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Video: Is the #MeToo Movement Really “Much Ado About Nothing?”

By
Cindy
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0

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, and given the number of sexual harassment and abuse allegations against members of other legislative bodies in the country, this Virginia General Assembly session – with 15 new Democrats, most of whom are women – would seem to be a time to take every precaution to make sure that House members and their staffs are well-informed about sexual harassment. And since it’s largely up to the legislative bodies to regulate themselves, there have been several bills proposed this year about sexual harassment training.

But when HB371 made it to the floor today, it had already morphed substantially from its original version, losing some of its teeth along the way. The original version, with bipartisan patrons Roxann Robinson (R) and Kaye Kory (D) in the House, plus Barbara Favola (D), Jennifer McClellan (D) and Glen Sturtevant (D) in the Senate, called for annual sexual harassment training to be offered through the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM), with the records kept by the same agency.The House Rules Committee (you remember, the one that Speaker Cox stacked with nonproportional members against the very rules of proportional committees that the House itself had voted on) changed the bill so that the training would be only once every two years, and would be provided by the House or Senate Clerk’s office, with the records maintained by the Clerk’s office.

But is it putting the fox in charge of the hen house to have the Clerk’s office responsible for designing the training, overseeing its administration, and maintaining the records afterwards?

So Delegate Watts, whose own similar bill HB1057 had been rolled into HB371, proposed another substitute version on the House floor today. Her substitute allowed elected legislators and their assistants to take a training designed by and administered by the Clerk’s office, but adding additional stringent conditions that the training should cover:

The sexual harassment training course provided by the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate shall be available on-line 24 hours per day seven days a week and shall include but not be limited to discussion of (i) the inclusion of member actions when performing official duties covered under the General Assembly Conflicts of Interests Act (§ 30-100 et seq.); (ii) the inclusion of communications or actions undertaken with other state employees, contract employees, applicants for employment, customers, vendors, members of the media, lobbyists, members of the public, or volunteers; (iii) the Department of Human Resources Management Workplace Harassment Policy provision that managers, supervisors, and members who knowingly fail to take appropriate corrective action regarding allegations shall be in violation of the sexual harassment policy; (iv) the adopted policies of the House of Delegates or of the Senate governing how allegations of violations may be made, sharing of information, investigative procedures, determination of need for disclosure to law enforcement to protect public safety, committed violations of this chapter; and (v) the remedies available under this chapter and the Commonwealth Workplace Harassment Policy that are in addition to any other civil remedies and criminal sanctions provided under law.

As a backup plan to her substitute in case the substitute was voted down, she also drafted three separate amendments to HB371 that would accomplish the same more careful sexual harassment training, with the opportunity for any number of the three changes to be accepted.

All this caused the Republicans to be so flustered that Speaker Cox had to adjourn for a few minutes so that everyone could figure out how to vote. The Democrats also huddled up to get their strategy in place. When they reconvened, both sides took the opportunity to discuss the bill and the suggested changes. Delegate Robinson spoke about her bill, saying that it was important to have this training and that it wasn’t that SHE didn’t trust her peers, it was that the public needed to trust them–needed to know that when they legislated their own behavior, they did so in the most stringent way possible. Which was odd, since Delegate Watts’ substitute/amendments were adding additional conditions to make the training more thorough.

Delegate Watts spoke about her substitute, arguing for why having an outside agency administer the training was so important, and discussing the various ways that legislators interact with others where harassment issues might arise–not just in the chamber with each other, but back in their districts, with lobbyists, with their constituents, etc. The Republicans then proceeded to vote down the substitute.

And the amendments were discussed one by one. By this point, apparently Delegate Gilbert was getting annoyed and tired of the proceeding, because he asked to speak and then declared that this was “much ado about nothing.” And the entire chamber gasped–literally! (See about 2:40)

After the year that we’ve seen, with millions of women speaking out and saying #MeToo, and dozens of news stories about politicians and Hollywood producers and company CEOs being accused of sexual harassment, Delegate Gilbert thought that a discussion about how to get the training right was “much ado about nothing!” The rest of the amendments were voted down–on party lines, because apparently sexual harassment policy is a partisan issue too, and the weakened version of HB371 that the House Rules Committee wrote moved on to its third reading, presumably tomorrow.

I have two further thoughts about this. The first is that it is virtually impossible that of the 50 Republican members of the House in attendance today, every single one thinks that sexual harassment training should be administered by the Clerk’s office rather than DHRM–it’s probably also unlikely that all 49 of the Democratic members thinks it should not. So, we’ve clearly descended into a hyper-partisan world where everyone is entrenched in the position that their party peers are taking. Which is not good for anyone. The second is that it’s not a coincidence that the party with 47% of its Delegates being female wanted a more stringent sexual harassment policy than the party with 10% of its members being female.

