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Sunday News: Trump’s “wrong, brutal and paranoid” Tariffs; DOGE Attacks Sending Social Security “into ‘death spiral”; “You Can Stop Asking Where the Mass Opposition Is. It’s Everywhere.”; “Trump’s tariff scheme will hammer Virginia, Hampton Roads”; “Virginia’s bellwether governor race is set”

By
lowkell
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0

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, April 6.

After Winsome Earle-Sears Secures VA GOP Gubernatorial Nomination, Virginia Democrats Release a Video Highlighting Her Extreme Record

By
lowkell
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5

So, unfortunately, it looks like there will NOT be a nasty, vicious Virginia Republican primary for governor through mid-June, as it appears that Winsome Earle-Sears will be the Republican nominee (given that both former Del. Dave LaRock and former State Senator Amanda Chase both failed to make the ballot). See below for a press release from the VA GOP (just ridiculous drivel if you actually read it – but maybe don’t, because…why even bother?), another from Earle-Sears’ campaign (which, of course, is full of lies, so don’t believe a word of it), and also one from the Democratic Party of Virginia – 100% factual about “Winsome Earle-Sears dismissing attacks on Virginia jobs and her dangerous record opposing reproductive rights.”

So, bottom line: we need to elect Abigail Spanberger this November, preferably by a HUGE margin (10+ points would be great) –  to make sure that Democrats sweep all three statewide offices, to maximize the Democratic pickups in the House of Delegates, and to send a clear/resounding message nationwide about our rejection of Trump, Musk, DOGE, the assault on our democracy and civil liberties, etc. Let’s do this!

NEW: Virginia Democrats Release Video Highlighting Winsome Earle-Sears’ Extreme Record Following the Filing Deadline

Watch the new video

VIRGINIA – Following the deadline to file petitions to make the ballot for the 2025 Governor’s race in Virginia, the Democratic Party of Virginia released a new video highlighting Winsome Earle-Sears dismissing attacks on Virginia jobs and her dangerous record opposing reproductive rights.

WATCH BELOW:

Click the image above to view the video.

Read a transcript below:Narrator: Winsome Sears Republican nominee for governor, she’s so far right, she’s wrong for Virginia. 

Winsome Earle-Sears: Just about everybody has lost a job. 

Reporter: New unemployment claims in Virginia are skyrocketing. 

Sears: This is life happening. Nothing in this life is guaranteed.

Reporter:  Data shows more than 4,000 unemployment claims filed in the Commonwealth last week. 

Reporter: An 81% increase over the same time last year. 

Sears: And the media is making it out to be this huge, huge thing, and I don’t understand why.

Narrator: But the economy, not really her thing. 

Sears: I don’t want to hear about your economic policies and how you’re going to build the country. 

Narrator: What she’s really focused on is limiting a woman’s right to her reproductive freedom. 

Sears: I believe that life begins at conception. I can’t support abortion. 

Narrator: To women who get pregnant, even in cases of rape and incest, Sears is opposed to abortion. 

Sears: We need to make our choices before we’re pregnant, not, you know, after you already made a choice. 

Narrator: But there’s more. Sears even cast the deciding vote against protecting access to birth control.

Reporter: Winsome Sears, ultimately putting her no vote on the record for women’s contraception access.

Narrator: Winsome Sears, she’s so far right she’s wrong for Virginia. 

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Photos, Video of Virginia (and DC) “Hands Off” Rallies

By
lowkell
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0

See below for some photos and video of today’s “Hands Off” rallies in Virginia, and also in DC (since a bunch of folks from Northern Virginia – 50 or so from the Arlington Democrats, for instance – are participating in that one). Something to keep in mind are these words from former President Barack Obama yesterday:

“It is up to all of us to fix this,..It’s not going to be because somebody comes and saves you. The most important office in this democracy is the citizen, the ordinary person who says, no, that’s not right.”

Exactly!

 

Around 50 Arlington Dems participating in this “Hands Off” march in DC today!

What Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw said!

https://www.threads.net/@james_walkinshaw/post/DIEy0cCyxZJ

 

 

 

VIDEO: Ghazala Hashmi Speech at Anti-Trump Rally in Richmond

Hashmi slams Trump’s Mockery of the Constitution to Crowd of Thousands

Richmond — Today, State Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-SD15), Democratic primary candidate for Virginia Lieutenant Governor, delivered a speech slamming Trump’s agenda to a crowd of thousands in Richmond’s Capitol Square.

