Spring has sprung

Spring is getting to the Valley... a day here and there. Most Virginians probably enjoyed this past weekend's blue skies, bright sun, and warm temps. I visited family on the far side of the state, staying off the interstates and enjoying the back roads of the Commonwealth. Also got in a little fishing and enjoyed homemade crab cakes. Umm, good.

Back home on Sunday afternoon, I worked on odd jobs outside in the warm sun. All that will change today with showers and wind and chilly temperatures (did the weather guy just utter the S-word?). But, next weekend looks nice. April has always been one of my favorite months, I guess precisely because of all the changes in the weather, the greening of the grass, buds popping on trees, the promise of fresh veggies and smell of freshly mowed grass.

So, all in all, a most excellent weekend for most Virginians. Guess the same can't be said for Jeff Frederick's weekend - he probably didn't even notice the blue skies. All-in-all, I was hoping he'd keep his "job." He was so fun, provided so much comic relief, and pissed off so many Republicans. I suspect this drama isn't over and hope for some fun at the GOP state convention.

It is great fun reading some of the reaction at Valley blogs like rightsideVA and Spank That Donkey who are in the finger pointing business - a circular firing squad may play out over the next weeks. Seems Lynn Mitchell, aka swacgirl, played a little CYOA, reversed position and voted to dump the "grassroots" (from the VAGOP Dictionary: Grassroots: noun term appropriated from broad political use meaning regular folks' involvement, that now means right wing and ultra-conservative Republican who feels abandoned by his/her party; mostly found in the rural regions) leader, Jeff Frederick. The vote was close, enhancing the betrayal felt by the "grassroots." For her part, swacgirl remains mum, posting pictures of flowers and quoting the Bible. The next meeting of the Augusta GOP might be rowdy - alert the Sheriff's Dept. that extra security may be needed.

A house divided

As you read here in the previous post, the Jeff Frederick saga is dividing Virginia Republicans every way imaginable. Most elected Republicans and those higher up in the party regime seem to favor booting the embattled chair. But, Frederick appears to have considerable support among activists, especially in local committees that have a strong contingent of right wingers (they call themselves "grassroots").

A noteworthy example - earlier this week the Augusta Republican Committee passed a resolution of support for Jeff Frederick. The vote was 10-9. The resolution says, in part, that Frederick is "doing the job he was elected to do, namely to make the state party the servant of the local unit and not its master.” 

Bill Shirley, the Augusta GOP chair, was noncommittal about the resolution and apparently didn't vote on it. He simply urged Republicans to pay attention to the issues swirling around Frederick before making up their minds. RightsideVA, in a post on the News Virginian's website, lays bare the rift:

Is it possible that we now have another level of “Party Govt” who feel that they are better at deciding what is right for the party and that the “Grassroot Citizens” should just trust their decision with disregard to any backroom deal to save their own position in the party?...

Stay tuned! The roof of this house divided is sagging under the strain. To be continued through April 4 and beyond.

Desperate measures

Faced with his looming ouster, Virginia Republican Chair Jeff Frederick fired off a lengthy email to GOP activists in an attempt to stop the daily bleeding. In recent weeks, the party's gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, the Speaker of the House of Delegates Bill Howell, the Virginia Senate Republicans, and all five GOP congressmen have called for Frederick's removal. The party's central committee has drawn up 10 charges of mismanagement and misuse/abuse of power - the most serious being sending party business to a firm Frederick owns, damaging the reputation of the party, and making unauthorized expenditures.

Although it looks like many of the GOP big guns are lined up against him, Frederick has a record pulling out a victory from what looks like defeat. He was twice elected to the House of Delegates in spite of Democrats pulling out all the stops in a fairly friendly district. Frederick became chair by besting former Lt. Governor John Hager at last year's state convention, overcoming many of the same party insiders who now oppose him.

While his email addresses the charges against him, it is basically a rallying cry for the grassroots radical right wingers that put him into the chairmanship, to rise up again against the "small minority" of party elite who Frederick says want to turn the Virginia Republican Party into a "rubber stamp for for its longtime insiders."

The divisions can be felt all the way down to local committees and elected officials. Some of the elected, those elite insiders, are backing Frederick's ouster - one Rockingham County elected Republican's spittle flew at the mere mention of his name. But, the party activists on many committees are comprised are far right supporters of Frederick and can be expected to rally to his right side.

