Alright, I just called each delegate on this list. Their aides are telling me that they are getting a lot of calls about this bill. Let's keep it up!

Do we divest from the mutual funds that invest in these companies? What are the criteria for divestment? Giving money to the regime? Indirect investment? Selling a case of Coke to the Sudan? I haven't seen anything telling me what the levels of investment have to be in a company. If it's a mutual fund and they don't divest that stock, do we get rid of them?

After this, do we have delegates bringing bills to the floor demanding to divest in other "causes"? Will Bob Marshall bring a bill to the floor saying that we should divest out of companies that give money to abortion rights advocates? What other causes will people fight for? How about companies that support or do business with Russia and their treatment of the Chechyans? How about companies that deal in conflict diamonds? Remember the fervor of France not supporting us in Iraq? Would we have then divested the VRS in companies that dealt with the French?

Let's just do the Republicans bidding and severely weaken the VRS! Call now!

Nothing keeps Sideshow Bob from submitting any bill any day that somehow satisfies his agenda.  If he could, he would, and he does when he can at almost the drop of a hat.  To deny this bill because it potentially prompts a Marshall bill is silly. Nor can this bill be considered within a Republican plot to weaken VRS.  I'd have to see evidence of this as a trend before I'd consider that a threat.  This bill at this time in this limited circumstance is the right thing to do at the right time.  

It doesn't just prompt a Marshall bill. When the delegates and senators see that this is a way to get some of their social agenda through, the bills could come out of the woodwork to undermine VRS.  

You'd have to see evidence of a trend after the bill has passed? How does that work?

How does taking millions of dollars out of VRS invested mutual funds and stocks NOT hurt the VRS?

This is ridiculous. The criteria are inane and it is impossible to quantify how this affects the crisis in the Sudan.

Normally I support measures such as this one. But messing around with VRS is just an opportunity to screw up what is probably the best run state retirement system in the U.S.

Please do not follow this advice. We need to leave VRS alone. We are just asking for the GOP to come in and screw it up.

I wonder if anyone has noted the Sen. Ken Cuccinelli is the patron of SB 87 and that he had introduced a similar bill in the last session.  Clearly people have underestimated Sen. Cuccinelli.  Raising Kaine and its contributors find it so easy to criticize him, but why are they so unable to give him praise him in the many instances where they agree with his legislation.  Would it really be so difficult to add to the original article this sentence - "Thank you, Senator Cuccinelli, for your willingness to champion the cause of the people of Darfur."