Video of selections of Hashmi’s speech to the crowd, estimated at over 5,000, is available here and here. Unedited video is available upon request.

“Virginians have a responsibility, more than anyone else in this country, to live up to the values that we inscribe in the Declaration of Independence, in the Constitution of the United States, and in the Constitution of this Commonwealth. Now we are in a moment of historical crisis. We have a criminal in the White House…

…The people who are afraid of pronouns will not determine the future of this country. Let’s remind those people the very first word our constitution begins with a pronoun. And that pronoun is we. We the people,” pronounced Senator Hashmi.

Sen. Hashmi has the momentum in the Lieutenant Governor’s race, leading the polls and having outraised her next two opponents combined in the most recent campaign finance reporting period. Her long list of endorsements includes UNITE HERE (Hashmi is the only labor-endorsed candidate in the race, EMILYs List, Indian American Impact, former Rep. Leslie Byrne, Rep. Ro Khanna, and dozens of state and local elected leaders across the Commonwealth.

ABOUT SEN. GHAZALA HASHMI

Senator Ghazala Hashmi, PhD, serves in the Virginia General Assembly and represents the 15th Senatorial District which includes parts of Richmond City and Chesterfield County. She first ran for office in 2019, defeating a Republican incumbent in a long-held red seat. Her successful campaign secured a one-seat Democratic majority in the Virginia Senate and also secured a Democratic trifecta for the next two years. After winning her second term in office in November 2023, Senator Hashmi now serves as Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee. She also sits on the following Senate Committees: Finance and Appropriations; Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; Transportation; and Rules. Hashmi has been recognized by REPRO Rising, the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, and the Virginia Education Association for her work. Senator Hashmi has also been appointed, for the past four years, to numerous boards and commissions; additionally, she was elected in 2023 to serve as Vice Chair for the Education Committee of the Council of State Governments – Southern Region. Prior to her first election in November 2019, Senator Hashmi had a long career in higher education in Virginia.

Fmr. VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Conservative Republican and Trump Voter, Asks: “WHAT AUTHORITY DO PRESIDENTS HAVE TO UNILATERALLY IMPOSE TARIFFS ON OTHER NATIONS?”

By
lowkell
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0

Former VA Lt. Gov Bill Bolling, a conservative Republican and Trump voter, has some good points in his latest Facebook post (e.g., his “disdain for the massive new tariffs that President Trump announced last week”; his observation that “Once the Congress has ceded powers of this nature to the President, it is difficult to take them back again”; “this new tariff policy is wrecking havoc on the international economy”). However…and yes, you knew there was going to be a “however,” LOL:

  • Bill Bolling and the tens of millions of other Bill Bollings out there, who voted for Trump, did so knowing – or at least they SHOULD have known! – what Trump was going to do in office, with no “guardrails” or “adults in the room.” If they voted for Trump anyway, then sorry (not sorry, actually), but this disaster is very much ON THEM!
  • We’ve gotten all kinds of explanations, often conflicting, for the “strategy” (in air quotes) behind Trump’s tariffs, including that it’s a 12-dimensional-chess, brilliant “art of the deal” maneuver to negotiate a more favorable trading position for the U.S. Bill Bolling seems to (gullibly) believe this, with his comment, “at this point I think the best we can hope for is that the President and his economic team can use these tariffs to negotiate what they deem to be more acceptable trade agreements, especially with our primary trading partners.” Except….seriously? Does anyone think that this crew of incompetent, ignorant extremists will be able to do that, especially since no other country in its right mind would ever trust the Trump administration – or the US with Trump as president – again?  Yeah, delusional.
  • BTW notice the article Bill Bollling links to? Yep, Fox “News” – apparently Bolling considers this to be actual news, when in fact it’s nothing but right-wing propaganda.  And that, my friends, explains a great deal about how someone like Bolling – and tens of millions like him – can end up voting for a person who they SHOULD HAVE KNOWN would trash everything that has mad America great for generations. UGH.

Anyway, again, Bolling makes some good points here, but I’d REALLY love to hear him acknowledge that: a) he completely f’ed up in voting for Trump; b) he no longer supports Trump; c) he will do everything he can to fight back against Trump and to preserve our democracy, rule of law, economy, civil liberties, way of life, etc, etc. What are the chances that Bill Bolling – and the tens of millions of Bill Bollings out there – will do that, though?

