I know this is a blog focused on Virginia Beach, and politics in Virginia by extension, but the passage of the addition of a 2012 ballot measure to decided on an anti-gay marriage/civil unions amendment in North Carolina fascinates me. The North Carolina Senate passed the legislation adding the ballot measure yesterday.

My first thought was that this was 2004 all over again, where 11 states included anti-gay marriage questions on the ballot during the presidential election. The inclusion of these ballot questions is generally seen to have helped George Bush win reelection (this in addition to not raising taxes to pay for the wars, Kerry’s inability to really connect with people, etc.).

Then, reading further into the details, I realized that North Carolina Republicans, who control both the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate, placed the ballot question on the May 2012 ballot, and not the November ballot. This was surprising, as I was sure they’d want to use the issue of gay marriage to fire up the evangelical right, which would likely boost turnout and support for the Republican presidential nominee. Read the rest of this entry »

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Apparently, the hesitancy of Sandra Smith-Jones to resign from the Virginia Beach School Board has to do with some Republican behind-the-scenes maneuvers. They would like to see Republican Scott Seery back on the School Board, despite the fact that he got shellacked last year by Dottie Holtz. Scott Seery lives in the Princess Anne district so he can’t be considered to replace Smith-Jones, who represents the Kempsville district. There lies the Republican dilemma.

Here’s their answer to the problem. Republican At-Large rep Patrick Salyer moves to the Kempsville district which he wanted to do eventually anyway as he plans to run for Harry Dietzel’s seat on the Virginia Beach City Council when he retires. They do the “Carolyn Weems” and automatically make him the Kempsville School Board rep. That leaves an opening for Patrick’s former At-Large seat. Voila! Scott Seery gets the appointment. Pretty clever, don’t you think?!

Welcome to the Banana Republic of Virginia Beach!

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The 4th circuit court has unanimously dismissed two lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of health reform, ruling that “Virginia, the sole plaintiff here, lacks standing to bring this action.”

The court found that the Virginia law “does nothing more than announce an unenforceable policy goal of protecting Virginia’s residents from federal insurance requirements.”

Cuccinelli will have to find some other way to get his name in the news.

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Raising the Medicare eligibility age might save the federal government $5.7 billion dollars, but it would actually cost employers, individuals, and state governments $11.4 billion.  That’s a bad deal.

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Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is apparently considering challenging Senator Mark Warner in 2014.

Maybe he’s counting on Vice President McDonnell to campaign for him.

UPDATE: Nevermind!

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Without any idea of who the Republican presidential nominee will be, Gov. McDonnell is already auditioning for the Vice Presidential slot.

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From Virginia Beach Progressives

Adrianne Bennett, Democratic nominee in the 21st House of Delegates district captured the endorsements of both the Virginia Beach Education Association and the Virginia Education Association.

Bennett announced the endorsements in a tweet yesterday, “Thank you to the Virginia Educational Association and the Virginia Beach Educatonal Association for their endorsements. I am so honored.”

On the issue of education, Bennett has said that she is, “ dedicated to making sure children have access to quality education, from early childhood to college, and to working to make sure there are opportunities in Virginia Beach to have good jobs and safely raise families of their own.”

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Media pundits declared a Tea Party victory in the debt ceiling deal, but they didn’t really get what they wanted out of it: no Medicare phase-out, no balanced budget amendment, no deep spending cuts, mostly reductions in defense spending.

The self-inflicted crisis has further damaged the Republican brand. Public disapproval of Congress is at an all-time high, and more than twice as many people disapprove of the Tea Party as approve — down to 18%, which is pretty much just Tea Party members approving of themselves.  (So much for building a populist movement.)  It has all the makings of a wave election.

Next year, Congressional Republicans may be faced with the choice of letting Bush tax cuts expire on income in excess of $250,000 (as President Obama proposes) or allowing them to expire for everybody (in the more likely case of Congressional gridlock).

Meanwhile, progress marches on, leaving conservatives in the dust:

• New York recently became the 6th state to allow gay marriage.  UPDATE (01/23/2012): Washington may have the votes to be the 7th state to allow gay marriage.  

• President Obama recently announced new fuel efficiency standards that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, pollution, and associated health costs.

• On Tuesday, Wisconsin Democrats may take back a majority in their state Senate.  [UPDATE: Voters threw 2 Republicans out of office in the middle of their terms, but came up 1 short of a Democratic majority.]

