Raising Kaine

That's a monumental 4 point swing in Gilmore's direction (pay no attention to the 4.5 point margin of error).

So, can we start calling him "Senator-Elect Gilmore" yet?  I think we can.

So, does the fact that "President Bush and Iraq's prime minister have agreed to set a 'time horizon' for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq" mean that Bush is a "cut and run" traitor or whatever? Is John McCain going to blast Bush for agreeing to a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, as Barack Obama and other Democrats have advocated?  

While we're at it, what's McSame have to say about the Bush Administration flip flop on direct negotiations with Iran, which they're engaging in this weekend?  Wasn't that also a terrible thing, at least when Barack Obama suggested it? So, what about now that the Bush Administration is doing it?  [cue sound of McCain's head exploding]

Finally, in another piece of news from the rapidly derailing "Straight Talk Express," Phil "Nation of Whiners" Gramm "is resigning from the role as [McCain] campaign co-chairman." Turns out our problems aren't "psychological" after all.  Or are they?  There's no sign as to whether or not Gramm will continue as a top economic advisor to McSame.

According to Zogby, Barack Obama-Colin Powell looks like the strongest ticket for the Democrats. Zogby's analysis says:

While just 10% of likely voters said the selection of Powell would make them less likely to vote for Obama - giving him a net positive of 32% - Obama's former challenger for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, fared less positively overall. Even though 30% of likely voters would be more likely to support Obama with Clinton on the ticket, 25% would be less likely - giving Clinton just a 5% net positive rating among likely voters. Clinton fares much better with fellow Democrats, as 47% said they would be more likely to vote for Obama if Clinton were his running mate, for a net positive of 32% among Democrats.  

On the Republican side, "former Republican nomination challengers Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney earned the strongest support from likely voters overall, as well as from Republicans and political independents."

I guess we'll see soon enough...probably by mid-August, I'd think.

Obama is crushing, to the tune of over 3 to 1, McCain in the Jones Soda Campaign Cola contest.
Welcome to Campaign Cola, the one and only website where you can vote for your candidate by purchasing their bottle of cola, regardless of age or residency.

Right now the tally is:
Obama 6,900
McCain 2,094
Clinton 1,746
Paul 1,674

Here's to hoping the soda doesn't lie.

1. Sen. Chap Petersen says that "after the House of Delegates had rejected our transportation plan," the "sense of frustration in the [Senate] chamber was palpable."  The bottom line is that, even though the Senate plan wasn't perfect, "The House of Delegates gave us nothing in return."

2. Del. Dave Marsden is "angry" at "the nonsense House Republicans put forth" while opposing "real solutions."  In short, "these guys have got to go."

"These guys have got to go": that pretty much sums it all up.

On behalf of the independent-minded voters of the Commonwealth, the Democratic Party of Virginia would like to ask Thelma Drake three questions about her Friday fundraiser with Bush operative - and Congressional runaway - Karl Rove.

Jared Leopold, Communications Director for the Democratic Party's coordinated campaign, asked Drake:

   "1. If the full House votes on contempt of Congress charges for Karl Rove, how will you vote?

   "2. Do you think it's appropriate to hold an event with Karl Rove, given the fact that he's currently fleeing from a Congressional subpoena?

   "3. In your literature, you claim to be 'changing the way Washington does business.' How do you plan to change Washington when you're asking for favors from the worst perpetrator of Washington-style divisive politics?"

Earlier in the week, Virginia Beach Democratic delegates Bobby Mathieson and Joe Bouchard called on Drake to cancel her fundraiser with Rove, in light of his failure to appear for a Congressional subpoena and potential contempt of Congress charges.

Drake refused.

"It's clear where Thelma Drake's priorities lie," Leopold said. "She chose to eat a $2,300 steak lunch with Karl Rove, instead of standing up for the rule of law. Virginia voters deserve better."

I am sorry to announce that Former State Senator Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr. died early this morning. He was 82 years-old. He represented the Mt. Vernon and Lee sections of Fairfax County for 28 years in the State Senate and was one of the ablest legislators Fairfax County has been fortunate enough to have serving them.

He was a beacon of common sense in a legislature that was increasingly dominated by ideology and intolerance. His wit, wisdom, and spirit will be dearly missed.

Man, we could really use some of Sen. Gartlan's "common sense" and "wisdom" today in Virginia!  Rest in peace, sir.

So true. That's why it's so important that we fight back against this crap immediately and forcefully.

P.S. This is Clark speaking to Netroots Nation 2008.

The presidential race in Virginia is now dead even, with Barack Obama and John McCain each drawing 44% of the vote, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state.

Oh, and "Rasmussen Markets data currently gives the GOP a 37.0% chance of carrying the state again this fall." That's not great if you're John McCain, especially considering that Virginia hasn't voted Republican for president since 1964.  Right now, it's looking verrrrry shaky for McSame.

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign is pouring resources into the Commonwealth, and with $52 million raised in June, it looks like they'll have a lot more resources to do even more of that in coming months.  This should be interesting...

The Impact of Offshore Drilling on the Virginia Capes Operating Area

Floor Speech on HB 6006

Delegate Joe Bouchard

July 9, 2008

Mr. Speaker,

The United States is at war...

I spent most of my adult life on storm-tossed warships patrolling the hostile seas off the coasts of our adversaries.  Before we sailed in harm's way, we conducted intensive combat training in training ranges off the coast of the United States.  Those training ranges are instrumented for accurate assessment of combat readiness, and clearly marked on navigation charts to prevent civilian vessels and aircraft from being endangered by Navy training.

One of those critically important training ranges is located off the coast of Virginia. It is called the Virginia Capes Operating Area and is being used every day to sharpen the combat skills of US forces fighting the war on terror.

The Virginia Capes Operating Area is threatened.  Ironically, it is not threatened by our terrorist enemies, it is threatened by our search for transportation revenue. The bill before us would earmark royalties from oil and gas drilling off the Coast of Virginia for the Transportation Trust Fund.  But those revenues come with severe consequences for the Navy and Air Force units based in Virginia whose combat readiness depends on unencumbered use of the Virginia Capes Operating Area.

Virginia's offshore oil and gas drilling area cuts through the heart of the Virginia Capes Operating Area.  Almost all of the offshore area allocated to Virginia by the Federal Government lies within the Virginia Capes Operating Area.  72% of the larger area desired by Virginia lies within the Virginia Capes Operating Area.  Clearly, Virginia cannot gain significant royalties from offshore oil and gas without extensive drilling in the Virginia Capes Operating Area.

The Navy has stated clearly and unequivocally that drilling for oil and gas in the Virginia Capes Operating Area is incompatible with the combat training conducted there.  The Navy, Air Force and Department of Defense consistently have opposed opening offshore training ranges for oil and gas drilling.  We need to take heed of their opposition to drilling in the Virginia Capes Operating Area.

We have many other revenues sources from which to finance transportation. We do not need to endanger US combat forces to solve our transportation problems. I ask all of my esteemed colleagues to stand by our men and women in uniform and vote against this bill.

TWENTY STATES and the District of Columbia tax the estates of well-to-do residents upon their deaths -- generally those valued at $1 million or more. In Virginia, the so-called death tax is even less onerous; it kicks in for estates worth at least $2 million, which seems a generous-enough exemption for the affluent.

But that's not sufficient for the governor or most Virginia lawmakers. They are poised to scrap the estate tax altogether and forfeit the $140 million it yields annually. That may not sound like a crushing sum in the context of a $72 billion biennial budget. But given the legislature's failure to find a long-term funding fix for the state's snarled roads and highways, it is odd that lawmakers would surrender that pot of money for the benefit of the state's richest individuals and families.

The Post added that "scrapping the estate tax -- the single most progressive tax levied by governmen...sacrifices fairness for the many on the altar of special favors for the few." How few?  As we pointed out at the time, the estate tax repeal helped 871 of the wealthiest Virginia families.  As we also pointed out, this money would be taken away from education, the environment, public safety, and other important Virginia needs.  All sacrificed on "the altar of special favors for the few."

Let's face it, this was the single worst move that Tim Kaine has made as governor (and there have been several, the second worst being the Wise County coal fired plant, the third worst being the no-bid deal to Bechtel for the Metro to Dulles project, the fourth worst being the Transportation Monstrosity with abuser fees and regional authorities, the fourth worst...ok, we'll stop now).  

The fact is, signing the estate tax repeal was morally wrong (taking money from poor people, the elderly, the sick and vulnerable to give to rich people who don't need it?!?), anti-progressive (the estate tax is by far the most progressive tax around), politically unhelpful (it's not like the anti-tax/flat-earth Republicans were going to like him anyway).  And now - SURPRISE SURPRISE - we need that $140 million per year badly.  Unfortunately, it's going to further enrich the already rich, while the rest of us get screwed over royally.  Nice job, geniuses!

