Webb Calls Out Obama Administration on Health Care Reform

There has been a lot of concern about the tone of the discussion surrounding health care reform and it looks like Sen. Webb isn't too pleased with the way things are going. With the way that the anti-reform folks behaved at the recent town hall meeting in Reston, Webb would be justified in saying that there are some folks right here in Virginia who are more interested in screaming and shouting than actually having a discussion. According to an article written by Bill Bartel of the Virginia Pilot, Webb claims that the negative tone of the debate at least partially comes from President Obama not giving Congress a more in depth idea of what he would like to see in a bill that comes to his desk.

"My thought right now is to slow this down," the Virginia Democrat said. "Open it up. Have some hearings. Let people get their different viewpoints out in a very public way."

The problems today with angry people shouting at each other during community forums around the country and the confusion over what might be included in any health care overhaul have their roots in the Obama administration's failure to present a specific framework for reforms, he said.

Instead, the president has left to Congress the task of creating a proposal.

"We've got five different committees bubbling up legislation, and it's all supposed to come together," Webb said, but none of the panels have had Washington hearings in recent months.

Unfortunately, it appears as though Webb isn't alone in these sentiments. I've had several staffers on the Hill tell me that Members of Congress aren't taking concrete positions on certain aspects of health care reform because they don't know what will be coming before them and they don't want to take a position on the issue that might force them to make a politically costly move in the end.

For instance, one staffer told me that his boss wouldn't sign onto the pledge saying he'd vote against a bill without a public option because he doesn't want to be forced into voting against health care reform if the public option fails to make it into the final bill. After he insisted that we need our leaders to stand up for the public option so that we can make sure that it gains even more support, I was told that people on the Hill aren't willing to go out on a limb because the Administration has been using rhetoric that suggests it might be caving in to the extreme right's disruptive behavior at town halls. In other words, they not only would have to deal with the extreme right but they would also face the possibility of getting side swiped by the administration.

This would be extremely unfortunate if it's indeed true, but I think it also goes to show that supporters of the public option must contact their elected officials. Members of Congress need to know that the people who voted them into office want them to stand up for the general public and support the public option. After all, this is the only option being considered that would represent true reform and make sure that all Americans have access to affordable health care.

In the end, it sounds like Sen. Webb and some other members of Congress are simply saying thay want to hear a little more about what people want to be in a health care reform bill. They wants to know that the plan they ultimately backs has a lot of support. So why don't you make sure your elected officials hear how much people support a strong public option? You can contact Sen. Webb's office by calling 202-224-4024 or the online contact form which can be found by following this link.

Video: A Glimpse into St. Luke's Community Clinic In Warren County

At a recent community meeting in Front Royal, Joan Richardson spoke about St. Luke's Community Clinic which provides care to the uninsured. I wanted to post the video of what she had to say because I think it's important that we recognize the hard work that they're doing at the clinic and the good that it is doing for the Warren County community.

At the same time, what Joan had to say is important to remember during the discussions surrounding health care reform. Despite the fact that they do get some assistance from donations and volunteers, they cannot provide the services that everyone needs and are not a solution to all the problems facing our health care system. In other words, despite the best intentions of hard working people at (and generous supporters of) clinics like St. Luke's there still needs to be some reform of the system if Virginians are all going to have access to the health care that they need.

Labor Helping Candidates In Virginia Who Stand Up For Workers

With the way the economy has been going lately one of the most important things that we can do is make sure that our elected officials are setting policies that look out for Virginia's working class. On a daily basis I hear from people who are just barely making it who tell me about how hard they are working just to pay the bills. With employers cutting back on hours or laying people off, these families are among the hardest hit as they go from just scrapping by to falling behind. This shouldn't happen to families who are making an honest living and just trying to live a good life.

Fortunately, it appears as though there are some folks who realize this and recognize that this year's gubernatorial election in Virginia could play a crucial role in how the Commonwealth moves forward. We need leaders who will consider the impact that policies will have on working families and it's important that we have people advocating for these leaders. As Alex Isenstadt just wrote in an article for Politico, organized labor is one of the groups that recognize the importance of this election and is therefore actively campaigning in Virginia.

In Virginia, Creigh Deeds has been flooded with more than $600,000 in campaign contributions from unions since winning the Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nomination in early June.

Last week, the AFL-CIO launched its first major salvo in Virginia, organizing an all-day canvass in support of Deeds in Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke, featuring workers armed with talking points slamming Republican Bob McDonnell for supporting “the rejection of $125 million in federal assistance for Virginia’s unemployed workers.”

This is crucial because their message must be heard by the general public. When you compare Creigh Deeds to Bob McDonnell, it's clear who should be our next governor. McDonnell supports rejecting assistance for those who are in need and claims that working women are "detrimental" to society. Creigh Deeds, on the other hand, wants to help move Virginia forward and will wants to set policy that will help create more jobs -- such as giving small businesses a tax break for every job that they create. I'm glad to see that there are organizations making an effort to promote discussion about the economic policies of the two candidates as it will go a long ways in helping people see that we simply cannot afford four years of Bob McDonnell as governor.

Monday Open Thread

With just over 60 days left until the election, it appears as though Bob McDonnell's campaign is having some problems as everyone is talking about the thesis he wrote for his Master's. I guess it's rather obvious now that one of the reasons he's been trying to avoid his views on certain topics is because he's argued that working women are "detrimental" to society, said it's "illogical" for the Supreme Court to rule that married couples to be allowed to use contraception, and has been working on a 15 point action plan to advocate for the extreme right ever since he's been in elected office.

I suppose the question is whether this will be McDonnell's "macaca" moment like some people are trying the spin it? Use this to talk about that and other things on your mind.

Helen Thomas on the Inside Scoop Tonight

On yesterday's Inside Scoop, Shannon Sullivan was joined by Eamon Clifford who is a labor activist who has been on the show multiple times in the past. Throughout the show they talked about Ted Kennedy, health care reform, EFCA, and a few other topics including Bob McDonnell's thesis that claims working women are "detrimental" to society. If you weren't able to watch it live, I highly recommend watching it below.



There's also some exciting news as Helen Thomas will be the guest on tonight's Inside Scoop. Helen has obviously questioned many presidents (10 to be exact) in her role as a legendary member of the White House Press Corps (of which she now serves as Dean). Interestingly enough, her career in the White House Press Corps has covered the same exact administrations as Ted Kennedy's career in the US Senate. I know I'm honored to be part of the crew that will working the show tomorrow and I look forward to hearing what she has to say.

If you live in Fairfax County you'll be able to watch the show starting at 7pm on Channel 10. For those of you outside of Fairfax, the show will be live-streamed over the internet which you can view by following this link starting at 7pm.

Sunday Open Thread

The services for Ted Kennedy yesterday were extremely moving and his passing appears to be the topic of discussion on many of the Sunday Morning Talk Shows. On Meet the Press, for instance, David Gregory will have two of Kennedy's nieces (Maria Shriver and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend), two of his colleagues in the Senate (John Kerry and Chris Dood), one of his former advisers (Bob Shrum), and the presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

On the local scene here in Virginia, the reporting period for candidates ends tomorrow so there have been a lot of candidates holding events in hopes of producing good numbers. Since Labor Day is traditionally seen as when the general public starts to pay attention to races and campaigns really start kicking into gear, you could make the argument that it's very important for candidates to have a good reporting period so that they can show momentum heading into the homestretch and to pay for their final advertising blitzes and good voter contact programs.

Use this as an open thread for your thoughts.

Bob McDonnell Wrote A Thesis That Calls Working Women "Detrimental" To Families And Now Lies About It

Wow, this is incredible. Anyone who follows Virginia politics knows that Bob McDonnell has been spending the last year or so trying to cast himself as a moderate so that people wouldn't focus on the fact that he has a record that really shows he's a member of the far right. Despite his best efforts, he appears to have tipped off reporters at the Washington Post to a thesis he wrote that projects some of the beliefs that are at the root of the agenda he's tried to promote during his career as an elected office. Here's just the start of what the Post reported about the startling beliefs that were promoted by McDonnell in a thesis he hoped would represent him so well.

At age 34, two years before his first election and two decades before he would run for governor of Virginia, Robert F. McDonnell submitted a master's thesis to the evangelical school he was attending in Virginia Beach in which he described working women and feminists as "detrimental" to the family. He said government policy should favor married couples over "cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators." He described as "illogical" a 1972 Supreme Court decision legalizing the use of contraception by unmarried couples.

I think something worth noting is that when Washington Post reporters questioned him about his extreme positions, McDonnell responded by saying "I wrote as a student during the Reagan era and haven't thought about in years." However, the plain and simple fact is that he was the one that originally brought the thesis up which proves that he has indeed been doing some thinking about the paper. In other words, he even recognizes the fact that he should probably spread some misinformation about the thesis if he wants to be elected governor.

If we can't trust him to be honest about his academic work and can't trust him to be honest about his career as an elected official (which you can see more about here), can we really trust Bob McDonnell to be the next governor of our fine Commonwealth?

Obama Speaks About Hurricane Katrina in His Weekly Address

As it has now been four years since Hurricane Katrina struck the Golf Coast, President Obama used his weekly address to address the efforts that are currently taking place in New Orleans and how his administration is taking steps to make sure it can properly respond to any emergencies that might come up in the future.

GOP Leader Claims He'll "Be Danged" If He Loses His Social Security to Socialism

The folks over at FireDogLake have been doing a fantastic job around the health care issue and have provided everyone with yet another example of how the Republican leadership just doesn't seem to get it. At a town hall meeting in Minnesota a member of the city council -- LeRoy T. Schaffer -- stood up and went on a rant about why he doesn't support health care reform (most of which is very difficult to understand). One part that comes across clearly, however, is when he tries to cast health care reform as socialism by claiming:

I’ll be danged if I am going to give up my Social Security because of socialism, and I'll be danged if I am going to give up my Medicare because of socialism!

Of course, we could talk about how the right wing has just been trying to call everything socialism in an attempt to evoke memories of the Cold War when there was supposedly the threat of the Russians taking over the world. I mean, heck, most of the Republican Party's leaders have been referring to the programs that Schaffer wanted to keep as socialism for decades. What I want to focus on, however, is the fact that the Republicans have gotten so involved in trying to use scare tactics that their arguments aren't making any sense. In the case of LeRoy T. Schaffer, for instance, he's essentially arguing that he's against health care reform because he thinks giving people the choice for a public option would ... wait for it ... take away people's choice for a public option. Here's the video of his rant:



As I've said before, I perfectly understand how there will be some differences of opinion on how we should move forward on this legislation. The scare tactics and crazy rants of people like LeRoy Schaffer, however, serve as a prime example of how the Republican leadership is refusing to actually participate in a legitimate discussion and will do anything it takes to disrupt the conversation. America deserves better.

Health Care Community Meeting In Front Royal Today

For those of you who live in the Front Royal area, there will meeting about health care at the Samuels Public Library (330 E. Criser Road, Front Royal, VA 22630-2150) from 2pm to 4pm today. According to the Organizing for America website, there will be a panel of experts there who will help to address how the current discussion around health care impacts Warren County.

We will provide our neighbors with some overlooked truths about the health insurance industry as it affects Warren County directly.

There will also be a panel discussion with local health professionals and health consumers, and an opportunity to discuss the issues. The panel will be led by Michelle Katz (Healthcare Consultant and International Medical Reporter), and will include local nurse Kathy Crettier, Dr. Charles Huber, and others.

I think this meeting presents a good opportunity for people from the Warren County area to learn about how this national discussion will impact the local community. Based upon the list of people involved, it appears as though there's the possibility for a valuable discussion and I hope community members take advantage of the opportunity.

Ben Bernanke Was A Victim of Identity Theft

Unfortunately one of the worst parts of the economic downturn that we are facing is the fact that some people actually turn to crime in order to get more money. One thing to watch out for is identity theft and it appears as though the head of the Federal Reserve can attest to that. According to an article in Newsweek, Ben Bernanke was a victim of the identity theft ring that was recently busted.

Last summer, just as he was dealing with the first rumblings of the financial crisis on Wall Street, Bernanke learned that a thief had swiped his wife's purse—including the couple's joint check book. Days later, someone started cashing checks on the Bernanke family bank account, the documents show. "It's fair to say he was not pleased," said one close associate of Bernanke, who asked not to be identified discussing what the Fed chairman considers a private matter.

The theft of the Bernanke check book—never publicly revealed until now—soon became part of a wide-ranging (and previously underway) identity-theft investigation by the Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The probe culminated in recent months with a series of arrests, criminal complaints, and indictments brought by federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va. The targets: members of a nationwide ring that used an inventive combination of old-fashioned thievery and high-tech fraud to loot the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims.

In case you missed that, the case was brought in Alexandria and the man that was in charge of the crime ring was actually from Waldorf, MD (which is also in the DC area). With that being said, I'm most definitely glad that the feds appear to be on top of the case but it still does serve as a reminder that anyone can become a victim of identity theft.

Mark Warner Won't Vote Against the Public Option

With the health care debate getting so much attention all across the country there has been a lot of attention on the Democrats who have expressed concern about the public option. Of course one of those is Virginia's own Mark Warner. While he is still far from saying that he won't support a bill that doesn't include a public option, according to Lowell over at Blue Virginia there is still some good news coming from his office as he apparently won't vote against legislation just because it does include a public option.

Well now, after just getting off the phone with Senator Warner's office, I can confirm that this is correct information - in the end, the public option is not a "make or break" for Warner one way or the other and he WILL vote for a health care reform bill with a public option in there.

What this means is that Virginians need to continue letting Warner's office know that they support a public option. If you're wondering what some of the benefits directly for Virginians could be, studies released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce show that HR 3200 as it stands now will help 23,000 people who don't have health insurance in Virginia's 11th Congressional District obtain affordable health insurance. At the same time, it would help upwards of 16,800 small businesses in the 11th by providing them with tax credits. (Information on a district by district basis can be found on the Committee's website).

While we can celebrate a small victory on this, there is definitely more work to be done. Of course, the first step in that process is by calling Sen. Warner's office to urge him to support a public option. You can do so by calling 202-224-2023.

Creigh Deeds Releases Commercial On Economics

Creigh Deeds just came out with a new ad that focuses on economics. In a time when many people want to hear ideas about how we can move forward, I like the fact that the commercial does hit McDonnell on things but also highlighted some of his own ideas. For instance, the narrator spoke about how claimed that Bush's policies are "the reason that we’ve had this economic revival in America," but also pointed out that Creigh wants to help spur job creation by giving businesses a tax job for every job they create (which Creigh argues will help small business) and that he wants "performance audits for all government spending."

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Jokes About Hunting Obama

I've been saying for quite some time now that I thought the rhetoric used by Republican leaders during the health care debate has gotten to be quite dangerous. At a time when there are people bringing assault rifles to town hall meetings, it appears as though Republican leaders now feel as though it is appropriate to joke about hunting President Obama.

An Idaho Republican gubernatorial hopeful insists he was only joking when he said he'd buy a license to hunt President Barack Obama.

Rex Rammell, a long-shot candidate slated to run against incumbent C.L. "Butch" Otter in the May 2010 GOP primary, made the comment at a Republican rally Tuesday in Twin Falls where talk turned to the state's planned wolf hunt, for which hunters must purchase an $11.50 wolf tag. The hunt is due to begin on Tuesday.

When an audience member shouted a question about "Obama tags," Rammell responded, "The Obama tags? We'd buy some of those."

It is one thing for people to express their opposition to policies, but joking about hunting the President is highly inappropriate. Unfortunately, Republican leaders and other anti-reform advocates have created an atmosphere where there is so much hatred that these types of jokes can easily lead to something horrible happening. That is why we need reasonable members of the GOP to have the moral courage to stand up against this type of rhetoric.

