Archive for October, 2009

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Does The Washington Post Stand for Common Sense?

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Does The Washington Post stand for common sense? No, and when have they ever stood for family values…never. In the Virginia election, the Post has been shilling for Deeds, whether it is considered a front page story or an entry for their Virginia Politics blog. Either way, they are highly unlikely to endorse a pro-family candidate, so today’s Post endorsement of Steve Shannon for Attorney General comes as no surprise.

How did this endorsement come about? Well, the editorial writers at the Post believe that Cuccinelli would “treat the job as an ideological crusade.” Their other reason for not endorsing Cuccinelli:

Given his sometimes bizarre and incendiary ideas, we worry that Mr. Cuccinelli would drive qualified and nonpartisan lawyers away, transform the attorney general’s office into a staging ground for his pet peeves and causes, and make it an object of ridicule in a state where it has enjoyed a long run of respect.

Why would they endorse Shannon, as he does not even know the definition of the office he is seeking? The Post cites his hard work against child pornography and his experience as a prosecutor.

While that is all great and good, one would think it is important to know about the job you are seeking. Perhaps, the Post should have watched this video prior to making this endorsement.

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Good News from SurveyUSA

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

SurveyUSA released their most recent poll in the Virginia statewide races, and the numbers are certainly faring well for the GOP.

Governor’s race
Bob McDonnell 59
Creigh Deeds 40

Lieutenant Governor’s race
Bill Bolling 56
Jody Wagner 42

Attorney General’s race
Ken Cuccinelli 56
Steve Shannon 41

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Cuccinelli Endorsed by News and Messenger

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Newspaper endorsements keep rolling in for the statewide candidates.  While certain newspapers (namely, The Washington Post) are touting tax raising politicians, there are some that are using common sense when making endorsements.

The News and Messenger endorsed Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General. This is great news for Cuccinelli, who is doing well in the polls against Steve Shannon. The News and Messenger, in their endorsement, mentioned that Cuccinelli will protect and defend constitutional rights and fight for public safety. They specifically mentioned Cuccinelli’s leadership with the Melendez v. Diaz case.

Cuccinelli, on the other hand, is aware of the broad responsibilities of the attorney general and is willing, eager and able to take them on.

He will use the attorney general’s office as a tool to protect Virginian’s constitutional rights, and he will protect our jobs and our property from the overreaching hand of government.

He will work to wade through the deep well of state regulations to determine which still work and which need to go, hopefully cutting through some outdated red tape.

And Cuccinelli already showed during his time as a state senator some of his legal acumen when he called for a special session to deal with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts
decision. Some were concerned that the decision would have negative ripples across the state’s criminal justice system. Shannon thought Cuccinelli’s call was a political stunt, but Democratic governor
Timothy M. Kaine’s support for a special session showed it to be more. Cuccinelli’s move showed forethought.

These are just some of the reasons Cuccinelli is an attractive choice.

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Here’s What Creigh Deeds’ Washington Post Ads Should Have Mentioned

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

H/T to RPV

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Just when you thought the Washington Post’s Endorsement of Creigh Deeds was odd…

Monday, October 19th, 2009

The Washington Post does the unthinkable and endorses Jody Wagner for Lieutenant Governor.

As Secretary of Finance, Wagner miscalculated revenue projections, thus resulting in one of the worst budget crises in Virginia history. Now, there have been significant layoffs, and there will be further budget cuts.

So, what was the Post’s reasoning behind the endorsement?

Unlike the usual run of officeholders in Richmond, she is more pragmatist and problem-solver than partisan political warrior. As the only one of the six statewide candidates to have had hands-on experience with the state’s budget, she would be uniquely well placed to serve as a resource for whichever candidate is elected governor.

How can Wagner even be considered a “pragmatist” or a “problem solver”? Take one look at the FY 2010 budget in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s a disaster, and yet, the Post considers her candidacy worthy of an endorsement. Just another reason why the Post is becoming less credible in their political coverage.

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The Washington Post: Hair Critics or Political Writers

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Just when you thought that The Washington Post has gone off the deep end by endorsing both Creigh Deeds and Jody Wagner (more on her endorsement in another post). The Post has decided to focus their attention on Bob McDonnell’s hair.

“McDonnell laughed when asked whether he uses dye to conceal the silver strands in his never-out-of-place head of hair. He insists that he doesn’t apply color; wife Maureen said a combination of natural extracts like chamomile and green tea and the summer sun have altered the hue of his hair,” Walker wrote.

This intrigued us. Chamomile? Green tea? Was McDonnell’s wife referring to some kind of hair product? Or is there actual brewing going on in the McDonnell household?

“I think we found the one topic upon which both campaigns and all partisans agree: Bob McDonnell’s got a good head of hair,” responded McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin to the inquiry, noting that with two weeks left in the campaign, hair products aren’t exactly the campaign’s most pressing concern.

