Yesterday, bloggers from throughout the Commonwealth gathered at Christopher Newport University to discuss various issues and to network with each other. Since this was my first Blogs United conference, I definitely learned a lot from the various discussions from the media panel (which featured journalists from [...]
Never thought a Republican primary would turn on who supports Obamacare, but that’s the way it’s going for the 8th Senate district race between Rosemary Wilson and Jeff McWater$.
“Wilson accused McWaters of favoring mandated health insurance for all Americans, a charge he did not deny.
A Wilson [...]
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will be voting on Senator Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) health care bill. It appears that both of Virginia’s Senators are on the fence voting on this legislation. Perhaps, Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner should be on the fence considering that this bill [...]
Jeff McWaters has received the endorsement of Virginia Beach Sheriff-elect and soon-to-be former State Sen. Ken Stolle, who is vacating the seat. In an email today to supporters, Stolle writes:
“In this election there are two Republicans vying for the seat, both have served the community of [...]
Yesterday, the Jeff McWaters’ campaign for State Senate released a very interesting campaign email that seems like they might know something the rest of us don’t.
Chris LaCivita (who recently aided Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli and was the media advisor for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth) appealed [...]
New York Packet
Tuesday, November 20, 1787
[Alexander Hamilton]
To the People of the State of New York:
ASSUMING it therefore as an established truth that the several States, in case of disunion, or such combinations of them as might happen to be formed out of the [...]
We’re in the middle of the worst recession in a generation with unemployment in double digits, and the number one priority for Democrats throughout the entire first quarter of Obama’s Presidency has been a government takeover of health care.
Whatever problems exist in health care, they pale [...]
Coming soon to the 37th State Senate district…Dave Marsden. It appears Marsden has established a web appearance showing that he is running for the Democratic nomination. Is this the best candidate that the Democrats could recruit? He nearly won re-election by 209 votes for his [...]
If you were to listen to the Virginia Education Association on school choice, you would think that it’s the worst thing in the world.
“I really believe there is an underlying bigotry at the bottom of it all,” said VEA President Kitty Boitnott earlier this year.
If [...]
Clark Clifford coined the phrase by calling Ronald Reagan an “amiable dunce.”
Clifford, a former Secretary of Defense for LBJ during the Vietnam era, helped Jimmy Carter deal with Iran’s taking of 52 American hostages while America stood by helpless, and left this world under indictment [...]
Today I have been greatly honored with the nomination of the Republicans of Virginia’s 79th district, and I hereby accept, with all the humility I can manage, your trust in me to run for and, voters willing, represent the 79th district [...]
Listening to my friend JP Godsey’s radio show on 670 AM and my jaw hit the floor.
Jeff McWaters just mentioned that he was regional coordinator for Bob McDonnell, but he was the statewide head Finance person for Jerry Kilgore, and McWaters said ‘We raised 23 million [...]
Politico is reporting that U.S. Senator Jim Webb does not favor the current Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill being drafted in the Senate.
“In its present form I would not vote for it,” he said. “I have some real questions about the real complexities on cap and trade.”
Instead, [...]
In this episode of Virginia Politics On-Demand, we recap this week’s news, including Hamilton’s resignation and Mathieson’s potential congressional run.
We also hear from a triumphant, yet realistic, Governor-elect Bob McDonnell, as he returns home to a victory celebration in Virginia Beach.
Finally, Jeff McWaters, candidate seeking the [...]
Vivian Paige caught Norfolk’s City Council trying to double the signatures required for citizens to put a referendum on the ballot. Currently, you need at least 4,000. The public hearing to change that minimum to 8,000 is Tuesday. Nice, huh?
That’s almost the entire voting population [...]
Effective November 15th, Del. Phil Hamilton has resigned from the House of Delegates.
Hamilton lost his effort for re-election a few weeks ago to Robin Abbott, but continued to be investigated by a House committee and a federal grand jury.
My information is that since Hamilton is now [...]
Retired Roman generals are asked all sorts of questions. In between some blogging and some small-scale farming, I get the chance to dabble on my estate by planting a few things now and again.
Today’s question hails from an anonymous source:
So, what do I do with my [...]
The “Mathieson for Congress” idea seems to have some validity when you check out a new Google ad from boldprogressives.org:
There are at least some who seem that they would like to see Nye face a primary challenge.
[...]Independent Journal
Thursday, November 15, 1787
[Alexander Hamilton]
To the People of the State of New York:
IT IS sometimes asked, with an air of seeming triumph, what inducements could the States have, if disunited, to make war upon each other? It would be a full answer [...]
That was the organization name given to the City of Virginia Beach in a Freedom of Information Act request this week, according to multiple trusted sources.
That begs the question. Either the FOIA request was supposed to be for Mathieson for Delegate and someone spelled Delegate “C-o-n-g-r-e-s-s” [...]
The dates to select the GOP nominees in the 8th and 37th Senate Districts have been set.
In the 37th, Marianne Honrniko, Will Nance and Steve Hunt have until Dec. 1 to convince Republicans that they’re the best candidate to succeed Attorney General-elect Ken [...]
Independent Journal
Wednesday, November 14, 1787
[Alexander Hamilton]
To the People of the State of New York:
THE three last numbers of this paper have been dedicated to an enumeration of the dangers to which we should be exposed, in a state of disunion, from the arms [...]
The 60-plus Association, the non-profit organization of more than half-million seniors and is the self-styled conservative, limited government “alternative to AARP”, is releasing two ads this weekend targeting Virginia U.S. Reps. Tom Perriello (D-5) and Gerry Connolly (D-11).
For Perriello:
For Connolly:
“This bill adds hundreds [...]
Today in Glen Allen, Governor-elect Bob McDonnell will address the House Democratic caucus, as reported on WTOP.
A well-placed source has informed Bearing Drift that Democrats did not even include Bobby Mathieson in the invitation to the meeting.
After being defeated by Republican Ron Villanueva, Mathieson contested [...]
Virginia U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8), who as recently as two weeks ago said that we needed to elect State Sen. Creigh Deeds to governor to protect us from the GOP’s “Taliban ticket”, has a challenger: Matthew Berry.
Moran, whose public service in the 111th [...]
The most transparent administration in the history of the United States has received a fourth in a series of unanswered letters from Rep. Frank Wolf - this one about the dangers of sending Guantanamo detainees to Yemen.
“If the administration does not halt these pending releases immediately, [...]
Politico is reporting that two of Virginia’s U.S. Reps. J. Randy Forbes (R-4) and Frank Wolf (R-10) will be targeted by Obama’s Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee for their votes against the government takeover of health care.
Purportedly this is a quid pro [...]
If you haven’t noticed during the busy campaign, gas prices are going up again:
In the meantime, the public comment period on lease-sales ended, and apparently it is overwhelmingly in favor (2-1) of opening our shores up for exploration and drilling, [...]
It took mere hours for ex-delegate Bobby Mathieson to pledge to spend taxpayer money to try to save his fledgling, insignificant and short-lived legislative career.
It’s been months since his aide had been investigated for embezzling campaign funds, and we haven’t heard a peep.
“Mathieson said he filed [...]
Back in April my friend Steve Bierfeldt was detained at St. Louis airport for carrying $4,700 in cash and insisting on his rights when challenged by the TSA. Six months later, the ACLU lawsuit on behalf of Steve has been dropped since the TSA [...]
Today is a day when we take time to honor the men and women who serve, and have served, this nation in the Armed Forces. Especially in the wake of last week’s shooting at Fort Hood, I urge our readers to take a moment today to [...]
Freshmen congressmen Glenn Nye (D-2) and Tom Perriello (D-5) both defeated incumbent Republicans in 2008, but are high on the national target list by the GOP in 2010.
