Republicans appear to have outmaneuvered Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a state budget standoff by persuading a Democratic senator to resign his seat, at least temporarily giving the GOP control of the chamber and possibly dooming the governor’s push to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Sen. Phillip P. Puckett (D-Russell) will announce his resignation Monday, effective immediately, paving the way to appoint his daughter to a judgeship and Puckett to the job of deputy director of the state tobacco commission, three people familiar with the plan said Sunday. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. (our emphasis)We believe in most contexts this is called "bribery," and in the case of "F*ck It," he's managed to inject nepotism into the mix. But, given the state of ethics in the Commonwealth =cough= Blowdry Bob McDonnell =cough=, it's easy to see the Republicans doing this without any repercussions to themselves.
There's still a majority in the Virginia Senate supporting Gov. Terry McAuliffe's proposal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), but a faction of that majority is opposed to linking the expansion to the pending State budget, which could trigger a government shutdown. The biggest obstacles to Medicaid expansion remain in the safely-gerrymandered knuckle-dragging Republican House of Delegates, where the bribe initiated, and with disgusting weasels like "F*ck It" who are willing to trade the well-being of 400,000 of their fellow citizens for a new job for himself and a judgeship for his daughter.
UPDATE: Behold the backtracking weasel.
UPDATE II: Paula Dvorak gives the weasel a well-deserved and thorough-going reaming out.
(Photo: A weasel, or State Sen. Phillip P. "F*ck It" Puckett, take your pick.)