WHAT AUTHORITY DO PRESIDENTS HAVE TO UNILATERALLY IMPOSE TARIFFS ON OTHER NATIONS?
In recent posts I’ve made no secret about my disdain for the massive new tariffs that President Trump announced last week. I’m all for fair trade, but for a lot of reasons I thought this policy was unnecessary and way too over reaching.
Nonetheless, at this point the policy is what it is, and we can only hope that President Trump and his advisors can use it to negotiate new trade deals, especially with our primary trading partners – Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and the European Union – and the sooner the better.
But here’s a recent development that will be worth tracking.
Several organizations, including conservative business groups, have started filing lawsuits against the Trump adnministration, arguing that the President did not have the unilaterial authority to impose broad based tariffs of this nature.
This goes hand in glove with similar arguments that have been raised against a lot of the executive actions President Trump has taken during the first several weeks of his new administration.
These lawsuits pont out that Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the power to “lay and collect taxes, duities, imposts and excises…..” and to “regulate commerce with foreign nations.”
The problem with this argument is that Congress, over the years, has ceded broad authority to the President in these areas, a decision they may now regret.
For example, in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act the President was given broad authority to impose tariffs on other nations if he deems there to be an “ongoing national emergency” that warrants such actions, and various Presidents of both political parties have used this authoirity some 69 times since the passage of the EEPA in 1977.
It was these powers President Trump cited when he announced his new tariff policy this week.
To try and circumvent this, the plaintiffs in these lawsuits are arguing that no such “ongoing national emergency” actually exists, and as such, that the President did not have the power to impose the broad tariffs he announced this week. In other words, he abused the powers given to him under the EEPA.
The plaintiffs may get some initial traction in these cases if they can find a sympathetic U.S. district court judge, but my guess is that these challenges will ultimately fail. Once the Congress has ceded powers of this nature to the President, it is difficult to take them back again.
As noted above, at this point I think the best we can hope for is that the President and his economic team can use these tariffs to negotiate what they deem to be more acceptable trade agreements, especially with our primary trading partners.
IMHO, this is what they should have done in the first place, rather than resorting to the dramatics of “Liberation Day”, which has already had a dramatic impact on the stock market, our long term economic outlook, and our relationship with many other nations, including our closest allies.
The sooner they can do this the better, because right now this new tariff policy is wrecking havoc on the international economy.

Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Says Trump/Republican Budget “will be a disaster for our country,” “will slash programs that Virginians rely on in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires”

By
lowkell
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0

From Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner:

WARNER & KAINE STATEMENT ON BUDGET RESOLUTION SLASHING PROGRAMS THAT VIRGINIANS RELY ON TO PAY FOR TAX CUTS FOR BILLIONAIRES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), members of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to advance a budget resolution that will slash programs that Virginians rely on in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires:

“The Trump Administration has thrown our economy into needless chaos by enacting universal tariffs that will raise costs. Now, despite our strong opposition, Republicans in Congress have moved forward with an enormous tax bill that will cut programs Virginians rely on, give massive tax breaks to billionaires, and raise the deficit by unprecedented levels. We should be focused on lowering the costs of child care and housing, cutting taxes for middle class Americans, and continuing to build on our progress to boost domestic manufacturing. President Trump and Republicans’ budget and economic policies will be a disaster for our country, and we urge them to reverse course before they do more harm.” 

Warner and Kaine spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to Republicans’ budget resolution. They also filed amendments that would have protected federal employees, veterans, and Virginians on Medicaid, and held the Trump Administration accountable for its harmful actions, including its reckless, sloppy handling of classified information; however, Senate Republicans refused to incorporate them.

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

UPDATE 12:05 pm – Also see this press relase from The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis:

Saturday News: “As Golden Ages Go, This One Sucks”; “The economy. The Constitution. Is there anything Trump won’t destroy?”; “Relax America, He’s Just ‘Purposely Crashing the Market'”; “Obama Breaks Silence on Trump’s ‘Unimaginable’ Presidency”

By
lowkell
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0

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, April 5.

