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Jeff Frederick to Debate an Empty Chair this Friday
Incumbent Sen. Toddy Puller (D-Woodbridge) is shying away from debating her challenger, Jeff Frederick. Does this mean that she is afraid to discuss the issues and her plan for improving the district? Puller is in one of the toughest races in her career, and one would think that she would want to ask questions of her challenger, so voters could make an informed decision on November 8th.
It appears that Puller is not going to debate Frederick on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt on Friday at 10 a.m., and Frederick will now be on air in an interview format. (For those in the D.C. area, you can tune into NewsChannel 8 for the interview that was supposed to be a debate.)
Frederick said:
Elected representatives shouldn’t be hiding from their constituents. Senator Puller and I both believe that their are stark differences in our records, so it would be helpful to let us highlight these differences for voters. We can have a frank discussion on lowering taxes, improving economic growth and finally making some tangible progress on Route 1. There is still time for Senator Puller to reconsider her decision not to debate. I hope she will still show up on Friday.
My guess is that Puller is trying to avoid discussing real issues, particularly since she opposes the eminent domain amendment to the Virginia Constitution, and the lack of progress surrounding the improvements of the Route 1 corridor.
Cross posted at Bearing Drift
Update: While it seems like Puller is avoiding debates, it appears that Del. Luke Torian (D-Woodbridge) is willing to go on NewsTalk to debate his opponent. There’s no fear there.
Talk about a Conflict of Interest…
What do you think of this scenario: A political candidate wants to meet with public school teachers to discuss funding and to request support for their re-election campaign? Sounds a little unethical or desperate, doesn’t it?
Well, this is occurring in a Northern Virginia State Senate race, as Toddy Puller’s campaign sent an email out to public school teachers in Prince William County about setting up private meetings in their schools. Below is the email that was sent out by Megan Fitzgerald, who serves as Puller’s Field Director:
Hello,
Toddy Puller, the State Senator for most of Prince William County isreaching out to school in hopes of meeting with teachers to talk abouteducation and the importance of funding our future. My name is Megan and I’mthe regional field director for Prince William County. I would love thechance to meet with you one-on-one to talk about Toddy Puller. I am veryinterested in talking to students about local government and emphasizingits importance. I know that you all are very busy and have a strict curriculumbut I do think it could be beneficial. Please let me know if there is atime I could come into the school to talk to you more about the State Senator(preferably before school starts).–Megan Fitzgerald
Toddy Puller for Senate
“Why does a campaign operative need to discuss public school funding with teachers two months before an election. Why is Senator Puller sending her political campaign into our public schools to begin with? And most importantly, if everything is above board, why do these meetings need to be in private?”“If the Senator Puller would like to engage teachers and students in the democratic process, then we should debate the issues at every high school in the district. However, clandestine political campaigning has no place in our public schools, and funding for our public schools should never be used as leverage with teachers. Senator Puller owes the taxpayers an explanation as to what exactly her campaign operatives are doing in the public schools.”
Frederick is right about these meetings. You would think that Puller would want her constituents to hear about her views on public school funding, instead it seems like she wants to keep these closed.
Jeff Frederick Not to Run for RPV Chairman
Yesterday, Jeff Frederick sent out a letter to supporters saying that he will not challenge Pat Mullins for the Republican Party of Virginia Chairmanship. Below is the letter that Frederick sent out to supporters:
Dear Friends:
Over the past four weeks, Amy and I have had the opportunity to take a step back, reflect, and pray about our next course. It’s been a refreshing and exciting period as we consider incredible opportunities before us.
It has also been an encouraging time, and I can’t possibly put into words how thankful we are for the literally hundreds of people who have written me with their expressions of support and their confidence in our efforts to bring principled, grassroots leadership back to the Republican Party of Virginia. Your prayers have strengthened us, and given us comfort and peace.
Many of you from every corner of Virginia have urged that I seek the Chairmanship again, and I strongly believe that if I were to seek it at the state convention later this month, my prospects for victory are strong.
Unfortunately, I do not believe the same is true for our party’s prospects this year.
As you have likely heard, Amy has decided not to run for the House of Delegates. Her decision makes the task of keeping the 52nd District seat in Republican hands much more challenging, potentially making it the first casualty of the State Central Committee’s April 4 vote.
But that April 4 vote will likely have other consequences.
Those in our party who make the phone calls, put up the yard signs, canvass neighborhoods, and write small checks won’t soon forget how they expended time and resources to attend a convention last year to only have a small group of party insiders overturn the will of thousands as expressed in a fair and free election.
The events surrounding my removal were just the latest in a long succession of efforts by the SCC to ensure that they – and not the party’s base – were paramount in determining the direction of the Virginia GOP.
What some fail to realize is that the problems within our party have little or nothing to do with me. I was simply a rally call for those that have felt and feel disenfranchised as conservatives within the Republican Party. The action of the SCC on April 4 only reinforced that view and sentiment.
Grassroots conservatives are in the fight due to a commitment to their ideas and values – not because of any personality – mine or anyone else’s. Those on the SCC may have won this most recent battle, but regrettably, they fail to recognize that they are losing us the war. Winning elections is a game of addition not subtraction, yet our state party is turning away good people every day. You can’t rebuild a majority that way.