Final Results of Blue Virginia 2017 Gov. Poll #1: Northam 50.7%-Perriello 48.3% (4,762 total votes)

By
lowkell
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UPDATE 6:00 pm Sunday: As promised, I have closed the poll on Sunday evening. The final results are Ralph Northam edging out Tom Perriello 2,416 (50.73%)-2,298 (48.26%), with a handful of votes for Ed Gillespie (0.48%), Frank Wagner (0.21%), Corey Stewart (0.17%) and Denver Riggleman (0.15%). Clearly, the two Democratic governor campaigns encouraged their supporters to vote in this poll, as we got a huge number of votes (4,762 total) in just 72 hours or so on a holiday weekend! Also, I could see the surges for each candidate as they pushed their supporters to vote via email, Facebook, etc. All of which is fine, by the way, as it indicates enthusiasm/intensity, organization, etc. Anyway, congratulations to Ralph Northam for edging out Tom Perriello in the first Blue Virginian non-scientific poll of the 2017 election cycle. I’ll probably do this again in a few weeks to see where we are then. Also, I’m going to post a Lt. Governor poll, so please vote in that one as well. Thanks!

UPDATE 5:22 pm Friday: It’s great to see so many people voting in this poll. I’ll probably keep it open until Sunday evening or so…

Poll: How Are You Feeling About the Presidential Race These Days?

By
lowkell
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0


Matt Weinstein for Virginia’s 8th CD Democratic Committee

By
lowkell
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0

The following statement is from Matt Weinstein — Arlington Young Democrat, legislative aide to Del. Rip Sullivan and candidate for the 8th CD Democratic Committee. The election will be at the August ACDC meeting at 7 pm on August 3rd at the NRECA building in Ballston (4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203). I’ve endorsed Matt because I think he has the energy, talent and experience to do a great job on voter protection and in general as a member of the 8th CD Democratic Committee. Go Matt!

Arlingtonians are fortunate to live in one the most forward-thinking, progressive congressional districts in the United States.

Virginia’s 8th Congressional District (CD) votes overwhelmingly for the Democratic nominee every presidential year, and it repeatedly sends Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Don Beyer has given voice to the progressive values that embody our community.

The 8th CD is a Democratic stronghold because of the Arlington County Democratic Committee (ACDC) and Virginia’s 8th CD Democratic Committee.

The 8th CD Democratic Committee—which includes 33 leaders from across the 8th district—provides political and fundraising support for Democrats throughout the 8th CD. The committee’s success makes it a model for congressional committees across Virginia.

One seat on the 8th CD Democratic Committee recently became available, and because of the committee’s seat allocation rules, the seat is reserved for an Arlington male.

I am running for the 8th CD Democratic Committee vacancy, and I am writing today to ask for your vote.

The election will be held at the August ACDC meeting at 7 pm on August 3rd at the NRECA building in Ballston (4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203). Any registered Arlington voter can vote in the election, but voters are required to sign a form saying that they will support Democrats.

I am the best candidate for the job because I have extensive experience working at the local, state, and federal level in Virginia, and I have devoted much of my career to protecting the right to vote for Virginians across the Commonwealth.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of American Democracy. As someone with significant experience protecting the right to vote, I would use my position on the 8th CD Democratic Committee to develop best practices for voter protection programs across the 8th district.

In 2012, I was fortunate to be part of the Obama Campaign’s voter protection team. Our team recruited 1,928 lawyers to volunteer on Election Day in Virginia, covered 1,055 polling locations, and resolved 3,283 voting issues at the polls. I continued the Obama voter protection model for the McAuliffe campaign in 2013, when we had over 500 lawyers protecting voters at polls across Virginia.

Every eligible voter in the 8th district should be able to vote regardless of race, religion, or party, and I will work hard to make that happen.

About me:

  • I am an Arlington Young Democrat, an attorney, and a political operative.
  • I am Delegate Rip Sullivan’s Legislative Aide.
  • I am currently ACDC’s Sergeant at Arms, and I am responsible for organizing caucuses and working with Arlington’s election board and registrar to make sure it is easy for voters to vote in Arlington.
  • I ran the 2016 Arlington School Board Caucus.
  • I was the parliamentarian for the 2016 8th CD Democratic Convention.
  • I worked for Senator Warner from 2009 to 2012.
  • I worked for the Obama Campaign in Virginia in 2012 as part of their voter protection team.
  • I ran the voter protection program for the McAuliffe Campaign in 2013.
  • I am the founding co-chair of the DPVA’s voter protection council in 2014.

My extensive local, state, and federal experience has allowed me to develop good relationships with some of the hardest-working Democrats in Arlington, the 8th CD, and across the Commonwealth.

Because of these relationships, I have been fortunate to receive broad, committed support for my candidacy from many Democratic leaders in the 8th CD.

A partial list of my supporters is provided below. Please note these endorsements were made in a personal capacity, and do not reflect a collective endorsement by any political organization.

