Russ Potts: Loudoun's Mark Tate "to the right of Atilla the Hun"

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/6/2006 6:33:07 AM

Right now, all of us political junkies are focused on the 2006 mid-term elections.  But it's not too early to think of next year, when every seat in the Virginia General Assembly will be up for grabs. That's 40 State Senators and 100 State Delegates, including one H. Russell Potts, Jr. (R-27).  Potts, of course, ran as an "Independent Republican" for Governor in 2005, sending right-wing Republicans into paroxysms of anger.  Those right-wing Republicans included one guy who started a website called "RecallPotts.com".  That same guy, Mark Tate, has now announced that he will seek Potts' seat in 2007.

So who is Mark Tate?  According to Potts, he's a member of the detested "far-right crowd" and "to the right of Atilla the Hun" politically.  Warming up for next year, Potts continues:

[Tate's] answer is to do nothing. His answer is to cut taxes and do nothing. Leadership is about doing the right thing, not the easy thing.

I'm not sure about good ol' Atilla, but there's no doubt that Tate is extremely conservative.  Among other things, Tate is big on a so-called "taxpayer+óGé¼Gäós bill of rights," opposing taxes for just about any purpose, including dedicated funds for transportation.  Instead, Tate favors raiding the General Fund, which is used to pay for core public services such as health care, education, and law enforcement.  Brilliant.

Aside from being an anti-tax fanatic, Tate is also a "government-in-your-bedroom," George Allen, "Christian conservative."  According to the Winchester Star, Tate is "the Loudoun County coordinator for the statewide marriage amendment and U.S. Sen. George Allen+óGé¼Gäós re-election campaign."  In 2003, Tate distributed a flyer "stat[ing] that Potts supports teaching sodomy in schools and selling emergency contraception without a prescription, and is opposed to school choice."

In other words, Tate sounds like just my kind of Republican.  Ha ha.  And just Russ Potts' kind of Republican, too.  Next year should be a lively one in the 27th District.

Comments



We have 2 (Newport News Dem - 7/6/2006 7:36:34 AM)
GOP house members in Newport News, both unopposed in their last election. That will no happen in 2007. Glen Oder and Phil Hamilton are part of the "moderate" wing, some say are are close to being democrats. However, they stuck with the "no road right" in the house leadership, and held up a collective middle finger to Governor Kaine.

Delegate Waldrup was quoted as saying the House Republicans "are not to be toyed with". We will toy with them next year!



We need to do a lot of "toying," I think (Lowell - 7/6/2006 7:38:33 AM)
It's time to take back the Virginia General Assembly from the right-wing extremists and help Tim Kaine make our state a better place to live.


I live in the 27th (thegools - 7/6/2006 4:09:44 PM)
I am proud to say I voted for Potts over Tate in 2003.  (Tate really is bad.)  That year there was not a viable Dem even contesting Potts in the General. In short the primary was the general.  And it was a tight primary.
  Potts is also the only Republican I have ever given money to.  Potts represents a pragmatic conservative, and is not a polarizing figure (except perhaps within the GOP).  I respect him greatly.  Though I probably would vote for his opponant if there were a decent progressive in the race, I would vote for him willingly over a nut-job like Tate.  Potts is a decent man.


Potts (Craig - 7/6/2006 5:23:45 PM)
...is what the VA GOP used to be in the early 70s, back when Linwood Holton was the head of the party.

Man, it sure has gotten worse.