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Thursday News: “No One Was Supposed to Leave Alive” from CECOT Hellhole; “Trump’s Name Is Reportedly in the Epstein Files Multiple Times”; “Columbia’s Administrators Are Fooling Themselves”; “How Youngkin Reshaped Virginia’s Universities” (For the Worse!)

By
lowkell
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1

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, July 24.

Video: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) Says Future of Democratic Party Is People Like Abigail Spanberger – “she has both the charisma of someone like Mamdani, but also a really good ear to the ground of what people want”

By
lowkell
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9

Excellent job by Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) in this interview:

  • “Now, this [Epstein scandal] is becoming a bigger issue, and it’s becoming an inconvenient issue for Republicans on the Hill because it’s dividing them. And so that’s why they want to go to vacation early, is because they want to make sure they don’t have this conversation, and they can kick the can down the road. And in the meantime, the president is trying to distract people by saying, you know, Barack Obama is a traitor and he’s going to, you know, do all these things. And so I think the distractions and trying to recess early is just a sign that they’re uncomfortable right now.”
  • [Question: “Why do Democrats want this stuff released? Is it simply because you think there may be something in there that shows the president did something illegal or morally repugnant?”] “Yeah, at first it was. To me, it was about transparency and about trying to see what’s going on. And then seeing the president’s reaction to all these things, including the Wall Street Journal article about his love letter to Epstein, I think shows that maybe there’s a lot of fire where there’s smoke. And so what I want is to see exactly how Donald Trump was involved with Epstein, whether he was complicit, what his involvement was with Ghislaine Maxwell. And I’d like to know what’s in the files at this point, what role the president was playing in those files and the whole situation.”
  • “Look, I don’t like government shutdowns. I don’t want one. But at the same time, my constituents are telling me that they’re already shutting down the government. They’ve either gotten RIF’ed, laid off, or they have DOGE walking up and down the hallways of their agencies looking for reasons to fire them. And so it’s a really bad situation right now. And this is the only piece of leverage that we as Democrats really have to be able to fight back and protest. And so i’d like to see what’s happened in past Congresses, which is we use our leverage and we get a bipartisan deal as a result. And I would like to see less of us giving up all our leverage because we’re afraid.”
  • “I think what’s hard right now is every part of my district, whether it’s rural, whether it’s suburban, whether it’s federal workers or not, is being hurt by this administration’s policies….And so people that are concerned right now, Democrat and Republican, and you’re starting to see I think you’re going to see this November in the Virginia governor’s race, that there’s going to be a lot of people who are going to show up to the polls angry at this administration.”
  • “I know I’m not going to give them what they want. I’m going to use all the leverage that I have. You know, if our caucus decides to unite like we did last time, I think it would make a lot of sense to do that. I would suggest that Chuck Schumer do the same and and keep the Democrats in the Senate united. But we’ll see what happens.”
  • “You know, I actually visited several Spanish-speaking services and churches. And one of the things that I heard was, whether it was a Democrat or a Republican, someone who voted for Trump or not, people are really, really concerned and afraid right now of these ICE raids. There’s a lot of concern about the fact that you can be doing whatever, you know, just minding your own business, and then ICE could just show up to your workplace and take you away, or take your family member away. And so I think right now, that’s the biggest concern that I’m hearing on the ground…I mean, we can do that [get criminals out of the country] and also make sure that we have a comprehensive immigration reform and a system that actually works right now. Part of the problem is that we have a broken immigration system. And so there’s a pendulum swinging back and forth on how we address undocumented folks. I’d like to see a path to citizenship for many. And if there’s not citizenship for them, if they have a criminal history, we can deal with that and assess, you know, case by case, whether they should be deported or not.”
  • [How do Democrats win back voters?] “It’s very simple. I mean, they passed this big, ugly bill that has a lot of bad stuff in it. It cuts to health care. Some of the immigration stuff you’re talking about. Cuts to clean energy. That means a lot of jobs lost. And so all the stuff that’s in there, we just have to explain to people what’s in there, right? A lot of people don’t actually know about the bill. You know, that’s why we do a lot of creative social media on our team is to try to reach voters that don’t pay attention to the Hill…We’re trying to reach new people, to let them know that, you know, are you suffering right now or are you having trouble getting food assistance? Well, part of it is because of this bill that passed in Congress. And so explaining that and then also having a positive vision for the future, we can’t just be all anti-Trump.”
  • “I think right now what we need to look at is the elections in Virginia this November to see a great candidate, Abigail Spanberger, running for governor, and she has both the charisma of someone like Mamdani, but also a really good ear to the ground of what people want, because she…has that lived experience. And so we have more candidates like Spanberger and, you know, also in New Jersey, we have a great candidate for governor. I think that’s the future of the party….people who both have the pragmatism and the ear to the ground on what voters want and need, as well as, you know, are charismatic, really appeal to people and reach people who normally don’t pay attention to politics…It could be both [from the middle or the left]. It’s not even about where you are on the scale. It’s about your tactics and how you’re reaching people.”

