NSA Scandal

Like most Americans, I was disheartened to discover that the American people are still being spied on by the government.  During his initial run for the Presidency in 2008, President Barack Obama promised to end the unconstitutional wholesale spying on the American people that had occurred under the Bush Administration.  This campaign promise was one of the principle reasons I voted for President Obama in 2008.  To say the least, I was very saddened to learn through the leaks provided by Edward Snowden that the government is still spying on the American people in large numbers without probable cause.

The recent press conference that President Obama held about two weeks ago did not satisfy me in terms of believing that the American people were not being spied on in a wholesale manner.  The safeguards that the President talked about are not adequate and just recently the Chief Judge of the FISA Court that is responsible for approving wiretaps has stated that the Court does not have proper safeguards to ensure that innocent Americans are not spied upon.

Mr. President, the buck stops here with you.  You are responsible for ensuring that there are significant safeguards to prevent unnecessary spying upon the American people in violation of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.  You, sir, as a constitutional professor of law, should have been monitoring this program more closely, and should have made sure that it was being run correctly.  It is no excuse, Mr. President, that you have other things to do.  Protecting the Constitutional Rights of the American people is one of your chief responsibilities.  I am highly disappointed in you sir.  And, if you were a knowing participant in illegal spying on the American people you should be impeached.

I stated in my run for Congress in 2008 that if a President of the United States violated the Constitution of the United States, whether they be Republican or Democrat, they should be impeached and removed from office.  Let me be clear. There is no evidence that the President knowingly violated the Constitution that would lead to his impeachment and removal at this time.  However, if such evidence did come to the surface, then certainly President Obama would have to be impeached and removed in my opinion.  That would break my heart because I have supported this President with all my being, and I still support the President on many of his programs, but no President, regardless of party, must be allowed to violate the Constitution of the United States and remain in office.

Named one of the "Top Lawyers in Washington DC" in 2013

I have recently been honored to have been named one of the Top Lawyers in Washington DC in 2013 by the Legal Network.  This honor does not belong to me alone. It belongs also to my superb office staff that I have assembled over the last few years.  During my legal career I have fought for the common person in dealing with their everyday struggles in the workplace, and in society in general, to attempt to make our society a more fair and open place.  I will continue to do so over the coming years but I cannot do so alone, and I could not have achieved this honor without the superb staff that I have assembled.  Thank you to my staff!

New e-Book Published: Special Education: What Every Parent and Lawyer Needs to Know

I wanted to let you know that I recently published an eBook on Special Education.  Education was also a critical component  in my campaign for Governor.  I will endeavor to continue to fight for quality education for all children regardless of their station in life.  Hopefully this book will help those children with disabilities obtain the quality education they deserve.

You can find the book on Smashwords by following this link:

Special Education: What Every Parent and Lawyer Needs to Know

Solar Paneling

I wanted to share that my wife, Michelle and I had solar paneling installed on our house in Falls Church Virginia this summer.  As you are aware, providing green jobs and a greener environment in the Commonwealth was a mainstay of my campaign for Governor of the Commonwealth last year.  I sincerely believe that every one of us can make a difference in helping combat global warming, no matter how small or large that individual effort might be.  Simple things make a difference, like walking to the store, riding a bike, using metro instead of using a car all the time to go where we need to.  I certainly would encourage those who can afford to do so to place solar paneling on their homes and businesses.  I would encourage people to look into different tax credits to defray some of the initial costs of putting solar paneling on a home or business.  I firmly believe that these tax incentives both at the state and federal level should be expanded so more and more individuals and businesses can put in solar paneling.  And I deeply believe that our leaders at both the state and national levels should set examples for the rest of us.  I call on President Obama to put as much solar paneling in his remaining term as possible on Federal Buildings.  And I call on the next Governor of the Commonwealth to place solar paneling on the Governor's mansion, regardless of who becomes the next Governor.