VB Dems

More than a year ago, Rep. Glenn Nye established his “Principles for Health Care Reform.”

In violation of his own principles, Rep. Nye voted against the House bill.

Soon he will have another chance to stand up for his principles.  Democrats are urging him to vote in favor of a bill that already passed the Senate by a 60% supermajority and then to vote for a second budget reconciliation bill.  The Senate bill already meets or exceeds all 7 of Rep. Nye’s principles: (more…)

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The Senate overcame a Republican filibuster of the jobs bill (that mostly consisted of business tax cuts) 62-30 along party lines, with only 1 Democrat voting against it and only 5 Republicans voting for cloture.

Update: The bill passed the Senate 70-28 (8 of the Republicans who voted against cloture flip-flopped and voted in favor of the bill).

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Too Long:

“The best way to get a sense of what Speaker Pelosi’s takeover of health care looks like is to actually look at it. Just shy of 2,000 pages, it runs more than 620 pages longer than the government-run plan Hillary Clinton proposed in 1993. [It’s] 1,990 pages of bureaucracy.” – House Minority Leader John Boehner, in October

Too Short:

“The White House’s ‘plan’ consists of an 11-page outline, which has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office or posted online as legislative text. So they want to reorganize one-sixth of the United States’ economy with a document shorter than a comic book, and they’re complaining that they can’t find our plan on their own website? C’mon.” – Michael Steel, spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner, today

Just Right:

“First it was too long, now it’s too short.  Goldilocks is easier to please than these folks.” – Doug Thornell, adviser to DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen

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The pressure is on Senators Warner and Webb to support health care reform that offers consumers the choice of a public health plan option like Medicare.

Virginians favor a public option 61%-31% (including independents 62%-30%).

A separate nationwide poll found that 60% of Americans would like a public option as part of any final healthcare reform legislation (including 86% of Democrats, 57% of independents, and even 33% of Republicans).

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League of Conservation scores for the 111th Congress:

Sen. Mark Warner (D) 100%
Sen. Jim Webb (D) 100%
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA3) 93%
Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA2) 64%
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA4) 7%

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“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children. In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.” – Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas)

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RipplAffect presents a benefit performance of The Vagina Monologues for the YWCA – South Hampton Roads on March 5-6 @ 8pm and March 7 @ 2pm. Tickets $15. For reservations please call: 757-214-5430.

“The award-winning play is based on V-Day Founder/playwright Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women. With humor and grace the piece celebrates women’s sexuality and strength. Through this play and the liberation of this one word, countless women throughout the world have taken control of their bodies and their lives. For more than twelve years, The Vagina Monologues has given voice to experiences and feelings not previously exposed in public.”

Performances take place at the YWCA of South Hampton Roads, 5215 Colley Avenue, in Norfolk, VA, 23508. Click here for more info.

I should get either/both of my girls to go with me, but I think I’d have better success winning the lottery. So, any Dem friends out there wanna join me?

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According to major economic research firms IHS Global Insight, Macroeconomic Advisers and Moody’s Economy, the Democratic stimulus bill has added 1.6 million to 1.8 million jobs so far and that its ultimate impact will be roughly 2.5 million jobs. The CBO considers these estimates to be conservative.

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Both sides:

Con: The stimulus plan “is not going to be good long-term for America” and created more problems than it solved. – Bob McDonnell, a year ago

Pro: The $24 million in “federal funding awarded to Virginia will allow us to develop an information technology system that will safeguard our ability to track health records and provide our physicians with the technological tools they need to provide the highest quality service possible.” – Bob McDonnell, today

Other Virginia Republicans who voted against the stimulus bill but have since praised its benefits include Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Rep. Frank Wolf, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte.

Update: Gov. McDonnell wants even more of the stimulus funding (that he opposed) for Medicaid and to help build a Rolls Royce manufacturing plant.

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Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced that he will file a legal challenge to the finding that carbon dioxide is a danger to public health and contributes to global warming.

He must know this is a complete waste of time, since the U.S. Supreme Court already decided this issue in 2007.  It’s just another political stunt, throwing red meat at the right-wingers.

“It’s a shame, and, frankly, embarrassing, that we now have a climate-denier as an attorney general.” – Glen Besa, Director, Virginia Sierra Club

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An actual Minnesota interstate highway billboard.  Enjoy!

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Gov. Bob McDonnell’s school funding proposal would cost Hampton Roads schools more than $57 million this year.

“Virginia Beach would lose nearly $15 million under the updated formula, according to Fiscal Analytics.  Norfolk would lose about $9 million, Chesapeake would lose about $11 million, and Suffolk and Portsmouth would each lose about $4 million.  Northern Virginia schools would receive $128 million more in funding under McDonnell’s plan.”

I seem to recall local supporters arguing that electing “Virginia Beach’s own” would benefit the region.

Even local Republican Delegates are not pleased:

“Chesapeake Del. John Cosgrove wondered aloud what area of the state McDonnell, a former Virginia Beach delegate, used to represent. ‘Apparently Fairfax,’ said Del. Sal Iaquinto, R-Virginia Beach.”

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According to a new Washington Post poll, most Democrats and Independents and even a sizable group of Republicans all favor passing comprehensive health reform.

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The Gen Ass is passing a law against the individual mandate in the national health reform bill.  This is a completely useless waste of time, since federal law supersedes state law.  Purely a political stunt.  (Of course, health reform opponents will be free to challenge the constitutionality of the federal law in the courts – if Congress ever passes a law.  Most constitutional scholars believe such a challenge would be unsuccessful.)  The specific benefits of health reform for Virginia are listed here.

In other Gen Ass news:

The bill to raise the statewide speed limit to 70 MPH is driving recklessly toward approval.

A bill to close the gun show loophole was shot dead in House subcommittee (again).

Republican Del. Chris Stolle has introduced a bill to earmark spending of nonexistent royalties from oil and gas drilling off the Virginia coast.  Don’t spend it all in one place!

Republican Del. James Edmunds successfully passed a bill in the House to legalize possession of antlers.

I’m so proud of our fine legislators.  They have only just begun to amass a long list of substantive accomplishments.

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There is more to Mr. Andrew R. Jackson than most people know. In fact most people are not aware that his tremendous zeal to serve others, in the role of community activist, can only be compared to his devotion to his wife, family as well as his career as a former Navy Serviceman. His proud service to his Country as a Naval Radioman cultivated his gift of communication and promoted his endowment of loyalty.

His community activism is spurred by his hope that whatever community endeavor or cause he champions will serve to fill a need that would not otherwise be addressed. Andrew neither needs to be asked or congealed to step up to the plate to get involved. He considers what he does as a small part of the big picture in making his community and the City of Virginia Beach better. Whether it entails mentoring or being what some call a “life coach”; Andrew receives such great satisfaction in giving advice to young men before they get into trouble; before they make the unwise decision to drop out of school or get involved in things that will put them on the wrong path. He has been invited to speak to several youth groups and has spoken at several other related events as well.

Many of you may have watched his quest for a City Council seat during his campaign in 2008 as he was extremely committed as well as focused while vigorously campaigning his way around the city; crossing racial, ethnic and cultural lines with relative ease.

This ability to blend with people didn’t come easily and occasionally he will speak about his childhood journey of being a young boy who grew up without a father in a very tough public housing area of Cleveland, Ohio. He denotes himself as the ”kid that stuttered so badly that he could barely complete a sentence.” His story of his struggling mother that sent all of her four children out of the neighborhood to Parochial Schools and later to the best Catholic High School in the area speaks as to why he has an unwavering commitment and compassion for those who may not have been as fortunate as he.

(more…)

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