“I held out until the end,” Spruill said. “I kept my promise.”

Spruill was with Clinton in New York Tuesday and was one of those with her onstage after her speech. He has worked tirelessly for her candidacy, traveling all over the country on her behalf.

He said he now offers the same type of support to Obama.

“I traveled all over the country for her,” he said. “I’d do the same for him.”

Spruill said unifying the party is the most important thing right now.

“We’ve got to win this thing in November,” Spruill said.

Also announcing his support for Obama today was Virginia Democratic Party Chairman C. Richard Cranwell. In a statement released earlier today:

“Sen. Obama has proven himself to be a leader who reminds us that there is more that binds us together as Americans than separates us; bringing us together to solve the very real problems we’re facing today.”

“The nation’s eyes will be on Virginia this year. The fact that he’s here just two days after becoming the Democratic nominee shows us how important the Commonwealth is to him. So I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Virginia is firmly in Obama’s column come November.

Cranwell had remained uncommitted throughout the primary season once his preferred candidate, John Edwards, dropped out of the race.

Election Day is but a beginning. True leadership is not about winning elections, but about providing the government Virginians deserve. And these elections were a clear and ringing affirmation of the commonsense approach that Virginia Democrats have provided.

In other words, it’s about doing the people’s business. Virginians elected folks who they felt were best qualified to go to Richmond and try to do the right thing by the voters. It’s why Joe Bouchard was elected in the 83rd, why Bobby Mathieson was elected in the 21st, why Ralph Northam was elected in the 6th, why John Miller was elected in the 1st and why Yvonne Miller, Louise Lucas, Mamie Locke, Lionell Spruill, Ken Melvin, Johnny Joannou, Paula Miller, Kenny Alexander, Algie Howell, Jeion Ward, Mamye Bacote and Lynwood Lewis were re-elected as our representatives from Hampton Roads.

If Democrats, and Virginians, are to succeed now and in the future it will be because we dare to tackle the challenges and solve the problems that matter to real people. Our success will come from offering a forward looking vision for Virginia’s future. I believe we can do this, and we will do this.

We have done it before and we can do it again.

Yeah. What he said

While there are parts of the post that I agree with, there is something missing: the 2007 elections were far different from the 2006 ones.

Think about it. In 2006, we had a single Senate race, and while all 11 Congressional seats were up for re-election, only 2 or 3 were competitive. As the result, most of the blogs were much more focused on just a few races, plus the Marshall-Newman amendment. (Heck, even the national blogs and MSM were focusing on Virginia towards the end.) That concentration made the blogosphere much more powerful as a medium for getting information out.

By comparison, by my count we had 45 contested General Assembly races this year, and probably 30 of those were competitive. On top of that, there were numerous local races. (According to the SBE (pdf) there were 2,510 candidates on the ballots this year!) That means the blogs were much more dispersed in their coverage. Rather than focusing on one or two candidates, we all had many more to cover.

So I don’t think you can really compare 2007 to 2006. Different circumstances, different results. I will say, though, that if my blog stats are any indication, more people used the internet to search for candidate information this year than last. I suspect other blogs have experienced the same thing. So blogs continue to serve a purpose, and remain a relevant part of the political discussion.

But in a letter to The Virginian-Pilot published the day before the election, and in an interview Thursday , Fruit said he is appalled by the recent spate of local political ads.

“I have seen so much garbage in print and on the TV from other candidates running that the only way I can think to show my disgust is to stay at home on Election Day,” Fruit wrote. “I used to be a politician. I never resorted to the dishonest attacks being used nowadays. Frankly, I am ashamed at the outright lies and distortions being used by both political parties.”

I can understand why Fruit feels the way he does. I know others who felt the same way. Every campaign season is described as the “worst” anyone has ever seen, but this year’s ads were particularly nasty. It’s no wonder that so many chose to sit this one out.

Joel Rubin attacked these ads in his “My Minute” segment on Sunday’s show. Rubin correctly asserts that the source of the ads are those from out of town. Here’s his solution:

Next time, don’t give money to the parties; donate it directly to the candidates with the stipulation, or restriction if you will, that it only be used to purchase air time for positive ads that do not even mention the opposition.

Ah, if it were only that simple. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Money flows to incumbents, not challengers. The incumbents pool their resources to help the challengers. And guess who gets to call the shots? Well, he who has the gold, of course. They think they know better, anyway. Besides, there is the need to control the message.

Of course, in doing so, they fail to realize that all politics is local. Of course voters are concerned about the big issues – education, health, public safety – but it’s the ones close to home that affect how they vote. Talking about illegal immigration may play well in areas where that is a local problem but it falls flat in areas where the population is not affected by it. In the 87th, the hot topic was property tax relief, but I saw no indication that it was a burning issue in other areas.

It helps, of course, if the message is accurate. I winced when The Virginian Pilot pointed out that a Mathieson ad had characterized as a “pay raise” what was actually an increase in per diem. I see that Adam Tomer, the challenger in the 14th House district, ran into the exact same problem.

At the root of the problem is, of course, the obscene amounts of money necessary to run for office. Until we figure out a way to make it less so, things will only get worse.

And more and more voters will make the choice that Fruit made. And, as Rubin said, that stinks.

Redistricting is about giving the voters choices. In Friday’s taping of OTR, we had the opportunity to talk about redistricting a bit, both before the taping and during. I don’t recall whether all of what was said made it to the show but something retiring Del. Leo Wardrup said has stuck with me these last few days: the differences between the objectives of House and Senate members in the 2001 redistricting. Wardrup, who was there, said that the Senate portion of the plan looked out for individuals, regardless of party, while the House portion looked out for party. Note that the voters are no where to be found in either plan.

The promise of nonpartisan – or, at least, bipartisan – redistricting if the Democrats took control of one or both houses was the whole idea behind 21/51. So I was appalled – and outraged – when I read that the likely majority leader, Richard Saslaw, dismissed the idea, saying, “A lot of us will probably lose interest in that.” Waldo saw this coming and starting tracking the positions of the Democrats on this issue.

If the Democrats abandon the idea of nonpartisan or bipartisan redistricting, then they will have proven that the only thing that matters is power. Not the best interests of the Commonwealth, not the best interests of the people – just power. We’ve already seen that happen at the national level. Just look at how much the Democratically controlled Congress has “accomplished.”

I’ll be changing my header back to the old one soon – back to the “We the People” one that I had up for so long. Because to me, that is what matters. Looking out for the people is what our elected representatives should be doing, not looking out for themselves.

I urge Sen. Deeds and Del. Moran, both likely candidates for the governor’s office in 2009, to re-introduce their bills and demonstrate that they can lead the Commonwealth down the path of what is right for the people.

Catch the show Sunday at 10:30am on WVEC. If you miss the airing, it will be available on the website on Monday.

This election represents a huge victory for progress. It was a tremendous day, both for Virginia and the Democratic Party.

There is a message in this campaign for Richmond. Voters are sick and tired of obstructionism and rigid ideology. They want leaders who will work with Governor Kaine to cut through political gridlock and deliver results. In race after race, the people have spoken for change in the way the Assembly is run. They will not tolerate those who put politics ahead of progress. They are looking for commonsense solutions and results on the challenges we face.

Once again, Democrats have shown we know how to win in Virginia. We have continued a trend that started with Mark Warner and moved through Tim Kaine and Jim Webb. With 2007 behind us, we look forward to building on our success in 2008.

From 1st Congressional district candidate Ted Hontz:

It’s clear the First Congressional District is turning blue like the rest of the state. It’s exciting to see Sen. Edd Houck reelected by a wide majority in the north end of the district and John Miller’s victory in the Senate at the south end. We now have a great opportunity to recapture the First Congressional District seat for the Democrats on Dec 11.

From LG Bill Bolling:

Needless to say, I react to last night’s election results with mixed emotions. I am pleased that we retained our Republican majority in the House of Delegates, but I am disappointed that we appear to have lost our Republican majority in the State Senate.

These were hard fought campaigns and they show the clear political division that exists in Virginia today. A number of these races were decided by very few votes, and that should send a clear message to candidates and voters alike – every vote counts!

[...]

We now begin preparing for the 2008 legislative session. Virginia continues to face a number of significant challenges, and we must all work together to find solutions to these challenges and build a better Virginia. I look forward to working with my colleagues in state government, Republicans and Democrats, to accomplish that important goal.

I participated in a conference call today with with House Democratic Caucus Chair Brian Moran and House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong. Lowell was a participant as well and has his notes up here.

First, my condolences to those who were not successful in Hampton Roads tonight: Bob MacIver, Mick Meyer, Troy Farlow and Steve Heretick. Thanks to all of you for running tough races in difficult districts.

Congratulations to Paula Miller, who won a convincing re-election victory in the 87th. She beat back a credible opponent in Hank Giffin.

Three of the winners are first-time candidates: Senator-elect Ralph Northam (6th) Delegate-elect Joe Bouchard (83rd), and Delegate-elect Bobby Mathieson (21st). Congratulations, guys.

Senator-elect John Miller (1st) got into the race late but ran a great campaign. Congratulations on a tremendous win.

Hampton Roads delivered two of the four Senate seats needed for Democrats to retake the majority and two of the 11 House seats needed. As the results in some of the other races are not yet completely tallied, I don’t know exactly how the numbers are going to play out. But Hampton Roads did its part.

Give yourselves a big round of applause!

