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

By
Cindy
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2

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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26

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.

Blue Virginia Interview: VA11 Dem Candidate Amy Papanu Says “I refer to myself as a moderate Democrat. That is so important these days to get things done in Congress.”

By
lowkell
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0

Earlier this afternoon, I had the chance to chat (at her campaign’s request) with VA11 Democratic candidate Amy Papanu, who is one of eight Democratic candidates listed on VPAP (the others being Joshua Aisen, Candice Bennett, Dan Lee, Leopoldo “Leo” Martinez, Stella Pekarsky, Amy Roma, Irene Shin and James Walkinshaw) running to succeed the late, great Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) in the US House. See below for a lightly edited transcript of the interview with Amy Papanu.  Also, keep in mind that the Democratic nomination (which will almost certainly determine the next  Congressperson in the 9/9/25 special election, given that this is a deep-blue district) will be determined in a “firehouse primary” on June 28, just over two weeks from now. So stay tuned – and may the best candidate win!

Blue Virginia: “So for people who don’t know you in the district, maybe just if you could tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, why you’re running, and if you have any background in VA11 or Fairfax Democratic politics that would be interesting.”

Amy Papanu: “Sounds good. So, well, my name is Amy Papanu and I’m a career fed. I spent 28 years in the federal government. In the CIA, I was an operations officer for 16 years. In the State Department, I was a foreign service officer for 7 years. And then in the FBI, I was an investigative specialist for 5 years. The reason why I’m running is because our federal workforce and democracy is being threatened on a daily basis, and I believe Congress needs the right people in there to take care of what’s going on. We’re in unprecedented times right now, so they need someone with my career federal agency experience and strong national security background. And what I’ve done is, in the field I’ve been an operator and so I’ve combatted terrorism in the field, and I’ve also led in DC and worked on national security policy issues. And so the breadth of my career translates to what needs to be done in Congress to fight back against what Trump has been doing, especially against my former colleagues. And that is why I felt compelled to enter the race, because I talk to people on a daily basis in my neighborhood, people I used to work with, and everyone is worried about how these attacks against our agencies and workforce are going to impact us in the long term. So it’s on a personal basis because people are losing their jobs. But also it’s going to impact our economic security in the long run in the Northern Virginia area, because there’s you know it’s all federal is local here in VA11. And so they’re worried about that, as well as national security implications moving forward. You know, we’re cutting some of our best and brightest, the folks that just joined and folks that have been with us for a while. And those are the people we need, because the folks that they’re forcing into retirement are the experienced people, and then the new people that were on probation, they are the rising stars and those are the people we’ve invested in. So I’m trying to put a stop to all of this and look out for our Fairfax community.”

Blue Virginia: “Sort of on that note, a few weeks ago Representative Jennifer McClellan from the fourth congressional district in Virginia said ‘we’re absolutely in a constitutional crisis’ and she actually said ‘this is fascism, this is something I never thought I would see in the United States’ – that’s a direct quote from her. So I’m just kind of curious if you see it in that dire terms, or how would you describe the situation we’re in right now?”

Amy Papanu: “I do think we are headed in that direction. And that is why the national security background is so important. There is just the erosion of our democratic institutions right now, and the attacks against the free press, and it’s on multiple levels that the Trump administration is denigrating our democracy. And so it’s dismantling our federal agencies, and all of this is weakening our government and our country’s security. So it is trending in that direction. And that’s why people need to stand up and just look at what’s planned for tomorrow with the parade. It is atrocious and there’s so many things wrong with it – it’s very dictatoresque…what we’ve seen in rogue nations and those are the kind of rogue nations that I used to fight against in my career in the past. And also the waste, the government waste, it is this hypocritical notion because Trump and his team say they’re cutting waste, and in fact they’re putting millions and millions into this parade. That is a very narcissistic display in my opinion.”

Blue Virginia: “Right. Now I don’t know if you put out a statement yesterday, because there was a lot going on and I didn’t see everyone’s statements, but maybe you did, but any thoughts on – and and this relates to what you were we were just talking about – what happened to Senator Padilla yesterday? In terms of if you want to see an example of authoritarianism or thuggishness or whatever, and some of the stuff you might see in a third world dictatorship, that to me seems like that, but you can put it in your own words what you think. And then related to that, is what’s going on in L.A. and the crackdown by the Trump administration not just on ‘criminal illegal immigrants’ but on immigrants who are hardworking people who have been here for decades, whatever…”

Amy Papanu: “Yes, I’m outraged by what’s going on in California. Obviously, I don’t condone violent protests. But just how the administration has been handling it is totally inappropriate and extreme. And yeah, Senator Padilla, that was uncalled for and very indicative of that direction that you just mentioned of heading towards a fascist state. So all reasons why I feel really compelled to run and get in this race right now. And I’m the only career Fed in the race, and I’m the only one with the national security background as a former CIA officer. So I think I bring a lot to the table to combat and counter this administration when I get to Congress.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, and you probably have some strong feelings about what Trump’s policy towards Russia and Ukraine is.  I mean, that that to me is outrageous, he’s basically like, he might as well be a spokesman for the Kremlin, he just regurgitates the Kremlin party line and reinforces it and makes excuses for Putin all the time. I mean, what do you think about, I presume you’re pro Ukraine, but I don’t want to put words in your mouth. But what do you think about that?”

Amy Papanu: “Absolutely, yeah. So I was on the Hill when Russia invaded Ukraine, and I was proud of the intelligence community at the time, because it was a great example of collection and analysis that predicted, and we shared with our partners on this invasion so people were not blindsided. And so that was a great thing that the intel community was able to do in order to get people’s attention on this. And I was working at the time for the Assistant Speaker of the House, and one of my responsibilities was following and monitoring the Russia-Ukraine situation throughout the year. And so, yeah, it was nice to see back then the bipartisan support for Ukraine. And it is alarming now that unfortunately the Republicans are not as supportive. And that was always something that was refreshing in my work, was when I was in CIA’s office of congressional affairs, we worked closely with our oversight committees – that would be the House Intel and the Senate Intel Committee – and it was just a good bipartisan effort to support Ukraine. And that has changed and it’s alarming that we’ve swung in the opposite direction now.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, and really the entire US foreign policy. Now Gerry Connolly was very strong, he was heavily involved with NATO and supporting NATO and supporting Ukraine. Would you see yourself in that line as Connolly, and more broadly…I mean, that’s the reason for this special election is Gerry Connolly’s untimely and tragic death. And so do you see yourself as sort of a Gerry Connolly-style Democrat or would you be a major change.”

