Tag: virginia

How unpopular is the Democrats’ federal health care rationing bill?

This unpopular:

RICHMOND, Va. — With five Democrats defecting, the Virginia Senate today passed a Republican measure that says Virginians don’t have to buy health insurance.

Voting 23-17, the Democratic-controlled Senate kicked to the House a bill by Sen. Frederick Quayle, R-Suffolk, that supporters say will send a message to Washington about its efforts to overhaul the health-care system.

(Via AoSHQ Headlines) The bill should pass the GOP-controlled House of Delegates with no trouble, and likewise be signed into law by the Republican Governor, and will probably be used as ammo for a lawsuit by the Commonwealth’s Republican Attorney General, should he need it…

– Hey, remember when Virginia was inevitably going to be going Blue for unto the next six generations?

…so it’s interesting that five vulnerable state Senators broke ranks on this bill to vote with the Republicans.  It’s also interesting to consider the implications that this bill – whether substanstive or cosmetic – has for, say, Democrats in the US Congress.  Like Gerald Connolly!  Hi, Jerry!  Quick: what do you think of this legislation?

More importantly, what does your district think of this legislation?

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

VA-08: 44/41 Moran/Berry (Caveats).

[UPDATE] Welcome, Campaign Spot readers.

Said caveats are: Internal poll, D+16 district, and Moran’s still ahead by three.  But a 44/41 Moran/Berry split at this stage is still noteworthy: add five points to Moran’s total and he still polls under 50% – which means that he’s vulnerable.  I don’t mind seeing a 40/38 split on ‘try somebody new’/’keep Moran,’ either.

Post-Massachusetts, it’s no longer reasonable to assume that anybody on the Democratic side is too safe to be defeated: so keep an eye on this race.  I’ve mentioned Matthew Berry before: if I was in his district I’d probably be supporting him in the primary right now, not least because he’s been engaging the new social media (which is a pretentious way of saying ‘he’s actively working to get support’).  And I can’t [expletive deleted] stand Jim [expletive deleted] Moran.  Watching that particular corrupt, anti-Semitic suckweasel go down in flames on Election Night would be a better present than a pony, and I’ve always wanted a pony.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

How the worm has turned in Virginia.

Just a random thought: in the process of apparently losing a state Senate special election in Virginia, Democratic candidate Dave Marsden (who is apparently doing his level best to appear ‘bipartisan’) put this letter to the editor up as part of his attempt to win.  Please note this sentence:

Virginia benefits most from the reasonable expression of many viewpoints, but we are in danger of becoming a one-party state.

Oh.  Oh, how quickly the tide rolls back out, too…

Moe Lane

PS: Speaking of which: Senator Webb.  James.  I know that there have been harsh words written about you.  I know that I have personally (and regretfully) written harsh words about you.  Unfortunate things are often said and written in the tension of close election campaigns.  But you will have another one of those in two years – and trends in Virginia are going against your adopted (and ill-fitting, really) party.  The target of your revenge has gone on to a dignified retirement.  The issue that triggered your defection has passed.

So have you really thought about where you see yourself being in 2013?

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

Matthew Berry to challenge Jim Moran (D, VA-08).

[UPDATE] Welcome, Instapundit readers.

(This post has been updated to reflect a conversation with Matthew.)

Matthew Berry. Not the ESPN guy: the former Clarence Thomas clerk/DoJ/FCC guy. He’s running on a fiscal conservatism/national security/ethics platform; and opposing the infamous Jim Moran, believer in Israeli conspiracies.  His statement about Moran’s blathering* on the NYC show trials works for me:

“It is wrong for Congressman Moran to question the patriotism of the millions of Americans who believe that terrorists such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should be tried by military commissions rather than in civilian courtrooms. Furthermore, Congressman Moran’s comment reflects a basic ignorance of American history. Military commissions were used to try war crimes during the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II. The use of a military commission to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would have been entirely in keeping with American history and tradition.”

For those wondering: VA-08 is a D+16 district that includes Arlington, Virginia, which makes Matthew’s oppositional stance on the hot-button topics of the stimulus, cap and trade, and the health care rationing bill all the more notable.  He’s also supportive of the Tea Party’s objectives of more citizen involvement in government, particularly from a fiscal point of view.  Lastly; Matthew happens to be gay, and is making no attempt to hide his sexual orientation.  Which, given the way that minority conservatives routinely get viciously targeted by the Other Side, deserves particular mention.

The race itself is in its early days; Matthew appears to be the first candidate to declare for the primary (the VA GOP**, while not involving itself in primaries, did note that “it would be of great benefit to the Commonwealth of Virginia if Jim Moran were to lose his seat;” they look forward to supporting the eventual candidate).  All in all, a fiscon and natsec hawk sounds like a definite trade-up to the guy that we have in there now.

Moe Lane

*Apparently, objecting to show trials in NYC is now somehow un-American.  I’d note the irony, except that I’m more bemused at the irony that a ‘show trial’ has become the best possible outcome for this administration.

**Who did a nice job with the last election, by the way.

Crossposted to RedState.

Beltway sniper execution at 9 PM tonight.

As @jaketapper reminds us; the article that spurred that is here.

Personally, I hope that he repents of his sins and seeks forgiveness before he’s executed.  Eternity is, after all, eternal.  But I’m not going to lose any sleep over the thought that he may instead choose evil until it’s too late to change.

Crossposted to RedState.

I think that Edward Houck would be a *jewel* in McDonnell’s administration.

Doing what, you ask?  Bless your heart, who cares?  I’m sure that the Governor-elect will find something for him to do.

In the short term, [Current VA Senate Majority Leader] Saslaw’s challenge will be to hold his party’s 21 seats. McDonnell might try to tip the balance of power in the Senate by luring a Democrat in a vulnerable district into his administration.