• On September 20, the policy of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the military will be history.  UPDATE: Done!

• One federal appeal court has already ruled health reform constitutional.  Any day now, federal appeal courts in Atlanta and Richmond may do so as well. If so, the appeal courts will be unanimous.  With no disagreement to resolve, the Supreme Court could simply decline to hear an appeal.  [UPDATE: I was hoping for a sweep, but the Atlanta appeal court ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional.  The score is now 1-1 at the appeal court level and the issue will have to be resolved by the Supreme Court after all.] [UPDATE: The Richmond court threw out Cuccinelli's case, saying the state has no legal standing.]

• Meanwhile, Vermont is moving forward with single-payer health system.

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According to a new Washington Post poll:

In order to reduce the national debt, would you support or oppose:

Cutting spending on Medicaid, which is the government health insurance program for the poor?
Support: 26%
Oppose: 72%

Raising taxes on Americans with incomes over $250,000 a year?
Support: 72%
Oppose: 27%

Increasing the amount of Social Security tax paid by people with incomes over $107,000 a year?
Support: 66%
Oppose: 33%

Those are the three options with the widest majorities.  The public is overwhelmingly opposed to the Republican plan to cut Medicare and Medicaid and their absolute refusal to even consider tax increases.

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Paul Hirschbiel announced today he is running as a Democrat for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District seat in 2012.

Like Rigell, Hirschbiel is a millionaire who could fund his own campaign.

Republican consultant Brian Kirwin has selectively reported that Hirschbiel supported the political campaigns of George W. Bush and Bob McDonnell, but it appears he contributed even more to Democratic candidates.

On the other hand, Kirwin has also said the election could “easily” go Democratic again in 2012, when Obama is expected to compete heavily in the area and the freshman Rigell is facing his first re-election:

“What I would suspect is in 2012 you’ve got Obama back on the ticket, all Democrats have to do is run a respectable candidate and Rigell is history. It’s very military, not hard-core Republican. Before 2000, this district was owned by Democrats.”

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Time to get re-engaged!

What: Organizing for America grassroots planning session

Where: 3427 Club House Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

When: Wednesday, July 6th, 6:00 pm

Click here to RSVP.

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Foodborne illness kills 3,000 Americans and costs $152 billion each year.

The Republican solution: cut $87 million from the Food and Drug Administration and $35 million from the USDA’s food safety and inspection service.

Another in the continuing “Republicans against…” series.

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Robert Reich connects the dots on the economy, in less than 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

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From Virginia Beach Progressives

Adrianne Bennett, a local attorney and Democrat, is challenging Republican Ron Villanueva this November in the 21st House of Delegates District.

Adrianne Bennett grew up in Virginia Beach, attended public schools and Cape Henry Collegiate. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Sociology. She studied law at the University of Baltimore, graduated cum laude with her juris doctorate. Adrianne has dedicated her legal career to serving the under-served.

Ron Villanueva was elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, beating Bobby Mathieson by only 16 votes. It isn’t an over exaggeration to say that the 21st District is winnable for Democrats this year looking at past performance and some general apathy by some who have supported Villanueva in the past. If Democrats can rally behind Bennett’s candidacy, it’s very possible that they can pick up this seat. Democrats don’t currently hold any House of Delegates seats primarily representing Virginia Beach.

Adrianne Bennett spoke at the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee’s May breakfast and at their annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner on June 2nd, where she stressed that he reasons for running boiled down to making sure that Virginia Beach is a place where her child and all children would want to live when they grow up, saying that she is dedicated to making sure children have access to quality education, from early childhood to college, and to working to make sure there are opportunities in Virginia Beach to have good jobs and safely raise families of their own.

Bennett is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee’s Third Thursday Dinner and Social on June 16 at Kelly’s Hilltop Tavern at 6:00 p.m.

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Republicans have become increasingly intolerant of dissent from Tea Party orthodoxy.

Will Republican presidential primary voters really support Mitt Romney,

• A Mormon
• Who believes in global warming (Rush Limbaugh: “Bye-bye, nomination”), and
• Who created the model for “Obamacare” (including the individual mandate),
• Except that “Romneycare” (unlike “Obamacare”) includes coverage for abortion, and
• Supported gay rights?

“People recognize that I am not a partisan Republican, that I’m someone who is moderate, and that my views are progressive.” – Mitt Romney (2002)

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