House Leadership Pressure Warner and Webb

Speaker Howell and Appropriations Committee Chairmen Putney pressure Senators Webb and Warner to oppose the Senate health reform bill. In the letter Howell and Putney note that because the Obama-Reid bill greatly expands Medicaid eligibility, "states will still be saddled with significant cost increases to meet these new obligations beyond the next five year.

Click on the letter below to read full text.

Double-Digit Unemployment of deflation signals a Doom Day for Democrats in Midterm Elections

With the unemployment rate passing 10 percent, the midterm election forecast for Democrats looks grim.

Below are some thoughts from Public Opinion Strategies:

The last time unemployment broke the ten-point barrier, in 1982, Republicans who held the White House under President Reagan, lost 26 seats in the House.

Unemployment and inflation together are commonly called the Misery Index. The rules are simple: of the last 15 elections, 13 were “Change” elections in which the party that held the White House lost seats in Congress. In those “Change” elections, the average Misery Index in October going into Election Day was 10.1 and the average loss was 26 seats in the House; including, some real drubbings of more than 45 seats. The Index is at 10.02 now.

But the Index is growing faster than just unemployment. Through the Spring and early Summer, the cause for a smaller Misery Index was aided by a couple of points of deflation. Since Fall, deflation has all but disappeared, causing America’s cumulative Misery Index to rise a point-and-a-half in October alone. We all know that unemployment has been going up since Summer, but American’s scarce greenbacks don’t go as far as they did just a couple of months ago.

Read full article from Public Opinion Strategies.

With conditions worse than in 1982, it appears that history will once again repeat itself and Democrats will take the fall.

Jeff McWaters to Replace Sen. Stolle

Jeff McWaters defeated Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson on Saturday in a Republican primary in Virginia Beach's 8th Senate district. And already it looks promising that he will soon be replacing outgoing state Sen. Kenneth Stolle. It appears that Democrats are not expected to field a candidate but have until Friday to register one. So as of this moment, McWaters is running unopposed.

McWaters, making his first leap for an elected position, earned 4,775 votes to Wilson's 2,815.

Read Full Story from Virginian Pilot

McDonnell on Steve Hunt's Victory

Press Release from the Governor-elect

RICHMOND- Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today regarding the nomination of Steve Hunt as the Republican candidate for the State Senate in the 37th District.

“I congratulate Steve Hunt on winning our Party’s nomination for State Senator for the 37th District. And I also applaud Marianne Horinko and Will Nance for campaigns well run. This November, Virginians gained a great Attorney General in Ken Cuccinelli. At the same time however, the citizens of the 37th District lost a highly effective representative on their behalf. With the nomination of Steve Hunt voters in the 37th District have the opportunity to continue to be represented by an individual of principle and integrity, who shares our commitment to creating the jobs we need, keeping taxes low, getting traffic moving again, and improving our public education system. I look forward to campaigning with Steve Hunt and ensuring that the citizens of the 37th District continue to send a dedicated and tireless Senator to Richmond to work for them.”

Steve Hunt Wins 37th

Tonight Steve Hunt captured 955 votes in the firehouse primary for the Republican slot in the 37th senate special election.

Horinko received 479 votes and Nance captured 469 votes.

House Minority Leader in Charge?

Confusion of Power Arises on the Left

Below is an email from the office of the House Minority Leader , Del. Ward Armstrong, regarding an intense Pre- Session appointment process. But, it appears that there is some confusion, Armstrong must have forgotten that he is the Minority Leader and not Majority Leader. It seems a bit odd that the Minority Leader thinks that he is in power. Unless he was in a cave all of November, he should recall the Democrats losing 6 seats and losing almost every key race that they targeted. Is this a joke, or are the Democrats still blinded about their diminishing party strength?

A few reminders regarding the House Democratic Leadership Pre-Session Appointments:

- The deadline for priority requests is 5pm Monday December 7th. Requests received after this will be considered but requests received by this deadline will receive priority.
-Requests will be selected according to a random process. ( ie submitting your request first does not guarantee that you will receive the first selected spot.) This is to ensure all interested parties have equal priority no matter when they chanced to check their email.
- The House Democratic Caucus is offering this as a service for added convenience. There are a limited number of meeting times and we expect heavy demand. Submitting your request by the priority deadline is not a guarantee that we will be able to schedule you. As always, everyone is welcomed and encouraged to schedule meetings with Del. Armstrong, Del. Plum and members of the Democratic Caucus to discuss legislation and concerns during session.
-Efforts will be made to schedule according to your top three requested time slots. If none of your requested time slots are available an alternative will be selected for you and you will be notified for confirmation.
-Once a time has been scheduled for you, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not confirm your appointment by the specified deadline it will be given to someone else.
- You will be notified of your scheduled appointment by close of business December 14 th .
Thank you,

Claire Wilker
Chief of Staff
House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong

Dave Marsden "The Carpetbagger"

According to the Washington Post, Del. Marsden is packing up his bags and moving to the 37th Senate District. Marsden's desperate move seems to come all too late. With the GOP pickup across the state, it looks as though Marsden will do anything to try and salvage the Democratic Party, even if that means moving. His move will startle residents, especially moving this late in the election. Is this the right move for the Democrats? Well, with Tim Kaine at the throne, the Democrats can control the special election date, thus giving Marsden enough time to become an eligible resident of the 37th.

Kaine Bashes Deeds

In a Washington Post article, Kaine told reporters that Deeds ran without his base. He also stated that Deeds lost his campaign for governor because he was unable to energize his base, falling into a Republican trap that led him to shrink from the president and his policies.

Kaine after coming under fire for leaving the state during a State of Emergency, to attend a DNC fundraiser in Arkansas, is now more worried with his political image as DNC Chairmen more than ever. This statement to the Washington Post is seen as distancing himself from his fellow Democrat to further help his future political career. It appears once again Virginia is run by the DNC and not the Governor.

However Kaine was not all negative. He did express optimism of the special election in the 37th Senate District. He believes that Democrats will extend their one-vote majority in the state Senate by winning a special election to replace Sen. Ken Cuccinelli. However the Democrats have yet to announce a single candidate. The only strong candidate that the Democrats could put forward in the area is Delegate Marsden, but many Democrats forget the fact that Marsden does not live in the 37th district. The special election now seems more likely as a pickup for the GOP, with their three formidable candidates running in the firehouse primary; Steve Hunt, Marianne Horinko and Will Nance.

Washington Post Article-http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111603533.html?hpid=newswell

Is It Too Late to Impeach Gov. Kaine?

Where is Tim Kaine?

Governor Tim Kaine declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday night in response to the anticipated effects of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida and the coastal Nor'easter hitting Hampton Roads as well as other portions of the Commonwealth.