Amy Papanu: “Right, so I appreciate the late great Congressman Connolly for all he did for the federal workers. And I admire his service on the committees and especially NATO and how important that is right now, more than ever. I would see myself as being more aggressive and using my national security experience and what I’ve seen in the field as to how to demonstrate across the aisle what these threats will look like and how it’ll impact our competitive advantage, global competitive advantage, as well as our national security. And so because I have that hands-on experience fighting against terrorism, countering narcotraffickers and working against our the rogue nations that were targeting us, because I have that experience and can speak firsthand, I think that will resonate more across the aisle and I can get more done and be more aggressive on the national security front, so within the foreign affairs committee or whether it be the House Intel Committee.”

Blue Virginia: “Are there any areas where you disagreed with Representative Connoilly, whether on domestic or international issues over the years? I mean, you’ve been a constituent right?”

Amy Papanu: “Yep, I’ve been a constituent and for the most part, yes I align with Congressman Connolly. And I think just  more needs to be done and time for a fresh set of eyes with a stronger federal government, non-politician and strong national security background.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, ok. Now another thing in the news right now obviously is the Iran-Israel war or whatever it is… I’m just kind of curious what – like if you were in the House right now, what type of statements would you be issuing, what types of, I don’t know if you’d be introducing any legislation or anything on it, but what would you be doing right now in a crisis like this specifically with Iran-Israel? Or it could be Israel-Gaza for that matter.”

Amy Papanu: “Well, specifically on the Iran-Israel front, it’s I think restraint and diplomacy. This could drastically, this conflict could drastically get worse, and so they need to use diplomacy and scale things back, because there’s already so many conflicts in the region, and this would add to that instability across the region. So diplomacy is key.”

Blue Virginia: “Right. But in the end, what’s your position on whether Iran should ever be allowed to get a nuclear weapons program…nuclear weapnos. And how much of this is result of the fact that Trump pulled us out of the Iran nuclear deal that was negotiated by John Kerry and others in the Obama administration?”

Amy Papanu: “Right. So I was supportive of the JCPOA and I thought it had a chance. I would have to look closer at where things stand now on that agreement to know if that is even feasible at this point or how far advanced they are in their nuclear capability at the moment. It’s not an issue that I’ve been tracking closely at the moment, so I was supportive at the time of the agreement and now I’m just not sure if it makes sense, if it’s even feasible to continue that or not.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah I don’t think it’s feasible to continue it from where it was at that point. I just think that Trump pulling us out of that agreement without any replacement for that, allowed Iran to race for the bomb and rapidly build up its nuclear program. And I think that almost inevitably led to this situation now. And that shows you what happens when you have bad leadership.”

Amy Papanu: “Very shortsighted. And obviously, it’s like they countered everything that the previous administration did before. And it was damaging. So yeah, it’s bad decision-making and now we’re in a worse state of affairs because of it.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah. Now more broadly on the ideological spectrum, it sounds like you’re pretty in sync with Representative Connolly. So I don’t know how would you characterize yourself, as sort of  a conservative Democrat, moderate Democrat, liberal, progressive…pragmatic progressive or whatever.”

Amy Papanu: “Yeah, I refer to myself as a moderate Democrat. That is so important these days to get things done in Congress – you have to be able to. So when I worked for the CIA, we were apolitical, we did not talk politics, we did not take sides and we just focused on the mission. And that’s what you need to do in Congress. And so I think to be moderate is the best approach. Because you need to work towards a goal together that can be beneficial to the American people. Americans are so fed up with the gridlock in Congress and not delivering for the American people. And now especially for the Northern Virginia area, that’s even more important, because all these new policies and cuts are impacting our region. So it’s now more important than ever for our constituents to be able to get in there, be moderate and come up with solutions and you know where we are delivering for our constituents.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, I guess for me, I grew up at a time when there were still moderate Republicans, even there were actually progressive Republicans believe it or not. But I just wonder if we can work with today’s Republican Party anymore, given that it’s gone almost totally MAGA, Trumpian, and that’s where I’m not sure about at this point…”

Amy Papanu: “Well I’m optimistic that the pendulum will shift the other way. I admired Adam Kinzinger when he took on the role on the January 6th committee. He’s someone I see as a moderate Republican, no longer in Congress, but that type of background and being moderate, and that’s where Democrats and Republicans really work together towards securing our economy and our national security.”

Blue Virginia: “I guess we only have a couple minutes left, but I’m just curious about your thoughts on the nomination process for this nomination, and also just your campaign, what you’re going to be doing to try to get out the vote and and reach people and get your message out there in the only two and a half or whatever it is weeks left to go.”

Amy Papanu: “Two weeks from tomorrow. We are being very aggressive in trying to get our message out, especially to the federal workforce and contractors and veterans – I’m a spouse of a combat veteran – to all those constituents to know when the voting date is, that I am a former Fed, that I’m looking out for them. I’m wanting to really, I fought terrorism in the past and now I’ll fight Trump at home. And so it’s a grassroots effort; I am talking to everyone in the community and reaching out to the groups and trying to get out there and speak to as many people as possible, especially those people that have been impacted by the DOGE and that are worried about our our future here in Northern Virginia.”

Blue Virginia: “And the process itself for this nomination, any thoughts on that?”

Amy Papanu: “Governor Youngkin didn’t do us any favors by scheduling the special election on September 9th. So really the local Dems had their hands tied. And I really was encouraged to see how many early voting dates they put out there and locations. They’ve really been working hard to try to make sure people can access the polls. And so they’re doing the best they can under the circumstances that Governor Youngkin dealt us.”

Blue Virginia: “Would you rather have had ranked choice voting or did you care about that?”

Amy Papanu: “You know, I think so actually. I haven’t given it much thought, but I think that should be the trend… I’ve heard people talk about that and and it is something that I’ve heard constituents in this area wish that they had the opportunity for ranked choice voting.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah I’m a big supporter of ranked choice voting, i just think it’s more democratic small d; it requires that the winner has to get a majority…New York City’s using it in its upcoming mayoral primary, hopefully that will go smoothly, we’ll see if it helps or hurts Andrew Cuomo. Haha. But anyway, I don’t know if there’s anything else you wanted to add before we end this.”