Rush Limbaugh Uses Ted Kennedy's Death To Score Political Points

As people received the news that Ted Kennedy had passed away, most people had kind words to say about his work for the American people no matter what they thought of his politics. You see, Ted Kennedy devoted his life to public service and those who knew him best repeatedly said that you could not ask for a better friend.

Despite the fact that our country is mourning the loss of such a great leader, Rush Limbaugh -- the voice of the Republican Party -- has apparently decided that he should use Kennedy's death in order to score some political points. He not only took cheap shots, but engaged in absolutely disgusting behavior as he continued to promote the lie that health care reform would result in the government deciding who receives treatment and forcing people to read "death books" and appear before "death panels."

I know there are many people out there who consider themselves to be Republicans and realize that this type of behavior is simply unacceptable. I sincerely hope that these reasonable Republicans eventually stand up to their party's leadership and tell them that using the death of a public servant as an opportunity to launch smears and blatant lies is absolutely horrible and shouldn't be done by anyone, let alone someone who is essentially the leader of one of our major political parties.

Democrats Need to Grow A Backbone

I perfectly understand that there will be some differences of opinion when it comes to the details of health care reform, but it has become clear that most people believe that something must be done. Recent polling even shows that the vast majority of Americans believe that the best option would be a strong public option. Nonetheless, there are still Republican Members of Congress who are bragging about their role in delaying reform. Mike Enzi, for instance, bragged at a town hall that his involvement in the "Gang of Six" is the reason that we don't have a plan yet that would help Americans receive the care that they deserve.

Enzi found himself under attack at the town hall simply for sitting in the same room as the three Finance Committee Democrats. Republicans in the crowd called for him to exit the talks. He assured conservatives that his presence was delaying health care reform.

"If I hadn't been involved in this process as long as I have and to the depth as I have, you would already have national health care," he said.

Despite the fact that the Republican Senators like Enzi are making it clear that they won't sign on to any plan, there are still some Democrats who are insisting that the bill has to have bipartisan support. While I agree that it would be nice if everyone could just get along on the Hill, it's simply not going to happen. Almost every time that the Democrats sacrifice on something in hopes of getting some Republicans to sign on, the Republicans back out of the compromise at the last minute and demand that the Democrats make more sacrifices. This accomplishes nothing but making the Democrats look weak and diminishing any chance of reform.

As Enzi's remarks prove, this type of behavior will not end and the Republicans plan to be a never ending roadblock to any type of true health care reform. The Democrats therefore need to step up to the plate and do what it takes to pass a bill with a strong public option. After all, that is the type of bill that the American people want because it's the method that will result in everyone being able to have access to affordable health care. If Democrats don't grow a backbone soon, however, we might not get that type of bill passed.

Video: Randall Terry Stabs Babies and Kills Woman In Skit Outside Townhallman

As I mentioned during my one the tweets I posted live from the Moran/Dean townhall, the man was kicked out of the event --Randall Terry -- was stabbing plastic babies and acting as if he were killing an elderly woman out in the parking lot before the townhall meeting. I managed to film Terry's little skit which I think will help to illustrate how he was simply there to make a scene and not to actually participate in productive discussion.

Republican Candidate Denies Seniors The Right To Attend Townhall In Their Own Community

Yesterday afternoon Gerry Connolly had a townhall meeting at the Greenspring Retirement Community. Based upon the fact that there were panelists there from AARP and other organizations that advocate for seniors, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the meeting was designed to address some of the questions that seniors had surrounding health care reform. Considering the fact that the room was filled to capacity and there was a waitlist of at least 100 more residents, it’s safe to say that there was a lot of interest in this meeting among Greenspring residents.

What I found to be rather interesting was that there was a long waiting list of residents who wanted to get into the event, but couldn’t because there were only so many people who could get into the space. While there were seniors who had legitimate questions about how the reform would impact their medicare or specific concerns regarding treatment that they were receiving, there were Republican candidates who were there largely so that they could shake some hands and try to get some votes.

Keith Fimian, for instance, was there. In case you don’t remember, Keith Fimian is the Republican who ran against Gerry last year and has already had his cronies make a more moderate candidate drop out of the 2010 race so that he can have a clean ride to the Republican nomination. While we do live in a free country, I thought it was a shame that Fimian was willing to deny residents of Greenspring a legitimate chance to interact with their Congressman just so that he could try to score some political points. What’s even more interesting is the fact that during the campaign last year I repeatedly asked Fimian about what he felt should be done regarding health care. He never gave me an answer and kept insisting that we had more important issues to address. In other words, he didn’t feel like addressing the issue when given the chance. When it came to denying someone with legitimate questions on the topic a chance to attend a townhall about it, however, he felt that it was the right thing for him to do so that he could go shake some hands.

By denying a senior the opportunity to attend a townhall meeting in their own community, Keith Fimian has helped to illustrate how the right wing of the Republican Party views the healthcare debate as an opportunity to score political points instead of an opportunity to provide Americans with the affordable health care coverage that they deserve. By making sure that a more moderate candidate dropped out of the Republican primary, however, the leaders of the Republican Party here in the 11th CD have made it clear that they support people like Fimian who put their own interests before those of the community.

Video of President Obama's Remarks on Ted Kennedy's Passing

Here's a video of President Obama's remarks on the passing of Teddy Kennedy.

Ted Kennedy Tribute

Ted Kennedy passed away this morning. I never had the honor of meeting Sen. Kennedy, but his passion for standing up for health care reform, public service, and helping those in need most definitely served as an inspiration. I want to add my voice to all of those who have expressed their gratitude for his service and send my condolences to his family.

The following is the video tribute that was shown at the Democratic National Convention last year.

Big Day For Healthcare Townhalls In Northern Virginia

Today is an active day in Virginia for the discussion surrounding health care reform. Gerry Connolly will be speaking with members of the Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield. Apparently they are expecting a decent size crowd as they had already had an almost capacity crowd RSVP some time ago.

Of course, in Reston tonight there's going to be an event at South Lakes High School with Jim Moran and Howard Dean. Apparently the room can hold upwards of 2,500 people and it's expected to fill up rather quickly. The event is supposed to start at 7 with doors opening at 6 and many of the emails that I have received about it suggest that you arrive around 5 to make sure that you're actually able to get in. Just as an FYI, it's also worth noting that if you support a public option you should wear blue. That's just one way that people are trying to show solidarity behind reform that would truly benefit the American public and not just the pocketbooks of the insurance companies.

I'm going to be at both events to provide some coverage. I'm going to have both my flip video camera and a still camera and will be trying to get some interviews with both panel members and people in the audience so that I can put up some useful reaction tomorrow. Of course, if you're going to be at either event and want to give me your reaction feel free to talk to me at the events or get in touch with me afterwards.

Video: Gerry Connolly On Expanding Metro While Still Improving System That's In Place Today

I really like the idea of expanding Metro because it appears as though the population of Northern Virginia will only continue to grow and our roads are already overburdened. Making public transportation more readily available is therefore a good thing for our community. That being said, there are some improvements that need to be made to the system as it exists today and some argue that these concerns must be addressed before we expand the system. I asked Rep. Gerry Connolly about that dilemma at a press conference on Friday about expanding Metro into Prince William County.

Steve Shannon Calls on Phil Hamilton to Resign

As a chain of emails has now been released essentially proves that Del. Phil Hamilton told ODU he wanted a certain position prior to submiting legislation in the General Assembly that would fund the position, there have been a number of people who have called for his resignation. Among those who believe that our Commonwealth cannot afford to pay for corrupt politicians to use their position purely for their own pocketbooks is Steve Shannon who released the following statement.

“I believe in a steady, level-headed approach to issues, which is why I wanted to take the weekend to think about Phil Hamilton’s behavior and statements. I have come to the conclusion that given the budget difficulties Virginia is facing and his powerful position in the appropriations and budget processes, I cannot see any way how his behavior can be plausibly explained.

The chain of emails now made public seems to indicate Delegate Hamilton was attempting to secure state funds for the creation of a new center at ODU while, at the same time, negotiating his financial terms of employment with this center that had not yet been created.