One key senator Friday did not rule out the possibility of accepting such an offer. Sen. Edward Houck (D-Spotsylvania) , a longtime school administrator who was considered for secretary of education under both Kaine and Warner, said he would be willing to discuss an administration job.

“I would certainly be willing to talk to the governor-elect and his staff about whatever they want to talk about,” he said. “I’m not looking for that, I’m not seeking that, but I’m willing to talk to them about anything.”

Via NotLarrySabato, who is inexplicably not as happy about this act of potential bipartisanship and outreach as the rest of us.  Of course, it’s not as fun when it’s the other side doing it to you.

Moe Lane

Politico compares Obama to Bush.

Or, the bloom is off the rose.

So, Axelrod’s trying his best to convince people that the fact that independent voters in two states won by Obama broke heavily for the Republican gubernatorial candidates is much less important than a three-point win in a district where conservatives made it clear that they’d rather lose than not be listened to by GOP party leadership.  His best is actually not all that great, given that he’s suggesting (of all things) that candidates next year embrace the President – just like Bill Owens did!  Yes, and just like Jon Corzine did, and just like Creigh Deeds did; so this was sufficiently eyebrow-raising that the Politico was nigh-forced to editorialize:

The cheerful public line from the White House carried an echo of Obama’s immediate predecessor, George W. Bush, another president whose political operation reported sunny skies no matter the weather.

It’s bad when they compare you to Bush.  Although it’s also unfair: the previous administration did things.  This one just whines about how hard it is to do them.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

FrankJ on yesterday’s elections.

There is a certain amount of snark in this comment – gee, you think? – but it does lead to a question:

Anyway, the main message of the election was Obama sucks and is stupid and everyone now hates him. Obama campaigned in both Virginia and New Jersey, and the Democrats lost hugely in both (well, by 18 points in Virginia, and 4 points in New Jersey which is huge when you consider how blue that state is and how much money Corzine spent). Obama didn’t campaign in NY23 (instead he sent the charismatic powerhouse Joe Biden), and the Democrat won. Lesson learned: If Obama offers to campaign for you, tell him you have swine flu and he should stay away.

Why was it that the two races that the President most directly involved himself in were the two races where said involvement had no effect on the final results? Neither FrankJ nor I really think that ‘everyone now hates’ the administration; but if the President’s intervention had any positive results in NJ or VA neither of us caught it, and we’re both experienced political junkies. So what happened?

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

A hearty ‘Good morning!’ to some of our elected officials!

Now that the elections in NJ and VA are over – and now that there’s going to be some really critical votes coming up on both cap-and-trade and health care rationing – I just wanted to greet some members of the two states’ Congressional delegations.

  • Robert Andrews, NJ-01 (Burlington/Camden/Gloucester)
  • John Adler, NJ-03 (Burlington/Camden/Ocean)
  • Frank Pallone, NJ-06 (Middlesex/Monmouth/Somerset/Union)
  • William Pascrell, NJ-08 (Essex/Passaic)
  • Steven Rothman, NJ-09 (Bergen/Hudson/Passaic)
  • Donald Payne, NJ-10 (Essex/Hudson/Union)
  • Rush Holt, NJ-12 (Hunterdon/Mercer/Middlesex/Monmouth/Somerset)
  • Albio Sires, NJ-13 (Essex/Hudson/Middlesex/Union)

(Link)

  • Glenn Nye, VA-02 (Accomack/Northampton)
  • Robert C Scott, VA-03 (Charles City/New Kent/Surry/Henrico/Prince George/Hampton/Newport News/Norfolk/Richmond)
  • Tom Perriello, VA-05 (Greene/Campbell/Bedford/Albemarle/Nelson/Fluvanna/Buckingham/Cumberland/Appomattox/Prince Edward/Charlotte/Lunenberg/Franklin/Henry/Pittsylvania/Halifax/Mecklenberg/Brunswick)
  • Jim Moran, VA-08 (Arlington/Alexandria/Fairfax)
  • Rick Boucher, VA-09 (Lee/Wise/Dickenson/Buchanan/Scott/Russell/Tazewell/Washington/Smyth/Bland/Giles/Grayson/Wythe/Pulaski/Montgomery/Carroll/Craig/Floyd/Patrick/Allegheny/Roanoke/Henry)
  • Gerry Connolly, VA-11 (Fairfax/Fairfax/Prince William)

(Link)

Hi!

WE SEE YOU.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

PPP’s Tom Jensen has a problem.

As in, how to shout out a warning without… actually shouting out a warning.  In this case, he’s getting just a little worried about his fellow Democrats turning out.  To put his findings in handy table form:

Voters Percent
Estimated % R % D R 2009 R 2008 D 2009 D 2008 R D
VA 2.000 48% 44% 0.960 1.725 0.880 1.960 56% 45%
NJ 2.200 44% 51% 0.970 1.610 1.120 2.220 60% 50%

The voter numbers are in millions, and the percentage at the end represents the percentage of McCain/Obama voters of 2008 that PPP expects to vote in the 2009 elections. While this is not-precisely-horrible news for Corzine*, it’s not good news at all for the Democrats next year:

Maybe those numbers will improve some over the weekend- and Creigh Deeds and Jon Corzine certainly aren’t the best candidates- but if that pattern continues on into next year Republicans will win back the House.

The reason why is because there are a lot more Democrats in Congressional Districts that McCain won than vice versa: and there quite a few Democrats in districts that Obama didn’t actually win by all that much.  It’s going to be interesting to see how the state legislature races in NJ and VA play out this year; the results might possibly be even more of a harbinger than those of the governors races…

Moe Lane

*It would be good news, if more people actually liked Jon Corzine.  Or at least didn’t despise him.

Crossposted to RedState.