Video: Barack Obama's Press Conference

As I was down in Blacksburg for the gubernatorial debate last night, President Barack Obama held a press conference. The mainstream media has been quick to point out that Obama has now been in office for 100 days and covered this press conference as a report card for the work that Obama has done so far. So in case you're interested in seeing Obama's report card first hand, here's video of the press conference.

Heading to the Bloggers Debate

I'm heading down to Blacksburg to talk to some activists in the area and to attend the gubernatorial debate at Virginia Tech. As I've mentioned in several posts before, this is going to be an interesting debate because all the questions were gathered through new media (you tube, twitter, the blogs, etc) and it will be moderated by bloggers. Of course, I imagine there will also be a large number of bloggers in the audience and it'll be good to see some of my fellow netroots activists from all accross the Commonwealth.

If you're going to be at the debate, feel free to come up and say hi. In the meantime, feel free to treat this as an open thread.

Steve Shannon Calls For Putting Public Safety Over Partisanship

Especially with the current GOP leadership in the House of Delegates, we've seen bitter partisanship often get in the way of real solutions. One would hope that the Republican leadership would be willing to put partisanship aside when it comes to making decisions regarding public safety.

Apparently that's not the case as the Republican leadership refused to take a vote on House Bill 966, which would extend protections to a special agent of Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control. A recent decision by the Court of Appeals has renewed the discussion surrounding the issue and Steve Shannon has issued the following statement about the case and the need to stand up for public safety officials.

“Last week’s decision by the Court of Appeals demonstrates a weakness in Virginia law. In Cline vs. Commonwealth of Virginia, the Court of Appeals ruled that a person who assaults a special agent of Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) cannot be prosecuted under Virginia’s criminal felony statute that prohibits assaulting a law enforcement officer. These special agents are empowered to enforce Virginia criminal law and face very real dangers in doing their jobs. Those who put their lives on the line to protect us, the public, should have the same protections as all other law enforcement officers."

“During the 2008 session of the General Assembly, I introduced House Bill 966 specifically to address this problem by extending greater protections for the brave men and women of the ABC. Sadly, the leadership of the House majority refused to allow a vote on the bill.

“Protecting our public safety officers should never be a partisan issue. I hope this Court ruling will lead the House of Delegates to reconsider the legislation and close this loophole in our criminal law. As Attorney General, I will make passage of this bill a priority.”

HUGE BREAKING NEWS: Specter to Change Parties

According to Chris Cillizza, Sen. Arlen Specter will be joining the Democratic Party and will running for reelection in 2010 as a Democrat. Specter's reasoning for switching parties is that the Republicans have lost touch with the general public while the Democrats are promoting common sense solutions.

"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."

He added: "Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

This is obviously a big parliamentary victory as it now gives the Democrats a super-majority of 60 seats which could be extremely useful in combating the Republicans who all too often try to stand in the way of productive leadership. As there are some big issues that are going to be considered in Congress, it'll be interesting to see how this move affects the Senate's ability to move forward on things like health care reform.

Gerry Connolly CoSponsors Credit Cardholder's Bill of Rights

Considering the financial crisis that we're currently facing, it is important to protect consumers rights. The Credit Cardholder’s Bill of Rights, HR 674, does just that by providing increased protections for consumers against unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive credit card practices, is scheduled for consideration on the House floor this week. According to Gerry Connolly's office, Gerry is one of the bill's co-sponsors and the following are a few of the legislation's highlights.

• Protects cardholders against arbitrary interest rate increases
• Prevents cardholders who pay on time from being unfairly penalized
• Protects cardholders from due date gimmicks
• Shields cardholders from misleading terms
• Empowers cardholders to set limits on their credit
• Requires card companies to fairly credit and allocate payments
• Prohibits card companies from imposing excessive fees on cardholders
• Prevents card companies from giving subprime credit cards to people who can’t afford them
• Requires Congress to provide better oversight of the credit card industry
• Contains NO rate caps, fee setting, or price controls
  

The Credit Cardholder’s Bill of Rights will also prohibit penalty increases of interest rates on existing balances unless a customer is more than 30-days late, ban double-cycle billing, and require all payments to be posted to account balances in a fair and timely way. In an explanation of why he's supporting the Cardholder's Bill of Rights, Gerry pointed out that this will help consumers who might have been forced to depend on credit cards to make ends meet.

“As Americans struggle to stay afloat, more and more are turning to credit cards to make ends meet,” said Connolly. “Consumer credit card debt is now approaching $1 trillion -- double the amount held in 1996. This bill will help protect American consumers by banning retroactive rate hikes on existing balances, increasing advance notice of future rate increases, and giving cardholders more control over their credit limits.”

Primaries Can Be Good, Bickering Isn't

With several primaries taking place at both the statewide and local level, I’ve had a number of people ask me if I think primaries are good for the Democratic Party. For me, the answer is that last year’s presidential primary should serve as a prime example of how a primary can help strengthen the eventual nominee if he/she focuses on growing the campaign’s organization and crafting its message. For a more local example, look at how the Webb Brigades were able to use the 2006 Senate primary to rally behind Jim Webb early and eventually help him overcome the double digit lead that George Allen had in the polls.

All that being said, I do get a little hesitant when candidates and their organizations appear to be putting bickering ahead of focusing on the issues and growing the grassroots. Of course candidates will want to draw some attention to the differences between themselves and their opponents, but you can do that in a manner that doesn’t distract from the overall goals of the Democratic Party and the current campaign. In other words, it should be a small part of the campaign and the vast majority of a candidate’s time and energy should be spent on reminding voters why he/she should be elected. That is why I am proud to be working hard to elect Jon Bowerbank Virginia’s next Lt. Governor.

