Video: Sen. Merkley Passionately Calls Out Health Care Reform Opponents

One of the big things that I've been talking about with some of my fellow progressive activists here is how we like to see elected officials who stand up for what they believe in. That is why I have followed Sen. Jeff Merkley closely even though I live all the way across the country from the state he represents (Oregon). I was able to speak with Merkley on conference calls during his campaign and have been very impressed with his staff here in Washington as they get out his message. Above all else, I'm pleased that he has a history of standing up for working families. Not only does this help because it means that we have his vote in the correct column, but it means he's able to inspire his colleagues and grassroots activists which will really help pass meaningful legislation in the long run.

In a recent speech he gave on the floor of the Senate, Merkley illustrated his passion for standing up for working families yet again as he spoke about the need to come together in order to create true health care reform. The transcript is below the video, but I strongly urge you to watch him speak because you can clearly see how passionate Merkley is about this topic. It's great to see that passion in an elected official and I hope some of our statewide candidates here in Virginia pick up on it.



As we make historic progress on guaranteeing affordable, quality health care for all, there are powerful forces underway to halt this effort.

There are those that favor the status quo, and they’re working on their talking points. They’re rallying their special interests. They’re doing polls to see what phrase will most scare Americans from changing. They want to defeat this historic march towards quality, affordable health care for every single citizen.

Now, the opponents of reform, they have a health strategy. And their strategy is the status quo. And why do they like the status quo so much? Because the special interests are making so much money with the current health care system. Huge profits for insurance companies, huge profits for other health care players

Americans across the country are counting on us to work together to find a solution, to help ease the burden of health care costs on family and business budgets and create more affordable health care options. I urge my colleagues to set their partisanship aside, set aside the goal of trying to torpedo America’s future because you want to torpedo the presidency of Barack Obama.

Think about the quality of health care for our working families and what we in this chamber could do to make that quality of life far better."

Was Sarah Palin's Farewell Speech Really A Poem?

Sometimes farewell speeches are really supposed to be read as poems. Conan O'Brien realized this as he had William Shatner read Sarah Palin's farewell speech as a poem set to music last night. It's really quite entertaining.

Of course, as a Boston Legal fan I couldn't help but think of how Denny Crane (who William Shatner portrayed) was a Republican who almost always shared the views of the extreme right (kind of like Sarah Palin).

I Agree With Miles: Statewide Candidates Should Engage On Some Federal Issues

The following is a brief video from Miles Grant about how the federal issues provide a way for some of our statewide candidates to really connect with voters. This topic has been one that a lot of us progressive activists have spoken about in recent weeks and I agree with the stance that Miles takes here.

I believe it's important for our candidates to remember is that someone who stands up for what they believe in -- even though it might be a political risk -- will end up with a lot more respect from voters all across the political spectrum. This will not only win them over some voters, but their willingness to stand up for what's right will also help to excite their base which will lead to more people canvassing, phonebanking, etc.

Senate Judiciary Committee Votes In Favor of Sotomayor Confirmation

Not too surprisingly, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted earlier today to support the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. The vote was primarily along party lines as Lindsey Graham was the only Republican to join the 12 Democrats in voting yes. What is somewhat interesting about this result is that Graham is usually a Republican hack, but was willing to reach across party lines on this issue. Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch, however, are two more moderate Republicans and they both actually against a Supreme Court Nominee for the first time in their respective careers.

The vote is now heading to the full Senate where a very similar result is expected to happen next week. As most pundits admit; it's not whether or not she'll be confirmed, it's how many votes she'll receive on her way to replacing David Souter as an Associate Justice.

Video: Pelosi Stands By Public Option

We absolutely must pass health care reform that includes a public option and I'm glad to see that Speaker Pelosi appears to understand this concept. As Pelosi said in regards to whether there should be some waiting period before a public option kicks in, the big insurance companies have had a chance and now we must give the public the option of picking an alternative.

I think the private insurance industry has had a long enough time to have a trigger. We know what happens left to their own devices. This is about having an alternative, to give much more leverage to the individual. And the president has said, if you like the insurance that you have, you like your doctor, you can keep them. Well, most people, many people feel good about all of that, but they don’t know what’s going to happen to the cost.

In other words, the Republicans keep talking about how we need to let the insurance companies continue to rake in billions upon billions of dollars in profits while individuals are continuously denied coverage. That is unacceptable and the public deserves to have a more accessible option.

Del. Vivian Watts and Del. Ken Plum on The Inside Scoop

Delegate Ken Plum and Delegate Vivian Watts were on the Inside Scoop yesterday evening talking about various issues ranging from the upcoming special session to the gubernatorial race.

Update on Need for Action Regarding Gerry Connolly and Health Care Reform

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have some disagreements with Gerry Connolly on the issue of health care reform. However, his office pointed myself and several other bloggers towards an interview that he did on CBS which goes a little more in depth about his views on the state of the legislation. Here's the video of that interview.


Watch CBS Videos Online

I think this video helps to show that Gerry is interested in getting something done on health care reform. At the same time, it also goes to show that his constituents need to let him know their views on how we should go about paying for health care reform. One idea that many residents of the 11th District have told me they support is the possibility of offsetting some of the cost would to have a small tax increase on a very small proportion of the super rich.

While I imagine nobody would be excited about paying more taxes, this method of paying for reform would actually help everyone as we are either going to pay for health care reform now or pay for it with interest down the road. In other words, the best financial option for those super rich families would actually be to have a slight increase in their taxes now or else they'll join everyone in having to pay for the enormous costs of waiting to reform our health care system. I therefore encourage everyone to make sure that they let Rep. Connolly's office know they support legislation that acts now and doesn't leave the burden of health care reform on future generations, even if it means there's a slight tax increase on the super rich. You can do so by calling (202) 225-1492 or sending an email here.

Sen. Jeff Merkley Opposes Thune Amendment On Concealed Weapons

Right here in Virginia we have seen a prime example of the extreme right's position on guns. Catherine Cabrill, who is a Republican candidate for the House of Delegates, called for people to go to the "bullet box" if things didn't turn out exactly as she wanted. If people weren't aware of some of the extremism promoted by the GOP, this incident most definitely served as a reminder of the dangerous rhetoric that some Republicans have been using.

With that dangerous rhetoric being used by a person the right have put forward as a candidate, we now have Senator John Thune from South Dakota putting forward an amendment which would severely limit any state's ability to create laws regarding concealed weapons. If Thune gets his way, states would have to recognize the conceal weapon permits of anyone's home state. In other words, someone who obtained a liscence in a state with very very low training requirements could carry a concealed weapon into a bar in large cities like Washington DC, which would put residents of those cities at risk.

Fortunately, there are a number of Senators who realize that this is a very unproductive piece of legislation and are working against it. Sen. Jeff Merkley from Oregon, for instance, had the following to say about Thune's amendment.

“I support the right of law-abiding citizens to own firearms and to carry concealed weapons, but I also support Oregon’s right to decide under what circumstances concealed carry permits are issued. This amendment would have obliterated the right of Oregonians to self-governance by allowing a permit from any state – regardless of the standards under which it is issued – to substitute for an Oregon permit.

“Oregonians should decide who in Oregon can carry a weapon in public – not governors and legislatures thousands of miles away.”

I hope more and more members of the US Senate join Merkley in speaking against the amendment.

Action Needed: Let Gerry Connolly Know You Support Health Care Reform

I have written several posts about how I believe Gerry Connolly has done a good job so far during his tenure in the House of Representatives. His fellow freshmen Representatives have seen his ability to be a leader from early on as they elected him president of the freshman class. Unfortunately, I have to STRONGLY disagree with the action that he has recently taken in regards to health care. While he has always taken the position that we need to be careful about the potential costs of health care reform, it appears as though he’s now taken it a step forward. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Gerry organized a busload of freshmen Representatives who traveled over to the White House to ask the president not to raise taxes on the super-rich.

Also on Friday a busload of freshmen Democrats went to the White House to plead their case against sharp tax increases with the president and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. The organizer was Rep. Gerald Connolly, the president of the freshman class whose Northern Virginia district is the richest in the U.S. as measured by median household income.

What bothers me is that Gerry was also quoted as saying that one of the biggest reasons for his action is the fact that 14% of the households in his district earn over $200,000 and “they all vote.” That might indeed be the case, but what about all the families in the district who are struggling to pay their bills and cannot afford health care. They vote too and deserve to have their representative work with the administration and Congress to pass health care reform that doesn’t put the burden of an enormous deficit on future generations. One of the best ways of doing that would be to roll back the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest of Americans.

I’ve gotten to know Gerry over the last few years and I’m confident that he genuinely wants to represent the best interests of his constituents. That being said, his quote to the Wall Street Journal makes it clear that he is thinking about how this legislation would impact his re-election chances. As one of Gerry's biggest supporters and one of his constituents, I want to point out that I think this move is wrong. Supporting legislation that gives everyone access to affordable health care even if it means slightly raising taxes on the a small percentage of the wealthiest people in our country would actually help his re-election chances.

As I have been active in the community I have had an opportunity to talk with many folks about the issue of health care reform and the message I've heard is that we need to get something done now. I therefore encourage everyone to make sure that they let Rep. Connolly's office know this as well. You can do so by calling (202) 225-1492 or sending an email here.

Del. Pollard Responds to Crabill's "Bullet Box" Remarks

Yesterday I posted a video of Catherine Crabill, the Republican candidate running against Delegate Albert Pollard, saying that people should go to the "bullet box" if things don't work out they way they hoped through the democratic process. Del. Pollard released the following statement about Crabill's comments

Washington, Madison and Monroe were born in my legislative district and to be bullied by a politician would be to dishonor them and the men and women who have died to protect this great country.

Given this rich history, it particularly disappointing that a major party candidate from this region wants to use the Constitution as a justification to bully and threaten people who don't agree with her. I won't let bullies wrap themselves in the flag and say that the majority vote is somehow is not the "right type of America" - attempting to scare others into doing dangerous things.

Sadly, what my opponent recently spouted is the logical extreme of the rhetoric in Washington and, increasingly, Richmond. It can be a short trip from over-heated rhetoric to furious anger to absolute rage.

In short, my opponent threatened to overturn the ballot box with the bullet box. She doesn't realize the founders turned to the bullet box so they could have the right to a ballot box.

While some might be saddened for the future of robust political debate in this district and country, I know that we continue to be the best region, in the best state in the best country in the world.

Republican Candidate Encourages Use of the "Bullet Box" If Vote Doesn't Go the Right Way

I think that having a discussion over the issues is something that we need to keep our system strong, but it's becoming more and more apparent that the extreme right is taking over the Republican Party. This is a shame because I think there are some moderate Republicans who actually put forward good ideas every now and then. The latest example of the extremist in the Republican Party comes from the Republican candidate for the House of Delegates from the 99th District.

To a loudly applauding crowd, she speaks about how we don't have the 2nd amendment so that folks can go hunting. She insists that the real reason we have guns so that people can take on the government. That's right folks, the Republicans have put forward a candidate who says that she thinks the "bullet box" should be an option if things don't work out the way they want in an election. As someone whose job it is to organize discussion of the important issues, I find it highly disturbing that this is the type of ideology that the Republicans are putting forward.



(h/t NLS)

Scott Surovell Raised Over $80,000

Scott Surovell, who is running for the House of Delegates from the 44th District announced earlier today that he has race over $80,000 during the last reporting period. What makes this sum even more impressive is the fact that he raised this money in just 7 days and did so by reaching out to a large number of people who personally know of his strong work ethic and dedication to public service.

Surovell, a native of the Mt. Vernon area, raised $82,280 in monetary contributions the last week in June and ended the reporting period with $81,724 cash on hand. He received contributions from 266 donors, averaging $308.16. One hundred seventy‐two donors, roughly two‐thirds, gave $100 or less to the Surovell for Delegate Campaign.

This compares with Surovell’s opponent who raised approximately $25,000 in cash from 58 donors over 47 days excluding approximately $20,000 in self‐funded cash.

Surovell benefits from his deep roots in Mt. Vernon and Virginia, drawing on support from family, high school, college, law school, professional, political friendships, and families Surovell has known through his community involvement and his children’s activities. Thirty six percent of contributions or $30,010 from 70 donors came from within the 44th District.

While the financial numbers aren't everything in a Delegate race, I think this announcement provides us with a prime example of how Surovell has been able to rally some of his supporters during the initial stages of his campaign. As the race continues, I look forward to hearing some of what Scott hopes to do for his district if he's elected to the House of Delegates. The financial numbers are everything when investing in the stock market, and CFDs are a cost effective way to trade global markets.

Steve Shannon Brings In Mike Henry

Steve Shannon has announced that Mike Henry will be coming in as the new campaign manager. As I have said before, I have a lot of respect for the work that Henry has done on previous campaigns and nobody will deny that he knows Virginia politics extremely well. In a campaign season where most of the attention will be on the gubernatorial race, I think Henry will be able to help Steve draw attention to all the good ideas he has and the strong experience he would bring to the AG's office. Furthermore, since he has already successfully managed several statewide campaigns Henry will be able to help Steve communicate his message with folks outside of his home base in NOVA.

Another good reason for bringing in Mike Henry is the fact that Ken Cuccinelli is known to be a good campaigner (how else would someone who falls so far to the right be able to win in NOVA) and his campaign manager has a history of running aggressive campaigns (he was behind the swiftboat ads against Kerry). Henry has a history of being able to stand up for what's right and run great campaigns even when faced with tough competition. I look forward to seeing how the campaign progresses now that this change has been made.

