This seems like such small beans compared to the crimes of the bankers who crashed the world's economy and bled it dry. On the other hand, it is wingnut Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, one of the "new faces" of the Republican party, so we can enjoy watching this particular sideshow:

FBI agents are conducting interviews about the relationship between Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, his wife, Maureen, and a major campaign donor who paid for the food at the wedding of the governor’s daughter, according to four people familiar with the questioning.

The agents have been asking associates of the McDonnells about gifts provided to the family by Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. and actions the Republican governor and his wife have taken that may have boosted the company, the people said.

Among the topics being explored, they said, is the $15,000 catering bill that Williams paid for the 2011 wedding of McDonnell’s daughter at Virginia’s historic Executive Mansion. But questions have extended to other, previously undisclosed gifts from Williams to Maureen McDonnell as well, they said.

The interviews, at which Virginia State Police investigators were present, began in recent months as an outgrowth of a federal investigation into securities transactions involving Star Scientific, which produces a dietary supplement called Anatabloc. The company disclosed that probe in a regulatory filing last month, saying it had received subpoenas from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Now, federal officials are trying to determine whether to expand that investigation into a broader look at whether McDonnell or his administration took any action to benefit Star Scientific in exchange for monetary or other benefits, according to the four people familiar with the interviews. It is unclear whether the probe will be broadened.

U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride declined to comment, as did spokespeople for the FBI’s Richmond division and the state police.

Tucker Martin, a spokesman for McDonnell, a possible 2016 presidential contender, said, “It is the policy of the governor’s office to not comment on any possible investigations.”

Congratulations to Chris Hayes on the debut of his new 8 PM show, All In with Chris Hayes. Monday was the first show and it was a very successful one.

In this segment, Chris dives deep into the Atlanta cheating scandal which has led to the indictment of the superintendent and 34 teachers for changing students' answers on tests in order to score higher on the tests and secure more and better federal funding for their schools. I reported on it nearly two years ago and now the investigation has revealed disturbing trends relating to high-stakes testing, particularly in urban schools.

MSNBC:

Prosecutors say that the educators cheated on the CRCT in order to reap “the benefit of financial rewards associated with high test scores.” Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), school districts which turn in low standardized test scores could be seriously penalized and even lose federal aid. Critics of NCLB and other recent school reform measures argue that the Atlanta cheating scandal is not an isolated incident of criminal activity.

“We don’t condone cheating, but when you have high-stakes testing, which are one-shot deals that don’t tell you whether a child is going to fail or succeed, the whole setup in terms of No Child Left Behind was unfair to children, unfair to educators,” Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers said to MSNBC Monday.

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Ed explains Preibus' strategy with regard to the electoral college

If you're just tuning into this, watch Ed explain Republicans' strategy for stealing the 2016 election. My hair is on fire --in advance of my head exploding. Preibus' "in your face" cynicism and thuggery is mind-bending.

I wanted to find a way to change the outcome, so I've been hunting down information on the different states to see how these efforts can be countered. Here's what I have so far.

• Virginia: Virginia has made the first move to change how their electors are allocated. Following their efforts to redistrict state Senate districts, a Senate subcommittee moved on Wednesday to make the change. Go to Credo Action and sign their petition which will remind Governor Ultrasound McDonnell that he shouldn't sign any bill that reaches his desk into law if he has aspirations beyond the end of his gubernatorial term. Virginia is also a state covered by the Voting Rights Act, which should mean a serious investigation of Republican efforts to disenfranchise minority voters in the state, who tend to be clustered in the areas. If this becomes law, minority voters will be deemed irrelevant.

There is some cause to hope, however. Republican State Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel opposes the plan. She abstained from the subcommittee vote and has said she would "likely" oppose it in committee or on the floor. I hope she means it, because that would break the tie in the Senate and cause the measure to fail.

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Here we go! After their stealth move to redistrict Virginia's Senate districts, Republicans are moving the next piece into place. News-Leader reports:

A Republican-backed bill that would end Virginia’s winner-takes-all method of apportioning its 13 electoral votes in presidential elections cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday.