Virginia House Democrats Announce Battleground Slate as GOP Incumbents Head for the Exits; Name 13 Republican-Held Target Seats

By
lowkell
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0

See below for a press release from the VA House Democratic Caucus on “nine Democratic nominees running in battleground districts across the Commonwealth…challenging some of the most vulnerable GOP-held seats in Virginia—seats Democrats are poised to flip this November.” You can compare these to the seats talked about in Sam Shirazi’s recent podcast– you’ll notice that every one of the House Dems’ targeted seats are on Sam Shirazi’s list (except for HD69?). And remember, as Sam Shirazi pointed out, “there are currently eight seats that but former Vice President Harris won in 2024 that Republicans currently hold.” Now, of course, there’s no guarantee that Democrats will win all – or even most – of those, BUT if Democrats see the type of “overperformance” we’ve been experiencing in special elections so far this year (such as in Wisconsin and Florida on Tuesday), these are most certainly districts that Democrats can and even SHOULD win in November. So…let’s win them!

Virginia House Democrats Announce Battleground Slate as GOP Incumbents Head for the Exits
RICHMOND, VA—As Republican chaos deepens and incumbents head for the exits, the Virginia House Democratic Caucus today proudly announced nine Democratic nominees running in battleground districts across the Commonwealth. These candidates are challenging some of the most vulnerable GOP-held seats in Virginia—seats Democrats are poised to flip this November.

“Day after day, House Republicans show they’re too terrified of Trump to stand up for Virginians – allowing him to wreck the economy, destroy livelihoods, and drive up prices,” said Speaker Don Scott. “Meanwhile, we have strong battleground nominees ready to flip seats, expand our majority, and deliver real results. Our map keeps growing as Trump and Musk sow chaos across the Commonwealth and Republicans respond with nothing but resignations and retirements. House Democrats are ready to win, – and win big – for the people of Virginia.”

“These battleground Democratic nominees are parents, veterans, small business owners, and community leaders—but most importantly, they’re fighters,” said Campaigns Chair Dan Helmer. “They’re running to defend reproductive freedom, protect our public schools, and build an economy that works for everyone. While Republicans duck and cover, terrified of Trump and their MAGA base, Democrats are stepping up. We’re organizing, we’re energized, and we’re positioned to deliver decisive wins across Virginia this November.”

With competitive races in every corner of the state, the Democratic path to the majority is clear. The GOP’s internal chaos and growing retirements signal a party in disarray, while Democratic candidates are drawing strong early support from voters who are fed up with far-right extremism and ready for common-sense leadership.

13 Republican Held Targets:

  • Ian Lovejoy, HD-22
  • Geary Higgins, HD-30
  • Chris Obenshain, HD-41
  • David Owen, HD-57
  • Paul Milde, HD-64
  • Bobby Orrock, HD-66
  • Chad Green, HD-69
  • Amanda Batten, HD-71
  • Mark Earley, HD-73
  • Carrie Coyner, HD-75
  • Kim Taylor, HD-82
  • AC Cordoza, HD-86
  • Baxter Ennis, HD-89

2025 Battleground Nominees:

The following candidates are running in the most competitive districts on the map this year. Nine are already nominated, and four will be determined in the June primaries.

  • Elizabeth Guzman, HD-22
  • John McAuliff, HD-30
  • Lily Franklin, HD-41
  • Stacey Carroll, HD-64
  • Nicole Cole, HD-66
  • Mark Downey, HD-69
  • Jessica Anderson, HD-71
  • Kimberly Pope Adams, HD-82
  • Virgil Thornton, HD-86

Trump Administration FINALLY Approves “major disaster declaration and significant additional funding for Southwest Virginia”; Youngkin Falsely Blames…Wait for It…Yep, the Biden Administration for the Aid Having Been “bottled up.” Wuuuuut???

By
lowkell
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0

It took forever, but FINALLY the Trump administration approved funding for SW Virginia’s recovery from Hurricane Helene. Of course, Youngkin being Youngkin, he has to throw a big lie in there – see his statement, below, including this whopper: “I am also grateful for the hard work from the entire Trump Administration to get funding tied to Hurricane Helene recovery out the door, having been bottled up by the previous administration.” In fact:

  • Back on October 2, obviously when Joe Biden was president, “The federal government approved a major disaster declaration for Virginia on Wednesday, which will allow residents, businesses and local governments in Southwest Virginia reeling from Hurricane Helene’s deadly impact to apply for funding to aid their recovery efforts.”
  • “In a news release, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Democratic President Joe Biden’s approval of the declaration, which the state sought  in the days following the storm…The major disaster declaration is a crucial step to help the region recover, following the emergency disaster declaration Biden approved Sunday evening to help with the immediate response and rescue efforts.”
  • One month after the storm, “Over $883 million in federal assistance is going directly to survivors with more funding going out the door every day”; “FEMA has spent over $4.3 billion on Hurricane Helene response and recovery”; “To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved more than $833 million to support survivors with housing repairs, personal property replacement and other essential recovery efforts”; “ In Virginia, FEMA has approved over $7.2 million in housing and other types of assistance for over 2,400 households”; “In Virginia, there are over 400 FEMA staff deployed, 77 DSA team members going door to door and seven DRCs open”; etc.
  • Also, note that “Congress set a deadline of March 21 to hand out the money when it passed a $100 billion disaster relief package on Dec. 21″ – so what’s the Trump administration been doing since January, and why did they blow past the March 21 deadline?
  • But sure, of course Glenn Youngkin’s going to blame anything/everything on the Democrats, NEVER on his cult leader, Donald Trump, even when it’s overwhelmingly Trump’s fault. Because that’s how Youngkin rolls. Plus, Youngkin’s a pathological liar about EVERYTHING. And yes, the “mainstream media” should – but probably won’t – clearly point this out.

P.S. Also see here, as Sen. Mark Warner explains how, “A month after devastating flooding in Southwest Virginia [in February 2025] – following the already horrifying impacts of Hurricane Helene – President Trump is silent on approving relief. It’s time for him to do his job and get these folks the federal resources they need.”

Youngkin continued: “In my budget amendments, I proposed expanding eligibility for the $50 million in Southwest disaster assistance funding to cover the recent winter storm flood and cover local match requirements for federal dollars. I’d like to thank the General Assembly, in particular the Southwest delegation, for their support here.”

Resources Available

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Community Development Block Grant Urgent Need funding:

Under Governor Youngkin’s direction, Virginia has immediately made available up to $5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Urgent Need funding to provide a tool for prompt responses to serious and immediate threats to local health and safety caused by a disaster.

The funding will support immediate relief and recovery efforts in Southwest Virginia communities that were devastated by Hurricane Helene and the other recent winter storms. DHCD will provide support by leveraging its already strong partnerships with localities and community partners in Southwest Virginia.

For additional information, please visit https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/cdbg-urgent-need-fund.

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding:

Under Governor Youngkin’s direction, Virginia accelerated its Action Plan development to access the $46,670,000 allocated to Virginia by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.

CDBG-DR provides relief for those needs that remain after all other assistance has been exhausted. It provides funding for housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, public services, administration and planning needs that were unmet by other assistance and for resilience and flood mitigation projects.

Public comment on Virginia’s draft Action Plan is open until April 4, soon after which the Action Plan will be submitted to HUD for approval. Once HUD has approved the Action Plan and signed the CDBG-DR grant agreement, DHCD will begin accepting funding applications from localities.

For additional information, please visit https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/cdbg-dr.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Resilient Virginia Revolving Loan Fund funding:

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation administers the Resilient Virginia Revolving Loan Fund. The Fund, established in 2022 as a self-sustaining program to aid communities and property owners impacted by flooding for localities.

Funds are available to advance projects that will improve flood resilience, and include residential upgrades for resilience purposes, buyouts necessary for the construction of mitigation or resilience projects, relocations, and buyout assistance for single and multifamily residential, assistance to low-income and moderate-income homeowners to help lower flood risk through structural and nonstructural mitigation projects, or other means, and grants to persons for hazard mitigation and infrastructure improvement projects for resilience purposes.

For additional information, please visit https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/rvrf.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans:

Types of Disaster Loans:

Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible. For more information on eligibility and interest rates, please visit: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/physical-damage-loans#id-business-physical-disaster

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period. For more information on eligibility and interest rates, please visit: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/economic-injury-disaster-loans

Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles. For more information on eligibility and interest rates, please visit: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/physical-damage-loans#home-and-personal-property-loans

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program:

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is also available statewide. Local governments can apply for projects to reduce future risk of flooding to structures and infrastructure. Applications are submitted through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Other Federal funding:

The American Relief Act, 2025, H.R.10545 – 118th Congress (2023-2024), provided $110 billion in funding for disaster relief for a variety of Federal agencies as well, including HUD, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Transportation, the Forest Service and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

The full text of the Act may be found here https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/10545.

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Rural GroundGame: Energizing Democracy in Rural Virginia – The Power of Candidate Recruitment, Finding and Supporting Future Leaders, etc.