Actually, I did the in-person absentee ballot thing last Saturday, as I was unsure where I’d be today. If you haven’t voted, please do so. Unsure of where to vote? Check here. Not sure who to vote for? Well, while I would prefer that you vote for the Democratic candidates, don’t take my word for it. See how they stack up by reviewing their positions both on this blog and elsewhere. Look at The Virginian Pilot information here and The Daily Press information here. The polls are open from 6am to 7pm.

After the polls close, celebrate with Democrats at parties around the region.

Norfolk – Join Paula Miller, Ralph Northam and Norfolk Democrats

Ship’s Cabin
4110 E. Ocean View Avenue

Virginia Beach – Join Bobby Mathieson, Joe Boucchard, Bob MacIver and Virginia Beach Democrats

PBA
333 Edwin Drive

Portsmouth – Join Steve Heretick and Portsmouth Democrats

The Bier Garden
438 High Street

Newport News – Join John Miller and Newport News Democrats

Steve’s Steakhouse
11847 Jefferson Avenue

Chesapeake – Join Mick Meyer and Chesapeake Democrats

American Legion Post #280
Corner of Battlefield Blvd. & Kempsville Rd.

In the 6th Senate District: Ralph Northam

In the 13th Senate District: Steve Heretick

In the 21st House District: Bobby Mathieson

In the 78th House District: Mick Meyer

In the 82nd House District: Bob MacIver

In the 83rd House District: Joe Bouchard

In the 87th House District: Paula Miller

Catch videos of the candidates’ performances on On the Record here.

FEATURING VIRGINIA GOVERNORS

TIM KAINE & MARK WARNER

WITH

OUR HAMPTON ROADS CANDIDATES!

WHEN:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

DOORS OPEN: 4:30 PM

RALLY AT 5 PM

WHERE:

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY

WEBB CENTER

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

CONTACT: 757-583-1025 for more information

The answer to getting equal rights is to elect legislators who believe in them, not try to change the minds of those who don’t. I’m glad that HRC has realized this and is working hard in Virginia to make that happen.

• Transportation. No major changes should be made to the 2007 transportation plan except to the abuser driver penalties. Any alterations in taxes for the HRTA should be revenue neutral.
• Smoking ban. Smoking should be prohibited at all restaurants in the commonwealth.
• Expanded Pre-K. The General Assembly should appropriate $75 million to expand pre-kindergarten classes for low-income 4-year-olds.
• Redistricting. A nonpartisan, independent commission should be created to draw congressional and General Assembly district boundaries after the 2010 census.
• Payday lending. Payday lenders should be required to abide by the 36% annual interest rate limit that covers other financial institutions.
• Campaign audits. Campaign contribution reports should be subject to regular audits by the state Board of Elections.
• Offshore energy. Permit exploration, not drilling, for oil and gas only beyond the 50-mile limit. OK drilling if Virginia gets a fair share of the royalties and US energy policy mandates conservation.
• Campaign money. Campaign contributions by corporations and unions should be limited.
• Two-term governor. Virginia governors should be permitted to run for re-election at the end of their first term.
• Gun-show loophole. The loophole should be closed that allows purchases of firearms at gun shows without an instant background check.

Where the candidates stand is shown in the chart. (Note: R= Republican, D=Democrat, L=Libertarian, I=Incumbent, E=Endorsed by the Pilot. As always, click to enlarge.)

And don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

Next stop: the headquarters of Senate candidate John Miller. The place was overflowing with people, including a number of teachers, various education association personnel, and other supporters.Del. Moran addressed the assembled crowd, followed by Sen. Deeds, who introduced John Miller. Gov. Kaine spoke as well. As you know, Miller has been asking his supporters to not only contribute to his campaign, but also to bring school supplies. Today he distributed school supplies to the many teachers in the audience. He also announced that collection and distribution of school supplies will be an annual event during his tenure as Senator.

We then headed to Norfolk, where a group of canvassers awaited us. Gov. Kaine joined Del. Paula Miller and Senate candidate Ralph Northam, knocking on some doors in East Ocean View. Del. Moran also was there. The group managed to knock on quite a few doors in the 40 minutes or so that the Kaine was with them. One voter said that he had not paid much attention to local races in the past but that he felt that this was an important race and he intended to go out and vote. He listened intently as the governor and the candidates answered his question about health care.

Virginia Beach was the last stop – at least for me – on this tour. Gathered near Mt. Trashmore was a sizeable group of folks, many of whom who had been out canvassing earlier in the day. We heard from the three Beach candidates – Bob MacIver, Joe Bouchard and Bobby Mathieson – as well as from the governor.

There was a consistent theme throughout this day: the need to turn out the vote. These off-year elections are low-turnout affairs and all of the speakers emphasized the need to get folks to come out. As the governor said, small turnout means small margins of victory – and every vote counts.

After giving a great speech to the staff and volunteers at the campaign headquarters, Deeds accompanied Heretick to church in Suffolk. Also with them were Portsmouth Sheriff Bill Watson and Portsmouth council member Elizabeth Psimas.

The Heretick campaign is coming on strong as Election Day nears. Every day, he is picking up more and more voters. A couple of letters to the editor appeared in The Progress-Index in support of Heretick.

Go Steve!

Technorati Tags: Steve Heretick

Interesting tidbit I got from the registrar’s office: absentee ballots are running just about the same was they did in 2003, the last time we had an off-year election. What’s interesting, though, is that in 2003, Norfolk had the Clerk Of Court race on the ballot, which is, of course, a city-wide election. Those results show 380 absentee ballots cast. (The only other contested race on the ballot was Nick Rerras/Andy Protogyrou in the 6th Senate, in which 176 absentee votes were cast.)

The bulk of this year’s absentee ballots have been cast in the two contested races in the city: Northam v Rerras in the 6th SD and and Miller v Giffin in the 87th House. Given the lack of a citywide race or other competitive races, I would expect that overall voter turnout in Norfolk will be significantly lower than the 22% seen in 2003. That means every vote really counts, folks. So if you are going to be unavailable Tuesday, get to the registrar’s office today.

1:30 PM: Kaine attends a meet and greet with voters in Newport News.

11847 Jefferson Avenue
Newport News, VA

2:00 PM: Kaine and others join senate candidate John Miller at an education campaign stop.

2 Hidenwood Shopping Center
Newport News, VA

3:00 PM: Kaine and others knock on doors with candidates Paula Miller and Ralph Northam.

Near: 1921 Meadow Lake Dr
Norfolk, VA

4:00 PM: Kaine, Bouchard, Mathieson, and MacIver greet GOTV volunteers in Virginia Beach.

333 Edwin Dr.
Virginia Beach, VA

6:00 PM: Kaine Speaks at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet.

Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th St
Virginia Beach, VA

And don’t forget the rally for all of Hampton Roads in Norfolk on Monday.

Catch the show Sunday at 10:30am on WVEC. If you miss the airing, it will be available on the website on Monday.

If anybody is up to participating in a live blog of the show, let me know.

Technorati Tags: John Miller, Tricia Stall, Bobby Mathieson, John Welch

Be careful what you wish for when you pull the lever for Stall. She’s a divisive candidate with a short fuse. The Republican Party has tried to make her appear acceptable but in Stall’s case, that is a bit like putting lipstick on a pig. I guess that’s why one of my Republican acquaintances from the Peninsula told me that he – and a lot of his friends – are voting for Miller.

I was still steaming about this when I got back to the Northam/Miller campaign offices after doing a lit drop. Someone there saw Stall’s comments in a different light, saying that it reminded them of high school and the things kids said to one another.

Yep, that’s it.

Stall’s acting like a 13-year-old (no offense to the 13-year olds who may be reading ) She doesn’t belong in the Virginia Senate.

Vote John Miller, November 6.

A copy of the complaint can be found here (pdf). The entire letter is below the fold.

November 2, 2007

Ms. Nancy Rodrigues
Secretary
Virginia State Board of Elections
200 North 9^th Street, Suite 101
Richmond, VA 23219

Thomasenia P. Duncan, Esq.
General Counsel
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20463

Dear Ms. Rodrigues and Ms. Duncan:

I am writing this letter to file a complaint with your respective offices regarding advertisements disseminated by Jeannemarie Devolites Davis’s campaign for Virginia State Senate. Upon information and belief, Mrs. Devolites Davis is currently airing television advertisements and mailing print advertisements in connection with her campaign, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, that have been paid for directly by the congressional campaign committee of her husband, Congressman Tom Davis. The television ads and mailings not only fail to disclose the true source of the financing for these communications, but also falsely convey the impression that they were paid for entirely by Ms. Devolites Davis’s campaign committee. This activity violates both State of Virginia and federal “stand by your ad” laws.

According to campaign reports filed by the Devolites Davis campaign on October 29, 2007 (attached as Exhibit A), the campaign has reported receiving almost $400,000 of in-kind contributions from Mr. Davis’s campaign committee for television and print media purchases. Further, while the Devolites Davis committee reports some expenditures for print media communications, it does not report any significant expenditures for television communications from its own funds over the past several months. Therefore, Mr. Davis’s campaign committee would appear to have paid for the advertisements in whole or in part.

Attached as Exhibit B are mailings and a television advertising script of an advertisement currently run by Ms. Devolites Davis in connection with her campaign. Based upon information and belief, all campaign materials and advertisements disseminated on behalf of the Devolites Davis campaign contain a disclaimer that states “Paid for and Authorized by Jeannemarie Devolites Davis for State Senate.” In a television advertisement, which is apparently paid for by the Davis for Congress campaign, Mrs. Devolites Davis appears at the end of the ad and states that her campaign sponsored the advertisement. The advertisement can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGZkIydbOeY.

