Dear GOP: Please Stop "Bring 'Em On"ing Mother Nature

Posted by The Green Miles

You just had to do it, didn't you, Republican Party of Virginia? Couldn't let last weekend's Snowmageddon go by without a taunting video the snow backed up your belief that global warming didn't exist? And national Republicans giddily joined in.

Never get in all up in Mother Nature's grill and sneer, "Bring 'em on."

Just five days later, the DC area is waking up to intense snowfall & 60 mile per hour wind gusts, creating whiteout conditions. Is this "normal," RPV? We here in DC would kill for some of those placid, bucolic scenes featured in your video. Instead, we're getting, simply put, a winter hurricane:



Which is exactly what climate scientists have been warning to expect as our climate continues to change unchecked. Just last week, the National Wildlife Federation issued a report on Global Warming & Oddball Winter Weather that warned, "Global warming is bringing a clear trend toward heavier precipitation events."

And there are signs that even the national media, which can't even be trusted to publicly state that trying to insure the uninsured is a good thing, is finally willing to call out Republican climate ignorance. Here's TIME:

Brace yourselves now — this may be a case of politicians twisting the facts. There is some evidence that climate change could in fact make such massive snowstorms more common, even as the world continues to warm. As the meteorologist Jeff Masters points out in his excellent blog at Weather Underground, the two major storms that hit Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., this winter — in December and during the first weekend of February — are already among the 10 heaviest snowfalls those cities have ever recorded. The chance of that happening in the same winter is incredibly unlikely.

And that's before today's Snowstorm #3.

The facts of global warming are more clear than ever:

• 2009 was the 2nd-hottest year on record & the 2000s were the hottest decade on record.
• We risk major, costly impacts if we don't act to curb global warming by cutting carbon pollution now.
• The transition to clean energy & efficient technology could not only avert billions in climate costs, it could create 1.7 million jobs.
• The only question is the political will of our elected officials (i.e. Sen. Jim Webb).

But hey, if you're tired of the snow, global warming is here to help! Spring is now arriving 10-14 days sooner. We'll be back to record heat waves before you know it!

Full Disclosure: While I work for the National Wildlife Federation for my day job, I blog for Blue Virginia on my personal time.

If Doug Wilder Had A Clue...

...he would have written this excellent piece, by Zack Exley (as opposed to this rambling drivel). Here's Exley:

The Rahm Administration is failing because it believes that the Obama Campaign's big, inspiring message was in fact hippy BS. Unfortunately, most of Rahm's beltway critics agree with him on that score. What the Luce article mainly shows is merely that they are unhappy with the way they've been treated, or that they have some technical issues with the way the White House has been operating.

The fringes of the Progressive movement contain a different kind of critic, a new generation of campaigner-visionaries who believe in the big ideas of the Obama campaign, and who are waiting for a chance to make them real in a future administration. Will Obama reboot his White House to include them? Or will their time come only in 2016, or later? Here's a suggestion: let's keep our fingers crossed about the present, but let's start spending a little more of our time planning explicitly for 2016. That may sound far off and therefore like a cop out, but it's exactly that kind of planning, and nothing less, that put the country in the hands of these "New Democrats."

Note that Doug Wilder is one of those "critics" - albeit from a location safely outside the Beltway - who agrees with Rahm that "Obama Campaign's big, inspiring message was in fact hippy BS." Wilder is also, most likely, "unhappy with the way [he's] been treated" (I say this because the egomaniac Wilder is always "unhappy with the way he's been treated"). Again, I'm not in the least bit defending Tim Kaine here, especially insofar as Kaine helps promulgate what I've taken to calling "Tim Kaine Disease" (terminal, rose-colored optimism; arrogance; groupthink; no fixed principles you're willing to fight for; and of course the dreaded Cult of Bipartisanship, even when Republicans outright say that they want you to fail). What I'm saying is that Doug Wilder is wrong in his diagnosis - the charge that Kaine is too liberal is beyond laughable - if not in his cure. In contrast, Zack Exley understands the core problems here:

1. "...the administrations' muddled agenda centers on industry-approved health care reform (which has again been turned out to be an impossible DLC dream), Wall Street bailouts and scattershot stimulus that few Americans are feeling."

2. "Big, clear policies worth fighting for were unthinkable for these particular people, because they see industry and Wall Street as more important than the American people."

