Virginia News Headlines: Tuesday Morning

December 30, 2014

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, December 30. The image is from CenLamar.com, and specifically its story, “House Majority Whip Steve Scalise Was Reportedly an Honored Guest at 2002 International White Supremacist Convention.”

*Bodies recovered in search for missing plane

*Rep. Scalise confirms he spoke to white nationalists (“A spokeswoman for the House majority whip says the Republican was unaware of the group’s ideology in 2002.”)

*Former KKK leader says his political adviser was ‘friendly’ with Rep. Scalise (Ah, Republicans…what a party!)

*Michael Grimm resigning from Congress (Ah, Republicans…what a party!)

*NY Times Editorial Board: Police Respect Squandered in Attacks on de Blasio (“With these acts of passive-aggressive contempt and self-pity, many New York police officers, led by their union, are squandering the department’s credibility, defacing its reputation, shredding its hard-earned respect. They have taken the most grave and solemn of civic moments – a funeral of a fallen colleague – and hijacked it for their own petty look-at-us gesture.”With these acts of passive-aggressive contempt and self-pity, many New York police officers, led by their union, are squandering the department’s credibility, defacing its reputation, shredding its hard-earned respect. They have taken the most grave and solemn of civic moments – a funeral of a fallen colleague – and hijacked it for their own petty look-at-us gesture.” Bingo.)

*Economic facts get in the way (“Uh-oh. Now that the economy is doing well, what are Republicans – especially those running for president – going to complain about? And what are Democrats willing to celebrate?”)

*The Pope Thinks Climate Change Is a Major Threat. So Do American Catholics. (“Most Catholics say global warming is a ‘crisis’ or a ‘major problem.'”)

*The 10 Worst Civil Liberties Violations of 2014 (When “The great torture shrug” only clocks in at #7, you know it was a horrible year.)

*Thomas Piketty Won 2014 (Definitely one of the most interesting books I read in 2014, along with Francis Fukuyama’s “Origins of Political Order/Political Order and Political Decay”)

*Potential Hillary Challenger Paid Nearly $100,000 In Campaign Donations To His Family (“Jim Webb’s family has made quite a bit of money from his political career.” Yikes.)

*Virginia House Democrats hope to ‘create dilemmas’ for Republicans (Politics 101, what else is new? I’m sure Republicans are similarly strategizing, which is 100% to be expected.)

*Maureen McDonnell’s daughter trashes her mother to help her father (“So, Maureen McDonnell wrestled the Rolex on him? Muscled him into Willams’s private jet? Held him at wife-point until he drove the Ferrari and smiled for the camera? Frog-marched him into the fancy country clubs?”)

*Gilmore raises national profile, won’t rule out presidential bid (Hahahahahahahahahaha.)

*What’s Driving Jim Webb’s Potential Bid for President in 2016? (“Since his exploratory launch Nov. 19, Webb has appeared only once before the media in Richmond, Virginia, and hasn’t traveled to an early primary state. His private outreach to potential supporters is mostly being steered by himself and a couple of trusted aides from his Senate tenure. He has not been in personal touch with the state party head in any of the three early nominating states. A spokeswoman told U.S. News he was not available for an interview for this story.”)

*Our view: McAuliffe’s plan for a voting-machine upgrade warrants bipartisan support

*Virginia’s average gas prices have fallen for 182 consecutive days (It’s good to see Republicans, who blamed Barack Obama for high gasoline prices, now give him credit for low gasoline prices. Oh wait…)

*Richmond contribution to Redskins for 2014 not yet finalized (“Another disheartening season for the Washington Redskins came to a merciful end Sunday, but the numbers aren’t in yet on what Richmond will pony up for having hosted the team’s 2014 training camp.” Richmond should contribute zero to this super-wealthy franchise.)

*Joe fights back (Don’t be surprised if Morrissey wins on 1/13/15.)