Video/Statement: Sen. Mark Warner Rips Trump Administration’s “desperate and irresponsible release of the partisan House intelligence report”

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From Sen. Mark Warner:

STATEMENT OF SENATE INTELLIGENCE VICE CHAIR MARK R. WARNER

~ On DNI Gabbard’s release of partisan HPSCI Russia report ~

WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on DNI Gabbard’s release of a partisan report prepared by Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence regarding Russia’s intervention in the 2016 presidential election:

“It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files. The desperate and irresponsible release of the partisan House intelligence report puts at risk some of the most sensitive sources and methods our Intelligence Community uses to spy on Russia and keep Americans safe. And in doing so, Director Gabbard is sending a chilling message to our allies and assets around the world: the United States can no longer be trusted to protect the intelligence you share with us.

 “Let’s be clear: the bipartisan, unanimous finding of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after years of painstaking investigation, more than 200 witness interviews, and millions of documents, was that Russia launched a large-scale influence campaign in the 2016 election in order to help then-candidate Donald Trump. Nothing in this partisan, previously scuttled document changes that. Releasing this so-called report is just another reckless act by a Director of National Intelligence so desperate to please Donald Trump that she is willing to risk classified sources, betray our allies, and politicize the very intelligence she has been entrusted to protect.

 “The American people are right to continue asking: What are they trying to hide?”

Brutal (but Accurate) Media Coverage This Morning of the Winsome Earle-Sears Campaign “Disaster,” “Panicking” Virginia Republicans Filled with “sense of dread,” etc.

By
lowkell
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0

Believe it or not, there are just 58 days until early voting starts (on 9/19) in the 2025 Virginia races for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and the entire House of Delegates. Which means that by this point, your campaign should really be starting to crank up – touring the state, raising money big time, rolling out policy proposals/plans, etc. And that’s exactly what the Democratic candidate for governor, Abigail Spanberger, has been doing – raking in money ($15.2 million cash-on-hand as of 6/30), campaigning around the Commonwealth, announcing plans for Virginia’s economy, etc. Good stuff!

In stark contrast, Spanberger’s Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, is doing much worse on all fronts…and the news coverage certainly reflects that. Just this morning, there are two brutal articles – one in Politico (not exactly a liberal rag, given that its owner, “Axel Springer, has a decades-long record of bending journalistic ethics for right-wing causes.”) and one in The Hill (owned by Nexstar Media Group, a big corporation that’s definitely known for its liberal leanings). A few highlights from these articles include the following:

  • The Politico headline and subheader say it all, lol: “Republicans Are Panicking Over the Virginia Governor’s Race: The party is debating how much it can afford to spend on a losing proposition“
  • The Hill headline is not better: “Virginia Republicans sound alarm over governor’s race: ‘It’s a disaster’” OUCH!
  • From The Hill’s article: ““From my vantage point and the people we’re talking to, it’s a disaster,’ said one Virginia Republican operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”
  • Also from The Hill article: “One GOP strategist said the developments are emblematic of ‘a lack of experience on Winsome’s campaign right now….It’s disappointing…It’s easy to go win races in wave years, but competitive races take a competitive edge. And right now with Winsome’s team, you’re not getting any of that from her very well-paid consultants. They just don’t seem to have a fire under them. It’s more like a safe-seat race than one where you have to bulldoze your way across the commonwealth to add to the coalition to win a very purple state.’”
  • From Politico: “last week’s fundraising disclosures revealing that Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger has more than three times the cash on hand as Sears — $15.2 million to $4.5 million — have Virginia and national Republicans convinced they’ll lose the governorship absent a dramatic and unexpected change in the race…Making the problem worse, Sears is reluctant to make fundraising or even glaringly obvious political phone calls, according to multiple Republicans familiar with her campaign.”
  • More from Politico: “This grim outlook has prompted irritation from some leading Republicans about the straits Youngkin may leave the party in on his way out of office… Youngkin, a multi-millionaire, has yet to infuse the Virginia ticket with significant personal money or contributions from his political action committee…he could leave behind a political mess for his own party in Virginia. Youngkin all but assured Sears’ nomination for governor, even though it was widely known she was a weak fundraiser and mercurial figure, and then attempted to torpedo the candidacy of her successor as lieutenant governor, John Reid, after it was alleged earlier this year that he had posted sexually explicit images online.”
  • And last but not least from Politico: “Now, Virginia Republicans — who were already swimming against the tide in a blue-tinted state Trump has never won that tends to punish the party in power in Washington — are alarmed their entire statewide ticket may lose and could deepen the party’s minority in the House of Delegates…This sense of dread is prompting an earlier-than-usual political triage, in which the party races to determine who can be saved.“

As for Republicans thinking that they can save Jason Miyares if Earle-Sears loses by 10 points or whatever, good luck with that. Because the fact is, there’s very little ticket-splitting in these highly “polarized” times, so that maybe you could see few-point “dropoff” from Spanberger’s margin to Jay Jones’ margin, but not nearly enough to make up for a 10-point, 15-point Spanberger win.  As for the House of Delegates races, again, most likely the results in particular districts will closely mirror how the gubernatorial candidates perform there – for instance, if Spanberger wins a House of Delegates district by 5 points, it’s likely the Democratic House of Delegates candidate there will win by 2-5 points as well. Exceptions to that rule? Only if: a) there’s a super-strong Republican incumbent in that district; b) there’s a super-weak Democratic challenger in that district.

Anyway, the bottom line is that obviously we can’t take anything for granted, but at this point – given a highly unpopular Republican president in the White House, a much stronger Democratic gubernatorial campaign, etc. – you’d definitely rather be the Virginia Democratic campaign than the Republican one. And the media coverage increasingly reflects that fact…despite the media badly wanting a “horse race” and most definitely not having a liberal bias in any way/shape/form.

As if all that’s not bad enough, it seems like every time Winsome Earle-Sears opens her mouth, she says something off message, hurtful to her own campaign, weird, etc. For instance, See here for Earle-Sears praising Trump’s disastrous tax bill as supposedly doing “So Many Great Things.” Wuuuut?  Or how about offensive crap like this? Or this? Or this? We could go on all day. For now, though, check out the following video, in which Earle-Sears whines about “who wants to do a bus tour in the summer?” (and, of course, the Spanberger campaign immediately pounced on that one) I mean, what candidate talks like this?  Does Winsome Earle-Sears seriously think that doing a bus tour in the summer is a terrible burden or something? Does she think that it’s a privilege to be the gubernatorial nominee to lead Virginia? And does she seriously think she doesn’t have to campaign hard, make her case (not just throwing out false and tired old bullsh*** about how the Democrats are supposedly “SOCIALISTS!” who will “DESTROY VIRGINIA!” blah blah blah)? But sure, whatever, carry on…don’t ever change…and we’ll see how it looks on the evening of November 4! LOL

Wednesday News: “Trump Goes Full Fascist”; Obama Pushes Back on “Bizarre” Trump Charges; New Photos, Video of Trump and Epstein; Republicans Flee DC to Avoid Releasing Epstein Files; Virginia Governor’s Race “Has Republicans Reeling” – “last gasp”/”losing proposition”

By
lowkell
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5

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, July 23.

