Associated Press
Remember Tracy Thorne-Begland? Nearly a year ago, Thorne-Begland, a state prosecutor, a father, and a former Top Gun fighter pilot, was a state judicial nominee in Virginia. His nomination enjoyed bipartisan sponsorship, but it was defeated anyway -- Thorne-Begland is gay and several Republicans said that made him biased and unqualified for the state bench.
This year, the decorated Navy veteran fared far better.
The Virginia House and Senate elected interim Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland to a full term on the Richmond Manchester General District Court today, giving legislative approval to the state' s first openly gay judge after rejecting him last year.
The Republican-controlled House voted first, approving him 66-28 with one abstention, and was followed by a Senate vote of 28-0. Twelve social conservatives in the Senate did not vote.
That last line was of particular interest. Ben Tribbett reported that 12 Republicans in the state Senate "walked out" rather than vote on Thorne-Begland's confirmation. "You read that correctly," Tribbett added. "A majority of the Virginia Senate GOP -- 12 of 20 Senators -- walked out rather than vote for a gay judge."
That said, Thorne-Begland's nomination, which should have been approved last year, is now complete.
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Primarily, they fear the Primary.
What is this, d*uche bag day?? Good grief!!
Wayyyyyyyyy Cool!!!
Well, I think those 12 senators should never be allowed to hold public office again, since they are OBVIOUSLY biased, and unqualified.
As a military spouse... HOOAH!
http://cmkaa.org
It is good to be on the right side of history.
Now that they've walked out, what would it take to make them stay out?
What if we all just walked off our jobs to avoid things we found unpleasant?? I feel its cowardly and should not be considered paid time on the job.
That was partly my reaction, but also it signaled to me that those 12 people did not even have the guts to vote according to what they believe.
Don't get me wrong-- I'm very happy to see this development. But it seems odd that these 12 did not choose to abstain, and did not offer a "no" vote. That, to me, goes beyond chicken sh!t.
And they will probably still return to their constituents, pouting or complaining about how "immoral" or "misguided" their colleagues are.
Excellent, things are falling into place rather nicely.
this is still virginia. you have no idea how hell bent on stupidity this state is.
Heym arm320, I am from Kansas. Trust me, I know stupidity in state government intimately. Kansas has gone so far right, they meet in China. We are not being taken over by foreigners, government armies or zombies. We have been bought and sold in the US Congress, and state offices across the nation. Ten men control the economies of the world and they are about to blow a gasket because the people are awakening from a long time of consumer oblivion. We have been brainwashed into thinking that wealth and privilege were the worth of an individual. The game of I have more toys than you do, and my dad can beat up your dad. Things they are a'changin. We are not zombies. We don't needs guns to protect us from destruction and loss of freedom. We have already been conquered by Corporations the day that the law went into effect that a Corporation was a person. It is going to take resolve and courage to speak out. We are becoming a Fascist state where you need a photo ID to go anywhere. You can be stopped and searched without warrants, detained without habaes corpus, have your phone monitored without warrant, search your library book selection, check your email and watch your face book. Your car is equipped with a devise to register every speed and braking time that you drive your car. A satellite can track your every location. It has all been done in the name of technology. I fear for this country because I believe some factions would start a civil war to force their beliefs on the rest of us. We can't go back in time.
arm320--You said exactly what I was thinking. Thorne-Begland is "biased and unqualified for the state bench" because he's gay? Can you imagine saying that about a member of another minority? Are Hispanics biased because they are Hispanic? Are women biased because they are women? But yes, this is Virginia, apparently the national capital of stupid.
Congratulations Tracy Thorne-Begland, about time the Repub's get a smack down!
Yeah, walking out will show him the error of his ways. I bet he switches to the ladies tomorrow!
Good luck on the new gig Your Honor!
Awesome. now we can further the gay agenda. you know, the one were we try to convert aging republicans into flaming homosexuals.
They're doing pretty well at that themselves in various and sundry ways.
Damn that gay agenda!! It's everywhere!!
More nutjobs, my God they're coming out of the woodwork about their guns...tickles the hell out of me....watch'em squirm...hehehehehehehe
Odd that Republicans of today embrace the Civil Rights Act of 1965 when so many of their predominantly brethren opposed it. Will Republicans 50 years from today back gays in public life, even though their predecessors - this time men and women - oppose it?
A wonderful day! People should be able to do the jobs for which they are qualified.
Awesome! There is hope!!
Logic is not the Republicans strong point. Along with math, science, Language, ethics, etc, etc, etc
Republicans deny Anthropology,
History, Economics, Biology,
Math, Logic and Reason -
They deride them as Treason,
And prefer to believe their Mythology...
This is a story of 1 guy with guts and 12 cowards. Congratulations Judge!
Can you imagine a group voting down a hetero judge, citing bias due to sexual preference? People, with all they contribute to their jobs and society at large, should never be reduced to whom they prefer between their legs.
Those 12 "social conservatives" should be canned for not doing the job they were elected to do. If they can't, or in this case won't, decide between yay or nay they are obviously underqualified for the position. No surprise there.
The irony is that this outstanding man will still treat all people equal, even the fraidy cats who scurried away with tail wedged beneath.
Nobody is going to tell them they have to be the party of inclusion.
If they want to be hateful, bigoted d*bags then they are gonna.
Congratulations Judge! Shame on the 12 who walked out.
It's about time. Congratulations Judge.
From the great state that brought you the Confederacy.