The bottom line is that Phil Hamilton appears to have attempted to use his position of public trust and taxpayers’ money to enrich himself.

While I agree with the sentiments of disappointment expressed by Speaker Howell and Bob McDonnell, only saying we’re disappointed doesn’t meet the seriousness of this situation, in my judgment.

I think Phil Hamilton needs to resign immediately, in order to ensure that Virginia maintains its reputation for honest government and fiscal responsibility."

Video: Del. Paul Nichols on Need to Expand METRO to Prince William County

On Friday Delegate Paul Nichols (D-51st) was joined by various elected officials in Woodbridge to discuss his support for expanding METRO to Prince William County. As Nichols pointed out in his speech, which you can see in the video below, expanding Metro could help to revitalize the Route 1 corridor and will make the area more attractive to businesses. Furthermore, it will help to address the transportation issues that will likely arise out of the expected growth in personnel at Quantico and Fort Belvoir.

While VRE and PRTC have proven to be beneficial, we still need more options in the area to help ease the burden on the roads and expanding METRO is one that would certainly help do so. When you consider how this would help many Federal employees get back and forth to work it's really easy to understand why there should be some assistance provided in this project at the federal level and our local Congressional delegation realizes this. Rep. Gerry Connolly, for instance, has been a long time advocate of expanding METRO and spent a significant amount of time since being elected making sure that the project receives the attention it deserves up on Capitol Hill.

Charniele Herring On The Inside Scoop Tonight

Like I am on many Sundays when there's a Virginia related topic on the show, I will be at the studio tonight for the Inside Scoop where the guest will be Del. Charniele Herring. Charniele represents Brian Moran's old district (the 46th) which covers parts of Alexandria and Fairfax. There might be another candidate on the show as well, but the only one I know of so far that's confirmed is Charniele.

The show airs from 6:30 to 7:30 on Channel 10 for those of you who live in Fairfax. For those of you who don't live in Fairfax, you can watch below as it will be live streamed in the video player below once the show begins.

Creigh Deeds Releases New Commercial

After he spoke at GMU yesterday, Creigh Deeds released a new ad that has found it's way to youtube. As election day is rapidly approaching, I'm glad to see that the campaign is going up on the airways because polling has suggested that voters need some reminders of why he should be Virginia's next governor. From what I'm hearing, this definitely won't be the last ad that goes up on TV or radio because there are already some others that are in the works -- potentially already having been made and ready to go when needed.

Various Townhalls and Meetings Surrounding Healthcare in Virginia Next Week

Just a reminder that there will be a number of town hall meetings next week here in Virginia about the discussion surrounding health care reform. Here's a list of some of them:

Monday August 24, 2009: AFSCME National RV Tour Stop and Rally--Charlottesville VA Downtown Mall: 12-2pm. Please come out and show your support!!

Tuesday August 25, 2009: Rep Jim Moran and Dr. Howard Dean Town Hall Meeting 7-9pm--South Lakes High School, Auditorium,11400 South Lakes Dr., Reston, Virginia: Doors open at 6pm--PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY!!

Tuesday August 25, 2009: VOP and VICPP Community Conversation and Forum in Fredericksburg--6-7:30pm--Freelance Star Meeting Room (616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg VA)

Thursday August 27, 2009: Rep Tom Perriello Town Hall in Albemarle County 6-8pm--Victory Hall, 401 Valley Street, Scottsville

Saturday August 29, 2009: Front Royal/Warren County Community Conversation on Health Care--1pm--Front Royal Public Library

I will definitely be at the one in Reston on Tuesday with Jim Moran and Howard Dean and will likely make it down to Front Royal on Saturday as well. I'm not to sure if I'll be able to make it to the one in Albemarle, however, as there are several other events going on that evening. I certainly hope that people in Perriello's district make it to that event and express their support for a public option though. I also won't be able to make it down to Charlotessville tomorrow as I have a meeting with some folks in downtown DC at the same time that the event is going to be held. If you do plan on going to one of these events, email me at leftofthehill@gmail.com (or leave a comment in the comment section) and let me know (and perhaps even give me an update afterwards if I can't make it).

Reaction To The Creigh Deeds Event At GMU

Creigh Deeds held an event at GMU talking about the direction of his campaign this morning which attracted a crowd of about 200 people. As Creigh told reporters in a gaggle after his speech, this wasn’t necessarily anything new but was simply a reminder of what he’s been talking about all along on the campaign trail. The speech also was designed to point out some of the clear differences between him and Bob McDonnell. With that note, you can see the full text of his speech and a live blog of the speech that Lowell had over at Blue Virginia but I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the things I noticed while sitting in the room.

** There were a lot of core Democratic activists at the event, but much of the crowd was over the age of 40 which I found interesting considering that the event was being held on a college campus. I thought the campaign might have been a little better served by having the event in another week or so. Since classes start on August 31 at GMU, having the event a little later would have probably resulted in a lot more students on campus. Considering that the building in which the event was held is one of the big hangout places for students, many students would have stopped by out of curiosity and they could have been recruited to participate in phone banks, canvasses, etc.

**A group of people were there from Steve Shannon’s campaign and they had clipboards with signup sheets for anyone who wanted to help Steve become our next Attorney General. There were also a few members of the General Assembly and Delegate candidates, but I didn’t see any presence from Jody Wagner’s campaign. In fact, I even had multiple people tell me that they wish Jody hadn’t won the nomination because they feel as though she’s a drag on the Democratic ticket.

**Creigh was introduced by Jim Dillard and received a standing ovation. There were also some people who were chanting “Deeds, Deeds, Deeds.”

**There was a tracker there who I’ve seen at various events throughout the Commonwealth. We actually sat next to each other a few months ago at the Crusade for Voters forum in Richmond during the Democratic primary. He was very polite, but it was rather entertaining to see him following Creigh around as he was being interviewed by various members of the press after his speech.

**I think the real message that I took away from the event was that Creigh wants people to look at the records of the two candidates. Creigh’s message tends to fall in line with the work that he’s done as a member of the General Assembly, while Bob’s been trying to recast himself as a moderate while on the campaign trail. Voters shouldn’t fall for this last minute conversion, however, as Bob McDonnell has made a career out of standing in the way of legislation that would have truly served the best interests of all Virginians.

Fox News Thinks It's Rude To Question People Who Compare Obama to Hitler

If there was any question that Fox News is in the pocket of the Republican Party here is yet another example of why it's absolutely ridiculous for them to claim they are "fair and balanced." They just couldn't wait to attack Congressman Barney Frank over and over again because he called out someone who brought in posters that made Obama look like Hitler and then called Obama's idea of improving America's access to health care a "Nazi policy."

Urge Jim Moran To Vote No On Any Bill That Doesn't Include A Strong Public Option

It appears as though Jim Moran could use a little reminder from his constituents that residents of Virginia's 8th Congressional District believe that we cannot truly have health care reform without a public option. According to NLS, Moran strongly supports a public option but won't rule out supporting a bill that doesn't have one.

Jim strongly supports a public option and will vote for any bill that includes one. However, he's not yet ready to say he will vote "No" on any bill that doesn't include a public option because there are a number of good reforms that could come out of conference committee even if the bill doesn't include a public option.

Since Ben went on to say that Moran wasn't ruling out signing onto the pledge, I agree that it's absolutely critical that residents of the 8th District call into his office and let him know that they support a public option. You can reach Moran's office by calling (202) 225-4376. Remember to be polite and thank him for supporting the public option so far, but urge him to also sign onto the pledge stating that he won't support a bill that doesn't include a strong public option.

It's also worth noting that Moran will be having a townhall meeting on August 25. The meeting, which will be held at South Lakes High School from 7 to 9pm, will also feature Howard Dean and is likely to be very crowded. I therefore urge people to show up early if possible so you can make sure you get a seat inside. I'm also hearing that people are planning to wear blue in order to show their support of the public option.

Commentators Use Mike Rizzo Situation To Blast Bloggers

As I was listening to the post-game show on the radio last night as I was coming home from the Nationals game and one of the commentators mentioned that there were some things he didn't like about what the internet has done to reporting. Essentially, he was arguing that the internet had created an environment where people were in such a rush to be the first to report the news that they sometimes didn't get all their facts straight.

The immediate reason for bringing up the topic of discussion was the fact that yahoo news had reported that Mike Rizzo wouldn't become the full-time GM of the Washington Nationals despite the role he had played in acquiring some great players like Nyjer Morgan and helping to strengthen our bullpen. Yahoo even went as far as saying that Jerry Dipoto would probably be given the job within 24 hours. Of course today's press conference announcing that Mike Rizzo would officially become the full-time GM of the Nats proves that Yahoo's story was incorrect.

This isn't the first time that I've heard baseball commentators rail against bloggers or internet reporting and I imagine it won't be the last. Everytime there's a situation like this it seems like commentators like to take it out of context and forget about all the work that bloggers do to rally support around certain issues (or in this case, a team). I'm used to hearing people complain about bloggers, however, as there are some members of the political establishment who complain about political bloggers anytime one of them raises concerns about a candidate or writes an analysis that they disagree with.

The lesson that I think this situation illustrates is that you cannot take one person and automatically use them as an example of an entire community. In regards to the Nationals' GM, most bloggers didn't automatically accept Yahoo's story as absolute fact and used the situation as an opportunity to rally support around Mike Rizzo. One might even argue that their action was part of the reason he got the "Acting" label removed now instead of during the off season, which I think many people would agree is a good thing since Rizzo is well deserving of the job. The same thing can be said about the political blogging community. There are some people who might simply go with a story without doing fact checking, but the vast majority of us use all the information available and use that for the basis of what we write about.

With all that being said, I want to hear from you. Do you think blogging and reporting on the internet has created a situation that is harmful, one which promotes productive discussion and the spread of useful information, or something in between.

Local Leader Testifies Before Senate Regarding Program to Help Autistic Students Receive Post Secondary Education

My friend David Miller has been a fierce advocate for autistic children. One of the big projects that he has been working on is making sure that people with autism are able to obtain the skills to enter the 21st Century job market. In order to help do that, Dave is a co-founder of the ”Community College Consortium on Autism and Intellectual Disabilities.” It was through that role that he recently testified before an appropriations subcommittee about the need to properly fund programs that help autistic students receive a post secondary education.

I've posted the video of his testimony, but here are some of the main points that I believe are worth paying attention to from his written testimony.

**There is a program at Taft College, the Transition to Independent Living Program (TIL), which has a curriculum that teaches both life and vocational skills including: Meal planning and preparation, Housekeeping, Laundry, Money Management, Personal Safety, Internet Access and Safety, Personal Advocacy, Individual Rights and Responsibilities, Work Ethic and Work Experience. This program has had an enormous amount of success. The program tracks it’s graduates for 10 years after they graduate and here are some of the statistics about how successful they have been.

• 95% of TIL graduates live independently
• 93% are competitively employed (National average is 14%)
• 93% receive no financial assistance from other agencies or their families
• 97% report that they are satisfied with their adult life.
• 30 hours of home assistance is provided on average each month (State average is 88 hrs per month.
  

** As Dave points out, this program not only allows the students to have a good quality of life but it also ends up saving the taxpayers a lot of money in the long run. In his written testimony, Dave said "It is estimated that the above savings in home assistance services alone saves the citizens of California over $110 million over 40 years not counting the taxes TIL graduates pay as well as services that they consume. Obviously, “quality of life” has no price tag."

** The rate of students with autism is growing. Again from his written testimony, "In my own Commonwealth of Virginia a ten year study of autism prevalence from 1992-2003 pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reported a 519% growth rate of autism from 1992-2003 with a 17% annual growth. That study is now six years old and the numbers of children with autism reported in Virginia’s public schools has almost tripled since 2003."

**Unfortunately, many of these students leave secondary school without the skills necessary to live independently or to enter the 21st century job market.

Even though the investment in these programs will result in saving the taxpayers money, I'm sure many people are wondering how much the program will cost. Here's a brief portion of what Dave had to say about that topic.

While not perfect, Section 767 of HR 4137 (the Higher Education Opportunity Act) authorizes the Secretary of Education to award five year grants to support model demonstration programs that “promote the successful transition of students with intellectual disabilities into higher education.

Although no specific amount is authorized in PL-110-315, Chairman Kennedy recently wrote a letter to you Chairman Harkin and to you Senator Cochran requesting funding for this program in the amount of $35 million for FY 2010. [...]

It is our understanding, Mr. Chairman and Senator Cochran, that your subcommittee has allocated approximately $15 million for this program. We are appreciative of your efforts particularly given the fiscal demands of your subcommittee in this time of economic hardship.

We hope that this amount at a minimum be retained in conference and that you consider allocating this amount, consistent with Chairman Kennedy’s letter, on a 3 to 1 basis so that community colleges and universities are able to compete for these funds separately.

I most definitely agree with Dave here. These funds should be allocated so that programs that help students with autism can be implemented. These programs would allow many people to obtain the skills necessary to live independently and hold down a job that pays a living wage -- something that everyone should be given the opportunity to do. I commend Dave for his work on the topic and urge the Senate to implement his recommendations.

Jody Wagner Responds To Yet Another Round of Budget Shortfalls

Since Jody Wagner left her job as Secretary of Finance right before the first round of budget deficits were announced in order to run for Lt. Governor, I thought it might be worth posting her statement regarding yet another round of huge cuts will likely have to be made.

"Today's announcement from Governor Kaine is another indication of just how hard the global economic recession has hit the Commonwealth, and a reminder of how detrimental the Bush economic policies have been for Virginia. Despite the current challenges, Virginia has managed to weather this storm far better than many of our neighbors, and we are in a position to emerge quickly and stronger than ever. The next Lt. Governor's priority must be to create new jobs and grow the economy, while keeping our state finances sound and taxes low, and I have a record of doing just that during the last two administrations."

"While my opponent has been absent for every revenue forecasting meeting in the last four years, I've been working with Governor Kaine and leaders on both sides of the aisle to help Virginia's families make it through these trying times. Despite the worst economic climate in modern history, the Commonwealth remains dedicated to maintaining fiscal balance, and I'm committed to working with Democrats and Republicans alike to ensure that Virginia emerges from this downturn stronger than ever."

Rick Boucher Leaning Towards Co-Ops Instead of Public Option

As members of Congress are continuing to discuss health care reform with their constituents at town hall meetings it appears as though residents of Virginia's 9th District are coming out in force to hear what Congressman Rick Boucher has to say on the topic. Unfortunately, it appears as though the 1,200 people who showed up at New River Community College yesterday didn't exactly hear the best news. According to the Roanoke Times, Boucher implied that he was leaning towards the co-op plan and even used some of the right wing's talking points when trying to raise concern about the public option.

A senior Democrat and early supporter of Barack Obama for president, Boucher voiced support for considering a plan to create nonprofit co-operatives as a strong alternative to a new government insurance plan.

"I have a problem with this government option plan," Boucher said. "I'm troubled that the government option plan could become very popular and if it became sufficiently popular it could begin to crowd out the other" private insurance companies.

Let's start out by addressing Boucher's statement about the public option essentially putting private insurance companies out of business. This is completely false. In fact, the public option would help improve the free-market system by forcing private companies to meet the demands of consumers and to provide quality coverage to the public. In other words, the public option would require health insurance companies to make sure they are providing coverage that people want at a reasonable rate. If insurance companies simply do that then they won't be put out of business.

In regards to Boucher's comments about the co-op plan, I think he is heading in the wrong direction here. Boucher represents a district in Southwest Virginia that is largely rural. Here's part of what the Center for Rural Affairs had to say about some of the unique factors facing rural communities regarding health care.

Unique rural factors make health insurance coverage less stable for rural individuals and families, ultimately negatively affecting their health. The high cost of insurance in the individual market; generally higher insurance premiums in rural areas; less employer-provided insurance; and lower incomes and higher rates of poverty all act together to leave rural residents with a greater risk of being without insurance, without adequate insurance, or uninsured for longer periods of time, all factors that negatively affect health.

