Hurricane Sandy halts campaign momentum in VA for President Obama and Mitt Romney

As Hurricane Sandy swept across Virginia, President Barack Obama and Republican Party contender for president, Mitt Romney, canceled their scheduled visits to the commonwealth.[1]

President Obama canceled his scheduled appearance in Prince William County on Monday. Vice President Biden also withdrew from an event scheduled for Saturday at Virginia Beach.

Meanwhile, Romney canceled a planned rally for Sunday at the Farm Bureau Live amphitheater in Virginia Beach while soon after also scrapping the remainder of his schedule in Virginia for campaign stops in another ‘battleground’ state, Ohio.

For President Obama, campaigning will cease entirely while he retakes his role as Commander-in-chief to confront the devastation wrought by the “frankenstorm.”

It’s difficult to pass up the political irony of this situation. For all of the money[2] and hours that have been spent campaigning by both candidates, the presidential election may ultimately come to down to how President Obama handles Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. And all Mitt Romney can do is lend his apathy and acknowledge the presidents place in responding to this emergency situation.

If the hurricane does give President Obama an election boost in the polls, it will be curious to see if far-right conservatives conjure up a conspiracy theory to account for President Obama’s hurricane-assisted victory. Did President Obama conspire with NOAA to cause a pre-election hurricane??

Of course, the hurricane and the destruction that it left behind is no laughing matter. Hurricane Sandy once again reminded Americans just how tenuous life, liberty, and the possession of property can be, which makes the unceasing partisan fighting throughout the country all the more trivial.

While both campaigns have made this election out to be a choice between two starkly polar political platforms, it is a shame that each can only come together minimally when faced with brutal natural disasters.

I hope this election is the last of its kind for at least a generation. It’s uncertain that this level of partisanship in America can hold society together over the long haul. Whether we like it or not, we’re all in this ship together.

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[1] http://washingtonexaminer.com/sandy-scrambles-campaign-schedules-in-virginia/article/2511937#.UI7OBcXA9L8

[2] http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance

Virginia State Board of Elections advises local registrars to accommodate absentee voters

The Virginia State Board of Elections recently ‘advised’ local registrars to accommodate voters who request to vote absentee due to the possible impact of Hurricane Sandy.[1]

Unless Hurricane Sandy makes conditions unsafe for voters and employees, the State Board of Elections is urging local registrar offices to remain open for in-person absentee voting. In-person absentee voting is carried out on weekdays and the last two Saturdays before November 6^th, Election Day.

The Virginia State Board of Elections said it had been assured that polling places will receive high priority status for power restoration.

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, this year’s election cycle has taken an added turn of uncertainty as much of the East Coast prepares for a hurricane that some forecasters claim will be stronger and wider than Hurricane Irene,[2] which caused widespread devastation in 2011.

In other words, Hurricane Sandy could not have come at a worse time during the 2012 election cycle.

But in at least one respect, the oncoming hurricane has quieted both the Obama and Romney campaigns as each awaits the potential consequences on the eastern United States. The hurricane has given an impetus for both candidates to call a momentary truce to rally the country’s focus behind those who are in a direct line of the hurricane’s path.

If nothing else, the hurricane should remind Americans that we are all in the same boat and that the political issues that we so passionately expound are insignificant matters in the face of threatening natural phenomena.

Thus, politics isn’t everything. Sometimes lending a helping hand to a neighbor can mean the difference between a fractured society and one that stands firm even when political divisions are deep.

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[1] http://www.nbc12.com/story/19931525/va-electoral-board-offers-guidance-as-storm-nears

[2] http://www.newsday.com/news/weather/experts-hurricane-sandy-could-be-wider-stronger-than-irene-1.4159483

Del. Loupassi and Paul Goldman question the “sweatheart” deal for new Redskins facility

In a letter addressed to Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones[1], former Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Paul Goldman and State Del. G. Manoli Loupassi (R-Richmond), scrutinized what they termed a “sweetheart” deal between the city of Richmond and Bon Secours to construct a new training camp facility for the Washington Redskins.[2]

In their letter, Loupassi and Goldman state, “We have chosen, in a bipartisan way, to speak out now in hopes of ensuring a serious discussion of the situation in time to protect the best interests of our city and taxpayers.”[3]

The proposed lease arrangement, which is for a period of 60 years at an annual rate of $5,000, amounts to a “giveaway” of a prime piece of taxpayer owned property, according to Mr. Loupassi.[4]

Loupassi commented, “I really felt that this was not a good use of a massive amount of taxpayer dollars. That’s prime property, right there on Patterson and Libbie. It’s worth an awful lot of money.”

While I am a lifelong Washington Redskins fan, I am not a fan of throwing the money of taxpayers away unnecessarily. That is, it isn’t clear that the Redskins would have forestalled their efforts to move their training camp facility to Richmond in the absence of a significant financial incentive. It is also unclear that Bon Secours would have taken a less favorable deal to secure a “prime” piece of property.

Instead, the city of Richmond must have been so eager to strike this “sweetheart” deal that it was willing to give away more than it should have.

Like Mr. Loupassi said, however, “I would hope they’re [the Richmond City Council] going to look at it extremely carefully. They’re dealing with the taxpayers’ dollars and it’s an extremely serious enterprise.”

Indeed, it is serious, serious enough to warrant an extended look by the Richmond City Council before final approval.

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[1] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/mgmedia/file/1069/letter-mayor-re-redskins/

[2] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/27/tdmet01-sweetheart-redskins-deal-questioned-ar-2314948/

[3] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/27/tdmet01-sweetheart-redskins-deal-questioned-ar-2314948/

[4] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/27/tdmet01-sweetheart-redskins-deal-questioned-ar-2314948/

President Obama visits Richmond, asks for Richmond’s votes again in 2012

President Barack Obama visited Richmond again on Thursday at the Carillion in Byrd Park where close to 15,000 onlookers waited to hear the president speak.

President Obama reminded the crowd that Richmond gave him his second-widest vote margin in Virginia in 2008. So, President Obama said, “I need your vote. I’ve come to ask for your help in keeping American moving forward.”[1]

Continuing the theme of ‘moving forward’, Obama stated, “We don’t turn back. We look forward at that distant horizon, at the next destination.”[2] Thus, the president offered a sober view of America’s prospects for the future, in contrast to the much more optimistic political vision offered by President Obama in 2007.

While conservatives and members of the Republican Party have been quick to fault President Obama for failing to deliver some of the campaign promises he made while running for president four years ago, President Obama has achieved quite a few policy successes during his first four years: health care reform, higher fuel efficiency standards, the rescue of American auto-manufacturers, progressive environmental legislation, and the list could go on. President Obama’s achievements are all the more impressive given the outright obstructionism of the current U.S. Congress.

The Republican Party’s counter-argument has essentially been, ‘more can be done’. Sure, more can always be done. But if it isn’t too cliché at this point, what the Republican Party has offered Americans are more of the failed policies that engulfed us in two wars, threw our economy into a depression, unleashed the floodgates of unemployment, and turned a blind eye to environmental degradation and, in some cases, almost seemed to encourage it.

The GOP was once a party with a number of good ideas. For instance, the debt should be curtailed; excessive spending is the sign of inept or corrupt political representatives[3]. But even this policy position has transformed inside of an ideological vacuum that has sucked off the most practical aspects and replaced them with ideas like absolutely no deficit spending; Great in theory, but impractical in the real world. And guess which classes of Americans get negatively affected the most?

Thus, putting Mitt Romney in the White House will only serve to send America down a worse path than even George W. Bush could have achieved. America can’t afford a Mitt Romney presidency. 

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[1] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/26/tdmain01-obama-rallies-15000-at-carillon-in-richmo-ar-2312500/

[2] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/26/tdmain01-obama-rallies-15000-at-carillon-in-richmo-ar-2312500/

[3] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/mailbag/jack-degnan-eisenhower-was-last-republican-president-with-balanced-budget/article_e09859d7-8a9f-5aa3-8528-76e2a89eeaa5.html

Pro-George Allen Super PAC receives large out-of-state contribution from Sheldon Adelson

Like throwing money away in a casino, Las Vegas casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson made a $1.5 million donation to the pro-George Allen Super PAC, Independence Virginia, in a last bid attempt, perhaps, to shore up the open U.S. Senate seat for the Virginia Republican.[1]

The latest out-of-state donation comes in the shadow of a $1 million contribution made in four installments by Texas home-construction fat cat Bob Perry only weeks ago. Perry also gave his contribution to Independence Virginia.