"With the National Weather Service indicating that eastern Virginia could experience flooding and storm surge comparable to the affects of a Category 1 hurricane, it's critical that Virginians make the necessary preparations," said Governor Kaine

But did Kaine back up his own words? The answer is no. While Hampton Roads was getting battered by the 8 foot storm surge and winds of over 60 mph, Kaine was preparing for a DNC fundraiser , and not overseeing the preparations for the clean up and relief efforts. Instead of visiting the flooded regions of the Commonwealth to better acess the damage, he flew to Little Rock, Arkansas to raise money for the DNC. Why would a Governor leave the state during a state of emergency? What will it take to get Kaine’s attention?

Governor-Elect Announces Transition Staff Appointments

RICHMOND- Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell announced a number of appointments to his gubernatorial transition staff today. McDonnell made appointments in the areas of policy, personnel and administration.

The transition appointments are listed below:

Janet Polarek- Deputy Director, Personnel and Administration
Polarek was Chief Operations Officer in McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. She was Director of Administration in the Office of the Attorney General, and before that managed McDonnell’s 2005 campaign for Attorney General. Janet also has worked on Capitol Hill as a Press Secretary and has run numerous campaigns in Virginia.

Eric Finkbeiner- Director of Policy
Finkbeiner served in both the Wilder and Allen administrations before joining McGuireWoods Consulting. He is an attorney who served as executive director of Governor Allen's Commission on Parole Abolition and Sentencing Reform and advised Governor Allen on transportation, environmental, and anti-crime issues. Eric also served as communications director for Governor Douglas Wilder’s Task Force on Violent Crime.

Melissa Laughner- Assistant Director for Policy
Laughner served as Policy Director for McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. Prior to the campaign she was Special Assistant for Governmental Affairs in the Office of the Attorney General.

Mike Reynold- Assistant Director for Policy
Reynold was a Deputy Campaign Manager for McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. He was Virginia State Director for McCain for President in 2008. Prior to that Mike was the Executive Director of McDonnell for Virginia. He received his law degree from The Pennsylvania State University.

Jasen Eige- Counsel
Eige was Counsel to McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. Prior to joining the campaign, Eige served as Chief of Staff and Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General.

Dave Rexrode- Director of Community Outreach
Rexrode was a Deputy Campaign Manager for McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. He has held high-level positions in Virginia campaigns for over a decade, including serving as a Campaign Manager for Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Delegate Chris Saxman and Senator Mark Obenshain.

Monica Block- Scheduler
Block served as scheduler for McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. She has previously worked on campaigns for former Virginia Congressman Tom Davis and former Virginia State Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis.

Adam Zubowsky- Aide
Zubowsky served as Fairfax Field Director for McDonnell’s gubernatorial campaign. He has worked on campaigns for Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf (R) and the National Fraternal Order of Police Legislative Center

The Republican Majority that Bill Howell Built

GOP Sweeps the Ticket and Gains More Ground in the House

A Great Tuesday to be a Republican

McDonnell-58.64% Deeds-41.23%

Bolling-56.53% Wagner-43.53%

Cuccinelli-57.56% Shannon-43.34%

With the results in it is evident that Virginia voters feel that Republicans are best suited to fulfill their needs. Not only did the Republicans sweep all three state-wide positions, the GOP gained a number of seats in the House of Delegates.

Heading into the election , Republicans held 53 seats and Democrats held 45. The two independents generally vote with the Republicans. Picking up 8 seats, the GOP gained major ground through the state.

Two-term incumbent Democrat C. Charles Caputo lost his re-election bid in his to Republican James M. LeMunyon who took the 67th District with more than 52 percent of the vote. In McLean, freshman Del. Margaret G. Vanderhye (D) fell to Republican challenger Barabara Comstock by fewer than 300 votes. Other important pickups for the Republicans included Scott Garrett, Tag Greason, Chris Stolle, Will Morefield, Rich Anderson, and Ron Villaneva is currently 16 votes up.

This historic election puts the Republican on top with 61-39 in the House of Delegates.

Is This More of A Tsunami Than A Wave???

Rumor has it that Delegate Jim Scott was spotted out walking door to door in his HOME precinct today with clipboard in hand.

Delegate Scott represents one of the bluest districts in Fairfax County and if he is feeling the pressure then maybe the "wave" we are seeing is more like a TSUNAMI! Keep in mind this is the same Jim Scott who won his race by a "landslide" ONE VOTE ... he must be worried that this time he will be on the wrong side of this year's landslide!

His opponent Chris Merola has been working extremely hard this campaign and we need to do everything we can to help him finish strong to de-throne another extremely partisan LIBERAL. Check out his website here ...

Lets make sure Jim Scott stays in his home precinct and out of Richmond for good!

Pelosi Health Care Bill Blows a Kiss to Trial Lawyers

The health care bill recently unveiled by Speaker Nancy Pelosi is over 1,900 pages for a reason. It is much easier to dispense goodies to favored interest groups if they are surrounded by a lot of legislative legalese. For example, check out this juicy morsel to the trial lawyers (page 1431-1433 of the bill):

Section 2531, entitled “Medical Liability Alternatives,” establishes an incentive program for states to adopt and implement alternatives to medical liability litigation. [But]…… a state is not eligible for the incentive payments if that state puts a law on the books that limits attorneys’ fees or imposes caps on damages.

So, you can’t try to seek alternatives to lawsuits if you’ve actually done something to implement alternatives to lawsuits. Brilliant! The trial lawyers must be very happy today!
While there is debate over the details, it is clear that medical malpractive lawsuits have some impact on driving health care costs higher. There are likely a number of procedures that are done simply as a defense against future possible litigation. Recall this from the Washington Post:

“Lawmakers could save as much as $54 billion over the next decade by imposing an array of new limits on medical malpractice lawsuits, congressional budget analysts said today — a substantial sum that could help cover the cost of President Obama’s overhaul of the nation’s health system. New research shows that legal reforms would not only lower malpractice insurance premiums for medical providers, but would also spur providers to save money by ordering fewer tests and procedures aimed primarily at defending their decisions in court, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, wrote in a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).”

Stay tuned. There are certainly many more terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad provisions in this massive bill.

-Posted By Capitol Confidential On October 30, 2009 (12:17 pm)

Washington Post Dumps Deeds in Trashcan

Washington Post Gives up on Deeds

Just a week after the Deeds endorsement from the Washington Post, it has become clear that the Post has put its faith for Deeds in the trash can. As mention earlier, the Post has a history for backing the losers, and it seems that the Post has realized this all a bit too late. Nothing, not even Obama’s helping hand in Virginia, can boost up Deeds' points. With a week left the negativity coming out of the Deeds' campaign will only help, not hurt, McDonnell as he becomes closer to victory. With no excitement and certainly no positivity coming from the left, Deeds can now start to dig his grave, and forget about packing up his things for the Governors' mansion.

