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

By
Cindy
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1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By
lowkell
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24

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

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

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

By
lowkell
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5


Matt Weinstein for Virginia’s 8th CD Democratic Committee

By
lowkell
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0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About me:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harris-Walz Reproductive Freedom National Bus Tour Rolls Through Virginia with Whip Katherine Clark, Reps. Spanberger and McClellan, Reproductive Rights Advocates and Storytellers

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From the Harris-Walz campaign:

Harris-Walz Reproductive Freedom National Bus Tour Rolls Through Virginia with Whip Katherine Clark, Reps. Spanberger and McClellan, Reproductive Rights Advocates and Storytellers

On September 13 and September 14 the Harris-Walz campaign’s ‘Fighting for Reproductive Freedom’ bus tour rolled through Virginia, making stops with Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark, U.S. Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer McClellan, and local leaders. Amanda Zurawski and Kaitlyn Joshua, two women impacted by Trump’s abortion bans who shared their stories on the Democratic National Convention stage in August also spoke at the bus stops. Speakers responded to Trump’s debate-night refusals to say whether he would veto a national abortion ban, his boasts about overturning Roe v. Wade, and his Project 2025 agenda that would ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to birth control for Virginia women, and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.

In Virginia Beach:

“We are simply asking for the most basic level of maternal health care. But let’s be clear, it is because of Donald Trump that we are being denied that,” said Kaitlyn Joshua. “He brags about unleashing these extreme abortion bans across our country, and calls them a ‘beautiful thing to watch.’ He has said women should be punished for having an abortion, and that states have a right to monitor women’s pregnancies, to enforce abortion bans, and he has no plans to stop there.”

“As you know, Virginia stands as the only state in the South with access to comprehensive reproductive health care. After Donald Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, state after state across the region enacted punishing abortion bans like the ones in Texas that nearly took my life,” said Amanda Zurawski. “Now, make no mistake, what I went through was absolutely barbaric, and it did not need to happen. It did because of Donald Trump and his allies, who continuously brag about killing Roe v. Wade.”

“Extreme Republicans have planned and plotted for 50 years to take away our freedom, and they will not stop–as Project 2025 shows us, they will come for birth control,” said Missy Cotter Smasal, VA-02 Democratic nominee. “They will come for IVF. How creepy and invasive is that?”

In Richmond:

“I’m here because I’m tired of fighting the same fight as my parents, my grandparents, and my great-grandparents,” said Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan. “I will not leave that fight to my children, and I am here because Donald Trump is responsible for the fall of [Roe v. Wade] and the chaos that has come afterward.”

“The issue of our rights is an issue that matters, it’s an issue that we vote on, it’s an issue that for some, it is an issue of life or death,” said Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. “And we will make it decisive to demonstrate that we will vote and we will win and we will protect our rights and we will protect women.”

In Dumfries:

“This issue wins everywhere, because people understand they want to make that choice,” said House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “They want to be able to make that [choice] with their medical team, not with Donald Trump and JD Vance. We don’t trust JD Vance to order donuts, we certainly don’t trust him to tell us if, when, and how to have a family and children.”

“I have a 14-year-old daughter, and she enjoys fewer rights than her mother did, and that women have enjoyed for generations before Dobbs. There was a constitutional right to reproductive health care that right is now gone,” said Eugene Vindman, VA-07 Democratic nominee. “What can be more extreme than taking away people’s constitutional rights? […] That’s what MAGA Republicans want to do.”

###

Paid for by Harris for President

Sunday News: “The Laura Loomer Problem Is the Same as the Vladimir Putin Problem”; JD Vance’s Appalling “Blood-and-Soil Nationalism”; “Donald Trump Jr. Piles On With Racist Comments About Haitians”; Trump Spends Weekend “lying to the American people and ranting”

By
lowkell
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23

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, September 15.

