The Budding Rand Paul–Bob McDonnell Flame War

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.).Andrew Shurtleff/ZumaPress.com

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On Saturday, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signed into law a sweeping transportation funding bill that lowers the state gas tax, raises the sales tax, and ultimately aims to bring in $1 billion a year in new funding. It was, as Politico‘s Alex Burns wrote, just the kind of signature accomplishment McDonnell had been looking for as he prepares to leave office next January.

But for allies of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, McDonnell’s possible 2016 presidential rival, the transportation bill is something else entirely: disqualifying. Here’s a fundraising email blasted out on Monday by the Campaign for Liberty, the organization chaired by former Rep. Ron Paul (Rand’s father) and actively supported by the senator:

As the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Bob “Tax Hike” McDonnell’s sellout has ramifications for EVERY man, woman and child in America.

It’s no secret Bob McDonnell has ambitions to run for President.

Needless to say, after this massive tax hike on Virginia citizens – and cave in on ObamaCare – a dog catcher with a record like this is the last thing we need, let alone a President.

And here’s a piece Campaign for Liberty president John Tate published at Business Insider on Wednesday:

Business Insider

The good news for McDonnell, anyway, is that he’s finally being associated with something other than transvaginal ultrasounds.

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Owned by no one—except you.

We just keep seeing it happen: Newsrooms owned by billionaires and corporations are spinning their own narratives, overwriting the truth, following only stories that keep them in the pocket of those with even more power.

Not here. We’re not owned by anyone. We’re not part of any cult that demands our allegiance to a bottom line. We’ve spoken up and spoken out while other newsrooms changed their stories—or cut them altogether—to keep the C suite happy.

Our mission is to find the truth and amplify it. That’s why we’re independent, nonprofit, and, crucially, funded by readers. The investigations on our website will always be free to read, watch, and listen to, but our newsroom is powered by readers who pitch in what they can so we can keep asking the hard questions.

Can you chip in today?

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