"The poll shows that Deeds has been unable to shift the dynamics of a race that in recent weeks appeared to be slipping away from him. Despite a concerted effort to reverse a widespread voter perception that his campaign has been largely negative, more than six in 10 polled see the Democrat as running a mainly negative effort. By contrast, most see McDonnell's campaign as a predominantly positive one."-Jon Cohen and Rosalind S. Helderman

"Deeds has also been unable to excite his supporters and close the dramatic gap in enthusiasm McDonnell has held from the start. About a quarter of Deeds voters say they are supporting him "not too" enthusiastically or "not at all" enthusiastically. More than nine in 10 of those who back McDonnell are "very" enthusiastic or "fairly" enthusiastic about the Republican." -Jon Cohen and Rosalind S. Helderman

For Full Article - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102602414.html

House Preview Looks Great for the GOP

Not Larry Sabato's Blog Predicts GOP Gain in the House

Washington Post Endorses Deeds and Taxes

Does the Endorsment Mean Anything?

The Washington Post endorsed Creigh Deeds in yesterday's paper, yet they seem to still get their facts wrong. Can the Post endorsement even be taken serious with their endorsement history? Washington Post blogger Rosalind Helderman even recognizes that their endorsements in the past usually back the losers, "To be fair, our friends in editorial have a long history of backing the wrong horse in endorsements. (Kerry over Bush in 2004; Harris Miller over Jim Webb in the 2006 primary)."

For the real interpretation on the Post endorsement read Red NOVA-
http://rednova8.com/2009/10/18/washington-post-endorsement-vote-for-deeds-hell-raise-your-taxes/

Democrats Already Waving the White Flag

Democratic Blogs, Blue Virginia along with Anonymous Is A Woman, have given up on Deeds and has come to the conclusion that Bob McDonnell will win the state by about 7 or 8 points. Anonymous Is A Women also points out that there could be some upsets for Democratic incumbents all across the state.

83th District. Del. Joe Bouchard (D) vs. Christopher Stolle (R)
"I like Joe Bouchard a great deal, as he's one of the strongest environmentalists in the House of Delegates. Two years ago, Bouchard beat Stolle by 131 votes (out of 9,535 cast). This time around, my guess is that it's going down to the wire again, with a slight lean towards Republican pickup. C'mon Joe, you can do it! :)" - Blue Virginia

And it seems that Democrats have given up on defeating Republican incumbents.

42nd District. Del. Dave Albo (R) vs. Greg Werkheiser (D)
"Werkheiser lost to Albo in 2005 by 4 points (52%-48%). Since then, Albo has come up with the infamous "abusive driver fees" idea, which didn't do anything to endear him to 42nd district voters. On the other hand, Werkheiser took off a cycle (I'm convinced he would have beaten Albo in 2007), and over the past year or two anger over the "abuser fees" has largely subsided. Also, Albo had a cash-on-hand advantage as of 8/31/09. Given all that, I'm calling this one a slight lean for Albo to hang on..." - Blue Virginia

Although Blue Virginia admits their loses they seem to be too modest on some of their predictions. The race in the 67th of Del. Chuck Caputo (D) vs. James LeMunyon (R) and the race in the 34th with Del. Margi Vanderhye (D) vs. Barbara Comstock (R) are closer then they think. It appears since the Democrats have already given up hope on Deeds that they have reinvested false hope in their Delegates. Numbers are down across the board for any Democrat in a tossup district, and come November 3rd the tossup will be in the right direction.

Del. Paul Nichols Arrested For Assaulting A Cop

Breast Cancer Survivors Respond to Latest Deeds’ Attack Ad

RICHMOND- In a powerful conference call this afternoon, breast cancer survivors responded to the latest in a long line of false attack ads unleashed by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds.

In a radio spot released Thursday afternoon, featuring actresses portraying two sisters having a conversation, the Deeds campaign includes the following false and incendiary lines:

Sister 2: Pretty good! Health care includes mammograms, cancer screenings...and the salary is what men at my level make.

Sister 1: So basically nothing Bob McDonnell supports?

AND

(McDonnell)...was willing to let employers drop mammograms and cancer screenings from their health care plans.”

In the “fact” sheet released with the ad, the Deeds campaign tries to justify this over the top attack with only a note that , as Attorney General, McDonnell did not sign onto a routine National Association of Attorneys General form letter in April 2006 “in opposition to proposed federal legislation supported by President George W. Bush to allow businesses to provide health insurance that does not include coverage for state mandates, such as coverage in Virginia for cancer screenings, including mammograms, and immunizations.” The legislation died on failure to invoke cloture in the United States Senate. The 3-page letter contained the word “mammogram” only once.

On today’s call Betsy Beamer, former Secretary of the Commonwealth and a recent breast cancer survivor, and Stephanie Hamlett, a breast cancer survivor who underwent preventive surgery while working with Bob McDonnell, both expressed their deep disappointment with Deeds’ latest scare tactic.

Beamer noted, “I am a breast cancer survivor. I know firsthand how serious this disease is and I know firsthand how important a mammogram is. It saved my life. Many other Virginia women have not been as blessed as I have been. Every woman lives with the fear of being diagnosed with this disease. To launch this attack on Bob and in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and based on a simple matter of not signing on to a national form letter is beyond the pale. I’ve been around Virginia politics for a long time. While candidates and parties can disagree on issues, we shouldn’t disagree on simple decency and civility. There are certain lines a candidate, no matter how desperate, should never cross. This is one of them. It wasn’t anger I felt when I heard this ad. It was just a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Women who hear this ad won’t have the opportunity to find out the truth about this false claim. Mr. Deeds’ has taken his attacks too far.”

Hamlett remarked, “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, and again in 2003. In 2006, while serving with Bob McDonnell, I had surgery to reduce my risk of recurrence and to reduce my risk of ovarian cancer, a risk that is elevated because of having breast cancer before age 40. As I went through surgery and recovery Bob was always there for me. When I heard this latest attack I immediately sought the opportunity to respond. Unlike the political operatives who made this false and negative ad, I actually know Bob McDonnell. I know who he is, as a person. Like every other breast cancer survivor I live with the daily fear of recurrence. This ad intentionally exploits those fears. It offends me as a woman, it offends me as a breast cancer survivor, and it offends me as a Virginian. I know Creigh badly wants to be governor, but does he really want to try to win like this?”

story from-
http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/index.php/press_releases/details/breast_cancer_survivors_respond_to_latest_deeds_attack_ad/

News 7 Survey USA Poll Has McDonnell Up 14 Points

The latest News 7 Survey USA poll has McDonnell ahead of Democrat Creigh Deeds by 14 percentage points, with 55 percent of the vote to 41 percent.


http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=11226773

Bob's Endorsements

Wilder Declines Deed's Endorsement

Former Governor Wilder Says No to Deeds

"The requests, made of me, have been to endorse Mr. Deeds, the Democratic Candidate, for Governor. I refrain from doing so and will leave that choice to the voters." - Wilder

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said: "Bob McDonnell and Governor Wilder have worked together well on issues ranging from combating gangs to promoting programs to help the homeless in Richmond. They share the same commitment to fiscal responsibility and keeping taxes low. They both understand that during these tough economic times public servants have to focus on the real-world situation of working families and small businesses who are struggling to make ends meet. The last thing they need is another tax increase that makes their burdens heavier and dries up job opportunities. Bob holds the Governor in high regard for his historic achievements and public service, and he looks forward to continuing to work closely with him in the years ahead."