  • Senator Barbara Favola (D-31)
  • Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30)
  • Delegate Rip Sullivan (D-48)
  • Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47)
  • Carla de la Pava, Arlington County Treasurer
  • Dave Leichtman, DPVA Vice Chair-Technology and Communications, 8th CD Member
  • Frank Leone, DNC Member
  • Josh Katcher, Voter Registration Chair, ACDC
  • Cragg Hines, ACDC Parliamentarian/National Delegate for Hillary Clinton
  • Lowell Feld, Blue Virginia
  • Laura Saul Edwards, Precinct Ops Vice Chair
  • Ian Redman, Precinct Ops Vice Chair, ACDC
  • Matt de Ferranti, Area Chair MetroEast, ACDC
  • Jill Caiazzo, Area Chair Central, ACDC
  • William Mark Habeeb, Area Chair River, ACDC
  • Kim Phillip, Director of Administration for ACDC
  • Chris Leyen, Aide to Senator Adam Ebbin
  • Zach Bowman, Outreach Vice Chair-LGBT, ACDC
  • Jarrod Nagurka, former Campaign Manager for Rip Sullivan and Christian Dorsey, ACDC Precinct Captain

Thank you for your consideration.  I look forward to speaking with you soon and hopefully seeing you at the election on August 3rd.

Governor-Elect Spanberger Announces Dr. Sesha Joi Moon as Virginia’s Next Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

By
lowkell
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0

Good to see Virginia going back to PROMOTING diversity, as a positive thing, rather than suppressing it, demonizing it, etc., as the MAGAs have been doing…

Governor-Elect Spanberger Announces Chief Diversity Officer Appointment

Governor-Elect Spanberger: Dr. Moon’s “Experience Across Government, Education, and the Nonprofit Sectors Gives Her Firsthand Insight into the Ways in Which We Can Build a Stronger, Safer, and More Prosperous Virginia for Every Family”

RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today announced the appointment of Dr. Sesha Joi Moon to serve as Virginia’s next Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“When every Virginian has the opportunity to reach their full potential, it benefits all of us. Virginia deserves leaders who will make sure our work to grow our Commonwealth’s economy keeps the needs of all Virginians in mind,” said Spanberger. “Today, I’m excited to announce that Dr. Moon is joining our administration. Her experience across government, education, and the nonprofit sectors gives her firsthand insight into the ways in which we can build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Virginia for every family.”

“I am deeply honored by my nomination as the next Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Dr. Moon. “As a proud Virginia native, I look forward to joining the cabinet of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger as her historic administration works to advance a future in which all Virginians have access to opportunity — to include residents from some of the hardest-to-reach communities throughout the Commonwealth.”

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Dr. Sesha Joi Moon has over 20 years of experience in amplifying the positive impact of organizations across the country and ensuring the needs of people from all communities are considered in decision-making. She most notably served as Chief Diversity Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 117th & 118th Congresses — leading the U.S. House Office of Diversity & Inclusion at the pleasure of Speakers Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, and Mike Johnson.

Her prior roles include Chief Impact Officer with Girl Scouts USA and Chief Diversity Officer with the National Institute of Standards & Technology at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she received the Commerce Bronze Award for Superior Performance and Commerce Spirit Award.

In addition to executive education programs at Harvard University, where she received the DEI Pioneer Award at the Harvard Sports, Entertainment, and Impact Summit, Dr. Moon holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration & Policy from Old Dominion University. She also earned a B.A. in African American Studies and M.S. from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has received the VCU Black History in the Making Award and VCU Alumni Stars Award — and became the first Black queer woman to establish an endowed scholarship fund in university history. She also maintains endowments at Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Richmond Public Schools.

Dr. Moon is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. alongside the Virginia Black Historic Preservation Alliance and President’s Circle with the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Washington Mystics — and formerly served on the Board of Directors with the African American Federal Executive Association and Commonwealth of Virginia’s Criminal Justice Services Board. She is also a Senior Research Fellow with The Conference Board’s Engagement Institute and Senior Fellow of the Excellence in Government Fellowship Program with the Partnership for Public Service.

Dr. Moon resides in Fairfax, Virginia with her cockapoo, Benji, but hails from Richmond, Virginia as the proud daughter of Dr. Michon Moon and the late August Moon.

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Governor-Elect Spanberger Announces Matt McGuire as Counsel to the Governor

By
lowkell
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0

With just 18 days until her inauguration, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger is rapidly filling out her Cabinet and top advisor positions…

Governor-Elect Spanberger Announces Counsel to the Governor Appointment

Governor-Elect Spanberger: Mr. McGuire “Will Help Ensure My Administration Works Effectively Across the Executive Branch to Put Virginians First”

**CLICK HERE for Downloadable Headshot**

RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today announced the appointment of Matt McGuire to serve as Counsel to the Governor and a member of her senior leadership team.

“Mr. McGuire brings a broad record of experience across public and private practice, including his service to the Commonwealth as Principal Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of the Attorney General,” said Spanberger. “He will help ensure my administration works effectively across the executive branch to put Virginians first, secure wins for the Commonwealth, and achieve my goals of lowering costs for families, growing Virginia’s economy, and strengthening Virginia’s public schools.”