The failure of the Devolites Davis campaign and Tom Davis for Congress to accurately disclose that Mr. Davis’s congressional campaign committee paid for the print and television ads, in whole or in part, is a serious violation of both Virginia and Federal election laws.

Violations of Virginia Law

Virginia’s “stand by your ad” law requires print and television advertisements sponsored by candidate campaign committees and others to identify who paid for the ads. See Code of Virginia, Sections 24.2-956 through 24.2-957.3. In addition, if such advertisements are jointly sponsored, then the required disclosure statement must “name all sponsors.” Both print and television advertisements must have written disclosure legends, and television advertisements must have oral disclosure statements.

Thus, the Devolites Davis campaign committee and Davis Congressional campaign committee have violated these provisions by failing to properly identify the true sponsor or sponsors of the advertisements. Rather than properly identifying the fact that the communications disseminated by the Devolites Davis committee were paid for, in whole or in part, by Tom Davis for Congress, the Devolites Davis campaign advertisements give the false impression that they were paid for entirely by her campaign committee.

Violations of Federal Law

In addition, the Tom Davis for Congress committee, a political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission, has violated, and continues to violate, the Federal Election Campaign Act and FEC Regulations by financing the aforementioned ads, without disclosing that fact in the ads themselves. Section 2 U.S.C. § 441d(a) provides that “[w]henever a federal political committee makes a disbursement for the purpose of financing any communication any broadcasting station . . . mailing, or any other type of general public political advertising,” the communication must “clearly state that the [it] has been paid for” by the committee.[1] This disclosure obligation applies regardless of whether the ads are paid for directly by the federal candidate’s committee, as appears to be the case here, or whether the payments were made through the state campaign or other conduit — so long as the purpose of the disbursement by the federal committee was to finance a public communication.

Moreover, the required disclosure “must be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner, to give the reader, observer, or listener adequate notice of the identity of the … political committee that paid for” the communication. 11 C.F.R. §110.11(a), (b), and (c). Television communications paid for by the authorized committee of a candidate must include either an on-screen appearance by the federal candidate in which the candidate identifies himself and conveys that he approved the ad, or a voice-over by the candidate to the same effect, accompanied by a clearly identifiable photographic or similar image of the candidate. 11 C.F.R. § 110.11(c)(3). In a printed communication, the disclosure must be contained in a printed box set apart from the other contents of the communication. 11 C.F.R. §110.11(c)(2). As stated above, it is our understanding that Congressman Davis does not make an appearance or voice-over in any television advertisement paid for by his campaign committee on behalf of the Devolites Davis campaign, nor do the mailings accurately disclose that Congressman Davis’s committee is the source of funding.

We urge the Virginia State Board of Elections and Federal Election Commission to promptly and thoroughly investigate these violations of both Virginia and federal election laws.

Go Paula!

Technorati Tags: Paula Miller

It’s supposed to be a letter from his wife, Gayle. In the second paragraph, it says “Costas in a freshman at Granby ” instead of is. (Write your own jokes ) In the third paragraph it says “Please let me give you a few other important reasons to re-elected Nick.” Re-elected? And in the last paragraph it says “I hope I can count of your vote…”

But perhaps the most glaring error is the identification of the kids in the photos on the right: Nicholas, Helena, Costas and Nicholas? Whoa! What happened to Robert?

If this mail piece is any indication of Nick’s attention to detail, I’d say he’s blown it.

Best thing to do: elect Ralph Northam!

(By the way, this mail piece is large – 12×12 – and therefore, when I scanned it, I had to scan it in pieces since my scanner is only letter-sized. Nevertheless, the only thing I did to this piece was to remove the mailing address on the first page and highlight the errors in yellow. The pen markings you see were on the piece when I got it.)

FEATURING VIRGINIA GOVERNORS

TIM KAINE & MARK WARNER

WITH

OUR HAMPTON ROADS CANDIDATES!

WHEN:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

DOORS OPEN: 4:30 PM

RALLY AT 5 PM

WHERE:

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY

WEBB CENTER

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

CONTACT: 757-583-1025 for more information

Go Mick!

Technorati Tags: Mick Meyer

Yeah – I know it’s radio, but they videotaped it The Frick and Frack Radio Show airs weekly on Tuesday nights from 5:30pm to 6:30pm on WHAP1340 AM.

Technorati Tags: Steve Heretick

And the elections channel has been updated, although the top of the page still says that video interviews are “coming soon.” Click on a candidate’s name and you are taken to a bio page which includes the answers to the Pilot’s questionnaire. You can also compare the candidates’ answers to questions by selecting a specific question. Finally, you can participate in a poll in each race.

Sheriff McCabe told The Times yesterday that he stopped supporting Mr. Rerras after he learned of the incumbent’s remarks about psychological disorders and when he heard Mr. Rerras used a disparaging remark to describe a female candidate for Norfolk judge.