Amy Papanu: “No, I appreciate the opportunity. And you know I’m the only candidate right now, I’ll repeat, that has this strong federal background and national security background. And I have heard from too many of my people that they how they’re being impacted. So I’m really looking to protect our federal workforce and our democratic institutions with all that’s going. So I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about it and express my opinions.”

Blue Virginia: “Thank you, I appreciate your time and good luck out there.”

Amy Papanu: “I appreciate it, have a good day.”

 

Video: Elected Leaders, Small Business Owner Call Out Sears for Ripping Off Customers Then Attacking Negative Reviewers

By
lowkell
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0

From DPVA regarding this story (Brutal Reviews of Winsome Earle-Sears’ Appliance, Plumbing and Electric Business: “worst company I have ever dealt with”; “this place is a complete scam”; “won’t be around much longer with her around… she’s a [wack] Job”):

Elected Leaders, Small Business Owner Call Out Sears for Ripping Off Customers Then Attacking Negative Reviewers

Customer Review: “[…] This place is a complete scam […] I had a similar experience where they took my money, and repaired nothing.”NOTUS: “A customer wrote on Google that Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing and Electric was ‘the worst company I have ever dealt with’ […]”

VIRGINIA – Today,  following a new report from NOTUS, elected leaders and a small business owner called out Winsome Earle-Sears for ripping off customers and then attacking them after they left reviews complaining about her business practices and lack of professionalism.

These recent revelations about Sears’ business follow reports that she took more than $100,000 in PPP loans, while later calling federal funding “monopoly money” and supporting Donald Trump’s attacks on Virginia’s federal workforce that threaten more than 320,000 Virginians’ livelihoods.

“In my various roles, I’ve worked with many different leaders and business owners and I think we would all agree this is not leadership and this is not how you run a business,” said Mark Cannady, a Virginia business owner and chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia Small Business Caucus. “From ripping customers off to attacking them online, it’s clear Winsome Earle-Sears can’t be trusted with a business and definitely can’t be trusted to be Governor.”

“Winsome Earle-Sears has cheered on these layoffs that are devastating Virginians all in support of cutting federal spending, but as we heard earlier, she had no problem taking out more than $100,000 in  PPP loans when her business needed it during the pandemic,” said Sheila Elliott, President of AFGE Local 2328 which represents federal workers. 

“Sears’ ‘successful’ small business had a majority of one star reviews on Yelp and Google Reviews that point to Sears ripping customers off. If customers couldn’t trust her, how can Virginians?” said Delegate Debra Gardner. “These reviews are a reminder that Winsome Earle-Sears is not up for the job of governor.”

“Sears’ hypocrisy on this is a glaring red flag. Virginians should be able to trust their leaders to practice what they preach instead of railing against policies they benefitted from,” said Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler.

###

Blue Virginia Interview: VA11 Dem Candidate Dan Lee Says “Why I’m in this race is because I believe in a country that provides guaranteed health care for all Americans through Medicare for All”

By
lowkell
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0

Earlier this afternoon, I had the chance to chat (at his campaign’s request) with VA11 Democratic candidate Dan Lee, who is one of eight Democratic candidates listed on VPAP (the others being Joshua Aisen, Candice Bennett, Leopoldo “Leo” Martinez,  Amy Papanu; Stella Pekarsky, Amy Roma, Irene Shin and James Walkinshaw) running to succeed the late, great Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) in the US House. See below for a lightly edited transcript of the interview with Dan Lee.  Also, keep in mind that the Democratic nomination (which will almost certainly determine the next  Congressperson in the 9/9/25 special election, given that this is a deep-blue district) will be determined in a “firehouse primary” on June 28, just over two weeks from now. So stay tuned – and may the best candidate win!

Blue Virginia: “So the first thing is, there are a lot of candidates and some new faces, relatively new to Virginia politics, so for people who don’t know you, maybe just start by telling a little bit about yourself and why you’re running, maybe if you have any background in Fairfax or Virginia politics or VA11, any or all of those things would be interesting I think to people who don’t know you.”

Dan Lee: “I can get into all that. So thanks for the opportunity, I appreciate this. So my background is, I’m the son of working-class immigrants from South Korea. My dad was a small business owner and my mom was a nurse, and they landed here in Fairfax County back in the 70s. So I was born and raised here right here in Fairfax County, born in Fairfax Hospital, raised in Chantilly, and I attended Fairfax County Public Schools…graduated from Langley. Ultimately, I cleaned floors to help pay for college. I went to George Washington in DC and I received my master of public health and my MBA from Dartmouth. And my career over the last 20 years has been defined by public service. I’ve served in the White House, I’ve worked for a governor, I was at the World Bank for a number of years, and I’ve worked with Republicans to deliver actual solutions for the public. I can get into more details there, but frankly the most proud title I think I have is that I’m a caregiver to my mom; she lives with Parkinson’s disease today, and ironically when I said she was a nurse, she didn’t actually have health insurance most of her adult life until she turned 65 and qualified. That day I won’t forget as her eldest son, you know that was a huge relief. And today she relies on Medicaid to age with dignity at home. And the fact that Trump is about to rip that away from people like my mom, that I just cannot let that happen…

And the reason why to your question of why I’m even in this race, it’s because we sorely need a reset in the direction of our country, and I also believe the direction of our Democratic Party, because I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, we keep doing the same things over and over and over and we keep hoping for a different result, but we keep getting the same outcomes, and we’re not going to bring the nation back from this brink that we’re at now and deliver for the future that we all deserve. So we’ve got to fight against the Trump agenda. But we as Democrats really need to lead by showing Americans what we should be fighting for. And if there’s nothing else that people remember, why I’m in this race is because I believe in a country that provides guaranteed health care for all Americans through Medicare for All. I believe that we should provide a livable wage, and I believe that we should provide affordable dependent care for kids and seniors. And you know, these are not just like nice things to have, these are not optional, these are essential things for our right to exist.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, these are must-haves. I mean you have to have healthcare; we all get sick, we all are human. And so yeah, it’s not like a fringe benefit or frill. They’re threatening to take away Medicaid. So healthcare sounds like it’s the gist, it’s the focus maybe of your campaign, is that a fair point?”

