Ahead of the State Board of Elections (SBE) meeting to determine whether or not the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) will be allowed to rescind their notorious pledge, The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) seeks to set the record straight: pledge or no pledge, the damage is done and RPV has no one to blame but themselves.

“The Republican Party of Virginia’s reckless actions have forced taxpayers to pay for their highly unpopular political saga, plain and simple,” said Emily Bolton of the Democratic Party of Virginia. “The Republican Party of Virginia’s attempt to blame Democrats for the pledge saga is exactly the type of stunt Trump himself would pull, which illustrates how low Virginia Republicans are willing to sink in this election. While Republicans desperately try to sweep this under the rug, they should know one thing: the Virginia Republican brand is tarnished, and the time it will take to recover will far surpass Super Tuesday.”

Yesterday, in a stunning flip flop, RPV reversed course on the pledge it had previous deemed as its “right” while citing its “duty to defend its First Amendment right to free association” as justification for the costs Virginia taxpayers are forced to bear for their stunt. This was just over two weeks ago.

After the vote to withdraw the pledge, RPV Chair Whitbeck merely stated “we unanimously voted to rescind it.” At the same time, a press release from the RPV laughably attempted to blame Democrats for the RPV’s self-made controversy.

Even conservative Bearing Drift blogger Brian Schoeneman rejected RPV’s remarks stating, “That RPV would have the audacity to try to blame their screw up on anybody but themselves is more than disheartening – it’s an insult to the intelligence of every voter in the Commonwealth, a desperate attempt at turd polishing that is more transparent than half the stuff in Miley Cyrus’s closet.” Schoneneman finished up with this, “If a few months of bad publicity is enough to justify violating the Constitutional entitlement of equal protection for every voter by altering the terms of an election that’s already started, it’s time for a Augean-style cleansing of RPV.”

Let’s take a look at who’s really to blame:

• RPV implements a pledge that it tries to brand as a “statement of affiliation” [12/16/2015]
• Outrage ensues across the political spectrum; RPV becomes international embarrassment as Trump takes his ire to Twitter [12/28/2015]
• Trump supporters file a federal lawsuit over the pledge [1/6/2016]
• RPV is named as a defendant in Trump supporters’ lawsuit [1/11/2016]
• Absentee voting in Virginia begins [1/14/2016]
• Federal court rules in favor of State Board of Elections & RPV; RPV doubles down on pledge rhetoric [1/14/2016]
• RPV scraps plans to implement the pledge and attempts to sweep the whole saga under the rug…after votes have already been cast and taxpayers have already paid for it [1/30/2016]

RPV’s actions FORCED Virginia taxpayers to foot the legal costs, printing costs, and other associated costs for the pledge. RPV became an international embarrassment, they alienated their base, and many other Virginians. Whatever happens in the coming days, no one is to blame but the Republican Party of Virginia.