Not Larry Sabato

Attend and Help Out!!!

Kickoff at the Capitol

Bi-Partisan House Build on Capitol Square

 

RICHMOND, VA (April 3, 2007) - Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity will hold a mini build on the Capitol Grounds to recruit volunteers to assist with the “Delegates Better Halves” Habitat home build. A year ago, the spouses of Virginia’s Legislators unveiled their General Assembly project to partner with Richmond Habitat to help a low-income family achieve the American Dream of homeownership. On Tuesday, April 3^rd the first phase of the construction will begin on Capitol Square.

 

WHAT:  Virginia House of Delegate’s Spouses and Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity volunteers will build four walls to the house on the Capitol Grounds. Construction of the home begins on April 14 and runs through June 3^rd.

 

WHEN:  Tuesday, April 3, 2007

2-6 p.m. EST

 

WHO: All “handy” and “unhandy” Delegates and their Spouses are invited to attend.

 Cessie Howell, wife of Speaker Bill Howell

Amy Noone Frederick, wife of Delegate Jeff Frederick

Rose Ann Janis, wife of Delegate Bill Janis

Abby Shannon, wife of Delegate Steve Shannon

Julia Marsden, wife of Delegate David Marsden

Laura Poisson, wife of Delegate David Poisson

Maureen McDonnell, wife of Attorney General Robert McDonnell

Leisha G. LaRiviere, Interim Executive Director, Richmond Habitat for Humanity

 

WHERE: The Capital Grounds

The Courtyard outside the General Assembly Building

910 Capitol Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

 

About Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity

Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Richmond Habitat changes lives by making it possible for families to realize the dream of homeownership. We join forces with Richmond area, low-income families, local businesses, faith groups, associations and individual volunteers and donors to build decent, modest homes that families can afford to buy through interest free mortgages we provide. We are a hand-up, not a handout. For more information on Richmond Habitat, visit www.richmondhabitat.org

Tim Kaine Blogger Call

This afternoon Governor Tim Kaine took time to have one his blogger conference calls, his third since taking office.  A few notes:

This was by far the most hostile call he has ever hosted with bloggers.  I think my question (on the restaurant smoking ban) may have been the biggest softball of the entire call.  Kenton asked tough questions about Rail to Dulles, Eileen asked about regional authorities and how the picked the number of localities needed to approve, Lowell asked tough questions about embryonic stem cell research, and Josh asked a question about Kaine being the Democratic coach- a question which first bordered on this scene in the movie airplane where Josh sounded like he was trying to pick up the Governor, but then ended his question on a hardball about whether the Governor was helping the Democratic team by signing the transportation bill.  That one actually may have been a relief for Kaine from where it sounded like Josh was headed.  :)

Cartoon by Dannyboy

What a nightmare.

Disloyal Webb faces backlash

Guest Column by N.D. Plume

Much to my chagrin, I received an email today from Jim Webb's Born Fighting PAC touting Del. Donald McEachin, Delegate David Poisson, and US Senators Landrieu and Johnson. Three of the four are deserving, but the ask for David Poisson is nothing more than a slap in the face to scores of Jim's early supporters.

Poisson faces off with Lynn Chapman, a Republican with chances only marginally better than Steve Chapman of actually winning. But even that is okay.

The problem with raising money for David Poisson is multi faceted.

1. In the 2006 cycle, Poisson failed to give to a single Virginia Democrat--including candidate Jim Webb. Poisson did find time to send money to Rep. Danny K. Davis of Illinois and Perennial Strategy PAC, a group that gives to Republicans 53% of the time, including Norm Coleman, Mark Kennedy, and Jim Saxton. In fact, Perennial Strategy gave $0 to Democratic Senate candidates last year and Rep. Davis' Republican opponent had so little cash he didn't even file a report.

2. It was about a year ago when Jim Webb and the Born Fighting community was in a fight for our lives--but not David Poisson. He not only refused to support Jim Webb, but Poisson continued to support Andy Resnick, the mind behind such attacks that said the blood of U.S. Servicemen were on Jim Webb's hands, Jim and his staff were intolerant bigots, and that Jim Webb himself was all but a sexual predator.

3. During the primary season Webb supporters were dogged by an internet presence known as "Thomas Paine True Patriot." Thanks to address lookup, many people believed that TPTP was Delegate Poisson although there is no proof other than the IP lead very close to his home. This self-professed patriot and internet zealot accused Webb's campaign of everything but stealing the Lindbergh baby, including treason.