*Williams: In Morrissey aftermath, Democrats’ process hurts everyone

*Dumfries mayor runs for 36th state Senate district

*Herbert E. Harris II, former congressman from Northern Virginia, dies at 88

*D.C. area forecast: Shifting to sunny this afternoon, staying colder through New Year’s, then rainy by weekend

How Does a Dem Get Only 9% in a 3-Way Race with Two “R”s in a District Where Mark Herring Got 45%?

lowkell

December 29, 2014

The following results (see below) from the recent Brentsville district (PW County) supervisor race just boggle my mind. Now, just to be clear, I’m not saying the Democratic candidate was favored to win this race or anything. On the other hand, I would note that there were two Republicans (Jeanine Lawson and Scott Jacobs) running, so theoretically they could have split the Republican vote and given the Democratic candidate (Eric Young) a chance to pull off an upset.

Keep in mind that this district, while certainly a “red” one, still saw Democrat Mark Herring getting 45% of the vote in 2013 (14,418 votes for Herring). That’s not a win, but obviously it’s a whole lot better (five times better to be exact) than 9%!

Also in that same November 2013 general election, the Democratic House of Delegates candidates (Atif Qarni, Reed Heddleston, Richard Cabellos) with precincts in Brentsville received a combined 43% of the vote (14,414 total votes for the Democratic candidates). So, again, how does a Democrat only get 346 votes (9% of the vote) in a special election in those same precincts, 13 months later? I mean, I “get it” that Democrats have more trouble than Republicans do in getting out their voters for these types of non-presidential, non-gubernatorial, special elections, but still.

Any thoughts? Was it the Democratic candidate (who I’d never heard of prior to these results) or something else going on? Keep in mind that the winner, Jeanine Lawson, is a Tea Partier extraordinaire, so it seems like we could have at least motivated our “base” to come out and vote against her. Or am I missing something here?

Virginia News Headlines: Monday Morning

lowkell

December 29, 2014

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

*Missing jet likely at bottom of sea, officials say

*Pope Francis Expected To Instruct One Billion Catholics To Act On Climate Change (I’m liking this Pope more and more all the time!)

*Pakistan intensifies the crackdown on militants

*Poll finds Clinton up 57 points on Warren (“There is more good news for Clinton in the general election, where she leads all the possible Republican opponents that were polled. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush comes closest, down 54 percent to 41 percent to Clinton.”)

*Obama warns GOP he plans to use veto pen in 2015

*Oops: Chuck Todd slips, admits he can’t do tough interviews because ‘no one will come on’ my show (Uhhhhh…)

*Krugman: The Obama Recovery (“What’s the important lesson from this late Obama bounce? Mainly, I’d suggest, that everything you’ve heard about President Obama’s economic policies is wrong.”)

*Numbers betray politicians’ tight grasp (“Allowing legislators (delegates and senators) to pick their own districts, as Virginia does today, guarantees that lawmakers will always pick voters, rather than vice versa.”)

*Today’s Top Opinion: Fix it (“Gov. Terry McAuliffe asked his ethics reform panel to consider redistricting as well as the culture of gift-giving in Richmond. He was right to do so, because gerrymandering constitutes a corruption of the political system every bit as corrosive to democracy as influence-peddling.”)

*Same-sex marriage defines Mark Herring’s first year as attorney general (Yep, great stuff. And for 2015? Is there anything the AG can do to reverse the “capture” of our regulatory agencies and legislature by companies like Dominion Power?)

*Editorial: Gov. McAuliffe chooses to go against the political head winds (“Now, as the 2015 General Assembly nears, the Democratic governor apparently feels that he has the momentum to become politically aggressive in the face of fierce Republican opposition. The strategy may well prove foolhardy. But then what is he supposed to do, bury his convictions and wait for a more hospitable political climate? He’s already a year into his four-year term.”)

*Richmond won Stone Brewing — and got a bit of drama, too

*Virginia toll lanes offer drivers convenience, but raise privacy concerns

*2015’s finale will be on the cold side

Another Losing Season Notched in that “Tradition”

December 29, 2014

Capitol Hill High School photo 141229CapitolHillHighSchool_zps09094c13.jpg Among the dumbest arguments against changing the Washington team’s mascot has been that that would mean Oklahoma would have to change its name. Idiots. But a simple epiphany revealed on a Harrisonburg radio talk show captures the kind of lightbulb moments that will lead to the inevitable outcome.

