Northam vows to finish term, focus on racial inequality in Virginia

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Saturday vowed to spend his remaining three years in office remedying “ongoing inequities” related to race in the commonwealth, saying he "overreacted" when a blackface yearbook picture first roiled his administration eight days ago.

“It’s obvious from what happened this week that we still have a lot of work to do. There are still some very deep wounds in Virginia, and especially in the area of equity,” Northam told The Washington Post in his first interview since the racist photo on his medical school yearbook page surfaced on Feb. 1.

“There are ongoing inequities to access to things like education, health care, mortgages, capital, entrepreneurship,” the governor said. “And so this has been a real, I think, an awakening for Virginia. It has really raised the level of awareness for racial issues in Virginia. And so we’re ready to learn from our mistakes.”

Northam cast himself as uniquely qualified to lead the commonwealth out of its deep state of division, and continued to insist that he is neither of the subjects in the photo that pictures one man in blackface makeup and another in a Ku Klux Klansman costume.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/09/northam-virginia-governor-race-1160764

[underpants]

1. Surprised but then not

From my reading there is no mechanism to oust a Governor here unless THEY declare themselves unable.

I could post my post when I called this - he takes the slings and arrows but starts the needed conversation- but I didn't really need to.

[cstanleytech]

3. No, he like other elected officials can be impeached but what he did decades ago is not

a crime and thus not an impeachable offense.

[underpants]

5. I stand corrected. Thanks.

Article IV. Legislature
Section 17. Impeachment
The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, judges, members of the State Corporation Commission, and all officers appointed by the Governor or elected by the General Assembly, offending against the Commonwealth by malfeasance in office, corruption, neglect of duty, or other high crime or misdemeanor may be impeached by the House of Delegates and prosecuted before the Senate, which shall have the sole power to try impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, the senators shall be on oath or affirmation, and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators present. Judgment in case of impeachment shall not extend further than removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the Commonwealth; but the person convicted shall nevertheless be subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law. The Senate may sit during the recess of the General Assembly for the trial of impeachments.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article4/section17/

[IronLionZion]

2. I'm guessing Fairfax will be forced to resign

but the 2 blackface guys will finish out their terms and all will be forgotten until the next state mysteriously finds all their Dems taken down at the same time by stories originating in RW blogs

[cstanleytech]

4. They can try to force him to but he has not been charged let alone convicted of a crime in a

court of law and until that happens he will probably stay because if he resigns it will be taken by many as an admission of guilt.

[SunSeeker]

6. Northam is basically vowing to do what Rev. Barber said he should do. nt

[DallasNE]

7. Rev William Barber

He can certainly articulate the issue better than I can so I'm not even going to try. And it goes hand in hand with what Gov. Northam is saying here.

I always thought there was an element of knee-jerk reaction to this and I had Sen. Byrd in mind. Let's how Northam does at redemption and then judge him.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211797872