I was elected to change things, but those that are the guardians of the status quo strenuously resisted the changes I attempted to bring. They are intent on returning the party to the course it was on prior to my election, confident in the mistaken belief that doing the same thing over and over again will somehow produce a different result.
You would think that – given the number of chairman the Party has had in so few years – these “leaders” would figure out that maybe, just maybe, the party’s decline might have something to do with their own misguided priorities and poor judgments. It is inconceivable that they neglect to realize just how obsolete their approach is, particularly given that they are the very same people who have presided over loss after loss for our party.
The SCC’s actions taken in the last few months in particular have made a challenging course for our nominees even more treacherous. For example, the choice of our next Chairman should be put in the hands of the convention delegates. But once again, the grassroots of our party have been removed from the process by those at the top, putting such a decision in the hands of an elite few.It is that kind of top-down approach that resulted in our party’s greatest contraction, and it is the top-down approach that our activist and volunteer base resoundingly rejected at last year’s convention. Yet, reclaiming the chairmanship without replacing the entrenched party “leadership” would likely result in failure – and putting the energy and sacrifice I did into being Chairman isn’t worth a futile effort.
Therefore, today I announce that I will not be a candidate for Chairman at this year’s state convention.
My mission as Chairman was to advance our beliefs, articulate our vision, and win elections. A party firmly in the hands of the grassroots can accomplish this. A party controlled by a few insiders cannot. It is just that simple. Sadly, I don’t see that changing any time soon.
However, I recognize that I was not the perfect chairman. I made my share of mistakes. But, I also faced a small yet vocal and influential group who were determined to see me fail and committed to my removal from the day of my election. The opposition I encountered as I worked to change our party from the top-down organization it had become to a grassroots party rooted in principles rather than power was not surprising. Most of those at the top had strongly opposed my candidacy for chairman, as I made clear my intention to depart from the status quo approach that had failed us so profoundly during this decade. What was surprising is how determined these people were to revenge their loss at last year’s convention, putting that task above all others, including the task of electing Republicans, which is the primary reason our party organizations exist.
I’ve also learned quite a bit as a result of my experience as a chief partisan – among the lessons: it turns out I’m not that great of one. In my time running for and in public office, I have had to be the non-partisan, mostly because of the composure of my district. But I’ve realized that being a “conservative” is much more in my nature than being a “Republican”, and some of my missteps (particularly in the press) highlight my discomfort in campaigning for party versus ideas.
Many people have suggested to me that the “party comes first.” I strongly disagree. I’m not loyal to a party label, but rather to what that label is supposed to represent. It is the principles and values I am committed to, not politics.
As for my replacement, I would encourage you to oppose the anointed choice of the SCC. Remember, these are the same people who have led the compromising of our core principles and have overseen defeat year after year. If the Republican Party here in Virginia is once again to become a majority party, they are hardly the ones to be in a position to know what it will take to get us there. Nothing personal against the person they have selected, but that endorsement should be a signal to the grassroots of who not to support.
I am thoroughly confident that a true grassroots candidate – not one hand-picked by the same insiders who removed me four weeks ago – will emerge to pick up where we left off. Such a candidate will put principle before politics, champion our conservative beliefs, and honor the will and the efforts of our grassroots members.
To all of you who have stood by Amy and me, both when it was easy and during those more difficult times, we are grateful. Thank you. You have been a blessing to us, and you can count on us to be friends for life. We hope you will keep in touch, and we will make an effort to do the same. Also, please don’t ever hesitate to let me know how I can repay even just a small measure of the abundant support you have shown us.
Having not been in this particular position in our lives for 8 years, Amy and I are happy to be taking a break from public and partisan office. But rest assured, God willing, it won’t be a long sabbatical.
We have been humbled and inspired by the people we’ve met and the commitment we’ve witnessed by so many to preserve and protect the Virginia we love. Keep the faith.
God Bless,
Jeff Frederick
The Aftermath: Where does the RPV go from here?
With yesterday’s vote by the State Central Committee to get rid of Jeff Frederick as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, we are now left with a temporary Chairman, Michael Thomas, and a sharp divide between the grassroots and the party leadership. Right now, this is not looking good for our party for the upcoming elections statewide, and there is no doubt that the Democrats will be taking advantage of this situation.
So now, the Republicans in Virginia are looking around at the aftermath of yesterday asking: where does the RPV go from here? Do some sit at home and punish our candidates because the vote did not go the way as some would have liked, or do we try to find some reason to unify and work hard for our candidates to ensure victory in November? I would hope that many pick the latter.
Look, I learned a valuable lesson from 2008, when I (like many) stood against John McCain’s selection by the Republican Party to be the Presidential nominee. I did not want to be active in this race. In fact, I threatened to sit home and not work on behalf of the ticket. However, it took a talk with a good friend, who I worked with in 2006 and 2007 on several successful (and some not so successful) campaigns, to realize that it was wrong not to help the party. Maybe, I was placing my own principles on the table for the sake of the party, or it could be something that Ronald Reagan once said, “I may not agree with someone 20% of the time, but if I do agree with someone 80% of the time, then they are not my enemy.” I did some grassroots work on behalf of McCain by phone banking, and even though, we were not victorious. The lesson I learned was that you need to view it in the Reagan perspective, but then advocate on behalf of principle.