A Fight in the 42nd

The race in the 42nd District heats up and goes to TV Ads. With the election less then six weeks away Albo calls on his experience in Richmond and his service to his district , to contrast his young and inexperienced opponent, who is already putting out negative ads. Albo remains positive and relies on his record over Greg Werkheiser's lack of political experience, and overall negativity.

Fraternal Order of Police Back Bob

“It is my honor and privilege to announce today on behalf of our membership the endorsement of Bob McDonnell for Governor. Bob McDonnell understands that one of the primary functions of government is to keep citizens safe. His record is one of leadership on major public safety initiatives and a steadfast commitment to Virginia’s public safety professionals. Bob McDonnell is a leader Virginians can count on to keep our communities safe.”
-Tommy Edwards, President of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Today’s endorsement adds to the lengthy list of major Virginia organizations backing McDonnell in the 2009 campaign. Over the past month McDonnell has been endorsed by: Virginia Realtors ®, the largest trade association in Virginia with over 33,000 members; Virginia AgPAC, the political action committee of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation with over 147,000 members statewide; the Virginia Credit Union League, a trade association representing the Commonwealth’s 194 not-for-profit credit unions and the 3 million member-owners residing in Virginia; and, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the leading small business association in the Commonwealth whose membership consists of nearly 6,000 small businesses across the state. Just yesterday McDonnell was endorsed by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce NOVABizPAC, the voice of business in Northern Virginia. Last week McDonnell was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, widely recognized as America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, with over 120,000 members in Virginia.

Business Leaders Uncertain About Deeds

Deeds , is struggling to connect with some business leaders, an influential voting bloc that has been key to Democratic victories in recent elections.


With major backing from unions, conflicting promises on taxes and no details on how to fix the state's mounting transportation crisis, Deeds is not swaying some business-minded voters who are jittery about the economy and who say they don't like what they see as Deeds's uncertain positions on a host of critical state and federal issues.

At the debate, both candidates appealed directly to one of the state's largest business groups at a debate in Tysons Corner sponsored by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. Many said afterward that Deeds failed to connect with the business-minded voters who helped elect the last two Democratic governors, Mark Warner and Timothy M. Kaine.

"He never addressed the issue of 'What is your plan,' " said C. Daniel Clemente, a real estate investor from McLean who supported Warner in 2001 but said he left Thursday's debate feeling "very sorry" for Deeds. " 'I'm for education' -- what's your plan? 'I'm for transportation. I'm going to bring everybody together.' To do what?"

Republicans have long held the advantage with Virginia's business community by promising low taxes, less burdensome regulations and opposition to organized labor. Warner and Kaine helped lure many of those votes to the Democratic column by making the case that Virginia's business-friendly environment has as much to do with the quality of public schools, state universities, ports and highways as with those other, traditionally Republican priorities. Warner and Kaine also portrayed their opponents as ideologically driven conservatives less focused on the practical issues confronting the state's business community.

This year, Deeds has tried much the same strategy, portraying McDonnell as an out-of-touch social conservative who, as a state lawmaker for 14 years, focused on social issues such as abortion restrictions more than job creation or protecting schools.

"He's been focused on a social agenda," Deeds said at the Thursday debate. "That's what's driven him the last 18 years."

The difficulty for Deeds is that McDonnell has focused almost exclusively on economic issues in his candidacy. He has promised to pursue oil and gas exploration off the coast of Virginia. He has offered a tax credit for businesses that create jobs. He has laid out a plan to pay for traffic improvements by selling Virginia's state-run liquor stores and adding tolls to highways. And he has taken a strong stand against federal proposals to restrict carbon emissions, require small businesses to provide health coverage and eliminate the secret ballot in union elections.

For full story- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/18/AR2009091803428.html

Flustered Deeds

NRA Endorses McDonnell and not Deeds this Year

Four years ago during the Attorney General race, the NRA back Bath's county's Deeds and not McDonnell, yet yesterday the NRA made the announcement of their endorsement.


-In Just Last Month McDonnell Endorsed by: The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation; Virginia Realtors; Virginia Credit Unions; National Federation of Independent Business; National Rifle Association-

RICHMOND- Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, was endorsed today by the National Rifle Association. The NRA is recognized as America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, and the group has over 120,000 members in Virginia. The association interviewed Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds prior to making the endorsement, in addition to reviewing questionnaires filled out by the two candidates, and thoroughly reviewing their voting records and policy positions.

Speaking about the endorsement, McDonnell remarked, “Over the course of my career in public service, I have worked to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. The Second Amendment rights of law abiding Virginians must be respected and protected. That is what I did while serving as Virginia’s Attorney General. We worked to stop unauthorized attempted straw purchases by outside agents operating in the Commonwealth. We moved quickly to make the Commonwealth one of the first states to file an amicus brief in support of the individual right to bear arms in the historic Supreme Court Case of District of Columbia v. Heller. As governor I will continue to defend the individual right to keep and bear arms, and stand on the side of Virginia’s law abiding gun owners. The National Rifle Association is committed to protecting our constitutional rights and I am honored to receive this endorsement.”

Chris Cox, NRA Institute for Legislative Action executive director, noted, ““Bob McDonnell is an effective leader for Virginia hunters and gun owners. His opinions and actions as an attorney general have protected and enhanced the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Virginians. His zero-tolerance attitude toward criminals makes him the best choice for governor. We ask every Virginia hunter, gun owner and Second Amendment advocate to vote McDonnell for Governor this November.”

This endorsement comes just weeks after McDonnell received the support of four organizations representing Virginia’s major job creators. McDonnell was endorsed by: Virginia Realtors ®, the largest trade association in Virginia with over 33,000 members; Virginia AgPAC, the political action committee of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation with over 147,000 members statewide; the Virginia Credit Union League, a trade association representing the Commonwealth’s 194 not-for-profit credit unions and the 3 million member-owners residing in Virginia; and, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the leading small business association in the Commonwealth whose membership consists of nearly 6,000 small businesses across the state.

The National Rifle Association is the premier firearms education association in the world. With nearly four million members nationwide and over 120,000 members in Virginia, the association is widely recognized as a major political force and America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights

ObamaCare is a Trojan Horse for More Forced Unionization

In the heated debates on health-care reform, not enough attention is being paid to the huge financial windfalls ObamaCare will dole out to unions—or to the provisions in the various bills in Congress that will help bring about the forced unionization of the health-care industry.
Tucked away in thousands of pages of complex new rules, regulations and mandates are special privileges and giveaways that could have devastating consequences for the health-care sector and the American economy at large.

