Monthly Archives: October 2009
Richmond Times-Dispatch Endorses Bob McDonnell
Richmond Times-Dispatch endorsed Bob McDonnell in an editorial today. This endorsement joins other endorsements from the following newspapers:
- The Washington Examiner
- Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
- Waynesboro News-Virginian
- The Culpeper Star Exponent
- Bristol Herald Courier
- The Daily Press
- The Culpeper Times
- The Loudoun Times-Mirror
- News and Messenger
- The Winchester Star
- Harrisonburg Daily News Record
- Northern Virginia Sun-Gazette
Richmond Times-Dispatch said in their editorial that McDonnell offers solid, pragmatic solutions that will embrace free enterprise, while defending our personal liberties. As you can see, the editorial writers actually paid attention to the plans each candidates have, not endorsing on a party line, like The Washington Post did with their endorsement of Creigh Deeds.
The Washington Post and Fairfax Times Endorse Danny Smith
In the 38th District, Danny Smith has been working hard to get elected by sharing his vision for improving Fairfax County’s outlook on education, transportation, and the economy. From my first interview with Smith back in May, I knew that he stood a strong chance of winning this seat, especially after watching the performance of his opponent during a debate about a month ago.
Well, The Washington Post and Fairfax Times have endorsed Smith for Delegate.
Fairfax Times said:
We like what we’re hearing from Republican Danny Smith, who has some interesting thoughts on improving Fairfax County’s transportation, education, and economic outlook. Smith’s idea of setting smaller, more attainable transportation objectives in order to regain the trust of Fairfax residents who’ve been sending dollars to Richmond for 20-plus years certainly resonates with us. He also has strong opinions on tailoring K-12 education to our high-tech world, saying math and science need to be getting more attention in our classrooms.
The Washington Post said:
Danny R. Smith, the Republican candidate, is a bright, independent-minded civic leader who cares about promoting affordable housing. A Realtor and corporate executive, he would bring a refreshingly bipartisan sensibility to Richmond.
There’s still a lot more work to be done, and if you would like to help Danny to victory, visit his website.
What's Steve Shannon's Costume for Halloween?
Halloween is right around the corner, and yes, after much consideration, I am going as a campaign zombie partly due to the fact that I have tons of t-shirts at my disposal. Aside from this small worthless disclosure, this poses a good question for Steve Shannon: what will you be dressing as this Halloween?
According to today’s debate in Richmond, he says that he wants to be pro-business centrist. Wow, this is quite a change for someone who is clearly meant to dress up as an AFL-CIO cheerleader.
Perhaps, we should examine Shannon’s record with the AFL-CIO. According to VPAP records, Shannon has received more than $136,000 from various unions in his quest to be Attorney General. Since 2003, he has received $162,000.
Additionally, he has voted against Virginia’s Right to Work Law during the previous General Assembly session and this alone was enough to garner a 100% approval rating from the AFL-CIO every year, while he was serving in the General Assembly.
Go and Vote for the Best Web 2.0 Campaigns of 2009
Bearing Drift is accepting nominations for the best use of new media this election cycle. Stop by and nominate who you thought had the best overall new media campaign, best campaign blog, best use of social networking and the top video.
Forget the Public Option?
It seems like Creigh Deeds continues the flip flop trend. From last night’s debate, when Deeds was pressed on whether or not he favored public option, Deeds did not seem to know what he favored.
Live Blog of the McDonnell-Deeds Debate
I am a little late to the game tonight, and I have missed the opening statements of the debate. Right now, the debate format is allowing an open discussion about transportation. Deeds is not being clear on the tax increases, yet he came back to the fact that he does not rule out raising taxes. Deeds also mentioned that he believes in leadership and would appoint a committee to come up with a transportation plan. McDonnell talked about how his plan for improving transportation, while mentioning that Creigh Deeds does not have a transportation plan.
In terms of the budget, Deeds had difficulty answering which programs he would cut and he mentioned that he would be utilizing the general fund to help address the budget crisis. McDonnell laid out how he would cut spending by doing an internal review of each of the departments at the state level to see what’s working and what’s not. McDonnell also mentioned that he would allocate a portion of the budget towards improving education in Virginia.
The question period, then turned to the negative campaigning by both candidates. Creigh Deeds defended the thesis allegations and said that Virginians have a right to know where Bob stands on social issues. Bob McDonnell talked about where he stands on the social issues. McDonnell is against partial-birth abortion, and we need to adopt a fatherhood initiative. McDonnell mentioned that his main focus will be on boosting employment and the economy.
The moderator called Deeds out on the 35 bills claim and clarified that it was only 8 bills. Deeds tried to refute this.
Now, both candidates are back to focusing on the economy. The question focused on the stimulus legislation and why we are last in spending the transportation funding. McDonnell pointed out that it would help if we had a full-time governor to address these issues. McDonnell said he would focus on improving the employment situation and boosting a job initiative. McDonnell has talked with business owners across the Commonwealth and would reduce taxes to help stimulate the economy.