Dan Lee: “I mean, yeah I’ve been in healthcare most of my life, it’s been a common thread and I’m also a healthcare entrepreneur, I’ve started a couple companies to provide healthcare and affordable access. So yeah, I’m a healthcare guy for sure.”

Blue Virginia: “Are there any other issues besides health care that you would say are also high on your list of priorities if you got into Congress that you would be focused on? Like what committees you might want to be on or anything like that?”

Dan Lee: “Absolutely. I mean, for me being the healthcare guy, the House Commerce Committee is something I would be really interested in joining just because of its central role in determining healthcare policy. We need to pass Medicare for All. And honestly speaking, I think we’re almost there as a nation politically and societally. You might remember 15 years ago when the ACA was passed, the public option was part of that package, but it got kicked out because of special interests like United Healthcare…and saying we don’t want that.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, I advocated for the public option very strongly, I was actually working on that issue. And I remember talking to Mark Warner and he said couldn’t support it because we needed to be bipartisan and we needed to have Republican buy-in, he had a bunch of reasons…”

Dan Lee: “The thing, this is not rocket science, like this is not something that there’s an impenetrable impediment that prevents a public option from being reality. It’s simply political will and political courage. And I think those two things are right now, we’re in a moment where those things are possible. So 100% Medicare for All; we’re almost there and I want to make sure we get over the line.”

Blue Virginia: “So Medicare for all I guess is considered relatively progressive by a lot of people. Would you say you’re a progressive in general, or just this specific issue? Because obviously on healthcare, Medicare for All, I mean I think it’s normal for western democracies or whatever, but I guess on this country’s political spectrum is considered kind of to the left a little bit? But anyway, what do you think about that?”

Dan Lee: “I think you raise an interesting point. It is funny how some things get classified as progressive and some things don’t…To your point…we are the only western nation that does not provide some guaranteed care to all. And by the way, we pay twice as much per capita per person for healthcare than anyone else in the world.”

Blue Virginia: “And we get worse results.”

Dan Lee: “Right, and we get worse results. A study that was done by Brown University a couple months ago, I’m not sure if you saw it, that basically tracked people in the US and tracked people in northern Europe, and after accounting for societal things and income, wages and all that, they found that the richest Americans lived shorter lives than the poorest northern Europeans.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, that’s very telling.”

Dan Lee: “Yes, it’s very telling. And part of the reason why is because they have a healthcare system that provides basic healthcare. It’s not that hard.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, shouldn’t be, but apparently it has been for decades. But more broadly, on the ideological spectrum, I guess Medicare for All is towards the left of our ideological spectrum. What about in general? How would you classify yourself and do you have any Congresspeople that you would say are like a model or someone that you look up to or that you would see yourself similar to? I’m just trying to get a feel for for you and your candidacy.”

Dan Lee: “Yeah, so the models I look towards, it’s not just one individual but I would say certainly AOC, certainly Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Marilyn Strickland; these are individuals I not only look up to and are inspired by, I think these are individuals who are actually leading in the Congress today and we need more individuals like them.”

Blue Virginia: “I mean, the people you listed there, I would say they’re on different parts of the ideological spectrum, people usually see AOC as more to the left, I would say Khanna maybe more to the conservative or middle/’moderate’ Democrat. So you sound like you’re maybe eclectic. I mean, we can get into issues, maybe we’ll see it when I ask you about specific issues. But I mean, you don’t want to put a label, like some people say they’re pragmatic progressive…could be just a buzz phrase, but I kind of consider myself that. Or what Mark Warner used to call himself, a ‘radical centrist’. But I’m wondering if you have anything like that for yourself.”

Dan Lee: “No, it’s funny you said that; I actually when I when I first started my campaign, I shared with folks that I considered myself a progressive pragmatist. And that’s for me, that’s not just a label, it’s really how I was raised. I mean, my story is a reflection of where and how I grew up, working-class immigrants. You know I have a lifelong connection to this area and it’s just the experiences that I saw with my parents growing up and what they struggled with informs my worldview today. And I’ll also tell you what I know, it’s another health care example, but my dad died fairly early and he died because he was rationing his own medications.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, I read that on your website.”

Dan Lee: “I vividly remember when he was putting pills in his pill box, he would skip some days. And I asked him, ‘Why are you skipping these days?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t have that many pills.'”

Blue Virginia: “That’s terrible.”

Dan Lee: “So that is not something that people in this country should face. And we face it today because of PBMs that have gotten out of control and way too powerful. And we need to stop these special interests from really determining our lives and livelihoods. And that will be a central part of why, well not only a central part of why I’m running, but also what I’ll be doing in Congress to make sure that all Americans have access to some basic things that we all deserve. Because it’s again, back to our right to exist.”

Blue Virginia: “I guess I’ve asked several candidates about this,  the reason for this election is that Congressman Connolly passed away, unfortunately. I thought he was an excellent congressman myself…But I’m just curious what you thought about Gerry Connolly, his leadership, his style, his substance, and would you see yourself somewhat like that or very different from that or whatever?”

Dan Lee: “I mean, I think the parallels between Gerry and myself, he was an Irish American, I’m obviously not an Irish American…Gerry in his district as congressman did a phenomenal job, he fought for this district, he fought for people and he was a progressive’s progressive. And I think that legacy will live on in people. This race is not about to replace Gerry Connolly; this race is to simply succeed him and hopefully build on his giant shoes.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, that’s a good way to put it – no one will replace Gerry Connolly.  I’ve known him for 20 years…not  super well but…known about him and talked to him for 20 years. And no, he’s a one-of-a-kind personality and all. So anyway, you mentioned Medicare for All; I don’t know if that’s the mainstream of the Democratic Party in Congress…I think most rank-and-file, grassroots Democrats probably support it. Any other issues that jump out at you where you feel like you’re different than the Democratic mainstream or party, whether it’s on domestic policy – could be anything (abortion, immigration any issue, LGBTQ equality) or on foreign policy. There’s a lot of issues going on, Iran going on right now. We could talk about that, Israel-Gaza, Russia-Ukraine, tariffs, a million things, or Asia policy for that matter if you’re interested in that, I mean South Korea is fascinating, North Korea. But anyway, any issues where you feel like you maybe would be different from a lot of Democrats?”