A Senate Privileges and Elections subcommittee recommended Sen. Bill Carrico’s bill on a 3-3 party line vote Wednesday, advancing it to consideration by the GOP-dominated full committee next week. Republicans control the Senate and House in Virginia, and Gov. Bob McDonnell is a Republican.

The bill would apportion electors by congressional district to the candidate who wins each of the state’s 11 districts. The candidate who carries a majority of the districts would also win the two electors not tied to congressional districts.

Sen. Charles W. “Bill” Carrico, R-Grayson, said the change is necessary because Virginia’s populous, urbanized areas such as the Washington, D.C., suburbs and Hampton Roads can outvote rural regions such as his, rendering their will irrelevant.

So Virginia thinks that the solution is basing electoral votes on acreage rather than people? Seriously, Carrico is arguing that because the DC suburbs have more people who cast more votes, they should reapportion electoral votes by district. As Working America said, this would be the "heads I win, tails you lose" strategy.

Here's the text of the bill:

Electoral College. Provides that the Commonwealth's electoral votes shall be allocated by congressional district. Receipt by a slate of presidential electors of the highest number of votes in a congressional district constitutes the election of the congressional district elector of that slate. Receipt by a slate of electors of the highest number of votes in a majority of congressional districts constitutes the election of the two at-large electors of that slate. In the event no slate receives the highest number of votes in a majority of districts, receipt by a slate of the highest number of votes statewide shall constitute election of the two at-large electors of that slate.

The only comfort in all of this is that Virginia is subject to review under the Voting Rights Act, which means this scheme (and their stealth redistricting scheme) may not pass muster. But I wouldn't count on that, particularly with the Voting Rights Act in front of the US Supreme Court this year.

I think we'd better figure out how to get rid of the electoral college altogether --and fast.

A redistricting bill is being amended by Senate Republicans during the last reading, with no hearing or public input.

— Waldo Jaquith (@waldojaquith) January 21, 2013

This is breaking news, so I don't yet have all the details, but here's what I know, via Blue Virginia:

"Wow- Republicans in the Virginia Senate are now trying to redraw the maps and draw at least one Democratic Senator out of the Senate. Happening right now on the floor."

"COUP GOING ON IN VIRGINIA SENATE: Republicans have just brought all new Senate districts to the floor with Henry Marsh gone in DC, now 30 minutes of debate before they send them to the House of Delegates."

"COUP SUCCESSFUL- NEW DISTRICTS HEADED TO VIRGINIA HOUSE. AT LEAST ONE DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TO BE OUSTED."

After Ben's first Facebook notice, I went to the live feed of the Virginia Senate and watched as Sen. Saslaw, Sen. McEachin, and Sen. Barker went ape**** on the Republicans for what they said was a totally underhanded, unconstitutional move that will utterly poison relations in the Virginia State Senate. The fact that Republicans pulled this underhanded maneuver while most people were focused on the inauguration and Democratic State Senator Marsh was out of town (for the inauguration) really says it all. Wow.

I'll update as more becomes available.

Here are some Blue Virginia updates:

UPDATE: Sen. Ebbin tweets, "VA Senate GOP trying to redistrict w/ substitute bill with no notice in violation of our state Constitution" and "VA Senate GOP votes to redistrict in violation of state Constitution."

UPDATE #2: One of the sharpest Virginia political analysts I know, KentonNgo, tweets: "If VA Republicans were smart enough not to touch the already cleared VRA districts, the plan will likely stand. Dems are toast." Ugh.

UPDATE #3: Here are the votes as Senate Republicans rammed this one through on 20-19, party-line votes with longtime civil rights champion, Democratic State Senator Henry Marsh, at the inauguration in Washington, DC.

Also, this footnote from Talking Points Memo:

As mentioned earlier, seizing on the absence of a Democratic senator who happens to be a veteran of the civil rights movement and was in Washington, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, for the second inauguration of the country’s first black president, Republicans in the evenly split Virginia state Senatepushed through a surprise mid-decade redistricting plan to try to gain decisive control of the body in the next election.

