This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/its-always-just-you-sit-there-and-you-be-good-and-just-vote-with-us/2016/02/11/3e45bae8-d0b2-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Black state lawmaker shares deep frustrations with her own party Black state lawmaker shares deep frustrations with her own party
(about 2 hours later)
RICHMOND — The Democratic state senator who stunned Gov. Terry McAuliffe and other allies this week by briefly siding with Republicans in a judicial battle said she rebelled because leaders of her own party have not taken the concerns of black lawmakers seriously. RICHMOND — The Democratic state senator who almost helped Republicans win a bitter judicial-nomination battle this week said she rebelled against Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and his allies because she believes leaders of her party have ignored black lawmakers’ concerns.
Sen. L. Louise Lucas (Portsmouth) said her short-lived alliance with the GOP had little to do with who sits on the judiciary. Sen. L. Louise Lucas (Portsmouth) said her short-lived alliance with the GOP had little to do with who sits on the bench.
Instead, she said, her move was the culmination of long-simmering grievances with fellow Senate Democrats, who she said have passed over black senators for key committee assignments, taken their votes for granted and failed to help them in partisan and personal battles with Republicans. Instead, she said, her move grew out of long-simmering grievances with fellow Senate Democrats, who she said have passed over black senators for key committee slots, taken their votes for granted and left them to fend for themselves in partisan and personal battles with Republicans.
“This has been going on for five years, and I’m getting tired of being treated like I’m invisible and that what we, the members of the black caucus, think and feel and say doesn’t matter,” Lucas said in an emotional hour-long interview with The Washington Post and the Virginian-Pilot. “It’s always just, ‘You sit there and you be good and just vote with us and we’ll take care of you.’ Well, I didn’t get elected to do that.” “I’m getting tired of being treated like I’m invisible,” Lucas said in an emotional interview with The Washington Post and the Virginian-Pilot. “It’s always just, ‘You sit there and you be good and just vote with us and we’ll take care of you.’ Well, I didn’t get elected to do that.”
[Va. Democrat bolts party amid court fight, but quickly reneges][Va. Democrat bolts party amid court fight, but quickly reneges]
Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said he has pushed hard for Lucas and other members of the black caucus, while juggling all of his responsibilities as the Democratic legislative leader. Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said he has pushed hard for Lucas and the rest of the black caucus while juggling many other responsibilities.
“It’s no state secret, I can be a little insensitive from time to time,” said Saslaw. “I do have a lot of things going on. Sometimes people feel ignored. ... [But] I have an impeccable civil rights voting record. I’ve done a lot of things behind the scenes, prevented a lot of bad things from happening. Sometimes people don’t see that.” “It’s no state secret, I can be a little insensitive from time to time,” Saslaw said. “Sometimes people feel ignored. ... [But] I have an impeccable civil rights voting record. I’ve done a lot of things behind the scenes, prevented a lot of bad things from happening. Sometimes people don’t see that.”
Lucas’s brief break with the Democrats appears to have had no impact on the long-running drama over which judge should fill a vacancy on the state Supreme Court, which is back to a stalemate. But the episode has laid bare a painful racial rift within the Democratic caucus. The rift comes at a particularly awkward time for McAuliffe, just a few weeks before Virginia’s March 1 presidential primary, as the governor tries to persuade the same minority-heavy coalition that twice played a key role in sending Barack Obama to the White House to back his close friend, Hillary Clinton. Lucas’s brief break with the Democrats ultimately did not impact Richmond’s protracted tug-of-war over a Supreme Court slot, which is back to a stalemate. But the episode exposed a painful racial fissure within the Democratic caucus. The rift comes at a particularly awkward time for McAuliffe, who is trying to persuade the same minority-heavy coalition that twice played a key role in electing President Obama to back the governor’s close friend, Hillary Clinton, in the March 1 presidential primary.
But there was some upside for McAuliffe, too. Lucas credited him for taking her complaints against fellow Democrats seriously and summoning party leaders to his office Wednesday in an attempt to work them out. He also managed to talk Lucas out of helping the GOP replace his pick for the high court, heading off what would have been a humiliating loss. Yet there was some upside for McAuliffe, too. Lucas credited him for taking her complaints seriously and summoning party leaders to his office on Wednesday in an attempt to work them out. He also talked Lucas out of helping the GOP replace his pick for the high court, at least temporarily heading off a humiliating loss.
