Changed tossed in the ditch

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Still thinking...?

Senator John Edwards (D-Roanoke) says he is "still thinking" about getting into the race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. Delegate Steve Shannon (D-Fairfax) currently has that race to himself. But, Senator Edwards is also on a list, with 16 others, under consideration for appointment as a judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Edwards says he has been encouraged by senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner to seek that appointment by President Barack Obama.

I don't know the timeline for this appointment, but there is a timeline for Senator Edwards to get in the game if he wants to run for attorney general. Petitions to be placed on the primary ballot are due by March 24. We can expect Edwards to say yea or nay to the attorney general contest shortly after the General Assembly adjourns at the end of February.

Obama Rocks Roanoke

Yesterday, Barack Obama made his fourth stop in western Virginia drawing over 8,000 people to the Roanoke Civic Center for a midday rally. A wildly cheering crowd, many with homemade signs like Hokies 4 Obama, and Roanoke Loves Obama filled the center with noise and enthusiasm. Apparently many students, teachers, officer workers, and others took a skip day to be part of making history.

Senator Jim Webb asked the crowd when was the last time the Republican nominee had been to southwest Virginia. McCain hasn't been to the region since 2007 when he visited VMI. Representative Rick Boucher told the crowd that the past week has seen "tremendous movement on the part of southwestern Virginians" toward the Obama/Biden ticket.

The video clip is from the part of Obama's speech where he talks about the need for change. Clips of his discussion on health care, the economy, and more can be found here.

Obama later stopped by a downtown hair salon and greeted the proprietor and customers. 

Meanwhile, across town at Young's Towing, a half dozen Republicans held a counter rally. Not sure why this was even newsworthy, but I'm glad The Roanoke Times ran the story which is full symbolism and irony. Delegate Morgan Griffith and a couple others spoke the garage's battery load tester which served as a podium. Actually, it was a disguised defibrillator for a campaign on life support. The tow truck left immediately afterwards, looking for McCain's car which is stuck in the mud they are spewing.

Of course, Republicans can never resist that mudslinging which only serves to get them deeper in the ditch - Delegate Ralph Smith of Botetourt County accused Barack Obama of being a Chicago gangster when he dropped the name of Al Capone, as if the criminal who died in 1947, was a close Obama advisor.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good

Jim Webb has been named one of the 75 most influential people in America by Esquire magazine. In a wide ranging interview that covers his past careers, his writing, and his current work as a United States Senator we find out more about what makes him tick. The following excerpt is about the issues he sees as currently among the most urgent (the interview was done before last week's collapse of financial markets) facing our nation:

We need to reorient our national security policy, which is a lot more than Iraq. What in classical terms you'd call grand strategy: how we connect with the rest of the world . . . .

Economic fairness. We have calcified along class lines in this country like we haven't seen since Teddy Roosevelt's days. And it's very difficult to get the right kind of discussion going on that -- up here, or anywhere, really. We're doing everything we can to inject that into the debate. And to get some corrections into the body of law that eliminate, basically, special favoritism.

Accountability issues. Infrastructure. We have a decaying infrastructure at a time when so much of our money is going out into other countries where they're building really first class, twenty-first-century infrastructure. We're in danger of becoming a third world economy.

On every single, every single issue that I have to take a vote on up here, we start off with: What's fair? Not which pressure group is calling the most or any of those things. We talk about what is fair to the spectrum involved, what's fair for the country.

Read the entire interview with Senator Jim Webb.

The Bad

My heart almost went out to the lonely boys at the GOP booth at the African-American Festival in Staunton's Gypsy Hill Park. Reflecting the Republican's deep pockets, most likely from lobbyists' donations, they had lots of signs, bumper stickers, buttons and other campaign paraphernalia. Much of the day it was just the two of them and they busied themselves arranging and rearranging things on the table. A few festival goers stopped by, fewer still took anything. They were joined by several other young men and later by the congressman himself who huddled with them for a while before venturing out to shake a few hands. Notably absent were leaders of the local committees. Maybe they'll roost there some today? 

By contrast the Democratic booth had regular traffic and by mid afternoon had run short of Obama signs, bumper stickers, and buttons. Just about everyone who stopped by wanted something and many left a donation. One Democrat commented, "we've got a problem getting enough stuff . . . but what a good problem it is."

Yeah, I almost felt sorry for the lonely boys. Almost.

The Ugly

Bob Goodlatte has received a 2007 grade of F from TheMiddleClass.org which uses analysis of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy to highlight bills that impact the middle class and the aspiring middle class. The site gives detailed background about the legislation and helps voters find the resources to help them influence their representatives.

Goodlatte joined fellow Virginia representatives Thelma Drake, Virgil Goode, Eric Cantor, Tom Davis,  and Randy Forbes with failing grades. He's running at 43% for 2008, on track for another F under even the most lenient grading system! The last time Mr. Goodlatte passed was 2003. You can check out Goodlatte's votes here. It is embarrassing, no make that disgusting, that voters in the 6th district are represented by a man so family unfriendly.

We have a chance to retire Bob by electing Sam Rasoul to the House of Representatives. I can guarantee Sam won't get a failing grade on issues critical to American families. Everything Sam does, from refusing PAC money to taking on tough issues like affordable and accessible health care, speaks to his commitment to average American families.