We’re not done yet.

At the end of this wild day, the “Senate adjourned in memory or (sic) General Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson,” according to the minutes of the session. Jan. 21 is the Confederate general’s birthday.

Update 1/22/13: Waldo Jaquith observed this debacle first hand, and tweeted it as it was happening. But his article this morning reveals just how craven the Virginia Senate Republicans are.

Senate Republicans’ MLK Day gift to Senator Marsh and to Virginia is to use the re-inauguration of the United States’ first black president as cover to pass a bill that will make it harder for black candidates to get elected.

Now the bill goes to the House of Delegates, who will no doubt pass it, and then to Gov. Bob McDonnell, who said he was as surprised by this bill as everybody else. We’re about to learn if McDonnell has really become the centrist he’s presenting himself as, or if he’s the same old right-wing extremist. I fear we already know the answer.

Unfortunately, McDonnell has indicated that it's likely he'll sign it.

Via ThinkProgress:

On WMAL radio, hosts Brian Wilson and Cheri Jacobus pressed Cuccinelli about why he has not opened a major investigation into what they suggested was wide-spread voter fraud in Virginia — an assessment they made based on receiving unproven allegations by email from listeners. Studies have shown Americans are more likely to be struck by lightning than to commit voter fraud. Cuccinelli endorsed the idea of such investigations, but noted that he lacks the statutory authority to do launch an investigation.

Cuccinelli backed Jacobus on her conspiracy theories:

JACOBUS: There needs to be a way for people to be able to report this stuff and have it looked into. I mean, just across the country, we’re hearing so many stories. And people can talk about it, but nothing seems to be done. And, in fact in these states where voter ID is required to vote…

WILSON: Photo ID.

JACOBUS: Photo ID. Voter photo ID.

Obama lost every one of those states. He can’t win a state where photo ID is required. So clearly there’s something going on out there and until there’s a way to have something done about it where when you report it, you know it’s going to be looked into, the other side just says “Oh, well, you’re just poor losers,” and that sort of thing.

CUCCINELLI: Your tone suggests you’re a little upset with me. You’re preaching to the choir. I’m with you completely.

These people are just evil. I got into an argument on election night because of people like this who actually think over three million people faked their identity and stuffed the damned ballot box nationwide. Because they hear stories, and damn the facts about Voter ID, all that matters are the stories.

But to tell these radio host conspiracy buffs that their stories suggest Barack Obama would not have won had all 50 states had Voter ID laws? That's evil.

Ken "Cooch" Cuccinelli, by the way, is running for governor in 2013, hoping to ascend to Governor Ultrasound's lofty perch.

I hope Virginia shows him the door and hands him the ultrasound wand on the way out.

That ad was created by the Voter Participation Center in response to outraged fluff from Virginia Republicans over voter registration forms being sent to people, and in some cases pets, who aren't eligible to vote.

This is where I point out that pawprints are not usually accepted as signatures in state registrars' offices. Mailing is not a crime.

The Voter Participation Center (VPC) exists to reach out to unregistered voters in more than half the states in this country and get them to vote. They do this by combing lists, comparing them to registration lists, and sending out a pre-populated voter registration form clearly identified with their organization. Before any mailing goes out, state registrars have an opportunity to review and edit what is sent. It's not being done in a vacuum, and 15,000 people have returned the forms to the Virginia registrar, which is really why the Romney campaign has heartburn, I'm sure.

As usual, the right wing is determined to invent a problem so they can apply a solution like Voter ID, which we already know impacts those very same voters targeted by the VPC.

The Romney campaign has jumped on the bandwagon, calling for an investigation by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli into their practices. Wouldn't that be a nice "get"? A peek inside the lists the VPC uses, a list of voters, all sorts of goodies there for the taking if they actually got the Cooch to agree. The VPC is pushing back hard against their efforts, and well they should. For some bizarre reason the Romney people have it in their head that mailing a form is the same as submitting one for registration.