In Suffolk, Spanberger Announces “Growing Virginia Plan” Aimed at Growing the Economy, Creating Jobs and “Reclaiming our place as ‘America’s Top State for Business'”

By
Blue Virginia
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6

From the Abigail Spanberger for Governor campaign:

NEW: In Suffolk, Spanberger Announces “Growing Virginia Plan” to Grow Virginia’s Economy & Create Virginia Jobs

Amid Threats to Virginia Jobs & Virginia’s Economy, Spanberger’s Growing Virginia Plan Prioritizes Growing Workforce Training Paths, Business Investment, & Trade Opportunities

Spanberger: “As Virginia’s Next Governor, I Will Work Aggressively To Promote Virginia As the Best State In the Country To Do Business”

SUFFOLK, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger today announced her new “Growing Virginia Plan” focused on growing Virginia’s economy and creating job opportunities for Virginians across every corner of the Commonwealth.

Spanberger’s announcement comes as Virginia’s economic strength is under threat. New data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that Virginia was the only state to see its unemployment rate rise in June. Earlier this month, Virginia lost its #1 ranking on CNBC’s “America’s Top States for Business” rankings — due in part to a drop in the state’s “Economy” ranking and the Trump Administration’s federal job cuts “disproportionately” impacting Virginia’s economy.

At Tidewater Community College’s Center for Workforce Solutions in Suffolk, Spanberger laid out a new slate of policy priorities focused on building an economy that brings new opportunities to Virginia businesses and workers. Alongside local business and education leaders, Spanberger laid out the three pillars of her plan — growing Virginia’s workforce, growing business investment in Virginia, and growing Virginia’s trade opportunities. Spanberger also made clear how, as Governor, she will continue to be clear-eyed about the challenges facing Virginia’s economy amid threats from Washington.

Today’s announcement comes after Spanberger earlier this year announced her Affordable Virginia Plan to lower healthcare, housing, and energy costs for Virginia families.

“If Virginia’s leaders support our talent here at home, our skilled workforce will continue to drive growth within the Commonwealth and attract private investment and major employers to Virginia. But Virginia needs more than a skilled and prepared workforce to attract and grow investments,” said Spanberger during the event. “Virginia needs a leader who understands what brings new businesses to Virginia and promotes growth in Virginia — strong infrastructure; affordable childcare, housing, and healthcare; and strong, nation-leading public schools. As Virginia’s next Governor, I will work aggressively to promote Virginia as the best state in the country to do business.”

Spanberger continued, “The Trump Administration’s tariffs are making it impossible for businesses to plan for the future, putting pressure on families who are already feeling more strain on their wallets, and killing Virginia jobs. Amid this chaos, Virginia needs a Governor who is focused on strengthening our trade relationships and finding new markets for Virginia exports — not cheering on potential trade wars or hoping it will all work out. Hope is not a strategy.”

Spanberger was joined by Bert Dodson, President and CEO of Dodson Pest Control — a family-owned company that has been operating in Virginia since 1944. Dodson spoke about how Virginia needs a Governor who understands the challenges facing the Commonwealth and listens to the needs of Virginia’s business owners and their employees.

“Like so many Virginia business leaders, I recognize that right now in 2025, we are in a moment of significant uncertainty — particularly because of the decisions being made in Washington. We are seeing tariffs drive up costs for companies and consumers, and we are seeing politicians in Washington not doing anything to lower costs at home for our employees” said Dodson. “Abigail Spanberger is a leader who believes in doing what is right — and she knows the right thing to do is to focus on creating jobs, making Virginia a more affordable place for families, and preparing the next generation of Virginians for success in their careers.”

Dodson continued, “We have seen two different approaches during this coming election. We have seen Congresswoman Spanberger talk about the economic, kitchen-table, real issues facing Virginia. We have seen her build a mission for the future, just as any candidate for Governor should do. But her opponent has not done any of that.”

Spanberger was also joined by Delegate Nadarius Clark (HD-84), who spoke about how she will work to lower costs for Virginia families and support family-sustaining jobs for Virginia workers.