3. "...most of them are just trying to be realistic, not malicious: they would prefer to stand up for the American people, but industry and Wall Street are simply more powerful and must be appeased."

Zack Exley is exactly right in this analysis; too little "change," too little populism, too little inspiration, and too little backbone to stand up to corporate interests by the current crop of Obama advisors. In contrast, Doug Wilder - a classic "New Democrat," if he's even a "Democrat" at all at this point - completely fails to understand what's really going on here. Thus, Wilder's critique is more driven by personal pique and pettiness than substantive policy matters. And, to the extent Wilder is driven by policy, he's got it completely backwards. Thus, Wilder incorrectly (and bizarrely) sees Tim Kaine et al. are too liberal (!!!) as opposed to the corporatist hacks and DLC-style "Republican lites" that they truly are (for Kaine, companies like Dominion Power and Bechtel pretty much ruled his administration). Of course, in Wilder's case, it takes one to know one.

UPDATE: Needless to say, I strongly doubt that either Doug Wilder or Tim Kaine would understand the concept of "Prairie Humanism: The (Just Now) Emerging Progressive Movement".

Prairie humanists want to return our political relationships to something like the neighborliness that marks private life across ideological boundaries. Think how much easier it would be to advance environmental initiatives and the greening of industry if we had already been re-framing progressive politics along these lines. Think how different the health care debate would be. The insurance industry argument depends upon an all-against-all worldview.

Prairie humanists drop old, liberal, technocratic talk of managed solutions. We focus upon consequences. How can our neighbors and we best secure health? What are our responsibilities to such a cause?

The unfettered pursuit of private interests obviously dooms collective opportunity and the constitutional guarantees of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have to contain — and topple — the political and economic authority that enforces this ideological trap. As we’ve seen, humans have been doing just that for a very long time. We can do it, too.

"Demon Sheep" vs. Kerry Bolognese Ad

Watch "Demon Sheep" (for Carly Fiorina in California) and "Vote Kerry Bolognese for Delegate 41st District" (poetry, of a sort, by Bolognese's wife) and decide for yourself which is the most cringe-inducing, uncomfortable-laughter-provoking, political ad by a Republican candidate this year. My opinion is that they're both awful, but for different reasons. Check 'em out!





Thanks to Not Larry Sabato for bringing the amazing Bolognese ad to our attention! :)

Dick Saslaw Votes Repeatedly Against The Environment

Yesterday was a day that has me wondering why I bother fighting for "Democrats" in this state. This is truly infuriating.

The first thing that happened was a 11-3 vote against Sen. Donald McEachin's energy efficiency bill, SB 71. This bill would have required "each electric utility to implement a portfolio of cost-effective electric utility energy efficiency programs that will reduce the consumption of electric energy by its retail customers by 0.3 percent of the forecast consumption for 2011, 3.9 percent of the forecast consumption for 2015, and 12.2 percent of the forecast consumption for 2022." Note that last figure, as SB 71 is actually a watered-down version of Sen. McEachin's 2009 energy efficiency bill, which had the 19% mandate which Tim Kaine's climate commission had recommended. This year, Sen. McEachin only put in 12%, but it was still rejected. Now, I could understand flat-earth, anti-environment Republicans opposing such a no-brainer, win-win bill. But what about Democrats like Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Chuck Colgan, Yvonne Miller, John Edwards, Toddy Puller and Phil Puckett? What the hell is going on here?

As if that's not bad enough, we also had a mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard bill by Mary Margaret Whipple, SB 450, that was "passed by indefinitely" in the Senate Commerce and Labor committee. Voting to "pass it by" - kill it, in other words - were, once again, Democrats Dick Saslaw and Phil Puckett. However heinous their vote against Sen. McEachin's bill was, this one was truly outrageous. As Mary Margaret Whipple pointed out in her bill description, "[u]nder current law, the renewable energy portfolio standard program is a voluntary program." Voluntary? By Dominion "Global Warming Starts Here" Power? Yeah, right, that's going to work out really well! (snark) Currently, 27 states have Renewable Portfolio Standards, with 23 of those being mandatory. On the one hand, at least we have an RPS in Virginia. On the other hand, why wouldn't Democrats, including the guy we all worked so hard to make Senate Majority Leader, vote for an utterly non-controversial, no-brainer mandatory standard like 23 other states?