The State Central Committee meets on April 4 (wouldn't April 1 be more appropriate?). Let the fight be joined, the words bitter, the scars deep, and the divisions lingering for all of 2009!

Clipped wings

It used to be that Democrats loved to make fun of Jeff Frederick, chair of the Virginia GOP and radical right's favorite poster boy. The swac girls and Kurts of the Shenandoah Valley were enthralled with the boy wonder and helped to put him in power, but now seem to be distancing themselves from the fool. They act like they don't even know him.

McCloskey's cartoon sums it up nicely - Jeff Frederick has become the poster boy of the failure of the not only the Virginia Republican Party, but specifically underscores the bankruptcy of the party's right wing. 

The News Leader

"In these grim times, voters seek leaders who are seasoned and thoughtful. Yet the GOP displays--Jeff Frederick? Even the Boy Scouts would know better."

Junior G(OP) Man, Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 3/13/09

"Jeff Frederick seems eminently qualified to serve as chairman of the Republican Club at Sean Hannity Middle School. The delegate from Prince William serves as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia instead. There's the rub."

The Right Thing, Richmond Times-Dispatch 3/13/09

Blue Risin'

Success breeds success. With Virginia voting Democratic in a presidential election for the first time since 1964, electing a second Democrat as U.S. Senator, and holding a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives, there is optimism about continuing the blue risin' in November '09. A few examples:

Speaker of the House of Delegates, Bill Howell, will face an opponent for the 28th District seat. Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chairman George Schwartz announced that he will run for the Virginia House of Delegates. Schwartz said:

"My term as supervisor is coming to a close. I think I've accomplished what I set out to do. I have every confidence that the board will continue on the track it is presently on next year, and the time is right to take on this next challenge."

As speaker, Bill Howell hasn't been quite the Darth Vader that his predecessor was, but sometimes it is close. At any rate, on the key partisan issues, House Republicans usually march in carefully controlled lockstep to Howell's marching orders. Signs of a crack - some GOP delegates (along with some tobacco Democrats) watered down the restaurant smoking ban agreed to by Governor Kaine and Speaker Howell.

There will be an open seat 52nd District. Jeff Frederick who wears three hats - delegate, Virginia GOP chair, and dunce - announced he won't seek reelection. He's pushing his wife, Amy, to run for the seat. Many observers think this Prince William district, which is trending Democratic and embarrassed by Frederick's strange behaviors, will flip this year.

Here, in the most Republican area of the commonwealth, the central Shenandoah Valley, it looks like Republicans will face challenges in most districts.

In the 24th District, Jeff Price has been on the campaign trail for months and appears to be the likely nominee to take on Ben Cline. Price is a businessman and family man whose wife is a school teacher. From what I can tell, Price wasn't too political in the past, at least not in a partisan way. But, he became frustrated with the extreme Republican dogma, gridlock in the House of Delegates, and with the inept representation provided by Cline. He's run an energetic and creative campaign for the past six months meeting with small groups in Amherst, Rockbridge, and Augusta.

In the 26th District that comprises Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham, Gene Hart is taking on Matt Lohr. Like Cline, Lohr is a party line type guy. Hart calls for "Leadership That Works" which seems to mean ending partisanship and seeking practical solutions. Hart is an attorney with a solo practice in Harrisonburg and his wife is a special education teacher.

In the 25th District, Steve Landes will certainly face an opponent - two Democrats are apparently seeking the nomination which will be decided at the June 9 primary when the statewide candidates will be chosen. James Noel began gathering signatures on petitions a month or so ago and has visited local committees. More recently, Dr. Greg Marrow has expressed interest in running; he's a laser eye surgeon and a cofounder of Seven Generations. The 25th includes Waynesboro and the NE part of Augusta, eastern Rockingam, and a few western Albemarle precincts. Noel is from Augusta; Marrow from Rockingham.

The 20th District includes Staunton, Highland, parts of Augusta and Rockingham, including Bridgewater and Massanetta Springs. At this point, the very partisan incumbent, Chris Saxman, is unopposed as no Democrat has announced intentions to run. Not too surprising since the 20th is a gerrymandered district with solid Republican leanings in the rural areas. But, Democrats point to Staunton becoming increasingly blue and inroads in other areas as well. Some local party activists are hopeful that Bruce Elder might jump into the race. It sounds enticing, but Elder seems to be enjoying his influential role on Staunton City Council. While other names have surfaced and one individual seems to be actively weighting the pros/cons, there haven't been any announcements. Yet!