One morning a fellow on WSVA 550 who had been on the fence about the controversy announced he had changed his opinion about the team name. The conversion came while watching a rerun of an old Daniel Boone television series episode. The story centered on a Native American child that was being enrolled in the frontier school. The telling scene was when the youth approached and was peppered by his classmates with clearly derogatorily intended pejoratives including the “R” word. In context and told by a series that originally aired in an era when we were much more embarrassed by our prejudices, the true message and meanness of the term rang out.

“…it has ties to a time when bounties were paid for the scalps of American Indians…it is a racial slur like any other racial slur that we wouldn’t print in the pages of a family newspaper.” – The Oklahoman Online

At about the same time, those “insensitive” Oklahomans in one school district were deciding to remove that nickname from the teams at Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City despite “tradition.” You see Oklahomans, in a state named for the red people, can distinguish the difference.

The Oklahoma City School Board, after listening to the impassioned pleas from students, teachers and a district official who characterized the 88-year-old nickname as offensive and harmful – particularly to American Indian students – voted 8-0 to make the change. – The Oklahoman Online

There were many alumni that opposed the change in the name of tradition. And unlike the team in DC, the Oklahoma City school’s teams and alumni have a consistent history of accomplishment. But part of that tradition includes exclusion originating in the years when the name was adopted. You know, when the high school was lilywhite.

“I was actually surprised about how well-received it was. I thought that I would have to do more education on our end to let them learn about the word,” said Star Yellowfish, the district’s administrator for American Indian student services. “But they get it. They got it, and they care about our kids…It is important to know the powerful image that is brought to mind when our people hear this word,” she said.

Snyder ought to get this over, fire his General Manager, and get on with letting someone build a team that Washington can be proud of instead of being an international embarrassment.

Will Nonpartisan Redistricting Ever Happen?

Dan Sullivan

December 28, 2014

One Virginia 2021 photo OneVirginia2021_zps9a508953.jpg About a year ago a small group convened to investigate the possibility of revitalizing the issue of redistricting. They believe that the in-state legislative districts belong to the citizens of the Commonwealth; not to any legislator, political party, or special interest. They are fighting for an independent commission on redistricting.

The core issue that underlies the dysfunction, gridlock, and disrespect in Richmond is the current redistricting process where the Party in power, Democratic or Republican, goes behind closed doors, chooses its own criteria, and draws maps where they actually choose their voters rather than allowing citizens to choose their elected officials. It is the deliberate manipulation of district lines for political power. As a result, we live the fifth most gerrymandered state in the Union.

“Look at the last General Election. The difference separating Ed Gillespie and Senator Warner was less than one percentage point. We arguably live in a purple state. But the closest Congressional District in the state was 16 points. There is no doubt to the outcomes. At the local level that means there is a disincentive for state legislators to debate ideas to find solutions and work together on the issues.” – former Delegate Shannon Valentine

81 seats in the House of Delegates are completely safe; the remaining 19 are considered somewhat competitive but rarely feature an opposing major party candidate. There might be 10 races where there is a doubt about the outcome and maybe two seats change out each election.

59 localities in the House districts are divided. 46 of 40 in the state Senate are divided meaning they are divided more than once. Culpepper residents, for instance, are represented by three different Senators. In Lynchburg there are 72,000 households and there are four different ballots required.

Since the February 2014 launch of One Virginia 2021; Virginians for Fair Redistricting the group has built an organization with a foundation and a public policy council. They are committed to being multi-partisan. 40% of Virginians consider themselves independent. There is a member of the Tea Party Executive Committee on the policy council. All of them know what is at stake with redistricting. Shannon Valentine is one of many disciples crisscrossing the state encouraging redistricting reform.