The bottom line is that these votes, particularly on Mary Margaret Whipple's bill, are inexcusable coming from the State Senate Majority Leader (note that Saslaw is a good friend of Whipple's; I'd hate to see how he treats his enemies!). Apparently, the way it works in Saslaw's Senate, we get a small victory one day (non-discrimination, that is until it's killed by flat-earth Republicans in the House), then the same day we watch as Democrats can't even support one decent energy efficiency/clean energy bill. I mean, I knew that Dick Saslaw was no friend of energy security, green jobs or the environment, but now that Democrats ostensibly "control" the State Senate, this is utterly unforgivable.

P.S. I'm sure the fact that Dick "Dick" Saslaw has received $125,508 over the years from Dominion "Global Warming and Energy Insecurity Start Here" Power has nothing to do with his votes yesterday. Nope, nothing at all (rolls eyes).

P.P.S. Thanks to Mark Herring, Creigh Deeds, and of course Donald McEachin, all of whom voted for SB 71 and against "passing by" (aka, "killing") SB 450.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Wednesday Morning

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the "Snowverkill" Wednesday "Clips."

1. VIRGINIA GOVERNOR'S ANTI-BIAS ORDER REMOVES LANGUAGE REGARDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION
2. VA. FINANCE CHIEF MEETS SENATE CRITICS ON BUDGET
3. NORTHERN VIRGINIA LEADERS CHEER MCDONNELL'S SCHOOL FUNDING DECISION
4. CHARTER SCHOOLS PROPOSAL COMING TOMORROW
8. GOP PLAN EMERGES TO FIX VA. SHORTFALL
9. HOUSE OKS VITA BILL
20. HUMAN MICROCHIPS SEEN BY SOME IN VIRGINIA HOUSE AS DEVICE OF ANTICHRIST
30. HOUSE VOTES TO SUSPEND UTILITY RATE
32. HOUSE PASSES MENHADEN CAP
37. FORMER VA. GOVERNOR URGES DNC CHAIR'S OUSTER
40. MCAULIFFE AND MCDONNELL COULD PARTNER ON THE PURCHASE OF PAPER MILL
48. FOURTH WASHINGTON SNOWSTORM OF SEASON TESTS AREA POWER LINES, PATIENCE

"Snow Blind": Another Excellent Article By Steven Pearlstein

While you're stuck at home because of the snow, you definitely need to read Steven Pearlstein's article, "Snow-blind: What Washington's winter storm says about broken politics". Pearlstein is one of the Post's best writers (no, that isn't a backhanded compliment), and this article is certainly no exception. Here's an excerpt:

Although the politicians' offer would be the effective equivalent of "snow insurance," I can assure you that the reaction to it would be quite different. Republicans would immediate call it "the biggest tax increase in history" and declare unequivocally that it would send the economy into a tailspin while radically expanding the government. Chambers of commerce would issue press releases warning that the tax would particularly hurt small-business owners, who as we all know create every new job and would now be forced to cut their payrolls or close their doors. Virginia's House of Delegates would move immediately to kill the proposal, thereby dooming consideration by all the other jurisdictions.

It is a measure of the dysfunction of our political system that we can no longer rationally debate whether it is penny-wise and pound-foolish not to spend a little more to try to keep the Capital of the Free World from grinding to a halt every time a snowflake descends from the heavens.

So true, check out the entire article here. Now, back to our regularly scheduled Snowmageddon.

Wasting Away again in Modern Reloville...

This weekend, I read the book NEXT STOP, RELOVILLE: Life inside Americans New Rootless Professional Class by Peter T. Kilborn. It describes a lot of people who look, well, they look an awful lot like me and my family. We're people who see moving as a way of life; as a means to an end. Three of the top twenty five "Relovilles" are located in Northern VA -- Franconia, Leesburg, and Centreville. But even outside of those boundaries, "Relos" are all over Northern Virginia -- on my street alone (in an neighborhood known for lower turnover rates) I can count six of sixteen houses which have been bought and sold at least once in the last ten years, all to people who were not born in the Commonwealth.