“Here in Suffolk, we need a partner in Richmond who is equally serious

about growing Virginia’s economy and helping Virginians to succeed. That leader is Abigail Spanberger,” said Clark. “She is the only candidate who is talking about the everyday challenges facing Virginia’s economy — and the only candidate with a real plan to create good-paying jobs, attract new investment, and support Virginia businesses. While the Trump Administration is driving up costs, Abigail will actually work to make Virginia more affordable and help local businesses thrive.”

Spanberger’s Growing Virginia Plan will grow Virginia’s workforce by:

  • Responding to current workforce shortages — particularly in the areas of healthcare, education, and manufacturing.
  • Boosting pathways to registered apprenticeship programs for middle and high school students.
  • Expanding access to paid internships, so that Virginia students can get meaningful, career-ready experiences.
  • Increasing dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.
  • Standing with Virginia workers who are impacted by chaos in Washington.
  • Preparing students in middle and high school with real-world applications of skills in high-demand and emerging industries.
  • Making it easier for Virginians to map potential career paths and connect with employers.
  • Reducing barriers to work — including establishing a paid leave program and increasing access to affordable childcare — and supporting the creation of high-paying jobs.

Spanberger’s Growing Virginia Plan will grow business investment in Virginia by:

  • Demonstrating to new or expanding businesses why Virginia is the best place to start or grow their operations.
  • Making sure locations across Virginia are prepared for businesses interested in coming to or expanding in Virginia.
  • Leveraging the unique strengths and addressing the challenges of regions across Virginia — and bolstering partnerships between entrepreneurs, institutions of higher education, and industries.
  • Providing support for small businesses to start and grow in Virginia — including minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
  • Boosting tourism in Virginia to stimulate economic growth and jobs.

Spanberger’s Growing Virginia Plan will grow trade opportunities for Virginia businesses by:

  • Help Virginia’s farmers and number-one private industry, agriculture, expand their markets.
  • Supporting the Port of Virginia and the jobs it creates in Hampton Roads — as well as the industries it supports across the Commonwealth.
  • Helping Virginia small business owners market and sell their products abroad.
  • Committing to being a stable trading partner with other countries.
  • Leveraging all tools available to protect Virginia companies from chaos in Washington.
  • Reinforcing Virginia’s role as a global leader in the fields of national security, defense, shipbuilding, and cybersecurity, due to Virginia’s significant military presence.

Click here for more information outlining Spanberger’s “Growing Virginia Plan.”

BACKGROUND

Spanberger has long prioritized lowering costs for Virginia families and protecting the Commonwealth’s economy.

After Virginia fell from its spot as “America’s Top State for Business” — due in part to the outsized impact of the Trump Administration’s federal job cuts on Virginia’s economy, Spanberger made clear her commitment to protecting Virginia’s economy as the next Governor of Virginia.

As a Member of Congress, Spanberger built a record of working with both Democrats and Republicans to invest in Virginia’s physical infrastructure — and has been a champion of policies that have created more jobs for Virginians, including the bipartisan infrastructure law.

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Democrat Mike Pruitt – Navy Veteran, Civil Rights Lawyer Who “grew up in a blue-collar family in a rural corner of the Blue Ridge” – Announces Candidacy for VA05

By
lowkell
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3

VA05 is a tough district for Democrats – Trump won it by 12.2 points in 2024, Hung Cao actually beat Tim Kaine there by 9.9 points, and insurrectionist/far-right-extremist John McGuire won the US House race by 15 points.  Which is why Larry Sabato’s “Crystal Ball” has VA05 as “Safe Republican.”

However…with all that said, I’d make a few points: 1) with a Republican in the White House, and a VERY unpopular one at that, it’s quite possible that the midterm elections next year – assuming they’re free and fair of course – will be a “blue wave” or even a “blue tsunami,” like in 2018; 2) John McGuire is truly a horrible Congressman; as extreme as they come, and completely incompetent in terms of actually representing the district…and hopefully at least *some* Republican voters and certainly independents in VA05 see that (?); 3) it’s possible that former Rep. Bob Good (R) could run, possibly under the “America Party” banner or as an independent, which could draw support from McGuire; 4) Democrats obviously need a strong candidate with roots in the district who also runs a top-notch campaign.