“As a native Virginian, it is a tremendous honor and privilege to return to public service under Governor-elect Spanberger as she works to bring Virginians together by focusing on solutions that prioritize people, affordability, and delivering results. I’ll draw on my extensive experience with public law issues, my global background in business and technology matters as well as litigation to ensure the Governor-elect’s crucial policies will benefit Virginians for years to come,” said McGuire. “I’m excited to partner with Governor-elect Spanberger’s dedicated administration officials to advance the Affordable Virginia Agenda for the benefit of all Virginians.”

BIOGRAPHY

Matt McGuire, Counsel to the Governor

Matt McGuire, proudly born and raised in Virginia, is a distinguished legal advisor and litigator whose career has involved public service, stints at private companies and law firms as well as academia. He previously served the Commonwealth under Attorney General Mark Herring as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General & Executive Division Counsel, advising the Attorney General and senior staff on the most sensitive and complex legal matters facing Virginia.

While in private practice, Matt has advised clients around the world with respect to civil and criminal matters. His clients are diverse with wide-ranging legal issues, including some of the largest global companies, emerging technology startups in crypto and AI as well as local governments and individuals. During his time in-house at Shopify, Matt engaged with law enforcement and regulators across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America; oversaw the company’s global privacy team; and worked side-by-side with the general counsel as her senior advisor.

Matt brings a deep understanding of litigation risks that affect the Commonwealth, having argued cases at every level of the federal and Virginia judicial systems, more than 25 appeals overall, including in the United States Supreme Court. He also co-taught a seminar at the University of Richmond Law School on state constitutionalism and state attorneys general. He is excited to leverage his background and experience to support Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision for the Commonwealth and help ensure its longevity.

Matt graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University School of Law, and received his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University. After graduating law school, he clerked for the Honorable E. Grady Jolly on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Matt resides in Richmond with his wife, Dori, and their two young daughters. Passionate about animals and their welfare, their family includes two large hounds and two cats.

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Tuesday News: Trump Continues Defending Putin, “Not Worried” About China’s Simulated Taiwan Blockade; “CIA carried out drone strike on port facility on Venezuelan coast”; “Kennedy Center Hit With Last-Minute New Year’s Cancelations”; Jay Jones Cleared in Reckless Driving Case

By
lowkell
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9

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, December 30.

With Just 19 Days Until Youngkin’s (Mercifully) No Longer Governor, Here Are Ten Examples of the “Mainstream” Political Media’s Whitewashing, Sanewashing, Stenography, etc. of this Supposed “Moderate” Non-Trumpian Republican

By
lowkell
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0

With just 19 days until Glenn Youngkin’s pathetic failure of a governorship comes to an end.  Of course, part of the reason Youngkin even HAD a governorship to begin with is that the media has relentlessly whitewashed/sanewashed him, acted as his stenographer, wishcasted super hard that he’d be the “moderate”/”suburban dad” Republican they want SO badly, etc. As for hard-hitting looks at Youngkin’s increasing right-wing radicalization, his embrace of MAGA and alliance with Trump, etc., we got…well, not much on those fronts from the more-concerned-with-maintaining-access-and-terrified-of-upsetting-the-right-wing political “journalists” out there.

So unfortunately, there are innumerable examples of pathetic, lame, weak, stenographic, etc. “reporting” on Youngkin. But just to give a flavor for what we dealt with the past 4+ years, here are some of the absolute worst – most fawning, most credulous, most cowardly, most dishonest, etc. – articles on Youngkin.