Sen. Tim Kaine Thinks a Government Shutdown Is “very unlikely”; Says with Kamala Harris, Dems Now Have “both unity and energy”; Shares Advice for Tim Walz in His Upcoming Debate with JD Vance

By
lowkell
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3

Yesterday, Sen. Tim Kaine was on the Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi on WAMU and had some interesting things to say. See below for a transcript and highlights:

On a possible government shutdown: “I think it’s very unlikely. We we flirt with shutdowns. Republicans like to use it as a negotiating threat, but I got a bill passed, in early 2019 that guarantees all federal employees receive back pay in the event of any shutdown. And so once there’s a guarantee that we’re gonna be writing a check to all federal employees, why shut government down, lock them out of their office, stop them from serving their fellow Americans? And we haven’t had a shutdown since then even though people have been flirting with it. My prediction is this. We’re gonna get a short term continuing resolution as we usually do through the end of the calendar year, in between election day and, Christmas time, essentially, we will hammer out a an omnibus full year appropriations bill. That’s normally what we do. We extend it into the next year last year because the house was without a speaker for a month. But we will get this thing done by calendar year end, and we won’t shut government down.“

On Joe Biden passing the torch to Kamala Harris: “Even before I saw any polling results, there was an electricity generated by Joe Biden deciding to put the torch of leadership into the next generation’s hands with Vice President Kamala Harris. And I could see an immediate sea change in the amount of energy – and  not only the Democratic parts of the state, but my wife who’s from the Appalachian part of Virginia, she and I did an Appalachian swing in August. And even in the really red parts of the state, local Democratic committee chairs were seeing volunteers that they’ve never seen before, energy and enthusiasm that they’ve never seen before. So now the polling is starting to come in. And I’ll tell you, I think there have been three public polls in the last week, but all were done before the debate. And those public polls had Kamala Harris up in Virginia between 6 and 10 points. And an interesting thing about the polls is that the number of undecided voters is already very, very low. So, I’m running my race as if I’m behind. Yes, my polls look good, but I’m working very, very hard. And we do have three fairly competitive congressional district races in Virginia as well. And, obviously, the better that, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz do, the better those congressional candidates are gonna do.”

On the Harris vs. Trump debate and the possibility of another one: “Well, you know, I think, there’s no chance that Donald Trump will get on the debate stage again with Kamala Harris because he got absolutely thrashed. And I thought, you know, there were three important themes in the debate, at least three. #1, Kamala’s presentation of her own plans extremely effective. Her focus on the economy, housing costs, child tax credit, focus tax relief on small businesses, that came through loud and clear. So her presentation was very strong. Donald Trump’s presentation was was very, very weak, rambling, disoriented, creating lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio that have already led to bomb threats and buildings in that community, public buildings and schools being shut down yesterday and today. He would not clearly state that he hoped Ukraine would defeat Russia’s illegal invasion. He would not clearly state that he would veto a national abortion ban. When he was asked after many, many years of trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, does he have an alternative, he said he has the concept of a plan, but not even a plan after these years. So I think his presentation was poor. And then the third thing that I’ll notice, Kamala Harris’s nonverbal presentation, when when you saw that split screen during Donald Trump’s presentation, Kamala’s facial expressions and her demeanor were very important because they, without seeming angry or snarky, she conveyed a very obvious sense of incredulity at a number of Donald Trump’s claims. I think what the American public saw in that debate, they wanted to see in Kamala Harris, can she stand up against, you know, leaders around the world who may be bad actors? And they saw her handle Donald Trump in a way that is giving them confidence.”

On advice to Tim Walz debating JD Vance on 10/1: “You know, Tom, I’ll tell you. We looked at the history, when I was doing that debate in 2016, we looked at the history of vice presidential debates, and we concluded that there is only one thing that affects where the vice presidential candidate can affect the outcome. And that one thing is not defending your top of the ticket. Often VP candidates have great performances. Everybody remembers of my age, Lloyd Bentsen’s, you know, line back to Dan Quayle, ‘I knew Jack Kennedy, and you’re no Jack Kennedy.’ But that didn’t affect the outcome, the Bush Quayle ticket won. But if a vice presidential candidate does not vigorously defend the top of the ticket, that is harmful. That was the case, for example, when Joe Lieberman debated Dick Cheney in 2000. He didn’t really vigorously defend the Cheney attacks on Al Gore. So the most important thing to do – and I did this in my debate, folks didn’t like my debate much because it was me trying to keep my opponent, Mike Pence, from opening up new lines of attack on Hillary Clinton. I didn’t focus on myself at all… look, Tim Walz in his own way, he’s a seasoned guy at this, is gonna do very, very well. But the main thing is you gotta have the back of the top of the ticket, and all the indications from watching Tim and Kamala on the trail suggest that he is gonna do that.”