Adelson jumped into the media’s headlights after he spent millions assisting former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in winning the Republican presidential primary. After Gingrich quit, Adelson proceeded to throw his financial support behind Mitt Romney.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, the Vegas casino mogul’s $1.5 million contribution to the pro-Allen Super PAC is the second largest in recent Virginia history.[2] The largest donation was made by Mark R. Warner to his own campaign for governor in 2001 to the tune of $2 million.

As in the case of Newt Gingrich (and then Mitt Romney), it would certainly be a shame if Adelson ultimately threw away his money on another losing horse (i.e., George Allen).

It is a telling scenario in Virginia to witness U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine’s stellar in-state fundraising performance compared to George Allen’s considerable out-of-state campaign contributions[3]. Given this political situation, who do you think will be more apt to represent the interests of Virginians as opposed to outside individuals and groups?

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[1] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/oct/25/tdmet03-billionaire-casino-mogul-gives-15m-to-pro-ar-2309758/

[2] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/oct/25/tdmet03-billionaire-casino-mogul-gives-15m-to-pro-ar-2309758/

[3] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/tim-kaine-maintains-fundraising-edge-over-george-allen/2012/10/04/c255e380-0e32-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_blog.html

Blue Virginia:: Still Not Time to Allow Uranium Mining in Virginia

Blue Virginia:: Still Not Time to Allow Uranium Mining in Virginia

Henrico County Board of Supervisors unanimously votes to practically outlaw panhandling

On Tuesday, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors changed the county’s ordinance for panhandling, making it next to impossible to solicit from the medians of Henrico County roads.


Prior to the change, the county’s ordinance prohibited panhandlers from standing in the medians while they offered to sell merchandise or solicited money. In response, panhandlers began sitting down.

The unanimous vote on Tuesday by the five-member board removed “standing” from the county’s ordinance, making it illegal for panhandlers to sit, squat, or occupy any space in the median. Additionally, the ordinance makes it illegal to sell services in addition to merchandise on Henrico County highways.

In response to the changed ordinance, one panhandler, Veronica Holder, said, “I’ll go to Richmond. In the city you can stand and walk with your sign.”

Veronica Holder, who lives in Richmond, pointed out that she is not homeless but “receives $850 a month in federal disability aid for a psychological condition related to stress that developed when her husband died and she battled breast cancer.”

Henrico’s amended ordinance thus brings up a number of important questions that Virginia needs to bring further into the public sphere for debate.

First, should panhandling be illegal or allowed at reasonable volumes? While many Virginians may be quick to blame these individuals for their apparent misfortunes, as Veronica Holder’s case demonstrates, these circumstances can arise from a number of complex and unfortunate causes that are sometimes outside of the individuals control.

As Veronica Holder also pointed out, the amended ordinance may achieve its goal of removing panhandlers from Henrico County, but the problem of panhandling will only be moved to a different location. The problem of panhandling itself, that is, remains unresolved.

While this might not be a tremendous problem for residents of Henrico County, it is a symptom of a larger problem we have in Virginia and the rest of our country: kicking the proverbial can down the road, allowing systemic problems to persist instead of taking the harder road and attempting to solve them now.

As usual, this issue will creep up again in Henrico County, as elsewhere in Virginia. Who’s to say whether the issue of panhandling can even be “solved,” but it doesn’t seem that anyone has ever made an honest attempt to do so and find out.

Ultimately, what you put in or leave out comes back around in the end.

References   http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/23/1/henrico-bars-panhandling-on-county-medians-ar-2306601/

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/23/1/henrico-bars-panhandling-on-county-medians-ar-2306601/

Virginia’s colleges and universities sign agreement with VEDP to ‘sell’ Virginia to investors

Virginia’s public universities and colleges signed a ‘memoranda of understanding’ on Monday with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), agreeing to join a marketing campaign to ‘sell’ Virginia to economic investors.


Michael Rao, president of Virginia Commonwealth University, represented his colleagues in the commonwealth, stating that the agreement will progress the goal of “graduating job creators, not just job takers.”

The intent of the agreement is to assist corporate clients comprehend what resources Virginia’s system of higher education offers them, according to Martin Briley, CEO and president of VEDP.

Among the goals in the agreement is the promotion of Virginia’s strengths, including its colleges and universities, in addition to identifying and supporting shared legislative priorities.

According to Virginia Secretary of Education, Laura Fornash, public and private sectors are mutually dependent, so much so that “It is increasingly difficult to have strength and success in one without strength and success in the other.”

For all of Virginia’s sordid policies and ludicrous politicians, economics is one area where Virginia undoubtedly excels , meshing good business sense with sensible strategies for reaching short and long term economic goals.

A lot of folks come to Virginia because there are job opportunities and a welcoming business environment that seeks to foster economic growth and job creation, rather than stifle it.

But just what consequences ‘selling’ Virginia by the state’s public colleges and universities will have on the student bodies in particular is unclear. For instance, in ‘selling’ these institutions of higher education, does the whole get sold to investors or just specific parts?

I remember my time at VCU. The humanities and social sciences took a clear back-seat in terms of funding to the so-called hard sciences like engineering, physics, and biology.

Thus, in ‘selling’ Virginia’s public colleges and universities, will the apparent funding disparity between academic disciplines grow as investors choose to focus on subject areas that are perceived to be better investments?

In an increasingly “efficiency minded” society, will the humanities and social sciences ever retake a portion of the importance that the U.S. once placed in their academic corners?

References   http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2012/oct/23/tdmet04-colleges-join-state-marketing-effort-ar-2303710/

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2012/oct/23/tdmet04-colleges-join-state-marketing-effort-ar-2303710/

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/virginia-falls-to-no.-2-in-pollina-top-10-pro-business-states-ranking/

Washington Redskins training camp to be built behind Science Museum of Virginia

Call me cynical, but the recent announcement that the Washington Redskins summer training camp will be moved behind the Virginia Science Museum on a vacant piece of land sounds like a line from a dark comedy about a society that no longer values science, at least not nearly as much as it values its professional sports teams and their accompanying streams of revenue.


The creation of the vacant land into a training facility suitable for the Washington Redskins will be generated by a $40 million private investment. Also included in this development package are two different sites that will reportedly create over 200 jobs.

After the announcement in June was made that the Washington Redskins would be moving its summer training camp to Richmond, Mayor Dwight C. Jones established an 18-member “steering committee” that comprised local business leaders. The committee ultimately decided that 17 acres of undeveloped state property behind the museum would be the best location for the training facility.

The committee sent the measure to be reviewed by the Richmond City Council on Monday without a recommendation on approval.

The irony of putting an athletic training facility behind one of Virginia’s most popular centers for learning probably never even crossed the minds of the 18-member committee, or if there was any consideration for these consequences, it was most likely ignored.

But the symbolic value of creating a training facility behind the Science Museum of Virginia cannot be ignored. While Virginia and the rest of the country appear to be continually falling behind in science and mathematics to the rest of the world , one thing America is not lacking is an enthusiasm for professional sports.

While there is nothing wrong with enjoying professional sports, Americans may be doing so at the expense or in place of learning math and science skills. And what better way to illustrate this phenomenon than by putting a training camp facility behind a science museum?

One could argue that the training camp will bring MORE individuals to the Science Museum of Virginia, but this is far from certain.

It may be an overreaction on my part, but the location of the new Redskins training camp could also be a symptom of a larger problem, namely, the waning enthusiasm for going down the road of hard science.

References   http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/22/tdmain01-redskins-summer-training-camp-coming-to-s-ar-2301224/

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/oct/22/tdmain01-redskins-summer-training-camp-coming-to-s-ar-2301224/

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923110.html

Cause for skepticism about benefits of new sports arena in the city of Virginia Beach

A new study by Chmura Economics and Analytics found that an NBA team moving to Virginia Beach would increase Virginia’s revenue by over $500 million annually.


