Find out how Cooch took $55,000 from the disgraced "U.S. Navy Veterans Association," in apparent exchange for his promise to get the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs (which had "notified Thompson's group that it no longer qualified for an exemption from state registration requirements") off the group's back. Can we say "pay-to-play?" Find out more.
At this morning, Virginia Democrats do not hold a single Virginia executive office, they're a small minority in the House of Delegates, and now they have (barring recount) lost control of the State Senate. Former Arlington County Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rousselot has written a devastating postmortem that I can't recommend enough and encourage you to read in full if you haven't already.
As for me, what I'll remember most about the 2011 election cycle is this ad from House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong trashing just about everything Democrats believe in. The leader of House Democrats - as chosen by his fellow House Democrats - distances himself from President Obama, a woman's right to choose, reasonable gun safety regulations, and limits on air pollution - all in one ad.
I understand the need to emphasize different issues and rely on different messaging in different parts of the state. But if you try to run away from the leader of your party and everything your party believes in, not only are you hurting your own team, voters don't buy it. A friend pointed me to this quote from Harry Truman:
I've seen it happen time after time. When the Democratic candidate allows himself to be put on the defensive and starts apologizing for the New Deal and the fair Deal, and says he really doesn't believe in them, he is sure to lose. The people don't want a phony Democrat. If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don't want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign.
Just as Harry predicted, Ward Armstrong lost anyway. And just as former Rep. Glenn Nye did last year, Armstrong managed to not just lose, but hurt the party he was supposed to be leading in the process, making Democrats look like a bunch of gutless phonies who'd throw a friend under the bus in a second if a consultant told them it might help their chances of getting re-elected.
A group of families frustrated with efforts to resolve the plight of homeowners who have been made homeless by Chinese drywall contamination came to make their case outside a DPVA gathering in Virginia Beach yesterday. Senator Warner held up the event 45 minutes, stopping to hear them out first.
The group was approached by Brian Moran, DPVA Chairman, prior to the Senator's arrival as they quietly assembled across the street from Croc's 19th Street Bistro. Both Moran and Senator Warner got an earful from homeowners whose lives have been sent spiraling into chaos as they have spent years seeking relief from the effects of the contaminated construction materials.
They appealed to the Senator for some form of relief from the damage to their lives, allowed to fester by unresponsive state and federal governments. Many of them have had to abandon their homes because of the damage to their families' health. So far there has been no recourse. The properties, some with mortgages in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, are worthless. Contractors have avoided responsibility by reorganizing their businesses then continuing to operate. Insurance companies have side-stepped claims. Some of the families have held on, paying two mortgages, hoping to salvage their credit and financial futures. Some have given up on being made whole, but simply ask for forbearance on their credit ratings if they allow the properties to be taken back by financial institutions that hold the mortgages.
"I'm still considering running again," Nye told The Virginian-Pilot. "I think there's some things that took place in this election which indicated a strong possibility of my being able to win in 2012. But I don't feel the need to rush a decision."
Nye also claims that he's "still proud to be a Democrat," even though he just finished a campaign in which he bashed top Democratic priorities and leadership. But sure, we believe you Glenn!
More Nye wisdom: "I'm afraid right now we are in a time when extremists are the decision makers in this country." Riiiight, so Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are "extremists," in Nye's view? He might be calling John BONEr and Eric Can'tor "extremists" as well, but since he uses the present tense when he says "are the decision makers in this country," it's hard to believe he's referring to anyone but the Democrats, who last I checked controlled the White House and Congress. Apparently, Nye believes that Bob Dole's 1993 Republican alternative health care reform legislation, which Democrats essentially adopted earlier this year, is "extremist." Same thing with the Reagan administration conservative, market-based "cap and trade" idea. And Nye wonders why he alienates "the base," aka "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party?" What an imbecile.
Finally, per the Washington Post's comment that "it's not clear whether everyone in the party would coalesce around Nye as the best candidate," I can say categorically right now: NO WE WILL NOT COALESCE AROUND GLENN NYE IN 2012! Sorry for the "all caps," but Glenn Nye's pretty dense so I wanted to make sure he heard that.
Based on their less-than-stellar past performance, I can't say that I'm exactly a big fan of Christopher Newport University polling. With that caveat, a new poll by that outfit finds the 2nd Congressional District race to be essentially a dead heat (Scott Rigell 41.5%-Glenn Nye 41.0%-Undecided 12.4%-Kenny Golden 5.1%). The problem is, undecideds usually break for the challenger over the incumbent, especially when they're angry like they are now.
Still, the Nye campaign is touting this poll, writing, "We've known from the start this race is going to come down to the wire and it has." I certainly can't disagree with that statement.
A lot of people just don't get prejudice. They don't know when to let its rationalization lay. But that should not be surprising when they also don't know how to support their arguments; reducing them to mere beliefs. Beliefs require faith and we lost faith in conservatives long ago.
You see, the value of conservatism, and yes, I acknowledge there's value, is that it should help keep us from throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Unfortunately, too many "conservatives" see the water as sublime soup and the baby as a too demanding obligation.
One of the problems with prejudices is that you can dress them up, but you can't take them out. Unfortunately for the Republicans in Virginia Beach, someone or two walked their dog of a prejudice and that has revealed the ugly face of racial animosity subtly harbored within the local leadership. There are no two ways around it and a simple admonition complaining "stop sending those E-mails" ignores the root problem. Despite all the obfuscation and attempts to blame the E-mail on an accident and denials of receipt, the way it works is that you send E-mails to what you have determined to be a like-minded community. And when members of that community fail to distinguish themselves by taking exception, their silence speaks volumes. Not one person who received either E-mail has produced any E-mail that divorces them from like-mindedness.
"As a matter of fact, the point that they made was that Karen Beauchamp hasn't been in a leadership role in the party since 2001. Well I got news for you, Karen Beauchamp was one of the hardest workers we had in the Republican Party, and she was the one who organized the headquarters every single day. And both she and Dave Bartholomew were responsible for Bob McDonnell's success in 2009. It certainly wasn't Kenny Golden; I'll tell you that." - Kenny Golden to Tony Macrini on WNIS
"Scott Rigell accused Rep Glenn Nye of voting to end DADT despite the advice of Military leadership. Rep Nye then explained to Rigell that the vote did not end DADT, but rather gave the Sec. of Defense the permission to do so. Nye also explained that he voted to examine the option of ending the policy based on the recommendation of Military leaders. (Debate 10/15/10)"
The question for 2nd CD voters is this: do you want an uninformed, extreme, slippery, used-car salesman representing you in Congress the next two years? No, didn't think so.
You have to understand something about Republican opposition to Democratic reforms: It has nothing to do with the merits of the policy. Republicans decided immediately after the 2008 elections to block everything the Democrats tried to do. I mean, when the GOP, which purports to be the party of small businesses & tax breaks, is filibustering tax breaks for small business, you know they've abandoned all principles.
So when Glenn Nye brags about voting against health insurance reform, clean energy reform & the TARP program that could end up turning a profit for taxpayers, what he's bragging about isn't principles. Frankly, I don't even know if Glenn Nye knows what Glenn Nye believes in.
What he's really saying is that when America faced great crisis, Glenn Nye stood with those who sought political gain from blocking solutions.
Just as with polls done for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, it's hard to know what to make of polls commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee. With that disclaimer, here are the results from a new poll by the NRCC on Virginia's 2nd Congressional District:
In Virginia's 2nd district, Rep. Glenn Nye (D) trailed car dealer Scott Rigell (R) by 5 points. The Congressman took 40 percent to Rigell's 45 percent. Independent Kenny Golden, a former Republican, took 7 percent. The survey of 400 likely voters was conducted by the GOP firm Ayres McHenry & Associates Sept 23 to 26 and had a 4.9 point margin of error.
That 5-point lead for the used car dealer (Rigell) is just outside the statistical margin of error, so right now it looks like the 2nd CD could go either way. That's assuming, of course, that the GOP polling is accurate, which we can't really know since we aren't privy to the "internals" of the poll. How about we just call this race a tossup and leave it at that?
I completely agree with this ad; 2nd CD Republican nominee Scott Rigell is simply another member of the "I've got mine so @#$@ you" party, fighting for the rich and powerful over the other 98% of us. I also agree that extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is not worth the nearly $1 trillion price tag, all of which will be added to the national debt.
So, I like this ad, right? Well, yeah, except the only problem is, Rep. Glenn Nye doesn't really advocate different tax policies than Rigell does. Just recently, for instance, Nye said he favored extending all the Bush tax cuts, including on the wealthiest Americans, commenting that "now is not the right time to raise taxes on anybody." How is that different from Rigell's position, exactly? Uhhhhh. Also, Bearing Drift appears to be correct when it says, "Nye co-sponsored H.R. 498 last year, which makes permanent the very capital gains tax cuts attacked in the ad." Whoops!
The fundamental problem here? When you vote and talk like a Republican, it's very hard for the Democratic Party to attack your opponent without causing collateral damage on you as well.
Should progressives support Rep. Glenn Nye's reelection in the 2nd Congressional District of Virginia? That's a question I've been thinking a lot about the past few months. Before I begin, let me just be clear that I'm not a Glenn Nye fan. At all. Having said that, however, I'm completely not a fan of Republican nominee and used car salesman Scott Rigell. No thanks. Finally, as far as I can determine, independent Kenny Golden is a non-factor in this race. So, in the end it comes down to three realistic options for progressives: 1) actively oppose Glenn Nye's reelection, but without any reasonable alternative to vote for; 2) neither actively support nor actively oppose Nye, just sit on our hands and let god sort it all out (as the saying goes); or 3) hold our noses, suck it up, take one for the team (add your own cliche here), and do what we can for Nye despite the fact that he's been utterly abysmal from a progressive point of view.
With that, here are the main arguments I've heard other people make, and which I've come up with myself, for and against progressives supporting Glenn Nye's reelection.
FOR SUPPORTING NYE 1. If we don't reelect Glenn Nye, we'll be stuck with Scott Rigell indefinitely/forever, the Democratic Party in the 2nd CD will be in ruins, famine and pestilence will descend upon the area. Well, you get the picture!
2. Scott Rigell is basically Ken Cuccinelli in a district that is the home of Pat Robertson and Regent University, has the most military people in the country, has zero Democrats on the 11 member Virginia Beach city council, where progressives should be grateful to have ANY Democrats at all, even a Glenn Nye "Democrat."
3. Control of Congress could hinge on this race, and we certainly don't want Speaker BONE-r and Majority Leader Can'tor!
4. The chance to replace Nye was last spring, but nobody primaried him for the Democratic nomination. At this point, it sucks but we're stuck with the guy.
5. Nye's not ideal, but he does vote with the Democrats 82.7% of the time. On the other hand, 82.7% makes Nye the 6th "worst" Democrat in the House in terms of party loyalty, so maybe that's actually a reason for progressives not to support Nye.
AGAINST SUPPORTING NYE 1. See point #5 above.
2. Also, see Progressive Punch, which has Nye as the 4th worst Democrat in the House of Representatives in terms of his progressive "score." That, of course, includes votes and positions against almost everything we care about, including health reform, clean energy and climate legislation, and now the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. Blech.
3. Nye's horrible progressive score looks even worse when you consider the fact that his district is a swing district (Kaine won it, Obama won it, Warner won it). The three Democrats ranking below Nye in terms of their progressive score are all in "Strong Rep" districts. So Nye has no excuse, at least no good one, for his anti-progressive voting record. In sum, Nye is the worst Democrat in the House of Representatives in terms of his progressive score relative to his district's partisan lean. Double blech.
4. Nye didn't just vote the wrong way, now he's running a campaign that actively attacks Democratic and progressive ideals, leadership, and legislation (e.g., health care, cap and trade, the economic recovery package). In doing so, he's harming the long-term Democratic "brand," as well as undercutting Democrats like Tom Perriello who took courageous votes to help move this country forward. That's not acceptable.
5. If progressives let Nye get away with voting and running a campaign the way he has, and if he wins, the lesson to be learned will be that moving "right" and dissing/ignoring progressives works. That's not acceptable either.
So, those are the main arguments I've been hearing. For a few more thoughts, see after the "fold."
"We are going to have to win these races one by one," said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, conceding that the party would ultimately cut loose members who had not gained ground.
With the midterm campaign entering its final two months, Democrats acknowledged that several races could quickly move out of their reach, including re-election bids by Representatives Betsy Markey of Colorado, Tom Perriello of Virginia, Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio and Frank Kratovil Jr. of Maryland, whose districts were among the 55 Democrats won from Republicans in the last two election cycles.
So, a few questions for the DCCC: 1) Are the polls on these representatives' races really worse than those for Glenn Nye and other supposed "Democrats" who voted "nay" on both ACES and health care reform?; 2) More broadly, shouldn't you be rewarding Democrats who took tough/courageous votes for Democratic Party priorities and not rewarding those who decided, as Monty Python might say, to "run away!?!"; 3) Should you really be spending the money that we give you on candidates who go around bashing their own party, its ideals, and its leadership?
Yes, I understand that this is politics, and that it can be ruthlessly Machiavellian. But seriously, DCCC, do you really expect activists to give you money and support when you do @#$@ like this? Just sayin'.
UPDATE: The DCCC has issued a statement (see after the "flip"), essentially denying the New York Times story. I guess time will tell...
How about more ads like this one by Glenn Nye, touting the hard work he's doing for his district, instead of ads attacking his own party and its leaders? C'mon, it's not so hard!
Senator Mark Warner makes his best case for Glenn Nye at a Campaign Rally on August 25 at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. Are you sold? Psyched? Sleeping? Sick of it all? Feel free to discuss in the comments section.
Uh, just a few problems with this ad (higher-quality version here): 1) attacking fellow Democrats - including Mark Warner, who's doing a fundraiser for Nye this evening, I'd point out - for voting "aye" on the "Wall Street Bailout" and also "aye" on health care reform, is not cool; 2) claiming to have voted against the health care bill because it "cost too much," when in fact the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said it cut the deficit by $1.3 trillion over 20 years, is fundamentally dishonest; and 3) claiming to have voted against the "Wall Street Bailout," when that vote actually took place in October 2008, BEFORE Nye was elected, is really really not cool. As Virginia Young Democrat Kristin Smith writes:
Why is Glenn Nye saying he voted against the Wall Street Bailout in his new TV ad when he wasn't even in office yet? Also, why does he keep insinuating that he's an "independent voice"? Nye stop backing away from the Democratic party before I back away from you
In general, I'd say that attacking members of your own party - and undercutting those fellow party members' talking points - simply because you're desperately trying to save your own skin, is not acceptable. But that's exactly what Glenn Ney is doing here. It needs to stop, immediately.
UPDATE: On Nye's supposed vote against the "Wall Street Bailout" (which, while unpopular, almost undoubtedly prevented a complete economic meltdown in the fall of 2008), perhaps he means this "symbolic" vote, which was "rendered...moot" by the Senate's defeat of "an identical resolution" (with Webb and Warner both voting "nay," by the way). So, technically Nye can say he "voted against the Wall Street Bailout," but only on a meaningless, symbolic vote long after the "bailout" was already signed into law by President Bush, and also after the U.S. Senate had already defeated an identical bill.
The three Congressional candidates in Virginia's 2nd CD - Rep. Glenn Nye (D), Kenny Golden (I), and Scott Rigell (R) - debate this evening in Virginia Beach. Right now (7:30 pm), there are only 10 people watching this on the live feed, so apparently there's not a lot of interest (or it wasn't well publicized, or both), at least online.
UPDATE 7:33 pm: Glenn Nye just said we should extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthiest. And he wonders why progressives aren't excited about him? Blech.
UPDATE 7:45 pm: The Shad Plank reports, "All three of the campaigns blanketed Virginia Beach Boulevard with yard signs just in case there was any doubt about the extra traffic in central Virginia Beach - and there's a serious crowd filing into the auditorium at Princess Anne High School." Also, "attendance is very solid for and August debate - but then again this district has been a target for Republicans since the day that Nye beat Thelma Drake in 2008 - so it's no surprise to see a healthy turnout."
UPDATE 7:50 pm: Of course, the other two candidates are total wingnuts, at least from what we're seeing at the debate tonight. Right now, Kenny Golden is talking about repealing health care reform and how wonderful Ken Kook-inelli's lawsuit is. Next up, Scott Rigell talks about how health care reform will destroy America, how he will vote to "defund it," blah blah blah. Glenn Nye brags about how he "listened to my district" and "stood up to my leadership" on health care reform. Blech. Vivian Paige tweets, "I'm one of your constituents @GlennNye and you did not vote the way I wanted on healthcare." Amen!
UPDATE 7:59 pm: The candidates compete over who can be a stronger advocate for veterans. And the ustream feed dies...we'll see if it ever comes back.
Congressman Nye joins the shameless "Support the Troops" chorus of Cantor and all who proffer use of the HOV lanes as honor for service rather than offering substantive support by calling for an end to the waste of American blood and treasure in foreign misadventures. Cower behind the troops, again.
