McAuliffe: Possible Texas Takeover ‘One Of The Dumbest Things I’ve Ever Heard’

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe speaks about a new program for veterans to receive health care closer to home during an event at the Appomattox Area Health and Wellness Center in Petersburg, Va. Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. ... Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe speaks about a new program for veterans to receive health care closer to home during an event at the Appomattox Area Health and Wellness Center in Petersburg, Va. Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. This was one of his first public events since a four-day hospitalization at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center for treatment of an injury sustained when he was thrown from a horse during a vacation. (AP Photo/The Progress-Index, Patrick Kane) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said Thursday that his Texas counterpart’s decision to ask the State Guard to monitor a planned U.S. military training exercise was “one of the dumbest things” he’s ever heard.

McAuliffe offered his unsolicited take in an interview with WJLA’s Bruce DePuyt. The governor jumped into conversation at the top of the show after DePuyt previewed a later segment about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) decision to have the State Guard monitor the exercise, dubbed “Jade Helm 15,” to ensure that Texans’ rights are protected.

“I gotta say on the Texas situation, it has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard to bring out your guard to follow the military around,” McAuliffe told DePuyt.

The Virginia Democrat pointed out that his state is the country’s top beneficiary of defense spending and welcomed Texas businesses who consider Abbott’s use of the State Guard “a waste of time and resources” to come to Virginia.

“We’re too busy for that foolishness in Virginia,” he added. “We’ve got serious things to do.”

McAuliffe is the latest politician to pile on Abbott for asking a state agency to monitor federal troops. Some conservatives have only added fuel to the fire in recent weeks, though, by saying that they understand the concerns of Texans who believe “Jade Helm 15” is a cover for something more nefarious like the implementation of martial law.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for jw1 jw1 says:

    Here at TPM-- I’ve attempted to defend the state I live in from ad hominem slurs over the years.
    But this?

    And here I thought that Greg Abbott had a wisp of intelligence.
    Now? All I can muster is-- Abbott you ignorant MFer.

    Now-- I-- and my state-- have to admit to laughingstock-status.

    jw1

  2. Well, the dumbest thing I ever heard of was over at RightWingWatch where Uncle Ben said God appeared to him in a dream and gave him a sort of celestial crib sheet so he could ace a chemistry exam.

    Course these guys STILL keep talking. so you never know what they’ll come up with next.

  3. Thank you for this, it made my day, ha ha ha ha…

  4. You think this is the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard? Wait a week or two. The way the rhetoric is evolving on the right, this nonsense will look like a normal day.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

76 more replies

Participants

Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for webcelt Avatar for slbinva Avatar for jw1 Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for leftflank Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for chammy Avatar for manhattan123 Avatar for commiedearest Avatar for dswx Avatar for arrrrrj Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for meangreen Avatar for fourlegsgood Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for native8merlynder Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for darrtown Avatar for beattycat Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for kwd101 Avatar for sockbunny

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: