Localized Attention on Health Care Reform, Including Action from Gerry Connolly

As the debate over health care has heated up in recent weeks, I think it's good to have a reminder of how the discussion can impact individual people. In this video, Russell Axelson from Alexandria tells his story about how after he was laid off he couldn't even afford to pay for COBRA which is the option that is supposed to be the affordable for people who are in between jobs.



Earlier today, Russell was just one of several people who joined Congressman Gerry Connolly on a telephone press conference to discuss health care reform. During the conference call, Gerry highlighted how he realizes the importance of reforming our health care system.

“There’s no question that most Americans recognize there’s a crisis in health care. Even if we’re happy with the current coverage we individually may have, we recognize that premiums have doubled in the last seven years. Deductibles are going through the roof. We know that more and more companies are shedding health care for retirees and even for their employees. We know that only 48 percent of small businesses in the United States offer any health care coverage at all. And we know that those small businesses are going to incur a cost if we do nothing - an extra cost of 2.4 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. That’s an unsustainable cost for small businesses in America.”

I think Gerry is absolutely correct to point out that the cost of health care is already high and that it's enormous rates are going to create (if they haven't already) "an unsustainable cost for small businesses." I've been devoting a lot of attention to organizing around this issue and it's absolutely amazing how much damage the cost of health care can do to hard working families.

As the discussion continues on health care reform, Gerry is obviously making sure that the residents of Northern Virginia have an opportunity to discuss the issue with him. Tomorrow, for instance, Rep. Connolly will be having a telephone conference call with tens of thousands of people living in the 11th Congressional District. If you would like to take part in the call, you can dial in beginning at 7:20pm tomorrow (Wednesday) evening by calling 877-229-8493 and inputting the access code 14594.

Video of Latest Inside Scoop: The Emerald Planet

As many of you know, I am a member of the volunteer crew for the Inside Scoop series of television shows. We have shows that focus on Virginia politics, national and international politics, the "solidarity soapbox" that focuses on labor related issues, and "the emerald planet" which focuses on environmental issues. "The Emerald Planet" is the latest version as the second episode aired on Sunday evening and discussed some of the latest technology which can be used to help increase energy efficiency.

For those of you who weren't able to tune in, here's the video of Sunday night's episode.

Another Death on Metro: Person Struck By Red Line Train

Wow. It appears as though there has been another death on Metro. According to the Washington Post, a person was struck on Metro's Red Line during today's evening commute.

Metro reports significant new delays on the Red Line after a person was struck and killed at Forest Glen by an eight-car train that was heading for Shady Grove. The transit authority said it appeared the person was on the tracks deliberately.

I assume more details will be made public when they are available, but Metro's insistence that the person was "intentionally on the tracks" seems to suggest that it was a suicide attempt. No matter why the person was on the tracks, it appears as though Metro needs to take a long hard look its safety record and figure out ways to make it safer for riders.

Danna Milbank Throws Hissy Fit Over Blogger Nico Pitney Asking A Question

I have had some interesting interactions with mainstream reporters. Reporters who work for the local weekly papers are usually very friendly realizing that I’m not trying to step on their story, but am just trying to get information out about what is taking place on the local political scene. Some of them even realize that as someone who is extremely active in grassroots politics, I can give them a glimpse into what activists are thinking about the elections that are on hand.

For the most part, that also remains true with reporters from some of the local TV stations and the larger newspapers. There have been numerous occasions when reporters have called me for information both “on the record” and as background – especially when we’re all at big events. However, there have been times when reporters have acted as though I was “unholy” because I’m a blogger instead of a reporter for their respective newspaper.

It appears as though Dana Milbank from the Washington Post has taken that type of attitude with Nico Pitney from the Huffington Post.

Nico has consistently provided some of the best coverage of the protests in Iran and appears to have as good an understanding of what's going on in Iran as we can actually have here in the US. After he found out he might have an opportunity to ask a question at one of the White House’s press conferences, Nico used social media to solicit potential questions from people in Iran. He asked one of those questions at the press conference. Dana Milbank, who apparently doesn’t like bloggers too much and supposedly told Nico that he’s “such a dick,” ended up throwing a hissy fit and wrote a piece complaining about the fact that Nico was given the opportunity to ask a question at the press conference.

After writing his piece which inaccurately accused Nico of being a “planted questioner,” Milbank ended up being a guest on CNN with Nico. It was here that it became even clearer that Nico’s ability to ask a legitimate question that was eventually ducked by President Obama had rattled Milbank and caused him to have a strong emotional reaction.

This gives folks a great example of why some newspapers are struggling. Instead of trying to figure out why Obama avoided giving a concrete answer to Nico’s question, they go out and try to destroy someone’s reputation by claiming that he’s a planted questioner and doesn’t have any journalist integrity. Setting aside the fact that Obama avoiding the question would suggest Nico wasn’t asking a staged question, Milbank was just out to pull a stunt and didn’t actually help his readers understand what was discussed at the press conference.

In case you missed it, here’s the video of Dana Milbank poorly attempting to explain his outraged over Nico Pitney asking the President a question.

Del. Amundson Retires, Scott Surovell Announces Campaign for House of Delegates in 44th District

Del. Kris Amundson announced last week that she was going to retire from the House of Delegates. With her retirement, I truly believe that the House is losing one of the best public servants that the Commonwealth has had over the past decade. Kris has been tremendously dedicated to improving the lives of all Virginians and was constantly appearing at events to take the opportunity to listen to the concerns of her constituents. I wish her nothing but the best in the future.

With all that being said, we also now have the important task of making sure that this seat remains in Democratic hands. Scott Surovell, the former chair of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, has stepped up to the challenge and announced that he will be running for the House from the 44th District. In an email he sent out over the weekend, Scott gave folks a brief glimpse into his background and the reasoning behind why he wants to run. The email concluded by pointed out how we need our elected officials to concentrate on solutions and not partisan bickering.

To truly solve the state's problems, we still need to bring change to the Virginia House of Delegates. Todays House turns down and obstructs virtually every reasonable measure to move Virginia forward. Each year, it sends scores bills focused on divisive social issues or scoring political points instead of problem-solving measures to improve people's lives. I am committed to keeping the 44th district in Democratic hands and moving the House of Delegates to Democratic control. Our leaders cannot truly solve our problems until this happens.

I intend to focus on real long-term solutions to our transportation problems, investing in education at all levels, helping seniors have full lives in their community, ensuring a clean environment, giving our children full opportunities, creating real well-paying jobs, and making Mt. Vernon a better place to live.

I've gotten to know Scott over the years and I believe he would make an excellent member of the House of Delegates. He has a history of supporting the grassroots and would truly represent the 44th well down in Richmond. I strongly encourage everyone to head over to his website to either volunteer or donate to his campaign and help ensure that the 44th District continues to have a fantastic member of the House of Delegates.

David Englin on Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Ben over at Not Larry Sabato definitely has a reputation of knowing how to spark a conversation. His latest piece trying to go after one of his frequent targets brings up a letter that was written to President Obama by several Democratic members of Congress discusses how Don't Ask, Don't Tell should be repealed.

During his post, Ben brings up the fact that he believes the Democrats who didn't sign onto the letter opposing DADT failed to show agressive leadership on this important issue. Considering some of the posts he's written in the past, I don't support some of the subtext behind his move calling out certain Representatives. I do agree, however, that this is an important issue that the officials should have supported.

In a prime example of how an elected official could have taken an aggressive stance in support of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Delegate David Englin made a statement in reply to Ben's post.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is an affront to American values that undermines the U.S. Military's ability to recruit and retain talented Americans who are ready and willing to go into harm's way for the freedom most of us take for granted. How many of the bloggers, pundits, and politicians who talk a good game would actually volunteer to risk death or disability for their fellow citizens? Yet there are gay and lesbian Americans who not only accept the risks of military service, but do so knowing they are defending people who at best don't care to know them and at worst despise them.