Beyond the fact that this is part and parcel of establishing a separate military class and walking away from the concept of the citizen-soldier, it is idiotic; it is unenforceable; it rewards personnel whose only sacrifice has been a paper cut when opening their paychecks. It gives short shrift to civilian members of DoD. But nice stab at reaching out to the same people Palin abuses. It is a modern day Napoleonic ribbon.
"Traffic congestion is a serious problem in Hampton Roads, and our HOV lanes are often under-utilized," Nye said. "This legislation will help ease traffic for everyone in the region, and make sure our military and emergency response personnel get where they need to go." - Glenn Nye
I recently had the opportunity to interview Kenny Golden, independent candidate for Congress in the 2nd congressional district of Virginia (currently represented by Democrat Glenn Nye). The interview is fairly long, so I'm breaking it up. You can read Part 2 here. Enjoy.
Blue Virginia Question In at least two instances now, Scott Rigell has been asked, on camera, for his opinion of Senator Webb's GI Bill. In both cases, Rigell has refused to answer. Why do you think Rigell won't respond to a simple question regarding whether or not he supports the GI Bill for our veterans?
Kenny Golden Answer I have no idea why Scott would choose not to answer a very straightforward and reasonable question. It certainly makes him appear reluctant to address an issue that is very important to those of us who have served on active duty. Moreover, it makes him appear weak on the issues and reluctant to engage in unscripted conversation. The public deserves to know how a candidate stands on a particular issue.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill was an important step in helping our promises to our veterans. Actually, my daughter and I both benefited from its contents. She is leaving active duty after 13 years and heading for Veterinarian School at NC State. (I hate the Wolf Pack, I lost a cartilage down there) She will earn her degree completely through the new bill. We can't underestimate it's positive effect on the All Volunteer Force either, but there are still many things we must do especially locally here in the 2nd at both Portsmouth Naval Hospital and the VA Hospital in Hampton.
Blue Virginia Question Recently, there was a "Freedom Fest" rally in Norfolk with Sarah Palin, Oliver North, George Allen, Bill DeSteph and other figures from the far right of the Republican Party. Scott Rigell chose not to attend, you apparently were not invited, and a couple of conservative bloggers were evicted. What is your opinion of "Freedom Fest," of Sarah Palin, and of the hard-right social conservative wing of the Republican Party? Also, would you have spoken at this rally if you had been given the chance?
Kenny Golden Answer Based upon what I heard in the beginning, I actually thought "Freedom Fest" was going to be more of a Tea Party event. I know there had been some excitement expressed by various people associated with that movement. I viewed it as an event at which those concerned with the fiscal situation of our country could gather, not so much as a social conservative gathering. However, as things progressed it became apparent that it was to be a Republican "Love Fest" expressly for Scott Rigell. I was and remain extremely disappointed with Steve Batten, as he twice promised to recognize me in the audience. In fact, he saw me at the rally and confirmed that, but failed to show the courage to make that a reality. Rigell's sponsorship, along with that of Gary Byler probably prevented him from doing so. I was hurt by his failure to recognize me, particularly in light of several very personal conversations Steve and I shared.
That said, yes, I would have taken the opportunity to speak had I been asked. As an Independent, I need to reach out to all people. George Allen and I go way back to our days as football players at UVA, when we were roommates. We may not agree totally on all issues, but I still consider him a good and valued friend. I certainly would not have had a problem being on the same stage with him.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Kenny Golden, independent candidate for Congress in the 2nd congressional district of Virginia (currently represented by Democrat Glenn Nye). The interview is fairly long, so I'm breaking it up. You can read Part 1 here. Enjoy.
Blue Virginia Question What attracts you to today's Republican Party and where do you differ? Same question for the Democratic Party.
Kenny Golden Answer I am not really attracted to either party at this time. I think the partisanship that the two parties have developed over the past few years has been detrimental to the country. There is a severe shortage of statesmanship in Washington. It's time that we do what is good for the country, rather than what is good for a particular political party.
Blue Virginia Question Given that you've been a Republican for many years, why are you now running as an independent? Do you believe the Republican Party has shifted to the right in ways that make you uncomfortable? Or, are there other reasons for leaving your long-time partisan home?