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From the Rural Ground Game (author: Steven Taylor)

Rural GroundGame: Energizing Democracy in Rural Virginia

Imagine a vibrant rural Virginia where every voice is heard, and every community thrives. At Rural GroundGame (RGG), we’re on a mission to bring democratic ideals to life by empowering everyday citizens to lead change where it matters most.

RGG utilizes traditional communication tools to engage community members, such as postcards, telephone calls, door-to-door canvassing, news articles, and advertising through local media. One of the primary goals of the organization is to build local capacity by engaging those who live in rural neighborhoods to create a grassroots movement. After all, who knows local issues better than the people who live in these communities?

The Power of Candidate Recruitment

A keystone element of RGG’s grassroots effort is candidate recruitment for political office. Nationwide, Democrats continue to lose rural areas to Republican candidates, as elections in Virginia have also demonstrated. Too often, rural counties do not have Democratic challengers to an already entrenched Republican system.

But we’re changing that story—together! By identifying and empowering passionate, community-focused individuals, we are paving the way for fresh perspectives and solutions. You could be the spark that brings your community’s next great leader into the spotlight.

Finding and Supporting Future Leaders

Candidate recruitment involves working with local communities to identify potential Democratic candidates who may be interested in running for office. Volunteers conduct research to find community activists who’ve participated in town events, park and open space initiatives, civic organizations, sports organizations, community planning, and more.

After a potential candidate is identified, volunteers research the candidate’s political affiliations to ensure their support for democratic ideals. If everything checks out, the candidate’s name is provided to the “Contact Team” to discuss and measure their interest in running for office. As you might suspect, many react by saying, “Oh no, that’s not me.” But with a little encouragement and learning about support from RGG, they may agree to help their community in a different capacity.

Volunteer Teams: The Heartbeat of Change

Our volunteers are the heartbeat of this movement. Whether uncovering hidden gems of leadership in local communities or inspiring future leaders to step up, they are the driving force behind real change. To help volunteers navigate the recruitment process, detailed instructions and protocols have been developed.

Research Team: The Community Detectives

The first step for volunteer researchers is to select a “House” or “Senate” voting district to begin their work. Volunteers enter their selection into a shared spreadsheet to avoid research duplication. This shared spreadsheet contains multiple tabs with additional instructions and data fields to enter collected information.

Next, volunteers conduct Internet searches for individuals who serve on boards, community volunteers, civic award winners, teachers of the year, and more. Armed with nearly 20 community groups to explore, they uncover potential candidates.

After some names have been collected, a quick search on VoteBuilder identifies a person’s political affiliation to help narrow down the list. The shared spreadsheet includes columns for VoteBuilder information as well as additional insights from social media or newspaper articles.

When the worksheet is complete, the volunteer researcher hands off the collected information to the “Contact Team” to initiate contact with prospective candidates.

Contact Team: The Voices of Opportunity

The Contact Team is responsible for developing a recruitment message and having the first conversation with the potential candidate. Think of yourself as the spark that ignites someone’s journey into leadership. Your energy, passion, and belief in their potential will make all the difference.

It’s essential that Contact Team members are comfortable talking with people they don’t know. Potential candidates are being asked to take on tremendous responsibility, and there will naturally be some reluctance. That’s where your enthusiasm and excitement about the opportunity can turn doubt into determination.

Call to Action: Join Us in Building a Movement

Are you ready to help shape the future of rural Virginia? Join us. Whether you’re a natural sleuth uncovering future leaders or a confident communicator inspiring people to step up, there’s a place for you at RGG. Together, let’s spark a movement, inspire new leaders, and build a brighter future!

Contact Hello@ruralgroundgame.org

Sen. Mark Warner Rips Trump’s Firing of NSA Director Gen. Tim Haugh, Says Trump “takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist”

By
lowkell
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0

More dangerous insanity by the Trump administration. If you voted for Trump, endorsed Trump, donated money to Trump’s campaign, whitewashed/sanewashed Trump (looking at you, “mainstream media!”), voted for Jill Stein, stayed home and didn’t vote, etc, etc., YOU are responsible for this disaster.

STATEMENT OF SENATE INTELLIGENCE VICE CHAIR MARK R. WARNER

~ On firing of Gen. Tim Haugh ~

WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on General Tim Haugh, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service:

“General Haugh has served our country in uniform, with honor and distinction, for more than 30 years. At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?

“It is astonishing, too, that President Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app – even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office.”

 

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