RICHMOND — U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse frequently takes to the Senate floor to warn against climate change, having done so, by his count, at least two dozen times in the past year. So perhaps it was only a matter of time before the Rhode Island Democrat got around to calling out Virginia’s most prominent global-warming skeptic by name.
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, got a backhanded shout-out in a Whitehouse floor speech last week for his unsuccessful legal battle against a University of Virginia climate scientist.
The battle went something like this:
“In 2010, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli used his powers of office to harass former University of Virginia climatologist Michael Mann and 39 other climate scientists and staff,” Whitehouse said in a speech Thursday, which was posted on YouTube. “As a U-Va. grad, I am proud that the university fought back against this political attack on science and on academic freedom.”
Cuccinelli’s campaign responded to Whitehouse’s comment by suggesting that Terry McAuliffe, his likely Democratic opponent in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), had put the senator up to making the comment.
“Once again it’s obvious Terry McAuliffe doesn’t understand anything about Virginia — or the job he wants so badly,” Cuccinelli spokesman Jahan Wilcox said via email. “First he thought about running for governor of New York — then Florida — now he’s deputized a liberal U.S. Senator from Rhode Island to attack Ken Cuccinelli.”
McAuliffe campaign spokesman Josh Schwerin responded: “Cuccinelli’s campaign against science got national headlines and was an embarrassment for Virginia. It’s no surprise that people all around the country heard about the partisan, ideological battles he was waging out of the Attorney General’s office.”
Why does Cuccinelli assume McAuliffe is behind the upbraid? Obviously Whitehouse has called out folks over ignoring climate change many times. It sounds like Cuccinelli is spoiling for a fight. McAuliffe is sure to oblige him. Cuccinelli should be reminded that McAuliffe is a businessman and not a senator. He is rather far removed from the kind of cronyism that the Virginia AG suggests.
Virginians who support civil rights for everyone and who believe in scientific principles will reject Cuccinelli at the polls. Rather than stab current Lt. Governor Bill Bolling in the back like Cuccinelli, McAuliffe has offered bolling a place in his administration, pointing out the second-in-command’s experience and expertise as valuable should McAuliffe be elected governor. That’s another plus for McAuliffe.
