Senate Republicans indicated today that, after former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli asked that his name be withdrawn from consideration for the spot, they will instead elect Judge Stephen McCullough. All but one Senate Republican has maintained adamant opposition to election of the Governor’s preferred candidate, Jane Roush.
According to a release from the Senate Republican Caucus, Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Stafford), who presented the resolution advancing Cuccinelli’s nomination, will amend that resolution to instead nominate McCullough.
McCullough apparently comes with the strong recommendation of Cuccinelli. “Having worked with Steve McCullough during my service as Attorney General, I know he has a spectacular mind, is principled on the law, and has been an outstanding Appeals Court jurist,” noted Cuccinelli. “He is an excellent choice to serve as justice.”
Amusingly, apparently the entire left wing astro turf apparatus mobilized today in vigorous opposition to the idea of Cuccinelli being elected to the Supreme Court, complete with hashtags and an angry, chanting miniature mob outside the Capitol. Egging them on was Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, the Democrats’ putative nominee for Governor next year:
On Wednesday morning, with protesters chanting outside the Virginia state Capitol Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam urged defeat of Cuccinelli’s nomination for the high court.
‘This is an embarrassment and affront to the people of Virginia and to the judicial process,’ Northam, the presumptive 2017 Democratic nominee for governor, said in a statement.
‘Ken Cuccinelli has spent his career as an activist trying to outlaw abortion and birth control, denying science and climate change, and aggressively denigrating and denying our LGBT community of basic rights,’ Northam said.
All the angry hyperbole and invective is pretty good way of knowing Cuccinelli would have been a great Supreme Court justice. Maybe next time.
For now, McCullough’s election looks like a done deal, with leadership in both houses predicting his election.
Check here for more background on Judge McCullough.