Typically redistricting is done following the census. During each legislative session that precedes redistricting a number of bills and constitutional amendments are proposed to in an effort to abate gerrymandering. Then a small group of legislative colleagues get together in the smallest room they can find, convene a tiny subcommittee (which rarely gets a recorded vote) and vote against them all. Afterwards they pray that interest wanes for another 10 years.

It was (my) first week (in the legislature) and I was riding up in an elevator with a Republican from the Eastern Shore. He said, “Shannon I’d like to share with you some words of wisdom that were shared with me when I was first elected.” And he said, “For the first two weeks you are gonna wonder how you got here. And then, for the rest of your life, you’re gonna wonder how they got here.”

Valentine says that in her travels all over Virginia promoting nonpartisan redistricting she has noted two very clear observations. First, citizens actually do understand what is at stake. They know the major issues: an aging population, jobs, no-excuse legislation, healthcare, and education. Next, they know that we are either unwilling or unable to address them. What they don’t understand is the gridlock and our inability to make decisions; they have concluded that there is nothing they can do.

“It is a fact that we in Virginia may outperform North Carolina on a standardized test, but the truth is we are falling behind in the world.

One Virginia 2021 has been covered in many major newspapers; mostly editorials. They have been invited to speak in about 40 localities. 11 cities have passed resolutions in support of redistricting reform. There is a statewide student initiative with a student leader at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The effort counts 5,000 supporters and has launched a statewide petition. Their Facebook page has over a thousand “Likes.” Valentine argues that they are building momentum in Virginia.

Typically somebody will raise their hand and say, “Shannon, I really think this is the right thing to do. But it will never happen in Virginia.” I say that I think it is the right thing to do too. And, I also had my doubts.

Two things changed her mind. The first was after she was speaking in Roanoke at a town hall meeting. She noticed an elderly gentleman in the second row. Going over to shake his hand and thank him for coming, he introduced himself. “Hi, my name is Zig. I am 92 years old and I am not going to live until 2021. But I am going to give you $50 every month until I die because I believe this is that important to our Commonwealth.” Having worked on a lot of issues and in many campaigns, this felt very different to Valentine. Then she began to consider how many times in her public life that she has been told, “This will never happen.”

Remembering back to 2004 when Mark Warner was trying to get the tax increase through the General Assembly, he needed 16 Republican votes in the House of Delegates. Everyone said it would never happen. Preston Bryant, a Republican from Lynchburg, led the effort and they did get those 16 votes and it did pass. That was one of the key reasons Virginia vaulted to the top of the list of best managed states in the country.

I was told I would never get an Amtrak train anchored in Lynchburg. It would never happen. And it did happen. In October of 2009 that rail service was launched and is today the most profitable rail service in the United States.

She also points to the smoking ban in restaurants as an example of something that would never happen. When, she argues, Republicans, Democrats, and independents come together, things do happen.

What will make this different than what happened in 2009? First, it is not an effort focused in Richmond. They are building a grassroots campaign that was launched in Charlottesville and has spread across Virginia with regional Chairs. Next, it is a long way to 2019. Third, they are doing everything they can to educate the electorate that they government they have is a direct result of redistricting. This includes a developing a curriculum that can be presented in schools.

One key initiative will be a documentary on the line of “The Road to Redistricting Reform in Virginia.” They intend to record and monitor the process and progress of all the redistricting bills that come forward this year, the votes, and what legislators say. This might prove a challenge. Countless times you hear candidates and legislators say they would love to vote for something “if only…” Are they going to be willing to speak on camera? Will they be willing to have their votes recorded in one of those closet subcommittee hearings?

In 2009 I had a number of bills rolled into my redistricting bill. The hearing was Tuesday at 8:30 in the morning. We had everyone coming: Virginia League of Women Voters, the TV networks, reporters coming at 8:30…and at ten o’clock Friday night it was announced through the LIS system that the meeting was changed to Monday at 6:30 am on Martin Luther King Day. Nobody really believes you when you tell these things, but that would be recorded. If people knew the process that takes place, I don’t think they’d believe it, but it’s the truth.

