Virginia Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli said he will not take a position on the Republican proposed redistricting plan because he must remain impartial should the bill become law and face a legal challenge. Breaking with Virginia tradition, Cuccinelli has decided to finish out his term as attorney general while he runs for governor, prompting his opponent to say that such a potential conflict of interest leave voters uncertain on where he stands on certain issues
But Cuccinelli did take a stance on another controversial issue in the Commonwealth. Cuccinelli told Slate that he opposes the GOP-proposed plan to split up the state's electoral college votes by district--an overhaul to the state's current winner-take all system.
VIA Slate's Dave Weigel:
I don't like breaking up states," Cuccinelli told me after a panel discussion at the National Review Institute's post-election summit. "I think winner-take-all is part of how a state matters as a sovereign entity. You know, our side would have gotten more votes this go-round, but I want people to have to fight to win the whole state.
ICYMI: The Washington Times has an explanation of a bipartisan package of bills that Cuccinelli is pushing to address difficulties experienced by both candidates and voters in recent years.
* By now, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s fans have all seen this picture of their beloved governor’s bicep. And on Sunday, a Buzzfeed reporter snapped this shot of a shirtless O’Malley participating in the annual Polar Bear Plunge. It turns out, O’Malley’s got abs too.
After seeing this photo, the Atlantic Wire drew comparisons between O’Malley’s chiseled physique and that of another famously fit politician: Rep. Paul Ryan.
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And, seriously, look at that man's chest. He's the one in the middle with the six-pack and the chest of a professional wrestler. O'Malley is 50 years old. He is eight years older than Paul Ryan. What are they putting in the water in Maryland?
But we never actually got to see a photo of Ryan’s abs, leaving everyone to question if O’Malley actually has the best abs of any politician.
Big questions on a Monday morning.
IN OTHER NEWS:
* Jeff Schapiro: Va. Senate Democrats are divided, dysfunctional and naïve.
* Dems should get O’Malley and others into the presidential fray. They need more than just Hillary Clinton vying for the nomination.
* Prince George’s County Board of Education voted to rescind it’s opposition to creating a task force that would study the composition of the school board and another that would install artificial turf fields at county high schools.
* Virginia GOP lawmakers endanger Gov. Bob McDonnell’s legacy.
* Maryland Senators wrestle with death penalty vote.
* See Metro’s inauguration Day performance, by the numbers.
* D.C. ends fiscal year with $400 million surplus, officials say.
