Virginia in Trouble

For John, BLUF:  After the Gov, Lt Gov and A/G it is the House of Delegates Speaker, a Republican.  I wonder how former Gubernatorial Candidate Ed Gillespie is feeling right now?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Virginia Attorney General Herring says he wore blackface in college

From The Wash Post, by Reporters Gregory S Schneider and Laura Vozzella, 6 February 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) said Wednesday he dressed in blackface during college, elevating the Capitol’s scandals to a new level that engulfed the entire executive branch of government.

“In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song,” Herring said in a statement. “It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes – and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others – we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup.”

Herring acknowledgment comes as Gov. Ralph Northam (D) faces calls for his resignation after a photo emerged on his 1984 medical school yearbook page featuring someone in blackface standing next to someone in Ku Klux Klan robes.

And early Monday, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) denied the allegations of a woman who said he sexually assaulted her at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

The scandals suggest a possible constitutional crisis. If Northam should step down, Fairfax would succeed him because of his position as lieutenant governor. Herring, as attorney general, would be next in line.

Regards  —  Cliff