“How does the presidential campaign impact downballot races like your own?”: “You know, Kojo…in particular in Virginia, we’re seeing low numbers of undecideds in the presidential. So I think the Democrats have unity right now, but what you always want to see is energy. And I’ll be blunt. When I was campaigning early in the summer around Virginia before Joe Biden had passed the torch to Kamala, I was seeing unity, but I was seeing low energy. And that’s troubling. You gotta have both unity and energy. Now we are seeing that energy as very, very palpable, and that’ll make a big difference. I think particularly in looking at the Virginia map, the 10th and the 7th districts are open seats, with Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton not running again. We need energy in those districts, and I think Kamala is giving us that energy. The second district in Virginia Beach, Republican Jen Kiggans is the incumbent in that seat in her first term after defeating Elaine Luria, but Missy Cotter Smasal is a talented challenger on the Democratic side, and the increased energy generated by Kamala Harris is gonna be very helpful to her.”

On a question he got from a student in Fauquier County about gun violence: “Tom, you’re you’re right. It was a a student, at a high school in Fauquier, and she asked at a big open forum, she asked the last question…she said, ‘I don’t feel safe going to school. How can you, what what can you tell me about how we can feel safer?’ And I basically said two things. First, at the Virginia level, we’ve gone from a state that was very hostile to gun safety measures to a state whose General Assembly has passed a number [of gun safety measures] in recent years. That doesn’t end the threat of gun violence, but it is helping make Virginia safer. Virginia is one of the safest states in the country now. 20 years ago, that wasn’t the case. At the federal level, we still lag behind. We haven’t done what we need to do. However, in 2022, in the aftermath of tragic shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, we did work together in a bipartisan way to do the first meaningful gun safety legislation since the mid 1990s, making it more difficult for young people to purchase weapons, making it a little bit more straightforward to temporarily disable people from getting guns if they’ve been adjudicated mentally ill and dangerous. It was a modest bill, not a big bill, but we had to beat the NRA and the gun lobby to do it, and we did. That means the floor should be open for us in Congress to do more things similar to what Virginia has done”

 

Harris-Walz Campaign Announces Historic Efforts to Reach Latino Voters to Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month

By
Blue Virginia
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1

From the Harris-Walz campaign:

Harris-Walz Campaign Announces Historic Efforts to Reach Latino Voters to Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month

Historic $3 million investment in Spanish language radio for the month alone, building on ongoing investments

Aggressive organizing push in key Latino communities in battleground states

First-of-their kind Baseball Games, Boxing Matches, and Independence Day Events Among Key Organizing Moments

Today, Team Harris-Walz launches historic actions to engage, reach, and mobilize Latino voters as Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off. Beginning just 51 days before election day and as early voting begins in key, Latino-heavy battleground states, Team Harris-Walz will build on its existing Latino outreach efforts to-date. Todays’ historic actions include:

  • An aggressive push by surrogates as well as Vice President Harris and Governor Walz to campaign and reach out to Latino voters in battleground states – with a focus on showing up at Latino community events.
  • A historic, $3 million investment into Spanish-language radio for the month alone – among the largest and most significant investments into Hispanic media ever.
  • A historic organizing push designed to leverage key cultural moments and events within the Latino community to meet voters where they are, and talk about the importance of this election.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is an important moment to celebrate the richness and diversity of Latino communities across the country,” said Harris-Walz Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “It is also a critical moment for us to leverage, as we continue to reach Latino voters about the stakes of this election, how crucial their vote will be in deciding this race, and defeating Trump and his anti-Latino agenda. Building on our historic efforts to break through and earn the support of Latino voters everywhere, this Hispanic Heritage Month will be a key part of our aggressive campaign efforts to make our case to voters about Vice President Harris, who has spent her entire career fighting for Latino families, and as president, will always focus on the issues that our community cares most deeply about.”

Boxing, Baseball Games, and More: Team Harris-Walz Showing Up At Latino Community Events

As Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off, Vice President Harris will deliver remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual conference on September 18 where she will speak on how her agenda for a New Way Forward will create opportunity for all and boost middle-class Latino families.