The report then went on to give some points about why a public option would actually prove to be beneficial for rural communities.

• Workplace characteristics more common in rural areas such as self-employment, small business ownership and employment, and low-wage work are risk factors for higher rates of being without insurance, being without adequate insurance, and greater dependence on the individual insurance market, conditions all subject to issues of cost, choice, and level of coverage that a public health insurance plan could address.
• A public health insurance plan could lead to significantly lower costs to businesses and households. Models show public health insurance plan premiums would be 16 to 30 percent lower than private plans, and health care cost savings would be up to 41 percent greater with a public health insurance plan.
  

In other words, the Center for Rural Affairs tends to believe that if implemented correctly a public option would be extremely beneficial.This is something that you'd think someone representing a largely rural district would want to pay attention to. While Boucher might be leaning against the public option right now, it appears as though Boucher is willing to listen to what his constituents have to say on the topic because he's having another town hall meeting tomorrow in Abington. I therefore strongly encourage you to contact Congressman Boucher's office about why he should support a public option. If you can't make it to the town hall meeting tomorrow, you can always call his office at 202-225-3861.

Del. Kris Amundson Starts New Job Next Week

Earlier today Del. Kris Amundson announced that she will be starting a new job next week as the communications director for Education Sector. In addition to saying their motto of "Independent Analysis, Innovative Ideas" is part of what attracted her to the organization, she pointed out that she believes education will be a big part of the discussions heading forward.

I have to agree because it is through education that people will be prepared for the 21st Century job market. In other words, investing in education and setting sound education policy will have a very big impact our country's ability to get through the tough economic times that we are currently facing. I therefore wish Kris nothing but the best in her new job and look forward to doing what I can to help the organization promote productive policies surrounding education.

Jane Hamsher On Why We Need Public Option Instead of Co-op

Jane Hamsher has been extremely active in the debate surrounding health care reform. Here she is talking about why we cannot replace the public option with a co-op. I think the big thing I think paying attention to is the fact that the public really wants this reform and it's important to remember that the public option already is an compromise down from single payer.

Call to Action: Express Your Support of Public Option Over Co-Op

I’m very glad to see that there are members of Congress who are standing up for the public option despite the fact that several high ranking members of the Obama Administration were using rhetoric over the weekend which suggested that it might be willing to drop the public option. The administration might believe that sacrificing the public option would bring more Republicans on board, but the right has already made it clear that they won't be supporting the co-op plan either. The leading right wing pundits, for instance, have already been claiming that the co-op plan is essentially the same as the public option.

Of course, that claim is completely false because there are some very clear differences between the co-ops and the public option. Firstly, a public option is necessary because it would be able to negotiate good rates with the providers because it represented a large enough portion of the market share. The co-ops, however, would be a gift to the insurance companies because they wouldn't be powerful enough to actually negotiate competitive rates. Secondly, a public option would help to make sure under served communities have the access to care that they need. While the RAM clinics that are held in places like Wise County provide a prime example of why this is necessary, a co-op plan would not help to solve this issue.

There are many more reasons why we need a public option over the co-op plan and I strongly believe we need to remind our elected officials of why the public option is so important. If your Members of Congress has already come out in support of a public option, call their office to let them know that you appreciate their support and that you hope they remain committed to passing legislation that's in the best interest of the American people. If they aren't supporting the public option, POLITELY let them know why you think they should support the public option.

The Republicans are continuing to be the party of no and we cannot let them win on this crucial piece of legislation. I strongly encourage you to get in touch with your members of Congress. You can contact the Congressional switchboard by calling (202) 224-3121. The operator will be able to connect you to the Senate or House office that you wish to speak with.

My Thoughts On Nationals Signing Stephen Strasburg

Ever since my days playing first base and catcher in little league I have been a huge baseball fan – though that isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to be with the way the Washington Nationals have played in recent years. Nonetheless, I’m proud to say I stuck with the team and have followed them closely even before they seemed to change things around after naming Jim Riggleman their interim manager at the All-Star Break. That is why I was one of the hardcore Nats fans who stayed up past midnight to hear that Strasburg had signed with the Washington Nationals.

You see, there were a lot of people who argued that the Nationals needed to sign Strasburg because it would show a sign of faith to Nats fans that the front office truly was committed to improving the team. I tended to agree even though it would take a record setting amount of money to sign the young right handed pitcher. At the same time, I definitely didn’t think that a pitcher who had never thrown a pitch as a professional was worth the $50 million that his agent originally claimed he was worth. Strasburg’s good, but I don’t think he’s that good -- especially since almost all the pundits believe that he’ll have to spend some time in the minors before being called up to DC.

Of course, on the other hand you had a lot of people claiming expressing some frustration with Scott Boras – Strasburg’s agent. This is understandable as Boras is essentially trying to create a whole new situation in the amateur draft by starting out making the argument that Strasburg is worth almost five times the previous record for a first year player selected in the amateur draft. In the end, people argue that if Boras gets his way then teams will have to pay their first round picks in relation to this new record amount which would, in turn, result in higher priced tickets and potentially pricing the ballpark experience out of the price range of many families (something that has already happened to many families struggling in this economy). As someone who avidly enjoys catching a game on a summer evening with my friends, I certainly wouldn’t want this to happen.

In reality, I think we all knew that the Nationals would probably offer Strasburg a record setting amount, but one that wasn’t nearly as high as the $50 million Boras wanted. In the days leading up to yesterday’s signing deadline, the rumors were that the Nats had offered Strasburg a contract somewhere between $12.5 and $17 million. Not too bad for a 20 year old who just finished his junior year of college.

In the end, Strasburg signed for $15.67 million over four years -- a huge amount, but one which most of the pundits thought he would be offered. Now that the whole negotiating mess is behind us, I hope that we see him step up and prove that he’s worth the money that the Nationals will be paying him. I have seen Drew Storen – who we picked with our second pick (number 10 overall) – pitch on several occasions for the Potomac Nationals who make their home in Woodbridge. Storen signed the day after he was drafted and he quickly went to work. While we were waiting to see if Strasburg would sign, Storen was turning in solid performances in the minor leagues while quickly moving up in the ranks. Now that he has finally come to terms with the Nats, I sincerely hope that Strasburg follows suit.

Jody Wagner Took Step In Right Direction But Still Has A Lot of Work To Do

I have been rather blunt with some of my criticism about the Wagner campaign's inability to actually give some specific examples of the work that she's done and how that qualifies her to be Lt. Governor. I've brought this up in meetings with Jody and her staff present and online to promote some discussion about how her campaign could improve. Well, it appears as though somebody might actually be listening because her latest press release announced that she received the endorsement of the Virginia Education Association (VEA) and gave some specific examples of work she's done surrounding education the past.

In announcing the endorsement, the VEA noted Wagner's longstanding commitment to education, which resulted in historic investments in 2004 and 2008 by Governors Warner and Kaine. In the bipartisan 2004 budget, Warner helped steer $1.5 billion in new money to public education, resulting in Virginia being named the "best state to raise a child." Along with Governor Kaine, Wagner helped negotiate the landmark Higher Education Bond Package in 2008, which provided $1.6 billion for new buildings and infrastructure upgrades on college campuses across Virginia. In contrast, the organization noted, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling has consistently voted against new funds for education, including the 2004 budget and bills to raise teacher pay in Virginia to the national average.

This statement most definitely is heading in the right direction as it helps to illustrate some of the work she's done in the past. At the same time, however, we still don't see much of Wagner's individual initiative. For instance, even the statement said that "Warner helped steer $1.5 billion" towards education. Even if this is a typo, it is yet another reminder of how she wasn't the person taking the initiative on these projects -- it was Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. So while the Wagner campaign took a step in the right direction, it obviously still has a lot of work left to do before Jody's able to overcome the double digit lead that Bill Bolling has in all the polls.

