted appropriately. “Even though I’m not of the same party as he,” said Anthony F. Troy, a Democrat who served as Virginia’s attorney general in the 1970s, “I don’t think unfair shots should go unanswered.”

Now, on the heels of another controversy — divestiture of stock holdings in a company that provided gifts to the family of Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell — Cuccinelli has once again come under attack from critics for alleged conflicts of interest.

And once again, it is a Democratic predecessor who is defending Cuccinelli.”Despite what you may have heard in the media, wrote former Attorney General Andrew P. Miller in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “there was no conflict of interest in the attorney general’s office.”

The truth is that Cuccinelli is a very conservative attorney general; he’s also incredibly smart and ethical.
It’s both remarkable and refreshing to see that partisan differences haven’t prohibited his predecessors from saying so. But if this trend toward intellectual honesty continues, it’s going to be hard for his opponents to gain any traction.

***

Disclaimer: I haven’t written much about this race, partly because I’ve known Cuccinelli for years — but mainly because a family member of mine once (but no longer) consulted for Cuccinelli. But this race is likely to be hot, local, and — because it will occur in an odd year — probably unavoidable. Whenever I write about this race, I will include a note like this at the bottom of posts. 

Matt K. Lewis