A cornerstone of Hispanic Heritage Month efforts will focus on meeting Latinos where they are to drive home the stakes of this election. From baseball games to independence day events, to boxing matches, Team Harris-Walz will deploy surrogates to Latino events across the country to talk about Vice President Harris’ vision for Latino communities and for our future. Events include:

  • Team Harris-Walz will attend tonight’s fight between world champion boxer Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga. Harris-Walz Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez along with Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congressman Adriano Espaillat will attend the fight in Harris-Walz gear – providing visibility for the campaign during a weekend being dubbed the unofficial combat sports Super Bowl for fans. In addition, mobile billboards will fan out across Vegas airing “Luchadora,” a Latino-specific ad highlighting Vice President Harris’ work to fix the border and record of taking on and winning against cartels, human traffickers, and international gangs as attorney general of a border state.
  • This weekend’s Mexican Independence Day Weekend will serve as an organizing opportunity and entry point for Latinos, many of whom will be casting their vote for the first time. Team Harris-Walz will host voter contact events at churches, Mexican Independence Day celebration events, sporting events, and more in every battleground state throughout the month. Volunteers are also self-organizing parade contingents at parades in battlegrounds including Phoenix, AZ and Raleigh, NC.
  • Bolstering presence at community events and sporting events. Latinos con Harris-Walz will host events in Michigan featuring Congressman Chuy Garcia including a retail walk at Honey Bee Market in Southwest Detroit, a canvass launch, and attend the Detroit Tigers Hispanic Heritage Tailgate. Sunday, Congressman Garcia will be traveling to Minnesota to organize supporters around Mexican Independence Day. Sunday, Harris-Walz Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez will headline a Latinos con Harris-Walz Call-A-Thon with a goal of reaching 500,000 Latino voters during the month.
  • New Way Forward Features Hispanic Heritage Month. CHC Members and Latino leaders will headline and participate in events in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month as part of our New Way Forward tour.
    • The Honorable Xavier Becerra will be in Arizona as part of the Harris-Walz Campaign’s New Way Forward tour to meet with first-generation Latino college students, mobilize support, and reach the voters who will decide this election as we approach the closing weeks of the campaign.
    • The Honorable Miguel Cardona will be in Pennsylvania to reach and speak to Puerto Rican voters who will be critical to our path to victory in the state.

Unprecedented $3 Million Investment into Spanish-Language Radio During Hispanic Heritage Month

Team Harris-Walz’s investments into Hispanic media are both the earliest and largest investments in history. Building on its existing program, the campaign will make an additional, historic $3 million investment into Spanish-language to augment its paid media efforts to reach Latino voters where they are.

This buy bolsters the existing bilingual television and digital investments reaching battleground Latinos, and will ensure that the Team Harris-Walz message is in the most impactful radio blocs. Highlights of this bilingual investment include engagements with influential radio personalities, sports-themed creative and advertising during local baseball, football and fútbol team coverage.

Radio is a heavily consumed medium for Latino voters to receive their information as 96% of Latinos listen to radio every week, much higher than the general population. Additionally, for key younger voting blocs, radio reaches 93% of Latino millennials each month and 98% of 35-to-49-year-olds.

Throughout the month, Team Harris-Walz will introduce new creative focused on key issues for Latino voters, and invoking trusted messengers about Vice President Harris’ record and agenda to tackle corporate greed, lower costs, and create opportunity for Latino communities. Yesterday, Team Harris-Walz launched “My Voice,” a new ad featuring Victor Martinez, an Allentown-based Lehigh Valley host of La Mega Radio and trusted community figure who highlights Harris’ record of standing up “to the greedy corporations making it harder to afford food and pay the rent,” to lower costs for Latino working families.

Organizing and Outreach Blitz to Mobilize Supporters and Reach Persuadable Latinos

Latinos are organizers at their core, and Team Harris-Walz will leverage the spirit of the month to mobilize supporters to talk to their communities – especially undecided Latino voters – about the stakes of this election. Throughout the month, organizers and supporters will focus on an aggressive push of bilingual phone banking, in-person organizing events, and training to help reach Latinos as voting begins.

  • Bilingual phone banking program: Culturally competent organizing means ensuring that Latinos are speaking to Latinos – and are equipped to talk to them in the language voters are most comfortable with. Leveraging diaspora groups like Venezolanos con Harris, Boricuas con Harris, Mexicanos con Harris, supporters will phone bank throughout the month into battleground states targeting undecided Latino voters.
  • Ramping up our trusted messengers program in Latino communities: Latinos rely on friends and family heavily to make their decision about how to vote, which is why Team Harris-Walz will conduct GOTV, volunteer, and media trainings with supporters so they can be equipped to talk to their communities about the stakes of the election.
  • Organizing Latinas Around Reproductive Freedom: Our campaign’s Fighting for Reproductive Freedoms bus tour is making 50 stops in battleground states this fall, including to majority-Latino Allentown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday and will feature Latina activists and influencers who will produce bilingual digital content. This will help ensure that Vice President Harris’ message on protecting reproductive rights meets critical young Latina voters across the country.