Jon has been traveling all over the Commonwealth of Virginia talking about what he wants to accomplish as Lt. Governor and how hopes to accomplish those goals. I’ve seen this firsthand as I traveled over 1,300 miles with him last week as he discussed his recently released jobs plan. I found it very interesting to see how excited people were to have a candidate who was willing to take the time to actually listen to what various people had to say. He wasn’t visiting locations to score political points; he was visiting locations so that he could actually learn something while he was traveling the state to talk about the role they thought our next Lt. Governor could play in stimulating the economy. People realized this and many of them told me how they want a leader like Jon who will actually take the time to listen to what others have to say.

While people might be growing sick and tired of some candidates bickering back and forth, Jon Bowerbank’s jobs tour served as a reminder of how we can get more people involved in the political process if we have a candidate who puts forward good ideas and tries to promote a productive discussion. With candidates like Jon who are constantly having these conversations with the voters, primaries can most definitely be productive. It’s when petty bickering distracts us from what’s at hand that primaries can be harmful to the eventual nominee.

Darcy Burner Takes New Role at American Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation

Darcy Burner has gotten a lot of attention in since 2006 because she is a strong progressive who ran for Congress from Washington’s 8th District against Republican incumbent Dave Reichert. One of the big reasons that her race received national attention was because she received a lot of support from netroots activists, but she ended up narrowly losing in both 2006 and 2008. It now appears as though Darcy has found another way in which she believes she can make a difference. According to an email she sent out last night, she has accepted a position as the Executive Director of an organization called American Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation.

I'm happy to announce that I've just taken a job in DC as the executive director of a 501c(3) non-profit organization called the American Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation, where I'll be spending my time bringing together progressives inside and outside of Congress to help advance the things we care about: peace and global security, energy independence, environmental sustainability, human rights, civil liberties and the health and economic well-being of us all.

Since I have worked for organizations that focus on the important issues but have limited funding, I have a lot of respect for Darcy’s decision to take this position. I honestly believe that it is through these organizations that some of the best work gets done because they bring people from diverse backgrounds together to work towards common goals. In my time with an organization that focused on economic justice, for instance, I had people from all across the political spectrum who wanted to volunteer for me because I was working hard to make sure that people from all economic backgrounds had access to a quality education and jobs that paid a living wage.

These are basic goals that most people support but don’t necessarily have the skills to organize around. With Darcy devoting her time and energy to the cause I’m sure the American Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation will have an increase in their ability to draw attention to some of their key issues. I wish her nothing but the best in her new role and hope she serves as a prime reminder of how public service is something we should all strive to do at some point in our lives.

Televised Debate Tonight In Northern Virginia

As many of you already know, I have been a guest on The Inside Scoop several times to talk about various issues including blogging and economic justice. I am also one of several volunteers who give their time and help out behind the scenes in the control room during some of this shows. That is why I'm excited to say that tonight's show will feature a debate between the Democratic candidates who are running for the House of Delegates from the 35th. Here's a little of what Used2Bnuetral had to say about the debate.

George Burke, the host of Inside Scoop Virginia moderates a "live" 4-way debate between the Democratic Primary candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates 35th District. This is the seat that was held by Steve Shannon who is now running for the office of Virginia Atorney General. The debate will be held "Live" and broadcast both on cable TV and webcast.

To participate in these shows, your comments and questions are invited via several ways including the blogs on our web sites [here] and [here] or Your emails to InsideScoop@NoVa.org prior to the show. If you can't get our cable access go to our TV website to watch "Live" via UStream.TV, which has a chat-room that will be relayed to the host and guests. Of course we will ALSO be taking live "On-Air" telephone calls at 571-749-1166 during the shows that are broadcast from our studios only on Sunday.

For those of you who don't know, the candidates in this race are Mark Keam, Roy Baldwin, John Carroll, and Esam Omeish. The candidates in this race have already put forward some very good ideas and I look forward to hearing what they have to say tonight.

My Reaction To Jon Bowerbank's Jobs Tour

For much of this week I was traveling throughout the Commonwealth with Jon Bowerbank while he was on his jobs tour. As the name of the tour suggests, one of the big things that was being discussed while we were on the road was Jon’s recently released jobs plan and what he will be working on if he’s elected Lt. Governor. As unemployment numbers are increasing (it was near 20% in some of the communities that we visited), electing leaders who have the experience and vision necessary to create more well paying jobs is something that would be extremely beneficial to our great Commonwealth.

While we visited a variety of locations, there were a few things that seemed to come up no matter who we were talking to. One big theme was the need to make access to a high quality education available to people from all economic backgrounds. This obviously came up during our visits to institutions of higher education such as JMU, the Roanoke Higher Education Center, and Southwest Community College. At SWCC, many of people spoke about how the community college system has seen an increase of students since the institutions often provide a more affordable alternative to some of the traditional four year colleges and universities. In addition to students who attend the community colleges to receive an Associate’s Degree or take a few classes to pick up skills necessary for the workforce, for instance, there are more and more students who go to community colleges for their first two years and then transfer to a four year institution to finish their Bachelor’s Degree.