Dan Lee: “I think one thing is a liveable wage. So the notion that you know people are still fighting for $15 an hour, and that’s something that we should have done 15 years ago. We need to fight for a minimum of $25 an hour…federally; the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation in most parts of the country, it’s still still  $7.25. That’s ridiculous. When I was in high school, I was working at the CVS in Great Falls as a cashier, I made like around $6 an hour, this was back in the late 90s…I mean, Virginia we’ve done more, so Virginia is on track to hit $15 an hour. But you know, according to MIT, to live in Fairfax County, the livable wage for one individual as a single person it’s $32 an hour. If you make anything less than that, you’re going to struggle. So we do need to do something about that. And I think that’s a topic that has not gotten much attention. And frankly, again, it’s a reason why I think we lost so badly in November, because Democrats were not focusing on kitchen-table issues. Democrats care, and I think most Democratic voters care, about big values, but when it comes to paying your rent, paying for your groceries, paying for child care and elder care, you’ve got to address those things first. And I think that’s what my campaign is about. And if for nothing else, I will use this platform to keep saying that over and over and over.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah. Now on foreign policy, Iran’s big in the news right now because of what’s going on over there. I saw different statements this morning from Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, their statements were significantly different I would say on this subject.  Don Beyer put out a statement that was closer to Kaine, I would say, than Warner. But anyway, I’m kind of curious your thoughts on, if you were in Congress right now, what would you be saying or doing about Iran? What would you be advocating for the US do vis-a-vis Israel and Iran?”

Dan Lee: “So I spent four years at the World Bank, so international relations is something that I know very well. What I can say about that is with the Iran situation right now, between them and Israel, we are on a path to World War III right now. And that has got to stop. I know that the US has come out saying that they had no involvement in Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but the US needs to step in and prevent World War III from happening. And if don’t do anything as the most powerful nation in the world, we still let Israel do its thing, I am very worried for not just the future, I’m very worried for what’s going to happen in months ahead.”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, so like what should we do exactly? I mean, you say step in. Should we intervene? I’m not sure even in which direction you’re saying, like should we help Israel attack Iran, or are you saying we should restrain Israel from attacking Iran?”

Dan Lee: “We should exhaust every diplomatic option to prevent hopefully further violence. Because what we saw with these attacks from Israel to Iran, this can escalate very quickly. So I do hope that our leaders in DC and the leaders in Israel will have cooler heads and hopefully come to a diplomatic solution…because once this gets out of control, it’s going to be very hard to contain.”

Blue Virginia: “How much of this was the result of Trump pulling us out of the Iran nuclear deal that the Obama administration negotiated? My personal view is a lot of it has to do with the fact that Trump pulled us out of that deal, that had Iran’s nuclear program mostly in check. And after Trump pulled us out of that deal with no replacement, then Iran was not checked anymore and I think this almost became inevitable. I’m kind of curious what you think about that.”

Dan Lee:  “Yeah, I think you hit an interesting point. The insanity and frankly the chaos of the Trump administration, where there’s really no logic to what they’re doing, everything from the Iran nuclear deal to tariffs to everything else there, it makes no sense. So this chaos is not just on the international stage, this chaos is on the domestic level as well. We’re also seeing in California too, in the other cities…”

Blue Virginia: “Yeah, I was going to get to that. Any thoughts on what happened with Senator Padilla yesterday? And then related to that, of course, what’s going on in L.A. and with the Trump crackdown or whatever you want to call it, assault on L.A., crackdown not just going after ‘criminal illegal aliens’, they’re not prioritizing that anymore, they are going after hardworking people now right, people who’ve lived in this country in some cases for many many many years, working in a kitchen, working in a meat packing plant, whatever…So Padilla ties in with the broader immigration question that’s huge in the news right now…”

Dan Lee: “When I saw Padilla standing up and doing that, when he was taken down by the security officials, I was so proud for what he did to stand up. He’s a US senator and the fact that he stood up and was then tackled, of course you know he shouldn’t have been, he should not have been tackled to the ground and arrested. That is simply unacceptable. But it made me so proud as an American, as a Democrat, to see one of our own standing up to this nonsense. We need more of our elected leaders putting their necks on the line, not just writing strongly worded press statements, not just speaking at a rally and then going home. We need our elected officials to put their necks on the line and stop this chaos. And if it takes interrupting a press conference and getting arrested and going to jail, that’s that’s the very minimum you should be doing.”

Blue Virginia: “And what do you think about the policy in general with the Trump administration on immigration? Would you have supported a comprehensive immigration deal like that was passed under a Democratic Congress, but then was killed by Republicans who wouldn’t take it up in the House?”

Dan Lee: “That’s what keeps happening – immigration reform should have happened back in the Bush administration, that’s where it died. And the fact that we don’t have a sane immigration policy today is a moral failing, but it’s also political failing. ‘ll tell you what, my parents were immigrants, they came here legally, they got naturalized, they stood in line, they did it the hard way. But they did it. My wife is also an immigrant too. In fact, she came here during college and now she’s a lawyer, she has a wonderful job, she contributes wonderfully to our judicial system. And she also had to leave the country for about nine months during COVID, because her visa had to be done the correct way. And so she worked in the firm’s Hong Kong office for nine months and then when she came back, we got married. But she did it the right way. We need immigration reform that treats people like my wife fairly, but also treats people like coming here as refugees and asylum seekers. But we also have to have a very sane immigration policy where we can’t have people just streaming across the Mexican border, I don’t think anyone would allow that or find that acceptable. Like for example, I was standing in a Starbucks line last week, and it was maybe 10 people deep. Some guy just walked right up and cut all of us in line, and he was like meeting his friend apparently. At the front of the line, everyone looked at that guy and said that’s not right. I think we can all agree that there are norms, there are laws that we have to follow, but we also have to make sure that the immigration reform as a sensible policy needs to be done and completed. And right now I don’t see leadership on either side of the aisle that’ll get that done, unfortunately.”

Blue Virginia: “It’s very frustrating. Unfortunately it’s leading to a lot of problems. So I guess we just have a couple minutes left. So on the campaign itself, first of all on the nomination process if you have any thoughts on that, maybe. And also how you’re going to get your message out and what you’re going to be doing, there’s only a couple weeks…very quick nomination process. So how are you going to get your message out? What do you think about the nomination process? I guess there’s going to be one debate. Anyway, anything else on the actual campaign?”

