The annual Virginia political tradition, the Shad Planking, is being held tomorrow, and Ken Cuccinelli for one is “[l]ooking forward to gathering with democrats [sic], republicans [sic] and independents [sic]…” Except for one problem (other than Cuckoo’s atrocious spelling and grammar): as this article points out, there won’t be many Democrats there. Why not? I’d say that Mo Elleithee – someone with more experience in Virginia politics than just about anyone – sums it up very well:

Shad Planking is a Virginia tradition that has totally and completely and utterly outlived its usefulness…There are much better ways and much more productive ways to campaign in rural Virginia than going to an event where there are more Confederate flags than there are undecided voters.

See above for just one example of a Confederate flag at the Shad Planking (photo from the Richmond Style Weekly in 2011). Having attended a few of these myself, I can definitively say that this is not an aberration. As I wrote back in April 2009, following that year’s Shad Planking (which I attended):

The crowd was overwhelmingly Republican, as it always is at Shad Planking, including lots of Confederate flag stickers, “no card check” stickers, some kind of pro-fossil-fuel energy coalition, and battling gun booths between the NRA and the VCDL, which believes the NRA is too wimpy I guess. There was also a Ron Paul booth with “Rally for the Republic,” “Liberty or Death” and “Calling the GOP back to its roots” signs. I’m not sure what those “roots” might be, and I’m kind of afraid to ask.

So, why should Democrats attend this thing, when its political spectrum ranges from right of center to far right to REALLY far right to…Neo-Confederates? Got me. It’s not like Democrats are going to win any votes by attending these things, and it’s not like it’s a good use of a candidate’s precious time. And no, it’s not “anti-rural” to skip the Shad Planking, unless the argument is that this event is representative of most rural voters. I strongly doubt that is the case. I’d also note that Creigh Deeds didn’t attend the 2009 Shad Planking, and he’s certainly not anti-rural (he hails from a beautiful, rural part of Virginia). Anyway, let Ken Cuccinelli and his “clones” (as our next Attorney General, Mark Herring, calls them) – Mark Obenshain, Rob Bell, etc., plus all the other right wingnuts (e.g., Pete Snyder, Scott Lingamfelter, Corey Stewart) – enjoy themselves tomorrow. They’ll no doubt feel right at home among all the Confederate flags, Tea Party signs and stickers, etc.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 6 years since that horrible day at Virginia Tech, when a deranged shooter with access to serious firepower killed 32 people and wounded 17 others. In some ways, what’s even harder to believe is that 6 years after that event – and after other terrible incidents of gun violence – no serious action has been taken to stem this violence at the federal level, or here in Virginia. Clearly, it’s long past time, and overwhelming majorities of Americans want action, yet the NRA and others with major financial interest in preventing such action have, so far, largely prevailed. That’s unacceptable, and it’s long past time we changed it.

With that in mind, see below for a statement by Virginia State Senator Mark Herring, who hopefully will be Virginia’s next Attorney General. Also, the photo is from the great folks at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence – VA Tech mom Lori Haas speaking, VA Tech shooting victim Colin Goddard standing behind her, Sen. Tim Kaine third from the right, as well as survivors from Aurora, Tuscon and Newtown, all urging #NoMoreNames!I think that’s something we can all agree with.

Today marks the six-year anniversary of the horrific shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech. On the heels of yesterday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon, and four months after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, our national consciousness has been awakened, and we are called to take action to address this violence and string of tragedies that are becoming all too commonplace in our society.

As we take time today to reflect on the memory of the 32 lives that were taken so suddenly six years ago in Blacksburg, we need to ask ourselves, “how can we make our communities safer and more secure, for ourselves and for our children?”

There are commonsense steps that we can take right now to address the issues of gun violence in our country: universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and reforming our mental health care system.

None of these reforms, on their own or taken together, can prevent every tragedy from occurring, but the time to take action is now. We owe it to the victims and their families, and we owe it to ourselves and to future generations.

The fight to enact these reforms will be difficult, but thank you for joining with me as we work to honor the memory of those who were killed at Virginia Tech.

Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, April 16.

*Feds seek suspects, motive in Boston bombings

*‘An act of terror’ (“Bombs at Boston Marathon kill 3, including child”)

*Obama: Individuals Responsible For The Boston Bombing ‘Will Feel The Full Weight Of Justice’

*Nation on guard can’t stop every plot

*On anniversary of Va. Tech shooting, bipartisan gun-control compromise reaches Senate

*Senators to unveil immigration plan, including a path to citizenship

*GOP backs Obama’s offer on Social Security, signaling budget battle shift

*After Boston bomb blasts, Washington area gets a ‘visible increase’ in security

*Editorial: Unjustified (“There is precious little evidence that Virginia’s existing abortion clinics present any sort of danger to women’s health under current rules – let alone anything like the charnel house of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, whose name has been invoked during the debate over Virginia’s rules.”)

*The results of idle ballot boxes (“Will Gov. McDonnell’s successor continue to erode reproductive rights?”)

