Speaking of discontent with the Republican field, I talked the other day to a pretty prominent conservative officeholder who's constantly been discussing with people around the country the possibility of a new entrant or a push to draft someone. But who?... It's hard to argue, though, with the bottom line of this conservative: In an election with enormous consequences for the future of our country, "we don't have our A team on the field."
Actually, this isn't tragic at all, except insofar as it indicates the decline and fall of the once-serious "Grand Old Party." Today, it's more like the "Gone Off (the deep end) Party." Bottom line: you know you're not a serious party when your front runners are: 1) a long-time political loser and champion for the 1% (0.1%?) who's flip-flopped on everything, including his support for cap and trade legislation, the individual mandate, abortion rights, gay rights, even his real first name; and 2) a bizarro, paranoid, conspiracy freak who hates gays, brown people, black people, Jews, Israel, the gub'mint, and black helicopters (but LOVES Mahmoud Ahmedinejad!). A few more comments courtesy of Whiskey Fire:
*"The fact that the GOP presidential field is only capable of coughing up a gang of clownish shysters and a laughably phony hack indicates that the GOP is not a political party, but Fox News by other means."
*"[W]e can throw out all statistical models about prior elections because the modern GOP has gone off the charts nuts."
*"Romney will probably win the nomination, but he is anyhow an astonshingly bad candidate."
That about sums it up. Feel free to pile on, or disagree (although I can't imagine a factual, reality-based reason for doing so) in the comments section.
(Rep. Connolly quote: "Speaker Boehner and the Tea Party Republicans capitulated to overwhelming public disgust with their intransigence." - promoted by lowkell)
BREAKING: Talking Points Memo reports: "A top Senate Democratic aide says House Republicans have privately offered up the terms of their surrender on the payroll tax cut."
If true - and you never know with BONEr, Can'tor, etc. - it's about freakin' time, but the writing was on the wall with tremendous pressure from President Obama and a unified Democratic Party against the House Teapublican extremists. See below, for instance, as President Obama explains the importance of extending the payroll tax cuts into 2012. Also, see the video on the "flip" for Rep. Jim Moran hitting Republicans for refusing to extend the payroll tax credit. Among other things, Rep. Moran emphasizes the disarray in the House Teapublican't caucus, and also how important $40 per paycheck is to those in the middle class and those working to get there.
"Enough is enough. The people standing with me today can't afford any more games. They can't afford to lose $1,000 because of some ridiculous Washington standoff. The House needs to pass a short-term version of this compromise." - President Obama
In addition to the outrageous, cowardly behavior demonstrated by Republican'ts in this video (they won't allow a vote on the Senate payroll tax cut bill, because they're terrified it might PASS!), other Republicans are piling on. For instance, 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain says "the failure of the House to approve the bipartisan Senate bill to extend the payroll-tax cut is 'harming the Republican Party.'" Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) says, "It angers me that House Republicans would rather continue playing politics than find solutions...Their actions will hurt American families and be detrimental to our fragile economy. We are Americans first; now is not the time for drawing lines in the sand." And the silence by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) - who voted for the bill, along with most Senate Republicans, the House Republicans are now desperately blocking, is deafening. I'd say this was particularly crazy, but sadly it isn't; just business as usual for John BONEr, Eric Can'tor and their crazy band of Teapublicans in the House (aka, "loony bin").
A bit earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives finally voted, de facto, to raise taxes on 160 million Americans as a Christmas/New Years gift to the country, apparently. Why did they do this? Simple: John Boehner lost control of his crazy caucus, specifically the ultra-rabid parts of it, who wouldn't even agree to something that Mitch McConnell and the vast majority of Senate Republicans just voted for a few days ago (and that John Boehner supported as well, just a few days ago).
Still, isn't this crazy, you ask, even for people who are...well, completely off the deep end? Yes, but my theory is that the House Teapublican'ts simply can't abide three things: 1) cutting taxes for non-super-rich people; 2) paying for tax cuts for middle class and working class Americans by raising taxes on the top 1%; and/or 3) giving Democrats and, specifically, President Obama, any sort of political "victory," even if in doing so they hurt America's economy. In the end, this will be the Teapublican Tax Increase of 2012, make no mistake about it, and specifically the Eric Can'tor/House Teapublican't Tax Increase of 2012.
Speaking of Eric Can'tor, he was one of 7 Virginia Republican'ts (also Forbes, Goodlatte, Griffith, Hurt, Rigell, and Wittman) who voted "aye" earlier today on a bill that was the height of cowardice -- refusing to even vote up or down on the payroll tax cut, and instead punting it to a non-existent committee (non-existent, because the Senate left town after overwhelmingly passing the tax cut, expecting that John BONEr would uphold his end of the deal, which he clearly has now failed to do). The only Virginia Republican't voting "nay" on this bill? Frank Wolf, who apparently must not be worried about a Tea Party challenge this time around, and instead is back to his game of pretending to be a "moderate," which he hasn't been for many, many years.
Needless to say, every Virginia Democrat voted "nay" on this steaming pile of horse manure. In fact, not one Democrat in the entire House voted for this, even the Blue Dogs, demonstrating how completely, wildly irresponsible this was. Did we just watch House Republicans commit political suicide for 2012? It's certainly possible, and if so, it's well deserved, for one of the most cowardly acts in Congress in many, many years.
UPDATE: I'm loving these new poll numbers (e.g., by a 19-point margin, Americans say they have more confidence in President Obama than in House Republican'ts), can't wait to see what they do after Americans realize Republicans just hit them with a big tax increase, for absolutely no good reason, to start 2012.
Here's Rep. Connolly's statement, which I strongly endorse. What's wrong with these House Teapublican'ts exactly? Are they on crack, are they off their meds, or - more likely - are they only interested in cutting taxes if it's for the top 1% (screw the other 99%, the Koch brothers and Grover Norquist don't care about them)? Sure seems like it. Anyway, enjoy the (House) Teapublican Tax Increase, everyone, because they're 100% the ones responsible for this situation (perhaps we should all send snarky thank-you notes to Eric Can'tor?).
Mr. Speaker,
It's Grinch time in Washington, Mr. Speaker. One is incredulous that House Republicans would oppose a tax cut for 160 million Americans. But that is just what they are going to do today.
Is this bill perfect? No. There are aspects upon which both sides disagree. But it is the area of agreement that should be the most important - Congress stops playing hostage politics and halts the tax hike on 160 million fellow citizens.
Saturday's Senate vote was 89 to 10, not just liberals I say to my friend from South Carolina, with all members of the Senate leadership, Republican and Democrat, voting in favor. If House Republicans vote against this compromise, they will ring in the New Year with a tax hike of their own making.
If House Republicans were serious about wanting certainty as they claim, they would vote for this bill today - and guarantee that 160 million Americans won't pay higher taxes on January 1st.
Mr. Speaker, rejecting this bill and holding up the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits will be a true example of how the GOP Grinch stole Christmas for 160 million Americans.
Four years ago almost to the day, Virginia Democrats like Creigh Deeds were busy - not to mention eagerly - revving up to run for governor in 2009. For instance, check out the announcement above, by Creigh Deeds, from December 13, 2007 (at the same time, national Democrats were salivating at the prospects of taking back the White House, as Bush's approval ratings were in the toilet bowl and the economy was sinking into recession). In response, another Virginia Democrat running for governor, Brian Moran, responded by (strongly) hinting that he'd be announcing for governor as well, but not until after the early 2008 General Assembly session. In reality, of course, Brian and Creigh were both running hard at this point in the cycle 4 years ago. And soon to follow were numerous Democratic candidates for LG (Jon Bowerbank, Jody Wagner, Mike Signer, etc.) and one strong one for AG (Steve Shannon).
This time around? Basically, we've got the sound of crickets chirping on the Democratic side, even as Republicans galore - Bill Bolling, Ken Cuccinelli, Keith Fimian, Corey Stewart, Pete Snyder, Dick Black, Jeff McWaters, Bob Marshall, Rob Bell, Mark Obenshain, Jill Holtzman-Vogel, and who knows who else in coming months - come out of the woodwork to eagerly throw their hats in the ring, or hint at doing so, for 2013.
In comparison, who's on the roster for Democrats? Well, we've got Terry McAuliffe probably possibly running for governor. We've got Chap Petersen and Ward Armstrong mentioned as possible 2013 candidates. In the former case, however, there are no signs of any moves to gear up for such a campaign. In the latter case...after getting his butt kicked (and spending a ton of $$$ doing so) this past cycle, plus pissing off a lot of Democrats with his conservadem distancing from/dissing of President Obama, c'mon Ward, you MUST be kidding! Another possibility for 2013 had been (at least theoretically) Tom Perriello, but he de facto took his name out of contention last week, as he accepted a great job heading up the Center for American Progress Action Fund (congratulations Tom -- smart move!).
With control of executive offices, the House, and half of the Senate, Virginia Republicans are set to do the National Rifle Association's bidding by trying to repeal what's left of Virginia's already-weak gun laws:
A handful of pro-gun bills is already in the works. Del. Mark Cole, R-Fredericksburg, filed a bill last week that bars localities from offering incentives to gun owners to surrender their firearms and another banning clerks from releasing the names of individuals who have permits to carry concealed handguns. [...]
The top target for pro-gun groups is lifting Virginia's limit of one handgun purchase per month.
The NRA has given $16,140 to Virginia state-level political campaigns this year alone - not a penny of it going to Democrats. The NRA has poured a staggering $628,648 into Virginia campaigns since 1996. Gov. Bob McDonnell used to support the extremely reasonable one handgun a month limit. But that was before he needed the NRA's support for his national political ambitions.
"Republicans are going to be responsible for what comes out and whatever results from the decisions they make," said Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington. "In all likelihood they will become law. People should get ready for the wild, wild West here in Virginia, and I'm not sure that's what people voted for when they went to the booths in November."
This is not about hunting (I think we actually need more of that), and it's not about self-protection. It's about fighting a paranoid culture war that thinks any reasonable gun safety rules are the same thing as Muslim commie terrorists running through the streets stealing our guns, forcing our children to gay marry & setting fire to our churches. Why would you need more than one handgun a month, other than the convenience of being able to massacre more people without stopping to reload?
As Rep. Connolly says, "Republicans included a poison pill with actual poison -- mercury, arsenic and other toxins; what does gutting the Clean Air Act have to do with payroll tax cuts? Nothing!"
How difficult is this for Republican'ts? Apparently, simply cutting taxes for working Americans is too hard for them, unless they can load up the bill with this, that, and the other pet right-wingnut/anti-environment cause of theirs. Now, if it were a tax cut for the top 0.1% or ExxonMobil, you know they'd be all about that. Priorities, priorities.
To summarize Ken Cuccinelli's comments on Faux "News" this morning:
1. Newt Gingrich did not give Cuccinelli confidence that, given Newt's many non-conservative positions over the years, he would be a real, "small government conservative" as president. Instead, Cuccinelli fears that Newt could end up being another "compassionate conservative"/"big government conservative." Like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, in other words, both of whom grew government tremendously.
2. According to Cuccinelli, if Gingrich can reassure "small government conservatives" that he's really one of them, he could "close the deal" in Iowa.
3. Cuccinelli states correctly that here's almost no difference between "Romneycare" and "Obamacare," and that this is a major problem for grassroots conservatives. According to Cuccinelli, Romney's (non)answer on that question hurt him.
4. Rick Perry was wrong in saying he can repeal a law, passed by Congress and signed by the President, with an executive order (I'd add that what Perry's saying is a wild violation of the Constitution, the framers' intent, "first principles," etc., and this should outrage Cuccinelli). Still, Cuccinelli inexplicably thought Perry had a strong debate last night. Standards for these things are not the highest, as you can see.