In the interview, Lucas said Saslaw has not done enough to resolve a long-running battle she has had with Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment (R-James City). In explaining the underlying beef with Norment, Lucas described a profane verbal clash that took place in a private lounge just off the ornate Senate floor. She also recalled a fight that she said nearly turned physical, in another Senate anteroom, between herself and another female Democratic senator. Lucas said part of her frustration with Saslaw comes from what she described as unwillingness on his part to help resolve a long-running battle between her and Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment (R-James City). She described Saslaw’s relationship with Norment as “cozy, cozy.”
Both accounts present a sharp break with the seemingly genteel operations of Richmond’s upper chamber, where senators publicly observe strict protocol even in the midst of fiercely partisan debates. In explaining the underlying beef with Norment, Lucas described a profane verbal clash that took place three years ago in a private lounge just off the ornate Senate floor. She also recalled a fight in another Senate anteroom between herself and another female Democrat, which she said nearly turned physical.
Norment, in particular, usually stands as a symbol of that gentility, enforcing arcane rules, lacing speeches with old-fashioned flourishes, and decking out his slight frame in formal three-piece suits. Lucas’s description puts him in the middle of a verbal street fight — one that erupted three years ago when she asked Norment why he had not wanted her to serve on a panel studying Hampton Roads transportation, a top concern in her traffic-choked district. Both accounts present a sharp break with the seemingly genteel operations of Richmond’s upper chamber, where senators publicly observe strict protocol even in the midst of fiercely partisan debates. Norment, in particular, usually stands as a symbol of that gentility, enforcing arcane rules, speaking with old-fashioned flourishes. Slight of stature, he is known for sporting formal three-piece suits and bright pink ties.
But Lucas said he was far from courtly three years ago when she asked why he would not put her on a panel studying Hampton Roads transportation, a top concern in her traffic-choked district.
“Tommy said, ‘The reason why I don’t want to vote for you is because you ain’t gonna do s---,’ ” Lucas said. “And I said, ‘Just watch my black ass.’ ... And he says, ‘I don’t want to watch your black ass.’ And I said, ‘Well then, you keep your little narrow white ass, little J.C. Penney, little-boys-department wearing suits out of my [expletive] face.’ ”“Tommy said, ‘The reason why I don’t want to vote for you is because you ain’t gonna do s---,’ ” Lucas said. “And I said, ‘Just watch my black ass.’ ... And he says, ‘I don’t want to watch your black ass.’ And I said, ‘Well then, you keep your little narrow white ass, little J.C. Penney, little-boys-department wearing suits out of my [expletive] face.’ ”
Through a spokesman, Norment said Lucas’s account was “a prevarication.” He also said that he put himself on the transportation panel, instead of Lucas, because “it did not have a senator representing the Peninsula,” a part of the state that he serves. Lucas said Saslaw walked in on the argument, and she called him over. Instead of getting involved, she said, “he makes a bee-line out.”
Lucas said the exchange three years ago prompted several other people in the room to erupt into laughter. But when Saslaw walked in and she called him over, he chose not to get drawn into the argument. Through a spokesman, Norment called Lucas’s account “a prevarication.” He said that he put himself on the transportation panel, instead of Lucas, because the group lacked representation from the Peninsula, an area he serves.
“He makes a bee-line out,” she recalled. Lucas also described nearly coming to blows years ago with Sen. Janet Howell after the Fairfax Democrat chastised her. “She said, ‘Where were you when I needed your vote?’ ” Lucas recalled. “And I said, ‘When did I become your [expletive] servant?’ ” The argument, which began in the chamber, grew so loud that the Senate clerk shooed them into a back room, Lucas said.
While Lucas said her relationship with Norment has not improved, what upsets her most is that she thinks Saslaw has done little to mediate. She described Saslaw’s relationship with Norment as “cozy, cozy.” Howell did not respond to a request for comment about the incident.
Lucas’s frustration with Saslaw, and her feeling that she is often cut out of the action, led her to briefly strike the judicial deal this week — ironically, with Norment playing a key role. Such clashes, Lucas said, added to the frustration she feels as a result of a succession of perceived slights from other lawmakers. She noted, for example, that she and Howell joined the Senate on the same day in 1992, but Howell, who is white, landed a seat on the prestigious finance committee many years before Lucas did.
Rumors were flying on Tuesday that another Democrat was going to agree to back the GOP’s pick for the Supreme Court, Appeals Court Judge Rossie Alston, in exchange for getting to elevate a judge from their district to Alston’s slot. On Tuesday, Lucas heard a rumor that another Senate Democrat was going to back the GOP’s pick for the Supreme Court, Appeals Court Judge Rossie Alston, in exchange for getting to elevate a judge from that person’s district to Alston’s current slot. McAuliffe and the GOP had been battling for weeks over the court seat, and the defection of a single Democratic senator meant the Republicans would win.
