Mark Warner on Being a Moderate Senator: "It's Very Frustrating"

Watching this, I kept wondering if Mark Warner will eventually say "take this job and shove it," maybe run for governor again. Warner's really not pleased with how things are going in the Senate, such as 7 Republicans voting against a deficit reduction commission that they had co-sponsored (!), and I don't blame him one bit. Plain and simple, the U.S. Senate is broken. If it isn't fixed, my guess is that we'll see more Evan Bayhs - and possibly, Mark Warners - deciding they've got better things to do with their lives.

Finally, A Real Democrat!

"We are on the verge of a victory on universal health care...we're on the verge of sending a long-term signal to the market that we're going to be a carbon-constrained economy and we're going to rebuild America's competitive advantage in the energy sector while declaring our energy independence..."

"Start shifting the focus from Wall Street back to Main Street..."

"I'm not satisfied until we start seeing jobs come back...It's not enough just to get the stock market up above 10,000 again, we've got to get those unemployment numbers down, we've got to take the bailout money that's coming back and reinvest it in a real jobs agenda..."



"You have to make sure that we are fighting for the working class and middle class...have no doubt, you can get elected with a D after your name and still go up to Washington and Richmond and not continue to stand up to the very things that inspire all of us."

"This has got to be about finding, electing and promoting people who believe that we need to do what's right and not what's easy, that we have to do what's necessary and not what's convenient."

"It's got to be about giving people a reason to show up...listening...engaging...the best way to get people to the polls is to give them a reason to go."

h/t: Left of the Hill

Glenn Nye Speaks About His "Military Entrepreneurship Program"

From Rep. Glenn Nye's YouTube channel:

Congressman Glenn Nye passed an amendment in the House of Representatives to create a Military Entrepreneurship Program. This program will proactively reach out to new veterans as they transition to civilian life to make sure they know what resources are available to them. Nyes amendment directs the SBA to provide separating servicemembers with access to entrepreneurial information, training, financial support and the other resources needed to start a business.

The House adopted Nyes amendment by a unanimous voice vote, and it was included in the final version of the bill.

Nice job!

Norfolk YD's Vice President Switches from Brian to Terry

The other day it was College Democrat and SWVA blogger Neal Osborne switching his support from Brian Moran to Terry McAuliffe for Governor. Today, it's Alexander Palmer, VP of the Norfolk Young Dem's and former Deputy Finance Director on the Glenn Nye for Congress campaign. Starting to sense a trend here? :) With that, here's Alexander Palmer's strong endorsement statement! (bolding added by me for emphasis of a few key points)

I have decided to come out today in support of Terry McAuliffe for a number of reasons. I was initially a Brian Moran supporter, mostly because he was the first I met personally. I have to admit, that once I found out Terry was running, I did not even consider supporting him. A common grievance of many Moran and Deeds supporters was that McAuliffe was slow to jump on the Obama bandwagon. I was always a Barack Obama supporter, and during that tense primary, Terry McAuliffe had said a handful of things about Obama. I realize now, that Terry was merely trying to have his candidate, Hillary Clinton, win the primary. This was the extent of my reservation, essentially, I was being a bit bitter about the affair. After Obama was the nominee, Terry jumped on board and began to fundraise and campaign for Obama with extreme enthusiasm. Not only did Terry jump on board, but so did all the Hillary supporters. I realize that it is a bit immature for me not to consider Terry simply because we couldn't agree on who to support during the primary. I also realize that a number of my closest friends were originally Clinton supporters, and I wouldn't hold a grudge against them.

Having said that, after finally considering Terry, I realized he was in fact the most likely candidate to realize his agenda. His charisma and enthusiasm is unmatched by any other candidate in this race. Terry is known as a good fundraiser, this is a good quality for the party, as we all know, Mr. McDonnell has a large pool of money ready for the general, Terry has the ability to raise large sums of money. Having previously held the position of DNC Chair he has a close relationship with the top donors. These relationships are also an advantage for McAuliffe and the Commonweath if he is victorious in November. Terry's close and intimate personal relationships with prominent folks (Sec. of State Clinton among others) will help him to draw top industry leaders to Virginia. He can utilize these relationships to help progress Virginia's needs. I mention Secretary Clinton mostly because McAuliffe essentially ran her campaign, and also because Secretary Clinton meets on a daily basis with President Obama. It would be in Obama's favor for things such as high-speed rail to be successful in Virginia, which neighbors DC. Terry's relationships with political and business leaders around the nation can ensure that he can realize his agenda of improving Virginia and providing jobs.

Terry is also very well versed in the situation here in Virginia. Having attended a handful of events sponsored by his campaign and having seen him speak personally on three occasions, I can attest that Terry knows a great deal about the problems facing the Commonwealth. Terry spoke at length about transportation issues, education issues, and developmental issues. His solutions are ambitious, but are also holistic. Coupled with his venerable associations, Terry is the best candidate to realize his agenda. The other two Democratic candidates are both noble gentlemen, but I just don't believe they have the neccesary connections or resources realize their agendas. They are both home-grown figures whose national ties are not quite as numerous as Terry's, and without those ties, I believe it is an uphill battle, where they have to get in line and compete with 49 other governors.

I realize Terry, like the other three candidates, is not flawless. None of us are. But judged at face value, I believe; as I have attempted to articulate here, that Terry is best suited for the job of Virginia's next governor. His enthusiasm and commitment to the party are something to be valued, as well as his numerous bold initiates. As a result of this, he has won my endorsement.

Statement from Signer Campaign on Mike's Voting Record

From the Mike Signer for LG campaign, as a follow-up to their pointing out that Jody Wagner did not vote in the 2008 Virginia Democratic presidential primary (also note: Wagner apparently did not vote in the 2004 or 2005 Democratic primaries either).

To: Interested Parties
From: Christian Rickers, Campaign Manager, Mike Signer for Lieutenant Governor
Re.: Primary Voting History
Date: April 24, 2009

Mike Signer voted in-person in Arlington County in the presidential Democratic primary on February 10, 2004; the state Democratic primary on June 14, 2005; and the presidential Democratic primary on February 12, 2008. The reason that the Voter Activation Network (VAN) does not include the 2004 and 2005 votes is because, under State Board of Elections data tracking and software practices in use prior to 2007, one locality’s records of in-person votes for a Virginia resident who later re-registered in another locality were not transferred to the VAN.

On June 16, 2005, Mike moved to Albemarle County and re-registered there. His 2004 and 2005 primary votes were therefore never transferred by Arlington County to the VAN. Linda Lindberg, Registrar of Arlington, has confirmed these details. She is happy to talk with any interested party and can be reached at (703) 228-3456.

Creigh Deeds on Why He's Running for Governor

More video from last night's dinner. Sorry about the sound quality, but Piola is one noisy (but delicious) restaurant! :)