The "un-official blog of the Virginia House of Delegates GOP Caucus" put up a post on uranium mining this morning that quickly disappeared. Maybe someone thought that telling Virginians that uranium mining would make something (land? water? Virginians?) glow "an eerie green" was maybe not the best messaging? Heck, even the words "uranium deposit" are written in Incredible Hulk green.
The blog is written anonymously, calls itself unofficial, and isn't hosted on a government or party site. Given how sloppily written the blog is and how it presents House Republicans as little more than industry sock puppets, I'm not surprised there's no name on it. But unfortunately that makes it impossible to know who wrote it, what they were thinking, or who made the frantic phone call to for god's sake take down that post before anyone sees it.
But isn't that symbolic of the whole effort? Virginia Uranium is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into political donations and lobbying hoping to jam through a repeal of Virginia's sensible uranium mining ban before anyone notices its wild inflation of economic impacts or how similar fool's gold like oil and gas fracking has brought unhappiness to towns from North Dakota to Pennsylvania.
Learn more about why lifting Virginia's ban uranium mining would be such a bad deal for Virginians from Keep the Ban and ProgressVA.
In a positive sign for President Barack Obama, the unemployment rate surprisingly dropped to 8.6 percent in November - the lowest in two-and-a-half years - as the country's long-stalled economy flashed new signs of strength amid uneasiness about a broader global downturn.
The big dip in unemployment from 9 percent in October occurred even though the Labor Department reported Friday that just 120,000 jobs were added in November, a figure roughly in line with expectations.
Unemployment now stands at its lowest level since March 2009 - a clear political plus for Obama but something of a mixed bag considering 13.3 million Americans are still jobless and the sovereign debt crisis unfolding in Europe could tip the world into a recession.
Yes, clearly there are still a lot of problems. And why is that? Well, first of all, President Obama and the Democrats inherited a hell of bad situation from Bush/Cheney/etc. in January 2009. Remember, at that time, the economy was in free fall, unemployment was surging, the budget deficit was projected at about $1 trillion (BEFORE the "stimulus," let's note for the record), the auto industry was in danger of collapsing, etc. Since, then, Democrats have managed to at least stop the hemorrhaging, and even to get things going in the right direction. No thanks whatsoever - don't believe me, review the record on this - to Republican'ts. That's just a fact.
Now, just imagine if a few things had happened that didn't happen: 1) the Teapublicans had not blocked investment in U.S. infrastructure, as well as further measures to boost the economy; 2) the Teapublicans had not held the entire economy hostage this past summer over a normally routine debt ceiling increase; 3) the Teapublicans had not insisted on counterproductive austerity in the short term, including cuts in federal/state government employment, instead of the obvious move, which would have been Keynesian fiscal stimulus while the economy recovers, combined with long-term debt reduction; 4) the Teapublicans had not blocked efforts to sharply bring down long-term U.S. deficits; and 5) the Teapublicans had not continuously "talked down" the U.S. economy and placed destroying Obama's reelection chances over the lives of the American people since January 2009? Of course, all of those things would have required the Teapublicans to put their own political calculations second to the needs of our country, and that's clearly something they were NOT willing to do. I just hope the American people see this, and vote accordingly, next November!
Republicans know how easy jokes about Congress are to make. It's even less popular than lawyers! Plus, Republicans know jokes about "Congress" go over better in mixed company - no better way to turn half a crowd against you than by pointing out that Congressional Republicans are obstructionist, am I right, Mark Warner?
That's why roadblock Republicanism works so well - the GOP can create gridlock, count on the media to falsely blame "both sides", then watch anger at "Washington" & "Congress" fuel its destructive, cynical political agenda (current top item: holding America's economy hostage in hopes of defeating President Obama in 2012). The whole Republican brand is built around hatred for government. Not desire to improve it - desire to destroy it. As longtime GOP Congressional staffer Mike Lofgren said:
A couple of years ago, a Republican committee staff director told me candidly (and proudly) what the method was to all this obstruction and disruption. Should Republicans succeed in obstructing the Senate from doing its job, it would further lower Congress's generic favorability rating among the American people. By sabotaging the reputation of an institution of government, the party that is programmatically against government would come out the relative winner.... Undermining Americans' belief in their own institutions of self-government remains a prime GOP electoral strategy.