Like other forms of official bigotry, this is a stain on our country that Congress and the President ought to erase as soon as possible. All Americans who stand between us and those who would kill or oppress us deserve our deepest gratitude and respect for the sacrifices they make. But sacrificing the right to freely and openly choose one's partner goes beyond the usual sacrifices of military life, and the gay and lesbian service members who are so committed to our protection that they bear that extra burden deserve an extra measure of respect. Kudos to the Members of Congress who are willing to stand up and be counted.

Granted DADT is a federal issue and David serves in the state government, but this is representative of his history of standing up for progressive ideas and commonsense solutions. I think we need more elected officials who are willing to stand up for what's right and aggressively support ideas that look out for the best interests of the general public. That is especially the case when members of our own party appear to be going back on campaign promises like we're seeing with Obama and many of his stances on gay rights.

So, with that, I'd like to send a big thank you to David Englin for standing up for common decency and would encourage others to let him know he has their support as well.

Help Fight the Republican Health Care Horror Show

I've written on several occasions about how we need to tackle health care reform both because it's so important to make sure that everyone has access to affordable health care and because it's critically important to helping improve our economy. Many of the folks in the GOP leadership, however, have been trying to scare people into believing that there's some alternative motive behind the commonsense ideas that so many people have been promoting.

The group Americans United for Change has created a little video that I believe helps to illustrate how ridiculous those claims are.



If you agree that we need to do something about our health care system then don't forget that there's going to be a huge rally on Thursday in downtown DC. We want as big a crowd as possible to make sure that our elected officials realize the importance of passing legislation on the issue that truly looks out for the best interests of all Americans. I've been organizing a group of folks to attend the rally and a large number of people already responded to my last call to action, but we still need more people to stand up for what's right. So, let me know if you can join thousands upon thousands of progressive activists on Thursday at 11:30am in the Upper Senate Park as we rally for health care reform.

Statement on Juneteenth Celebration Should Reflect on Current Discussions Too

As someone who received his BA in history, I strongly believe that we should study our past because it can give a glimpse into how decisions are made in our country and the progress that we've made as a community. That is why I'm glad to see that the folks at the DNC are paying attention to our history and released a statement regarding Juneteenth.

Washington, DC—DNC Chairman Tim Kaine and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie M. Rollins issued the following statement commemorating Juneteenth:

“On this day in 1865, emancipation finally made it west, freeing the last slaves in Texas. So today, we commemorate the end of slavery in America and honor all those throughout our history who have fought for freedom, equality and justice by celebrating Juneteenth.

“As we take time to honor this occasion, we also stop to consider the remarkable path African Americans have forged, from slavery to the White House. With the first African American President of the United States, we usher in an era of endless opportunity. A new generation of Americans will be raised with no limits to their dreams – something their predecessors, who fought for equality as slaves in the fields of Texas and Freedom Riders in the streets of Alabama, may have never been able to imagine.

“But while we have come a long way, we still have further to go. We at the DNC join President Obama and the African American community in the fight to ensure equality in education, employment, and health care for all Americans.”

While we celebrate Juneteenth, I think it's important that some emphasis be place on the last sentence of their statement because all Americans truly do deserve to be treated equally. Our country has shown that we can correct our wrongs and that "separate but equal" status should not apply to any group of people. I hope the Obama Administration and the DNC remember this during discussions that are currently taking place surrounding the desire of the GLBT community to receive their basic civil rights.

Huge Rally for Health Care Next Week

As many of you already know, there is currently a discussion taking place on the Hill about Health Care reform. This is an extremely important issue which is why many groups are organizing around the issue. One of those groups, Heath Care for America NOW (HCAN) has organized a rally downtown next week.

People from over 40 states are coming into DC for a rally next Thursday, June 25, to demonstrate just how important we believe the issue is. The event will begin at 11:30am in the Upper Senate Park with various speakers and afterwards many people will be heading into meetings with their Members of Congress. Having thousands upon thousands of people participate in the event will go a long ways towards showing our elected officials that this is an issue that Americans are taking seriously.