The city of Virginia Beach has been entertaining the possibility of building a new arena to attract an NHL or NBA team. City officials say that a team could begin playing in the new arena in 2015.

The study was conducted for the Virginia Beach Development Authority and it found a number of interesting figures. First, an NBA team would support close to 3,77 jobs in the commonwealth. Furthermore, an NBA team would generate an additional $11 million in tax revenue annually for the state government.

While the study sounds an opportunistic note, studies in the past about the positive economic impacts of new pro sports arenas haven’t all been favorable.

One startling finding that came from earlier studies of new pro sports arenas was the following: “a statistically significant negative impact on the retail and services sectors of the local economy, including an average net loss of 1,924 jobs.”

Moreover, it’s unclear just how much a new arena would run the city of Virginia Beach and its taxpayers or even if the city’s taxpayers would be willing to foot the bill for longer-term returns (which are not guaranteed).

As in the case of the sweetheart deal made to the Washington Redskins to move their training camp to Richmond , it’s unclear who will actually benefit from this seemingly win-win situation in the short and long run. In the case of the Redskins moving to Richmond, what is the cost, for example, of the increase in traffic due to training camp attendance? That is, how much extra time and money will Richmonders have to fork over due to the presence of the new Redskins training camp. This is merely one question to consider.

While it sounds reasonable to conclude that a popular venue would boost the local economy, this result does not necessarily follow. Before the city of Virginia Beach decides to move forward with a new arena, it would be wise to conduct at least one more meta-analysis of how new pro arenas have affected local economies elsewhere in the country.

References

http://www.chmuraecon.com/

http://www.dailypress.com/news/virginia/sns-ap-va--nba-economic-impact-20121019,0,3639027.story

http://news.illinois.edu/news/04/1117stadiums.html

http://news.illinois.edu/news/04/1117stadiums.html

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/jun/07/9/tdmain01-redskins-training-camp-moving-to-richmond-ar-1971587/

President Obama goes on the offensive at GMU, accusing Romney of “Romnesia”

Speaking at a political rally at George Mason University (GMU) on Friday, President Barack Obama went on the offensive against his Republican challenger for the presidency, accusing Mitt Romney of espousing “the same philosophy that got us into this mess.”


Obama really fired up the crowd at GMU when he declared, “If you say you’re for equal pay for equal work, but keep refusing to say whether you signed a bill that protects equal pay for equal work, you might have Romnesia.”

Indeed, Romney’s “Romnesia” may also stem from his see-saw policy positions. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney supported a number of so-called liberal policies . As a presidential candidate during the Republican Party primaries, Romney shifted to the far right in order to woo the tea party crowd. Now, in the thick of the presidential election, Romney is once again shape-shifting his political platform to appeal to America’s middle class.

The ultimate indicator of just how little is actually known about Romney’s true beliefs may have come from the Salt Lake Tribune’s endorsement of President Obama over Mitt Romney for president and its subsequent editorial comments.

According to the editorial, “From his embrace of the party's radical right wing, to subsequent portrayals of himself as a moderate champion of the middle class, Romney has raised the most frequently asked question of the campaign: “'Who is this guy, really, and what in the world does he truly believe?'"

It’s obviously a question of great importance and one which surprisingly few voters who support Mitt Romney are willing to ask: what exactly does Romney believe?

As far as I can determine, Romney’s only real conviction in this presidential race is his conviction to win the presidency. A man who was born with almost everything set his sights on winning the country’s most prestigious office, not primarily to benefit the country, but to benefit his own ambitions. As such, he will say and do almost anything necessary to achieve an office that it appears even money cannot completely buy.

Is this the kind of man America wants in the White House?