The Campaign for Change is opening offices across the Commonwealth this Saturday, July 19th. Show your support by attending one of these events. Most office openings are from 10am-2pm, except for our Charlottesville [7-9 pm] and Norfolk [2-5 pm] offices. Please check [after the jump] for the exact time and address of the office nearest you.

This Saturday is a great opportunity for us to kick off Obama's drive to turn Virginia blue with a bang.  There should be tons of free media accompanying these events in almost every corner of the Commonwealth, so we should make these well-attended events to show the Virginia local press and its audience the groundswell of grassroots excitement for Obama.  

So, dive into the extended entry for the address and times of the office openings and click here to RSVP!
RSVP for any of the following:

Blacksburg
216 South Main Street
276-494-4332
10am-2pm

Bristol
1009 W. State St., Suite 1-D
276-494-4144
10am-2pm

Castlewood
2 Right Miners Drive
276-494-4186
10am-2pm

Charlottesville
A & N Building at 422 E. Main St.
804-306-5823
7pm-9pm

Danville
Riverside Center, 3228 Riverside Dr.
434-378-2160
10am-2pm

Fairfax City
11184 Lee Hwy
703-786-0353
10am-2pm

Hampton
1040-D Settlers Landing Road
757-560-1348
10am-2pm

Harrisonburg
Keezll Building, 124 S. Main St.
804-306-5381
10am-2pm

Lynchburg
1125 Main Street
540-819-6646
10am-2pm

Martinsville
1 E. Church Street
540-819-3561
10am-2pm

Newport News
96 Main Street
757-560-1467
10am-2pm

Norfolk
645 Church Street, Ste 104
757-228-4439
2pm-5pm

Petersburg
23 W. Old Street
804-307-4145
10am-2pm

Richmond
1208 W. Marshall Street
804-306-8018
10am-2pm

Roanoke
151 Campbell Ave. SW
540-819-6646
10am-2pm

Southern Fairfax County
8796 D/E Sacramento Drive
703-786-0403
10am-2pm

Virginia Beach
The Transouth Square Building, 3613 Virginia Beach Blvd.
757-560-1365
2pm-5pm

Williamsburg
110 Bacon Ave.
757-560-1663
10am-2pm

Winchester
19 W. Cork Street
434-378-9847
10am-12pm

Woodbridge
4308 Ridgewood Center Drive,
703-725-3755
10am-2pm

The latest product from the great, failed, right-wing smear factory:  LIES ABOUT OBAMA AND TAXES

Lie:

A rapidly spreading email is tricking thousands-if not millions-of Americans with outrageous lies and misrepresentations about Barack Obama's tax policies.

The email has taken a few different forms, but the most common subject line says:

   "Important read - Taxes INTERESTING DATA JUST RECEIVED ON TAXES"

The email starts innocently enough, but the warning signs are there:

   
Spread the word.....

   This is something you should be aware of so you don't get blind-sided. This is really going to catch a lot of families off guard. It should make you worry.

Then it goes on to distort Barack's "Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election" including:

   * Capital gains tax
   * Dividend tax
   * Income tax
   * Inheritance tax
   * New taxes on things like water

Truth:

Barack Obama wants the tax code to favor honest, hard-working people, and he has proposed a $1,000 tax cut for middle class families.

But that hasn't stopped anonymous smear-mongers from starting misleading rumors like this one.

According to FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit voter advocate group,

   "This widely distributed message is so full of misinformation that we find it impossible to believe that it is the result of simple ignorance or carelessness on the part of the writer. Almost nothing it says about Obama's tax proposals is true. We conclude that this deception is deliberate."

You can see the entire email-and the point-by-point debunking-on the non-partisan, independent website FactCheck.org

Of the 20 campaigns nationwide on the DCCC's "Emerging Races" list, Judy Feder (10th CD) is second in both total money raised for the second quarter, and also "cash on hand." The only candidate ahead of Judy Feder is Michael Skelly, a partial self-funder in TX-7. Not bad..."Farewell Frank!" :)

More great news: Tom Perriello is third in "cash on hand" nationwide, as he takes on Virgil "So Bad He's" Goode in the 5th CD.

By the way, Republicans in the Fairfax's Dranesville district are so worried that they've sent a letter to their own members begging them not to defect to Barack Obama, Mark Warner and Judy Feder.  Funny stuff, if you need a good laugh, here's a link. Enjoy!

Here are my notes.

The place was packed.  Al Gore's wife Tipper was there, as was Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr and several other politicians.  Gore said that he had held conversations with both Barack Obam and John McCain, that he wanted to life the climate discussion out of the partisan framework.