These efforts build on existing programs designed to meet Latinos where they are, like the campaign’s first-of-its-kind Latinos con Harris-Walz WhatsApp channel. To reach Latino voters in an increasingly dynamic media environment, these organizing efforts along with our WhatsApp channel target Latino voters with tailored, culturally competent content that reflects the Latino community.

###

Paid for by Harris for President

Saturday News: Trump Threatens to Deport Haitians in Springfield, “spews hate,” “repeats racist, anti-immigrant lies”; Trump Calls Far-Right-Racist, 9/11 Conspiracy Theorist Laura Loomer “Free Spirit”; “Harris backers stress reproductive rights as bus tour stops in Richmond”

By
lowkell
-
8

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, September 14.

Video: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) Calls for Allowing Ukraine to Strike Military Targets in Russia with U.S.-Provided Weapons

By
lowkell
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6

Interesting comments by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07):

“I think it’s important that Ukraine have the ability to defend itself…I think it’s extraordinarily important that when there are attacks coming into Ukraine from Russia that the Ukrainians be able to strike those military targets. And so I do think that the president should come to the decision to allow for this usage. And on the issue of escalation, the reality is that currently, Russia has invaded Ukraine, this war has now been ongoing for years, and Vladimir Putin for whatever reason does not seem to view it as an escalation  that he is pivoting towards Iran and towards other hostille nations to be able to ensure his ability to continue this barbaric, horrific war against the Ukrainian people and against the foundations of democracy. So I do hope the president comes to this decision. I know he won’t come to it lightly nor should he. But at this stage in the war, recognizing the terror inflicted upon civilians in Ukraine and recognizing the need for Ukrainians to be able to strike back at the military targets where attacks have emanated, I think it’s the correct decision.”

I couldn’t agree more. Yes, there are risks to everything, but that applies both to doing too much AND to doing too little. In this case, we need to make sure that Vladimir Putin’s naked, unprovoked aggression is defeated, for a number of reasons, including that in the future, other dictators and thugs think long and hard about whether they want to start something like this in the first place.

Russia is deepening its relationship with our adversaries, like Iran — making it even more important for the United States to show strength and resolve.

New Poll of VA02: Trump-Supporting Rep. Jen Kiggans (R) Up 45%-40%, with 62% of Voters Not Knowing Who Democratic Nominee Missy Cotter Smasal Is

By
lowkell
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4

See below for a summary and a few comments on the new Wason Center poll of VA02, a “purple” district centered on Virginia Beach, previously held by Democrat Elaine Luria, now held by Republican Jen Kiggans (since 2022, after redistricting made VA02 a bit “redder” than it had been).

  • Rep. Kiggans has a 5-point lead over Democratic nominee Missy Cotter Smasal, but Kiggans is under 50%, which isn’t great for an incumbent, at 45% support (to 40% support for Smasal).
  • One key for Cotter Smasal is that 34% have no opinion of her, while another 28% don’t know enough about her to have an opinion. In other words, a majority (62%) of VA02 voters still don’t know who Cotter Smasal is (in contrast, 71% have an opinion of Kiggans – 38% positive, 33% negative). So we’ll see how Smasal does once those percentages shrink, which they presumably will as election day gets closer and advertising cranks up.
  • In the US Senate race, Sen. Tim Kaine leads Republican nominee Hung Cao in VA02 by 11 points, 43%-32%.
  • In the presidential race, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are tied in VA02, 46%-46% (note: Biden won it 51.4%-46.7% in 2020, but the district got “redder” after redistricting in 2021, with the Cook Political Report now rating it R+2). When it comes to favorability/unfavorability, Harris is at 47%-47% (neutral) in VA02, while Trump is at 45%-49% (minus 4). That seems a bit odd, given that Trump is minus 10 nationally, while Harris is +0.8 points nationally.
  • VP nominees Tim Walz and JD Vance are at 38%-35% (+3) and 40%-40% (neutral), respectively. That seems a bit odd, given that Vance is viewed strongly UNfavorably in the nation as a whole (MINUS 10 points), while Walz is +4 points nationally. Not sure why Vance would be neutral in VA02 but MINUS 10 nationally…so maybe this is a Republican-skewed survey to an extent?
  • It’s important to note that many people – including the Wason Center on the briefing call this morning – keep referring to VA02 as a “moderate” district, when in fact it’s a PURPLE district – and those are NOT the same things AT ALL (“moderate” is mostly a meaningless word in a political context, but the main point about VA02 is that it’s narrowly divided between Republicans and Democrats). As for Jen Kiggans, it’s just blatantly absurd/false to refer to her as “moderate,” so a major goal for Smasal should be to let VA02 voters know how right wing she actually is, including endorsing Trump, being tight with right-wingnut Elise Stefanik, saying nice things about extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene, celebrating the demise of Roe, etc, etc.
  • Having said all that, obviously Smasal has to crank it up BIG TIME in the next few weeks, including performing a lot better with independents than she currently is (Kiggans +20 among independents), as well as both defining herself and – most importantly – defining KIGGANS as the ineffective, unprincipled, definitely-NOT-“moderate” politician that she actually is.

Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax) Explains Why Re-electing Tim Kaine is Critical to NoVA, While MAGA Republican Hung Cao Would Decimate the Federal Workforce

By
lowkell
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2

Very well said by Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax), from his latest e-newsletter:

“A few weeks ago, in this newspaper, I endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be our next President of the United States. Last night, during their first Presidential debate, Americans saw exactly what kind of President Kamala Harris will be – a strong leader, especially on defense of our nation, and one who offers a positive future for the country, who will be a President for all Americans, and who will turn the page once and for all on the darkness and division of Donald Trump. 

In just 9 days early voting will commence and we will have the opportunity to vote for not just the President, but Senator and US House Representative. Today, I want to say a few words about the Senate race and give just one compelling reason why we should re-elect Tim Kaine to the US Senate – he supports our military and federal workers!

As your Delegate representing the 16th district here in Northern Virginia, (and the son of a former federal worker and USAF officer), a region home to thousands of federal workers, military families, and private sector jobs associated with the federal government, I wholeheartedly endorse Senator Tim Kaine for re-election. Throughout his decades of public service, Senator Kaine has been a steadfast advocate for the hardworking men and women who keep our country safe, stable, and prosperous. In contrast, his opponent, Hung Cao, a political neophyte, has endorsed a dangerous plan that could wreak havoc on our federal workforce, and threaten the livelihoods of many Virginians.

Hung Cao has aligned himself with the radical proposals of Florida Senator Rick Scott, who unveiled a plan that includes cutting the federal workforce by 25 percent. If applied evenly across federal agencies, this could lead to the loss of over 9,000 jobs at the FBI, 15,000 at Customs and Border Protection, and nearly 14,000 at the TSA, among others. For context, Northern Virginia is home to over 80,000 federal government employees. These cuts would not only harm federal workers but also compromise the safety and security of all Virginians. 

Moreover, Scott’s plan, which Cao enthusiastically called “perfect,” would sunset VA benefits every five years, threatening the health and well-being of the nearly 700,000 Virginians who have served our country. It would defund federal support for state and local law enforcement, jeopardizing the livelihoods of Virginians serving in law enforcement, and stripping nearly $4 billion that currently helps fund critical programs like technology upgrades and opioid crisis initiatives. Additionally, this plan seeks to raise taxes for veterans and Virginia families while offering tax breaks to the wealthy.

This is not the kind of future we need. Senator Tim Kaine has consistently advocated for policies that protect and uplift Virginians, from law enforcement officers to veterans to working families. Unlike his opponent, Senator Kaine understands the real-world impact of slashing jobs and resources that help keep our communities safe. He has always fought to ensure that Virginia’s federal workers and military families receive the support they deserve, and he will continue to be a strong voice in Washington for the values we hold dear.

I urge all of my fellow Northern Virginians to stand with Senator Kaine this November and reject the reckless, harmful policies that Hung Cao supports. Together, let’s keep Virginia moving forward.”

VA Speaker Don Scott: “[Youngkin] and Republicans…want to destroy teachers’ ability to do their job and privatize our schools” to Benefit “greedy ‘education’ companies”

By
lowkell
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2

No question about it, Youngkin DESPISES public education and is waging war on it.

Friday News: Electing Trump Likely to Harm Earth “for millennia”; “Harris Taunts ‘Chicken Man’ Trump After He Dodges New Debate”; “Far-right activist Laura Loomer’s access to Trump reveals a crisis in his campaign”; “Cat ladies and dog-eating: MAGA can’t quit the weird talk about pets”

By
lowkell
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13

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, September 13.

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