I have been working to organize a group of people from throughout Virginia to show our presence at the event. We already have a large contingent of people who will be coming to the rally and a few who have expressed interest in meeting with their Members of Congress. If you're interested in being part of our coalition at the rally or want some help setting up a meeting with your Member of Congress, feel free to get in touch with me via email at leftofthehill@gmail.com.

If nothing else, take the time to call or email your representatives and tell them you support a health care plan that has a public option. This is an extremely important issue and Members of Congress need to know that Americans stand behind making health care available to all Americans. To call your members, you can call the switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and they will connect you and to email them you can contact them via their individual websites.

Reaction To Blogger Dinner With Deeds Campaign

I was part of a group of bloggers who had dinner last night with some senior members of the Creigh Deeds campaign staff, including his campaign manager Joe Abbey. As a pleasant surprise, Creigh himself was also able to chat with us for awhile as he stopped by on his way to an event in the Oakton area. Some of the other bloggers at the dinner included Lowell Feld from Blue Virginia, Ben Tribbett from Not Larry Sabato, Ken Bernstein (teacherken) from Blue Commonwealth, Chris Guy from Fred2Blue, and Adam Siegel who blogs about environmental issues primarily at Daily Kos.

As the group gathered at Liberty Tavern, I have to admit that I wasn’t quite sure how the discussion would go. After all, each of the three candidates in the primary had at least one of their netroots supporters there. My first thought was that this would therefore be an interesting way to see how united the party was behind the Deeds campaign. In a good sign for the Democratic Party and Virginia as a whole, everyone there was not only supporting Creigh but appeared to be genuinely excited about his campaign and thought that sentiment was representative of most of the netroots community. I attribute this largely to the fact that we all want the best candidate to win and last night served as another example of why Creigh Deeds would make a good governor.

Some of the highlights of the conversation included that Creigh’s campaign will be working hard all over the Commonwealth, not just in the areas that have historically performed well for Democrats. Obama proved that working hard all over Virginia is good for Democratic candidates and it looks like the Deeds campaign have also picked up on this concept. Of course it also helps that Creigh is the candidate who would truly promote the type of ideas that are in the best interests of all Virginians.

Another point made is that this is an extremely divisive Republican ticket. Deeds, on the other hand, is highly respected on both sides of the aisle as a moderate who can bring folks together in order to pass meaningful legislation. Furthermore, he is someone who will be straightforward with people and won’t turn to talking points he doesn’t believe in just to get elected. As Joe Abbey put it, “Creigh is Creigh, no matter what.” In a time when we are facing a tough economic situation, I strongly believe people are going to realize that Creigh’s ability to reach across party lines and put commonsense ideas before partisan bickering is one of the primary reasons that he is the obvious choice to be our next governor.

While we’re only a week into the general election, it appears as though the Deeds campaign is going strong. They most definitely have a great candidate, great staff, and are already creating a lot of energy around the campaign. I look forward to continuing the discussion over the next few months on the campaign trail and once Creigh is in sworn in as Virginia’s next governor.

Gerry Connolly to Submit Helping Active Duty Deployed Act

Since being elected to Congress, Gerry Connolly has worked hard on behalf of our men and woman who are serving in the armed forces. In addition to doing things such as co-signing a letter that called for a hefty funding increase to be provided for the mental health services needed by many of our soldiers returning from combat, Connolly will be submitting legislation that would make it easier financially for our men and women to serve.

According to an article published on the Inside Nova website, the Helping Active Duty Deployed Act will help a soldier be reimbursed for tuition if his combat service prevents him from completing the courses and “end ‘family plan’ cell phone contracts or rental property leases early with no charge.” The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is supporting the bill and, through its chief legislative counsel even gave Inside Nova an example of why the legislation is needed.

Patrick Campbell wrote that when he was in Iraq, he was required to pay a monthly fee to his provider to keep his cell contract current.

Then he had to spend five hours of his first day home in a wireless store just to try to get his service restored.