      1. Molly Ball Pens the Most Pathetically Bad Article Ever Written About Glenn Youngkin? (7/1/22).  As Kindler wrote at the time: “I can’t remember the last time I saw a reporter work so hard to brown-nose a politician and whitewash his record. This isn’t journalism, it’s a campaign brochure. What job in the Youngkin White House are you angling for, @mollyesque?” And as I wrote at the time: “Really bad/embarrassing article, from the title (Youngkin’s been educated??? how so???) to bizarre/at-best-premature claims like “Youngkin’s ‘tip line’ has not led to a new era of teacher McCarthyism”). What on earth is this?”
      2. Three Front-Page WaPo Stories on the VA Governor’s Race…and They All SUCK (Hell, They Even Describe Youngkin as a “6 foot 5 Mystery Date” – WTF???) (10/9/21). The comments on these WaPo articles were brutal, and deservedly so. But first, as I wrote at the time: “Appallingly bad “reporting” by the WaPo. In fact, we know a LOT about Youngkin’s hard-right positions on almost every issue…but apparently this reporter has paid zero attention, preferring to describe Youngkin as a “6 foot 5 Mystery Date” (WTF???).” And as the WaPo comments said: “How much did Youngkin pay for this whitewash job?” and “What is this? A campaign ad for Youngkin, WAPO?” Just abysmallly bad “journalism” at the Bezos Post, which has only gotten a lot worse since then, sad to say. Yeah, definitely time to cancel your subscription, if you haven’t done so already.
      3. When It Comes to Glenn Youngkin, the Political Media Keeps Failing Us BADLY: Axios Flat-Out Lies About Who Youngkin’s Campaigning For; The Hill Calls Racist/Extremist Paul LePage “Controversial” for Using “Racially Charged” Rhetoric; etc. (9/5/22). As I wrote at the time, this was Axios just flat-out and WILDLY lying, claiming that Youngkin is supposedly “bypassing MAGA-oriented gubernatorial candidates in favor of pragmatists running tough races in blue states.” Again, this is a wild lie, as Youngkin is actually campaigning for serious, far-right extremists like Tudor Dixon in Michigan, Paul LePage in Maine, Heidi Ganahl in Colorado, Joe Lombardo in Nevada, etc, etc.
      4. As Youngkin Spews Out Lies and Right-Wing Blather in Georgia, CNN and the WaPo Treat It All as a Big Game, Whitewash It, Fail to Do Their Jobs as Journalists (9/28/22). As I wrote at the time:  I’m not going to even link to this trash, but suffice it to say that the headlines of these puff pieces/whitewash jobs are: “Youngkin is ‘hugging everyone’ as he tries to build a brand as the GOP’s great unifier” (CNN) and “Glenn Youngkin hosts donor retreat amid presidential speculation” (WaPo), and they both treat Youngkin as a “national star with a great future” (quoting, of all people, fascist Newt Gingrich) who “has become a conservative-movement hero in the fights over the teaching of racial and gender identity concepts in Virginia’s public school” (WTF???), and who very well could be of “presidential timber” (again – WTF???). Minimal if any skepticism, let alone substantive reporting, is apparent in either of these sorry excuses for “journalism.”
      5. IL Governor’s Chief of Staff Says Karen Tumulty’s WaPo Op-Ed Arguing Youngkin’s a “Sane” Republican Is “one of many reasons democracy is in such peril” (7/3/22). Tumulty mostly retracted this a few months later. But in July 2022, she actually argued, “Why Glenn Youngkin — or someone like him — must run in 2024.” As JB Pritzker’s Chief of Staff, Anna Caprara, wrote at the time: “This take – and others like it – is one of many reasons democracy is in such peril. The idea that Glenn Youngkin – 15-week abortion ban, teacher tip line, CRT hysteria pushing Youngkin – is somehow a ‘sane Republican’ is ludicrous.” Also: “Voters didn’t believe Youngkin would be a far right Governor because the press told them he wouldn’t be a far right governor! And guess what – he’s a far right governor! Guy just vowed to sign any abortion ban that comes to his desk!”
      6. Full Transcript of CNN’s “Town Hall” with Glenn Youngkin, Which Failed (as 100% Expected) to Press Him on a Wide Range of Important Issues (3/10/23). This isn’t a “mainstream media” article, but instead a CNN “Town Hall,” with the egregiously bad Jake Tapper completely failing to press Glenn Youngkin on his crap, let alone to correct Youngkin’s slippery and dishonest blather. So what was the point, exactly, of giving him a national platform to a pathological liar like Youngkin to spew his lies (as MediaMatters described it, “CNN gave Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin a town hall to spew right-wing talking points about education”)? Unfortunately, this is what Jake Tapper, CNN, and to a large extent the “mainstream” political media in this country does ALL THE TIME (just check out the Sunday morning shows if you want to see this in action) – namely, to invite on Republicans who spew out lie after lie, with no correction (or, at best, minimal correction) to viewers/listeners. The damage done by this uncritical amplification of right-wing LIES really can’t be overstated. And yet, if anything, the media keeps getting WORSE, not better, as they increasingly kowtow to Trump, get bought up by MAGA billionaires, etc. And yes, this is a huge part of the reason why our democracy is in such deep trouble right now.
      7. The strategists who made the ‘Youngkin Republican’ (11/5/21). Ryan Lizza (yes, this guy) did a supposed “Deep Dive” (BTW, that phrase really needs to be banned from journalism) on why Youngkin won in Virginia, by…yep, talking to “Youngkin campaign strategists Jeff Roe and Kristin Davison, and the mistakes they think McAuliffe’s campaign made.” Seriously? This is supposed to be journalism, uncritically amplifying what paid hacks for a Republican candidate have to say? I mean, I guess it would actually take more effort for “journalists” to scrutinize the claims made by right-wing operatives, rather than just laundering them, regurgitating them, etc. But is that actually what a journalist is supposed to do? If so, then what’s the added value of being a journalist? Seems like major NEGATIVE value to me, to pass on lies, disinformation, propaganda, etc. without  even identifying it as such.
      8. Youngkin proves a post-Trump model for a GOP resurgence. (If Trump will allow it.) (11/8/21). I like Bob Lewis personally, and he writes some excellent stuff, but…uhhh…what on earth was this article exactly? First of all, remember that Virginia has gone opposite of the party in the White House, with one exception, since 1973, so it’s not exactly surprising that Youngkin won the governor’s race (albeit only by 2 points) when a Democrat – Joe Biden – was in the White House, and with a low approval rating to boot. Yet, according to Bob Lewis, the election supposedly that “Democrats have proved ineffectual at best, disconnected from a huge swath of American society.” Wuuuut? Beyond that, Lewis quotes the former VA GOP executive director, who characterized Youngkin as “Atticus Finch” (lol, not even close!); argued “Youngkin ran a superb campaign” (by “superb,” he glosses over Youngkin’s fear mongering, lies, demagoguery, etc, etc.) and that, supposedly, Youngkin “calmly deflected Democrats’ ceaseless efforts to tie him to Trump” while “refocusing his message on proposals to boost school funding and cutting the state’s grocery and gasoline taxes as food and fuel prices spiked.” I mean…did we watch the same campaign? At all? Because that’s not even close to how most Virginia Democrats, or even neutral observers, would probably characterize what Youngkin did in that campaign. But…yeah, this piece  epitomizes so much wrong with the political press in this country, it’s hard to even know where to start. Ugh.
      9. Youngkin touts Virginia record in Iowa, land of presidential hope (7/18/25). This article in the WaPo is classic stenography, mostly just types what Youngkin says and presents it, uncritically, to readers. The article adds, “Youngkin drew two standing ovations and repeated applause as he told the familiar-to-Virginians story of his unlikely decision to run for governor after a career as a business executive.” And then there’s this paragraph of hagiography: “In Iowa on Thursday night, Youngkin spent about half an hour taking chat-style questions from Kaufmann, telling the story of his election and time in office as a well-honed narrative that seemed to strike a deep chord with his audience. Inspired by his mother, a nurse, to serve others; called by God to quit his corporate job and run for office at a time when Republicans had not won statewide in Virginia in a dozen years; seizing on the grievances of parents who were tired of pandemic-related school shutdowns; winning in a Virginia that he depicts as so blue it seems to almost be California.” So…yeah, ok, sure. Then the article has several quotes from conservatives who think Youngkin’s AMAZING, how Youngkin “inspired me tonight,” etc. Oh, and the article claims, “Youngkin’s emphasis on parental and K-12 school issues set a culture-war template for Republicans to run on around the country over the next few years.” Again…yeah, ok, sure. Anyway, enough of this crap-masquerading-as-journalism. I’ll just leave this item with the top-rated comment on this article, which says it very well: “[Youngkin]’s got as much chance to be the Republican nominee for president as AOC does and she’s not a Republican. He got elected as part of the CRT scam and has laid waste to Virginia for four years. He’s a GQP member, and there’s been a huge backlash against them since the orange autocrat took office. He’s just another delusional politician with no link to reality.”
      10. Glenn Youngkin’s Journey From the Heights of Finance to the Top Tier of G.O.P. Politics (11/3/21). This NY Times piece exemplifies much of the “mainstream” political media’s coverage of Youngkin the past four years, enthusiastically boosting him as the supposed “newest star of the Republican Party, whose campaign will be reverse-engineered for its lessons by both parties”; a supposed “natural campaigner” who “did not fit the former president’s bullying, self-aggrandizing profile”; etc. Also, of course, the “mainstream” political media immediately jumped to talk of Youngkin as a potential presidential candidate, “a contender within his party nationally if its voters decide they are ready to move on from Mr. Trump and Trumpism.”