There's something going on here . . . revisited

At the big Paint the Valley Blue event held in mid-August in Staunton, Senator Creigh Deeds was visibly moved by the enthusiasm of nearly 500 Democrats at a BBQ and rally. He exclaimed. "there's something going on here . . . ."

He is right, there does seem to be a bit of a Democratic resurgence in the Valley. PTVB was but one indicator. How about Obama headquarters in Harrisonburg, Staunton, Lexington, and even Bridgewater! Democratic yard signs seem to be in abundance, although I'm hearing about folks being frustrated with the lack of signs available at the HQ. 

Rumors are the Goodlatte folks are a bit surprised at the tenacity and strength of Sam Rasoul's campaign. While early on some Virginia Democrats weren't paying too much attention to the 6th District, Rasoul's ability to put on an aggressive campaign (while not accepting PAC money as his opponent does), has gotten notice. Below Sam and Layaly join Senator Jim Webb in an August event in Harrisonburg.

And, the new found energy in the Democratic Party seems to be already carrying over to 2009 when voters will elect a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all members of the House of Delegates. Already, Jeff Price of Amherst County has announced he'll seek the Democratic nomination for the 24th House District. Jeff is said to be making the rounds of local committees and beginning fundraising (which is tough in the middle of the '08 election). There are strong rumors of an individual putting out feelers to challenge Steve Landes . . . or was it Chris Saxman? Likewise there is a persistent buzz of Democratic challenges in other districts from Shenandoah County through Roanoke. Many of these candidates are new to politics and have not been overtly partisan in the past.

A common thread runs through all the rumors and buzz - a knowledge that there has to be better way to govern than what the Bush administration or the do-nothing House of Delegates have provided. Government built on consensus and solving problems, rather than division and confrontation. Government that is not blindly partisan. Government that puts people first.

Perhaps it is really true - two party competition is returning to the Shenandoah and Roanoke valleys.

Goin' for the grits

Barack Obama and Mark Warner will campaign together in Martinsville. The invitation-only town hall meeting will focus on trade policy and jobs in a region hammered by job losses due to plant closings and moving overseas. The audience will include families and workers impacted by the failures of Bush administration trade policies. Later in the day Obama will join Senator Jim Webb in Lynchburg.

At a hastily called press event by the McCain campaign, retiring Representative Tom Davis, a northern Virginia Republican, bashed Obama for pandering to a community with high unemployment. Davis said Obama lacked the "courage" to come to Fairfax with his trade message. Scratching in the litter, trying to dig up something that sticks - Davis is practicing the politics of division of NOVA versus the Southside region. Glad this bird is flying at the end of this term.

Obama's stops in Virginia mirror Mark Warner's rural strategy that won him the statehouse and will send him to the U.S. Senate. To carry Virginia, a Democrat must do well in regions like the Southide, the Southwest, and the Shenandoah Valley - areas that for too long have been taken for granted by Republicans (who then ignored them once in office) and thought by Democrats as not winnable. By going to Martinsville (can you say NASCAR?) and Lynchburg (ground zero of the Bible belt) Obama is signaling that every Virginia vote counts and that the commonwealth will be a battleground.

I don't read too much in the fact that Governor Tim Kaine will not be joining Obama at these stops. The governor has plenty to deal with on the state budget that is turning red as the national economy continues to falter. A few days ago CCC posted that Kaine's VP star was fading. Some pundits think these Virginia campaign stops signal Kaine is the guy. Not that the budget woes disqualify Kaine, but they have already prompted partisan attacks that may be a distraction. For the reasons expressed earlier, I still think Senator Joe Biden will be crowing in Denver. We'll know soon!

Shame on Bob Goodlatte

Last week the House of Representatives passed the 21st Century G.I. Bill as an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Military Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would provide educational benefits similar to those of WWII veterans. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) was one of the House patrons. This is the same bill Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced (on his first day in office) in the Senate and pushed on the Sunday talk shows and at every opportunity. Among the Senate supporters is Senator John Warner (R-VA).

The vote in the House was 256 to 156 with 32 Republicans voting with the majority. How did Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06) vote on the 21st Cenury G.I. Bill and help for our veterans? On the wrong side.

Seems Mr. Goodlatte is all to willing to send young men and women into harm's way. He's all too willing to spend billion of dollars a week on a war, occupation, whatever you want to call it. He's all to willing to ask our soldiers and their families to sacrifice for their country. But, Mr. Goodlatte is unwilling to provide veterans with the same educational benefits that WWII vets received. Mr. Goodlatte is short-changing the young men and women of the Sixth District, Virginia, and the nation. Does he think a handshake and a hollow "thank you" is reward enough for their service?

CCC recently praised Mr. Goodlatte for his vote on the Farm Bill because he seemed to be listening to constituents. Today, he's even taking a tour of Valley farms, no doubt to claim credit.

On the 21st Century G.I. Bill, Goodlatte is flat wrong. Are his ears plugged with BushWax? Does he not care about our vets? Is it about the money? If so, Mr. Goodlatte you are a hypocrite for supporting billions for Iraq while shortchanging these young men and women. Contact our not-so-representative Mr. Goodlatte and tell him you stand with our veterans - and expect him to do so, too.