It's time to dispel illusions, shake off complacency, make big changes and deal with a present danger to our civilization.  The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk.  The future of human civilizatio is at stake. So many things are going wrong now, the climate crisis is getting worse much faster than had been expected.  We need to make major changes quickly.

Climate change has dangerous national security implications for America. Yet we seem paralyzed in the face of the crisis.  The common thread tying together our economic, environmental and national security problems is dangerous overreliance on carbon-based fuels.  Every bit of that has to change. The answer is to END OUR RELIANCE ON CARBON-BASED FUELS.

Solving the climate crisis will also renew our economy and safeguard our national security. The quickest way to make a dent in carbon emissions is by addressing the electricity production sector.  It's time for a new strategic initiative, a bold new strategy to repower America.  The goal: PRODUCE 100% OF OUR ELECTRICTY FROM NON-CARBON-BASED FUELS WITHIN 10 YEARS.  This is achievable, affordable, and will be transformative.
What's changed that makes this possible today, when it wasn't 10 years ago?  Sharp reductions in the cost of solar thermal, photovoltaics, wind, and geothermal, coupled with a sharp spike in fossil fuel prices.  The economics have fundamentally changed.  The cost of non-carbon-based fuels will continue to fall, just as computer chip prices fell for years.  There's no doubt we can meet this challenge, despite those who say this can't be done. There are defenders of the status quo out there, but as the joke goes, "the stone age didn't end because of a shortage of stone.s"  

We have less than 10 years to deal with this situation.  We can't stand 10 more years of this, $2 billion per day to foreign countries for oil, 10 more years of repeated troop deployments, etc.    10 years is the maximum time we can hold a steady course and achieve our aims.  40 years is too long, meaningless.  

We need a unified national power grid, this is critical infrastructure that has to be upgraded anyway.  Switch to plug-in electric cars.  Greatly improve our commitment to energy efficiency and conservation, that's the best investment.  Guarantee jobs for displaced coal miners.

The price of carbon-based energy must include environmental costs.  We should reduce payroll taxes to help offset higher energy prices for lower income people.  "Tax what we burn, not what we earn!"  We need to rejoin the international community, negotiate a treaty to cap C02 emissions.

Our political system is deeply dysfunctional, all about taking small steps and avoiding offending special interests.  It's "sclerotic."  For instance, there's the perverse logic that the solution to high gasoline prices is to drill off the coast or in ANWR.  These are "so-called solutions" that have nothing to do with the problem. Unfortunately, special interests know how to work the system. The fact is, oil prices are being driven by surging world demand, and politicians can't do anything to bring down the price in the short term.

We need to end our dependence on oil.  Have we lost our appetite for bold solutions in this country?  People are hungry for a new, different, bold approach. We must move first, it's in our national interest to do so and is key to getting others to follow.  This is a generational moment. Join me and build this future.  We need to change not just light bulbs but laws. Its' time for a new journey of exploration and discovery, just like the goal of putting a man on the moon.  We can take a giant leap for humanity once again.

The results show Connolly with a crushing 52%-21% lead against the Republican, and with significant room to grow.

Connolly Holds 31 Point Lead in New Poll

Connolly Beating Fimian 52%-21% Because of Achievements for District

Fairfax, VA - Gerry Connolly, Democratic Congressional Candidate in Virginia's 11th District, today released internal polling results showing him leading Republican Keith Fimian 52%-21% in an initial head-to-head match-up, demonstrating that voters are responding to Gerry Connolly's proven record of getting results.

It's worth noting here that, nationwide, Republicans have abandoned any hope of making inroads at the congressional level this election season.  Instead, they are pinning all of their hopes and donations on John McCain's Bush-Bound presidential candidacy.  

MSNBC First Read:
It appears many Republican donors are buying into the argument that the ONLY shot Republicans have of winning anything is the presidency. And this is hurting Republicans running for the House and Senate where Democrats are dominating on the financial front.

So, it appears that there will be no national cavalry rushing in to rescue Fimian's campaign. No wonder they needed a self-funded gazillionaire to run against Gerry.  The conservative dogma of "you're on your own", has finally come home to roost.  Fimian is all alone.

more polling details below
"The voters of the 11th District know my record and my ability to get things done," said Connolly.  "In Congress, I will bring my commonsense, results-oriented approach to help solve our energy crisis, expand access to affordable health care, and get our economy back on track."

The poll was conducted July 10-14, 2008 by Lake Research Partners among 500 likely general election voters.  A polling memo is attached below.