References

http://reston.patch.com/articles/obama-talks-economy-romnesia-at-gmu-rally-34361412

http://reston.patch.com/articles/obama-talks-economy-romnesia-at-gmu-rally-34361412

http://patriot-newswire.com/2012/01/mitt-romney-a-liberals-liberal-republican/

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/55019844-82/romney-obama-state-president.html.csp

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/55019844-82/romney-obama-state-president.html.csp

Blue Virginia:: Could One Word Spell the End for Mitt Romney: "Romnesia's" Significance

Blue Virginia:: Could One Word Spell the End for Mitt Romney: "Romnesia's" Significance

Anthony Flaccavento gets it right on both job creation and viable energy production for the future

Energy and jobs are never far from the minds of voters and politicians alike, so it was no surprise that the congressional debate on Thursday between U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) and Democratic candidate 

Anthony Flaccavento turned on these two issues.[1] Both candidates are fighting for the 9^th Congressional District’s U.S. House seat.

Mr. Flaccavento reiterated his vision of building “an economy from the bottom up”[2] by focusing on local businesses that can create jobs sustainably.

Mr. Griffith, meanwhile, acknowledge the importance of small business but prioritized putting “the brakes on federal environmental regulations”[3] that Griffith claims make it difficult for businesses of all sizes to survive.

While Griffith contented himself with blaming federal environmental regulations for job loss, Flaccavento pointed instead to the low cost of natural gas, decreasing reserves of coal, and the mechanization of mining as key reasons why the 9^th Congressional District has lost so many jobs in the coal sector.

Flaccavento stated, “We can invest far more in clean coal technology and sustain as many jobs as we can. We must also work to diversify and broaden the base of jobs.” Griffith responded that we shouldn’t throw away today’s jobs for the promise of jobs tomorrow.

Griffith is missing the point, however. He is right in stating that coal “is not finished,”[4] but coal as a forceful driver in job creation inside the U.S. is. For all of the reasons that Mr. Flaccavento named, and more, coal cannot be the engine upon which any productive economy bases a significant portion of its employment hopes on.

Too often, our politicians look at the short-term solutions to our country’s or our local area’s woes. Given the nature of politics in our country, this is easy to understand. Politicians want to take the road most traveled, thereby increasing their chances of staying in office.

At this point in time in our country’s history, however, we need bold political representatives who are willing to risk their political necks to take the right actions for individuals in the present and in the future.

Flaccavento is not demanding coal to be wiped out of Virginia’s energy portfolio. What he is asking is for Virginia and the 9^th Congressional District to look further down the road into what is possible. While coal won’t be dead anytime soon in the U.S., it’s ability to create jobs will. Without a broad-based blueprint for diversified job creation, where will job seekers in the coal industry turn to for work?

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[1] http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/315546

[2] http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/315546

[3] http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/315546

[4] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Coal_and_jobs_in_the_United_States

Voter fraud in Virginia, a recipe for further voter political apathy and disengagement

If you want a cause of America’s collective political apathy, you needn’t look further than a trash bin. On Tuesday morning, a manager of a local store in Harrisonburg reported that he found a folder with eight voter-registration forms that had already been filled out in the trash.[1] The incident occurred just before Monday’s 5 p.m. registration deadline in the Shenandoah Valley.

Luckily, the eight forms were handed over the registrar’s office before the deadline. The county’s sheriff’s office is currently investigating the incident and any possible criminality.

Add this incident to the ‘vote-by-phone’ calls in Virginia, among others[2], and you have a recipe for a gradually increasing distrust in the voting process altogether.

The fraudulent ‘vote-by-phone’ calls that recently occurred informed recipients that they could vote by phone. There is no state in the U.S. that allows voters to vote by phone. According to Darden Rice of the Pinellas County League of Women Voters, “The purpose of these calls is to confuse voters.”[3]

Rice further stated, “Voters cannot vote by phone, not in any state, so if you get a call like this, it’s fraudulent and please report it immediately.”[4]

And the political season is far from over. Who knows what new allegation of voter fraud will arise from now until Election Day in Virginia?

