The following press release from DPVA really says it all about George Allen's absurd policy ideas. In this case, Allen would have let the U.S. auto industry go belly up, along with "hundreds of thousands of associated jobs," including many right here in Virginia (and specifically "including jobs at Dynax in Botetourt County, where George Allen recently unveiled his anti-worker platform, Goodyear, the largest employer in Danville, and Continental AG in Newport News."). Yes, this is the kind of rabid, right-wing ideological "leadership" we could expect if George Allen ever got back into a position of power and authority. Let's all do everything we can to make sure that nightmare never comes to pass!
George Allen would have played politics with 14,000 Virginia jobs Ideological opposition to investment could have destroyed American auto industry
George Allen says that the government should have sat on the sidelines while the American auto industry and hundreds of thousands of associated jobs disappeared or went overseas. Despite overwhelming evidence that America's investments in its automobile manufacturers rescued the industry, George Allen thinks it was the wrong way to go. Instead, he would have put over 14,000 Virginia auto industry jobs in danger just to adhere to his anti-government ideology.
"I did not support the auto bailout,"-George Allen, "Ask George Allen" email to supporters.
Not many Virginians are millionaires. But, a whole lot of our congress members are - and they shouldn't be paying taxes at a lower rate than the rest of us. They shouldn't be making average Virginians pay more so that they can pay less:
Its been weeks since President Obama sent his Jobs Plan to Hill, along with a plan to pay for it by closing tax loopholes and making sure millionaires pay their fair share. But (surprise, surprise), Congress is dragging its feet. Every day Congress refuses to pass the President's tax cut and jobs plan costs small businesses and working Americans.
On Wednesday evening, I attended an event in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, entitled "Transforming the Gun Debate." The panel discussion was fascinating, including a talk by Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia's 11th Congressional District. Here's Rep. Connolly talking about how he narrowly won reelection in 2010 (by fewer than 1,000 votes over Republican challenger Keith Fimian), largely on the issue of "gun control." A few highlights from Connolly's remarks include the ones below. I found Connolly's comments particularly interesting, because they run diametrically counter to the common meme in the media that gun control is always a losing issue (despite polling that clearly indicates strong support among Americans for statements like, "gun control laws in this country should be more strict than they are now").
*"You are looking at a member of Congress who, I believe arguably can attribute his reelection last November to the fact that there were a plurality of people in his district who favor reasonable gun control laws."
*The NRA, which is headquartered in Connolly's district, considers reasonable, commonsense gun laws to be "radical."
*Fairfax County was hit hard by the Virginia Tech shootings, with 8 young people from Fairfax County dead. What was shocking to Rep. Connolly was how quickly the "PR machine of the more radical elements of gun advocates got to work right away...if they'd only been packing heat...they could have gotten the gunman faster."
Let's cut to the bottom line: The idea that somehow our political process and country would be better off by requiring Jamie Radtke and the others similarly situated in the Virginia GOP U.S. Senate primary be included in the Allen vs. Kaine AP debate is not the case. Radtke has been campaigning the longest of the Tea Party posse, with no discernible success in convincing even the wrongest of the right wingers to support her. She can talk the talk because she can pretend to be Sarah Palin-lite or a Tea Party "founder." But the truth is, as they say in Rick Perry country, "she is all hat and no cowgirl" even to the Teasters who aren't supporting her.
Radtke does have a legitimate point in saying the 15% polling threshold and additional financial litmus test are questionable as to their particulars. This is a primary contest, not a general election presidential debate. Those parameters are too high in my view. But, like the Attorney General's healthcare lawsuite, she simply doesn't have standing to argue the case.
The fundamental issue - does Radtke qualify to be in any or all debates because she has filed for to run - isn't changed by these particulars.
Remember: Radtke hasn't even qualified for the primary ballot. Kaine and Allen will definitely qualify for the primary ballot. There is also someone in the Radtke category claiming to be a candidate against Kaine based on news reports. True, this Democratic wannabe doesn't issue press releases every day like Radtke. But they both register the same in the polls: within the margin of error from zero.
More reading for this morning: Paul Krugman's New York Times Column on Eric Can'tor holding aid for victims of Hurricane Irene hostage, and more broadly on how Can'tor "has done more than anyone else to make policy blackmail - using innocent Americans as hostages - standard operating procedure for the G.O.P."
As Krugman points out, Can'tor may be a "hard man," "willing to endanger America's financial credibility, putting our whole economy at risk" and also "threatening to take Irene's victims hostage," he's also a Category 5 hypocrite. How so? Paul Krugman explains:
*Can'tor and his Republican fellow hypocrites "did nothing to offset the cost of the Iraq war, which now stands at $800 billion and counting."
*In 2004, "when his home state of Virginia was struck by Tropical Storm Gaston, Mr. Cantor voted against a bill that would have required the same pay-as-you-go rule that he now advocates."
I'd add that Can'tor and his Republican fellow hypocrites, people like George Allen for example, also voted time and again during the Bush Administration for tax and spending measures that first turned Bill Clinton's "surpluses as far as the eye could see" into deficits, then turned those deficits into a gargantuan mess (President Obama inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit the day he became president.
Let me repeat that: Barack Obama INHERITED a $1.3 trillion deficit from Eric Can'tor, George W. Bush, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, etc..
After getting kicked out of the hotel where an "Advisory Council Meeting" (aka, a "town hall") with Rep. Eric Can'tor was being held today, a large number of Can'tor's constituents, demanding action on jobs and access to their Congressman, rallied in the parking lot across from the Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center in Richmond. Sadly, this is typical behavior by Eric Can'tor, who refuses to meet with his constituents (unless they're rich and powerful, or from the Tea Party), stonewalls on aid to his own district following Hurricane Irene, and holds the entire U.S. economy hostage to his absolutist demands. A always, heckuva job Eric!
Is it "game over" for the U.S. Senate candidacy of Teapublican Jamie Radtke? Based on this evisceration at RedState, as well as this article at Bearing Drift, it sure seems like it. First, a few choice quotes from the RedState article by Erick Son of Erick:
*"I was fortunate not to witness Jamie Radtke's speech at the RedState Gathering. Fortunate because . . . well . . . here are reviews of her speech from various witnesses to the train wreck"
*"She was a drunk rambling idiot that took 30 minutes to introduce a director who himself was confused."
*"It was beyond painful. At first, I was just embarrassed for her and felt a little sorry for her. But by the end of it - which I for while feared would never arrive - I was all 'OMG, I hate you, STFU.'"
*"Jamie Radtke is not a victim. She's a candidate. And clearly a bad one at that...Game over as far as I'm concerned."
*"For Radtke 2012, it's time to fold the hand, walk away from the poker table, and fight another battle in the war for the soul of America. There's plenty more to be done... just not in the U.S. Senate (for now, anyway)."
Looks like "game over" for Jamie Radtke, "game on" for George Felix Allen versus Tim Kaine. Should be interesting!
P.S. For anyone who thinks that Democratic primaries are rough, and that Democrats are so mean to each other, I refer you to the above skewering of Jamie Radtke. And guess what, Republicans somehow seem to survive this, just as Democrats do. It's amazing how that works. :)
When it comes to George Felix Allen, I find myself repeatedly wondering, "can he really be this ignorant?" And the answer keeps coming back, "oh yes he can!" The latest evidence for this hypothesis comes from a tweet by Mr. Macacawitz yesterday, claiming:
"Majority of economists are opposed to the higher taxes @TimKaine & his allies in Washington are calling for...
In fact, as the Christian Science Monitor explains, "Some three-quarters of economists who do forecasting for the private sector say tax revenue should rise as part of efforts to tame unsustainable budget deficits." In contrast, just "19 percent said tax reform should be done in a "revenue-neutral" way, and 5 percent said reforms should reduce tax revenues."
That's right, only 5 percent of economists in the National Association for Business Economics (NABE)survey believe that tax reform should reduce tax revenues. And, of course, as poll after poll has shown, Americans by large majorities favor a "balanced approach" to dealing with the deficit, one that combines spending cuts AND revenue increases (most Americans favor raising taxes on the wealthy).
So where's George Allen coming from on this? Basically, it's a combination of two things: 1) ignorance; and 2) blind right-wing ideology. Other than that, it's certainly not based on any empirical evidence, factual information, or connection to that funny place known as "the real world." Of course, this IS the same guy who thinks everything in life can be boiled down to a football metaphor, so we're not exactly dealing with the world's greatest intellect here...
"Kudos to Ben Tribbett for (possibly) bringing down a leading right-wing Presidential candidate, and for (possibly) derailing his re-election bid to the U.S. Senate. Also, kudos to Siddarth for staying cool under pressure and getting this video. Great work!]"
P.S. For the detailed backstory of the entire "macaca" incident, as well as what led up (the "draft," the Webb campaign) to it and what followed (Webb's victory over "Felix"), see Netroots Rising, coauthored by yours truly with Nate Wilcox.
Yep, that about sums it up for Governor McGimmick's record the past two years. The question is, can he parlay the Big Lie about he "created jobs" (FALSE!) and "ran a surplus" (EVEN MORE FALSE, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE!) all the way to a national ticket (or whatever he wants to do after his 1 term as governor ends in January 2013).
Forget Red Bull: whatever tea is being sold at those (Michele) Bachmann Turner Overdrive rallies in Iowa has found a fan in George Allen - much to my surprise. With Governor McDonnell praising the debt ceiling deal brokered, in part, by Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor, and backed by a majority of GOP lawmakers, I figured Allen would, as Russell Crowe's character said in the movie "Gladiator", hold the line. In other words, I figured Allen would not let the Tea Party split him from the state's most popular Republican officeholder.
Why? The old George Allen, circa 1993 and 2000, could run as the rebel against Democrats Mary Sue Terry and Chuck Robb respectively. But it is now 2012, and Allen - having been both Governor and Senator - is now no more able to pass as a plausible Tea Party Republican than could Tim Kaine claim to be an anti-establishment guy, having served as Lt. Governor, Governor and DNC chairman.
In this case, even though His Excellency the (former) Governor correctly said that the debt deal, while hardly perfect, saved the state's AAA rating, prevented economic havoc here, didn't raise taxes, and began cutting federal spending, Mr. Allen said he would have joined BTO and company in voting NO, had he still been in the Senate.
I don't get it: Allen wants to join Radtke and the rest of the Donner Party? I know the legend about cannibalism in the high Sierras wasn't proven by the latest bone findings.
*Voters approve of Bob McDonnell's job performance by a 50%-31% margin. Republicans approve of McDonnell by an 83%-8% margin, Independents approve of him by 49%-29% margin, and Democrats disapprove of him by a 56%-18% margin.
*By a 31%-24% margin, Virginia voters say that if McDonnell's on the Republican ticket in 2012, they would actually be less likely to vote GOP.
*Mark Warner's approval rating overall is 54%-28%, with 79%-11% Democratic approval, 55%-23% independent approval, and 50%-29% Republican disapproval.
*Jim Webb's approval rating overall is 45%-36%, with 69%-16% Democratic approval, 49%-31% independent approval, and 60%-18% Republican disapproval.
*Eric Cantor's approval rating is underwater, at 29%-31%. Democrats strongly disapprove (5%-53%), Independents somewhat disapprove (23%-31%), and Republicans strongly approve (59%-10%).
*The generic legislative ballot for this November is close to even, with 45% saying they'd support the (generic) Republican candidate, and 42% choosing the (generic) Democratic candidate. Independent voters are split, 34%-34%.
*While 52% of Virginians say that gay marriage should be illegal (80% of Republicans, 52% of whites, and 50% of African Americans say that), 65% say there should be either civil unions or marriage. Just 33% of Virginians say "There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship."
*Finally, 19% of Virginians say they are Atlanta Braves baseball fans, 14% say they're Yankees fans, 11% each say they're Nationals or Red Sox fans, and 10% say they're Orioles fans. Also, 32% choose Virginia Tech, beating out the 20% who select UVA.
When we last heard from two-time Teapublican't loser Keith Fimian, he was apologizing for his outrageous comments about how, if Virginia Tech students had only been "packing heat," the massacre there "would not have happened." The problem is, in spite of Fimian's "apology," there's no evidence he's moderated his views on this, or any other, issue. In fact, as Gerry Connolly said at the time, Fimian's gun remarks were "part of a pattern of extreme views on a whole wide range of issues." (See here for his views, including abolition of the U.S. Department of Education, "drill baby drill" position on energy, repeal of the Affordable Care Act, opposition to same-sex marriage, anti-choice, possibly for repealing the Seventeenth Amendment, and even a climate science denier (a position which should, on its own, disqualify anyone from public office).
Based on the positions listed above, Fimian would fit in great in the House of Representatives Tea Party caucus, with their flat-earth, ignoramus views on everything from economics to science. However, it now appears that Fimian won't be attempting another run for Congress in 2012. Instead, the buzz in Fairfax is that Fimian is currently looking at getting back in the mix of Virginia politics, including a possible run for Virginia Lieutenant Governor in 2013. To this end, and/or to finance far-right candidates in Virginia, Fimian's treasurer in 2008 and 2010, J. Paul Crosby (see the FEC website) -- has filed a Statement of Organization for a PAC (screen shot on the "flip").
Bottom line: After his loss in 2010, many of us thought Keith Fimian was finished, but now he's baaaaack. Why should you care? Well, just imagine Virginia headed by Governor Bill Bolling, Lieutenant Governor Keith Fimian, and Attorney General Ken Kookinelli, beginning in January 2014, and you'll get the idea. Shudddderrrrrr....
"That's what we are here on this earth for...to help others." Betty Ford
Former First Ladies and other dignitaries traveled to California to say good by to the magnificent Betty Ford. Her funeral is today (according to ABC, a second funeral will be held Thursday in Grand Rapids). In the days since Ford passed away, the tributes have pored in. Her words, her iconoclast ideas, her bravery, and her feminism remind of how differently things were only a generation ago when a First Lady walked with us to gain an equal rights amendment for women. It was not to be. (Even now more than half the population is denied full Constitutionally-protected personhood. And yet today's Republicans try to give personhood to a pre-zygote!) But it matters to me that she tried.
Replays of her incredible statements and expansive generosity have been and will be played and replayed. She is justifiably mourned as one of our greatest First Ladies. But all those clips hide a starker truth. Many of her statements would be disparaged, and even mocked by the radical "right" power elite today. For God's sake, Orrin Hatch even lambasts the poor and lower income middle Americans for their plight and for not 'sacrificing' more! Oh, these same folks (like Hatch) will mouth their tributes. And then, under their breath, they will whisper, "how quaint." "Or what a bleeding heart!" Darn right she was. And that was a good thing.
Seriously, though, what's particularly amusing about this fundraising email is how ridiculous it is to think that the folks over at Daily Kos are big Tim Kaine fans. I mean, has there ever, in the history of Daily Kos, been a positive front-page diary about Tim Kaine (ok, there have probably been one or two, but not many)? How about a positive diary about Tim Kaine by a Daily Kos user not from Raising Kaine (back in 2005, when we were focused on defeating Jerry Kilgore)? Good luck finding either of those. On the other hand, you certainly will be able to find Daily Kos diaries attacking Tim Kaine, such as this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one (25% approve of Kaine's job as DNC chair, 40% disapprove), etc, etc, etc.
Yeah, George Allen nailed that one: Tim Kaine is WILDLY popular at Daily Kos and with the "liberal online activists who are now taking up his cause." The only problem is, it's not true. Apparently, somebody forget to tell the "liberal online activists" that they were supposed to be super-enthused about Tim Kaine, cuz they certainly haven't gotten the message. As usual, though, the facts - those crazy, messy things! - don't matter to George Allen nearly as much as whatever he's being paid to spew out, whether it's climate science denial or attacks on clean energy or "pants on fire" claims, even by PolitiFact's lax (for Republicans) standards.
As for ActBlue, does George Allen understand that this is simply a political committee, established in 2004, "that enables anyone to fundraise on the Internet for the Democratic Party candidates of their choice?" Also, does Allen understand that this fundraising tool is "open to all registered Democratic campaigns and candidates" -- whether they are liberal, moderate, conservative, whatever? Apparently not.
Finally, does George Allen understand how laughably absurd it is for him, of all people, to criticize how someone fundraises and from whom exactly? Allen, of course, being a guy who fundraises with organizations representing Citizens United and the Koch brothers. What a joke.
"Former Senator and Governor George Allen is holding a press conference tomorrow to endorse Republican presidential primary contender Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota." This press statement can be expected sometime later this year from the Allen for Senate campaign. Why?
Despite having a huge lead in the Virginia primary polls, Mr. Allen seems to be looking over his right shoulder 24/7 in apparent fear of what might be coming up behind him.
As a former QB, Mr. Allen knows that fumbles tend to happen when you have called a passing play and are anxious to get back into the pocket. For some reason, despite the big polling lead, Mr. Allen insists on throwing passes - he issued a big blueprint this week giving opponents a chance to pick and choose whatever they feel is the weak link - instead of following the advice of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. The Lombardi sweep was at the center of the Hall of Famer's offensive strategy. To be sure, Mr. Allen is no Paul Hornung or Frank Gifford (the student body right or left sweep was actually used by Lombardi as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants based on Gifford's legendary talents), but then who is?
The point being: When you have a big lead more than a year ahead of the vote, you don't keep throwing passes, such as Mr. Allen's latest "Blueprint for America" kind of thing. I was responsible for the final version of Mark Warner's campaign platform back in 2001. It was longer than long, a record length. It took weeks to get right, not because of the complexity of the substance, but for this reason: If you screwed up on one line, it didn't matter how careful you had been on the entire 80 pages.
Tim Kaine gets it. If he had a challenger on the left with support in the single digits, do you think the last Democratic governor would be issuing complex policy proposals geared to undercut such a challenger? Of course not; Mr. Kaine is a lot better chess player than that. Right about now, he has to be laughing at Allen.
THE BETTER CHESS MOVE FOR ALLEN: The smarter play for Allen would be to become the first current or former Senator to get behind Michelle Bachmann for President. Back in 2004, then Lt. Governor Tim Kaine supported Joe Lieberman for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Connecticut Senator bombed big time. Did it hurt Kaine the next year when running for Governor? Of course not.
Hahahahaha, gotta love this one: former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the conservative icon who was "the late president {Reagan]'s closest ally on the world stage," is completely shunning Sarah Palin, who was hoping to meet Thatcher in July when she visits England. According to Palin, "I am just hoping Mrs Thatcher is well enough to see me as I so admire her."
Well, not so fast, apparently.
It appears that the former prime minister has no intention of meeting the darling of the Tea Party movement...
It would appear that the reasons go deeper than Thatcher's frail health. Her allies believe that Palin is a frivolous figure who is unworthy of an audience with the Iron Lady. This is what one ally tells me:
"Lady Thatcher will not be seeing Sarah Palin. That would be belittling for Margaret. Sarah Palin is nuts."