Congressional Republicans are like The Emperor in Return of the Jedi. Hatred only makes them grow stronger. Remember, Luke didn't do anything to destroy the second Death Star except keep The Emperor & Darth Vader occupied. It was the people he'd organized with who took down the shield generator & destroyed the main reactor.
Great move by the Virginia Senate Democrats. Now, do NOT back down to the Republicans' wild overreach (with lots more to come, I'm sure)! Thank you. :)
Senate Democrats to File Lawsuit to Stop Republican Power Grab Republicans Overreaching in Claiming a Majority and Seeking to Re-do Redistricting
Richmond, VA - In one of the largest power grabs in modern Virginia history, Republicans are claiming a Senate majority they did not earn and also announced they would like to "re-visit" redistricting. In response to the Republicans claiming the Lt. Governor has the authority to break a tie for re-organizing the Virginia Senate, Senate Democrats today announced they will file suit to force a ruling on the power of the Lt. Governor to break tie votes in a Senate that now has 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
"You would think after an extremely close election Republicans would come out with a plan that addresses jobs, education, transportation, and other issues facing Virginia families" said newly-elected Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Donald McEachin (D-Henrico). "Instead, the first thing Senate Republicans do is claim a majority they do not have and announce their intention to re-draw Senate district lines. Republicans are showing us right now that their number one priority is the accumulation and exercise of political power for their own benefit."
Part of it is the culture of people just having no work ethic.... Moral relativism has done so much damage to the bottom end of this country, the bottom fifth has been damaged by the culture of moral relativism more than by anything else, I would argue. If you ask me what the biggest problem in America is, I'm not going to tell you debt, deficits, statistics, economics - I'll tell you it's moral relativism.
As Steve Benen details, it's not just Rep. Ryan - Mitt Romney, Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Gov. Tom Corbett (R-PA) have all expressed similar complaints that the economy would pick up if unemployed Americans weren't so lazy. It's no wonder Republicans are trying to shift the conversation to President Obama with false attacks. I mean, do you really think they want to talk about the GOP's record after nearly a year of controlling the House - 319 days and still not a single jobs bill?
UPDATE by Lowell: Mitt Romney says, "We have been accustomed to being the world's leading nation for so long, enjoying the freedom, security, and prosperity that comes with that leadership, that we have tended to avoid the hard work that overcoming challenges requires."
Jim Webb's election as US Senator in 2006 held great promise for the future of Democrats in Virginia and nationwide. He was and is a unique kind of Democrat, offering the hope of bringing a very different constituency into the party - the Scots-Irish, more rural and pro-military but profoundly populist folks who are too poorly served by their steadfast support of the Republican agenda of enriching America's millionaires.
This past week's election results, leaving Republicans in total control of state government, made crystal clear that the forces of reaction have roared back to crush this revolution - for now. Democratic hopes of expanding our base in Virginia have largely stopped dead at the borders of Fairfax County, as we have failed to appeal to the kind of Virginians, from the exurbs to the small towns, who look and in some ways think like Jim Webb.
But rather than sulking, we need to figure out how the revolution that Jim Webb promised got stopped in its tracks, and how we revive it - with new Jim Webbs, wherever we can find them.
It is important to remember what an unlikely Democratic candidate Webb made in 2006. Webb is an archetypal symbol of Marine machismo, who blazed a trail from his famed boxing match with Oliver North at Annapolis to his uncommon courage in Vietnam, where he earned the Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. He made his mark as a Reagan administration official, bringing the Marines back from a low point and dramatically resigning as Navy Secretary when he disagreed with the president's policies.