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[1] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/17/discarded-filled-out-voter-forms-in-virginia-spur-/

[2] http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/25/585131/romney-uses-false-voter-fraud-allegations-to-threaten-15000-virginia-voters/?mobile=nc

[3] http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_pinellas/fraudulent-vote-by-phone-calls-reported-in-florida-virginia

[4] http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_pinellas/fraudulent-vote-by-phone-calls-reported-in-florida-virginia

George Allen and Tim Kaine campaign in Northern Virginia again on Tuesday

On Tuesday, U.S. Senate candidates Tim Kaine and George Allen traveled to Northern Virginia to discuss two separate issues and to reach out to two separate blocs of voters. Tim Kaine opted to discuss topics aimed towards women while Allen focused on defense spending.[1]

Anyone who has followed the last Congress may find it shocking that a Republican candidate for the senate would be focusing on defense spending. As Lowell Feld of Blue Virginia put it, “Let’s get this one straight: Allen decided to focus on defense cuts which his party largely is responsible for?...that makes a LOT of sense – not!). [2]

For Tim Kaine, it shouldn't be too difficult to convince Northern Virginia’s female voters that he and his party have a better track record, to say the least, in promoting and protecting so-called “women’s issues.”[3] 

Not only has the Democratic Party defended these issues, the Republican Party, in general, has made just about every political move possible to reduce women’s issues to a state of political subjugation.

Of course, there is a political element to Mr. Kaine’s focus on women voters. As Kaine himself said, “The women’s vote is going to be very, very critical in this election.”[4]

For Allen, his campaign is pulling out the usual scare tactics to convince Virginia’s defense industry-dependent voters in the north that he will work to stop $500 million worth of “looming military cuts.”

Of course, Kaine’s support of a “budget control measure” was given in order to avoid a default by the federal government. Kaine shared his support with Virginia’s Republican governor along with a number of Republican representatives in the U.S. Congress.[5]

Thus, Allen’s messaging strategy is shaky on factual groups, while Kaine’s messaging directed towards women can be backed with rhetoric and deeds. This contrast should stand as an example that typifies the integrity of each campaign and each candidate.

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[1] http://washingtonexaminer.com/kaine-allen-rally-northern-virginia-supporters/article/2510946

[2] http://bluevirginia.us/

[3] http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/david_sarasohn/index.ssf/2012/09/women_and_their_issues_go_main.html

[4] http://washingtonexaminer.com/kaine-allen-rally-northern-virginia-supporters/article/2510946

[5] http://factcheck.org/2012/09/crossroads-colors-kaines-cuts/

U.S. Senate candidate Kaine calls on Allen to return controversial contribution by Friess

On Monday, U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine called on George Allen to request Independence Virginia return a $10,000 donation from Foster Friess, the controversial businessman from Wyoming that has made a number of highly insensitive comments in the past.

In an interview on MSNBC earlier in 2012, Friess commented that “back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraception. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn’t that costly.”[1] A true romantic, to be sure.

In his publicly released statement on Monday, Tim Kaine stated, “Mr. Friess has spoken on the need for ‘more intolerance.’ He suggested that President Obama should invest in a ‘bulletproof teleprompter.’” [2]

Kaine stated further that, “I call on George Allen to reject the intolerant views of Foster Friess and ask Independence Virginia to return his contribution.”[3]

However, given Friess’s controversial views and public statements, it is highly unlikely that Allen will make any moves to influence how Independence Virginia delegates its contributions, even if it were legal.

And the reasoning goes beyond war-chest politics (i.e., raising as much campaign money as possible), it also has to do with the recalcitrance of conservative politicians like George Allen to budge on political demands made by ‘the left,’ as reasonable as they may be to outside observers. To do so would be a form of compromise and weakness in the minds of conservative politicians like George Allen.

Thus, the attitude shared by George Allen is precisely what the U.S. Senate does not need, another political representative unwilling to compromise because of some prideful inhibition or ideological sticking ground.

Compromise is, however, an integral part of our political system, as has been demonstrated by the disastrous consequences stemming from a lack of compromise by the last two congresses.

Our republic demands compromise, not ideological foot dragging. Furthermore, our republic demands principled representatives who are willing to stand up to the wrongs which their own supporters may perpetuate.

Allen’s political history represents neither.