With all that being said, I want to reinforce how much I respect Roman Levit who has been Steve's campaign manager so far. I think he did a good job of laying the foundation for the general election and am pleased to see that he will be staying on board as a senior adviser.

Tom Perriello Did Great On the Morning Joe

Tom Perriello was on the Morning Joe talking about a recent bill and how the GOP is launching blatantly false attacks against him for supporting the bill. As several bloggers here in Virginia have already pointed out, Perriello handed himself very well and I think provides viewers with a reminder of why he was elected. Tom represents a right leaning district and hasn't always supported the progressive stance on certain issues, but he definitely appears to be an extremely knowledgeable Member of Congress and he's a heck of a lot better than Virgil Goode.

Jody Wagner On the Attack, But Forgot She Did Same Thing As Sarah Palin

Earlier today I wrote about how the Wagner campaign should have focused on what Jody would do if elected Lt. Governor instead of playing the blame game with Bill Bolling. It turns out that they didn’t believe it was important to focus on the issues and released a statement which essentially blamed Bill Bolling for the economic crisis and tried to connect him to the toxic Gov. Sarah Palin. Well, that plan isn’t very good since Sarah Palin is currently taking a lot of heat right now for doing exactly the same thing that Jody Wagner did regarding her most recent job.

Sarah Palin is currently receiving criticism because she bailed out her job as governor right as the pressure was getting too much for her. Just weeks before Gov. Tim Kaine announced that we were going to have to make huge cuts here in Virginia, however, Jody Wagner essentially did the same thing as she quit her job as Secretary of Finance. While she wasn’t completely responsible for the economic downturn here in Virginia, you would think that a Secretary of Finance who was truly good at her job would have stayed on board to try and help the Kaine Administration during this tough period. That’s not the case with Jody as she quit right when things got tough and then proceeded to claim her experience in that job as the reason she should be elected.

I noticed this connection yesterday and was actually going to let it slide because Jody hadn’t attacked Bolling or the GOP about their connection to Palin. Now that Wagner and her campaign manager Elisabeth Pearson have asked Bill Bolling "to clarify remarks made yesterday regarding his willingness to welcome Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to Virginia,” I think it’s time we draw attention to Jody’s hypocrisy. After all, if we’re going to criticize Palin for bailing on her commitment to Alaskans we need to do the same thing when Wagner did it to Virginians. Resigning just because things are getting tough and you want to move on to higher office is unacceptable no matter what party you belong to.

Jody Wagner and her campaign need to move on and focus on what’s in the best interests of Virginia.

Cuccinelli's Chief Advisor: "Hey, I'll bring in Sarah Palin"

While a lot of Republicans are distancing themselves from Sarah Palin because they don't want to be associated with someone who doesn't know the issues, has been invested on several occasions for potential ethical violations, and abruptly quits her job as governor and bails on her commitment to Alaska voters. Right here in Virginia, however, it appears as though there are some folks who really want her to come help out. According to an article in the Washington Times, Cuccinelli's campaign not only wants her to help out but also is actively promoting some of the common policy positions they share.

"Hey, I'll bring in Sarah Palin; you let [Democrat] Steve Shannon bring in Nancy Pelosi," said Mr. Cuccinelli's chief adviser, Chris LaCivita.

"From an issues standpoint ... on things like taxes, cap-and-trade, offshore drilling for natural gas and petroleum, there's no light between us on those," said Mr. LaCivita, a longtime Republican strategist who orchestrated the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attack against Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 presidential race.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this is the fact that Cuccinelli's chief adviser is the same person who is responsible for the Swiftboat ads which were so patently false that they've been added to the political lexicon to mean down right dirty and dishonest campaign. And here he is now saying that he wants someone who bailed out on her commitment to voters and has faced several ethics investigations to come help Cuccinelli's campaign. I guess this is just a hint that the Cuccinelli is going to run a campaign that has no regard for high ethical standards despite running for Attorney General.

Faith Based Groups Working On Health Care Reform

There has always been a lot of discussion about religious groups involved in the political process when it comes to some hot topic issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. In my opinion, there isn't enough attention given to the fact that many members of the faith community actually believe there are more important issues such as combating poverty. The Washington Post provided us with an example of that as it discussed a group of religious organizations coming together to talk about health care reform.

Members of Jewish, Muslim and Christian denominations gathered yesterday for a "Religious Leaders Health Care Summit" on Capitol Hill hosted by the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, The National Coalition on Health Care and Families USA.

A main plank for the meeting is a statement, signed by 47 religious leaders from around the country, pressing the moral urgency for health-care reform.