Continuing on the education theme, there is a need to help prepare students for the 21st Century job market. We saw prime examples of this on our visit to JMU’s Wind Energy Collaborative where students are researching alternative and nontraditional energy resources. Not only does the program help make resources more accessible to the community, but it also prepares students for careers in the energy field. Another example was at the Roanoke Higher Education Center where they have a program for nursing students that lets them interact with a mannequin that simulates real life conditions including talking, having a pulse that can be felt by the students, bleeding, etc. This allows nursing students to receive the skills necessary to help treat patients once they graduate.

While it definitely came up during our visit to JMU’s Wind Energy Collaborative, energy also came up at almost every single location we visited. Labor leaders we visited spoke about how investing in energy technologies here at home could would not only help our environment and decrease our dependence on foreign oil, but would also help create well paying jobs right here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At a stop at Red Birch Energy in Bassett, VA we also saw firsthand how people are working hard in Virginia to produce biofuel from various natural resources.

Throughout the jobs tour we saw how there are people all across the Commonwealth who are excited about the potential to have a Lt. Governor who has the skill set that can help spur job creation. What also served as a great reminder of why I believe Jon will make an excellent LG is the fact that no matter who he was speaking with, he took the time to truly listen to what they had to say. He would let them know about his ideas, but he wouldn’t try to jam them down their throat like some politicians I’ve talked to. In a time when we need to create an atmosphere that truly promotes a productive discussion, this is a part of Jon’s character that I believe will be very useful once he’s elected Virginia’s next Lt. Governor.

Use Left of the Hill to Ask Questions for the Gubernatorial Debate

As I reported several weeks ago, there will be a gubernatorial debate at Virginia Tech next Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30pm that is hosted and moderated by bloggers including Not Larry Sabato, The Huffington Post, Fire Dog Lake and the Collegiate Times.

The debate will have a fairly standard format as it is scheduled to last 90 minutes with each candidate giving two minute long opening statements, followed by a question/answer section, and finally an opportunity for the candidates to give a closing statement. What makes this debate slightly different then the typical fair that we get, especially in a gubernatorial primary, is that all of the questions will be coming in from new media sources (twitter, youtube, and other similar programs) and the panel selecting the questions to be asked at the debate will also be made up of bloggers. The debate will also be live streamed and will air on CSPAN several times before primary day.

As one way of opening up the political discussion, the moderators of the debate will be monitoring the comment section of this post as a potential source for questions to ask the gubernatorial candidates. So if you have a question you want to be asked, leave it in the comment section here and you might get an answer during the debate on the 29th.

Video: Jon Bowerbank on Day 2 of Jobs Tour

During the jobs tour his jobs tour throughout the Commonwealth, Jon Bowerbank took some time to record a sit down and talk about what he's been up to. This video was recorded shortly before the Richmond Crusade for Votes Lt. Governor forum which was held on Tuesday evening.

Jon Bowerbank Visits JMU ISAT Program To Discuss Energy and Job Creation

As Lowell pointed out yesterday, Jon Bowerbank has been released his jobs plan yesterday and began his jobs tour. After talking with voters at the VRE station about his job plan and the need for investment in infrastructure (which was on display yesterday as the trains were running about 45 minutes late) with Chap!, Jon traveled down to Harrisonburg to visit JMU's college of Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT). In addition to learning a lot about the ability to create jobs in the alternative and nontraditional energy field, I really enjoyed the fact that part of the program emphasizes the educational process that goes behind providing students with the skills to enter the 21st century job market.

Bob Stuart from the News Virginian in Waynesboro covered the stop and I think he gave a good overview of what took place during the tour.

The candidate spent the early afternoon touring a variety of research labs at JMU, including an energy and manufacturing lab, a biotech lab, a wind lab and seeing projects such as an electric ATV.

Bowerbank, the owner of a Southwest Virginia energy and infrastructure company and a member of the Russell County Board of Supervisors, said he thinks there are entrepreneurs and college graduates like those at JMU who can fuel the alternative energy push.

He said the jobs created could include research and development, construction, maintenance, scientific and engineering.The investment can come from both government and the private sector.

Another part of the tour that I enjoyed was that some community members who also own a small business that manufactures technology for solar energy came to go on the tour as well. They came a long to hear about the program at JMU and about Jon's positions on the issues. As the event came to a close, they recorded the following statement about their reaction to the tour.

Video: Jon Bowerbank on the Inside Scoop

For those of you who weren't able to watch it last night, Jon Bowerbank was the guest on the Inside Scoop Virginia. He talked about a variety of issues, including how his experience in the energy field and as a business leader will help him make an excellent Lt. Governor.

Video: Brian Moran's Speech at his Hometown Kickoff

Here's video of Brian's speech from his hometown kickoff yesterday in Alexandria. His speech lasted almost twenty minutes so I have divided the speech into two youtube videos, both of which can be found below.

Part 1



Part 2

Video: Del. David Englin Speaks at Brian Moran's Hometown Kickoff

Del. David Englin spoke about why he's supporting Brian Moran for Governor at his hometown kickoff event in Alexandria, Virginia.

Vide: Del. Adam Ebbin Speaking At Brian Moran's Hometown Kickoff

Del. Adam Ebbin spoke about why he's supporting Brian Moran for Governor at his hometown kickoff event in Alexandria, Virginia.

President Obama's Weekly Radio Address: Virginian Named Country's Chief Technology Officer

Among other things, President Barack Obama took time during his weekly address to the American people to announce that Aneesh Chopra will become our Nation’s Chief Technology Officer. Aneesh is from Virginia and has served as the Commonwealth's Chief Technology Officer and I'm confident that he'll serve our country extremely well in his new role.