What does this mean for us politically? First and foremost, that anyone ignoring this group does so at their own political peril. This is not an easy group to politically tag. Given the lack of time spent in any one place, Relos are often tax averse, and not as interested in long term community projects, and deathly afraid of anything that might lower property values (where most keep their largest store of personal wealth). On the other hand, Relos are often obsessed with schools (both locally and in obtaining in-state tuition on the college level) and are willing to pay higher taxes for these gains, and their children go on to become the long-term residents of tomorrow. They are often highly educated, affluent, and eager to belong, but a bit gun-shy about having their advances rejected by those who insist that residency is the best test of loyalty.

When I go to Democratic meetings and strategy sessions, these folks often fall through the cracks. Party politics tends to reward longevity (nothing wrong with that) with it's "neighbor to neighbor" organizing, but perhaps it's time to remember just who are neighbors are. Just as the party often failed to realize until fairly recently that bringing young people into the party was beneficial to all of us, tapping into Relos could mean the difference between a win and a loss in the often razor thin elections of Northern Va.

Which is one reason why the netroots are so important. Relos use the internet; they are less likely to read the local paper. Relos watch cable news because it's everywhere they live; networks and cable access are meaningless to them. Relos are on the litservs for their subdivision and schools, but perhaps not always on the voter identification lists. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are important to Relos because no matter where they are, their ability to communicate goes with them. Yes, they absolutely need to be identified and reached by person to person contact. I'm the first to agree with any boots on the ground campaigning. But there are other ways that will help. Let's make sure we do.

Young Professionals Cocktail Reception for Krystal Ball

Looks like a great event, check it out!

P.S. Full disclosure: I'm now consulting to Krystal Ball on netroots/new media.

President Obama on Iran, Bipartisanship, Recess Appointments, Health Care Costs

Among other things, President Obama spent a fair amount of time at the White House press briefing earlier today talking about Iran, about which he said "They have made their choice" and "what we are going to be working on over the next several weeks is developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them how isolated they are from the international community as a whole." Very interesting. President Obama also talked about what he views as bipartisanship, the possibility of "recess appointments," the need to reduce health care spending as part of long-term deficit reduction, and more.

Here's the full transcript.

Doug Wilder: Fire Tim Kaine, Shake Up White House Staff

Last we heard from him, Doug Wilder (D? R? I?) was busy agonizing over whether to endorse Bob McDonnell, Creigh Deeds, or nobody for governor of Virginia. In the end, after forcing us to watch his Hamlet routine for days and weeks on end, he decided neither to "be or not to be," endorsing nobody. Was that a whole lotta fun or what?!? Well, now the disloyal egomaniac Wilder is at it again, issuing instructions to Barack Obama about how he should be running things.

I still believe Obama can stand for positive change. But first he must make some hard changes of his own.

The need is becoming more obvious by the day: He must overhaul his own team, replacing the admittedly brilliant advisers who helped elect him with others more capable of helping him govern.

[...]

I am an admirer of Tim Kaine, who I backed in his current position as one of my successors as Virginia governor and even recommended for the vice presidency. But a spate of recent losses in races that Democrats should have won underscores what has been obvious to me for a long time: The chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee is the wrong job for him.

The changes must go much deeper. Obama’s West Wing is filled with people who are in their jobs because of their Chicago connections or because they signed on with Obama early during the presidential campaign.

One problem is that they do not have sufficient experience at governing at the executive branch level.

The deeper problem is that they are not listening to the people.

Wilder then goes on to explain why the DNC Chairmanship is "not a good fit for Tim [Kaine], the party, or President Obama." Why not? Because, according to Wilder, the Republicans will too easily be able to paint Kaine as "Tax and Spend" and "Soft on Crime." After buying into Republican framing, Wilder then rambles on about...not really sure, exactly, as is usually the case with this windbag/blowhard.

Look, I'm not saying Obama shouldn't make any changes, but he should do so for the right reasons, not because people have "Chicago connections" (who cares?) or because they could be portrayed by Republicans as "Tax and Spend" or "Soft on Crime." Bleh. Also, I'm certainly not defending Tim Kaine, who I've concluded has a terminal case of the eponymous "Tim Kaine Disease" (terminal, rose-colored optimism; arrogance; groupthink; no fixed principles you're willing to fight for; and of course the dreaded Cult of Bipartisanship, even when Republicans outright say that they want you to fail). But Doug Wilder doesn't talk about any of that. Nor does Wilder point to specific examples of mismanagement (are there any?) by Kaine. Instead, it's a rambling stream of blather by a guy whose only core principle is...Doug Wilder. Now, he stabs his "friend" Tim Kaine in the back. I'll tell ya, with "friends" like that...