"It took me over seven months for the whole issue to get resolved and required filing a complaint to the FCC and switching service providers," Campbell wrote.

While there is still a lot of “big picture” discussions that need to take place about our policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think these relatively small issues still need to be addressed and I’m very pleased to see that Gerry is tackling them. After all, it is absolutely horrendous that someone should be charged extra fees simply because they were serving our country overseas. I therefore strongly encourage everyone to write their Members of Congress and tell them to sign on as a co-sponsor of Helping Active Duty Deployed Act.

Obama Says Health Care Reform is "Essential to Restoring Fiscal Responsibility"

President Obama used his weekly address to highlight how health care reform is "essential to restoring fiscal responsibility." While there is still a lot of discussion about the actual plan that would be potentially passed by Congress and signed into law, I absolutely agree that we need to address the issue of health care both for moral and economic reasons.

I have been working a lot on organizing around this issue as of late and it's actually one of the reasons that my posting has been rather light lately (I have focused on laying to ground work for some action). For instance, there is going to be a rally in Washington, DC on the June 25th and I've been helping various groups from across the country who will be coming in for the event. I'll be having more information coming up on the rally and the health care debate but, in the meantime, here's the President's weekly address.

Wagner Changes Tone and Challenges Bolling to a Series of Debates

According to a statement released earlier today, Jody Wagner has challenged Bill Bolling to a series of debates.

RICHMOND - Today, Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor Jody Wagner challenged Bill Bolling to a series of debates across the Commonwealth, to present voters with a clear choice in November. Wagner has called for one debate per month for the remainder of the campaign, each taking place in a different region of Virginia. The format and rules would be agreed upon by the two candidates and campaigns.

In a letter sent to Bolling, Wagner said: "I believe it's important that voters have a clear understanding of both candidates, including our records, priorities, and visions for the future. I believe voters throughout the Commonwealth deserve to hear from both of us, so they're able to make informed decisions in November about the direction they believe is best for Virginia. I look forward to engaging in a constructive dialog over the next five months, and hope you'll join me in these debates."

This is very interesting since both Mike Signer and Jon Bowerbank had wanted a series of debates to take place all across the Commonwealth but she never even responded to the request and instead insisted on having only one. During that one debate none of the candidates had an overwhelming performance as there was even some discussion about the exact number of months that Mike Signer worked for the Warner administration.

With that in mind, there seems to be some questions about why Wagner is suddenly changing her mind on the prospect of having a series of debates. Perhaps the most obvious answer is that she was the frontrunner in the Democratic primary and frontrunners often times don't want to give their opponents any more attention than they need. Now that Wagner is going up against an incumbent, however, she wants to do whatever it takes to get some attention and increase her name recognition.

The fact that Wagner has so quickly changed her tone on debates clearly suggests that this is a strategic move that's part of her overall strategy. As long as she's not planning to play gotcha politics like she tried to do during the televised debate during the primary, however, then this political tactic would actually benefit the general public. After all, people deserve to hear directly from the candidates about where they stand on the issues. So lets hope that this political strategy actually turns into a productive discussion that benefits all Virginians and not just Jody Wagner's campaign.

Cautiously Optimistic About Rasmussen Poll Showing Creigh Deeds With 6 Point Lead

Now it is still relatively early in the race and Creigh's come from behind victory shows that you must keep working until election day, but a Rasmussen poll that was just released has some very good news in regards to Creigh Deeds' campaign. The poll, which was conducted by telephone on Wednesday night, shows Creigh with a six point lead over Bob McDonnell (47% to 41%) with 10% undecided and another 2% claiming they'd support another candidate.

Another interesting aspect of this poll is that Creigh's recent comeback in the polls not only helped him win the Democratic nomination but also helped him in his poll numbers against McDonnell.

These figures on the general election represent a continuation of that comeback by Deeds. In April, Deeds made the weakest showing of the three Democratic candidates in match-ups against McDonnell, trailing him by 15 points, 45% to 30%. But now with one Democratic candidate only in the race, he has solidified support in his own party.