Interesting Facts About Steve Shannon's Fundraising Numbers

With Democratic primaries taking place for both Lt. Governor and Governor, there has been a fair amount of discussion about the fundraising numbers that were reported yesterday in those races. What was largely left out of some of those posts was the fact that Steve Shannon's campaign for Attorney General had a very good showing. In a quarter when he was unable to raise money while the General Assembly was in session, Steve still managed to outraise all of the Republican Attorney General candidates by almost $40,000 (he raised $274,000 and the Republican candidates raised $236,000). Also worth noting is that he has a 3 to 1 lead in cash on hand over all of the Republicans ($925,000 to $301,000) and is now $285,000 ahead of where Bob McDonnell was four years ago.

I think this is important to note because one of the major challenges for down ballot candidates is to get their message out to voters when so many people are paying attention to another race (in this circumstance, the gubernatorial race). Having an Attorney General candidate who has the resources to move promote his/her message to the public is therefore very beneficial. If Steve has been able to build up a significant amount of support without spending too much money, then he will be able to flow into the general election with a lot of momentum.

This definitely appears to be the course that the campaign is on because he has been extremely popular with people from all across the state. At the Shad Planking, for instance, I saw people wearing combination of Steve Shannon stickers with almost every one of the Lt. Governor and Gubernatorial candidates. When I spoke with some of the people who were wearing Republican stickers and ones for Steve Shannon, they said that they were supporting Steve because he would "help stand up for the less fortunate" and "keep our communities safe." Not too surprisingly I heard Democrats use very similar reasons for why they were excited about his campaign. This truly suggests that he's very consistent with his message, doesn't change his values just to get votes, and is ready to stand up for issues that all Virginians can rally behind. During a time when we all want our elected leaders to work towards the common good of the commonwealth, I'm very pleased to see that Steve has been running a campaign that represents these goals and will likely have the resources necessary to promote his message to the voters.

Jon Bowerbank Has Good Showing At Shad Planking

I got up bright and early yesterday morning to head down to the Shad Planking in Wakefield yesterday. There was a lot of worry about the weather forecast calling for rain, but for the most part it held off. For those of us who were dealing with signs before and after the event, there was an occasional shower but it held off for the most part during the actual event. At the same time, it wasn't exactly the warmest weather either and by the time I rolled into the Virginia Diner with some other Democratic activists I was looking forward to a hot meal to help warm up before the trip back to Northern Virginia.

Lowell has posted a number of posts over at Blue Virginia from the event last night including some videos so I would encourage folks to check out what he has, but I also wanted to take a moment to add some of my thoughts to the situation. There was no doubt that among all of the candidates from both parties, Terry McAuliffe had the largest number of signs around the site and for at least 20 miles leading up to the event space. As far as the rest of the campaigns go, however, I'm pleased to say that many people have pointed out that Jon Bowerbank most definitely had a good showing. Even though the Lt. Governor candidates didn't give speeches, Jon spent several hours talking to the crowd, had plenty of staff and volunteers present, and had thousands upon thousands of signs up.... including some on an excavator in the parking lot.

Based upon conversations I had with people in the crowd, people are beginning to pay a little more attention to the Lt. Governor's race as the Democratic primary is coming up on June 9. A lot of people still had questions about the various candidates, however, so they were very excited about the fact that Jon was taking the time to actually talk with people in attendance. Several people who saw that I was wearing a Bowerbank t-shirt came up to me simply to say they've been impressed with the work that he's done in Southwest Virginia and that they'll be supporting him for Lt. Governor. I also saw several people who took off stickers for some of the other LG candidates to put on a Bowerbank sticker after they heard about his candidacy and what he will work towards if he's elected.

In addition to the various candidates and elected officials in attendance, one of the big categories of people I recognized were some fellow bloggers who attended the event. While I know there were others who were in attendance, I was able to speak with Lowell Feld from Blue Virginia, Kenton Ngo from New Dominion, Arjun Jaikumar from Daily Kos, Vivian Paige and a few others. A lot of people were around taking photos and conducting interviews, but you can check out some of the photos I took while at the event.

VA Tech Anniversary

On the anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech, I simply want to take the opportunity send out my thoughts and prayers to the those who lost friends and families on that fateful day. While there is no denying that the events of that day were absolutely horrible, I am pleased to see that many people are taking time today to remember the heroes that gave their lives and looking for ways to prevent a similar event from happening in the future. For those of you who were impacted by the event or simply have some thoughts to share about it, please feel free to use the comment section of this post for discussion.

Video: Mark Warner Tours Southwest Virginia

I'm very glad to see that Mark Warner is taking the time to stand up for the common wealth of our entire commonwealth.

Gov. Kaine On Minnesota Senate Race

The following was released from the Democratic National Committee this morning. I agree. Minnesota residents deserve to have their right to representation in the Senate and after heavy scrutiny it is clear that Al Franken has won the election.

Washington, DC - Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, issued the following statement after a three judge panel in Minnesota declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the contested Senate race in Minnesota. Former Senator Norm Coleman challenged the result of the election after losing to Franken by a 225 vote margin. As a result of Coleman's challenge, Franken's lead grew to 312 votes and a three judge panel said tonight that Franken leads the contest and is entitled to an election certificate.

Despite losing ground in the vote count, and credibility after increasingly questionable and inconsistent legal challenges, Coleman and his attorneys have vowed to appeal the decision to the Minnesota State Supreme Court and if unsuccessful there possibly the U.S. Supreme Court. Leading Republicans in Washington, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republican Campaign Chairman John Cornyn, are supporting Coleman’s appeals as a way to obstruct Franken from being seated to a Senate seat he has rightfully won to prevent Democrats from claiming their 59th seat in the 100 member body.

“Enough is enough,” said Kaine. “It is time for Norm Coleman to concede and for Al Franken to be sworn in as the next U.S. Senator from Minnesota. The voters of Minnesota months ago elected Al Franken to the Senate – and during every step in the legal process that judgment has been confirmed. Norm Coleman’s own legal challenge resulted in more votes for Al Franken and now a three judge panel has ruled Al Franken the winner. Former Senator Coleman’s insistence on continuing his quixotic quest for this seat at best shows that he is putting his own political ambition ahead of the people and worst that he is complicit in an effort by national Republicans to deny Al Franken this seat for as long as possible so there is one less Democratic vote for President Obama’s agenda for change.

“The people of Minnesota deserve two Senators and the people of America deserve 100 in the U.S. Senate. More importantly, the voters who cast ballots on Election Day deserve to have their verdict stand. Senator Coleman may have a right to continue his legal challenges no matter how hopeless they are, but the right thing to do here is to concede defeat and allow this saga to end once and for all.”

Kaine went on to say that regardless of whether or not Coleman concedes, the state should issue an election certificate based on tonight’s ruling so Franken can be sworn in immediately.

Netroots Organizing Beyond the Blogosphere

There are some people who are very quick to claim that bloggers just sit in their basements spinning out editorial after editorial. In some cases that might be correct, but it's been my experience that most credible bloggers usually take part in the political discussion in an "offline" manner as well. One example of this appears to be Aimee Fausser over at New Dominion Project who is organizing an event on April 16.

On Thursday, April 16, I will be leading a student led peaceful protest to commemorate the second anniversary of the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech, and an attempt to change some of the lax gun laws in Virginia and nationwide that allow criminals to easily purchase guns.

Exact place and time are to be determined, but we are planning on doing the lie-in sometime in the afternoon on April 16. The facebook group for the event is here:

We will lie down on the ground for three minutes in silence. Three minutes is the length of time it took the Virginia Tech shooter to purchase his weapon.

Now there are going to be some people who might disagree with this tactic since it focuses on the gun show loophole instead of addressing the overall concerns of the shooter's mental health. I tend to agree that there should be attention brought to these concerns, but I also believe this event isn't designed to necessarily cover the entire discussion surrounding gun safety -- it's supposed to serve as timely reminder of why many people want the gun show loophole closed.

Setting aside where you stand on the gun show loophole and the actual content of this peaceful protest, I think this helps to illustrate how bloggers are organizing outside of the blogosphere in order to stand up for what they believe is important. In this particular case, the netroots are simply being used to increased the influence that the event might have by drawing more attention (and potentially more participants) to the protest. Depending on what the bloggers are passionate about, many of Virginia's other progressive bloggers have spent time organizing similar grassroots efforts on their respective issues. I've done a lot of organizing around economic justice issues, for instance, and Miles Grant from The Green Miles has done a lot of work surrounding the environment. (There are obviously more, but these are just a few that quickly came to mind).

With all that being said, the question now comes down to whether you think the netroots are doing their part both online and off to influence the political discussion and make a difference in our community. If not, what would you like to see more action on? If so, what type of action have you seen bloggers take that you are enthusiatic about?

Bowerbank Files Over 18,000 Signatures

Earlier today Jon Bowerbank officially filed petitions to place his name on the ballot for the June 9th Lt. Governor primary. Bowerbank submitted 18,133 signatures, which is well above the 10,000 signatures required and more than any other statewide candidate in Virginia this year.

"I am very proud and grateful for the tremendous effort that so many supporters from every corner of the Commonwealth put forward in this petition effort. We could not have achieved this significant milestone without their help and support. This was an incredible effort of grassroots and organization that is indicative of the strong momentum we have going forward," said Jon Bowerbank.

This record achievement marks the second major milestone that Bowerbank has reported this week, having reported earlier that his campaign has $425,000 cash on hand, more than any other Lieutenant Governor candidate's campaign. This cash on hand amount is also significant given that it is four times more than the $107,000 that Democratic Lieutenant Governor primary winner and former Congresswoman Leslie Byrne reported at the same period in 2005.

I am proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to having a primary that discusses the issues that are important to Virginians.

Video: Jon Bowerbank on Taking Leadership in Field of Cleaner Energy

Jon Bowerbank has a significant amount of experience in pursuing new technologies that can help create cleaner energy and has made this a significant part of his campaign for Lt. Governor. The following video, for instance, shows him talking about energy at a recent event in Northern Virginia. I think this helps to show how Jon realizes that in addition to the variety of economic and national security reasons to produce energy in a manner that would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, there’s obviously also the fact that these new technologies would help to protect our environment. This is important because he would be able to use his expertise to help make Virginia a leader in the area if he’s elected Lt. Governor.

Miles Grant on Equal Rights

I think Miles Grant, who is running for the House of Delegates from the 47th District, has a very good point when he mentions that some of the most qualified workers might not want to come to Virginia if their committed and loving relationships cannot be recognized by state law. Here's a statement Miles had in reaction to all the victories love has had in the last week.

“With each passing day, Virginia’s harsh restrictions on marriage and even simple domestic partnerships are cast in deeper contrast to the steady march of progress we’re seeing across America. We take pride in Virginia’s policies that attract world-class businesses. But the best businesses in the world need the top workers in the world. What message are we sending about Virginia’s values when we tell some of those workers they’re not allowed to commit their lives to the person they love and start a family together?

