Whipple Clip Dozen: Friday Morning

Thanks to Tom Whipple for another work week of "Whipple clips."

1. DEEDS, MCDONNELL EACH CLAIM ENDORSEMENTS
2. MCDONNELL TOPS DEEDS ON TV AD SPENDING
3. DEEDS, MCDONNELL PRAISE BID FOR 70,000 NEW DEGREES
4. RPV BLASTS DEEDS FOR GOP-BACKED BILL
5. VA. CANDIDATES STEP UP COURTING OF MILITARY VOTES
6. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS BACK DEEDS
7. THE MCCARTNEY SCORECARD
8. NEW POLL: OBAMA STRUGGLING IN VIRGINIA WITH VOTERS WHO DOUBT HEALTH CARE REFORM...
9. KAINE LINKS COLLEGES, ROADS
10. SHANNON RECEIVES $225K BOOST
11. FORUM ADS DEPTH TO HAMILTON V. ABBOTT AND ODER V. WEST....
14. PERRIELLO SEEKS TO EXTEND AID TO JOBLESS IN ALL STATES

"Discover the Real Barbara Comstock" - She's Frightening

Idolizing corrupt convict Tom DeLay? Organizing the Scooter Libby Defense Fund? Active in the "social conservative movement" for "too long" (her own words). Opposed to Roe v. Wade and abortion rights even in cases of the life and health of the mother? Specifically called out by Sean Hannity as his "friend?" In short, Barbara Comstock is almost a caricature of a far-right-wing ideologue. Why would anyone in the 34th district vote for her over their excellent delegate - and a great lady as well - Margi Vanderhye? Uhhhhhhhhh.

Mark Warner on the Dire Consequences of a Failure to Act on Health Care Reform

"What I hear, time and again, among colleagues on the other side, are complaints here and there about the various proposals that this side - and hopefully some on the other side will join us on - have put forward. But what I don't hear from the other side is ever, what happens if we take their approach which is doing nothing. What I don't hear from the other side is a simple recognition...of the very real fiscal challenges of not acting." - Mark Warner

Danny Smith (R) Doctors Video of "Tea Baggers" Shouting Down Kaye Kory (D)

Fun times over in the 38th House of Delegates district, as Republican candidate Danny Smith doctors a video of a Providence District Council forum last night. According to Smith, Kaye Kory's "temper flare[d]," and she "loudly scolded audience members, as she was noticeably irritated." This is totally false. What really happened, from witnesses who were at the forum, is that there was a large group of conservatives (aka, "tea baggers") that showed up and were shouting out crazy questions about taxes and the government being evil, Barack Obama indoctrinating our children and replacing Jesus' name with Obama, etc.

Of course, the Smith campaign cut out the disruptive behavior and attempted to make the video look like Kaye Kory was losing here temper. In fact, the only thing Smith accomplished was to make himself look duplicitous (not to mention sympathetic to the most extreme right-wing elements of the Republican Party). If you don't approve of this, please help out Kaye Kory any way you can. Thanks.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Calls Beck a "Cynic," Birthers "Crazy": "Knock this crap off"

Thank you, Lindsey Graham, for being a rare voice of sanity - and courage to call these lunatics out - in today's Republican Party. For more on this story, see the Huffington Post.

"Here's what the Republican Party has to do...we have to say that's crazy, so I'm here to tell you that those who think the president was born somewhere other than Hawaii are crazy...let's knock this crap off and talk about the real differences we have" - Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Not Running To Get Reelected…Running to Get the Job Done

Peter Schmidt, candidate for the House of Delegates 82nd District seat hosted a Town Hall on transportation last night. Joining him were Dwight Farmer, Executive Director of the HRPDC, Aubrey Layne, Commissioner of the Commonwealth Transportation Board and Mike Barrett, CEO of The Runnymede Corporation. Some 50 attended the event.