I intend to work hard for all three of the candidates, even if the State Central vote did not go the way that many grassroots activists within the party wanted it to go yesterday. I would hope that many of those who were against the Frederick removal would work with the party leadership to develop with educating our candidates on how to stand on our core principles of limited government, lower taxes, and standing on behalf of life, liberty, and property. Together, we can do much if we work together, rather than sitting at home and pouting over past events. There is no doubt that many might disagree with my perspective and thoughts on this situation, and there might be some who agree with my thoughts. Right now, we are in a critical state as a party both on the state and national levels, and we all need to work on strengthening our core principles and embracing them to win races in the future.
**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon
Breaking News: Jeff Frederick Ousted as RPV Chairman
Today, the State Central Committee voted to remove Jeff Frederick as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. The final vote was 57-18. This saga is far from over…
Bearing Drift has great coverage live from the event.
Poll: Do you think RPV Chairman Jeff Frederick Should Step Aside?
There has been a considerable amount of buzz within the blogosphere and mainstream media about whether or not Jeff Frederick should step aside as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. There has been some convincing arguments from both sides, but I feel that we cannot remain unified as a party or win races with such infighting. This is why I have decided to remain neutral in even reporting this material and have kept my opinions silent on this matter. The decision now lies in the hands of the State Central Committee, and they will ultimately vote on what will be in the best interest of the party.
I have decided to create a poll gauging whether or not Jeff Frederick should step aside as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.
Personally, I supported Jeff Frederick at last year’s convention, because I felt that he would lead our party in the right direction. I am now left wondering how he will be able to lead our party after all of the accusations and be able to work with the State Central Committee to ensure victory in November for all of our statewide candidates and retain a strong majority in the House of Delegates. We need to be unified or we will continue to lose. While Jeff Frederick has defended his record and submitted his rebuttal to the accusations, I am uncertain if we can work together with this cloud of controversy.
Now, I am not calling for anyone to resign, rather it falls on the hands of the State Central Committee, who decide to ignore the grassroots and not allow for Frederick to redeem himself in the 2009 elections. While I am a grassroots activist, it will become difficult to lead effectively with everyone going against you. Sometimes, when there is dissension, it can bring out true leadership. This will be interesting to watch how this plays out, if Frederick remains as the RPV Chairman.
While we have lost some major races in 2008, most of this had to do with a bad candidate at the top of the ticket (John McCain) and just a referendum on the Republican party at the national level. While many would argue on the real reasons why Virgil Goode and Thelma Drake lost last November, I would say it was the general attitude that many Americans held about the Republicans in Congress. It is not necessarily Jeff Frederick’s fault.
Then, we move onto the recent special election races, where two Republican candidates won (John Cook in Fairfax’s Braddock District and Barry Knight in the 81st HOD race) and three Republican candidates lost (Joe Murray in the 47th House District, Pat Herrity, who ran for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors seat, and John Coggeshall for the Norfolk’s Commonwealth Attorney). There were lots of reports that the RPV did not provide adequate assistance with these races, and the sole pressure was placed on the unit chairmen (many of them, with the exception of Alexandria signed this letter). I always thought these local races were supposed rely on the strong leadership of the unit chairmen.
We can not always call for someone to step aside when things go awry. This is when real teamwork becomes essential. Maybe, it is time for all Republicans to work together for the common revival of our core principles of being advocates for limited government, lower and fair taxation, and calling the Democrats on their flawed policies. Attacking each other from within accomplishes nothing, and this is a lesson I have learned from observation.
It’s time to unite for the good of the Republican party. The decision will made on April 4th on who will emerge victorious in this fight, and whatever the outcome, it is time to work together to ensure victory in November.
**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon
Ouch! RPV gives Jeff Frederick 30 Days to Resign
Bearing Drift broke the news that the State Central Committee has given Jeff Frederick thirty days to resign as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. The reasoning is due to poor fundraising and questionable ties with his technology firm, not to mention the loss of a U.S. Senate seat and three Congressional seats. Although, it may be too early to make the call, especially since he has only been in for a few months (hardly enough time to revive an already sinking ship). Yes, losses come, but Frederick should have some time to redeem himself. (On a side note, I am not calling for Michael Steele’s head yet for the RNC, as I am merely waiting to see what improvements may come in the next year.)
What will be next in this series of fireworks? Virginia Virtucon reports that former Rep. Tom Davis and former Del. Paul Harris, who now heads up the Virginia chapter of Americans for Prosperity are rumored to be top contenders to run for the RPV Chairman seat. Harris would be my pick at this point, however this does not go for saying that Davis will bring strong fundraising to the RPV (if elected), but the down side to a Davis chairmanship is the fact that all of our core principles would most likely become abandoned. Harris is a strong conservative, who would not back down from party’s core principles, but his fundraising edge might not be as good as Davis.
