Kaine is in
Tim Kaine has announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate.
Archive for the ‘Misc’ Category
Very Clever Senate Democrats!
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.
Dinner Honors Area’s Civil Rights & Social Justice Leaders
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…
Republicans for tax cheats
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.
Republicans against tsunami warnings
Q. What is the Republican response to the disaster in Japan?
A. Cut funding for tsunami warning centers.
Republicans against clean air
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.
Obama leads in Virginia
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.
Republicans against the Chesapeake Bay
Save the Bay? No way! Virginia Republican Congressmen Bob Goodlatte, Randy Forbes, and Scott Rigell support cutting off federal funding to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.
Run, Bobby, Run!
“His voting record is definitely on the left end of the spectrum but he’s a deficit hawk and he’s not going to run from his votes”, writes the Richmond Times-Disgrace, reporting on the possibility of Rep. Bobby Scott running for Virginia’s U.S. Senate seat in 2012. Luv it!
Scott said it is too early to say.
“I don’t think we need to decide right now. No one anticipated the open seat, and I think it would be absurd for people to just jump up and run,” he said. “If I were to run, it would be around July.”
It’s an interesting idea discussed at the Shad Plank and what Scott’s on the ballot could do for Obama’s campaign in Virginia.
Again… luv it!
Latest LCV Scores
The League of Conservation Voters has released their “National Environmental Scorecard” for the 111th Congress, 2nd session:
Virginia Senators:
Sen. Mark Warner (D) 86%
Sen. Jim Webb (D) 57%
Local Virginia Congressmen:
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA3) 100%
Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA2) 90%
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA1) 40%
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA4) 0%
No surprises there.
We’ll see if Rigell can get anywhere close to Nye’s score and if our next Senator can do a little better than Webb.
The hidden costs of coal
Republicans against jobs
“In the last two years, under President Obama, the federal government has added 200,000* new federal jobs. If some of those jobs are lost so be it.” — House Speaker John Boehner
…because nothing creates jobs better than layoffs.
(*Actually, about 46,000 permanent federal employees were added under Obama — still the lowest level per capita since 1962.)
House Republican proposed budget cuts would cost an estimated 1 million jobs.
UPDATE: …and slow economic growth.
UPDATE: According to another independent analysis:
“The House Republicans’ proposal would reduce 2011 real GDP growth by 0.5% and 2012 growth by 0.2 percentage points. This would mean some 400,000 fewer jobs created by the end of 2011 and 700,000 fewer jobs by the end of 2012.”
Republicans against job training
With this Continuing Resolution, “we will respond to the millions of Americans who have called on this Congress to rein in spending to help our economy grow and our businesses create jobs.” – House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
The House Republican proposal includes a $2 billion cut from Job Training Programs — because nothing creates jobs better than a lack of job training.
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