"Rising unemployment, underemployment and a decline in employment benefits have deprived many more of health care," the statement reads. "The health of our neighbors and the wholeness of the nation now require that all segments of our society join in finding a solution to this national challenge."

This meeting helps to illustrate a point that I often make when I'm organizing. We all will have our differences on certain issues, but that shouldn't prevent us from coming together to promote commonsense ideas that we all agree upon. In the case of health care reform, these faith based groups are illustrating how the faithful don't have to get involved only when there is a "traditional religious right" talking point issue being discussed. Instead, we can all come together to make sure that all Americans have their basic needs, such as access to affordable health care, met.

I would like to see more attention given to these types of action. As I've traveled throughout Virginia working on campaigns and causes, it's become extremely apparent to me that the vast majority of very religious folks devote most of their time to giving back to the community. It is in that vain that they also support legislation that would help people improve their lives. Nonetheless, the mainstream media still likes to focus on old battle lines instead of focusing on how groups are coming together on things such as health care reform. Hopefully there will be a more honest reporting of the situation soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

LG Candidates Squabble Over Past Instead of Focusing on Solutions

One of the biggest challenges for the Lt. Governor candidates is trying to get their message out to the general public. I’ve always found that one of the best ways to get out your message is to hold events which help to directly illustrate the type of initiatives you would promote as Lt. Governor. For instance, you could visit a community college that has a unique program which you would work to improve once elected. This not only gives people a better idea of what a candidate hopes to accomplish, but as far as political strategy goes it also gives the press a positive reason to cover the campaign.

With all that being said, it appears as though both LG campaigns have insisted on playing the blame game recently when attempting to get press coverage. While this might get an article or two published, it really doesn’t do much good and ends up making both campaigns look bad. The latest example of this can be found in an article published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch which focuses on how Bill Bolling is blaming Jody Wagner for the financial crisis that Virginia is currently facing.

In a newspaper column and a fundraising appeal, Bolling links departing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's former finance chief to the continuing cash crunch, faulting her for flawed revenue projections.

Firing back, Wagner criticizes Bolling for opposing bipartisan measures, including new taxes in 2004, that won Virginia accolades for fiscal discipline from Wall Street.

Ok, so let’s actually look at what’s being said. Bill Bolling is essentially saying that Jody Wagner’s budget numbers are a major reason that Virginia is now having to make so many cuts and is facing a poor economic forecast. Anyone who has even remotely paid attention to what’s going on in our country would know that the economy across our country isn’t doing too hot right now. Just look at California having to issue IOU’s because it’s struggling so much and or the national unemployment rate which is rapidly closing in on 10%. To ignore these factors and claim that a state Secretary of Finance is responsible for Virginia’s problems just goes to show that Bill Bolling doesn’t seem to understand how things work.

Jody Wagner’s campaign, however, also doesn’t come out looking very good in the article. Instead of focusing on some specific examples of what Jody’s done to help the economy, the campaign launches attacks against Bolling for actions he took during 2004. Helping to prove that going negative wasn’t the best option, the actions Wagner’s campaign attacked Bolling for didn’t even do much because a bipartisan group of elected officials stood up against his point of view and with the Warner administration. In other words, instead of focusing on the good that Wagner could do as Lt. Governor went negative and brought up an old issue that didn’t provide an example of the harm Bolling would do if reelected.

I think the big lesson here is that particularly in a race where people don’t know much about either candidate, it is not a good idea to being launching attacks instead of focusing on what positive action could be taken in the future. I, for one, would like to hear what the Commonwealth’s former treasurer and Secretary of Finance would do to help Virginia. Or what our current Lt. Governor would like to do during his second term. So far we haven’t really heard either option, which does a great disservice to the residents of Virginia.

Will Bob McDonnell Reject Support from Person Threatening Freedom of Speech?

The Huffington Post blogger who was singled out during a threat from Sarah Palin and her lawyer was on Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night. Even if you want to put aside the fact that making the threat was just plan weird and a bad PR move, it appears as though anyone with commonsense would realize that the claims Palin's team made were patently false.

When watching the video below, Virginians should remember that Palin has apparently pledged to support Bob McDonnell in the upcoming gubernatorial race. Unless the GOP nominee for governor wants to proudly associate with a person who can't fulfill her commitments and makes baseless threats against people, I think McDonnell should publicly announce that he no longer wants Sarah to fulfill her pledge to support his campaign.

Is Sarah Palin Coming to Virginia?