The Senate version opens the door to implement forced unionization schemes pursued by former Govs. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois in 2005 and Gray Davis of California in 1999. Both men repaid tremendous political debts to Andy Stern and his Service Employees International Union (SEIU) by reclassifying state-reimbursed in-home health-care (and child-care) contractors as state employees—and forcing them to pay union dues.

Following this playbook, the Senate bill creates a "personal care attendants workforce advisory panel" that will likely impose union affiliation to qualify for a newly created "community living assistance services and support (class)" reimbursement plan.

For Full Story-
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970203440104574400571702189240-lMyQjAxMDA5MDEwMDExNDAyWj.html

Does Deeds Back Bill That Could Kill His Neighbors' Jobs?

While Creigh Deeds and fellow Democrats have been trying to focus the governor's race on McDonnell's grad school thesis, McDonnell and fellow Republicans have been working to return everyone's attention to jobs.

The Republican Party of Virginia recently blasted him for supporting a ground-breaking bill in Congress that hopes to slow global warming by imposing limits on carbon-based emissions. McDonnell, while giving the GOP's response to President Barack Obama's weekly radio address, said the bill's proposed cap-and-trade regime would jeopardize 1,500 jobs in Deeds' district alone, a charge echoed by the state GOP.

Is it true that Deeds is supporting the bill? And is it true the bill could effectively shut down MeadWestvaco Corp's plant in Covington, Va.?

Deeds' campaign has offered a detailed five-page policy paper on energy that discusses the importance of conservation, nuclear power and renewable energy to reduce carbon emission. He even gives conditional support to oil-drilling off Virginia's coast.

But his platform is silent on the wisdom of cap-and-trade. On the campaign trail, Deeds also has been reluctant to state his position, saying it's a federal matter. So Deeds' position on the federal legislation is not clear.

But the Virginia GOP argues, in its Aug. 26 press release, that Deeds "supports" the bill. As proof, Republicans cite cite a Sierra Club questionaire that Deeds filled out during the primary. Asked what methods he would support to combat global warming, Deeds replied that he favored "the many measures" suggested by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's Commission on Climate Change, of which Deeds was a member. Among the highlighted recommendations in the commission's December 2008 final report was urging Congress "to establish a mandatory economy-wide cap-and-trade program."

(Specifically, the governor's commission favored a cap-and-trade regime that would cut greenhouse emissions 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, based on 1990 levels. The bill passed by the House of Representatives, American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), has reduction goals of 17 percent and 83 percent, respectively, based on 2005 levels.)

The second question is trickier, as it goes to the heart of the debate about whether the American Clean Energy and Security Act will create jobs or zap them.

President Obama, in hailing the legislation on June 29, said that HR2454, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill, "will create new businesses, new industries, and millions of new jobs, all without imposing untenable new burdens on the American people or America's businesses." The president cited California's experience, saying the Golden State created 1.5 million jobs over the next 30 years after passing stringent energy efficiency laws in the 1970s.

Others, including industry groups such as the American Energy Alliance, argue that the cap-and-trade bill is a job killer. A study by the Heritage Foundation predicts that the bill could eliminate as many as 1.9 million jobs in 2012 and perhaps as many as 2.5 million by 2035. Manufacturers will lose 1.4 million jobs by 2035, the study says.

MeadWestvaco, whose plant in Covington has been around since 1900, is the largest employer in Alleghany County. It sees the bill as a serious threat.

"The risk to the plant and the jobs is very real," MeadWestvaco spokeswoman Alison von Puschendorf said.

Mark R. George, a MeadWestvaco vice president who oversees the Covington plant, said in a video created for the McDonnell campaign that the proposed cap-and-trade legislation could cost the plant "upwards of $60 to $80 million a year once you hit 2014. That's after we invest $300 milion to reduce our carbon footprint by 37 percent."

George said the plant exports about more than half of its products and might lose out to foreign competitors--and thereby threaten its survival in southwest Virginia.

"Where we currently stand with the economy in the Highlands is, we're on a decline," George says in the video, which is available on YouTube.

"If you look 30 years ago, we had three employers in this community that employed 1,000 employees or more," George says. "Two of those are gone. MeadWestvaco is here. We're still strong. We're competing all over the world, and our fear is that the government will pass legislation where we couldn't do that anymore. And without MeadWestvaco in the Highlands, there is no Highlands. Cap and trade would take all that away."

George also made similiar points in an op-ed that ran in some Virginia newspapers.

"If the ACES Act passes Congress, MeadWestvaco's Covington mill operations which provide 1,500 jobs in the Alleghany Highlands, will definitely be one of the losers," according to a draft of the op-ed provided by the company.

George referred calls to company headquarters.

MeadWestvaco Corp., a publicly traded company headquartered in Glen Allen, near Richmond, employs 22,000 people worldwide and operates in 30 countries, its annual report says. The company has contributed $10,000 to McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. The company gave $500 to Deeds' state senate campaign in 2007, VPAP.org says.

Story From- http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/09/fact-checker_does_deeds_back_b.html#more

Nice Try Deeds

Residents Across the state are tired of hearing the Deeds campaign talk about a thesis paper rather then job creation in Virginia.

“I AM A BUSINESSWOMAN AND OWNER OF AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM WHOSE CLIENTS INCLUDE MANY SUCCESSFUL WOMEN CEOS. RECENTLY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS TO SIT DOWN WITH BOB MCDONNELL TO SHARE OUR VIEWS ON WHERE WE THINK HIS PLAN SHOULD STAND. I’M NOT INTERESTED IN ACADEMIC PAPERS WRITTEN BEFORE THE BERLIN WALL FELL. WHAT I’M INTERESTED IN IS WHO HAS THE BEST VISION OF HOW WE CAN BRING NEW JOBS TO VIRGINIA AND GET THIS ECONOMY MOVING AGAIN. BOB MCDONNELL IS BY FAR THE BEST CANDIDATE TO GET VIRGINIA’S ECONOMY TURNED AROUND FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THE WORKING WOMEN AND MEN OF VIRGINIA.”

-Heather Young is a Partner and co-founder of Fairfax County based Benchmark Executive Search

“AS A FORMER DEMOCRAT, AND CURRENT ELECTED OFFICIAL, I HAVE SEEN BOB MCDONNELL LEAD ON NUMEROUS INITIATIVES TO SAFEGUARD VIRGINIA’S WOMEN AND CHILDREN. HIS WORK TO COMBAT CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, SEXUAL PREDATORS, AND ONLINE CRIMINALS MAKES ME PROUD AS A COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY, AND AS A WORKING MOTHER. THE WOMEN OF VIRGINIA KNOW THEY HAVE A FRIEND IN BOB MCDONNELL. HIS RECORD PROVES IT.”