Similar Democratic activity can be found around the state and there is a good chance many Republican delegates will face real opposition. All of which bodes well for the Democrats picking up the half dozen seats necessary to control the House of Delegates.

Curt/Frederick Cock Fight

Walter Curt, a conservative Harrisonburg area businessman who was tapped by Virginia GOP chair Jeff Frederick to head the party's fundraising, has abruptly quit. In his letter of resignation Curt bemoaned Frederick's lack of leadership polish and wrote:

"Unfortunately the problems of structure, power projection, consultant interference, interpersonal difficulties, years of internal malaise, luddite attitude, leadership, and unity of purpose stand in the way of any hope of success."

Curt was a favorite of the right wing swacgirl types who hailed his appointment by Frederick back in June. Since then the party has continued to implode with Frederick having to wear a flack jacket as he dodges "friendly fire." Frederick narrowly avoided ouster just before Christmas.

Curt's resignation is one more sign that the Virginia GOP continues to be sharply divided between the ultra-conservative swacs who would disembowel government and the pro-government conservatives like Emmett Hanger, while the whack job Frederick flails in the wind. Meanwhile November is approaching.

Playing chicken

The Virginia GOP met over the weekend at a very high priced coop, The Homestead, in Bath County. As expected, Jeff Frederick held on to his chairmanship, but that certainly doesn't mean all the hens are happy. The internal divisions remain sharp as some activists wonder if the divisive and often abrasive young chair can pull the party together in time for the 2009 elections. As Phil Cox, campaign manager for presumptive gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell said, “We can keep doing what we’re doing and we can keep losing.”

Apparently, there was no agreement on Frederick's "Statement of Republican Principles" that all candidates would have to sign to win party support. It sounds like a "loyalty oath" that would likely demand adherence to Frederick's and the ultra-conservatives' views. Hard to know exactly what the document includes and who supports or doesn't support it as the executive committee met behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, there was grousing about the cheap breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, blame for George W. Bush, the media, and others for Gilmore's crushing defeat, and conservative bloggers tilting the table for their guy for A.G., Ken Cuccinelli.

~~~~~

To the east in Charlottesville, that liberal hatchery, the Democratic Party of Virginia was meeting with a far more festive atmosphere. Announcements of inaugural events, smiles, cheers, pats on the back were all the order of the day.

Democrats are blessed with three (or two??) candidates for Governor. Creigh Deeds got moderate applause when he was introduced to speak, and some people had buttons for Brian Moran. Brian stayed in NOVA to attend a family function and was represented at the podium by a surrogate. Terry McAuliffe, who claims he is only exploring a run and will make a decision in early January, also spoke. For now, at least, everyone was friendly and spoke no evil of an opponent. But on NBC29 News a few rotten eggs were thrown when McAuliffe commented that the other two seemed "stuck in the legislature." Detractors called McAuliffe a "carpetbagger," said the DNC didn't make progress until it got rid of "his sorry fanny." A party activist from central Virginia urged McAuliffe to "go away." Cluck, Cluck- there will be broken eggs before we get to the June primary.

By the time the candidates for Lt. Governor, Jody Wagner and Jon Bowerbank, addressed the Democrats, folks were getting ready to wrap up the meeting - so their comments were short. Wagner seemed to have broad support in the room and many learned of her popcorn business, Jody's Popcorn. A blog named Coarse Cracked Corn is clearly impressed! There are rumors (and winks) that the state chair, Richard Cranwell, is considering jumping into the race. That might make for an interesting winter and spring as Wagner has already picked up a number of influential endorsements from Democrats.

Also speaking was candidate for Attorney General, John Fishwick, While many Democrats have heard of him, few know much about him. Vivian Page's blog takes a closer look.

Recited by various speakers were the stats from the election, many of which we've all heard before. First time Virginia has gone blue in a presidential race in 44 years, first time we had two Democratic Senators since the early 70s... the long list of accomplishments of '08 is indeed impressive (and depressing to GOP birds). A few other interesting tidbits - Mark Warner carried all but six localities (a couple of them here in the Valley). Obama improved upon Kerry's percentages in almost every locality. Several Democratic congressional candidates raised more money in their races than Jim Gilmore was able to raise for a statewide race.

On to '09 and kicking the right wing GOP out of one of their last roosts for blocking progress in Virginia - the House of Delegates.

The Axe Is Falling

Seems some Virginia Republicans are already sharpening their axes to lop off the head of Jeff Frederick, chair of the Virginia Republican Party. This video was posted in Jeff Frederick Retreats to the Bunker at The Contemporary Conservative, a Richmond area blog. After all CCC's posts about Frederick, I had to roost it here also. WARNING: Put down your egg basket lest you break them all laughing. h/t to Cobalt6.

Chopping the Chicken's Head Off

With Virginia turning presidential blue for the first time since 1964 and with the RPV chairman, Jeff Frederick embarrassing many with his hateful rants, some Republicans are questioning if he is the far right guy to head the party.

Influential (in some Republican circles) Kenny Klinge, a lobbyist and longtime GOP activist, has called on Frederick to resign. Saying all that matters are results, Klinge says Frederick lack judgement and maturity, failed to raise needed money, has a poor relationship with the Republican congressional delegation, and has been repudiated by Bob McConnell and others. Klinge concludes that he knows a bad chairman when he sees one and JEFF FREDERICK IS INCAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE LEADERSHIP THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NEEDS IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS IN 2009 [emphasis his]. Klinge's email was apparently received by many Republican activists and forwarded far and wide, we can imagine.

A couple of weeks ago, Republicans in the House of Delegates, met behind closed doors in Glen Allen to lick their wounds and plan for the upcoming state elections. Their pollster and others warned that moving farther to the right, as urged by Frederick and many others, could leave them as the minority party in the House of Delegates. Guess their big elephant ears were deaf to that message as a week later many were calling for cuts to public education and health care - programs that have broad public support. Hey guys, there are lots of Dems who have the GOP backs covered on this one!

Many of the younger generation of Republicans, in the House of Delegates and local committees, are kindred spirits of Frederick's. They love and believe in his in-your-face conservatism. They share generational bonds and don't trust an old bull elephant (Klinge was RPV executive director in the early 1970s!) rushing in and telling the herd what to do. Many of those Jeff Frederick acolytes are found grazing right here in the Shenandoah Valley. Where will their loyalties lie - is it true an elephant never forgets? Or remembers?

