See here, here, and here for more on the Republicans changing their leadership in the State Senate. Is this like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, or does it actually accomplish something? I don't know, but Democratic Central notes that "Norment and Stosch are both at least somewhat moderate -- they each have been primaried by right-wing whackos."In other news from the other side of the aisle, NLS reports that Jay O'Brien, who just got finished losing his Senate seat to George Barker, is running for Lt. Governor. Interesting career move...
P.S. Project Vote Smart has Norment with decent ratings on the environment (80% in 2006 from the LCV), gay rights (100% from Equality Virginia in 2007), and even abortion (50% from NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia in 2005).
- Norment introduced the bill that Dominion wrote;
- He owns $50,000 in Dominion stock;
- When a Virginian-Pilot reporter went looking for him once, she found him "on his way home from a Georgia duck-hunting trip with Dominion's president."
- And finally, the following from the Clarke Times-Courier about Norment's history in opposing the utility-regulating State Corporation Commission (SCC):
Norment has never been a friend of the SCC. When the SCC regulators decided a decade ago they should actually fulfill their responsibility to protect the health and well-being of Virginians, [...] Norment did a legislative end run and stripped them of their authority to consider environmental effects.
Still annoyed with the three SCC commissioners, Norment tried (and failed) to "pack the court" with an additional four or five members.
So for this appointment, I offer my congratulations -- to Dominion!