“It was embarrassing,” Sheriff McCabe said.

Over at the Richmond Times, writer Jeff Schapiro covers the race and hits Republican incumbent Nick Rerras pretty hard:

Rerras has been thrown on the defensive on matters substantive and symbolic.

Among them: His vote this past winter for a transportation fix that some of his core supporters — anti-tax Republicans voters — say won’t work.

Also, Rerras has had to answer again for a remark he made in 2003 that mental illness is caused by demonic possession.

And this year, Rerras complained to a judicial prospect about “feminazis” who disagree with him on enforcement of domestic-violence laws.

Ouch! That repetition of some of the charges against Rerras – especially from a conservative newspaper – has got to hurt.

I agree that this race is about turnout and we all have to do our part to help Ralph win this thing. A little story: yesterday, as I was driving across town to a meeting, I was on the phone with a client who lives not far from me, and, thus, in the 6th. The conversation naturally turned to politics. She considers herself a Republican but had already decided to vote for Paula Miller, the Democratic incumbent in the 87th House district. (And she has convinced her husband to do the same.) When I mentioned the Senate race, she said she was going to vote for Rerras because she wasn’t voting for a “millionaire from the Eastern Shore,” that claim that Rerras has made in his mailers. (Of course, this woman is probably a millionaire herself and lives not far from Ralph!) As it turns out, she had not met Ralph and didn’t know much about him. I took a couple of minutes and tried to dispel any notion that Ralph is some spoiled rich kid. The truth is that Ralph is just an ordinary, hardworking guy and on top of being very smart, very likeable. Once she heard it from me, she said she would definitely check him out and consider voting for him.

That’s what we have to keep doing: talking to our neighbors, our clients, our co-workers – heck, the cashier at the grocery store! – and urge them to vote for our chosen candidates.

Go Ralph!

Technorati Tags: Ralph Northam

Technorati Tags: John Miller

Go Ralph!

Technorati Tags: Ralph Northam

My table mates this morning were a mixed couple – one a Democrat and the other a Republican, although initially, I didn’t know which of them was which. Neither of them had previously attended a candidates forum. The husband thanked me for calling out Nick Rerras, when he dodged a question that was asked of him. I asked them both afterwards if their position on the candidates had changed as the result of this brief encounter. Both said no, but the wife said she was a more strongly in favor of her chosen candidate after hearing them speak.

I’ve been to so many of these candidate forums now that I can probably give each candidate’s positions on a number of issues. (And I have a pretty good sense of how a candidate’s forum should be run. This morning’s was not well done.) Nevertheless, every time I attend one I learn something new. Mostly, it’s about the process of engaging the public, something that is of utmost importance to me. I strongly believe that we should have an informed electorate, not just folks who mindlessly go to the polls and push buttons for A or B based on party affiliation, race or gender, or some other factor that has nothing to do with who is best qualified to serve.

As I listened to Nick Rerras bob and weave this morning, ofttimes stretching the truth, it occurred to me again that the voting public has to take so many extra steps to try to determine the veracity of a candidate’s statements. And once again, I thought about how the newspaper fails miserably in helping the public understand the complexities of governance, of our democracy, by simply reporting whatever they think the news is and not going deeper into the candidate’s stances and claims. I continue to see it as dereliction of duty. The blogs try to fill the void – and I certainly appreciate it when a candidate uses information I put on this blog – but none of the blogs have the reach that the newspapers have. Besides, there are a whole lot of folks out there who have never even heard of a blog, much less read one.

Another reason that I attend these forums is that it gives me a chance to see the evolution of thought by the candidates as they gather more and more information. It’s kind of like watching a flower come into bloom. I particularly enjoy the new candidates. I love their enthusiasm for the issues, for the people. They have not yet been corrupted by the power of being an elected representative, by the positions of party, and are so earnest in their naivete.

And I guess I also learn about me. The Pilot talks about its bias in favor of incumbents, and on intellectual and practical levels, I understand that. But I am biased in favor of challengers, on a totally different, more emotional level. Perhaps it is because I understand what it is like to step out there and run and how much it takes to do so. I hold incumbents – who should know better – to a different standard than I do challengers. I am much more forgiving of a challenger’s mistakes or misstatements than I would ever be of an incumbent.

I still believe that the reason someone runs for office is because they honestly believe that they can do a better job than the person occupying the office now. That willingness is a plus for our democracy and something that should be encouraged.

Vote John Miller, November 6.

Technorati Tags: John Miller, Mark Warner

If you recall, there was considerable controversy surrounding the purchase by Dubai Ports World of a British company that ran some ports in the US. The British company, P&O Ports North America, was a marine terminal operator at six ports in the U.S. Note that P&O nor DPW would have owned the ports; they simply would have continued to provide the exact same services as before. For Stolle to say that Bouchard supporting “selling American ports” is a deliberate lie.