We caught up with Deeds’s 20-year old son Gus over the weekend and asked him what his father puts in his hair. The question was kind of a gimme–Deeds’s staffers had been trading the passage on McDonnell’s hair all morning. Here’s what Gus had to say: “He does not put tea in his hair. He’s all natural, almost to a fault. He colors his hair with early mornings and hard work and life. No tea.”

This is what the Post now considers newsworthy, instead of reporting on the real issues at stake. What is this a newspaper or a fashion publication?

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Big Surprise.

Monday, October 19th, 2009

The Washington Post made it official on Sunday. They endorsed Creigh Deeds for Governor. Considering that they have been actively campaigning for him since their endorsement in the Democratic Primary, this should come as no surprise.

Much of the editorial is taken up with the issue of transportation and how Senator Deeds will raise taxes to pay for the improvements needed in the states transportation system. Despite the ink spilled in favor of Senator Deeds’ transportation plan, I think this quote is where we get the Post’s real appeal to the Northern Virginia voters.

Despite his rural roots, Mr. Deeds has been ideologically flexible enough to support abortion rights; press for background checks on firearms buyers at gun shows; oppose displaying the Confederate flag on state license plates; and warm to equal rights for homosexuals.

Translation:

We know he sounds like a hick, but he is for abortion on demand, gun control and same-sex marriage.

This is what the Post had to say about Bob McDonnell on these same issues.

Based on his 14-year record as a lawmaker — a record dominated by his focus on incendiary wedge issues — we worry that Mr. McDonnell’s Virginia would be one where abortion rights would be curtailed; where homosexuals would be treated as second-class citizens; where information about birth control would be hidden; and where the line between church and state could get awfully porous.

Translation:

He is scary and not one of us. Don’t vote for him.

Let’s continue to work to elect the candidates the Post doesn’t like.

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Cuccinelli: Standing up for Virginia Families

Friday, October 16th, 2009

In a recent interview with The Washington Times, Ken Cuccinelli continues to prove why he would be the best candidate for Attorney General. Cuccinelli continues to run on a platform that stays true to the Republican party’s core values, in addition to, continuing the fight for Virginia’s families.

“On social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, Mr. Cuccinelli said he does not advocate either and will defend state law.

He said he is prepared to defend the state’s partial-birth abortion ban before the U.S. Supreme Court, and he expects an upcoming legal fight over the state’s constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage.”

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Could Big Labor become a Political Liability in Virginia?

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Kimberley Strassel’s article in The Wall Street Journal examines why big labor could be a political liability in Virginia this election cycle. Strassel mentions Virginia’s status as a right to work state, and how the unions believe that this might be their chance to take over Virginia. However, as Strassel highlights in her article, voters are not too keen on the unions and their connections with ACORN, etc.

In September, Gallup reported that labor had taken a “significant image hit in the past year.” For the first time in 73 years of polling on the question, only a minority of Americans approved of unions (48%)—down from nearly 60% a year ago. A majority of Americans are instead now of the opinion that unions “hurt the U.S. economy.” Approval among political independents dropped a stunning 20 points, to 44%, in just one year.

A U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll in August suggests Virginians are similarly down on unions. Some 49% of registered Virginia voters said issues relating to unions and union organizing would be very important or extremely important to their decision for governor—though not in ways unions might wish. A full 65% said Virginia needs to keep employee unions out of state government; 54% want to keep Virginia’s bar on collective bargaining for government employees. Asked specifically about Mr. Deeds’s promise to be a “partner” to unions, 51% had a negative reaction; only 26% felt positive.

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When have Increased Gas Taxes been the End-All, Solve-All Solutions?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

The major focus of the Democratic statewide candidates in Virginia have been raising gas taxes or at least, implying that they might be open to the idea.   Creigh Deeds talked about raising the gas tax by more than $1 billion after the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce debate, then after the debate in Richmond earlier this week to fund his not-yet-released transportation plan.  Jody Wagner, who is running for Lieutenant Governor, has a history of supporting higher taxes, and she will support Deeds’ initiative.  Steve Shannon, who is running for Attorney General, also supported several tax increases while serving as Delegate.

Do we need a Governor and Lieutenant Governor who is in favor of raising taxes on Virginia families?  In light of the current economic situation in Virginia (especially Southside, where unemployment is at 20%), working families will be hurt by these tax increases to fund transportation.  It will also hurt those in Northern Virginia, who will be hammered with another tax on transportation, only to see that money being redirected to other areas in the Commonwealth.

Perhaps, we should look for leadership that recognizes the detrimental impact that increased taxes will have on families and will work towards common sense solutions to fix Virginia’s transportation woes.

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