On that final point, this is good to see:

Our district is hurting. People feel it in their hearts and in their aching backs. We’re not helpless – we’re mad. That’s a fire I understand, because it burns in me too.

My name is Mike Pruitt. I’m a Navy veteran, a civil rights lawyer, and now I’m running for Congress.

I checked Mike Pruitt’s website, and he definitely has an impressive background:

  • “Mike grew up in a blue-collar family in a rural corner of the Blue Ridge”
  • “With the help of a military scholarship Mike graduated from Duke University before commissioning into the U.S. Navy, serving 3 tours as a Surface Warfare Officer. “
  • “He led teams aboard two warships, deploying twice to combats zones in the Middle East to defend American citizens and support operations against ISIS. He later joined the Office of Naval Intelligence, where he served as a senior analyst and team leader.”
  • “Since leaving the Navy, Mike has continued his commitment to public service. He was elected to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in 2023, where he’s worked to make housing more affordable, expand broadband access, and create more good paying jobs for all levels of education.”
  • “A graduate of UVA Law School, Mike also works as a civil rights lawyer for a Virginia-based nonprofit, working on housing, discrimination, and helping those who have been mistreated by corporations and landlords.”

So that’s definitely the type of background that might appeal to voters.  The question, of course, is whether it might appeal to ENOUGH voters in a solid-red district like VA05, along with a “blue wave” and possibly a Bob Good candidacy, to propel someone like Mike Pruitt to victory. First, of course, he’ll have to win the nomination; we’ll see if other Democrats throw their hats in the ring for this. But whoever the Democratic nominee ends up being, whether Mike Pruitt or someone else, I strongly encourage them to speak very loudly, clearly and plainly about your vision, of course, but also about why John McGuire is a *disaster* and a *disgrace* to the district – and why it’s absolutely time for better leadership!

UPDATE 7/23: There’s another Democrat, Paul Riley (“a retired U.S. Army veteran with over 20 years of service as a military intelligence officer, including a combat tour in Iraq for which he was awarded the Bronze Star”), running for this nomination.

Fired Federal Worker Blasts Winsome Earle-Sears for Dismissing and Downplaying the Attacks on Virginia Jobs

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From DPVA:

Fired Federal Worker Blasts Sears for Dismissing and Downplaying the Attacks on Virginia Jobs

Inside NOVA: Letter: Earle-Sears fails to stand up for Virginia workers

VIRGINIA – Following new reporting that exposed Winsome Earle-Sears for complaining that Donald Trump’s attacks on federal jobs were hurting her campaign while refusing to stand up for Virginians, a fired federal worker called Sears out in a letter to Inside NOVA, writing:

“After 20 years in the federal government and service in the U.S. Coast Guard, I was laid off when the Trump administration and DOGE targeted federal workers, many of whom are Virginians. These weren’t just job cuts; they were gut punches to families like mine. When Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears downplayed these attacks, saying she would help Trump ‘get the job done’ and that laid-off workers would be ‘all right,’ it was both shocking and deeply insulting.”

Sears previously was caught on tape downplaying and dismissing the attacks on Virginia jobs: “the media is making it out to be a huge, huge thing… and I don’t understand why.”

Sears also said she would help Trump “get the job done” and that she’s “supporting what the President is doing.”