-Lisa Caruso, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Dinwiddie County

Nice Try Deeds. But lets focus on helping Virginia rather then mud slinging.

GOP House Candidate Now Runs Unopposed in the 60th District

David Guill, the Democratic candidate for the 60th District House of Delegates race, announced Saturday he is withdrawing from the race leaving GOP candidate James Edmunds unopposed in his bid for the seat currently held by Republican Delegate Clarke Hogan.
In bowing out of the race, Guill said obligations and responsibilities to his family, job, community activities, and the citizens he represents as a member of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors are very important to him and “must come first.”

Guill, who serves as Halifax County Public Schools transportation director, thanked the many individuals who have encouraged and supported him after he announced from the Halifax County Courthouse steps in April he was seeking the seat.

At that time, Guill named economic development, jobs and ensuring appropriate state funding for services among his objectives.

Story from - http://www.gazettevirginian.com/news/141-general/1144-guill-out-of-house-race.html

NOVA Voters See Little in Deeds

What Can Deeds Offer NOVA?

Creigh Deeds is running behind Bob McDonnell Washington Post poll in large part because he has yet to win over voters in populous, Democratic-leaning Northern Virginia.

Voters across the region say they know little about the state senator, who grew up in sparsely populated Bath County near the West Virginia border, despite his run for attorney general in 2005 and a high-profile party primary in the spring. Much of what they do know about Deeds -- his rural roots, his embrace of gun rights -- doesn't quite click with many people in the affluent, diverse suburbs of Washington.

"Where is he? What is he waiting for?" asked Tari Kovacs, 59, of Manassas, who supports Deeds but is not enthusiastic about him.

"A lot of these candidates have been around. I don't see him around here, I just don't. And I am concerned, because here's a guy who's from southern Virginia with very conservative values even though he's a Democrat."

Deeds is scheduled to make a major campaign speech Friday at George Mason University, touching on the economy, abortion and education and drawing sharp distinctions between his record and that of McDonnell. His campaign expects that the remarks will have particular resonance among Northern Virginians who might be skeptical about his candidacy.

Deeds said he's balancing the attention he gives to Northern Virginia with demands from elsewhere. "Everywhere I go, people say I'm not spending enough time in their area," he said. "There's only one of me. I'm doing the best I can."

But former congressman Tom Davis (R), who is supporting McDonnell, said Deeds's background would be a problem for voters in the region. "He's very rural in terms of his lifestyle and his culture and his roots," Davis said. "People here don't get up in the morning and ask if I can go hunting and fishing."

For the full article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/20/AR2009082004248.html

Virginia Association of Realtors Backs McDonnell

At the General Assembly Building in Richmond, representatives of the 33,000-member organization, the state's largest trade association, said McDonnell has a better record than Democrat R. Creigh Deeds on property rights and on promoting business.

"Virginia's Realtors work in every county and every city to help Virginians achieve the American Dream of home ownership," McDonnell said.

"They create good jobs. They are involved members of their local communities. To receive the endorsement of Virginia's Realtors, in an election focused on jobs and the economy, is a great honor."-- Tyler Whitley

http://http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/MCDOGATER18_20090818-145201/286754/

Bobby Mathieson...One of the Most Ineffective Legislators in Virginia

Bobby Mathieson, delegate from Hampton Roads, is up for election this coming November against Ron Villanueva who has shown to be a strong candidate. The question simply is who in Hampton Roads gains anything from Mathieson when his bills have a 16% passage rate in the General Assembly. Though I am glad he finally had someone spell his name correctly on his campaign website. Hopefully Villanueva will beat out Mathieson and the 21st district will have a chance to have their voices heard! People in Hampton Roads deserve a better delegate!

Young Democrats Too Busy Drinking to Campaign

Arlington Young Democrats Sadden By Cancellation of Flip Cup Tournament

Bluevirginia.us reports that the Arlington Young Democrats canceled their All or Nothing Flip Cup Tournament, which was to be held on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

“As many people are vacationing this month, we were unable to generate enough interest in the event. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

-Jen Amore Finance Director

It appears that the Arlington Young Democrats are very saddened by the cancellation of this team based drinking game rather then teaming up and campaigning. Have all Virginia Democrats given up in general? For full story bluevirginia.us

Do I Smell...Desperation?

Creigh Deeds this week has come out with his new campaign strategy that will focus on pointing out both McDonnell and his own views on abortion. This is a risky move for Deeds since most voters are worried about the economy this election. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, "The voters who decide elections expect candidates to propose reasonable answers to questions regarding the economy, transportation, education, and other day-to-day concerns." 

That is why he is losing ground in the polls. This is a pathetic attempt by Deeds to regroup his base. If Deeds want to gain headway with voter he has to have solutions and answers of his own. Jerry Kilgore tried this tactic against Tim Kaine with the death penalty just four years ago and...it didn't work.

McDonnell Rolls Along With Statewide RV Tour

- McDonnell Visits Communities from Tangier Island to Alexandria to Bristol-

RICHMOND - Bob McDonnell announced his “New Jobs, More Opportunities” month-long statewide RV tour of Virginia. The tour kicked off on Saturday, August 8th at the Patrick County Peach Festival in Stuart and ends on Labor Day, Monday, September 7th when the RV tour concludes with an appearance in the Buena Vista Labor Day Parade. Within the first week of the tour alone Bob will visit five major regions of the Commonwealth, traveling over 1500 miles.

Over the next month Bob will continue to roll out major policy proposals, building on the initiatives he has already rolled out. Since his campaign kicked-off in February, Bob has unveiled comprehensive plans to fix Virginia’s transportation issues, improve education through the awarding of 100,000 more degrees and dramatically expand the number of quality charter schools, bring new energy technology to the state to make Virginia the “Energy Capital of the East Coast, and make Virginia the best state in America in which to open a small business.

On Education: The Two Faces of Creigh Deeds

It appears that Creigh Deeds has once again followed the lead of Bob McDonnell on an issue. Just 48 hours after agreeing with the head of the VEA, as she made clear the group's determination to water down and impede the President's effort to expand charter schools in America, the "Me Too" candidate Creigh Deeds stated, ""There's still a lot of room for reform. I strongly support the President's initiatives to expand charter schools-there's no reason Virginia should lag behind on this."

Two days prior to this statement Deeds said, in response to the head of the VEA's rejection of the expansion of charter schools, "What Kitty [Boitnott] is talking about - you have to always look for innovations in education. We gotta keep an open mind about a lot of things. But there's some places we just have to draw lines in the sand" I guess that line in the sand was washed away by the tide two days later.

Bob McDonnell has repeatedly and vocally supported this bipartisan education reform effort. Creigh Deeds, on the other hand, had continually voted against bills that would help open more chartered schools. For example, in 2004 Deeds was one of only seven senators to vote against the Charter School Excellence and Accountability Act.

