VB Dems

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Karen Hurd, founder of the Hampton Roads Tea Party and the Virginia Tea Party Alliance PAC, said the rest of the GOP field should not be written off so early.

She agreed with Taylor that Allen’s record as a senator disqualified him from being taken seriously as a fiscal conservative who values constitutional principles.

“He’s not on record, at least during his Senate years, of saying, ‘This is ridiculous — we can’t do this.’ And I think, frankly, had he shown that kind of leadership, he wouldn’t have lost to Jim Webb to begin with,” she said.

On the other hand, the fringe candidates are not polling well.  In a recent poll, Allen had 57% of the Republicans compared to Tea Party candidate Jamie Radtke at just 2% and other possible candidates (Bob Marshall, Corey Stewart, E.W. Jackson, David McCormick, and Tim Donner) between 1%-3% each.

I expect that Allen will end up as the Republican candidate.  If so, it will remain to be seen if perpetually disgruntled Tea Party supporters will turn out to vote for him in the general election or just stay home.

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It’s true that many of my Republican colleagues mercilessly attacked Democratic candidates in 2010 with the false claim that they had cut Medicare benefits.

It’s also true that I actually voted to end Medicare and Medicaid as they exist today and that I casually dismissed opposition within my district.

However, please don’t use that against me in the next election.

“Above partisanship,”

Rep. Scott Rigell

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Tim Kaine and George Allen are all tied up at 46% among registered voters. Kaine slightly edges Allen among all polled 47%-44%, on measures of approval as Virginia Governor 58%-55% and current favorable impression 57%-52% (all well within the margin of error).

The Washington Post analysis (appearing in the Virginian-Pilot this morning) included two false equivalencies:

The article states that “both men must overcome potential vulnerabilities from their pasts: Allen, for the controversial ‘macaca’ incident that helped sink his 2006 Senate campaign, and Kaine for his close identification with President Obama’s policies.” According to the poll, 51% of registered voters said President Obama was “not a factor” in the Senate race. For the rest, President Obama’s supporters exceeded opponents 26%-21%. President Obama has positive approval ratings and leads all Republican presidential candidates in Virginia. I’m not sure why this would be considered a political liability for Kaine. Kaine is more likely to be lifted up by President Obama’s coattails than be dragged down by them.  (Allen’s unfortunate incident doesn’t seem to be much of a factor either, although it will probably dog him the rest of his life.)

The article equates the Democratic Senate wins in 2006 and 2008 and President Obama’s win in 2008 with the more recent Republican wins in 2009 and 2010. Those elections are apples and oranges.  Voter turnout in the presidential election of 2012 is much more likely to resemble the 75% turnout in the presidential election of 2008 than the 45% turnout in the governor and midterm congressional elections of 2009 and 2010.  Larger voter turnout is more likely to benefit Kaine.

There is still lots of time, but both of the candidates are already well known to voters and most have probably already made up their minds.

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Let me get this straight:

Republican Rep. Randy Forbes successfully “inserted language in a budget bill that blocked spending any more money to shut down JFCOM unless the military gives Congress a closure plan.”

Then “he voted against the budget bill that included” it.

Because it “didn’t go far enough in reducing spending, he said.”

For example, spending cuts in his district like the JFCOM “closure will save about $400 million a year.”

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House Republicans are now nearly unanimously on record as being in favor of ending Medicare, with the savings funneled to more tax cuts for the wealthy. For future senior citizens, it will result in a $12,000 per year cost increase for medical care. For people earning more than $1 million a year it will result in a $100,000 per year tax cut.

House Republicans apparently believe this will be a popular issue that will help them retain their majority in 2012.  I look forward to seeing them campaign on this issue.

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“The most recent reports indicate that so far the only casualties are a wide swath of grass and possibly a family of voles. So far no evacuation zone has been declared. There are no threats to sea life, and the fallout from the disaster was not detectable thousands of miles away.”

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Tim Kaine has announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate.

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At first blush Republican Senator Harry Blevins’ 14th district seems weirdly drawn with that northern loop picking up First Landing State Park and Fort Story. But then again, there’s minimum population numbers in that area, which actually makes this a brilliant redistricting plan offered by Senate Democrats. Kinda smart actually to expand a Republican’s district (Blevins) into the Beach rather than extending Democrats Yvonne Miller or Ralph Northam into the Beach and causing Republicans to have a melt down. Blevins’ becomes the 2nd Beach senator now.

As explained in today’s Virginian-Pilot, Republican Senators Frank Wagner and Jeff McWaters are now in the same 7th district. “Wagner has suggested he will consider moving to Newport News, where his ship repair business is located, to challenge freshman Democratic Sen. John Miller if the redistricting plan is adopted.” Whatever, dude!

Map courtesy of Blue Virginia.

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On Saturday, March 26, 2011 Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Virginia Beach will honor past, present and future civil rights and social justice champions. We invite community leaders, activists and students to join us as we fight for good jobs, universal healthcare, economic and social justice and peace.

Special Guest and Keynote Speaker: Rep. John Conyers, Jr.

Virginia Honorees:
Rep. Robert (Bobby) Scott, U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District serving since 1993
Dr. Rudy Wilson, Professor and Chair Political Science, Norfolk State University
Dr. Ella Ward, School Board Member, Retired Teacher, Chesapeake
Gaylene Kanoyton, First Vice Chair Organization, DPVA
James Bailey, Director, Hampton Roads Missing Voter Project
Ann Williams, Community Organizer and Peace Activist
Joe Cook, Community Organizer, retired Executive Director ACLU Louisiana
Tristan Breaux, President Hampton Roads Young Democrats

More details on the flip…

(more…)

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On March 1, House Republicans voted to cut $600 million from the budget of the Internal Revenue Service for the remainder of 2011 and they are proposing deeper cuts in the future.

Every $1 the IRS spends for audits, liens and seizing property from tax cheats results in more than $10 in tax revenue.  That’s quite a return on investment!

This Republican budget cut will not save tax money.  It will result in a net loss of tax money.

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Q. What is the Republican response to the disaster in Japan?

A. Cut funding for tsunami warning centers.

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The EPA and Clean Air Act were created under socialist Republican President Richard Nixon.

The Clean Air Act was amended in 1990 to regulate fine particle and ground level ozone pollution under socialist Republican President George H.W. Bush.

According to a new EPA report, those 1990 amendments prevented an estimated 160,000 premature deaths, 130,000 heart attacks, and 1.7 million asthma attacks in 2010.

They are projected to prevent more than 230,000 early deaths and provide economic benefits of an estimated $2 trillion in 2020.

Now, Republicans have proposed slashing $3 billion from the EPA – one third of their budget.

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According to a new poll, President Obama currently leads Romney by 6, [Added: Huckabee by 8], Gingrich by 12, and Palin by 19 in Virginia.

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