UPDATE: For an example of an intelligent critique of the White House that doesn't rely on Republican talking points or advise more "bipartisanship" with people who want you to fail, see here.

UPDATE #2: Also, a very smart Democratic friend of mine emailed the following. Unlike Wilder's b.s., this actually makes some sense.

...The 2009 White House team were concentrating on the legislative minutiae. I think someone like Plouffe would have been much more confrontational with the Republicans, and would have forced their hand and exposed their tactics much more effectively--whether through reconciliation or otherwise.

Obama has lost a lot of support in the country because 98+% of the American people don't give a rat's ass about the Senate's parliamentary procedures, the filibuster rule, or anything else, and the communications they kept getting were all about these things. No "average person", me included, understands why Obama can't get things done in the Senate with the Democratic majorities he has now.

...what Obama needs is a tough chief or staff who can get input from Rahm Emanuel (or someone like him) on the legislative side and David Ploufe on the political side, and then can go to Obama and say: OK, I have listened to both these guys, and here's what we need to do. With Emanuel as Chief of Staff, Obama is getting advice that is too heavily weighted by the legislative minutiae side and not weighted enough on the practical politics side.

Stephen Colbert's Um, "Satire" About Sarah Palin

Danville Newspaper: Perriello Works a Double for the 5th

Posted by The Green Miles

Virginia's 5th Congressional district was drawn by Republicans for a Republican. But what are Republicans offering 5th district voters in 2010? According to last night's debate:

Drastically cut the federal government. Privatize Social Security. Finish building a wall to keep out illegal immigrants. Eliminate most federal taxes and replace them with a national sales tax.

So it's not surprising that Rep. Tom Perriello continues to defy the odds with his principled centrism:

In his first year in Congress, Perriello has worked on behalf of veterans, green energy jobs and, like Goode, he has helped to steer federal dollars to Fifth District projects. He has voted against President Barack Obama on some issues and supported gun rights and worked against federal funding for abortion. But he has also voted for the federal stimulus, cap and trade and a health care bill.

His opponents are stumbling over one another to get rid of him. They may succeed. We shifted our longtime support from [former Rep. Virgil] Goode to Perriello two years ago because it became clear that Goode, for whatever reason, no longer believed he could be effective in Washington. Perriello had no such qualms about “working a double shift” for the Fifth District. He has done that — and more — over the past year. “Tom Perriello is a man of principle,” said Bradley Rees, a Bedford County FairTax advocate, blogger, radio host and possible independent congressional candidate. “He will come out and state his principles on any given agenda item and you can expect him to vote that way … I admire his principles. I admire his stance on what he believes. I just happen to not believe the same thing.”

With the Republican primary looking like the battle of Pearl Harbor as re-enacted by the Batley townswomen's guild, the editorial concludes, "If any Democrat can win in 2010, it's Perriello."

McDonnell's LCI Decision Doesn't Deserve the Applause It's Getting

In case you were focused on shoveling and missed the big news, here's what Governor McDonnell announced yesterday:

... he will support updating the Local Composite Index (LCI), the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget. His predecessor, former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, had proposed freezing the index to save money in the strapped state budget.

As Anita Kumar points out, Kaine's decision "would have cost cash-strapped schools in Northern Virginia nearly $140 million." In short, Gov. McDonnell's decision was a major victory for Northern Virginia school systems.

Not surprisingly, McDonnell is a popular guy among NOVA politicians right now. For instance, Delegate Mark Keam wrote, "Gov. McDonnell does the right thing on LCI." Del. Scott Surovell declared that it was "the right decision for Virginia" and that "Governor McDonnell should be commended." Sen. Chap Petersen said that McDonnell "gets full credit here for taking a firm position on this issue which was critical to the taxpayers and kids of Fairfax County." Sen. Janet Howell called McDonnell's decision "a very helpful move on his part." Etc., etc.