As anyone who has ever had the misfortune of working with lists knows, it's pretty easy to have entries that aren't right. A typo, someone uses their pet's name to register or subscribe to something, any number of things can cause list errors. But there isn't a problem unless someone actually picks up that erroneous form and tries to use it. Then they're committing fraud, and it would be the job of the registrar to verify those registrations anyway.

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McDonnell showing support for 'right-to-work' for less laws

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has recently extended his anti-labor credentials by caving to extremists in his state on the topic of project labor agreements. A series of e-mails recently released show that he did not have a problem with PLAs until recently, after being pressured by extremists in his party who oppose the rights of working families.

Phase one of the expansion of the Dulles Metrotrail expansion in Northern Virginia was completed under a PLA and the second phase was set to be conducted the same way. Now McDonnell is saying that he won't proceed with the project unless the PLA is revoked. The move not only takes away rights from working families and shows that McDonnell is a flip-flopper who caves under pressure from extremists, it also endangers jobs in the state during fragile economic times:

The aforementioned revelations unearthed by the Washington Post shown that a compromise was agreed to in principal before objections from the right caused them to break down:

The e-mails were provided to The Washington Post by people who are sympathetic to the MWAA and who have been frustrated that McDonnell’s shift has drawn little attention.

The dozens of brief notes exchanged over a period of four months and a subsequent memorandum of understanding among Silver Line contributors show that Connaughton and Jack Potter, the MWAA chief executive, worked carefully on the wording before agreeing to a set of principles that enabled a mandatory project labor agreement.

“Sean, are you okay with the principle below?’’ Potter asked July 27.

“Yes,’’ Connaughton responded.

In November, in an apparent sign of continuing progress, the MWAA asked Connaughton where to send a copy of the agreement for his signature.

But the sentiment soon changed. Connaughton never signed an agreement for a PLA for Phase 2. In February, amid mounting Republican criticism of the PLA for Phase 1, the General Assembly enacted a law intended to prohibit PLAs on the Silver Line project.

Virginia’s “Right-to-Work” law draws definite distinctions between “mandatory” and “voluntary” PLAs. Now, Virginia lawmakers are caught up in a game of words that would be pure comedy if not for the jobs that hang in the balance.

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Oh, little man. How powerful you must feel, using sarcasm and arrogance to belittle someone who wanted to get specifics from you on alleged inaccuracies to a report on the ProgressVA website. Such power you wield with those fighting words...

You see, ProgressVA published a report with a very specific list of all the different ways Virginia legislators are in the pocket of ALEC. It's quite thorough, but Mr. Speaker of the House Bill Howell seems to have had difficulty reading it accurately, which prompted ProgressVA representative Anna Scholl to ask him for specifics on where he saw inaccuracies.

As it turns out, he didn't really have anything to offer on the question of inaccuracy, but he seemed to object overall to the exposure of ALEC as a tool of the right that he's unafraid to wield at will. Perhaps it's these two bullet points that bothered him:

• Speaker William Howell is a member of ALEC's national leadership team. In 2009, he served as the group's national chairman. Howell's involvement with ALEC has transferred down to the state level: he has asked several of his colleagues to carry ALEC bills and approved the expenditure of taxpayer money to send his colleagues to ALEC conferences.

• Between 2001 and 2010, the Commonwealth of Virginia spent over $230,000 to send legislators to ALEC conferences in order to meet with corporate lobbyists behind closed doors.

At any rate, when he offered a "they did this and you didn't say anything" talking point in response to her very specific request for very specific inaccuracies, Ms. Scholl pressed, which caused him to say this, in front of the reporters present:

“I guess I’m not speaking in little enough words for you to understand."

Ms. Scholl didn't exactly cower before the Great and Powerful Speaker:

“I’m a smart girl ... I think words with multiple syllables would be just fine for me,’’

And still, I note that Speaker Howell did not actually name one single inaccuracy in her report. You know what happens when bullies are confronted with the truth? They get angry. And when they get angry, they start saying stupid things and swaggering as if they actually have power when really, they're just caught in their lies.