*Virginia teachers pledge support for McAuliffe; Cuccinelli declines invitation

*Virginia roots? Online ad jabs LG candidate Snyder

*Congressman Connolly picks LG candidate Chopra

*McAuliffe’s green problem

*McAuliffe reports $5.1 million, Cuccinelli $2.4 million at campaign finance deadline

*Questions for Terry McAuliffe

*McAuliffe jumps out to early fundraising lead (“Democrat brings in $5 million, Cuccinelli posts $2.4 million total”)

*Runners from Hampton Roads recount Boston blast

*Attorney General’s Office responds to Fort Monroe opinion criticism (“AG ruled that City Council members can not sit on Fort Monroe board”)

*Norfolk budget includes tax increase, delayed employee raises

*S.W. Virginians at Boston Marathon reach out to reassure worried friends, families

*Nats rebound in 10-3 win over Marlins

For those of you who missed it late Friday afternoon, the news broke that “[t]he Federal Transit Administration has declined Arlington and Fairfax County’s joint application for funding for the planned Columbia Pike streetcar system.” On the surface, of course, this sounds bad, if you’re a strong supporter of the streetcar, as I am (and as are most people who favor smart growth/transit-oriented development). However, dig a little deeper, and the lack of federal funds is not only not such a bad thing, but this news might actually turn out to be a good thing, in combination with another development right here in Virginia in recent months. A few points I’ve gathered from talking to people, reading the press releases, etc.

1. A strong majority (4 out of 5) of the Arlington County Board remains firmly committed to the streetcar project. Nothing has changed in that regard. This thing’s a done deal, despite all the shouting by a vocal minority.

2. As for the federal money, it’s very unusual for projects of this nature to get funded on the first go-around. In this case, it turns out that the problem is much bigger than that; namely, the FTA didn’t fund ANY rail or BRT for the first time in 20 years. Check this out.

The final FY 2013 appropriation was $380 million below the President’s request for the

New Starts/Small Starts program. Reductions in FY 2013 funding are partially attributed to the automatic spending reductions under sequestration. As a result, FTA reduced  the FY 2013 payout level of all existing construction grant agreements for capital projects. Additionally, FTA was unable to make new funding commitments for new capital rail or bus rapid transit (BRT) projects for the first time in roughly 20 years.

In other words, thanks to the Teahadist House of Representatives, investment in America’s future has been slashed, to the detriment of all of us. It’s totally pathetic, wrong, you name it, but this is the type of mindless, know-nothing attitude that swept to power in the madness of the 2010 mid-term elections. Unfortunately, we’re all going to be paying the price for those elections for a long, long time to come, both at the national and local levels. Thanks a lot, Teapublicans and those who voted for them (or stayed home because they falsely believed their votes “didn’t matter” – ugh!).

3. Fortunately, here in Virginia, we now have a new source of funding for transportation. Whether you love, hate, or have mixed feelings (that would include me) about the newly-enacted Virginia transportation law, it is highly likely to provide Arlington with as much or more money for transportation than the feds would (or could) have provided. That’s a funding stream that no one had any idea was even possible when the FTA application went in last fall. It’s also a funding stream that’s likely to start flowing on July 1 – much sooner than the federal money would flow if Arlington had to reapply, wait another year, run up against the same Teapublican-caused funding constraints, etc, etc.

So, bottom line: Arlington could theoretically reapply for federal money to fund the streetcar project, but honestly, why even bother? As it turns out, money should start to flow shortly, and Arlington can then start moving ahead (finally!) with this important project. Phew.

P.S. Oh, by the way, my understanding is that the Virginia transportation money can only be used for new transportation projects, so it is most definitely not fungible (some opponents have falsely claimed that it is) with other needs – education, parks, you name it.  

( – promoted by lowkell)

Last time out, I was the Democratic nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 6th District. Though not a politician, I ran because I’d spent the previous six-plus years investigating full time the destructive force that has arisen on the political right, and I saw an opportunity to wage a good battle against that force by running against the 20-year Republican rubber-stamp incumbent, Bob Goodlatte.

I’ve had plenty of time to think about the question:  how can Democrats, in a District like this, where Republicans greatly outnumber Democrats, best contribute to the political battle against the atrocious thing that the Republican Party has become?

While I am not at this time planning to run again for office, I am continuing to “campaign” for the same purposes that led me to enter that race. I’m here now as part of that “campaign” to confront and defeat that sick and broken spirit that’s hijacked the Republican Party.

Here’s an intro to my thoughts about political strategy, which I am seeking to present for the consideration of Democrats in my District and other Districts where the Republicans have relatively safe seats.

At one level, Democrats in a District like the 6th –where the Republicans have a roughly 2:1 advantage, and in which Republican politicians like Bob Goodlatte can count on the votes of a whole lot of people whose minds are closed and whose politics are rigid– have a big problem.

But at an equally important level, this reality represents a great opportunity.

In the next two weeks, I will be coming to two of the major cities in the 6th District to talk about that opportunity.

What’s necessary, I will try to explain, is that we think rightly about the larger political battle and our place in it, and that we wage it with a well-chosen strategy.

I will be proposing such a way of thinking, and such a strategy.

I hope that people in my District will choose to attend.  I also encourage those in other Districts in Virginia where Republicans hold relatively safe seats to send a representative to check out what I have to say. I’ll be willing to travel anywhere in Virginia to share these same strategic ideas with groups of Democrats facing similar situations to those we face here in the 6th.

In these times, when America’s biggest problem is the crisis in our politics that is disabling our nation from addressing constructively all our other problems, it is important that we use our forces in the strategically most effective way to drain power from the force that has brought so much toxicity and paralysis to the political process.

Here are the two upcoming events already scheduled.  

The first of these talks will be in Harrisonburg this coming Thursday evening, April 18, at 7 PM. The location will be at Adona Music, at 34 South Main Street.

The second will be a week later in Lynchburg. That one will be on the evening of Thursday, April 25, at 7 PM, at the Main Branch of the Lynchburg Public Library at 2315 Memorial Avenue.

I intend to talk for about 20 minutes, and then open it up for discussion.