Our faith in Virginians and Americans should be renewed by the results of the elections yesterday. The wave of popular fear may be ebbing. Though the Virginia outcome could be better, our progressive ship is not on the shoals. However, we cannot stand idle while the DPVA finds its voice.
Elaine and her commenters have outlined many positive aspects of elections across America yesterday. There are other indicators that the Republicans and the Tea Party have overplayed their hands. Anecdotally, phone bank volunteers in campaigns noted that they often heard complaints about the tone of calls from the other side and the over-the-top rhetoric. And there is a trend back toward discussions of local issues away from the divisive and sometimes irrelevant national debate.
Until this fall, Sinclair Communications in the Norfolk market featured two all day, all night, wall-to-wall radio talk-fests featuring almost exclusive drum beating for "conservative ideas." But a few weeks ago one station, was completely transformed and the other broadly reformatted. Gone are Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz (both completely from the market), and others. One former talk-radio station is now Funny 850, almost exclusively comedy with some time for sports shows smattered here and there. On the other station, WNIS, local talk programming has been expanded from a low of 3 hours daily to 6. Based upon the volume of callers, it appears a successful venture. The much hailed "free market" seems to have discounted appeals to fear, hate, and loathing.
Right now is the time to be pressing our case hard, making our voices heard across Virginia. But there is no DPVA strategy to develop, maintain, and reinforce a message; to call out the Virginia Republicans for their obfuscation and downright fabricated accomplishments (see Bob McDonnell); to remind us and everyone what we stand for. The frustration expressed by Peter Rousselot is commonly held; just look at the comments to his diary. For some time there has been no consistent message or spokesperson at all. So it is important that we speak out here and wherever we can until the DPVA regains a voice and begins to represent Virginia Democrats rather than Virginia Democratic office holders.
Wait, wasn't this Patrick Forrest dude, crushed by Janet Howell in the election results yesterday, supposed to be a "moderate" or even a "liberal" Republican? Guess not.
I wanted to pass along to you one of my favorite quotes from Ayn Rand:
"Throughout history, no tyrant ever rose to power except on the claim of representing 'the common good.' Napoleon 'served the common good' of France. Hitler is 'serving the common good' of Germany.Horrors which no man would dare consider for his own selfish sake are perpetrated with a clear conscience by 'altruists' who justify themselves by-the common good. The American system is founded on individualism. If it is to survive, we must understand the principles of individualism and hold them as our standard in any public question, in every issue we face. We must have a positive credo, a clear consistent faith."
Uh huh. Right. Sure. Whatever you say, Mr. Forrest. (quick, someone call the men in the white coats) As one Virginia Democrat said to me in an email: "I think we should all be thankful the man who thought this post-election campaign email was a good idea is not an elected official. Hopefully, we don't see him again." I'd just add the words, "for both selfish reasons as well as for the common good!" :)
P.S. For more on the sociopathic extremist (and horrible writer) Ayn Rand, click here.
I've rarely if ever seen Jim Webb this angry, but I think it's totally appropriate given the outrageousness of Republicans' rhetoric in this campaign. Specifically, Webb is disgusted by a Loudoun County Republican Committee Halloween message that included an image of President Obama with a bullet hole in his head. Note that the chair of that committee, Mark Sell, has not resigned or apologized (other than a ridiculous, non-apology "apology") to this day. Nor have most Loudoun Republican politicians condemned Sell or demanded his resignation. That really says it all, wouldn't you say?
The continuing laughingstock/horror show that the Loudoun County Republicans have devolved into just got even worse. In yet another great scoop for Too Conservative, it turns out that right-wing Republican State Senate candidate Patricia Phillips has gone even MORE off the deep end than she usually is. Check this out, and choose whether to laugh, cry, or simply feel pity, as yet another Loudoun County Republican (joining Dick Black, Eugene Delgaudio, Mark Sell, etc.) demonstrates gross incompetence and craziness. Where on earth do the FIND these people?!?