Deeds said that the Governor has done the best he could with the stimulus situation and blamed the lack of shovel ready projects. Deeds mentioned that we need a tax credit for every job created. The two pillars of infrastructure we need to focus on is education and transportation.
The moderator, then turned the questions, asked how they would fund higher education initiatives. Creigh Deeds mentioned his plan to make college more affordable by saying if a student holds a B average, then they would receive lower tuition.
McDonnell indicated that we need to make college more affordable and accessible. His plan is to create 100,000 degrees by allocating a portion of the budget to improving the education.
The next question focused on improving health care for Virginians. McDonnell and Deeds are against the public option, but both indicated that they are committed to finding ways to help make health care more affordable in the Commonwealth.
In terms of climate change. Deeds wants to ensure that our environment is going to last, so he is in favor of climate change legislation. McDonnell mentioned MeadWestvaco, which is located in Deeds’ State Senate district, will be impacted by cap and trade. McDonnell said it is bad policy, as it would harm the coal industry and drive businesses out of Virginia.
The next question focused on the Governor’s Opportunity Fund. McDonnell, as Delegate, voted against the bill, but he mentioned that he would double the fund, as it would help with boosting employment in the Commonwealth. McDonnell mentioned his strong business record.
Deeds dodged this question, and went back to climate change. Deeds discussed his endorsements by the League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club, and he said he is against the cap and trade bill. (Note: During his time as a legislator, Deeds voted for cuts to the Governor’s Opportunity Fund in 2007, 2008, and 2009.)
Nice question: Who is the Governor you admire the most? Deeds has learned from Doug Wilder, Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine, but he greatly admires Jerry Beliles. McDonnell admired George Allen, because of his strong leadership and how he managed the state.
Closing Statements: Deeds said he would work to create prosperity, hope, and growth within the Commonwealth. Deeds said he would create jobs, improve education, and bring Virginians together to improve transportation. Deeds attacks McDonnell for being a smooth talker and referring to him as being dishonest. Deeds said he would operate in the Warner-Kaine tradition.
McDonnell talked about being a public servant and how he has outlined a strong vision for moving Virginia forward. McDonnell wants a comprehensive energy plan, and said that we need to keep taxes low, while reducing spending. He also highlighted his service as Attorney General and how he would work in a bipartisan matter.
My take on the debate:
Well, you can tell who will continue the Warner-Kaine legacy of raising taxes. Creigh Deeds will continue this tradition, and during these troubling economic times, we definitely do not need this style of leadership. Throughout the debate, I noticed at point that Deeds was getting frustrated and he even dodged an important question about the Governor’s Opportunity Fund. It’s troubling that Deeds wants to place transportation improvements to a committee, instead of taking initiative and being a leader. Being a leader means taking a stance and not backing down, and I just do not see that in Deeds.
On the other hand, Bob McDonnell did a good job defending his initiatives and proposing a solid vision for improving Virginia. He has a plan for improving education, the economy, and boosting employment. McDonnell has proven leadership, and even when times were challenging, he did not back down. His endorsements from pro-business organizations and the Fraternal Order of Police proves that he is a committed leader. Virginia will be in good hands with McDonnell as Governor.
Good News from SurveyUSA
There’s good news for the Republican statewide candidates. All hold significant leads over their Democratic counterparts. According to the SurveyUSA polls, the Republicans hold a 14-19 percent lead.
Here’s the breakdown:
Bob McDonnell. 59
Creigh Deeds. 40
Bill Bolling. 56
Jody Wagner. 42
Ken Cuccinelli. 56
Steve Shannon. 41
Life must be rough for Stevens Miller
Things keep getting more interesting for Stevens Miller, who moved into the 86th district just to run against Tom Rust.
At a campaign rally last Saturday held for Miller, only 25 people showed up at the event. When you add in his campaign staffers, SEIU canvassers, speakers (Del. Ken Plum, John Foust, and Steve Shannon), there was next to one attending this event.
Pretty sad, heh?
Bolling Released Another TV Ad
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling has released another ad focusing on Jody Wagner’s plan to raise taxes once elected. Last night, Wagner did not answer whether or not she planned to raise taxes during the debate in Roanoke. However, she has indicated in the past that she would follow any tax plan that Creigh Deeds might enact.
Live Blog of the Lieutenant Governor's Debate
Tonight, the Lieutenant Governor’s Debate is taking place in Roanoke. Right now, I am watching the webcast of the debate on WSLS and will be reporting some of the key highlights from the campaign.
Opening Statements: Jody Wagner starts off by touting Virginia’s reputation as being one of the best managed states, then she slams Bill Bolling on his attendance record.
Bolling started off by stating his record and saying that Wagner’s opening statement shows why the Democratic ticket keeps failing.
Question 1: What issues do you think you relate to with Bob McDonnell? What issues do you agree with McDonnell on?
