Virginia rejects judge for being openly gay

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I guess it's not for lovers after all, huh?

It's pretty rich to accuse Thorne-Begland of cheating the taxpayers out of money when it was DADT that forced him to choose between serving in the Navy and living his life honestly.

The Wonkette version:
wonkette.com/472579/virginia-kills-judges-nomination-because-he-acts-like-he-is-married-to-a-man

Did the commonwealth of Virginia kill the judicial nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland because he was gay? DON’T BE RIDICULOSE! No, it is just because as a gay naval officer he was outspoken against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell! And also because he acts like he is married … to a man!

“He holds himself out as being married,” said Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who is running for U.S. Senate. Noting that gay marriage is not legal in Virginia, he said that Thorne-Begland’s “life is a contradiction to the requirement of submission to the constitution.”

Robert G. Marshall rests his case!
Or does he?

“I would guess — law of averages — we’ve probably nominated people who have homosexual inclinations,” Marshall said. Marshall faulted Thorne-Begland for coming out as a gay Naval officer on “Nightline” two decades ago to challenge the military’s now-repealed ban on gays openly serving in the military. He said that amounted not just to insubordination, but to a waste of taxpayer dollars, since it resulted in his dismissal from the Navy.

Whew, we are glad Robert G. Marshall cleared that up for us! It is not Thorne-Begland’s homosexy inclinations that prevented him from even getting anything close to 51 votes in the House, or being given any vote at all in the Senate, it is because he was an early opponent of a thing that is now not the law! Also, he has adopted children! But it is not like he was singled out, right?

Thorne-Begland was the only one of more than three dozen judicial nominees — including 10 others from the Richmond region — who was not elected to a judgeship following a marathon legislative session dominated by review of amendments to the two-year state budget proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell.

But we were wondering more about Robert G. Marshall because of Your Editrix’s worry that he might be related (she comes from the Virginia John Marshalls what invented Judicial Review, which doesn’t exist NOBAMA!!!) and found two terribly interesting items: A) Robert G. Marshall is against abortion (duh) along with ANY KIND OF BIRTH CONTROL. And B) After Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed, the good delegate sponsored a bill to prevent gay servicemen and ladies in the Virginia National Guard, because “he [was] worried about service members catching sexually transmitted diseases from gay troops.” Also? “It’s a distraction when I’m on the battlefield and have to concentrate on the enemy 600 yards away and I’m worried about this guy who’s got eyes on me.” It’s true. None of the gays can keep their eyes from raping Ol’ Sweet-Bottom Bob! Have fun with your next US Senator, Virginia! YEEHAW!

And the actual story from the Washington Post:
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/house-of-delegates-rejects-gay-judge/2012/05/15/gIQAPN5YQU_blog.html

Virginia’s General Assembly rejected a gay man for a Richmond judgeship early Tuesday, after conservatives argued that his support for gay marriage and challenge to the military’s now-defunct “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy made him unfit for the bench.

The House of Delegates voted 33 to 31, with 10 abstentions, to make Richmond prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland a General District Court judge in Richmond. He had needed 51 votes in the 100-member chamber to win appointment.

“He holds himself out as being married,” said Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who is running for U.S. Senate. Noting that gay marriage is not legal in Virginia, he said that Thorne-Begland’s “life is a contradiction to the requirement of submission to the constitution.”

The Senate did not vote on the nomination itself, but Republicans killed it by passing it by for the day — the very last of this year’s General Assembly session. The decision to pass it by cleared the evenly divided 20-19, with one Democrat, Yvonne B. Miller of Norfolk not voting.

“The debate in the House of Delegates was homophobic and embarrassing and showed a disrespect to a chief deputy commonwealth attorney and decorated veteran who was honorably discharged,” said Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria), Virginia’s first openly gay senator. “It’s offensive that the Senate wouldn’t even grant Lt. Thorne-Begland the courtesy of a vote.”


Hours before the vote, in response to a reporter’s question, Gov Robert F. McDonnell said through a spokesman that a judicial nominee’s sexual orientation should not be an issue.

“The Governor believes candidates for judicial vacancies must be considered based solely on their merit, record, aptitude and skill,” said McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin. “No other factors should ever be considered and the Governor has long made clear that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is not acceptable in state government. ”

Marshall, the Family Foundation of Virginia and others who raised concerns about Thorne-Begland’s nomination said they did not object to him because he is gay, but because of his outspokenness on the subject of gay rights.

“I would guess — law of averages — we’ve probably nominated people who have homosexual inclinations,” Marshall said. Marshall faulted Thorne-Begland for coming out as a gay Naval officer on “Nightline” two decades ago to challenge the military’s now-repealed ban on gays openly serving in the military. He said that amounted not just to insubordination, but to a waste of taxpayer dollars, since it resulted in his dismissal from the Navy. “The Navy spent $1 million training him,” Marshall said. “That’s cheating the country out of the investment in him.”