“It’s time to move our Commonwealth forward by repealing the Marshall-Newman amendment and recognizing full marriage rights for all Virginians. We’re not talking about special protections – these actions would simply ensure that all families receive basic rights, including financial protections, hospital visitation access and ability to adopt and retain custody of their children. As delegate, I’ll make it one of my top priorities to ensure civil liberties for all Virginians.”

Bowerbank Helps Secure Funding for Public Schools

One of the primary reasons that I believe Jon Bowerbank will make an excellent Lt. Governor is his passion for our education system. As a prime example of how Jon realizes that we must provide students with the best education possible can be seen through his actions as a member of the Russell County Board of Supervisors. At the Board’s meeting on Monday evening, Jon helped to secure passage of $1.6 million in General Obligation school bonds -- much of which will go towards improving school buildings and making them safer and more energy efficient. Here’s just part of Bowerbank’s reaction to the board’s decision.

"As the parent of three children, two who currently attend Russell County Public Schools, I am pleased to approve these bonds which will provide funding for education projects that our schools so desperately need. Like so many other parents, I depend on the public education system to prepare my children for the future, and nothing is more important to me. In fact, my son, Sean Thomas, currently attends Elk Garden Elementary school, which is one of the oldest continually used public school buildings in Virginia. Our children are competing in a modern global economy, and they should be learning in a 21st century educational environment. This money will help ensure our children have that chance.”

Of course one of the ways to ensure students receive the best education possible is to make sure that they have talented teachers. In order to attract the best teachers possible, Jon has advocated for a teacher pay increase in Russell County. They were able to significantly raise teacher salaries last year, but it looks like that could be more difficult to do this year.

"I am proud that we were able to raise teacher salaries by double-digits in Russell County last year. This year is going to be more difficult. With the economy struggling and revenues down an increase this year is no guarantee. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. It is my priority, and the priority of all of our board members, to improve our schools and that means paying the people who teach our children the salary they deserve.

Russell County should be a leader in the effort to raise teacher pay and I am running for Lieutenant Governor because I want to be able to reward teachers across the Commonwealth for their service and commitment to my children and all of our children," said Bowerbank.

I think this is a very relevant discussion for the Lt. Governor’s race because school systems all across the Commonwealth are struggling with what type of action must be taken in regards to teacher salaries. As some local parents and educators pointed out, we must make sure we’re able to keep our best teachers in the classroom because they are able to provide our students with the skills to be a productive member of the 21st Century job market.

"I am grateful that Jon Bowerbank and the rest of the Board were able to secure so much funding for our schools, especially given the economic climate," said Richard Hess, a Russell County public school teacher and former President of the Russell County Education Association. "I also appreciated Jon's speech in favor of increasing teacher pay; Jon is fighting hard to get that in the budget. It shows that Jon understands the value of teachers and our struggle to stay in the profession while also making ends meet and providing for our families. This is a huge win for educators, parents and children in Russell County."

Especially during a time when Virginia is facing economic difficulties, investment in education is absolutely necessary because it allows students to receive the skill sets to help move our economy forward. I am very pleased to see that Bowerbank understands this and is already working to help improve our schools.

Sen. Mike Gronstal on Recent Victories for Love

After a devastating defeat in California last November, there has been a series of victories for love the over the last week or so. In Vermont, for instance, the state legislator has overridden the Governor's veto on legislation that would allow same sex couples to get married marking the first time that a legislator has successfully enacted legislation that would allow same sex couples to have their marriages legally recognized by the state. In the heartland of America, Iowa's Supreme Court unanimously proclaimed that same sex marriages cannot be banned in the state. And finally, the City Council in Washington said that the District of Columbia would recognize same sex marriages that were performed in other states.

Sen. Mike Gronstal, the majority leader in the Iowa state senate, gave the following speech on the senate floor after the minority leader asked him to co-sponsor legislation that would take away the basic civil rights that had the state Supreme Court had stated should not be denied. I think Gronstal hit it right on the noise when he pointed out that the love he felt for his wife had been strengthened by the fact that others could now have their committed, loving relationships recognized by the state of Iowa.

House Leadership Praises Gerry Connolly's Work on Passing Budget

During the campaign, one of the big things that Gerry Connolly pointed out was that he wouldn't be the typical freshman Congressman due to his experience as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and as a Senate staffer. The other freshmen in the Democratic Caucus seemed to understand this when they elected him freshman class president, but it appears as he's now also receiving public recognition from the House leadership. I received the following statement about Connolly's role in passing the budget and the recognition he's received.

Congressman Gerry Connolly’s role in winning passage of the House budget resolution won praise from the House leadership Thursday.

Connolly also succeeded in winning inclusion of federal pay parity language in the bill and clarifying that the budget resolution does not address specific tax provisions such as a maximum income threshold for tax cut extensions or caps on deductions for mortgage interest and charitable contributions. The tax cut limits and deduction caps contained in President Obama’s original budget proposal concerned Connolly because they would disproportionately affect residents in Northern Virginia with its high cost of living.

Connolly, a member of the House Budget Committee, played a key role in budget deliberations in committee and in debate on the House floor. The budget as passed by the House includes $1.7 trillion in tax cuts, including estate and gift tax reductions, a child tax credit, and marriage penalty relief.

At a press conference Thursday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and other members of the House leadership, Pelosi said, “A very important part of our passing this budget today was Congressman Gerry Connolly, a neighbor from Northern Virginia. Thank you, Gerry, for being with us and for your leadership.”

