Virginians have a right to carry six-shooters to Mass, thanks to state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. His advisory opinion on the pack-your-piece-to-church brouhaha has caused a stir.
Cuccinelli is no stranger to controversy or, some would say, outrageous remarks. As a little known state representative back in 2004, NCR caught up with him at the Republican National Convention. He told a group of Catholic Republicans that pro-choice forces were waging a losing battle, given that they were reproducing at lower rates than pro-life activists.
"Pro-life people are bearing the children and pro-abortion people are killing them,” said Cuccinelli.
Since taking office as A.G. (does that stand for “Attorney General” or “Aspiring Governor?”), Cuccinelli has:
- Led the federal court challenge to “Obamacare.” The Supreme Court is expected to announce whether it will hear the case this week or next.
- Increased standards on Virginia abortion clinics, requiring them to be regulated more like health care facilities.
- Issued an opinion allowing police to research the residency status of people stopped for unrelated reasons.
- Banned public universities from treating gays and lesbians as a “protected class;” and
- Investigated a professor affiliated with the University of Virginia whose controversial findings related to climate change have infuriated conservatives.
Whatever one makes of Cuccinelli, it is clear that his agenda is quite different than those of his predecessors as A.G. (it used to be a boring job) or that of his colleagues across the country. Expect to hear more from him.
