Albo & Big Tobacco Run With Jim Crow & Joe McCarthy?

In 2007 session, a huge ruckus ensued after Gov. Tim Kaine attempted to amend legislation in order to ban smoking in restaurants. Delegate Dave Albo was roundly criticized here and on several other blogs for being one of only 3 Fairfax County legislators to vote against Governor Kaine's amendment.

Not Larry Sabato's piece, Dave "Altria" Albo, featured one green dot for every dollar of money Delegate Dave Albo has taken from the cigarette manufacturing company, Altria, FKA Phillip Morris and one red dot for every gift dollar he's taken from them. See AMG, Albo: "Nobody Expects Anything in Return" (Apr. 23, 2007). Kenton Ngo also did a post on the topic here comparing Albo's tobacco and alcohol connections.

Well, we all know how Delegate Albo feels about the voters:

"There comes a point where I don't care how big a supporter a group like the home builders is. At a certain point, you have to listen to the voters." Delegate Dave Albo to Marc Fisher, GOP Flag-Burning, Metaphorically Speaking, The Washington Post, C1 (Jan. 14, 2007).

Last time we checked, Delegate Albo had received $16,845 in campaign donations and gifts from tobacco interests and over $130,000 from the alcohol industry which includes restaurants. AMG, Albo: "Nobody Expects Anything in Return" (Apr. 23, 2007). The Virginian-Pilot pointed out that Delegate Albo ranked second in the entire House of Delegates for tobacco money in the 2005-2007 cycle.

So has Delegate Dave Albo listened to the voters or is he listening to the "big . . . supporter . . . groups"?? Here's what he told the Washington Times last month:

"If the restaurant guys and ladies want to be regulated, I think something could be done," said Delegate David B. Albo, Fairfax Republican. "Until then, you have the same problems with these bills we have had for years: It is un-American to come into someone's restaurant or bar and tell them what to do with their family business." Virginia restauranters want state to butt out, Washington Times, (Dec. 28, 2007).

That's an interesting argument on several levels. First, it brings back to mind these quotes from Delegate Albo regarding the role of special interest money on his voting habits. First, regarding campaign donations and gifts:

"Nobody expects anything in return. It's a chance to talk. That's what we do," he said."Lobbies Treated Va. Lawmakers to $211,000 in Gifts, Food, Trips," Washington Post, B05 (Feb. 4, 2005).

Second, this argument about regulating family businesses being "unamerican." It's an interesting argument style because it's not something that is really capable of being argued on any rational level - practically every american probably has a different version of what is "un-american" and what is not.

So where was that last kind of argument also used in recent history? Hmmmmm...... Well, for starters, there is Joseph McCarthy - the bomb throwing, communist hunting chairman of the House Senate Unamerican Activities Committee who was ultimately censured by the U.S. Senate for using his office to engage in demagogic, reckless, unsubstantiated personal attacks. Then there's these guys:

The Heart of Atlanta motel was a large, 216-room motel in Atlanta, Georgia, which refused to rent rooms to black patrons, in direct violation of the terms of the [Civil Rights Act of 1964]. The owner of the motel filed suit in federal court, arguing that the requirements of the act exceeded the authority granted to Congress over interstate commerce. In addition, the owner argued that the act violated his Fifth Amendment rights to choose customers and operate his business as he wished and resulted in unjust deprivation of his property without due process of law and just compensation. Finally, the owner argued that Congress had placed him in a position of involuntary servitude by forcing him to rent available rooms to blacks, thereby violating his Thirteenth Amendment rights. Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, Wikipedia.

"Un-American" Delegate Albo? Glad to see that you're using the argumentative tactics of Joe McCarthy and segregationists to make your point. You've have reached a new low in you efforts to justify rejecting your constituents views in favor of special interest donors.