The passive aggressive legislative strategy centers around not having any questions asked. Senator John Miller offered a referendum bill last session. It proposed creating an advisory independent commission on redistricting and it passed the Senate subcommittee, full committee, and three floor votes before going over to the House. There in subcommittee, it took 90 seconds to kill. Not one question. This year, that would be recorded.

There are two things legislators fear: losing an election and being recorded on the wrong side of history…not being on the wrong side…being recorded on the wrong side.

This will disappoint some who believe gerrymandering is the sole reason Republicans own the legislature: redistricting will not immediately or dramatically change the numerical representation of political parties in the state legislature. What will happen is that the districts will be far less polarized. Delegates and Senators would have to show up at debates. Candidates who pander to bizarre flights of fancy would be marginalized rather than marginalizing sizable portions of the electorate. Maybe that will change the tone of campaigns and affect cooperation in the legislature one day.

Virginia News Headlines: Sunday Morning

lowkell

December 28, 2014

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

*Search underway for AirAsia flight with 162 aboard (“The Malaysia-based airline’s Airbus A320-200 left the Surabaya airport in Indonesia bound for Singapore and lost contact with air traffic controllers 42 minutes later while over the Java Sea.” Ugh. Horrible.)

*De Blasio Gives Officer’s Eulogy Before Unfriendly Faces (“As Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at the funeral of Rafael Ramos, scores of mourning police officers turned their backs to him, a sign of the discontent he faces.” Real classy, guys.)

*2014 Was the Year We Finally Started to Do Something About Climate Change (“A year of extreme weather, climate denial, and some hope.” We need to do a lot more, and fast!)

*Tax credits merit look from Virginia lawmakers (“…some lawmakers are indignant that McAuliffe would dare touch the coal tax credits, given that the coal industry has thoroughly slumped and coal jobs are being lost in Southwest Virginia.” Yep, it’s Republicans for taxpayer-funded corporate welfare!)

*McDonnell daughter says former governor’s downfall is mom’s fault (Wait, these were the daughters who took $15,000 and $10,000 checks from Jonnie Williams? Their mother forced them to do that? What. Ever.)

*Letters from two of Robert F. McDonnell’s daughters (If they really feel this way about their mother, why didn’t they testify as such in court?)

*Shine the spotlight on district boundaries (Agree on redistricting reform, disagree strongly that money isn’t a “real problem” in politics.)

*Virginia’s Top Stories in 2014 (Peter Galuszka is always worth reading; this is an excellent list.)

*Anne Holton on SOL reform, other educational issues

*Truett: Virginia’s war on the impoverished: A plea for a ceasefire (Sure, but it’s not “Virginia” that’s blocking Medicaid expansion, it’s “Virginia Republicans,” period.)

*Along Hampton Roads Transit bus routes, riders say patience is key

*Thousands plan march to support police in Va. Beach (It’s not black and white, the issue is that we should support GOOD policing – and police officers – and demand changes in BAD police practices. Why is it so hard for some people to understand that these are not mutually exclusive in any way?)

*Still on the mild side, but clouds moving in, showers likely by midday

Girl fight!!! Girl fight!!!

ir003436

December 27, 2014

I grew up in a rough section of Knoxville, TN. Fights were not uncommon at my schools, especially after about the 7th grade when all us boys were trying to establish where we fit into the pecking order.

However, the REAL spectacle was when two girls started duking it out — talk about the fur flying — shrieking, screaming, very “unladylike” language, hair-pulling, face-scratching — we guys just punched at each other with our fists — the girls went for blood.

I was reminded of those days when I saw this WashPost article today — seems as though the McDonnell daughters have launched on their beloved Mother.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

Two children of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell say his stunning downfall and conviction on public corruption charges can largely be attributed to the corrosive effects of just one person: Their mother.

Jeanine McDonnell Zubowsky and Cailin Young wrote in blunt – and at times scathing – letters to a federal judge that it was former first lady Maureen McDonnell’s materialism and mental-health issues that derailed the rising political career of her husband. The letters of support for Robert McDonnell were part of a trove of 440 submitted by his attorneys, who are seeking leniency at his Jan. 6 sentencing in Richmond.