This question was posed to Wagner. Wagner said that Creigh Deeds will be elected next Governor, and would work with McDonnell, if he is elected, to help get job growth initiatives pushed forward. Wagner ignored the question, but said she would work with him on job initiatives.
The question was then posed to Bolling, and he was asked the same question with Creigh Deeds. Bolling demonstrated that he was able to work with Tim Kaine on various initiatives, and he would do the same with Deeds. Bolling also said that each Lieutenant Governor has its own initiatives.
Wagner offered a rebuttal that did not quite make sense.
Question 2 was posed to Bolling about the meeting attendance record. Bolling has attended the meetings or has sent staff liaisons to these meetings. Bolling has been at 80% of those meetings. When the General Assembly is in session, Bolling presides over the State Senate, so it can be quite difficult to attend every meeting. Some of the committees mentioned by Wagner in her accusations against Bolling’s attendance record, Bolling had no participation in those meetings.
Question 3 was again posed to Bolling about why he should be elected to continue addressing the economic issues. Bolling mentioned Wagner’s record as Lieutenant Governor, and said that we need to work on improving transportation and boosting job growth initiatives.
Wagner’s theme is to question Bolling’s leadership. Wagner mentions that she is not in favor of raising taxes (NOT).
Bolling followed up by mentioning Wagner’s favorability of raising taxes. Bolling followed up by mentioning a Washington Post article, where Wagner appeared before a meeting at Greenspring Retirement Community in Fairfax, where she said “Bring It On!” with regards to taxes.
Wagner tried to argue, but the moderator cut her off by saying there would be time for this later.
The commentator asked Wagner to clarify her tax record. Wagner did not mention which taxes she intended to raise (again avoiding the question). She also mentioned that Deeds did not have a plan to raise taxes. (Is she oblivious? Deeds mentioned this…perhaps, she needs to watch the clip.)
Bolling, then asked if Wagner, if she would join with the McDonnell-Bolling plan considering that she was against Deeds’ tax increase plan. Then, he mentioned another article (which Wagner said was a violation of the rules…Bolling refuted that it was not a violation).
Wagner called Bolling a liar by saying that she does not intend to raise taxes.
The next question focused on the budget. Wagner indicated that she does not want education cuts in the budget, and she avoided the question regarding what she would cut. Bolling mentioned the overly optimistic revenue projections. We need to balance the budget by reining in taxes. Wagner followed up by mentioning his attendance record at the meetings.
The follow up question asked Bolling if he is over exaggerating the budget projections. Bolling said no, and mentioned that the budget was mishandled. Bolling also focused on the need to balance the budget by cutting taxes. Wagner indicated that this was a political attack, and again, focuses on the number of meetings that Bolling has missed. Bolling, then followed up by focusing on the state debt doubling and taking money out of the rainy day fund, due to the budget shortfalls, made by Wagner.
Another question was posed to Bolling about McDonnell’s plan to name him Chief Jobs Creation Officer. Bolling mentioned his pro-business record, and the endorsements he has received from pro-business organizations. Bolling said that he has a record of helping to create employment. He indicated that we need to create more jobs by reducing the tax burdens on businesses and providing more incentives.
Wagner mentioned that we need to make investments on green energy and said she has a plan on her website that will help boost those jobs. Wagner again attacked Bolling on the fact that he hasn’t been at his own job (this is not true).
Bolling asked Wagner if she supports card check legislation. Wagner avoided this question and accused Bolling of running a negative campaign.
How would you improve education? McDonnell and Bolling have an education plan that will not cut the quality standards of public education. We just need to channel that spending into the classroom and take it away from the central office bureaucracy. By putting money into the classroom, teacher pay will be raised to the national average.
Wagner mentioned that there needs to be more preparation in helping students learn and boost college preparatory curriculum. Wagner indicated that she will be a presence in at risk high schools helping to boost graduation rates. Wagner attacks Bolling on the fact that money will be taken away from public education.
The theme of the evening has been on distortions and dishonesty by the Deeds and Wagner administration.
Finally, the closing statements began with Wagner calling Bolling out on being dishonest, and that she is the best candidate to handle the challenges. She mentioned that Bolling has been focused on being a part-time Lieutenant Governor. (The office of Lieutenant Governor, according to the Constitution of Virginia, is a part-time position.)
Bolling closed out by mentioning his endorsements by pro-business organizations, and that he is dedicated to leading Virginia through the challenges. Bolling also mentioned that he will remain dedicated to restoring Virginia back to fiscal responsibility by balancing the budget without raising taxes.
Overall, this debate was a victory for Bolling, as Wagner often dodged the hard questions and kept on attacking Bolling for missing meetings of committees, in which he was not an member. Wagner offered no vision or initiatives for job growth or improving the current financial state in Virginia. Bolling has solid initiatives that will improve job growth, transportation, and restore fiscal responsibility.