DPW is owned by the government of Dubai, which is in the United Arab Emigrates. Contrary to the claims of Stolle, neither DPW nor Dubai are connected to terrorism. Neither is mentioned in The 9/11 Commission report (pdf). It is true that two of the 9/11 terrorists were United Arab Emigrates citizens, but they were not from Dubai. It is also true that some of the al Qaeda funds that supported the 9/11 attacks passed through banks in Dubai. Um, al Qaeda was in Virginia Beach and used banks here so does that link Virginia Beach to terrorism?

Here’s the truth: Bouchard is a nationally recognized expert on port security. He served as Deputy Senior Director, National Security Council and was responsible for port security. As the commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk, he managed port operations in the Mid-Atlantic region. He established the Hampton Roads Joint Harbor Operations Center in 2001, the first port security command center in the United States. For this effort, he received the following awards:

• Secretary of Defense 2002 Annual Antiterrorism Award, Best Antiterrorism/Force Protection Innovation or Action
• Hampton Roads Maritime Association 2002 Port Champion Award
• US Secretary of Transportation 2002 Partnering for Excellence Award for Port Security in Hampton Roads
• Virginia Port Authority Medal of Excellence

Bouchard has been a frequent speaker on the topics of homeland security, port security, supply chain security, counterterrorism and emergency preparedness at numerous governmental and non-government agencies, including the FBI Academy, the U.S. Naval Institute, and National Public Radio. And, of course, Bouchard is employed as Executive Director of the Center for Homeland Security and Defense.

When Bouchard says that the transfer of ownership of the terminal operations and stevedoring services at American ports from one foreign entity to another was no threat to port security, you can believe it.

Vote Joe Bouchard, November 6.

Technorati Tags: Joe Bouchard

First of all, the Press has its Voter Guide listed prominently on the front page. PilotOnline – nada. The Press has been building up its Voter Guide, with a search function to find the races applicable to you, the ability to look at all the races, compare the candidates, even print your own sample ballot. Candidate profiles are complete and their answers to a number of questions are available.

I’m really not sure how one would locate the elections “channel” on PilotOnline if you didn’t already know it existed. It should be listed under News, as its address indicates, but it isn’t. I had actually forgotten this channel existed until I saw an Ad Watch in Saturday’s paper and the address was printed there. You can find it here, although the ad watch I was looking for hasn’t been posted. As you can see, the information is pretty sparse and the Q&As as well as videos of the candidate interviews are listed as “coming soon.” How soon is that? With only 9 days til Election Day, don’t you think these should be on the site by now? Oh, and don’t think the links listed are complete. Not only was the ad watch from Saturday’s paper not up there, but where are the endorsements?

The Pilot needs to step up its game. Heck, they have 8 races to cover, while the Press is covering significantly more, including local races in six counties!

On Bouchard:

For years now, Bouchard has been a persuasive but quiet voice guiding deliberations on the biggest regional issues — the port, the future of Oceana Naval Air Station, the BRAC process, transportation.

On Mathieson:

Mathieson is the far better choice for the 21st. There are no doubts that he will do right by the people who send him to Richmond, and that he will not embarrass them.

The Pilot also endorsed Bob Purkey in the 82nd, making me 7 of 8 in my endorsement predictions. Not bad, eh? We’ll see how well I do in predicting the winners, which I’ll do later this week.

Technorati Tags: Joe Bouchard, Bobby Mathieson

Barker has been the target of a malicious mailing put out by his opponent, incumbent Republican Jay O’Brien. The mailing, which can be viewed here, claims that Barker “wants to take time away from core academic subjects like math, science, and reading to teach children to accept the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) lifestyle.”

Jay O’Brien is desperate. Barker, a pro-equality candidate, has run a heck of a campaign, including receiving the endorsement of The Washington Post. O’Brien, on the other hand, has the dubious distinction of having been one of the early recipients of money from the newly minted conservative PAC, Citizens for the Commonwealth.

Here’s what Delegate Adam Ebbin had to say:

O’Brien began his career by touting anti-gay legislation to keep gays and lesbians from serving in the Virginia National Guard. We can not and must not let Virginia Republicans continue to get away with these George Allen/Ollie North/Karl Rove style tactics. Times have changed, and though anti-gay extremism may have helped O’Brien win election in 1993, let’s show Virginia that anti-gay extremism can end his career now.

Yeah, let’s show ‘em For those of you in Arlington, head over to the Arlington County Democratic Headquarters and do some phone banking on Barker’s behalf. Those of you outside of the area can donate your money, either directly to Barker through his website or through a special page set up for Del. Ebbin’s PAC, Virginia Progress Fund.

*gay-boating is like swift-boating – and we all know how that worked out. h/t to Blueweeds for the term.