Virginia cannot trust this "two-faced" candidate for Governor. Deeds has been reluctant and tepid on this issue, and many others. Bob McDonnell, on the other hand, has shown strong support on all of his issues, and he approaches them with enthusium and without hesitation. Bob McDonnell is the leader Virginia needs!

Big Government is Watching YOU!

This sounds like something out of an Orwell novel. The White House has recently put together a new project that asks members of the public to flag down their fellow citizens if they say something in a conversation or email criticizing Obama's Health Plan. White House director of new media Macon Phillips urged the public in a blog posting to help the government track people who have put out "disinformation" or have criticisized Obama's Health Plan.
Phillips posted:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas is calling for the White House to suspend the new projects on the grounds that it encroaches on the both people's privacy and freedom of speech.
Senator Cornyn writes:

I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests

I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program -- and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.

Tactics like these are not new to politics in fact they have been used worldwide for many years. This is textbook Marxism, first silence your enemies, create class warfare, and make everyone dependent on the government. Are Americans blind or are they just sticking their heads in the sand. This is what Obama must mean by creating peace:

The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.

-Karl Marx

Leadership Is Not In Deeds' Vocabulary

Deeds has been copying McDonnell's leadership skills every step of the campaign, instead of leading himself. Virginia needs a leader not a follower.

ABC's John Stossel Crushes Obama's Anti-American Health Care Plan

Interesting video from ABC's John Stossel. He compares Obama's new health care plan to Canada's, and shows the many cons of his plan. America obviously has the best health care, and many government run health care plans do not measure up to America's. The video points out the many achievements that the American health care plan has allowed us to attain. When will Obama learn?

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Because he was too SCARED to debate Cuccinelli...

9,000 Dollar Laptops...But No Rest Stops?

Governor Tim Kaine has shut down 19 rest areas across Virginia, places used by tourists and Virginians alike. These rest areas help reduce driver fatigue and improve driver safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration an estimated 10,000 police-reported crashes nationally are the result of driver fatigue each year, resulting in an estimated 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and a total monetary loss of $12.5 million. The reason these rest areas were shut down was that VDOT didn't have the $9 million for their upkeep. AAA has even come out saying they are opposed to Virginia closing these rest areas, they have found that nearly one third of all drivers have fallen asleep or have almost done so while driving. 

BUT the state recently bought 61,000 laptops at the hefty price of 9,000 dollars each, a hefty total of $3.1 BILLION! On top of this Governor Kaine recently announced that the state is buying 1,000 acres of land for $142 MILLION that will be used for a natural preserve. Obviously Kaine does not understand how to properly allocate funds. 

Some advice Governor Kaine: First pay for the upkeep of the things you have already built and bought before you go buying any more 9,000 dollar laptops.

Deeds Open to Many Options...

Creigh Deeds is open to a lot of options when it come to fixing Virginia's problems. He stated that a governor brings people together and should create consensus across the aisle.  He grinned as he responded to a reporters question if he was open to tax increases stating he is "I'm open to a lot of options". He failed to say he was against tax increases which in not so many words means that he is willing to use tax increases. I'm not sure if that will bring people together.

Debate Wrap Up Bob Wins

-McDonnell Surges Ahead Deeds In Alomst Every Issue In Debate-

This weekend the future of the Commonwealth has spoken, and it was through McDonnell’s vision at the first gubernatorial debate. Transportation and jobs were the hot topics and it was clear that McDonnell out staged Deeds in both. McDonnell unveiled his plan for Virginia’s transpiration issues by thinking outside the box by using a collection of bond revenues, setting aside a percentage new revenues from general revenue growth, revenues received from privatizing ABC stores, and using revenues from future offshore drilling to pay for the project. Importantly, the plan establishes regional accounts where revenues generated in certain regions stay in that region to support the region’s transportation projects. Deeds had no such plan.

On jobs McDonnell certainly stuck to his campaign slogan “Bob’s 4 Jobs” when he called for Virginia’s two US Senators – Jim Webb and Mark Warner – to vote against “Cap and Tax”. Deeds at the debate was “non-committal”. Deeds gesture does not stand well for someone who will hold the highest office in Virginia. To add insult to injury, thousands of Deeds’ own constituents work at a Mead Westvaco plant in Covington which faces closure if “Cap and Tax” passes. To quote McDonnell,

“If you won’t take a stand for 1,500 jobs in your district, people in Virginia can’t be confident that you’ll protect jobs statewide. A governor needs to take a stand and say if it’s wrong for Virginia, I’ll oppose it (cap and trade).

Bob McDonnell appears to be right. Virginians shouldn’t be too comfortable about a Gov. Creigh Deeds, unless they think that growing government is the way to grow an economy.

Is Tim Kaine Governing Via BlackBerry?

New Released Travel Plans Show That Tim Kaine’s New Gig Is Still Taking More Time Away From His Day Job.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine rejected Republican charges Wednesday that he is spending too much time traveling the country as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine's comments came a day after he released records that catalogued his whereabouts since he took on the second job in January. After weeks of resisting calls to be more open about his DNC travels, he promised to release a similar summary each month until the end of his term in January.

The records showed that from March 5 to the end of June, Kaine spent all or part of 30 days outside Virginia on DNC business, including 14 trips to 12 states and the District. He picked up the pace of his travel significantly in June, when he spent some or all of 15 days outside the state on DNC business.

"I am working pretty much all the time. I never am anywhere where I'm not working on state business. I'm taking material with me, on the cellphone, on the BlackBerry, looking at the computer," he said at a news conference Wednesday. "While I understand that people might say what they want from a political standpoint, I'm not running into any people who are questioning the amount of work I'm doing in the state, and I think the results we're showing as a state government in very, very tough times demonstrate that."

Kaine insisted he has always been open about his travels, despite the repeated refusals by his office to release a work schedule or an account of his party activities.

House of Delegates Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said Kaine released the records only because he was forced to do so by public pressure.

"The people in my district do consider him to be a part-time governor who is more concerned about raising money to help Democrats on a Washington agenda than he is on pursuing a Virginia agenda," Griffith said.

Kaine Calls Special Session; Shannon Looks Foolish

Legislature to Fix Prosecutorial Mess Against Steve Shannon's Sage Advice

Cuccinelli Had Called for Special Session; Shannon Called it a "Stunt"

RICHMOND - Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins today praised Governor Tim Kaine's decision to agree with Ken Cuccinelli to call the Virginia General Assembly into a special session to fix a prosecutorial morass following the U.S. Supreme Court decision Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts. The ruling has caused chaos among Virginia Commonwealth's Attorneys regarding the difficulty in having forensic scientists who test material evidence personally testify at trial. As a result, many criminal cases are having to be dismissed or are lost at trial.

"Steve Shannon, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, initially called Ken Cuccinelli's request for a special session a ‘stunt,'" said Mullins.