I believe this is worth noting because the House of Representatives has 435 members, which means it can sometimes be rather difficult for our Representatives to get their voice heard on the important issues. The fact that Gerry has already been receiving recognition for his hard work suggests that Virginia's 11th District truly does have a Congressman who will be able to stand up for our best interests at the federal level.

Obama's Weekly Address

I'm Joining the Bowerbank Campaign

I believe that the race for Lt. Governor is one that deserves the public's attention. The office of Lt. Governor might not be the most glamorous one on the statewide ticket, but it’s a position that can truly help move our Commonwealth forward if the right person is elected. With so much at stake during this election, I strongly believe Jon Bowerbank is the best candidate for the job.

I’ve gotten to know Jon over the last year as he’s built his grassroots campaign from the ground up and I have seen firsthand how passionate about serving his community. I’ve heard him speak, for instance, about how he will work to improve our public school systems and make higher education more accessible for students from all economic backgrounds. I’ve heard him speak about his experience creating hundreds of jobs through the company he started in Southwest Virginia and how he wants to take his leadership to the Lt. Governor’s office to help create jobs for Virginians all across the Commonwealth. And I’ve heard him speak about how his knowledge of the ever advancing field of energy can help Virginia become a leader on creating green jobs and cleaner sources of energy.

Jon has the experience, the passion, and the vision to help move Virginia forward if he’s elected. With the June 9th Democratic primary rapidly approaching, I want to do my part in letting the public know why Jon Bowerbank should be our next Lt. Governor. I have therefore decided to take a position on the campaign team as the New Media Director. For several years I have used my blogs as a way to provide the public with accurate information and promote a productive discussion. This will continue to be an essential aspect of my blogging as I move into my new role with the Bowerbank campaign.

Rep. Gerry Connolly Held a Telephone Town Hall Meeting Last Night

Rep. Gerry Connolly held a telephone town hall meeting last night in which he spoke to residents of Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. Several weeks ago he held a similar telephone call with residents of Prince William County which was received well by members of the public who participated. Last night's call, which took place just minutes after the House of Representatives passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution on a 233-196 vote, touched on a wide variety of issues. The following is a brief write up of some of the topics covered during the call.

Gerry mentioned that as Chairman he took actions such as getting rid of the decal fee to reduce the tax burden on working families and will be continuing to look out for the best interests of working families while he is in Congress. The budget that was just passed by the House, for instance, included some tax cuts that will help families during this economic crisis. He also pointed out that it was recently announced that people who are on social security will be receiving a onetime stimulus payment of $250. This will be going to tens of thousands of people in the 11th Congressional District.

There were a few questions that were asked regarding the TARP funds, the stimulus bill, and the budget that the Obama Administration had put forward. In regards to the TARP funding, Gerry noted that he voted against the second release of TARP funds because there wasn’t enough accountability put in place regarding how the funds were going to be spent. As an interesting note, he pointed out that in local government it is sometimes very apparent whether projects are actually being completed. For example, you know if potholes are being fixed or if construction is being completed. While there might be different projects that are taken on by the various levels of government, the same type of transparent atmosphere and accountability needs to happen at the Federal level as well.

In regards to the budget, Gerry said that we have to turn the economy around and this budget makes the investment necessary to help stimulate the economy and create new jobs. It also provides a blueprint for comprehensive health care reform and an energy overhaul which could help to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help to create green jobs. Furthermore, it’s important to note that we’re dealing with an economic situation that needed to be immediately addressed. As someone who served for over a decade years on the County Board which requires a balanced budget, Gerry realizes that generally speaking a balanced budget is a good thing. In this circumstance, however, there is going to be a short term increase in the deficit to help our country get out of this financial crisis and he is pleased to see that the Obama Administration has a strategy that would work towards reducing the deficit in the long term.

In addition to his work on some economic issues, Gerry is also serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee and he recently traveled to Afghanistan and Iraq. While he was there the Congressman met with men and women from the Commonwealth of Virginia who were in the region serving their country.

Another frequent topic of discussion was education. In regards to a question about stimulus funding for the local school systems, for instance, Gerry pointed out that Fairfax County will directly get $55 million, $20 million of which would be IDEA money (individuals with disabilities education act). It should be noted that this will save taxpayers some money on their local tax bill and the aforementioned amount doesn’t include the money that will be coming to the through Richmond. Furthermore, this investment is absolutely critical so that we can maintain the high quality of Fairfax County’s schools and help to prepare students for the 21st Century job market.

Another person asked about No Child Left Behind. Gerry pointed out that he believes the overall goals of the legislation might be good, but the implementation leaves a lot to be desired. As the program is about to come up for reauthorization, the Congressman has made it clear that he has a lot of concerns about the legislation. The first problem with NCLB he pointed out is the fact that it’s an unfunded mandate. As someone who is passionate about local government and served on the County Board of Supervisors, Gerry takes great issue with the federal government putting forward mandates but leaving the local government to fund the program. Some of the standards of NCLB are too rigid and don’t take into consideration large diverse school systems such as Fairfax. He also doesn’t like the idea of putting a large scarlet letter on an entire school just because a relatively small number of students in the school are behind.

As can be expected in a district that is right outside of the nation’s capitol, there was a lot discussion about the federal workforce. Gerry mentioned that he had been working on establishing pay parity for both civilian and military personnel. In a statement that he had released earlier, Gerry briefly explained why he believed this was important.