Like the Wards Corner forum the previous night, this was actually two mini-forums. The delegate candidates – Democratic incumbent Paula Miller and Republican challenger Hank Giffin – were summoned from their respective rooms and allowed to make opening statements. Six questions were posed to the candidates. I’ll give the organizers some credit here – a couple of the questions were on topics not covered in prior candidate forums and were specific to the neighborhoods represented.

After answering the questions, the delegate candidates were sent back to their rooms and the senate candidates – Republican incumbent Nick Rerras and Democratic challenger Ralph Northam – were brought out. Again, they were allowed an opening statement and then were asked the same six questions.

The only thing that jumped out at me over the course of the questions was Rerras’ claim that if transportation was funded with a gas tax, the money wouldn’t stay in Hampton Roads. Hmm – the current Hampton Roads Transportation Plan includes a 2% local gas tax, and the members of the authority want to increase that to 5%. Not sure where he’s getting the idea that the money won’t stay in Hampton Roads.

At the end of the questioning of the Senate candidates, all four were brought out for what I thought was going to be closing statements. Instead, they were subjected to a critique by the president, Paul Ballance, for the amount amount of mail and for the negative advertising that has gone on in these races. Some people that I talked with afterwards felt like Ballance was out of line in saying this. (I was chatting with someone when a woman came up and said that she didn’t like Ballance saying it, because it wasn’t true. She said Giffin and Rerras had not sent out any negative mail. Guess she hasn’t been seeing what I’ve been seeing.)

Do I wish that the campaigns had not resorted to negative advertising? You bet. I still cling to the idea that a successful campaign can be run only on a positive message. Unfortunately, I think I’m about the only person who believes that. Negativity gets votes, and that’s why campaigns do it.

In the 6th Senate district, the Pilot endorsed Democratic challenger Ralph Northam.

The good doctor would bring wisdom and expertise to the General Assembly as it makes difficult health care trade-offs between cost, quality and access. For Accomack and Northampton counties, which are isolated and misunderstood, Northam holds special appeal because he is one their own. That gives him unique appreciation for the way Chesapeake Bay restoration programs, immigration policies and agricultural economics can help or harm fragile Shore communities.

For Norfolk, Northam would fill a void, giving it once again a persuasive voice in the affairs of the commonwealth.

In the 87th House, the Pilot did the unthinkable: they issued no endorsement.

Disappointment in both Miller’s past and in Giffin’s potential makes it hard for us to summon the conviction necessary to make a heartfelt recommendation in this race.

I guess that makes me 4 for 5. We’ll see what Sunday brings, when the Virginia Beach endorsements are announced.

Technorati Tags: Ralph Northam

No wonder Chris Stolle has been running those negative ads. Go, Joe!

Technorati Tags: Joe Bouchard

What’s interesting about this is that the SBE website shows that they have donated even more of the money. For example, Nick Rerras shows the $25,000 on 10/25 but shows that the aggregate to date is $50,000. Manoli Loupassi shows the $10,000 above but shows the aggregate to date of $39,000. There may be other races out there that have received money from this PAC that are not showing up on the reports, since the contributions were made outside reporting window (i.e., before the large contributions rules kicked in). We will see when the next financial reports are made on Monday.

Note that the PAC rules are that contributions to it of $10,000 or more have to be reported within 3 business days. Of course, we have no idea how many $9,999.99 contributions have been made to this PAC. And we won’t know that until January 2008.

As always, click to enlarge. (Graphic credit: The Virginian Pilot)

The Pilot is doing their endorsements by city this year. On tap tomorrow will be the Norfolk races. We’ll see if I go 5 for 5

Go, Ralph!

Technorati Tags: Ralph Northam

When was the last time you actually voted “for” a political candidate?

[...]

For this reason, and so many more, Ralph Northam is the choice for State Senate. So, Mathews residents, there’s no need to pick the lesser of two evils. Vote Northam, and you can feel good about voting “for” someone for a change.

Great endorsement for a great candidate! Go, Ralph!

Technorati Tags: Ralph Northam

Today, I saw this post about the first beneficiary of the new PAC: Republican incumbent Senator Jay O’Brien, who received a $60,000 donation in his efforts against Democratic challenger George Barker. That prompted me to take a look at the SBE website, where I see that another $100K has been donated to this PAC. Locating their payouts is a little more difficult in that you have to wade though the large, pre-election reports here.

Nevertheless, I’m keeping my eye on this – and so should everyone else. We all know how significant a role large contributions at this stage in the game can play. There’s no way to stop the contributions, but we can certainly shine light on them.

On a related note, the Pilot’s editorial today talks about campaign audits (a question asked of the candidates earlier) and explains the need for them as it relates to the possibility of campaign money being used for unauthorized expenses. While I’m all in favor of campaign audits (although for different reasons than those of the Pilot), until and unless the penalties for campaign finance violations are significantly increased, audits are just a waste of time.