Stay tuned. Next month the Virginia GOP meets at The Homestead. Klinge and his allies may push a vote of no-confidence. If they win, Frederick may see resignation as a graceful way to exit stage right. Or, it could mean a formal vote to remove him. The rules give Frederick plenty of hope of avoiding the chopping block - such a vote requires a month notice and a 3/4 vote of the GOP governing body. The RPV could be running around like a chicken with its head chopped off well into 2009.

Jeff Frederick is a jerk - part 6

Jeff Schapiro exposes more about the soft underbelly of the Virginia Republican Party under the "leadership" of Jeff Frederick. Is he incompetent? Inept? Unethical? Or, just an embarrassment?

Frederick seems to have alienated half the party, dropped the ball on technology, and in general screwed things up. Although he says he isn't running for the House of Delegates again (good riddance) he is raising money. Although he won't quite say it, it is widely expected his wife will run. Apparently she is the only one who still loves him. Even mom has some doubts.

Schapiro has more about Frederick's racist remarks and the tensions it created with the McCain campaign:

The chatter over Frederick's tense relationship with McCain also continues. Frederick's apparent frustrations with McCain seem to reflect those of conservatives in general. The feelings must be mutual.

In an e-mail to Frederick after the latest dust-up, the McCain team warned, "Come on, man, this [expletive] has got to stop."

And these are values voters?

The soft underbelly of the Virginia GOP is that their values are corrupt.

Jeff Frederick is a jerk - part 5

From the Lynchburg News & Advance:

"It is a sad commentary on the state of political discourse in this nation and this commonwealth when someone in a position such as [Jeff] Frederick’s resorts to cheap, nonsensical rhetoric."

When will the wingnuts give up on this loser, Jeff Frederick? The Virginia GOP is dying a slow, self-inflicted, bloody, death. Good job Anne, Chris, Scott.

Jeff Frederick is a jerk - part 4

Another newspaper has criticized the inept chairman of the VA GOP, Jeff Frederick. Most recently, the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star unloaded with this barrage:

Many young conservatives, especially, strive to prove manhood through their mouths. So here's a thought for Master Jeffrey if he wants to take it to the real, flesh-and-blood terrorists: Join the military. He's still age-eligible for the Army and Navy. Not only could the fierce-talking Mr. Frederick give al-Qaida what-for, but his absence would leave a GOP chairmanship vacancy that might be filled by a thoughtful grown-up. In which case: Democratic Secret Agent Limbaugh, foiled again!

Although the McCain campaign sought to distance itself from the flame throwing Frederick, John McCain himself refused to do so when given the chance. Now, struggling in vain to hold on to a state that has voted Republican in presidential elections since 1964, McCain will join the unrepentant Frederick at a Fairfax rally. 

Can you spell   G U I L T   B Y   A S S O C I A T I O N  ?

Jeff Frederick is a jerk - part 3

Even the GOP leaning Richmond Times-Dispatch has chimed in condemning Jeff Frederick in an October 16 column, Hee Haw: 

"...the line about Obama and bin Laden strikes lifelong Republicans as supercilious, divisive, sour, and mean -- in other words, typical. Decent conservatism prefers wit to rhetorical thuggery."

But perhaps the best quip about the wingnut chair was by GOP rational conservative John Hager, the man ousted by Frederick for the chair's job:

"I'm letting nature take its course."

Jeff Frederick is a jerk - part 2

The Republican Party of Virginia has sent out mailer comparing Barack Obama to Ahmadinijead, Kim Jong-Il, Putin, Chavez. It states, "America Must Look Evil in the Eye" Printed Over Photo of Eyes Some Believe to be Obama's.

The mailer falsely purports to be an "Official Absentee Ballot Request" and is an attempt to not only scare voters with lies about Barack Obama, it is designed to disenfranchise voters who may be confused by the absentee ballot misinformation. You may not receive this slime, but a neighbor probably did. The RPV likely targeted it to independents and weak Republican voters who don't especially like McCain.

To read more and see more pages of this disgusting GOP propaganda, visit The BRAD BLOG.

This is the handiwork of the despicable Jeff Frederick, chair of Virginia Republican Party and close confidant of many Shenandoah Valley GOP activists. Republicans don't play to the lowest common denominator, they go even lower.

Cross posted at We will RockDem.

Jeff Frederick is a jerk

Jeff Frederick is chair of the Virginia GOP. Elected about five months ago, Frederick was known as a firebrand. He won with the strong support of the most conservative elements of the state party including many from the Valley - Scott Sayre, Anne Taetzsch, Chris Darden, Jim Crosby, Audrey Berkshire, and others.

Last week, while trying to motivate volunteers, Jeff Frederick threw out lies that are the red meat of hate and racism. A reporter from Time recorded the events:

With so much at stake, and time running short, Frederick did not feel he had the luxury of subtlety. He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary."

The hopped up volunteers responded by repeating more lies

"And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Actually, we do; it's Hawaii.

As Frederick's comments have spread across the national media, the Virginia GOP has become the laughing stock of the nation. Or, more like the leper of the nation.

Newspapers from east to west across the Commonwealth have been critical. From The Roanoke Times:

One might expect that type of dangerous rant to be blasted on talk radio, but it falls far beneath the level of respectability that people expect of their state political leaders. The McCain campaign criticized Frederick's remarks. As for Frederick, he remains unapologetic. His tenure as chairman truly must be scary for Virginia Republicans.

More from The Virginian Pilot:

In the five months since he took over the GOP apparatus, Frederick has shown himself to be desperate for attention. He took a cheap shot at House Speaker Bill Howell, the Assembly's leading Republican, for trying to work with Democrats in drafting a transportation package. A few weeks ago, he made a baseless statement about voting registration irregularities around the commonwealth. All Frederick has accomplished is to show why he should not be taken seriously.

Now is the time for the Virginia Republican Party to fire their chairman. Jeff Frederick is a drain on the party and is diminishing McCain's chances in the state every day he remains as chair. Jeff Frederick is tarnishing all Virginians with his racist and hateful bile. Jeff Frederick is an embarrassment to all who love our democracy.

So, will people like Anne Taetzsch, Chris Saxman, Matt Lohr, Chris Darden, and other prominent Valley Republicans move to oust Frederick? Or, by their continued silence, will they condone his brand of ugly and hate filled politics? 

Registered chickens

An article in the Washington Post points out one reason Virginia Republicans are increasingly nervous about the November election - since January, over 147,000 people have registered to vote and more than half are under the age of 25. The increase is unprecedented and most observers believe it is the result of enthusiasm for Barack Obama and vigorous grassroots efforts by his campaign and other Democratic groups' to reach out to new and younger voters. That effort can be seen in the Obama campaign opening nearly 30 offices across the state.

The voter registration increases are seen throughout the Shenandoah Valley as well. For example, Augusta County registrations increased from 40,405 in January to 41,329 in July. And that was before the Obama campaign opened offices in Staunton and Harrisonburg.

The Republican reaction is, of course, more fear mongering. The GOP state chair, Jeff Frederick, says it is "coordinated and widespread voter fraud" and talks about corruption, identity theft, and tainted registrations. He offers no substantive proof of such allegations, preferring instead to use one or two isolated examples along with vague suggestions, innuendo, and the language of fear.

Voter registrars and electoral boards across the commonwealth see absolutely no evidence of an increase in fraudulent registrations or other problems Mr. Frederick cites. The Republicans and their lying friends on the wingnut blogs are deep into the politics of desperation.

Upset in the Hen House

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the most insightful reporter on state politics, has an interesting article on the unhappy chickens in the House of Delegates. Seems the House GOP caucus traveled west to scratch in high dollar corn at The Homestead. They brought along the lobbyists, the corporations, the trade associations, and the law firms to spread some $300,000 of high protein mash. All that is business as usual - Republicans and high priced lobbyists schmoozing ain't exactly news. But, what got the roosters upset was the timing. Yep, the "family values" Republicans held this feedfest on Father's Day forcing legislators and lobbyists, roosters and hens alike, to leave the chicks at home.

But the disconnect runs deeper than family values. Seems Speaker Howell and Majority Leader Griffith aren't clucking to the same note. Are they still smarting over their rift in the election of a new state chair? Howell supported Hager while Griffith supported Frederick, the eventual winner.

Schaprio reports that most of the big time lobbyists grazed far away from Frederick, who has said he won't seek reelection to his Prince William Co. House seat . . . but maybe his wife will. Cluck.

There are other signs of stress in the Republican hen house. Many chickens are, at this early stage, strangely disassociated from the presidential and senatorial campaigns in Virginia. Guess they aren't too thrilled with the candidates? The special session on transportation may showcase more cracks in the eggs as the anti-tax conservatives try to scramble any attempts by GOP moderates to compromise with the governor.

A bit of humor had all of them clucking at The Homestead Hen House - Don Hall, a car dealer, lobbyist, and usually in the Republican flock wore a pair of shorts with one leg red with elephants, the other blue with donkeys.

Peck. Peck.

Hard Boiled

Continuing its  sharp right turn, the VA GOP picked Walter Curt to head up the party's fundraising efforts. Curt, a Harrisonburg area businessman, is a well-known right wing activist who supports the most conservative of Republican candidates. Most recently, Curt made news when he gave $50,000 to Scott Sayre in an unsuccessful attempt to topple Emmett Hanger during the 2007 primary for the 24th Senate District.

According to Open Secrets, over the past decade Curt has given over $184,000 to various federal candidates, committees, and PACs. Curt has donated even more money in state and local elections - the Virginia Public Access Project reports that since 1997 he has donated $780,264 to Republican candidates and PACs.

The appointment of Curt as moneybags-in-chief follows the party's recent selection of Jeff Frederick as state chair. The right wing take over is just about complete. Senator Hanger, you'd better be watching over your shoulder (the right one).

Curt may find fundraising tough going in 2008. While the business community is the trough from which Republican candidates normally gorge themselves, it doesn't seem to be filled with corn this year. The problem is the rightward drift that Curt, Frederick, Gilmore, Ellmore, and friends represent. This crowd is too conservative, too rabidly anti-tax, and too abrasive to build coalitions with many in the business community who favor a more balanced approach and state spending on roads, schools, and other essential infrastructure. One reason Mark Warner is doing so well, while his opponent seems like a pit bull chained in the corner, is that Warner proved that responsible governing requires that balanced bipartisan approach.

So Mr. Curt, keep scratching in the cracked corn. Get out your own feed bags. Scratch. Peck. VA GOP running around like a chicken with his head chopped off. Cackle.