You guess they’ll come off the Christmas card list?

Virginia Politics 2015: A Dozen Things to Keep an Eye On

lowkell

December 27, 2014

Instead of making predictions for 2015 (still not pushing my luck from the mostly accurate predictions I made for 2012, I’m simply going to list a dozen things to keep an eye on next year in Virginia politics. Please feel free to add your own items in the comments section. Thanks.

1. Arlington County Board elections: Following the two victories in 2014 (in a special election last spring and in the November general election) by Republican/faux-“Independent” John Vihstadt over Democrat Alan Howze for Arlington County Board, who knows what 2015 will bring, with two sitting board members – Democrats Walter Tejada and Mary Hynes – up for reelection. That is, assuming Tejada and/or Hynes decide to run for reelection, which is the first thing to keep an eye on early in 2015. Then, we’ll see if any Democrats Andrew Schneider? Cord Thomas? Peter Fallon? Christian Dorsey? others?) decide to primary one or both incumbents. Finally, we’ll see how the general election goes: whether the Vihstadt/Garvey/Rousselot alliance can come up with another plausible/electable “independent” candidate; whether the issues that people were so passionate about in 2014 (particularly the streetcar, which Hynes and Jay Fisette decided to “deep six” after the Howze loss in November) will continue to drive Arlington voters. Through all this, how will the Arlington County Democratic Committee hold together (or not) in 2015? Stay tuned, things could be VERY interesting in Arlington County politics in 2015 (whatever happened to the many years when Arlington County Board races were a snoozefest?).

2. Fairfax County Board elections: I’m hearing from numerous politicos that Democrats are a bit concerned about the potential for losing seats on (or in a worst-case scenario, control of) the Fairfax County Board. Currently, there are three Republicans (John Cook – Braddock district, Pat Herrity – Springfield district , Michael Frey – Sully district) and seven Democrats (Chair Sharon Bulova – at large, John Foust – Dranesville, Catherine Hudgins – Hunter Mill, Jeff McKay – Lee, Penelope Gross – Mason, Gerald Hyland – Mt. Vernon, Linda Smyth – Providence) on the Board. Which means Republicans would have to pick up three seats to take control. Which might those be? I’m hearing the most vulnerable districts for Dems are Dranesville and Mt. Vernon if Gerry Hyland retires (which he supposedly is leaning towards doing; personally I think that should be a safe Dem district, but after what happened in Arlington in 2014…who knows?!?). On the other hand, perhaps John Cook might be vulnerable to a strong challenger, given that Democrat Janet Oleszek almost beat him four years ago?

3. Democratic Primary, General Election in Senate District 29: The race to succeed long-time State Senator Chuck Colgan (D) in Prince William County should be a fascinating and important one in 2015. First, there will be a hotly-contest, three-way Democratic primary between Del. Michael Futrell and 2013 House of Delegates candidates Atif Qarni and Jeremy McPike. Then, whoever wins the Democratic nomination will probably face a strong Republican nominee (e.g., Manassas City Mayor Harry J. “Hal” Parrish), even though this is a district that went 57%-39% for Terry McAuliffe over Ken Cuccinelli. Still, you never know what can happen in a low-turnout, “off-off” election year like 2015.

4. Race to succeed State Senator John Watkins (R) in District 10: This one is almost certainly the Democrats’ best shot for a pickup in the State Senate in 2015, one that would bring them back to a 20-20 tie (with Lt. Gov. Northam breaking that tie in their favor, thus giving them effective control of the chamber) if they don’t lose any seats currently held by Democrats. This district went for Terry McAuliffe narrowly (46%-42%) over Ken Cuccinell in 2013, so it should be competitive. But first, Democrats will need a strong candidate, and so far I haven’t heard of one who is ready/willing/able to throw his or her hat in the ring. As for Republicans, they would be smart to nominate a moderate for this “purple” district, but personally I’m hoping they go for as wingnutty a Tea Partier as possible (since that would give Dems a much better shot at taking this seat).