The Town Hall was billed as non-partisan, because, Mr. Schmidt noted, “our transportation debacle is not a partisan one – it affects all Virginians – particularly in Hampton Roads, where regular people on the way to and from work stuck in 7-mile back-ups on either side of the HRBT." Mr. Schmidt underlined the reality that there had not been any significant transportation improvements made in the Commonwealth since 1986 under the administration of Governor Gerald Baliles, and that it will take leaders with political courage to move the issue forward in the House of Delegates. The panelists outlined the sobering particulars and compared this situation to one that the state experienced decades ago, but under much less stressful economic conditions.

To the assembled residents, business leaders, and members of the construction community, Mr. Schmidt called for an “open and honest” discussion that Virginians need to have about transportation. “Anyone who is talking about transportation solutions and isn’t mentioning new revenues isn’t giving you an honest assessment of what it will take to bring our roads up to par,” said Mr. Schmidt, reflecting the sentiment of his panelists.

"Citizens in Virginia Beach are not looking for partisan rhetoric, they’re looking for honest solutions, they’re looking for someone to take the lead on this issue, and I pledge my full commitment to embrace and champion any reasonable dedicated funding stream to fix our transportation woes." -- Peter Schmidt

During the question and answer period that followed presentations by each panel member, Virginia Beach City Councilman Bill DeSteph noted that despite the diminished stream of revenue from the state, the localities' responsibilities for maintenance and modernization of the transportation infrastructure continue unabated. "We have about $150 million going to local road, transportation projects. And Mike was right that at the state level we are not being reimbursed for any of them. In the past we have been reimbursed for…at the high end $200 to $250 million a year. So it's been cut significantly." DeSteph went on to ask the panel their opinions about proposals to add a local gas tax, putting it in a lock box and using that only in the localities for transportation. "Pretty much you'll see at the local level everyone willing to support that. You'll have one or two people who, for whatever reason, they'll duck for cover." This elicited a question from Mike Barrett about how many of the functions of state government the cities are going to be willing or forced to take on as local responsibilities. Barrett pointed out that when relieved of the responsibilities to fund state obligations our delegates are let off the hook for making the hard choices.

Additional information from the presentations will be outlined separately. The reality is impossible to avoid and is already stressing the state's ability to maintain the transportation infrastructure. Simplistic bromides like "making VDOT more efficient" and "finding cost savings" are appealing but unrealistic solutions to problems that are orders of magnitude more complex and costly.

Peter Schmidt is challenging incumbent Delegate Harry “Bob” Purkey for his seat in the 82nd district.

Cross posted at VBDems

"Sideshow Bob" Hits the Panic Button

This email from Del. Bob Marshall (R-Extreme Right Wingnuttia) is hilarious on many levels, including the (intentional?) typos like not capitalizing "Democratic" and dropping the "ic" from the end (common grammatical mistake by Republicans, probably intentional for their own weird reasons). Also, you gotta love the use! of! exclamation! points! in just about every! sentence! Third, isn't it great how "Sideshow Bob" - author of the infamous Virginia "marriage amendment," as well as crazy comments like "sometimes incest is voluntary" and (with regard to contraception) his remark about "making these co-eds chemical Love Canals for these frat house playboys in Virginia" - can "dish it out but can't take it," trying to turn himself into a poor victim of those mean, awful libruls? Ha.

Finally, and more substantively, there's "Sideshow Bob's" hysteria that his opponent - Major John Bell (ret.) - has been outraising him, outhustling him, outdebating him, and outclassing him. To such an extent, no less, that Marshall has "no choice but to appeal to you for help!" I mean, wow, what a concept - a political candidate asking his supporters for money. Who would ever have though of such a thing? Craaazy times we live in, huh? :)

Enviro Groups Emphasize "Green Divide" Between Deeds and McDonnell

The following press release is from the Deeds campaign. The bottom line is this: while Creigh Deeds may not be the ideal "green" candidate, Bob McDonnell will without doubt be an utter, unmitigated, complete (did I leave out any adjectives?) disaster on energy and environmental issues if - god forbid - he is elected the next governor of Virginia. If you care about the environment in the least bit, you should NOT - repeat NOT - vote for Bob McDonnell. End of story.