There has been a lot of talk in the last few days about how Sarah Palin decided to bail on her responsibility to Alaska and quite her job as the state's governor. There have been various rumors floating around about she decided to not follow through on her commitment to Alaskans, but nobody is quite sure what to expect because the announcement came out of the blue and she gave a large number of vague excuses during her resignation speech. Since she might be under the absurd belief that she has a chance of becoming president, one rumor is that Palin wants to travel around the country helping other candidates in a desperate attempt to increase her national profile.

Of course, one candidate who would need some help is Bob McDonnell -- the Republican nominee for governor right here in Virginia. Since there are only two gubernatorial races taking place this year, one would assume that Virginia would be on Palin's radar if she truly is trying to increase her national profile. As the Washington Post points out, this possibility isn't just speculation as Palin already has pledged to support McDonnell's bid for Virginia's top office.

Bob McDonnell, Virginia's Republican gubernatorial nominee, attended a meeting of the Republican Governor's Association late last year. Many governors, including Palin, Rick Perry (Tex.) and Charlie Crist (Fla.), pledged to help him.

McDonnell's campaign has not heard from Palin's staff to set up a specific event, but it's been made pretty clear in recent days she plans to spend some time here this fall.

I think it says a lot about McDonnell that he's willing to campaign with someone who promotes an extreme right agenda, has been through several ethics investigations, and cannot follow through on her responsibilities. It's also worth noting that Palin claimed that lame-duck governors don't do any good for their constituents. Considering that Governors in Virginia cannot run for reelection, someone should ask her if she thinks Bob McDonnell could actually do any good if elected. Since McDonnell is openly associating with her, it would be a legitimate question.

Steve Shannon Travels Throughout Southwest Virginia on 4th of July Weekend

On the 4th of July last year I spoke with Steve Shannon at the Vienna Festival for a long time about various topics facing the local community and the Commonwealth as a whole. At that point, it was rumored that he would be the Democratic nominee for Attorney General but he was still concentrating his efforts on representing his district in the House of Delegates. As people were continuously stopping by to talk with Steve, it became extremely apparent that the folks in the Vienna area appreciated all the work that he had been doing for them. During this year’s Independence Day weekend it appears as though people from all over Virginia are responding well to Steve’s campaign for Attorney General.

Traveling throughout Southwest Virginia, Steve visited 8 different towns, 6 different fairs, and participated in two parades during the holiday weekend. As someone who spent a fair amount of time in SWVA during the Lt. Governor primary, I can tell you that Steve’s message is one that will do very well in the region if he makes a strong effort to reach out to the hard working families there. These events are definitely one way of doing it, as well as reaching out to the media outlets which Steve did by being interviewed on TV in three different markets -- Bristol, Roanoke, Bluefield – which together cover over 1 million people in Virginia.

One of the interesting things I always found while traveling in Southwest was how there were times when I was closer to numerous other state capitals than I was to Richmond (let alone my home in Fairfax County). Steve probably had a similar situation as he made a stop in Norton which is about 15 miles from the Kentucky border. A source with an in depth knowledge of Steve’s campaign told me that while Steve clearly understands the importance of SWVA and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reach out to residents of towns such as Norton, Ken Cuccinelli didn’t have a strong presence in the region at all. In fact, my source said that “All we ever saw of Ken was a sign on a pickup truck and a sign in a Republican booth in Norton.”

I’m very glad to see that Steve Shannon’s campaign for Attorney General has been receiving a strong welcome all across our great Commonwealth. While he obviously has built up a significant amount of support in his home base of Northern Virginia, I think spending time in other parts of Virginia like he did this holiday weekend will greatly help him with his bid to be our next AG.

They're Singing About Economist Paul Krugman

For all those folks who have a slight case of the Mondays after the holiday weekend, Karen from Anonymous is a Woman has a video that is entertaining. It's a video of Loudon Wainwright singing about how he gets the "Krugman Blues," a clear play on the nobel-prize winning Paul Krugman who has a reputation of telling it like it is during his columns for the New York Times, various books, and his appearances on television shows.

Krugman, for instance, wrote an op-ed piece a few days ago which called for the Obama administration to increase the stimulus or else we might be bound to repeating some of the mistakes our government made during the Great Depression in the 1930's. Even if we don't increase the stimulus, Krugman is right that we need more investment in programs that would look out for the best interests of working families -- health care reform perhaps being the topic that's received the most public attention as of late. Despite the necessity of these investments, some people might get the blues after realizing we need to invest a lot up front to prevent things from getting worse and actually improving our economy in the long run. So, with that in mind, I posting the video of Loudon Wainwright that Karen had up over the weekend.

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to all. As I'm attending many of the events today throughout Northern Virginia, I wanted to take a brief second to give you a few statements from elected officials about the holiday today.