So, what's not to like? Two major problems. First, as the News & Record points out, McDonnell's decision favors Northern Virginia (and maybe that's justified given how NOVA's been shortchanged in the past), while forcing "local governments in most other counties and cities in Virginia...to come up with a larger share of funding for school divisions." For instance, Halifax County "will face a $1.5 million funding reduction from the state, on top of an estimated $3.4 million in cuts already plugged into Virginia’s education budget."

Second, also from the News & Record, McDonnell will cover the increased expenditures required not by raising revenues, but by measures such as taking "$13 million from Literary Fund balances" and by raiding the Health Insurance Fund of $8 million. In other words, McDonnell can make all the announcements he wants on this subject or any other, but unless he starts making hard decisions, it's all "magic money...no cuts or tax increases" - in the words of one General Assembly member who emailed me.

The bottom line: while McDonnell may be 100% correct that the LCI freeze is wrong as a philosophical and legal matter, and also that this is a huge issue for schools in NOVA (which it is!), the way he's going about addressing the problem is more McDonnell "smoke and mirrors," just as we saw in his fundamentally dishonest gubernatorial campaign. In this case, by failing to make any tough decisions, McDonnell effectively robs Peter to pay Paul, pits one region of the Commonwealth (NOVA) against other regions (Hampton Roads, Richmond, etc.), and resolves one serious problem by causing other ones. I for one, am not going to applaud McDonnell for that.

UPDATE: It's been pointed out to me that the LCI freeze would have had Virginia use false economic data. That's obviously not acceptable, and it's good that Bob McDonnell put a halt to it (although that probably wasn't his main intent here).

UPDATE #2: The DPVA just issued a press release that echoes what I'm getting at here, not specifically on the LCI but in general.

For a candidate who bragged about his 'leadership' in TV commercials, Bob McDonnell has shown little of it in Richmond.

In a transition full of stumbles, McDonnell has punted any transportation plan down the road, has avoided making tough decisions on non-discrimination policy, and has become the first incoming governor in at least four decades to fail to submit budget amendments.
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And that's not to mention rolling out his signature economic proposals with job creation figures that seemed to be pulled out of thin air -- or, at least, a random selection of posterboard. (AP, 1/27/10).

"Virginia voters have to wonder: Is Bob McDonnell ready for prime time?" said C. Richard Cranwell, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia. "Virginia became the best state for business and the best state to raise a child because we had strong leaders who made tough choices to put our Commonwealth on the right path. So far, it seems like Bob McDonnell isn't ready to take the leadership role that Virginia needs in these tough times."

McDonnell's stumbles have been numerous - starting with his failure to submit any budget plan.

NLS: "Mark of the Beast Bill" Debated Today

This should be fun! :)

Another Day, Another Blizzard

Click here for more from the Washington Post's "Capital Weather Gang," including the phrase, "very gusty winds bring the potential for blizzard conditions, and unfortunately, power outages." Ugh. If you want to read even more about the coming storm, click here for the National Weather Service forecast. Finally, click here for a much better idea. :)

P.S. Here's a list of closings, including the Federal Government and most public school systems.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Tuesday Morning

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Snowverkill Tuesday "Clips."

1. MCDONNELL DIRECTING MORE EDUCATION MONEY TO N.VA.
2. NORTHERN VIRGINIA OFFICIALS, MCDONNELL MEET ON SCHOOL FUNDING
4. CHANGE IN SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA MAY COST RICHMOND AREA MILLIONS
7. GOP PLAN EMERGES TO FIX VA. SHORTFALL
10. VA. SENATE PASSES ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL FOR STATE WORKERS
15. VA. OFFSHORE DRILLING BILLS ADVANCE
13. ADVOCATES PUSH ABORTION-RIGHTS LICENSE PLATE IN VA
25. STIMULUS FUNDS BOOST BROADBAND IN SOUTHSIDE, SW VA.
26. PERRIELLO OPPONENTS OFFER IDEAS TO FIX U.S.
29. MCAULIFFE BIDS TO BUY FRANKLIN MILL
42. MCDONNELL IS BUDGET-SHY
47. REGION RUSHES TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER SHOT OF WINTER WEATHER

Sen. Janet Howell: Past Time for McDonnell to Do the Job He Was Elected To Do

The other day, it was Sen. Donald McEachin (D-9) delivering an excellent speech on the budget and Bob McDonnell's lack of leadership. Today, it was Sen. Janet Howell (D-32). The last minute of Sen. Howell's speech is particularly good, here's the transcript.