There are two good reasons for why this has happened, and it's likely that a combination of the two explain Creigh's numbers. First, Virginia has been tilting towards Democratic candidates in recent statewide elections. As Creigh's numbers in the Democratic electorate increased it is therefore only reasonable to assume that his numbers in the general electorate would also increase. After all, many people respect Creigh and voted for him because he put forward good ideas and people thought that he could govern in a manner that was truly best for all of Virginia. Independent and moderate Republican voters probably picked up on these things as they saw Creigh surging in the Democratic primary and now might be considering voting for him in the general.

Along the same lines, another explanation for the surge seen in these poll numbers is the fact that some Democrats might have voted for the candidate they believed had the best chance of winning in the general election. As I spoke with people at various events in the weeks leading up to the primary, many activists told me that they believed Creigh had the best chance of defeating McDonnell in the fall. Since a Republican governor could have a devastating impact on the Commonwealth with so many important issues facing Virginia, it was very important for these voters to select a candidate who would help to ensure a Democratic victory in November.

All in all, these numbers are a good sign for Democrats but we must work hard to ensure that we elect Creigh Deeds. With the hard work that I've seen Creigh put in over the years I'm confident that he'll do what it takes, but we must do what we can to help make sure these poll results resemble the outcome in November.

Video: Brian Moran's Concession Speech

For those who haven't seen it yet, the following video is of Brian Moran's concession speech that he delivered on Tuesday evening. I want to draw attention to it because Brian makes some good points, including the fact that sometimes primaries can actually help to strengthen a nominee's campaign. I certainly think that is the case with Creigh Deeds who definitely put together a great organization that peaked at the right time.

I also wanted to highlight the speech because I think it helps to show the passion that I've seen as I've gotten to know Brian over the last few years. I sincerely hope he continues to be involved in the community because he has definitely put done some good drawing attention to combating poverty, making sure folks have access to affordable health care, and investing in new clean alternative energy sources.

Gov. Kaine's Statement on Shooting of Security Guard at Holocaust Museum

There has been a lot of discussion about the tragic news that a security officer was killed today while he was guarding the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. I believe Gov. Time Kaine's statement accurately portrays the sentiments of so many Virginians tonight.

RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine issued the following statement today regarding the shooting death of a private security officer at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC:

“I am saddened and troubled by the news this afternoon that a private security guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC was shot and killed by a self-identified white supremacist. Stephen Tyrone Johns gave his life today in the protection of an institution dedicated to promoting tolerance and understanding of a critical period in the history of the world—and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones for their loss.

“As we continue to receive information about this terrible shooting, we are necessarily reminded that hate crimes persist—both in this great nation and across the globe. Likewise, we as citizens must remain vigilant in the protection of those organizations that advocate for compassion and charity in the face of hatred.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Johns family tonight. I urge my fellow Virginians to join me in expressing condolences for this tragedy.”

DGA Surpasses Fundraising Goals and Highlight Race in Virginia

Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana, who is also the Chair of the Democratic Governor's Association, sent out an email today saying that the DGA had far surpassed its fundraising goals. In fact, it did so by 225%. He pointed out that while this money will help in 37 gubernatorial races in 2010, it is also going to be beneficial in the two competitive races that take place this year.

Yesterday was primary day in New Jersey, one of the two states electing governors this year. And next week, Virginia's primary will determine which strong Democratic candidate will take on Republican Bob McDonnell, who has the full weight--and money--of the national GOP behind him.

The Republicans are desperate to capture these two Democratic seats to jumpstart their "comeback" after their huge losses in 2008. In all, they're aiming to pick up at least 16 governorships over the next two years--a crucial step in their scheme to hijack the redistricting process that will follow the 2010 census. Their goal is to redraw congressional districts to give Republicans an unfair advantage, hoping to move enough seats into the GOP column to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives--and derail President Obama's agenda for change.