Both have made themselves vulnerable, but in different ways, for the coming election.
In a nutshell, Nye has nearly cast [...]
No, it wasn’t a recount. Mathieson hasn’t even asked for one yet, and he can’t until likely November 23rd.
But will he? There are three steps here. Step one was completed last night, which was the local Electoral Board’s certification of results. It is NOT a recount [...]
About six hundred happy Virginians packed into the Cavalier Hotel last evening to welcome home Governor-elect Bob McDonnell and his family. It was an opportunity to have, less than a week later, their own victory party for a favorite of this region.
However, while that celebration was [...]
The Mathieson message - We want the votes counted, so stop counting!
Great logic, but then again this was the Democrat who was so “tough on crime” he bucked his own party to let felons work in schools.
And in a great show of bipartisanship and effectiveness, he’s [...]
Independent Journal
Saturday, November 10, 1787
[John Jay ]
To the People of the State of New York:
QUEEN ANNE, in her letter of the 1st July, 1706, to the Scotch Parliament, makes some observations on the importance of the Union then forming between England and Scotland, [...]
In this episode of Virginia Politics On-Demand, Shaun and Jim review the 2009 election.
In part one, we review the statewide campaign and discuss some of the House races:
In part two, we talk “lessons learned”, what to expect in 2010, the role of the new media, [...]
The line is getting longer and I’m not talking about the one for the Swine Flu vaccine.
After spending an estimated $3,500,000,000,000 on a variety of bailout schemes including TARP and emergency loans from the Fed, the unemployment rate still hit 10.2%, the highest [...]
Registration for the Blogs United conference is open. Once again, Christopher Newport University hosts us at the David Student Union Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (doors open at 8 a.m. - breakfast and lunch provided).
This year’s conference features Rep. Rob Wittman, political [...]
Creigh Deeds liked the idea of opting out of Obama’s health care plan.
Glenn Nye didn’t want it to get even that far.
Nye announced today he’s a BIG no vote on Obama’s health care takeover, like he was on Obama’s budget and Obama’s cap and trade bills.
Is [...]
Atlas Shrugged – 1,200 pages
War and Peace – 1,296 pages
Les Misérables – 1,488 pages
Health Care Bill – 1,990 pages
How likely any member of Congress has read the bill? My thoughts: Zero
[...]Representative Bob Goodlatte points out the obvious — Pelosi isn’t reducing costs with her rush job, she’s just redirecting cost back on the industry and the taxpayer. Goodlatte also talks up the Republican alternative, which cuts costs and reforms the system rather than merely nationalizing it.
Very [...]
Now not only is this a debut post, but this is also the best breakdown of winners and losers you’re going to read all week. Trust me — this’ll be good stuff!
LOSERS:
The Washington Post — Bloggers and the MSM have had a tense relationship from [...]
Democrats are beginning to line-up against Pelosi-care…21 so far, and probably more as we go throughout the day. Here’s Virginia’s U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor this morning on Fox News explaining the current situation:
[...]The White House says Creigh Deeds lost because he didn’t adhere to the Obama agenda. Democratic leaders opine that Deeds’ “I’m a Creigh Deeds Democrat” and his comments to “opt out” of national health care did him in. Democrat voters stayed home, they said.
Lefty bloggers are [...]
DC saw upwards of 15,000 Americans flood the Capitol steps and the House office buildings with one message for Nancy Pelosi and advocates of government health care: “No, you won’t”!
Many members of Congress who spoke were buoyed by Virgina’s election results. The crowd went wild for [...]
Jeff McWaters must love schools. First, he’s ramping up his name ID by latching onto a PTA fundraising letter.
Now he’s breaking school board policy by campaigning at school football games, according to this Letter to the Editor in the Virginian-Pilot.
“I could not believe [...]
jr@bearingdrift.com (J.R. Hoeft)