5. Speaker Bill “ALEC” Howell (R) vs. Susan Stimpson (Tea Party) in House District 28: This one will require me to order pounds of popcorn, as I sit back and enjoy watching these two go after each other. And while this district is a tough one for Democrats (e.g., Cooch won it 49%-45%; Gillespie won it 53%-44%), it will be great to see Howell bogged down (and spending his money) in a primary than being able to focus 100% on going after House Democratic candidates.

6. How far right will Virginia General Assembly Republicans go?: Given that the only thing these folks seem to care about is avoiding a primary from their right, and given that they’ve seen multiple examples of this in recent years (see #5 above, for instance), the question is how far right will Virginia General Assembly Republicans feel compelled to push in 2015? Obviously, they won’t be approving Medicaid expansion. Nor is it likely we’ll see any increases in taxes. We’ll see if they do anything serious on ethics and/or redistricting reform (I’m certainly not holding my breath). But how crazy will they get on social issues and other wackiness in 2015? Speaking from a Democratic perspective, I hope they go frothing-at-the-mouth wild, as that should make it easier for Dems to run against them (and hopefully beat a bunch of them) in November. Fortunately, we have Gov. McAuliffe to veto whatever lunacy reaches his desk, allowing Republicans to be as crazy as they wanna be in 2015! LOL

7. Right wingnut vs. right wingnut in Senate District 24: Not that Democrats have any chance in this overwhelmingly “red” district, but watching the crazies go after each other should be highly entertaining! 🙂

8. Can Senate Democrats hold all their incumbents?: Based on these statistics, I’d say the incumbent Senate Democrats who are potentially most vulnerable in 2015 include John Edwards, Lynwood Lewis and John Miller. So far, Edwards has drawn a challenger (“Roanoke civic leader and retired surgeon Nancy Dye”), so we’ll need to keep an eye on that one. We’ll see if either Lewis or Miller draw strong challengers as well. It will also be interesting to see if Sen. George Barker is correct in his “guarantee” that Democrats take control of the State Senate. Seems pretty optimistic, but certainly not impossible by any means, to me.

9. Can Democrats pick up some House of Delegates seats?: Given that there something like 18 House of Delegates district currently held by Republicans that went for Barack Obama and Tim Kaine, you’d think that Democrats should be able to pick up a few? Of course, we thought that in 2013 as well, so what’s that saying about “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me?” If Dems are going to pick up seats, we should look at the closest races in 2013, such as: District 13 (Del. “Sideshow Bob” Marshall, almost lost to Democrat Atif Qarni last time and is facing Democrat Don Shaw this time around); District 31 (where Republican Del. Scott Lingamfelter barely beat Democrat Jeremy McPike last time around); District 32 (close race last time between Democrats Elizabeth Miller and Republican Del. Tag Greason; rematch this time around); District 86 (where Democrat Jennifer Boysko lost by just 54 votes to Republican Del. Tom Rust; rematch this time around); District 87 (where Democrat John Bell lost by under 1 percentage point to Republican Del. David Ramadan last time around); and District 94 (Republican David Yancey beat Democrat Robert Farinholt by just 2.5 percentage points last time around). Also, let’s not forget District 34, where Democrat Kathleen Murphy came within 1 percentage point of knocking off incumbent Republican Del. Barbara Comstock, who was elected in November to Congress. But first, of course, Murphy has to win a special election on January 6, 2015…see below for more on that one.

10. Special election in the 34th House of Delegates district: Democrat Kathleen Murphy, who as I just noted almost beat Republican Del. Barbara Comstock in 2013, is running against Republian Craig Parisot in a special election to replace Comstock. The question in this one is largely which side has the better GOTV (“get out the vote”) operation in what will probably be a looooow-turnout election. Right now, I’d say this one could go either way, especially given that so few people are paying attention, and that so little is known about Parisot (who apparently isn’t doing interviews or responding to questionnaires).

