The ad features video of Stephen Baskerville, former president of the American Coalition of Fathers and Children, speaking out against child support and women being granted custody of their children after divorce. "Child support effectively acts as a kind of subsidy on divorce," Baskerville says in the footage. "It enables and even encourages mothers to simply walk away, take the children with them and basically plunder the father for everything he has."
The fathers' rights movement also contends that men are frequently the victims of false domestic violence accusations, and its activists have lobbied against no-fault divorce, which allows a woman to divorce her spouse without having to prove adultery or physical abuse. Cuccinelli offered two bills as a state senator in line with the movement's objectives: one that would have prevented a parent from obtaining a no-fault divorce if the other parent objects, and another that would have encouraged judges to penalize a woman who asked for a no-fault divorce in custody and visitation battles. Baskerville wrote a 2005 op-ed praising Cuccinelli [ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/feb/5/20050205-101557-3756r/?page=all ] for "countering the 'no-fault' divorce epidemic."
A recent Washington Post article further explored Cuccinelli's ties to the fathers' rights movement [ http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-08-28/local/41535971_1_rights-groups-rights-movement-terry-mcauliffe ] and its leaders. As a lawyer, Cuccinelli counted as one of his clients Ron M. Grignol Jr., the former leader of the group Fathers for Virginia, which works for "fathers and their children." And, according to the Post article, fathers' rights groups have campaigned for Cuccinelli.
“Ken Cuccinelli believes that children are best served having both their mother and father in their lives and he will not apologize for his efforts to encourage strong Virginia families," Nix said.
Ken Cuccinelli's Environmental Record Attacked in New Campaign
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli listens during a joint forum on energy at GMU School of Law Auditorium. (Photo by Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
By Kate Sheppard Posted: 09/05/2013 5:42 pm EDT | Updated: 09/05/2013 6:06 pm EDT
The Sierra Club launched a new website on Thursday attacking Virginia's Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli's positions on environmental issues as "extreme."
"For years, those of us fighting for clean air, clean water, and climate action have seen Ken Cuccinelli abuse his authority, waste taxpayer dollars, and sacrifice our healthy future for his extreme agenda," said Glen Besa, state director for the Sierra Club of Virginia, in a statement. "We're not going to let him hide this extreme record from Virginia voters while he runs for Governor."
The group said it would be mobilizing its 60,000 members in the state to campaign against Cuccinelli through Election Day. The group said it will also be sending organizers to college campuses across the state.
The Cuccinelli campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the Sierra Club's allegations.
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