###

Polling in Virginia's 11th CD

A new Lake Research Partners' survey of likely voters shows that Gerry Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is the strong favorite to win this contest in November and change this seat from red to blue.  This race -- for the seat currently held by Republican Tom Davis -- is consistently ranked as one of the strongest Democratic pick-up opportunities, and this survey validates that argument.  Republican Keith Fimian, however, has the ability to self-fund.  If Connolly has the funds to communicate his message of having the right priorities and getting things done for Northern Virginia, he will be the next Congressman from this district.

Connolly is well ahead in the initial horserace and grows that lead even after voters are introduced to positive and negative information on both candidates.

Initially, Connolly leads Fimian 52% to 21%.  A quarter of voters are undecided, and Independent Green Party candidate Joe Oddo receives 2%.

Notably, even though Connolly has majority support now, he has room to grow his vote.  After voters hear a positive profile of both candidates with language they currently use, Connolly leads 54% to 27%.  He doubles Fimian's vote share and receives well over majority support.

Finally, after a simulated campaign introducing negative and positive information on both candidates, Connolly wins 58% to 23%, expanding his vote share and stunting Fimian's growth.

In summary, this is a real pick-up opportunity for Democrats as they seek to expand their governing majority.  Connolly is well-positioned to win, and he leads early.

Methodology: Lake Research Partners designed and administered this survey, which was conducted by phone using professional interviewers.  The survey was conducted among 500 registered voters in Virginia's 11th CD who say they are likely to vote in November.  The survey was conducted July 10 to 14, 2008.  The margin of error for the full sample is +/- 4.4 percentage points.

Paid for and Authorized by Gerry Connolly for Congress

One weird part of the article - the AP's Ron Fournier oddly references "ozone-killing" coal plants and never mentions carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas pollutant. Does Fournier think ozone depletion is what causes global warming? Strange. Fournier was recently in the news when his sycophantic, pro-war, overtly-religious emails with Karl Rove were revealed.

As The Hill reports, Republican leaders are already responding to Gore's call for bold leadership by ... pandering on gas prices. Way to step up, guys. But who comes to Gore's defense? Virginia's own Rep. Rick Boucher, who says, “Those who oppose a climate control measure will make the argument that it should not be considered at a time of high energy prices, but that is a bogus argument.” Nice job, Rick!

Lowell --

I have some big news we want to share with you.

In the month of June, supporters like you helped raise $52 million. And together with the DNC, we now have nearly $72 million in the bank. That's a very strong financial position to be in.

But we remain at a massive disadvantage to our opponents.

As I mentioned in my video message earlier in the week, the McCain Campaign and the Republican National Committee finished June with nearly $100 million in the bank.

We can't stop now. It's going to take everything we've got to defeat John McCain and his allies in November.

Can you make a donation of $5 now to strengthen our movement for change?

https://donate.barackobama.com...
I know this isn't the first time we've asked you for financial support, and it won't be the last.

We have developed a strategy -- a very aggressive strategy -- that will only work if our millions of supporters continue to contribute their time and their money.

That strategy will work, and it has to. The stakes are too high and the need for change too great.

But victory is only possible with your continued help.

We can't do this without you.

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

President Bush's decision to shift policy and send a senior U.S. envoy to nuclear talks with Iran this weekend was made after increasing signs that Iran was open to possible negotiations and that international sanctions were having an impact on the Islamic republic, U.S. officials said yesterday.

That's right, the Bush Administration is now pursuing what they just recently called "appeasement" - direct negotiations with a charter member of the "Axis of Evil," Iran. For the reactions of the McCain and Obama campaigns, see here.

And here's Bush's former U.N. ambassador, hard-liner John Bolton:

That red line appears to have been crossed, and conservatives are outraged. President Bush's former ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said the decision legitimizes Mr. Obama's position that America should begin talks with Iran without requiring the mullahs to stop uranium enrichment.

"Even if this is a one time only event in the Bush administration, it legitimizes the Obama administration to do the same thing," he said. "It undercuts McCain, and Republicans on the Hill. This is the State Department effort to insure a smooth transition to the Obama administration."

So much for the "red line," and so much for John McCain's position that direct negotiations with Iran constitute "appeasement" or whatever.  Unless he's also accusing the Bush Administration of "appeasement" as well?  I can't wait to see McCain's head spin off its shoulders as he tries to explain this one. In the meantime, it looks like the Bush Administration has adopted Barack Obama's Iran policy, 6 months before Obama takes the oath of office as the 44th president of the United States.  Good for the Bush Administration, too bad for John "Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran" McCain.