11. The Joe Morrissey soap opera continues…: And when/how it ends, nobody knows. First, there’s a special election on January 13, 2015, in which Morrissey’s running as an independent. We’ll see how “loved” he really is in his district, but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he wins that race. I know – ugh!!! If Joe does hang on (or even win by a wide margin), then the question will be whether he’s expelled from the House of Delegates (I’d assume he would be). Then…what? Another special election? Another Morrissey run (and possible victory?) as an independent? Rinse and repeat? Who knows, but remember, this IS a bad soap opera (are there any GOOD soap operas?) after all…

12. Sneaking in two more to keep an eye on: OK, I guess this will be a “baker’s dozen,” as I sneak in two here. First, it will be fascinating to watch how Virginia complies with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP). I’m hoping that Gov. McAuliffe really takes a leadership role here in pushing as aggressively as possible for energy efficiency, rooftop solar and offshore wind. So far, I’ve heard him whine about how “unfair” the CPP is, which is utter bull****, also just repeating Dominion Power/coal industry talking points. We’ll see. The other one to keep an eye on is Congressional redistricting, given this development in October (“A federal court has ruled Virginia’s congressional map violated the 14th Amendment and instructed the legislature to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries by April 1, 2015.”). On redistricting, Gov. McAuliffe needs to be tough, stick to his guns, and really push for something good — or it’s not going to happen.

Virginia News Headlines: Saturday Morning

lowkell

December 27, 2014

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, December 27. Also, check out the NewsHour story on Medicaid expansion, and “how a state’s choice on Medicaid expansion affects hospitals.” In short, there are HUGE advantages for states that have expanded Medicaid, while states like Virginia, where Republicans have relentlessly fought Medicaid expansion, hospitals and Virginians are suffering. Why? No good reason whatsoever, just right-wing Teapublican ideology and politics. Lovely, huh?

*North Korea berates Obama over The Interview release (North Korea’s leaders all need to be in jail for crimes against humanity.)

*New Roadster Can Travel 400 Miles On A Single Charge, Tesla Announces (This is exactly the type of cleantech innovation our country – and planet – need.)

*The 6 Most Ridiculous Attacks on Clean Energy In 2014

*Kallio: Virginia workers need a way to save for retirement

*Nemeth: Sustainable energy economy: Denial lives (“So, The Roanoke Times is still giving major space to global change deniers like Tom Pyle…OK, it is a free press; I just don’t agree that the American Energy Alliance should be given any serious scientific or economic credence.” Bingo.)

*Swanson: There goes Virginia’s climate (We should be going all-out for non-polluting energy sources — solar, wind, efficiency — and getting off of fossil fuels ASAP!)

*After a year of budget fireworks, Virginia sees smooth sailing ahead (“Despite a budget gap and a brush with a shutdown, the state’s finances are largely safe from partisan battles.”)

*Virginia inspectors take a measure of how goods are measured

*With retirements, Wolf, Moran leave big shoes to fill

*UVa alum effort to provide attorney to sex assault victims is making progress (“Over half of the money has been raised, and planning for 2015 has begun in earnest.”)

*Virginia agriculture grants sowing job growth, development

*Del. Joseph Yost proposes rejoining split precincts in Montgomery County

*Teacher lawsuit against Fairfax principal moves forward (“But a judge dismissed several parts of a case alleging discrimination by the principal of Bailey’s Elementary.”)

*Balmy weather today, then Sunday’s rain and chill snap us back to winter

Blue Virginia

Virginia News Headlines: Tuesday Morning

How Does a Dem Get Only 9% in a 3-Way Race with Two “R”s in a District Where Mark Herring Got 45%?

Virginia News Headlines: Monday Morning

Another Losing Season Notched in that “Tradition”

Will Nonpartisan Redistricting Ever Happen?

Virginia News Headlines: Sunday Morning

Girl fight!!! Girl fight!!!

Virginia Politics 2015: A Dozen Things to Keep an Eye On

Virginia News Headlines: Saturday Morning

Top 25 Most-Read Blue Virginia Stories of 2014

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