Kenny Golden Answer Actually, I am running as an Independent because the Republican Party strayed from its values. Under President George W. Bush, government expansion and spending were anything but Republican in nature. Spending was out of control under his watch along with then Speaker Dennis Haskert. President Bush could have taken action to stop it, but never once did he exercise his veto authority during his entire tenure in office, the first in over 200 years to attain such a record. Thus, spending went totally out of control and, unfortunately, it has worsened under our current leadership.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Kenny Golden, independent candidate for Congress in the 2nd congressional district of Virginia (currently represented by Democrat Glenn Nye). The interview is fairly long, so I'm breaking it up. Here are the first two questions, which respond to a post by Shaun Kenney on conservative blog Bearing Drift in which he charged that there are now "two Democrats to choose from" in VA-02. More to follow, but for now, enjoy!
Blue Virginia Question According to Republican blogger Shaun Kenney, writing recently on "Bearing Drift," your candidacy now means that "VA-02 has two Democrats to choose from!" According to Kenney, "there isn't much that distances Golden from the policies of Glenn Nye and any so-called centrist progressive." Do you agree or disagree with these characterizations of your candidacy?
Kenny Golden Answer The problem with Shaun's assessment is that it is based on a single issue: abortion. I do not believe the Federal Government should be involved in the Pro-Life/Choice issue. First of all, this issue should be decided at the state level. In other words, invoke the Constitution's 10th Amendment. Furthermore, you can't go around preaching smaller government, claiming to be a conservative, while at the same time promoting legislation that involves the Federal Government in a decision that is extremely personal. Take a look at the website and you'll see "Give a Child a Chance", my idea for curtailing abortions as much as possible.
My personal position is definitely anti-abortion. However, it is my personal religious belief and is not something I should impose on another. I'm married to a staunch Catholic, and Francie and I decided long ago if our daughter became pregnant we would keep the child and or help raise it outright. Fortunately, we didn't have to face that problem. I certainly don't think that makes me a centrist by his definition. A Constitutionalist, yes, but certainly not a centrist.
Also consider this: Unlike both of my opponents, I never once supported an issue that would have lead to a greater tax burden on our citizens or one that would have increased the scope of government. The GOP nominee cannot make this claim. So perhaps Shaun got the names of his second Democrat crossed up. He's still a great friend and I told him I owe him a beer next time down for helping me with the Democratic vote.
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A group of families frustrated with efforts to resolve the plight of homeowners who have been made homeless by Chinese drywall contamination came to make their case outside a DPVA gathering in Virginia Beach yesterday. Senator Warner held up the event 45 minutes, stopping to hear them out first.
So, it turns out that 
Based on their less-than-stellar past performance, I can't say that I'm exactly a big fan of Christopher Newport University polling. With that caveat, a 
A lot of people just don't get prejudice. They don't know when to let its rationalization lay. But that should not be surprising when they also don't know how to support their arguments; reducing them to mere beliefs. Beliefs require faith and we lost faith in conservatives long ago.
Just as with polls done for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, it's hard to know what to make of polls commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee. With that disclaimer, 
Should progressives support Rep. Glenn Nye's reelection in the 2nd Congressional District of Virginia? That's a question I've been thinking a lot about the past few months. Before I begin, let me just be clear that I'm not a Glenn Nye fan. At all. Having said that, however, I'm completely not a fan of Republican nominee and used car salesman Scott Rigell. No thanks. Finally, as far as I can determine, independent Kenny Golden is a non-factor in this race. So, in the end it comes down to three realistic options for progressives: 1) actively oppose Glenn Nye's reelection, but without any reasonable alternative to vote for; 2) neither actively support nor actively oppose Nye, just sit on our hands and let god sort it all out (as the saying goes); or 3) hold our noses, suck it up, take one for the team (add your own cliche here), and do what we can for Nye despite the fact that he's been utterly abysmal from a progressive point of view.
If true, 
Congressman Nye joins the shameless "Support the Troops" chorus of Cantor and all who proffer use of the HOV lanes as honor for service rather than offering substantive support by calling for an end to the waste of American blood and treasure in foreign misadventures. Cower behind the troops, again.
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I recently had the opportunity to interview Kenny Golden, independent candidate for Congress in the 2nd congressional district of Virginia (currently represented by Democrat Glenn Nye). The interview is fairly long, so I'm breaking it up. You can 