I implore Governor McDonnell to give us guidance on how he wants us to balance the budget. HE has put us in a box. He has said he will veto any tax increase. He insists the car tax reimbursements continue. He knows the Virginia Constitution requires a balanced budget with no deficit spending. He has boxed us in so that the only choice is cutting vital state services.

Three months ago Robert McDonnell was elected our Governor. He has had three months to formulate a balanced budget. ALL his predecessors lived up to that clear responsibility. The people of Virginia deserve to know HOW he will live up to his election promises. They deserve to know which state programs he wants us to cut. It is time, it is past time, for the Governor to do the job he asked the voters to elect him to do.

Preach it, Senator Howell!

Meghan McCain Attacks Palin, Tea Party

Click here to watch Meghan McCain on ABC's "The View" earlier today. Here are some highlights:

*What Tom Tancredo said at the Tea Party convention about Obama voters supposedly being illiterate buffoons is "innate racism, and I think it's why young people are turned off by this movement."

*"[R]evolutions start with young people, not 65 year old people talking about literacy tests and people who can't say the word 'vote' in English."

*Regarding Sarah Palin's call for war with Iran: "You should never go to war unless its the absolute last circumstance."

*On Sarah Palin giving a pass to Rush Limbaugh for using the word "retard," but calling for Rahm Emanuel's resignation for doing the same thing: this epitomizes "exactly what is wrong with politics today."

*On Tea Party rhetoric: "[it] will continue to turn off young voters, and anybody who says different is smoking something."

*Finally, when asked about the possibility of her father's 2008 running mate throwing her hat in the ring for 2012, Meghan McCain said she would discuss it after her book comes out in August. That's one I'll definitely look forward to reading!

Snowverkill! Make That 10-20 Inches, On Top Of What We've Got.

After reading this forecast - 10 to 20 more inches of snow! - how many of you want to move to Florida, Arizona, or Hawaii? MeMeMeMeMeMeMe!

UPDATE: The Capital Weather Gang writes that "With the impending storm for tomorrow and Wednesday, we have a legitimate chance for an all-time (since records have been kept in the late 1800s) seasonal snow record." Right now, we're at 45" for the season at National Airport, behind only 1995-1996 (46") and 1889-1899 (54.4"). It looks like we'll surpass both of those before this week is out. Having fun yet?

Eric Cantor: My Way Or The Highway!

This pretty much sums it up regarding the Can'tor/Boner-(mis)led Republican Party.

Eric Cantor’s office responds to Obama’s announcement of a bipartisan summit on health care with the most explicit and direct assertion I’ve seen yet that the only way Dems can win bipartisan cooperation is to fully embrace the GOP health care plan and nothing more...

After going it alone on health care reform for nearly a year, President Obama has decided he wants to bring Republicans into the conversation. Here’s the problem: unless the President and Speaker Pelosi are willing to scrap their government take over and hit the reset button, there’s not much to talk about.

Republicans believe the status quo is unacceptable, but so is any health reform package that spends money we don’t have or raises taxes on small businesses and working families in a recession. To that point, House Republicans have offered the only plan, that will lower health care costs, which is what the President said was the goal at the start of this debate.

I’m not sure if it could be made any more explicit than that.

No, it couldn't be "any more explicit than that." The question is, does the White House "get it?" Or, have they succumbed to Tim Kaine Disease, the symptoms of which include terminal, rose-colored optimism; arrogance; groupthink; no fixed principles you're willing to fight for; and of course the dreaded Cult of Bipartisanship, even when Republicans outright say that they want you to fail!?!

On health reform, President Obama can offer as many "bipartisan" olive branches, summits or Q's and A's as he wants, but is there any indication whatsoever that it's going to get him anywhere? I'd say the chances are somewhere between slim and Joe Loserman. The bottom line for the White House is that it's long past time to acknowledge reality (including that Republicans are not a serious negotiating partner), cut loose the "dead wood" loose (perhaps including Rahm Emanuel, who clearly hasn't gotten accomplished what he was hired for), take on the forces that need to be fought, and get the job done or at least go down swinging. If not, then Eric Can'tor will have his way, and the rest of us will be road kill on the highway.