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[1] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/oct/16/tdmet01-texan-gives-allens-super-pac-1-million-ar-2285574/

[2] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/oct/16/tdmet01-texan-gives-allens-super-pac-1-million-ar-2285574/

[3] http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/oct/16/tdmet01-texan-gives-allens-super-pac-1-million-ar-2285574/

Another false claim by Gov. Bob McDonnell goes unchecked by David Gregory on Meet the Press

David Gregory’s inability or unwillingness to confront Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s distortion of the Obama administration’s tax plan on Sunday represents the most recent example of a mainstream media more eager to “win over” or play nice with elected officials rather than dig for the facts.[1]

On NBC’s Meet the Press, Gov. McDonnell made the claim that Vice President Joe Biden said the Obama administration intends to “raise your taxes about $2 trillion.”[2] However, the Obama administration has proposed only to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

McDonnell was referring to statements Vice President Biden made during the vice-presidential debate last week. When asked by moderator Martha Raddatz who will pay more in taxes if the Obama administration is elected, Biden responded, “The middle class will pay less, and people making a million dollars or more will begin to contribute slightly more…We’re arguing that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy should be allowed to expire.”[3]

Responses in everyday life, let alone politics, don’t get any clearer than that.

All but the most partisan Republicans are at least somewhat aware that the GOP is not above distorting the truth or downright lying for political gain. That’s not what’s surprising here.

What is surprising, however, is how much ground political journalists in the mainstream media have given up to the deceit that the GOP has been pelting voters with in this election cycle alone.

By giving way to such falsehoods, the mainstream media is essentially delegitimizing the foundation upon which it rests: the search for truth and facts.

In the same vein, what was once a go-to source for political facts by the American public has become little more than an entertainment supplement to Jersey Shore and The Voice. Anchormen like David Gregory are merely the unassuming lead roles in news reporting gone wrong.

The news media still does matter, just not in the same way that it used to.

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[1] http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/10/14/nbcs-gregory-lets-bob-mcdonnell-misstate-obamas/190618

[2] http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/10/14/nbcs-gregory-lets-bob-mcdonnell-misstate-obamas/190618

[3] http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/10/14/nbcs-gregory-lets-bob-mcdonnell-misstate-obamas/190618

Democratic candidate Andy Schmookler points out GOP role in job losses & national debt

At James Breckinridge Middle School in Roanoke on Saturday, Democratic candidate Andy Schmookler and Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte debated to win the votes of Virginia’s 6^th district constituency.[1]

Goodlatte has been in office for nearly 20 years. His message during the debate was, not surprisingly, government has grown too large. “Government now is running trillion dollar deficits for each of the last four years and our national debt is $16 trillion,” Goodlatte informed the audience.

Goodlatte also noted that the U.S. has had only 5 balanced budgets in the last 50 years. What Goodlatte failed to mention is that four of these balanced budgets fell under a Democratic Party president, Bill Clinton![2]

In response, Schmookler reminded Goodlatte of his own legislative history. Schmookler commented, “The time to be worrying about the deficit was when Mr. Goodlatte was voting for Bush’s budget during good economic times and doubled the national debt.”[3]

Schmookler went on to conclude that trimming government spending now isn’t the right move for America and that Republican Party cuts have led to massive job losses.

Indeed, the Republican Party goal of a constantly balanced budget is little more than a justification to cut social programs for the middle and working classes of America and, ultimately, to throw scores of middle and working class Americans out of a job.

There was once a time, not too long ago, when America’s elites were willing to shoulder a relatively large portion of the costs associated with our social safety net. Infused by the “you’re on your own” ideology of conservative and libertarian groups, America’s elites no longer wish to share in the same fortunes as their fellow countrymen and women.

America’s elites have lost sight of the fact that we’re all in this ship together, for better or for worse. You cannot have wealth in an ocean of poverty nor will there be stability in a society mired by gross inequalities.

A balanced budget sounds great in theory, but at what costs and to whom? If America’s middle and working classes must be further devastating to create a balanced budget, the costs clearly outweigh the benefits.

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[1] http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-candidates-for-the-6th-congressional-district-debate-about-economy-federal-deficit-20121013,0,4102544.story

[2] http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/16/390988/gingrich-four-balanced-budgets-false/

[3] http://www.newsleader.com/article/20121013/NEWS01/310130016/Goodlatte-Schmookler-content-debate-performances?odyssey=nav%7Chead