So, again, these are just ten *examples* of “mainstream” political media coverage of Glenn Youngkin the past four years. The main point is that the “mainstream” political media mostly just bought Youngkin’s bulls*** (sweater-vest, not Trump-like,  a “normie”/”sane”/”moderate” Republican, etc.); really appeared to believe that Youngkin had unlocked some sort of secret political code (as opposed to just following a half-century pattern in Virginia of the governor’s race going opposite of the party in the White House, with one exception – Terry McAuliffe narrowly over far-right extremist Ken Cuccinelli in 2013); didn’t call out Youngkin for his incessant, pathological lying; mostly acted as  uncritical stenographers; pumped Youngkin up for president (or VP) in 2024 or 2028; etc. In the end, is any of that really what the political news media should be doing, and does any of it benefit our democracy in any way? Seems like the obvious answers to those two questions are NO and NO, but the “mainstream” political media apparently views things quite differently…

Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger Announces Jessica K. Looman as New VA Secretary of Labor

By
lowkell
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0

Another Cabinet pick by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger; today, it’s Jessica K. Looman for Labor Secretary. According to the press release (see below):

“Ms. Looman was appointed by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, leading the federal labor standards enforcement agency from 2021 to 2025. At the U.S. Department of Labor, Ms. Looman was entrusted with protecting the nation’s foundational federal labor standards laws for 165 million workers at 11 million workplaces nationwide. Her leadership prioritized strategic enforcement of minimum wage and overtime protections for low-wage and vulnerable workers, combating child labor exploitation, addressing the misclassification of employees as independent contractors, preventing retaliation against workers, and modernizing the administration of the federal Davis-Bacon construction prevailing wage program.”