Video: Sen. Tom Coburn Supports Hatred and Violence While On Meet the Press

There's no doubt that one of the biggest stories in the news lately has been the tone being used by some people at the various town hall meetings that have been taking place throughout the country. While I think there should be more attention devoted to the actual issue of health care so that the American people can become better informed, I do think our elected officials should take a stance against the dangerous rhetoric that is being used.

On Meet the Press this morning, however, the public got the message loud and clear that the leaders of the Republican Party won't be rejecting the violent rhetoric. Even after being given a softball question that would have easily allowed him to say he doesn't support violence, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) claimed that government officials had "earned" that type of violence being directed at them. In other words, he is telling people who are bringing guns to these rallies and alluding to quotes that say blood should be shed that it's perfectly acceptable to promote violence.

Sen. Coburn's comments here are extremely irresponsible and extremely disturbing. I strongly believe that Oklahoma deserves to have a Senator who believes in promoting discussion of the issues, not inciting hatred and violence.

Joe Abbey Denies Larry Sabato's Claims of a Campaign Shake Up

It looks like when it comes down to who knows more about the status of Creigh Deeds' gubernatorial campaign, it's "Not Larry Sabato" who has more credibility than Larry Sabato. Despite Larry Sabato's claims to have numerous anonymous sources who claimed that there was going to be a shake-up in the Deeds campaign, that change hasn't happened and campaign staffers have come out strongly in support of Joe Abbey continuing to be the campaign manager. Then, during a conference call with bloggers and members of the mainstream media, Abbey addressed the issue himself.



Quite frankly, it was very easy for me to tell who was telling the truth in this situation. Larry Sabato kept insisting he had anonymous sources, while Ben Tribbett (aka "Not Larry Sabato") was able to repeatedly site high ranking campaign officials such as Monica Dixon and Mo Elleithee who claimed that Joe was "definitely still the campaign manager" and they "work for Joe." There's also the fact that even when he was pressured, Sabato couldn't come up with any concrete action of what the shake-up would be or who was giving him the information.

What I think makes this whole situation worthy of discussion is that it makes it perfectly clear that many pundits have a personal agenda even if they are supposed to be non-partisan. There has been some questions about whether or not Sabato called races a certain way depending on a lawmaker getting his program funding. Furthermore, there's also been suggestions that Sabato might have gone after Abbey because he was the one who delivered the message that Creigh wouldn't be participating in a debate Sabato wanted to moderate.

In the end, this whole situation ultimately proves that you have to evaluate the source of your information. Furthermore, it definitely raises some questions about whether or not Larry Sabato should be the go-to political pundit for Virginia and if his program should still be supported by taxpayers.

Jim Webb Secures Release of American Prisoner In Myanmar

According to a statement released by his office, Jim Webb has negotiated the release of an American prisoner -- John Yettaw -- who was being held in Myanmar because he met with pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

U.S. Senator Jim Webb has finished up a two-day visit to Myanmar by obtaining the release of American prisoner John Yettaw and meeting with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Webb, who on Saturday became the first American leader ever to meet with Myanmar President Than Shwe, raised both issues during his meeting. He also requested that the country’s leadership release Suu Kyi from her eighteen month sentence of house arrest following her recent conviction for violating the terms of her house arrest.

“I am grateful to the Myanmar government for honoring these requests,” noted Webb. “It is my hope that we can take advantage of these gestures as a way to begin laying a foundation of goodwill and confidence-building in the future.”

Webb met with Suu Kyi for nearly an hour on Saturday afternoon. He described the meeting as “an opportunity for me to convey my deep respect to Aung San Suu Kyi for the sacrifices she has made on behalf of democracy around the world.”

Yettaw will be officially deported from Myanmar on Sunday morning. Senator Webb will bring him out of the country on a military aircraft that is returning to Bangkok on Sunday afternoon.

The story has been all over CNN and other news channels as many people rightfully believe that this is good news. Just like there was with President Clinton's trip to North Korea, however, there are some people who believe that this trip will legitimize the military leadership in Myanmar.

But in a letter to Webb, dissident groups warned the junta would use the senator's trip for its own ends.

"We are concerned that the military regime will manipulate and exploit your visit and propagandize that you endorse their treatment on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and over 2,100 political prisoners, their human rights abuses on the people of Burma, and their systematic, widespread and ongoing attack against the ethnic minorities," the letter said. Daw is a term of respect for older women in Myanmar.
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Possibly reflecting a similar wariness, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy said the party "has no interest in Jim Webb because he is not known to have any interest in Myanmar affairs." He did not elaborate.

While I don't claim to be an expert on Myanmar affairs, I do know that part of the reason that I voted for Sen. Webb is his interest in foreign affairs. As is also evident by the fact that he chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, the region that is being discussed is one that he is especially interested in. So while I understand the fact that some activists are worried that the junta might use Webb's trip for propaganda, I think they're wrong to claim that Webb doesn't "have any interest in Myanmar affairs."

What the worry about Webb's trip really represents is the fact that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in Myanmar. Since there was at least some positive accomplishments that came out of the meeting, Webb's visit could serve as a launching point for the US and other communities to increase their support for pro-Democracy supporters in Myanmar. In terms of our country's overall foreign policy, this is yet another example of how under the Obama Administration our leaders seem to be interested in pursuing diplomatic victory instead of the Bush Administration's desire to constantly go to war.

Video: Howard Dean Speaks At Netroots Nation About Need to Combat Misinformation On Public Option

Howard Dean spoke at Netroots Nation about the public option and what we can do to help fight the misinformation that the insurance agencies and the GOP have been spreading. I think it's important to note here that Dean is a doctor himself so he has firsthand knowledge of why we need to bring about some change.

Video Compilation of GOP's Lies on End of Life Counseling

The GOP and their friends in big pharma have been doing whatever they can to prevent health care reform. Their latest tactic is to try and scare older Americans into believing that they won't receive any care and that bureaucrats will tell them how they'll die. Of course, as Rachel Maddow points out, that is the exact opposite of what will actually happen because the bills under consideration will actually allow people to tell their doctors what type of care they want to receive.

Video: Protesters Outside Obama Town Hall Want Illegal Immigrants Sent Home "With A Bullet in the Head"

The people in this video are a prime example of the absolute hatred that is being highlighted at various town hall meetings. One man cried out we should “Send them home with a bullet in the head the second time” when referring to illegal immigrants and the proceeded to say that we should “Read what Jefferson said about the Tree of Liberty - it’s coming baby.” Meanwhile, the person next to him is claiming we have to do something before Obama "becomes a dictator."

All of this hatred is being preyed upon by insurance companies and organizations on the extreme right who are giving people talking points and sending them to various events to channel their anger. Of course, if all these eventually leads to violence (which many of us are worried it will) the right will immediately claim that's not what they intended to happen. But they would be just plain stupid if they didn't realize that feeding people's fear like this and sending them to town halls with the specific mission of using dangerous rhetoric will eventually lead to violence.

Perhaps the best way to prevent the situation from getting more out of hand is to have people from both sides of the aisle engage each other in a respectable manner. After all, it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Plus, if we are able to come up with a solution to many of the issues facing our country then people won't have as much to be afraid of. If the right keeps feeding this type of extreme behavior, however, things are simply going to get worse until we have a tragedy.

"Don't boo, just vote" For Health Care Reform

Whenever the crowds would boo the extremism promoted by the right during the 2008 campaign, Obama would say “don’t boo, just vote.” I always interpreted this to be Obama’s way of saying that we can’t just complain about something, we actually need to get out and do something about it. That was a great mantra then and it’s a great mantra now during the debate surrounding the health care debate.

The Republicans have gotten together with the insurance companies in order to send people out to disrupt town halls that are taking place all over the country. Since the tactics make it easy for the networks to show conflict (which then gets them ratings), the mainstream media is all over these crazy tactics but don’t spend nearly enough time talking about how there are a lot supporters of a public option. As I’ve been talking with these supporters of health care reform I’ve gotten the sense that many people are frustrated with the current state of the debate and are beginning to “boo” the tactics being used.

