Hometown boy?

"It ain't over till it's over," but the daily shifts in the unofficial vote tally in the attorney general's contest now has Mark Herring up by 117 votes. Mark Obenshain may wish he'd made a few more friends in his hometown - he lost Harrisonburg by 186.

Electoral boards have until the end of today to certify votes including provisional ballots. WTOP reports that on Friday the GOP dominated State Electoral Board pushed through a change in procedures used in Fairfax County that may mean most of the 400+ provisional ballots will not be counted. It would ban legal representatives from acting on behalf of a voter unless that voter is present - it is highly unlikely many will be able to show up and protect their vote. The Fairfax Electoral Board disagrees with the change but will comply. Mark Herring carried Fairfax with 61% of the vote.

Then let the recounts and challenges about uncounted ballots begin. It is likely both Marks will keep talking turkey over Thanksgiving but only one will get an early Christmas gift when all the counting and recounting finally wraps up sometime in December.

Mark Herring brings "curb service" to Staunton

Sen. Herring addresses
the crowd.

Arriving exactly at the promised time, Senator Mark Herring brought his campaign for attorney general to Wright's Dairy-Rite in Staunton. About 30 area residents joined him on the patio as he introduced himself to the Queen City and central Shenandoah Valley.

During his remarks Herring pointed out the sharp differences between himself and his opponent. On transportation Herring worked with the governor and across party lines to pass much-needed legislation to bring our aging and crowded roads up to speed - his opponent opposed the bill. On women's rights Herring supports a woman's right to make her own health care decisions without undue interference from the government - his opponent has supported legislation to deny women access to clinics and to ban many forms of birth control.

After brief remarks Sen. Herring
discussed issues with voters.

Notably, Senator Herring has proposed a five point plan to strengthen plan would create an ethics commission, limit gifts while strengthening disclosure requirements, punish corruption by public officials, prohibit using campaign donations for personal use, and expand public access to records. In a state where honor guided the ethical behavior of elected officials, the recent behavior of the governor and current attorney general has shattered public confidence in our democracy. Herring's proposals would help restore faith in government that represents people rather than deep pockets.

Herring promised to make people and the law - not partisan politics - the focus of the attorney general's office. Now that would be a sharp contrast to the current occupant's right wing agenda. It is also a sharp contrast to Herring's opponent who says politicians should weight the "political calculus" to determine if they will do the right thing.

Keeping politics out of the Commonwealth's law office and restoring faith in government - after the last 3 1/2 years that would be quite refreshing!

Mark Herring to visit Staunton

Mark Herring, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General, will visit Staunton on August 13. Details in the flyer below:

Click on picture to zoom in.

Join Mark to learn more about his ideas for

common sense leadership

in the important office of Attorney General.

Cuccinelli: Affable Extremist

As a candidate for attorney general, Mr. Cuccinelli has profited from an affability and quick wit that have tended to mask his extremist views. As a lawmaker in Richmond, he has displayed contempt for non-English speakers; for those who care about global warming; and for the First Amendment. Many of his fellow Republicans regard him as occupying the far-right fringe of the party, the ultimate small tenter. The more immediate concern is this: If he is elected attorney general, Mr. Cuccinelli would drive away qualified lawyers from an office that functions as the state government's law firm, and, given his bizarre ideas, he would very likely become an embarrassment for the commonwealth.

Ken Cuccinelli's quick smile is a Halloween mask disguising the fact that he an evil spirit of a distant and ugly past. He is exactly the wrong man to elect as Virginia's Attorney General in 2009. Read more in Mr. Cuccinelli's Bigotry.

Steve Shannon's agenda

Most Democrats in the central Valley haven't yet met Attorney General candidate, Steve Shannon. Yesterday he had some stops in several locations along I-81, including one in Roanoke with the Kiwanis Club. Shannon talked about the reasons he got into politics, about being a nonpartisan, solution-oriented Attorney General, and about the key points in his aggressive agenda:

• Legal issues that are arising as Virginia becomes a more technology based economy, including child pornography, identity theft, and other internet-based crimes.
• Traditional economic crimes like fraud and scams.
• Gang and drug crimes, especially those that cross local law enforcement lines.
• Maintaining the Warner/Kaine successes in keeping Virginia a business-friendly environment by keeping taxes low and targeting investments in education, transportation, and safe communities.

We'll be hearing from Steve over the coming months. There is more about his stop in Roanoke in The Roanoke Times.

Experienced bird may jump into race

John Edwards, a state senator from Roanoke, is considering entering the race for attorney general. Edwards ran in 2001, losing the nomination to Donald McEachin. He considered running in 2005 but eventually decided against it - Creigh Deeds was the Democratic nominee that year. Rumors of Edwards' possible entry surfaced this fall, but seemed to have diminished some by the end of the year.

If he enters the race, Edwards will face Steve Shannon, a delegate from Fairfax County, for the nomination. Shannon has had the field to himself and has over $746K in his campaign coffers. Since Edwards is a member of the General Assembly he will, if he decides to run, have to wait until after the session to begin fundraising. Virginia law prohibits members from raising campaign cash during the session - a prohibition that also affects Shannon and Deeds, as well as Senator Ken Cuccinelli who is seeking the GOP nomination.

Senator Edwards made his comments just after Governor Tim Kaine delivered his State of the Commonwealth Address.

Fishwick Exits

Democrat John Fishwick ended his quest for Attorney General yesterday. He cited his interest in representing regular folks and small businesses in state and federal cases. Fishwick said he'd pay campaign expenses and then return the remaining money to donors. He raised about $160,000.

Fishwick's highest profile case in recent months was the lawsuit brought by a W&L professor against the Virginia Lottery charging they continued selling tickets for prizes that were no longer available. The case brought him some celebrity, including a brief appearance on Dr. Phil.

Fishwick's exit leaves Delegate Steve Shannon of Fairfax as the only Democrat seeking the nomination.