Lucas wondered why she never seemed to get chances to make deals like that. After talking with Norment, she offered her vote to the GOP, as long as a judge she supported from Portsmouth would get to replace Alston. Lucas wondered why deals like that never seemed to come her way. She found herself talking to Norment, her old GOP nemesis. In the end, she said, she agreed to give her own vote to the GOP, as long as a judge she supported from Portsmouth — Circuit Court Judge Kenneth R. Melvin — would get to replace Alston.
As news of the deal with Lucas spread, the Democrats bore down. Lucas was summoned to meet with McAuliffe Tuesday afternoon. Soon afterward she issued a statement saying the judge she had wanted to elevate was not interested in a promotion. She said she no longer planned to side with the GOP. As news of her defection spread, McAuliffe called Lucas in for a meeting. Soon afterward the senator issued a statement saying Melvin was not interested in a promotion. She was back in the Democratic fold.
“I said [to Saslaw], ‘If I’ve got to work my own deals because I can’t get you to resolve the differences between us ...,’ ” she recalled in the interview, her voice trailing off and tears coming to her eyes. “But it was the wrong time, wasn’t it? I picked the wrong thing.” On Wednesday morning, McAuliffe brought in Howell, Saslaw and Democratic caucus chairman Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) to meet with Lucas and Sen. Mamie E. Locke (D-Hampton), an ally of Lucas’s who is also in the Senate’s five-member black caucus.
Lucas said she thinks fellow Democrats have taken her vote for granted for years. She described nearly coming to blows years ago with Sen. Janet Howell after the Fairfax Democrat chastised her for not supporting a different judicial nominee. “I said [to Saslaw], ‘If I’ve got to work my own deals because I can’t get you to resolve the differences between us ...,’ ” Lucas recalled in the interview, her voice trailing off, eyes welling. “But it was the wrong time, wasn’t it? I picked the wrong thing.”
“She said, ‘Where were you when I needed your vote?’ ” Lucas recalled. “And I said, ‘When did I become your [expletive] servant?’ ” Lucas said she has complained over the years not just to Saslaw but to McEachin, who is black. She said McEachin has listened, but working through Saslaw, has been unable to help. Through an aide, McEachin declined to comment on internal caucus matters.
The argument, which began on the floor of the chamber, grew so loud that the Senate clerk shooed them into a back room, Lucas said. Saslaw said he had tried to help Lucas advance in a chamber where party control has switched back and forth in recent years. “The only time we’ve had committee assignments since I’ve been in leadership was in January 2008, and she got put on finance then,” he said. “I made things happen for her.”
“I start taking my coat off because it was about to be on,” Lucas said. She said the clerk broke up the fight. Sen. Barbara A. Favola (D-Arlington) called Saslaw “a very decent and fair leader. His values are in the right place.  ... You don’t want to be in a foxhole with anybody else but Dick Saslaw.”
Howell did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. On Wednesday morning, McAuliffe brought Howell, Saslaw and caucus chairman Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) to his office to meet with Lucas and Sen. Mamie E. Locke (D-Hampton), another member of the black caucus who shares Lucas’s concerns.
In the interview, Lucas described a succession of perceived slights that have built up over the years. She noted that she and Howell took office on the same day in 1992, but Howell, who is white, landed a seat on the prestigious finance committee 16 years ahead of her. Howell also has served as a budget negotiator in the crucial deal-making that happens when the House and Senate try to reconcile their spending plans. Lucas said she has sought but never been given that opportunity.
She said she has complained over the years not just to Saslaw but to McEachin, who in addition to chairing the Democratic caucus is also a member of the black caucus. But she put the blame for her frustration squarely on Saslaw. She said McEachin has listened, even traveling to Portsmouth at times to hear her out. But working through Saslaw, she said, McEachin has been unable to help.
Through an aide, McEachin said he would not comment on internal caucus matters.
Saslaw defended himself in two brief phone interviews with The Post, saying he had tried to help Lucas advance in a chamber where party control has changed back and forth several times in recent years.
“The only time we’ve had committee assignments since I’ve been in leadership was in January 2008, and she got put on Finance then,” he said. “I made things happen for her.”
Sen. Barbara A. Favola (D-Arlington) defended Saslaw’s leadership as tenacious, fair and perhaps underappreciated, because so much of what he pulls off is done behind the scenes.
“Dick is a very decent and fair leader,” she said. “He has a lot of stuff to deal with. He’s got personalities. He’s got people’s personal agendas — some of them good, some of them bad. He’s got leadership issues. He’s got the governor to deal with. And he manages it all with grace and humor, and his values are in the right place. . . . You don’t want to be in a foxhole with anybody else but Dick Saslaw.”