Dan Lee: “Yeah, well, the nomination process set by the local 11th CD is what it is; it’s  undemocratic, it’s unAmerican. But you know that’s the process that’s been set, we all have to follow that process…”

Blue Virginia: “Which part is ‘undemocratic’ or ‘unAmerican’, what you don’t like about it, I’m just curious?”

Dan Lee: “To have a race set in three weeks when we launched our campaign last Tuesday, the day after the 11th CD said that the primary would be on June 28th, three weeks away..We’re not two weeks left. That is not enough time to study for a test, let alone run a Democratic election for a critical congressional seat.”

Blue Virginia: “Right, well Youngkin set the date as September 9th for the special election, so that’s on Youngkin, right? And then you go back, it’s in statute, I think it’s 60…”

Dan Lee: “Yeah, there can’t be election day within 55 days of a regular scheduled election.”

Blue Virginia: “So it could have been after July 4th, that would have been the latest I think…something like mid July. So I agree it’s not ideal, you want to have more time, but I think much of that’s Youngkin.”

Dan Lee: “But with the two weeks now we have left, we’re going to run this as a sprint, we’re gonna all full speed, all heart. This isn’t just a campaign for us, it’s a grassroots movement powered by our neighbors and our community. We have a fantastic team here, we’re going to be knocking on doors, going to all the meetups obviously, attending local community events and just getting our message out. I think it was Don Beyer that said once that for a politician, there’s only just two rules: one is it’s your message, and two it’s message delivery. And you just repeat one and two over and over.”

Blue Virginia: “Haha, right. So do you have any endorsements that we should know about or any, who are your main supporters? Or anything else you want to talk about?”

Dan Lee: “Yeah, we’re being supported by my community, the AAPI community is certainly one of them. I think there’s a large, broad section of the Democrats in this area who are just thirsty  for some change, they don’t want another elected politician to try to represent them, they want someone who’s done things and someone who can actually do things and use the power of the seat to actually bring change that people want. And that’s exactly what I’m campaigning for and that’s exactly what I’ll do in Congress.”

Blue Virginia: “Alright, great, well I think we’re just about out of time. But if you have anything else you want to mention or we could just wrap it up.”

Dan Lee: “No, other than we have our campaign launch event tomorrow, Saturday, at 1 p.m in Chantilly. People can go to my website, Dan Lee for Virginia, to find out more. And I would love to see people there.”

Blue Virginia: “Sounds great. Well thanks for doing this, appreciate it, and I’ll definitely look forward to seeing you out there.”

Dan Lee: “Thanks.”

62-Year-Old Richmond Resident with Major Health Issues: “I Voted for Trump. His Medical Debt Policy Hurts Me.”

By
Blue Virginia
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1

by Victor Acevedo, a Richmond-based Trump supporter 

I am no stranger to the doctor’s office. I’m 62 years old and have had more life-threatening health scares than anyone I know. In my fifties, I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. That’s a disease that damages the liver even if you don’t drink. I also get CAT scans twice a year so doctors can monitor something they saw in my lungs that could develop into cancer. Beyond that, I have heart disease and had a heart attack four years ago. I’ve had surgery to remove part of my colon.

Those are all in addition to two knee surgeries, surgery on my left shoulder, getting my gallbladder removed, and extensive arthritis in my left ankle. I’ve been to countless doctors and sat in countless exam rooms.

But what’s made all of this even harder is the financial fallout. Medical debt from these emergencies has destroyed my credit score. Even though I’ve made payments, I’ve been denied housing and other opportunities because of my low credit score. A low credit score makes it hard to survive.

I didn’t see any of this coming. Most of my life, I had been in shape, took care of my body, and ate right. I played football and baseball and enjoyed exercise. Health problems like mine can hit anyone, at any time. The added impact from medical debt on your financial future makes matters worse.

Times are hard. Despite living in affordable housing, I am barely getting by. Rent keeps increasing, electricity costs are on the rise, and grocery bills are overwhelming.  I am just like nearly 40 percent of Americans that, according to the Federal Reserve, cannot afford a $400 emergency.  It’s why I don’t eat out or go to the movies. I haven’t been to my favorite sushi restaurant in years.

Still, I’m grateful for my life today. I’m partially retired and sell insurance when I can, health permitting, because I value hard work. I appreciate the opportunity to work hard and try to make extra income beyond my Social Security.

My health and low credit score take an emotional toll on me. I feel guilty despite knowing that none of this is my fault. I want to build a better life for myself. I voted for Donald Trump because of his experience as a businessman. I thought he would help the economy and lower costs.

Instead, Trump is stopping a new policy that would block medical debt from being included in credit reports. That policy would give people like me a fair shot. I would still do my best, as I have been, to continue making progress on my medical debt. But having good credit would make my life easier. Better credit stimulates the economy because more people are getting loans and buying homes.

I didn’t choose these health conditions, and I’ve done everything I can to manage them. But now, my credit score is paying the price. I hope that President Trump hears my story and changes his mind.

Sen. Mark Warner: “For years, Iran has threatened the safety of Israel and the region and Israel has an undeniable right to defend itself and its citizens.”

By
lowkell
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5

See below for statements re: the Israeli strikes on Iran, from Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and others as I see them. Crazy times. And yes, by pulling us out of the Iran nuclear deal,  which had Iran’s nuclear program in check, Trump made what’s going on now close to inevitable.

STATEMENT OF SENATE INTELLIGENCE VICE CHAIR MARK R. WARNER 

WASHINGTON – Tonight, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement: 

“This is a rapidly evolving situation, and it’s critical that the United States work with our allies and avoid steps that will cause further escalation across the region. For years, Iran has threatened the safety of Israel and the region and Israel has an undeniable right to defend itself and its citizens. At the moment, my foremost concern is the safety of American troops, diplomats, and personnel stationed throughout the Middle East. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am carefully monitoring developments and staying in close contact with our intelligence and national security agencies.”

KAINE STATEMENT ON ISRAELI STRIKES ON IRAN

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement after Israel attacked sites in Iran:

“I am deeply concerned about the escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran and the risks for U.S. personnel and citizens in the region. I commend the Trump Administration for prioritizing diplomacy and working to curb Iran’s nuclear program, and for refraining from participating in tonight’s actions. I cannot understand why Israel would launch a preemptive strike at this juncture, knowing high level diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran are scheduled for this weekend. These talks are the only viable and sustainable path to curtailing Iran’s development of nuclear weapons and protecting U.S. national security interests in the region. We must always defend U.S. personnel and assets against those who might seek to harm us, but the American people have no interest in another forever war.”