That's what happened here. Props to Ms. Scholl for staring him down.

[h/t Washington Post]

On Wednesday, ALEC bleated out a statement, complaining that they're just a little non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to help businesses turn a bit of a profit, don't you know? And they're being victimized by those mean, nasty lefty types.

From their statement:

ALEC is an organization that supports pro-growth, pro-jobs policies and the vigorous exchange of ideas between the public and private sector to develop state based solutions. Today, we find ourselves the focus of a well-funded, expertly coordinated intimidation campaign.

Our members join ALEC because we connect state legislators with other state legislators and with job-creators in their states. They join because we support pro-business policies that promote innovation and spur local and national competitiveness. They’re ALEC members because they’re more interested in solutions than rhetoric.

For years, ALEC has partnered with legislators to research and develop better, more effective public policies – legislation that creates a more transparent, accountable government, policies that place a priority on free enterprise and consumer choice, and tax policies that are fair, simple and that spur the kind of competiveness that puts Americans back to work.

Somebody's going to have to explain to me how Stand Your Ground laws and Voter ID laws help create jobs. That's left me scratching my head. How is it that laws which blatantly discriminate against people of color and have absolutely nothing to do with jobs create jobs? And then there's abortion legislation. What does abortion legislation have to do with job creation?

As to their so-called free enterprise and consumer choice policies, let's look at one area where they're working hard to interfere: education. And let's bring the Gates Foundation back into focus on this one. The Gates Foundation has now declared they will not give any further grants to ALEC. Slow clap for the Gates Foundation.

I'm not particularly impressed because there are 17 months remaining on the grant they've already given ALEC for "education reform"; specifically, to:

Purpose: to educate and engage its membership on more efficient state budget approaches to drive greater student outcomes, as well as educate them on beneficial ways to recruit, retain, evaluate and compensate effective teaching based upon merit and achievement

Now let's look at what kinds of "state budget approaches" are currently driving student reforms that specifically point back to ALEC. There is the Virtual Public Schools Act, which would send public funds to private companies hosting virtual schools, like K12, Inc, which receives large contributions from the DeVos Foundation and the Walton Foundation, just to name a few. There is the Innovation Schools Act, which would come in the back door by first mandating modernization with an eye to implementation of online learning.

Of course, it's not lost on me that Bill Gates might have a tiny outside interest in seeing virtual schools take off, right? And not only Bill Gates. K12, Inc. is a member of ALEC and also an online school provider, one that's quite expensive, too. And K12 has a deep vested interest in having virtual schools become a deeply integrated part of students' education.

Here's what they've achieved so far. Virginia just passed a mandatory online education law, requiring that every student in Virginia's public schools take at least one course online. Requiring. Mandating. That's right, those conservatives are mandating one online course for every student who wants a diploma from Virginia schools. And as the Washington Post reports, K12 was Johnny-on-the-spot when it passed, waiting to pounce into the pool of money the Virginia legislature just set aside.

It isn't just Virginia. It's Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana and Arizona, too.

There's only one reason to mandate students take one online course, and that's to cut back on teachers in the classroom, weakening them further. It's one thing to make online learning available and another to use it as a bludgeon to union-bust and try and render teachers' roles irrelevant, which seems to clearly be the goal here.

As ALEC whines and twirls in a strange dance of damage control, remember that the Stand Your Ground law that triggered the corporate exodus from them is only the tip of the iceberg. They have done grave harm to many states and most people. Whether it's education, Voter ID, health care, guns, or taxes, ALEC is the author of far too much turnkey legislation with deep and barbarous cuts to those institutions we hold dear in this country, like schools, and hospitals, and public streets. They deserve no sympathy, nor quarter. They should be accountable for each and every evil they have wrought on states and people who live in them, and those who sponsor their efforts should be equally accountable, even those who claim to have noble motives, like the Gates Foundation.