VIRGINIA’S TOP ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ANNOUNCE ENDORSEMENT OF CREIGH DEEDS FOR GOVERNOR

Endorsement highlights “Green Divide” between gubernatorial candidates

(Virginia Beach, VA) – With Virginia Beach’s lively oceanfront as the backdrop, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters today announced their respective groups’ endorsement of Senator Creigh Deeds for Governor.

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters annual General Assembly Scorecard provides a clear picture of the contrast between the gubernatorial candidates. Deeds’ cumulative score is 86% while McDonnell’s is only 18%. “Creigh Deeds’ has made protecting the environment a priority throughout his time in the General Assembly,” said Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of VALCV. “The choice is clear for Virginia voters who want to protect our air, land and water.”

“As opposed to his opponent, Senator Deeds understands the true win-win opportunity that transitioning to a clean energy economy brings to Virginia”, explained Glen Besa, Virginia Chapter Director with the Sierra Club. “His energy plan with its mandatory renewable portfolio standards, tax credit programs, building an energy-based research triangle, will make Virginia extremely attractive to green businesses that will create in Virginia thousands of good, high-paying clean energy jobs.”

The environmental groups were quick to point out Deeds’ opponent, Bob McDonnell’s poor environmental record. “McDonnell’s agenda is a pro-developer and pro-polluter agenda”, added Besa.

Paul Hamaker, a Virginia Resident active in protecting Stumpy Lake objected to then Delegate and attorney Bob McDonnell for his representation of developer Eddie S. Garcia. “Had McDonnell had his way, 145 acres of wetlands and watershed that is today Stumpy Lake Nature Preserve would have been destroyed for yet another massive residential development”, said Mr. Hamaker.

McDonnell has proposes drilling for oil off the coast of Virginia Beach as means of raising revenues for transportation. “In reality, Bob McDonnell has no real plan to meet our critical transportation needs in Hampton Roads,” said Eileen Levandoski, a Virginia Beach resident who works on drilling issues for Sierra Club. “Even if drilling for oil off Virginia Beach was authorized, there is little chance that the Congress will share royalty revenues with Virginia. The US Navy opposes drilling and the massive and continuing spill off the Australian coast should be a message that drilling off our coast simply isn’t worth the risk.”

Consumer Reports: "Washington, the time for health care reform is now"

And yes, that should include a public option. Is there any good reason why we should not have a public option? If so, I still haven't heard it.

Whipple Clip Dozen: Thursday Morning

Thanks to Tom Whipple as always for letting us know what's up in Virginia.

1. POLLS FIND WILDER’S OPINION MEANS LITTLE TO VA.‘S VOTERS
2. ON THE WILDER SIDE OF POLITICS, PICKING NONE OF THE ABOVE
3. RACE FOR GOVERNOR: MCDONNELL TAKES SWIPE AT KAINE
5. MCDONNELL UP BIG IN CONSECUTIVE POLLS
6. KAINE SEES TOUGHER FIGHT, MORE NEGATIVE TONE IN GOVERNOR’S RACE
7. VPBA ENDORSES DEEDS, FOUR YEARS AFTER BACKING MCDONNELL
9. ODU LEADERS TESTIFY BEFORE PANEL IN HAMILTON CASE
13. KAINE ISSUES ORDERS ON SEXUAL, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
14. VA. GIVES INTERCITY RAIL SERVICE TRIAL RUN
23. HOUSE OKS WITTMAN'S BAY CLEANUP MEASURE
25. DULLES RAIL PHASE II FUNDING TAKING LONGER THAN EXPECTED
26. AGENCY TAKES OVER DULLES TOLL ROAD OPERATION