Hillary Clinton: ‘Proud of My Friend’ Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe for Granting Voting Rights to Violent Felons

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton praised her former campaign chair, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, for granting thousands of violent felons the right to vote, and tweeted she’s “proud” of him for “breaking down barriers.”

McAuliffe used identical language when announcing his unilateral order, which effectively declares that if some people willingly violate society’s standards, those standards become “barriers” that society itself “must break down.”

“If we are going to build a stronger and more equal Virginia, we must break down barriers to participation in civic life for people who return to society seeking a second chance,” he said in his statement.

McAuliffe is a longtime ally of the Clintons. He served as co-chair for former president Bill Clinton’s re-election campaign, as head of the Democratic National Committee, and as Clinton’s 2008 campaign chair. He has remained open to becoming her running mate should she clinch the 2016 Democratic nomination.