Thatcher will show the level she punches at when she attends the unveiling of a statue of Ronald Reagan outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square on Independence day on 4 July. This is what her ally told me:
"Margaret is focusing on Ronald Reagan and will attend the unveiling of the statue. That is her level."
For once, I agree with the "Iron Lady." I mean, whatever you think of Thatcher, she was a figure of tremendous accomplishment, formidable intellect, historical importance, and world significance. In contrast, Sarah Palin is...well, none of those things. Oh well, as a consolation prize, maybe Palin could meet this guy - he's certainly "nuts" enough! Also, Lord Monckton seems more at Palin's level in every other way.
P.S. I wonder what Margaret Thatcher thinks of Ken Kookinelli! He's certainly got the "nuts" part down, although he's infinitely smarter than the pea-brained Palin.
Tracking polls can change in three days, but right now, President Obama has his best numbers in the Gallup Poll in many months. Obama's 54%-39% positive/negative rating is a +15, a number that makes him unbeatable next year it if holds.
This is also, it should go without saying, a superb number in the current toxic economic and political climate. It would equate to a sizeable win nationally in 2012, as well as a comfortable victory here in Virginia. It would also allow Tim Kaine to coast to victory simply by riding he Obama coattails.
If the President and the Republicans make a responsible debt deal - and I believe they will - then the President is a huge favorite to win, based on the 1936 example. Back then, the country still blamed the Republicans for the mess far more than they blamed the Democrats, and for good and sufficient reason. They applauded FDR's efforts to fix the mess the Republicans had created. Sound familiar? And FDR won bigger in 1936, despite the lingering Great Depression, than he had in 1932.
Today's situation is not an exact parallel, but still: President Bush's policies dug us into a deep hole, and it has been hard work for the President and the Democrats to dig us out. But the public understands the history.
Remember: Even with our serious problems right now, Barack Obama has winning numbers.
Umm, Rep. Woodall? That health insurance you think is "free"? We taxpayers pay for it.
Strangely, while virtually every House Republican voted to take away taxpayer-guaranteed Medicare, they didn't vote to take away their own taxpayer-guaranteed health insurance. Funny how debt concerns disappear when they're grabbing their "free" goodies.
In his Politico interview, Jim Webb has a lot to say about foreign policy and the use (or, perhaps more accurately, misuse) of the U.S. military. Among other things, Webb feels that we've become far too "blase" over the past 10-11 years about using military force around the world. Webb specifically calls for pulling out of Iraq and rethinking what we're doing in Afghanistan; questions why we're participating in a NATO campaign against Qaddafi; says Congress isn't fully participating in these debates (and has been "frozen out"); and lots more. I agree with some of what Webb has to say, disagree with some, but overall find what he has to say to be thought provoking, as is almost always the case when Webb speaks on foreign policy, military, and national security matters.
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The following press release from DPVA really says it all about George Allen's absurd policy ideas. In this case, Allen would have let the U.S. auto industry go belly up, along with "hundreds of thousands of associated jobs," including many right here in Virginia (and specifically "including jobs at Dynax in Botetourt County, where George Allen recently unveiled his anti-worker platform, Goodyear, the largest employer in Danville, and Continental AG in Newport News."). Yes, this is the kind of rabid, right-wing ideological "leadership" we could expect if George Allen ever got back into a position of power and authority. Let's all do everything we can to make sure that nightmare never comes to pass!
by Paul Goldman
More reading for this morning: 
Is it "game over" for the U.S. Senate candidacy of Teapublican Jamie Radtke? Based on 
When it comes to George Felix Allen, I find myself repeatedly wondering, "can he really be this ignorant?" And the answer keeps coming back, "oh yes he can!" The latest evidence for this hypothesis comes from a 
by Paul Goldman
A few more findings from 
by Paul Goldman
By Paul Goldman