Good stuff; looking forward to Looman and the rest of Spanberger’s new administration getting to work to move Virginia forward, while undoing the damage done by the four-year Youngkin debacle.

NEW: Governor-Elect Spanberger Announces Secretary of Labor Appointment

Governor-Elect Spanberger: “Ms. Looman Will Drive My Administration’s Mission to Equip Virginians With the Skills and Education They Need to Build Steady, Rewarding Careers”

**CLICK HERE for Downloadable Headshot**

RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today announced the appointment of Jessica K. Looman to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Labor.

“Virginia’s workforce is the most talented in America — and the foundation of what makes our economy great. Workers and their families deserve leaders who will continue to expand opportunity by investing in workforce training programs and creating good-paying jobs in every region of our Commonwealth,” said Spanberger. “Ms. Looman has extensive experience supporting workers and fostering economic growth at the local, state, and federal levels. As a proud member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, she understands how important it is to uphold workforce protections and prepare our citizens for both the jobs of today and tomorrow. As Secretary of Labor, Ms. Looman will drive my administration’s mission to equip Virginians with the skills and education they need to build steady, rewarding careers — and power Virginia’s economy into the future.”

“I am honored to be nominated by Governor-elect Spanberger to serve as Virginia’s third Secretary of Labor and I look forward to working with the Commonwealth’s workforce protection and development agencies to improve economic opportunity and security for Virginia’s workers,” said Looman. “I share Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision that both investing in the creation of good jobs and protecting workers are essential to sustaining the Commonwealth’s economic growth and shared prosperity.”

BIOGRAPHY

Jessica Looman, Secretary of Labor

The Honorable Jessica K. Looman brings extensive national experience leading agencies and organizations focused on protecting workers, expanding economic security, and advancing workforce development initiatives to the Commonwealth of Virginia. She looks forward to implementing Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision of growing an economy that will continue to ensure Virginia is a place for business to be able to create good jobs and where we value every single Virginian that works hard every day.

Ms. Looman was appointed by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, leading the federal labor standards enforcement agency from 2021 to 2025. At the U.S. Department of Labor, Ms. Looman was entrusted with protecting the nation’s foundational federal labor standards laws for 165 million workers at 11 million workplaces nationwide. Her leadership prioritized strategic enforcement of minimum wage and overtime protections for low-wage and vulnerable workers, combating child labor exploitation, addressing the misclassification of employees as independent contractors, preventing retaliation against workers, and modernizing the administration of the federal Davis-Bacon construction prevailing wage program.

Ms. Looman also served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce, overseeing energy, insurance, and financial institution regulation. She previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, where she was responsible for the strategic coordination of the agency’s five worker protection divisions.

Most recently, Ms. Looman has served as a Senior Fellow with the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative, focused on developing best practices and supporting state and local governments in protecting workers’ rights, providing guidance on strategic enforcement, child labor, proactive compliance efforts, and building interstate collaboration among enforcement agencies. Ms. Looman also served as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, and is a 30-year member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).

###

Politico Gives Youngkin “The Milk Carton Award for Missing Politicians”; Says His “star faded as he hemmed and hawed about running for president last year” – and Badly Lost the 2025 Elections

By
lowkell
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2

I included this Politico story (“The 2028 Race Has Begun. Here’s Who’s Winning.”) in the morning news clips today, but I liked the part about Youngkin winning “The Milk Carton Award for Missing Politicians” so much, I wanted to highlight it even more. LOL

Seriously, though, what on earth was anyone thinking back in 2021 when they voted for this super-rich guy with ZERO experience or interest in state government, also ZERO indication that he cared in the slightest bit about Virginia except as a possible pathway for him out of his midlife crisis (and towards the presidency, which he desperately craves) after being forced out of the Carlyle Group? Also, of course, Youngkin ran a DISGUSTING campaign in 2021, filled with flat-out lies (which the media dutifully, stenographically, uncritically amplified) about “CRT” and many other topics, fear mongering, bigotry, embrace of Trump (just a few months after Trump attempted a coup following his loss to Joe Biden in the November 2020 election, and culminating in the 1/6/21 violent assault by MAGA shock troops on the U.S. Capitol), etc.

So the end result? A Four-Year Fiasco of far-right extremism, incompetence, failures, embarassments, lies, etc. And lots of losing on his part, both in the 2023 (Dems took back the House of Delegates) and 2025 elections (Abigail Spanberger by 15 points over Winsome Earle-Sears, Dems picking up 13 seats in the House of Delegates and approaching a supermajority, etc.).

So now, with just 19 days (mercifully!) until Youngkin’s no longer governor, check out the Politico story, specifically the part on Youngkin winning “The Milk Carton Award for Missing Politicians,” and just laugh at this clueless clown as he exits the  political scene, hopefully for good.