Creigh Deeds: "On the 233rd anniversary of the independence of our great nation, let's all give thanks for the liberty and freedoms we enjoy. As I crisscross the commonwealth this weekend, my thoughts this 4th of July will be with the brave men and women protecting our country and their families. Have a happy Independence Day."

Gerry Connolly: As Americans across the country head to the beach, baseball games, picnics, or fireworks it's important to remember what we are celebrating. The freedoms declared 233 years ago -- the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- are not free. Millions of Americans gave what Abraham Lincoln called the last full measure of devotion to defend those freedoms in the two centuries since. Tens of millions more returned injured. It is the paramount responsibility of our government to support those who fought for our country, from ensuring they have the equipment they need to win the wars they fight, to providing the best medical care on Earth to those wounded, to helping further their education and professional careers when they return home.

Barack Obama: Today, all Americans have a hard-fought birthright to a freedom which enables each of us, no matter our views or background, to help set our nation's course. America's greatness has always depended on her citizens embracing that freedom -- and fulfilling the duty that comes with it.

As free people, we must each take the challenges and opportunities that face this nation as our own. As long as some Americans still must struggle, none of us can be fully content. And as America comes ever closer to achieving the perfect Union our founders dreamed, that triumph -- that pride -- belongs to all of us.

So today is a day to reflect on our independence, and the sacrifice of our troops standing in harm's way to preserve and protect it. It is a day to celebrate all that America is. And today is a time to aspire toward all we can still become.

Gerry Connolly's Telephone Town Hall Draws 11,000 Participants

In my earlier post announcing the townhall, I wrote about how the telephone town hall meeting that Rep. Gerry Connolly hosted on Wednesday evening was extremely productive because it would allow him to reach out to a large number of his constituents. According to his office, that is indeed correct as there were 11,000 people who participated in the hour long conference call.

Wednesday’s telephone town hall meeting was Connolly’s third since January. The congressman said he likes the fact that the technology allows him to reach thousands of constituents. Similarly, 11th CD constituents have consistently praised the format and have encouraged Connolly to continue them.

Connolly said the telephone town meetings complement other ways he tries to reach out to constituents, including: regular town meetings; senior issues forums; public meetings on a wide range of issues; Congress on Your Corner sessions at local libraries, grocery stores, and other public locations; e-newsletters and mailed reports, and the countless hours he spends attending meetings, events, and other activities in the 11th CD.

As I've said in previous posts, I really like the fact that Gerry has made an assertive effort to reach out to his constituents on the issue of health care reform. This is going to be one of the biggest issues that he'll have to deal with during his first term (and potentially many terms to come) so I think it's very important that he's taking the opportunity to listen to his constituents and consider their concerns on the issue. For those of you who weren't able to participate in the call but want to hear the conversation, a recording of the forum can be found here.

Gerry Connolly To Host Telephone Townhall Tonight

As I've mentioned before, Rep. Gerry Connolly will be holding a telephone town hall this evening to discuss health care reform. This is after he held a media availability on the topic earlier this week and President Barack Obama held a town hall at a campus of the Northern Virginia Community College in Connolly's district.

I've taken part in several of these town hall calls with Gerry before and I believe they are a great way for residents of the 11th District to take part in a conversation with their member of Congress. I've heard Gerry speak on several occasions about how he enjoyed his time in local government because he was able to directly interact with his constituents. Now that he's a member of Congress, I've seen him continue to do the hard work necessary to make sure he is representing his district.

With all that being said, sometimes people simply don't have time to attend an event or write a letter to Gerry's office. These telephone town hall meetings are therefore an opportunity for Gerry to reach out to people when they might actually have a few moments to interact with their members of Congress. I think it's great that Connolly's team is taking the initiative here and I've heard nothing but positive reaction to the previous calls. With all that being said, here's the announcement that was sent out including some details on how to log onto the call if you don't want to wait for your home to be called.

Congressman Gerry Connolly will hold a telephone town meeting on health care reform on Wednesday, July 1, at 7:30 pm.

Connolly’s telephone town meeting with residents of Virginia’s 11th Congressional District will take place only hours after the congressman joins President Obama at a Health Care Reform town meeting in Annandale at Northern Virginia Community College.

Beginning at 7:20 pm, tens of thousands of residents in Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Fairfax City will receive calls from Connolly inviting them to participate in the hour-long telephone town meeting. Participants can choose to just listen or they can punch a number on their keypad to indicate that they want to ask a question of Congressman Connolly.

“Since Congress and the administration will be focusing on Health Care reform and the need to rein in the costs of health care for all Americans, I think it is important that my constituents have the opportunity to voice their views directly to me,” Connolly said. “This telephone town meeting format enables thousands of my constituents to participate and make their opinions known.”