We have already seen how the Republican Governors Association has been willing to donate millions of dollars to McDonnell's campaign so I'm glad to see that the Democratic equivalent is paying attention to Virginia as well. While financial assistance is great, I also hope that the DGA provides some assistance at the grassroots level. I'm convinced that one of the major reasons that Obama won Virginia last year was because he had people on the ground talking to Virginians all across the Commonwealth. When people hear about what the Democratic Party represents and encouraged to get out to the polls, Democrats win. So a similar effort this year would most definitely prove to be beneficial.

Some Thoughts on Tim Kaine's Statement on PRIDE Month

As many of you may already know, June is PRIDE month. Although many people associate this with PRIDE parades or the current debate over marriage, the true meaning of this month comes down to the fact that members of the GLBT community shouldn't be ashamed of their sexual orientation or gender identity and should take pride in who they are as people. With that in mind, Gov Tim Kaine issued a statement regarding PRIDE.

Kaine's statement was in good spirit and rightfully pointed out that this is an opportunity to celebrate the work that members of the GLBT community have done and to remember that the Democratic Party should stand for "equality for ever American." He then went on to address how the Obama Administration is supposedly taking steps towards making sure that people are not discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“The cause of ending discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans has taken a giant leap forward. With a Democrat in the White House who is committed to equality and justice, we have reached significant milestones. The Obama Administration is the first to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in its first 100 days and it has partnered with the international community at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world.

“The Administration is concentrating on a number of measures to ensure equality for all—such as supporting civil unions, Federal rights for LGBT couples, stronger hate crimes laws, ridding our military of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in a way that both ensures national security and strengthens our Armed forces, banning discrimination in the work place, fighting HIV/AIDS and ensuring adoption rights.

While I agree that the current administration is a lot better than ones we've had in the past, I do take issue with some of what was said in this statement. In regards to Don't Ask, Don't Tell, for instance, the Obama Administration has an extremely spotty record. During the campaign Obama said that he would work towards repealing the horrible policy that has resulted in our country being deprived of highly qualified soldiers during a time when their skills are truly needed. After being sworn into office, however, Obama has refused to issue an executive order banning investigations into the sexual orientation of our service members. There has also been a lot of questions about how hard he's actually pushing for Congress and the Pentagon to prepare for getting rid of this policy.

There's also the fact that unless all marriages are going to be turned into civil unions, civil unions still represent a second class status for GLBT relationships. That is simply unacceptable and doesn't represent true equality for all Americans.

So while the Obama Administration has taken some steps to be a more inclusive Administration, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. I hope that this PRIDE month Obama takes some time to reevaluate his stance on certain issues and realize that there is still more that he can do to ensure that all Americans are treated equally and don't have their basic rights violated.

Video: Ray Morrogh on Steve Shannon for AG

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Steve Shannon picked up several endorsements from public safety workers and various other public servants. Among those making an endorsement this morning was Ray Morrogh who is the Commonwealth Attorney in Fairfax County. I spoke with Ray about why he's supporting Steve for Attorney General and the following video is part of our conversation.

Video: Steve Shannon Picks Up Endorsement of Public Service Workers

At a press conference earlier today Steve Shannon joined a group of public service workers to announce that the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Ray Morrogh, Arlington County Commonwealth Attorney Richard Trodden, Fairfax County Sheriff Stan Barry, members of the Fairfax Coalition of Police, Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, Fairfax Deputy Sheriffs Coalition, and the Fairfax County Government Employees Union, SEIU Local 5. and other public service workers had endorsed his campaign for Attorney General.

An interesting aspect of this endorsement is that some of the organizations had endorsed Ken Cuccinelli in his race for the state Senate back in 2007. The fact that they are endorsing Steve Shannon in this race truly goes to show that these public safety organizations aren't endorsing purely along party lines but truly believe Steve is the best person for the job.

The following is a brief interview I had with Steve after the announcement.

Video: Steve Shannon's Speech at the Fairfax JJ

Steve Shannon's campaign has a big announcement coming later today which I will have more on later, but in the mean time here's a video I shot last night of Steve's speech at the Fairfax County JJ Dinner.