Even if none of the above were true, it is troubling that Jim Webb would put his clout behind someone who sat on their hands during his campaign and ignore those who took a chance and supported him 100%. If I were Chap Petersen today, I would be furious. Aside from Chap, there is Janet Oleszek and Eric Ferguson among others.

Whether it is ignoring those who helped him win or laughing while his fall guy sits shackled in a DC holding pen, Webb is establishing a troubling trail of disloyalty. Webb's following has been described as cult-like, and he is quickly amassing body bags faster than a Heaven’s Gate House Party.

Sure, he won't stand for re-election until 2012, but what a guy like Jim Webb might not understand, is that he isn't the only one who can be disloyal.

BE HERE AT 1:30

Larry Byrne is ready to make an announcement on whether he will be a candidate for Clerk of the Court in Fairfax this year.

We have the exclusive at 1:30 p.m.  If Larry decides not to run, Democrats will have two weeks to find a challenger for D. Harris Miller- best known for his 1.6 million dollars worth of lobbying on behalf of the Scientologists.  Otherwise the man once cited as causing "Scientology's influence to grow in Washington" will join the countywide Democratic ticket. 

1:30 p.m.:  Larry Byrne announces:  "I am not running."

It's a sad day for Fairfax.

Best Graphic of Year (So Far)

Ward Smythe has got it.  Awesome.

Referendum on Republicans?

There's an interesting pattern that has been developing in Northern Virginia politics recently.  Most elections are turning into total referendums on the Republican candidate.  In some ways the Democratic candidates have almost been irrelevant to the results.

Take the three open House of Delegates seats in Fairfax County in 2005.  The races were David Bulova-John Mason, David Marsden-Michael Golden. and Chuck Caputo-Chris Craddock.

Now which of these formulas makes more sense:

Caputo 3% ahead of Kaine
Marsden 1% ahead of Kaine
Bulova 8% behind of Kaine

Mason 8% ahead of Kilgore
Golden 1% behind Kilgore
Craddock 3% behind Kilgore

Hmmm.  Everyone can agree Caputo is a better candidate than Bulova- but 11 points better?    Marsden based his entire campaign on his former GOP ties and his "crossover" support, yet Caputo the longtime Democrat finished with more crossover votes than he did.  Hmmm...  the Democratic side just doesn't make sense- does it?

Yet on the Republican side it makes perfect sense.  Craddock who made the infamous "Africans will have sex with anything with a pulse" comment got the largest crossover against him- Golden who ran as a fairly generic Republican and thus was unable to take much advantage of Marsden's weakness on the left finished with numbers almost identical to Kilgore- and Mason who had a long record of public service and ran as a moderate did the best by far.

Other elections seem to indicate that these really are referendums on the GOP candidates.  Gerry Connolly trailed for much of his 2003 campaign against Mychele Brickner as she ran as a generic Republican.  As soon as he began attacking her and defined her as a "book banner" her campaign collapsed and Connolly won.  In Prince William's Chairman election this past year Sharon Pandak ran as a generic Democrat, which some thought would be enough in a county that Jim Webb carried.  Nope- the referendum was on the Republican candidate- and Corey Stewart's campaign to slow growth got him a major crossover and the Chairmanship of Prince William.  Had Stewart allowed himself to be seen as a generic GOP candidate in 2006- he probably loses the election.

It's hard for me to find a serious election in Northern Virginia recently that hasn't been a referendum on the Republican candidate.  If my theory on this is correct- it means the Republicans are not as down in Northern Virginia as people think they are- but they have to run candidates that the voters like and respect.

Interestingly enough, this makes Northern Virginia almost the exact opposite of Southwest Virginia where the quality of the Democratic candidates seems to matter more to voters than who Republicans are nominating.

I'll have more soon on which elections this will impact the greatest this year.

The next Fairfax Clerk of Court?

Current rumor is Larry Byrne may be running.

Is D. Harris Miller about to get Byrned?

Developing...

WEBB DID NOT GIVE HIM THAT GUN!!!

Jim Webb:  I DID NOT GIVE HIM THAT GUN!

Huge mistake in media relations here to allow this story to continue without giving more information...

Scientologists paid VA candidate 1.6 million

1.6 MILLION IN LOBBYING FEES

See here for year by year reports of payments from RTC to FLA.

See here for what the RTC is.

See who worked for RTC here.