Connolly said he supports meaningful health care reform that supporting meaningful health care reform that: reduces costs for families, businesses and government; allows individuals and families to choose their doctors, hospitals and health plans; and assures affordable, quality health care for all Americans.

On Wednesday evening, tens of thousands of 11th CD residents will receive calls inviting them to participate in the innovative telephone meeting. Other 11th CD residents who wish to participate, but haven’t received a call can join in on the health care discussion by calling 877-229-8493 and punching in the PIN Code: 14594.

Wednesday evening’s Telephone Town Meeting on Health Care Reform marks the third time this year that Congressman Connolly has hosted such calls on issues for 11th CD residents. Thousands of people participated in the first two calls earlier this year.

Despite Franken's Victory, Senators Still Need Reminder of Important Priorities

There has been a lot of talk about how the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in favor of Al Franken. The ruling eventually lead to Norm Coleman conceding the Senate race and Palenty signing the election certificate, which means that Franken can be sworn in as the newest member of the US Senate. This is great news because the voters in Minnesota deserve to have their voice heard and their proper representation.

With that being said, Franken being sworn in and the Democrats now having a super majority of 60 votes doesn't mean that folks should stop putting pressure on their Members of Congress. We need to make sure that the Democrats listen to the American public and pass important legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act, health care reform with a strong public option, and repeal horrible policies such as DOMA and Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The folks over at the organization American Rights at Work appear to understand this as they released a statement encouraging people to continue letting our leaders know how important these issues are.

Working families should be encouraged by the addition of Sen.-elect Franken to the growing pro-worker majority in the Senate. Yet the road ahead for issues of utmost concern to middle-class and working families is not an easy one.

Big Business will continue to be relentless in their attempt to block any change to a system that favors them. We must not back down in reminding our leaders that working families are counting on them to pass legislation such as the Employee Free Choice Act to create more opportunities in these tough economic times.

Right here in Virginia, we have one of the Democratic Senators who is viewed as wavering in his support of EFCA. Sen. Mark Warner needs to be reminded that the Employee Free Choice Act will not only make sure that employees are treated fairly, but it will help improve our economy in general. As members of the Principles for Responsible Investment recently wrote in a letter to Members of Congress, EFCA will be productive because "effective partnerships between employees and employers enhance productivity and corporate loyalty, enabling companies to attract and retain skilled staff in order to better drive corporate innovation." In other words, companies will benefit by allowing their employees to join a union.

Despite the fact that Democrats now have 60 Members of the US Senate, we need to make sure that they listen to the will of the public. I therefore strongly encourage people to get in touch with their leaders to remind them that working families need their leadership. Virginians can start by getting in touch with Warner's office to encourage him to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Looking for Something to do On the 4th of July?

If you're looking for something to do on the 4th of July, there are several things to do in the area which would also include helping some of the local Democratic candidates. I have based this list off of information I received from the Springfield Magisterial District Committee as well as a few other sources.

Fairfax City Parade
When: July 4. Line up at 9 am.
Where: Meet in the City of Fairfax, in the large lot near the Fairfax County Courthouse. (Enter the line-up area via Main Street and Judicial Drive. Turn left on Page Avenue and follow the road to the large parking lot.)

Lorton Parade (with candidate Greg Werkheiser)
When: July 4. Line up at 10 am. The parade begins at 11 am
Where: Meet behind the Lorton Firehouse, 7701 Armistead Rd., Lorton
RVSP at http://gregfordelegate.com/july4

Orange Hunt Parade (with Del. Dave Marsden)
When: July 4. Line up at 12:30 pm. The parade begins at 1 pm
Where: Meet at Hunt Valley Elementary School, 7101 Sydenstricker Rd., Springfield
RVSP to Missy at missy@marsdenfordelegate.com

Clifton Parade (with Sen. George Barker)
When: July 4. Line up at 3:30 pm. The parade begins at 4 pm
Where: Meet at the corner of Dell & Main Streets, Clifton
Questions? Contact cliftonwomendems@aol.com

Also, the Town of Vienna holds a festival every 4th of July at its community center which usually attracts a good sized crowd and several elected officials. Especially considering that there will be a good race in the 35th House of Delegates race this year which covers that area, I imagine folks will be paying attention to this festival.

If you have other plans for the 4th, you should also remember that there will be a big picnic on July 5th which will feature a lot of the Democrats running for the House of Delegates. The picnic will be held at Fort Hunt Park from 1pm - 4pm, but there will also be a service action from 10am - 1pm for those who might want to give a little extra back to our community.