Inside NOVA: Letter: Earle-Sears fails to stand up for Virginia workers

  • After 20 years in the federal government and service in the U.S. Coast Guard, I was laid off when the Trump administration and DOGE targeted federal workers, many of whom are Virginians. These weren’t just job cuts; they were gut punches to families like mine.
  • When Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears downplayed these attacks, saying she would help Trump “get the job done” and that laid-off workers would be “all right,” it was both shocking and deeply insulting. At one event, she even said, “I don’t understand why people are treating the layoffs as a big deal.”
  • Let me explain: Losing a job means losing stability, health care and the ability to support our families. For us, it meant scrambling to replace the income we relied on and worrying about insurance that would cover the care for our son with autism.
  • Earle-Sears says there are “thousands” of other jobs available. In reality, they don’t match our experience or pay. Worse, these layoffs are hitting the people who support our communities, like Veterans Affairs workers who care for our veterans.
  • This is bigger than one person or family – it’s about thousands of Virginians and the ripple effects on our economy. Yet Earle-Sears chooses to dismiss these concerns instead of fighting for us.
  • If she wants to be governor, she should start acting like she understands what working families face. Right now, she’s shown us that she’s not up to the task.
  • We deserve leadership that stands up for Virginia jobs, not someone who shrugs as our livelihoods are stripped away.
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Tuesday News: “Trump tax bill to add $3.4tn to US debt over next decade”; “This Is the Presidency John Roberts Has Built”; “Trump’s Wildly Fascistic Posting Spree Isn’t Just a Distraction From Epstein”; “What the Cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Means”

By
lowkell
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11

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, July 22.

Video: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) Worries That Republicans Will Try to Completely Gut the Voting Rights Act, Also “cheat to keep the House”

By
lowkell
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9

See below for video and highlights from Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04)’s interview with Al Sharpton on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation.”

  • “I think we’re holding him to his word. This is another example of promises made, promises broken. You know, he kept telling his base in order to get elected that he was going to release the Epstein files. He made it sound like there was all kind of damaging information in there about Democrats. And then as soon as he gets in office and there is the ability to release them, he said, you know, his his attorney general says there’s nothing to see there. He says this is all a hoax. And the only thing that’s different now is that his base is starting to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. You came to us talking about the Epstein files and now you’re trying to make you’re trying to gaslight us.’ And I think he usually will look for a scapegoat. So it wouldn’t surprise me if he throws Attorney General Bondi under the bus. But this is this is classic Trump behavior.”
  • “Republicans, they understand that their policies are very unpopular, that they can’t win based on the merits, but they are afraid to stand up to this president even when they disagree with what he is doing. They let him bully them. And the American people – Democrats, independents, and now even Republicans – are starting to see that these policies are harmful. And that’s why you see a majority of Americans now disapproving of the president even on issues where you would think he has an advantage like immigration. But the president and the authors of Project 2025…knew that was unpopular. They are trying to remake American government in their image regardless of what the American people think. And I think for Democrats, we need to be very clear about what is happening…empower people to speak up and use their power to push back on this president and his extreme agenda.”
  • “I think the Medicaid cuts, the health care cuts in general because it is going to undermine our health care system. even if you are not on Medicaid and millions of Americans are going to lose their health insurance under Medicaid alone. But those people are still going to get sick. They’re going to go to the doctor. They’re going to get treated probably in the emergency room where it’s more expensive and costs are going to go up for all of us. So even if you’re not on Medicaid, health care costs are going to go up. and everything that we have done to try to address the health care disparities with Black America, whether it’s, you know, you’re three times more likely to die if you’re a pregnant Black woman than a pregnant White woman. We’ve gotten a lot of those people in to primary care, through Medicaid, through the Affordable Care Act. And now that’s going away. The cuts to public health funding, to cancer research, all of that is going to impact Black Americans because we’re disproportionately impacted and dying of cancer. The cuts to environmental justice programs where we’re pushing back on pollution disproportionately in Black communities. He is making it harder. These cuts are making it harder for us to address the over 300-year impact of slavery and Jim Crow that didn’t go away with a magic wand when the Civil Rights Act passed, that we were finally beginning to make some progress addressing. And now these cuts are going to pull all the rug on out from under that and set us back, not just 50 years, I worry a hundred years.”
  • “The Trump administration is trying to weaponize every single tool that we have had to eliminate discrimination, racism, and its impacts, to undo that progress. And they are looking…first they’re looking, they know they can’t win on the merits of their ideas, so they’re trying to cheat to keep the House. But I think they’re also looking to bring another case to the Supreme Court to further gut the Civil Rights Act, because they think, hey, we’ve got a majority now that already has begun chipping away at the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. Let’s keep going. And I think they’re either, you know, best-case scenario, they’re going to use this redistricting scheme to cheat. Worst case, they’re going to use it to further gut the Voting Rights Act.”