"Well, I guess the governor from his own party disagrees with him. I don't think that's the kind of thing you want to pull if you're arguing to be the state's top lawyer."

In response to Ken Cuccinelli's first call for a legislative fix, Shannon said it was a "stunt," a position he continues to trumpet by posting a supportive editorial on his website

Perhaps even more embarrassingly, Shannon criticized Cuccinelli for supposedly opposing a bill that never reached the Senate, in which Cuccinelli serves. Inasmuch as Cuccinelli was never able to vote on the legislation, it further reveals that not only is Shannon ignorant of Supreme Court precedent vis-à-vis Virginia law, but he also does not understand the legislative process.

Shannon's House Bill 3086 died in committee in the House of Delegates and was never communicated to the Senate, where Cuccinelli might have had a chance to weigh in on it.

"This is astounding," Chairman Mullins said.

"This guy seriously wants to be the attorney general of the Commonwealth, but doesn't get the severity of a Supreme Court ruling and doesn't know that his own bill died in committee. That's almost too funny to make up."

From- http://www.rpv.org/news_media/detail/kaine-calls-special-session-shannon-looks-foolish

Billionaire Co-Founder of BET Backs McDonnell

Democrat Billionaire Endorses McDonnell

Shelia Johnson is a billionaire co-founder of the Black Entertainment Television network and an influential Democratic donor , and on Monday she endorsed Republican Bob McDonnell for governor. Johnson was the second-largest individual donor to Gov. Kaine , with 600k, and a benefactor of prominent Democrats including Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb, appeared with McDonnell in Richmond.

Johnson said she favors McDonnell over his Democratic opponent, Deeds, because she thinks the Republican can turn around the state's ailing economy.

"From the beginning, Bob McDonnell has been very concerned about the economy," she said. "He has really laid out a roadmap for solving these problems."

With no limits in Virginia on how much donors can give or candidates can spend in state elections, Johnson's backing potentially puts a rich source of funding at McDonnell's disposal, sending a signal to black voters that was already a concern for Deeds and his backers. This endorsement brings good news to the McDonnell Campaign as his opponent Deeds had the weakest showings in largely black communities in the primary.

Along with Johnson endorsement former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, said in an interview Monday that political operatives for President Barack Obama are urging him to get behind Deeds.

"I told them, `You need to tell me why,"' said Wilder, the nation's first elected black governor and author of Virginia's one-gun-a-month law, which Deeds opposed as a legislator.

more at - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/20/bet-founder-sheila-johnson-endorse-bob-mcdonnell-virginia-governor/

Frustrated Governors Speak Out Against Healthcare Bill

Will Washington wise up and listen to the governors?

During a summer meeting of the National Governors Association governors on both sides expressed deep concern about the shape of the healthcare bill emerging from Congress. The overall concern being that the federal government is about to hand them an expensive new Medicaid obligations without providing the money to pay for them.

The governors’ backlash creates yet another healthcare headache for the Obama administration, which has tried to recruit state leaders to pressure members of Congress to wrap up their fitful negotiations. Although many governors said significant change was needed, they said their deep-seated fiscal troubles made it a terrible time to shift costs to the states. With the recession draining states of tax revenues even as their Medicaid rolls are surging, the National Governors Association projects that states will face aggregate deficits of $200 billion over the next three years.

Because the states and the federal government share the cost of Medicaid coverage for low-income people, any increase in eligibility levels, benefits, or payments to doctors would impose new costs on the states unless Washington agrees to absorb them entirely. In at least one of several bills circulating in Congress, the states would eventually pick up a share of the new costs, and the governors fear they cannot count on pledges in other bills that they will be held harmless.

But the sentiment among those who were could not have been more consistent, regardless of political party. The governors said in interviews and public sessions that the bills being drafted in Congress would not do enough to curb the growth in health spending. And they said they were convinced that a major expansion of Medicaid would leave them with heavy costs.

“As a governor, my concern is that if we try to cost-shift to the states, we’re not going to be in a position to pick up the tab,’’ said Governor Christine Gregoire of Washington, a Democrat. “I’m personally very concerned about the cost issue, particularly the $1 trillion figures being batted around,’’ said Governor Bill Richardson, the New Mexico Democrat who served in the Clinton Cabinet and ran for president against Obama.

Many governors expressed frustration that the prolonged negotiations in Washington had made it difficult to gauge the potential impact on their budgets. In the latest draft of the Senate Finance Committee’s bill, still being written, the federal government would pick up the extra costs for perhaps five years, but states would then have to pay their normal share. On average, the federal government pays 57 percent, and states pay 43 percent.

This list of indulgences by the governors just adds another log on the fire to Obama's healthcare crisis, and it seems that the Obama Administration has pushed the governors' concerns aside. As state leaders, the President and members of congress should consider the impact that this bill will have on all of the 50 states.

For full text- http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/07/20/governors_balk_over_what_healthcare_bill_will_cost_states/?page=2

Tim Kaine’s Rotten Apple: Jobs Lost in Southside

- Kaine Rubs Elbows with Millionaire Athletes in L.A. While Southside Hurts -

RICHMOND – On the same day that Tim Kaine jetted off to Los Angeles to attend the annual ESPY awards with multi-millionaire athletes and celebrities, Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins condemned the governor’s failure to secure a deal with Apple to bring much-needed jobs and investments to Southside Virginia residents struggling with the sagging economy. During April’s reconvened General Assembly session, Kaine made an ill-fated attempt to lure the computer and technology employer to locate a new data center in the Commonwealth. Mullins has been critical of Kaine’s distracting double-duty as governor and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

“Tim Kaine can hop on a plane and head off to Hollywood to hang around with A-Rod and Chris Berman, and who knows who else, but the people of Southside Virginia still need good jobs,” Mullins said. “Maybe if he spent less time doing the bidding of national Democrats and their millionaire donors, he might have some more time to make sure the work of the people of Virginia was getting done.”

Kaine constructed a faulty amendment to legislation from Creigh Deeds that resulted in North Carolina winning a pitch for an Apple data center that would have meant $1 billion in investment and as many as 3,000 jobs for Southside Virginia. Kaine amended the Deeds bill in an effort to lure Apple, but the governor’s own Department of Taxation ruled that the language did not encompass all the necessary components, thus allowing North Carolina to swoop in and rapidly seal the deal with the employer.

Mullins made his remarks during a telephone conference call with reporters along with members of the General Assembly: Del. Scott Lingamfelter (31st), Del. Tommy Wright (61st) and Sen. Frank Ruff (15th).

“This is a rotten apple of a deal for Southside Virginia. It’s a travesty, particularly for a part of the Commonwealth that is seeing unemployment rates of above 20-percent in some areas,” Mullins said. “One has to wonder: is Tim Kaine spending too much of his time working for his national political party and taking his eye off the ball here at home?”

for full text http://www.rpv.org/news_media/detail/tim-kaines-rotten-apple-jobs-lost-in-southside