In one robocall apparently intended for Democratic voters, a "concerned citizen" calls Herring a "traitor" and more for voting WITH Governor McDonnell on transportation issues, then signs off with "Paid for and authorized by Patricia Phillips for Senate." Huh? Vote for the Republican because the Democrat is too Republican?
Then, in a recent mailer, she calls out Herring for not thanking veterans -using a picture of a SOVIET officer. Look closely and you'll even see the "CCCP" in one of the medals on his chest.
P.S. By the way, the "Too Conservative" blog, and particularly "Loudoun Insider," is wildly outpacing all other Virginia Republican blogs/bloggers in original reporting, quality (and quantity) of writing, and also courageous willingness to call out their own "side" for outrageous behavior. Kudos; that's blogging at its best right there!
The Loudoun Times-Mirror (LTM) has issued a series of endorsements, and it has people - myself included - scratching their heads. Between the LTM, the Kaplan Post (aka, "long-time foreign correspondent Lee Hockstader"), and the ever-bizarre Sun Gazette (a right-wing real estate rag that hates liberals, environmentalists, and Democrats in general, yet endorses only Democrats this cycle? Huh?!?), I'm just about at the point of urging everyone to completely ignore dead-tree-media endorsements. Except that, despite themselves, sometimes they actually make a lot of sense. With that, here's my "good, bad and ugly" list for the LTM endorsements (note: I'm skipping the School Board and Constitutional Officers, as I'm not sufficiently familiar with those races to weigh in)
1. Board of Supervisors *Good: Andrea McGimsey, who has done a great job overall, particularly as a strong proponent of environmental protection and smart growth, most definitely deserves to be reelected. Malcolm Baldwin (a smart growth advocate) is also a good pick, as are Jim Burton and Kelly Burk, who's running against a dangerous buffoon.
*Bad: All the Republicans (except for Eugene Delgaudio, who's in his own category altogether). If their party controls the Loudoun County board, it will be bad news for the environment and a lot of other things progressives care about.
*Ugly: How the h*** can anyone with any sanity endorse a raving, homophobic wackjob like Eugene Delgaudio? Have these people lost their minds, or is it more insidious than that? Either way, this endorsement of the utterly deplorable Delgaudio frankly calls into question all the rest of the LTM's endorsements, even when they are good ones. Pathetic.
The purpose of Blue Virginia is to cover Virginia politics from a progressive and Democratic perspective. This is a group blog and a community blog. We invite everyone to comment here, but please be aware that profanity, personal attacks, bigotry, insults, rudeness, frequent unsupported or off-point statements, and "trolling" (NOTE: that includes outright lies, whether about climate science, or what other people said, or whatever) are not permitted and, if continued, will lead to banning. For more on trolling, see the Daily Kos FAQs. Also note that diaries may be deleted if they do not contain at least 2 solid paragraphs of original text; if not, please use the comments section of a relevant diary. For more on writing diaries, click here. Thanks, and enjoy!
I must say, 
Republicans know how easy jokes about Congress are to make. It's even less popular than lawyers! Plus, Republicans know jokes about "Congress" go over better in mixed company - no better way to turn half a crowd against you than by pointing out that Congressional Republicans are obstructionist, am I right, Mark Warner?
Great move by the Virginia Senate Democrats. Now, do NOT back down to the Republicans' wild overreach (with lots more to come, I'm sure)! Thank you. :)
Jim Webb's election as US Senator in 2006 held great promise for the future of Democrats in Virginia and nationwide. He was and is a unique kind of Democrat, offering the hope of bringing a very different constituency into the party - the Scots-Irish, more rural and pro-military but profoundly populist folks who are too poorly served by their steadfast support of the Republican agenda of enriching America's millionaires.
Our faith in Virginians and Americans should be renewed by the results of the elections yesterday. The wave of popular fear may be ebbing. Though the Virginia outcome could be better, our progressive ship is not on the shoals. However, we cannot stand idle while the DPVA finds its voice.
The Loudoun Times-Mirror (LTM) has issued a 