 

Also, see below for Rep. McClellan’s appearance on CNN, where she said about new polling indicating that Trump’s approval rating on immigration has gone down sharply:

“[Those numbers] don’t surprise me, because what I have seen in my own district in Virginia, in particular, early on is a dissatisfaction with the way and frankly outrage with the way the Trump administration is doing these mass deportations. In my own district in Chesterfield County, ICE is showing up at the courthouse detaining people who are showing up for traffic infractions or who have traffic infractions and are showing up for immigration cases. And it’s really affecting public safety. We are seeing our prosecutors, our police chief, our sheriff are all saying this is making people less safe because fewer people are reporting crimes, fewer people are willing to testify or press charges, even citizens who are immigrants because they are afraid of what may happen if they show up at the courthouse…We have a lot of people, a lot of immigrants in a vibrant immigrant community, including citizens, who are afraid to show up in public spaces, in the courthouse. It is making our communities left safe. We have parents who are afraid to send their kids to school, who are afraid to show up at hospitals, who are afraid to go to church, because they just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Rep. McClellan also said:

“…We know that there are a lot of people who think we need to fight harder against the Trump administration. And I think the challenge for us is making sure we are communicating what we are doing in every way that people receive information. But
what’s going to matter is what we’re doing on the ground in these districts and when we show up in these districts,  meet voters where they are, talking about our vision for the future and what we’re going to do to stop the excesses of the Trump administration. You know, we’re going to win. We’ve seen that in special elections since the Trump administration. And in Virginia, we’ve got an election right now. It’s going to be a canary in the coal mine. and we are doing everything we need to do to turn that enthusiasm out, get those voters out to vote in the in the November election.”

And:

“I think generally voters should choose their elected officials and not the other way around. And I have always been a proponent of redistricting that keeps communities together and produces fair competitive results….In an ideal word, that’s exactly right; I think Republicans need to understand if they go down this path, that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. And you know, they can’t expect Democrats to sit back and let them change the rules of the game and not respond. But ideally, everybody should keep keep redistricting once every 10 years to create fair maps that allow voters to elect their representatives rather than representatives to choose their constituents…I think we need to…look at all options on the table, including lawsuits and including in some states where we can move forward doing so. If Republicans go down this path look at responding in kind.”

So yeah, Virginia Democrats made a huge mistake in passing the redistricting amendment that, effectively, unilaterally disarmed, even as Republicans in “red” states are going hog-wild redistricting Democrats into oblivion. This is really a great example of Democrats meaning to do well, but being super naive and clueless about how to actually win and wield power – and how to fight back against Republicans who absolutely understand how to win and wield power, and have zero scruples about doing whatever it takes for them to do just that.

 

UPDATE 7/22: From Rep. McClellan’s weekly newsletter:

Counting today, the House only has 17 scheduled legislative days to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government when the fiscal year begins at midnight on October 1st.  And today the House stands frozen as Republicans shut down the Rules Committee rather than vote on whether the Trump Administration must release all of the files it has related to Jeffrey Epstein. Once again, the Hill is abuzz with the question of whether Congress will avoid a government shutdown once the clock strikes twelve, as it is far behind on passing any appropriations bills.
The odds of passing those bills on time dropped last week when Senate and House Republicans passed President Trump’s rescissions package to claw back $9.4 billion in Congressionally approved funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid programs like USAID. The foreign aid cuts place our national security interests at risk, put millions of lives at risk, weaken our leadership abroad, and give adversaries like China and Russia the chance to fill the gaps. As I discussed when the bill first passed the House, the public broadcasting cuts put trusted local and state news and government meeting coverage, emergency alerts, and educational content for children at risk for rural and underserved communities as part of a larger plan to undermine free press and speech. But the larger issue is the breach of trust created by Republicans going along with the President’s plan to undo bipartisan spending agreements reached by Congress to pursue his own extreme agenda. 
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