“Just as our military men and women have distinguished themselves throughout history and particularly during this time of war, our civilian federal employees also perform important work on essential government functions and services,” Connolly said. “During my recent visit to Iraq and Afghanistan, I saw the critical role civilian employees play in handling logistical support and other vital services to the military, often working side-by-side with our troops in dangerous situations.”

The language in the House Budget Resolution states: “It is the sense of the House that rates of compensation for civilian employees of the United States should be adjusted at the same time, and in the same proportion, as are rates of compensation for members of the uniformed services.”

These were just a few of the highlights from the town hall meeting and the Congressman did encourage people to get in touch with his office if they had any questions, concerns, or issues they felt passionate about. As many people pointed out, this is a great way for Rep. Connolly and his staff to stay in touch with the public. I’m very pleased to see that his office is taking advantage of some technological advances that can help provide excellent constituent services and look forward to more of these calls in the future.

Gov. Tim Kaine on the House Passing Budget Proposal

After the news that the House of Representatives had passed a budget proposal that meet much of President Obama's agenda, Gov. Tim Kaine released the following statement in his role as DNC Chairman.

Washington, DC - DNC Chairman Tim Kaine praised the House of Representatives today for passing President Obama's budget which takes critical steps to shore-up the economy in the short-term and makes key investments in infrastructure, schools, renewable energy, and health care that will sustain our nation in the long-run.

"I am pleased to offer my congratulations to House Democrats today on the passage of the President's budget - a plan to help turn our economy around by slashing the deficit in half, making health care more affordable, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and investing in education," said Kaine. "This vote today is a victory not only for this generation of Americans, but generations to come."

"Unfortunately, the unanimous vote by the House Republicans against the budget does not represent the principle of loyal opposition upon which this country was founded, but opposition purely for political gain. While Republicans continue to cling to the failed policies of the past that created the current economic crisis, President Obama and Democrats have taken bold steps to restore stability and prosperity for all Americans. Today's vote affirms that the Party of No is more interested in playing politics than working with the Democrats and the President to solve our nation's problems on a bipartisan basis."

Mark Keam Raises Over $130,000 For Delegate Campaign

With the fundraising quarter reports due on April 15, there has been some news about the numbers the various campaigns are going to be reporting. While a lot of people are waiting to hear from the statewide candidates, it appears as though there are some Delegate candidates who are going to be showing good numbers as well. Mark Keam's campaign, for instance, will be reporting that he raised over $130,000 and will have about $100,000 cash on hand. I've seen many candidates who raise this much during an entire primary (and some who didn't even come near it but still won) so these numbers are definitely a good sign for Mark's campaign. Perhaps more important at this early stage in the campaign, however, is the fact that the donations came from over 500 individuals which helps to show the grassroots support that Mark has already been developing.

“I am very pleased that we have exceeded our fundraising goal for the quarter. I am grateful for the generous outpouring of support from so many people who believe in our campaign.” Keam stated, adding, “With this level of resources available in this early stage of the race, I am confident that we will run a strong and competitive grassroots campaign through June 9th.”

Also worth noting is the fact that Mark spent about a third of the quarter as an unpaid volunteer coordinator for the Hunter Mill magisterial district for Sharon Bulova's campaign to be Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. These numbers therefore primarily represent fundraising that was done during February and March -- relatively similar to the period that is left before the Democratic primary. These numbers would therefore seem to suggest that Mark is capable of raising the resources necessary for the general election if he becomes the Democratic nominee.

Video: Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Investing in Education

In order to make sure that our students are getting the skills necessary for the 21st Century job market, we must make sure the proper investment in the field of education. This has been one of the big things that I have been monitoring closely (and will continue to do so) as Fairfax County's elected officials are making their final decisions on the county budget. While I will be doing my part to help promote discussion on our local school systems, the following video is of an interview the Washington Post staff recently conducted with Arne Duncan who is serving as the Secretary of Education in Obama's Administration.

Virginia's Unemployment Rate Hits 17 Year High

As an example of how the financial crisis is impacting the Commonwealth of Virginia, the employment rate in Virginia reached a 17 year high at 6.4 percent. This number might seem relatively low when compared to sates like Rhode Island and Oregon, but it's important to remember that this statistic doesn't take into consideration the people who could only obtain part-time employment but are still in need of a full-time job. Also not included in this statistic are people who have taken a full-time job that, while better than being unemployed, doesn't pay a living wage. If you take the people who meet those qualifications into consideration, the unemployment rate would likely be in the double digits across the Commonwealth.

While the increased unemployment rate is disturbing news, what makes the news even gloomier is the fact that we have seen increases all across the Commonwealth and not just one particular region. According to an article on the "Virginia Business" website, for instance, every metro area in the state saw an unemployment increase.

All 10 metropolitan statistical areas saw a jump in the unemployment rate, with the Danville area hitting 14 percent, the highest metro rate in the state.

The city of Williamsburg had the highest jobless rate of all localities in the state — 19.5 percent, up from 12.4 percent a month earlier. Much of the spike in that historic city is because of slumps in lodging, tourism and retail activity after the holidays, said Christine Chmura of Chmura Economics & Analytics in Richmond.

The Richmond-area jobless rate hit 6.9 percent, up from 5.6 percent a month earlier. A year ago, the unemployment rate in Richmond was 3.8 percent.

These increases in unemployment are a grave reminder of why the job creating investments Obama has proposed in his budget are absolutely necessary. Furthermore, they are a testament to why this year's elections are absolutely critical for all Virginians. We need to elect leaders who will be able to create jobs and help lead our Commonwealth out of this financial crisis.