While it’s obviously important to highlight how the right is spreading misinformation about health care reform and trying to stifle debate, I think the best thing to do is to not just “boo” that type of behavior but “just vote.” Instead of heading to the polls to vote for a candidate like Obama was talking about in the campaign, however, you can “vote” in favor of health care reform by writing a letter to your members of Congress or attending a town hall to express your support.

The whole point of having people shouting down discussion at these town halls, after all, is to make it appear as though anti-reform advocates have a lot more support than they really do. If you take Obama’s advice from the campaign and “don’t boo, just vote,” then you can go a long ways toward letting Congress know that the American public truly does support health care reform.

Good Video By Steve Shannon

If you haven't seen this already, it's a good little clip that gets a laugh while getting a good point across. There's definitely no question that Steve Shannon would make a much better Attorney General than Ken Cuccinelli and I think any debates would go a long way towards illustrating that point. I'm therefore very pleased to see that Steve is actively working to make sure that Virginians have an opportunity to see what both candidates are all about.

Right Wing Lies About Stephen Hawking In Hopes of Damaging Health Care Reform

There's no doubt that the right wing has been putting out a lot of misinformation about health care reform. Many people love going after the program that's set up in the UK and claiming that it's a prime example of why we shouldn't reform our system here. Setting aside the fact that the plans currently being debated are completely different from the one in place in England, it appears as though opponents of health care reform have to make up facts about England's plan to even make it sound bad. Here's what Paul Krugman had to say on the topic when writing for the New York Times.

And just as an illustration: a number of people have pointed this out, but here’s the latest in the “Obama’s health reform will kill people” news: Investor’s Business Daily — which poses as a reputable source of financial information — opines that

People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.

That would be Stephen Hawking, British professor, who was born in the UK and has lived there for his whole life.

Now I think this is worth noting because it goes to show that the right wing can't find anything legitimately wrong with the programs being debated, so they have to make up things about programs that aren't even close to any of the bills being considered. Combine this with the fact that they are sending people to town hall meetings to shout down anybody who wants a true discussion and I think you get a real good glimpse of the desperate the Republicans are to do anything they can to prevent our country from receiving the health care reform that we truly need.

Tim Kaine on the Passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Gov. Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

“Americans around the country today are mourning the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Eunice was a wife, a mother, a sister and a member of one of our country’s most famous families, but she will be remembered most as the founder of the Special Olympics, an organization which has given millions of children with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in competitive sport. The first Special Olympics in 1968 drew 1,000 participants from 26 states and Canada – today the program has grown to include more than 3 million people from 180 countries. This achievement is thanks to Eunice’s vision, persistence, hard work and call to public service. Though she never held elected office, this extraordinary woman was a champion for the power of the human spirit. Our thoughts are prayers today are with Eunice’s husband, Sargent, their children, and the entire Kennedy family.”

Video: Greg Scanlon Gives Update on State of the Races

Make Sure College Students Get an Absentee Ballot Soon

One of the biggest struggles that campaigns often have is getting in touch with college students come election time. That's because in the weeks running up to election day they're often not living at their voting address, but in a dorm room or apartment in their college town. With classes beginning soon, students are going to be heading back to school soon if they haven't left already. If you know a college student, it is therefore important that you make sure they request an absentee ballot.

Many local political parties send out applications to people in the age range of 18 to 22 if they'd been id'd to support that party. If you're among those who have received an application this way all you have to do is fill out the application and then wait for your absentee ballot to come in the mail. If you haven't had one sent to you already, however, you can request an application by simply mailing in a form that is available via the State Board of Elections' website (here's the pdf).

It should be noted that as of now, it's simply important to make sure the students fill out the application requesting an absentee ballot. Once they've been sent out (usually about 45 days before the election) it's then important to encourage them to fill out the ballot and send it in so that their voice can be heard.

Video: Warner Calls Out Health Care Reform Opponents

I've had some concerns about Mark Warner's position on health care, but I like a lot of what he had to say in this interview. Especially how he highlights how there are some "outrageous scare tactics played by some of the anti-reform folks out there, saying that somehow healthcare reform is going to limit seniors and their choices or lead to euthanasia." Those tactics are simply unacceptable and I'm glad to see that Warner is standing up against them.

I'm also pleased to see that he is arguing that "there's a lot of misinformation about taking away health care, or some government bureaucrat in between you and your doctor" that needs to be corrected. The anti-reform advocates have done a good job of convincing the public that this "misinformation" is true and I strongly believe Warner and other commonsense leaders need to make sure they put out the correct information.

While he's saying some good things in his interview (which can be seen below) I think it's extremely important that people remind Warner that we need health care reform that includes a strong public option. Since the Senate will be in recess during the month of August and the anti-reform advocates have their mind set on disrupting town hall meetings, now would be a great time to give Warner that reminder.



(h/t Blue Virginia)

President Obama Brings Helen Thomas Cupcakes For Birthday

Helen Thomas apparently shares a birthday with President Barack Obama, which is today in case you haven't picked up on that while the birthers still claim that Obama was born in Kenya on this day 48 years ago. During the press briefing today, Obama brought out a plate full of cupcakes for Helen and sang "Happy Birthday" with the other reporters. Now this was obviously a lighthearted moment, but I think it goes to show the respect that most politicians and reporters have for the work that Helen has done over the years.

Creigh Deeds Will Pursue Legislation That Accepts $125 Million In Unemployment Funds

Earlier today I wrote about how I thought Creigh’s campaign had to do something to get people excited about his campaign. It turns out he put out a statement today which says that he would commit to pursuing legislation next year that accepts $125 million in unemployment funds – funds which Bob McDonnell and the Republicans in the General Assembly opposed.

“By leading the partisan charge to oppose $125 million in stimulus funds to extend unemployment benefits, Bob McDonnell turned his back on Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Sen. Deeds. “This unemployment stimulus money will retrain Virginians to improve their job skills and help the unemployed temporarily put food in the fridge and gas in the tank.”

“I voted for Governor Kaine's proposals and I still support them,” continued Sen. Deeds. “I intend to start the process on my first day in office to accept these funds should our hard economic times continue.”

The timing of Deeds’ statement coincides with his “Deeds Country Tour” which took him to downtown Danville, which has been severely impacted by the economic downtown. The community’s unemployment rate is double the state average. When I was in Danville a few months ago, it was obvious that folks wanted to get ahead and help themselves but simply needed a little help to get things going again.

I even toured a program at the Danville Community College which had a partnership program set up with many of the local businesses. Students would receive job training in an accelerated program at DCC and, upon graduation, would be guaranteed an interview at some of the local businesses. This program gave people the opportunity to get ahead and provided local businesses with an educated workforce. I bring this up because I think it’s a prime example of how some funding of good programs can really help communities grow during these tough economic times.

Deeds appears to understand this concept as he is looking to reward job creation, even if it comes from small businesses instead of big corporations.

“As I continue to fight for stimulus funds to help Danville’s unemployed workers retrain and find work, my economic plan will support businesses by providing a tax cut for any company in Virginia that creates even one job,” said Sen. Deeds. “My opponent’s plan requires small business owners to hire fifty workers – twenty-five workers in this region - to gain tax credits, even though their businesses here typically employ less than fifty people.”

Deeds also pointed out that he had a plan that would include some immediate solutions for small business owners and workers, such as:

• Provide tax incentives for businesses that create jobs;
• Help unemployed workers purchase emergency health insurance;
• Double the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and put $10 million into job training;
• Create a Rural Business Fund to help small businesses in distressed communities;
• Finish the last mile of broadband by 2013;
• Boost investments in the tourism industry;
• Cut red tape in the small business permitting process;
• Increase state contracting for small, women- and minority-owned (SWAM) businesses;
• And train people for jobs in science and technology related fields.
  

Now I’m very happy with this action Creigh has taken because it would provide solutions for communities like Danville. This is obviously the ultimate goal and the reason that we need to have a Democrat in the Governor’s mansion. At the same time, I think these are the type of concrete action plans that Deeds needs to put out in order to get people excited about his candidacy. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more of these great ideas from Creigh’s campaign as we head towards November and will be glad to work with him on these issues if he’s indeed elected governor.