Friday News: “MAGA warns Trump of ‘massive schism’ over Israeli strikes on Iran”; “Trump’s ‘dictator chic’ military parade”; “Sen. Padilla Pushed to Ground, Handcuffed for Demanding DHS Not Lie”; “Trump Tax Bill Would Help the Richest, Hurt the Poorest, CBO Says”

By
lowkell
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10

by Lowell

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

Sen. Mark Warner: “This footage is outrageous — it’s something I’d expect out of an authoritarian nation, not the United States of America.”

By
lowkell
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26

See below for reactions from Senators Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and others to the thuggish, police-state-style bullshit we saw earlier today as Sen. Alex Padilla attempted to ask puppy-killing sociopath and fascist Kristi Noem – who NOBODY should have voted to confirm as DHS Secretary! – serious, important questions that she should be (but clearly isn’t) prepared to answer. As Sen. Warner asks, “What kind of world do we live in where a sitting Senator can’t ask a question of a public official without being dragged away and handcuffed?” So, first of all, stop thinking of Republicans as your “friends,” because they’re definitely not. And second of all, stop thinking that the ways things used to be decades ago, where there were moderate and even progressive Republicans, bear any resemblance whatsoever to the current reality we find ourselves in. Then, please, behave accordingly – as if we’re in a 50-alarm fire, not as if it’s business as usual!

  • Sen. Mark Warner: “What kind of world do we live in where a sitting Senator can’t ask a question of a public official without being dragged away and handcuffed? This footage is outrageous — it’s something I’d expect out of an authoritarian nation, not the United States of America.”
  • Sen. Tim Kaine: “This is how the Trump Administration treats a U.S. Senator who was raising serious concerns about the use of military force in his hometown. This is despicable.”
  • Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07): “This cannot stand. We live in a free country where every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and assembly. Senator Padilla was exercising those rights on behalf of his constituents.”
  • Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA03):  “We should all be outraged. If the Trump Administration is willing to treat a sitting United States Senator who posed no threat to anyone like this, how will they treat everyone else?”
  • Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08): “This is another disgraceful episode in a long train of abuses from a thuggish administration that has repeatedly incited and encouraged violence. What happened to Senator Padilla today is horrifying. This incident must be investigated, and everyone involved held accountable.”
  • Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “This assault is not only o
    @SenAlexPadilla, but on freedom of speech and expression in our country. These actions taken by Trump’s DHS communicates a message to all Americans that none of us is safe.”
  • House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Senator Alex Padilla is a good man and principled public servant. The brazen and aggressive manhandling of Senator Padilla by the Trump administration is a sickening disgrace. Anyone who assaulted the Senator should be held accountable. No one is above the law.”
  • Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer: “Sen. Padilla thrown to the ground, manhandled, brutally taken down, handcuffed It’s disgusting Reeks of totalitarianism Un-American Not what democracies do Sen. Padilla was in that building to ask questions of what’s going on in California, doing his duty to his constituents We need answers now”
  • Former VP Kamala Harris (note: if she were president right now, NONE of this insanity would be happening!): “United States Senator Alex Padilla was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California. This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”

Beyer Statement On Assault On Senator Padilla

June 12, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) issued the following statement today after U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) was assaulted while attempting to ask Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem a question during a press conference in Los Angeles:

“This is another disgraceful episode in a long train of abuses from a thuggish administration that has repeatedly incited and encouraged violence. What happened to Senator Padilla today is horrifying. This incident must be investigated, and everyone involved held accountable.

“Kristi Noem went to Los Angeles to help this Administration inflame and escalate a problem they are causing. Now she has the audacity to condone violence against a United States Senator for daring to ask her a question in his state. Rather than apologizing and trying to resolve a problem she helped create, Noem is lying about what happened and making it worse.

“This is unacceptable behavior from a Cabinet official, and it should be clear to everyone that Kristi Noem does not have the credibility or integrity to continue serving.”

###

Brutal Reviews of Winsome Earle-Sears’ Appliance, Plumbing and Electric Business: “worst company I have ever dealt with”; “this place is a complete scam”; “won’t be around much longer with her around… she’s a [wack] Job”

By
lowkell
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4

From DPVA:

NOTUS: “Winsome Earle-Sears Touts Her Business Background. The Reviews Weren’t Great.”

NOTUS: “One user said Winsome Earle-Sears’ appliance plumbing and electric business was ‘the worst company I have ever dealt with.’”
 

VIRGINIA – New reporting from NOTUS details how Winsome Earle-Sears spent her time as a business owner attacking customers who left negative reviews. The report highlights reviews from Virginians saying they were “treated poorly” and the business was “the worst company [they] ever dealt with.” Sears responded to the reviews by arguing with customers in the replies.

NOTUS: Winsome Earle-Sears Touts Her Business Background. The Reviews Weren’t Great.

