Here are some Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, December 22. Also, I headed over to the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington last night to see Newt Gingrich speak to about 200 or so supporters. If you’re interested, check out the video, in which Newt decries negative campaigning and “super PACs,” urges his opponents to abide by Ronald Reagan’s “11th Commandment,” and challenges Mitt Romney to a 90-minute, one-on-one debate “anytime, anywhere” in Iowa.
*Poll: Virginians divided on uranium mining, strongly against guns on campus (“On the issue of guns on college campuses, 75 percent said they should not be allowed. A strong majority also opposes ending the state’s limit on handgun purchases to one a month.”)
*Gingrich has slim lead over Romney in new Va. GOP poll
*Public broadcaster objects to Va. budget cuts
*Entitlements vs. the poor (“IN THE BUDGET Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) proposed this week, you can glimpse the future, and not just Virginia’s. The picture is not a cheerful one.”)
*Kaine calls on Allen to support payroll tax cut; Allen calls on Kaine to support Keystone pipeline (More false equivalency from the Kaplan Post — the payroll tax cut affects 160 million Americans, the Keystone pipeline…a few thousand, maximum).
*Robert Hurt, Mark Warner react to payroll tax cut stand off
*Cantor cites ‘very narrow differences’ on payroll tax holiday (The only “differences” are that Can’tor, BONEr et al. lost control of the Tea Party wing of their party. Remember, Senate Republicans overwhelmingly voted for this bill last week. It’s not controversial at all, except to the Tea Partiers in the House.)
*Gingrich scrambling to get on Virginia ballot
*Gingrich Packs House in Rosslyn
*Local representatives join majority in rejecting payroll tax compromise
*Cheney attends Virginia party
*Hotline Sort: Virginia Is For (Politics) Lovers
*Virginia Discrimination Reinforced (“Board of Social Services votes against more-inclusive adoption/foster regulations”)
*Amazon to open two local distribution centers, creating 1,350 jobs
*State moving on $2 billion in road projects
*GOP hopeful Gingrich to hold fundraiser in Virginia as he takes lead from Romney in pol
*Fairfax court clerk running for attorney general
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