“Finally, Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin sparked presidential buzz four years ago when he upset former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. But Youngkin’s star faded as he hemmed and hawed about running for president last year and as he failed to turn Virginia’s legislature red. Meanwhile, Trump lost the state last November and his lieutenant governor lost the race to succeed him this November.

Youngkin is now spending his final month in office squabbling with Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger over the state’s universities. Democrats won court decisions that effectively prevented Youngkin from filling 22 board positions at three higher institutions, including five at the University of Virginia, before Spanberger is sworn in. But at Youngkin’s urging and over Spanberger’s objection, the University of Virginia board is moving to name a new president before those vacancies are filled. One last stick-in-the-eye to Democrats would probably give Youngkin a fresh round of accolades from conservatives, but that’s well short of what he needs to join the top tier of 2028ers.”

Monday News: Trump “working for & siding with Putin”; “Trump’s Year of Media Capture”; Trump’s “year in racism and misogyny”; “In 2025, Epstein showed MAGA who they really are”; “Youngkin’s star faded as he hemmed and hawed” (and lost badly) in 2025

By
lowkell
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7

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, December 29.

[UPDATE: Garrett McGuire Wins] Results: HD17 Dem “Firehouse Primary” to Nominate a Replacement for Del. Mark Sickles, Who’s Headed Into the Spanberger Administration

By
lowkell
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0

Last week, Virginia Del. Mark Sickles was selected by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to serve in her Cabinet as Secretary of Finance. As such, there will be a vacancy shortly in HD17 (Franconia/Springfield in southern Fairfax County; 70% Kamala Harris district), which Del. Sickles represents. For that reason, Virginia Speaker Don Scott set the special election date for this seat as 1/20/26, with Fairfax Democrats selecting their nominee TODAY (12/28) in a “firehouse primary.”  The candidates were Russell Brooks, Carla Bustillos, Garrett McGuire, Joy McManus, and the results are as follows (see here for live results from the Fairfax Democrats).

  • Here are the unofficial results from online voting (1,034 votes cast online), from Hotel Belvoir Springfield (just 61 votes cast there), from Fairfield Hotel Alexandria (132 votes cast there) AND from the Franconia Government Center. Garrett McGuire wins narrowly with 801 votes (34.0%), followed by Joy McManus with 747 votes (31.7%), then Carla Bustillos with 537 votes (22.8%) and Russell Brooks with 271 votes (11.5%). [Note: I strongly support Ranked Choice Voting being used in all Democratic primaries with more than two candidates…]

  • Here are the unofficial results from online voting (1,034 votes cast online), from Hotel Belvoir Springfield (just 61 votes cast there) AND from Fairfield Hotel Alexandria (132 votes cast there). Garrett McGuire leads with 465 votes, followed by Joy McManus with 384 votes, then Carla Bustillos with 269 votes and Russell Brooks with 109 votes.

  • Here are the unofficial results from online voting (1,034 votes cast online) AND from Hotel Belvoir Springfield (just 61 votes cast there). Garrett McGuire leads with 418 votes, followed by Joy McManus with 343 votes, then Carla Bustillos with 241 votes and Russell Brooks with 93 votes.

  • Here are the unofficial results from online voting…still awaiting the in-person vote totals from today. For online only, Garrett McGuire leads with 400 votes, followed by Joy McManus with 323 votes, Carla Bustillos with 225 votes and Russell Brooks with 86 votes. 

Sen. Mark Warner’s Leading Potential 2026 Republican Challenger, State Sen. Bryce Reeves, Announces He’s “withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race” Due To “a serious family health matter”

By
lowkell
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0

Interesting…the leading Republican candidate to potentially take on Sen. Mark Warner next year, State Senator Bryce Reeves, just announced that he’s “withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race” due to “a serious family health matter” that “require[s] my attention at home.” Sen. Reeves adds, “This past election was devastating for Republicans across our Commonwealth “and argues “We must stop the infighting, regroup, and unite behind principled leadership worthy of our cause.” So…good luck with that, I guess. But seriously, despite disagreeing with Reeves on pretty much everything, best wishes to him regarding the family health matter!

P.S. Politically speaking, Sen. Warner appears to be basically a lock for reelection (among other things, Warner has nearly $12 million cash-on-hand), next November, barring something REALLY weird happening. To see Sen. Warner’s challengers, both Republican (e.g., Kim Farington), see here.

P.P.S. Reeves, who said back in 2023 that Democrats should be taken “to the train station,” had announced his campaign in late September, so was only in this race for three months.

*******************

“We may be on different sides of the aisle, but some things matter more than politics. Family is one of them. Wishing Sen. Reeves and his loved ones strength and comfort during this difficult time.” – Sen. Mark Warner

Sunday News: “The Year in Climate”; “Zelensky says Russia ‘doesn’t want peace'”; “What America Might Look Like With Zero Immigration”; “Trump’s top 25 lies of 2025”; “Pausing Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is lunacy”

By
lowkell
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6

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, December 28.

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