  • But Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Winsome Earle-Sears, often took the opposite approach as the owner of a plumbing and appliance repair business: She appeared to regularly debate and argue with her customers on review websites over the course of several years.
  • “I warn other companies of the treatment that we received at the hands of this customer,” wrote “the owner” of Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing and Electric in response to a one-star Google review of the business.
  • The customer had accused Earle-Sears’ business of breaking two scheduled appointments. “Be aware of people who like to make their business look like they have done no wrong … Don’t care attitude won’t be around much longer with her around… she’s a wak Job,” the anonymous customer snapped back in the Google review exchange.
  • The back-and-forth from 2019 is emblematic of numerous online spats Earle-Sears appears to have had with upset customers over Google and other review platforms, such as Yelp.
  • In another 2019 exchange, a customer wrote on Google that Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing and Electric was “the worst company I have ever dealt with” after what he described as repeated failed attempts to fix a broken washer.
  • “They left my washer in pieces for a month which is how long they worked on it for. In the end they refused to complete the job and answer phone calls from myself,” said the user.
  • In a lengthy “response from the owner” on Google, Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing accused the customer of “constant harassment, the mind changing the non-communication between you, your wife, your mother, the warranty company, and us.”
  • The company’s Yelp page lists “Winsome Sears” as the “business owner.” She is the only owner of the business listed in Virginia corporation records. 
  • The Earle-Sears campaign did not respond to several requests for comment this week, including whether she personally ran the accounts that appear as hers.
  • In Earle-Sears’ 2023 autobiography “How Sweet It Is,” she wrote that “for the most part, our customers were great, and we strove to give them the best service possible. This is how even the inconveniences of life can bring blessings with them. Many of our customers simply wanted prayer! Imagine that! So either I or our repairman would pray for them.”
  • The reviews suggest customers actually wanted more. Yelp reviewers gave the business a combined 2.6 stars on a 5-star scale across 17 reviews. The majority of those offered either 1-star or 2-star reviews.
  • “The lady who answered when I called was rude and nasty and would not listen to anything I had to say after she called her tech,” wrote “Jenn S.” from Martinburg, West Virginia., who had sought help with her stove and dryer and gave a 1-star review.
  • “Read all the other reviews — this place is a complete scam,” Nichelle W. of Round Hill, Virginia, wrote in September 2016. “I had a similar experience where they took my money, and repaired nothing, even after repeated visits … What makes things worse is that, from what [I] am told, this place is owned by a one time elected public official.”
  • To that customer, Earle-Sears appeared to personally reply on Yelp. “It is unfortunate that this customer is blaming us for damage (that we pointed out to her) which existed prior to our arrival and which contributed to the reason her unit did not work,” said the account that appears to be Earle-Sears’.
  • In 2019, Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing and Electric engaged in a tit-for-tat with a customer who described several problems with the company’s handling of his washing machine.
  • “I wouldn’t hire this company again due to their office management and ownership,” said the reviewer, who gave the business a 1-star review.
  • “From the very beginning, this customer diagnosed his problem himself and had purchased from the manufacturer his part, and then called us to install it. So, we were helping him by asking him to return to the manufacturer to obtain the part,” the company “owner” wrote back. “Furthermore, the customer was hostile and abusive from the beginning, but we decided to stick with it and try to help him.”
  • In 2018, another 1-star reviewer who said they worked with Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing and Electric through a home warranty company wrote on Google that Earle-Sears’ company “failed utterly to communicate in a timely fashion. All I wanted was a reasonable explanation of the delay or at least an update that I didn’t have to solicit from them.”
  • A “response from the owner” called the customer “angry” four times. “So you were very angry when this started,” said the comment. “You were angry again to learn that the part needed was on backorder and would take sometime to come. You then called our office and berated the staff very angrily. We thought it best to have your warranty company transfer you to a different company.”
  • “Prepare to be treated poorly when you call and it only gets worse from there. Its been over a week and all im being told is ‘we will call you when the parts are in’ if you ask any more questions, she will hang up on you.”
  • Shenandoah Appliance Plumbing and Electric received two COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to federal records compiled by nonprofit news organization ProPublica. Together, they totaled more than $102,000, and the federal government forgave both loans, according to the records.
###

VA Senate Majority Leader Surovell Letter to UVA Rector Says Cuccinelli Nomination is “Dead”; Any Board of Visitors Member Who Facilitates Cuccinelli’s Continued Service Would Be Engaging in “malfeasance and incompetence” & Subject to Removal

By
lowkell
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0

See below for a letter from VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell to UVA Rector Robert D. Hardie, which makes clear that:

“Following the Virginia General Assembly’s action on June 9, 2025, Ken Cuccinelli is no longer eligible to serve as a member of the UVA Board of Visitors and must immediately cease all activities in that capacity. I have attached a letter from the Clerk of the Senate to the Secretary of the Commonwealth confirming this action…

On June 9, 2025, the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee voted 8-4 to refuse confirmation of Ken Cuccinelli’s appointment to the UVA Board of Visitors. This vote was part of the committee’s rejection of eight individuals nominated by Governor Youngkin to various university boards, including appointees to UVA, Virginia Military Institute, and George Mason University by rejecting SJ6001. No further action on the resolution is possible by the Senate. It is dead…

…The Virginia General Assembly’s authority to refuse confirmation of gubernatorial appointments is unambiguously established in both the Virginia Constitution and Virginia law.

…Any Board member who knowingly allows or participates in continued service by Mr. Cuccinelli following the General Assembly’s refusal to confirm his appointment would be violating both the Constitution of Virginia and the Code of Virginia. Such conduct would constitute “malfeasance and incompetence” pursuant to Virginia Code § 23.1-3100…

…Failure to comply with clear constitutional and statutory requirements regarding Board composition and the General Assembly’s confirmation authority would provide grounds for removal of any Board member who permits such violations. Such removal authority may be exercised by either the current Governor or his successor after his or her inauguration on January 17, 2026 as happened with Bert Ellis who Governor Youngkin removed on March 26, 2025…

Contrary to the Attorney General’s public comments, it is important to note that neither the Constitution of Virginia nor the Code of Virginia requires the entire legislature to vote on gubernatorial nominations. Having served in the General Assembly, both Attorney General Miyares and former Attorney General Cuccinelli are very familiar with the fact that the General Assembly operates through its committee system, and committees routinely take final action on legislation in committee. Similarly, judges may not be considered by the entire General Assembly if they have not been certified by 8 members of either the Senate or House Court of Justice Committees. Just as bills are regularly killed in committee without proceeding to floor votes, the Privileges and Elections Committee’s refusal to confirm Mr. Cuccinelli’s appointment constitutes the General Assembly’s final decision on this matter…

The General Assembly’s refusal to confirm Ken Cuccinelli’s appointment legally and immediately terminates his eligibility to serve on the UVA Board of Visitors. Any continued participation by Mr. Cuccinelli in Board activities would be contrary to Virginia law and the constitutional authority of the General Assembly. I trust that the Board will take immediate action to comply with the General Assembly’s constitutional authority and ensure governance of the University consistent with the Constitution of Virginia and Code of Virginia.”

Can’t get much blunter or clearer than this! Now, we’ll see whether Youngkin and Miyares attempt to be as lawless and reckless in their disregard for the Virginia constitution as Trump is for U.S. law and the U.S. constitution…

Hardie Letter 6-11-25 (With Attachments) by Lowell Feld

Thursday News: “Trump Has No China Trade Strategy”; Kaine – “People don’t join the military to face off against their fellow Americans”; “ICE agents detain people outside immigration court, strong-arm activists filming” in Sterling; “Some in Va. GOP question Earle-Sears campaign”

By
lowkell
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13

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, June 12.

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