Not Larry Sabato

"RK Closes Down"

Great post by Chap.

I'm still getting my thoughts together, and hope to have them up this weekend.

Williams Mullen Voter Fraud Scandal

Williams Mullen- the employer of Jerry Kilgore (Chair of Government Relations and Terri Suit (Government Affairs Director), has been implicated by the Virginian Pilot of being the location where the illegal (and racially targeted) Obama-Sessoms flyer originated in Virginia Beach.

Is Williams Mullen trying to get a reputation for being the place where vanquished or disgraced Republican officials go to retire and commit voter fraud?

(HT:  VBDems)

UPDATE:  Check this out- every member of the Williams Mullen Government Relations Team is white!!  And then we learn that's where the racially targeted flyer was handed out?!?!?

Hmmmm.........

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Back on Friday with a look at 2009 and some thoughts on the end of RK.

Hysterical- Chairman Jeff Gets News

(HT:  Contemporary Conservative).

Virginia Beach Mayor's Race and Voter Fraud

Vivian has a great analysis up.

Virgil Asks For Recount

Here's the interesting part of the statement:

"Virginia law provides for a recount in any election where the vote difference between the candidates is one percent or less.  Here, the difference between the candidates is 0.23 percent.  In an election this close -- with less than one-quarter of one percent separating the two candidates, and with literally thousands of vote changes taking place during the post-election canvass process -- a recount is an important protection for voters.  It ensures that each ballot that was lawfully cast in the Election is counted, and that the votes are accurately tallied.  It also gives us a chance to ensure that each candidate's tally is comprised only of votes that were properly and lawfully cast. "

There have been rumors that Virgil Goode's campaign found UVA students who voted absentee in their home states, and also voted here in Virginia.  I doubt he found enough to change the results, but this recount could put these students in some serious hot water.

What Virgil is probably doing is to demand these kids get charged with a crime (which they should) and try to get them some minor jail time.  They would also probably be expelled from UVA for an honor code violation. 

Why would Virgil do this?

It would have a chilling effect on students registering on campus in the future- giving Virgil an edge looking towards a 2010 rematch with Tom before redistricting.

Holiday Shopping

Noooooooooooooooooo

Judy Feder talking about running AGAIN.

I May Have Been Wrong About Charlie Kelly...

From an email tip:

"I was at an event recently with Catherine Smith- better known as "Smitty Connolly"- Gerry's wife.  She was complaining about Charlie Kelly from Governor Kaine's staff.  Apparently on election night, Charlie told Smitty to get off the stage when the group picture was being taken- even while Lisa Colis and other wives were allowed on stage.  Smitty of course couldn't handle this, and is still complaining about Charlie and saying action needs to be taken against him.  Thought you might like to know that it sounds like Charlie was doing a decent job for once".

Earlier this year I compared Charlie (Political Director to Kaine) to a purple vagina from the Vagina Monologues.  After reading this, that seems to be over the top.  Keep up the good work Charlie!

Tim Hugo's Future Chaos

A lot can be said about Delegate Tim Hugo, but one thing people in both parties agree on is he is a very responsive elected official.  Sometimes responsive to the point of pandering.

That was the case in the 2007 session, when Hugo at the request of Clifton's Democratic Womens Club introduced a bill doing away with electronic voting in the Commonwealth.  Basically the bill said localities could not purchase any new electronic machines, forcing them to begin phasing the machines out and returning to a paper ballot system.  Unfortunately as often happens in Richmond, a bad idea passed the House, then the Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Kaine.

Are we really that computer phobic that we think elections are being stolen and our election officials are too stupid to be able to get machines and programs that have enough safeguards in place to avoid these kinds of problems?

Up in Minnesota, we are getting a preview of the kind of chaos that Tim will have brought back into our election system.  Check this link out from Minnesota Public Radio.  It features a number of different ballots between Norm Coleman and Al Franken that are being examined by hand.  It's like Florida with every ballot being challenged for bizarre reasons ranging from thumbprint to size of check-marks.

Thanks Tim.  Instead of having quick recounts with clear results in the future, you have managed to take our election system back to something similar to what we had 100 years ago. 

Any legislators want to introduce a bill to repeal this absurdity?