Kaine in Newport News for an economic development announcement...

He hinted at it a couple of weeks ago during a local meeting, and now Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is coming to Newport News for an economic development announcement on Thursday.

Like most of these events - the administration is being real quiet about where the good news in coming from - and none of the big local companies are talking either.

But luckily the Peninsula rumor mill is churning. Let's just say this - there ought to be a lot of cameras there for the press conference and everyone can make copies of the announcement to celebrate maybe they'll have a 21 cannon salute.

But I say nothing...

Wait, Mark Warner hasn't officially kicked off his campaign?

You may have thought that all those campaign signs out in Wakefield and all those appearances around the state meant former Gov. Mark R. Warner was running for U.S. Senate. Well, finally, you're right.

Warner is "officially" kicking off his Senate campaign starting this weekend in Abingdon and then on to Roanoke before touching down in Hampton Roads on Monday. Warner will hold a rally with U.S. Sen. Jim Webb at 11:15 a.m. on Monday in Norfolk near the USS Wisconsin.

In all, Warner is making 9 stops on the tour and probably hoping to get some good news coverage as former Gov. Jim Gilmore and Del. Bob Marshall fight it out for the GOP nod. Most everyone is assuming that Gilmore will survive the Republican convention in late May, but a lot of people - we're looking at you Del. Chris Saxman - apparently believe that the race will be closer than people think.

Only 6 months until Election day - don't blink.   

New polished site for Thelma Drake...

U.S. Rep Thelma Drake must be taking Democratic challenger Glenn Nye seriously because she's launched a brand new Internet site.

Nye raised a whole heap of money during the last cycle and Drake has said all along that shes ready for a tough race because she's been targeted by some Democratic political action committees - so get ready.

While we're on the subject, it is interesting to think about how these hopefuls view the presidential contest right now. You have a assume that Drake loves the fact that John McCain is on the top of the Republican ticket, because her district has a huge military population that would be likely to show the former Vietnam POW some political loyalty at the ballot box.

Meanwhile, Nye has got to be rooting for Barack Obama like crazy, because he has been turning out record setting numbers in urban areas and even fueling new registration drives. If those voters follow Obama to the polls and then vote a solid Democratic ticket - then Nye could see a major swing in his favor.   

For Drake's site click here.

Gilmore tops Marshall in straw poll of conservatives

Gov. Jim Gilmore easily topped Del. Bob Marshall in a straw poll of conservative activists last Saturday, Bearing Drift reports.

With about 200 people voting during the banquet at the Virginia Conservative Leadership Conference in Richmond, Gilmore drew 57 percent of the votes to Marshall's 40 percent.

"Marshall was there that day and he should have owned that room," Bearing Drift says. "If he couldn't win in that room, it isn't looking good for him at the convention."

The GOP convention, which will choose one of the men to run against Mark Warner in November for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring John Warner, is slated for May 30-31.

Once again Florida to the rescue...

Apparently Sunshine State lawmakers take their cues from the Virginia General Assembly. The latest legislation in Florida's state legislature would ban  - the replica bull genitalia from hanging off truck hitches.

Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, is not the only one worried about how....um...manly a trucker wants to be out there on the roads. I will refrain from further innuendo because I work at a family newspaper, but you should recall that it was a Florida town that outlawed droopy drawers earlier this year.

Read about the Florida bill, here.

I guess bad ideas retire in Florida too.

John Warner's spanking

Friday evening's tribute dinner for retiring Sen. John Warner offered up this gem from Warner's college days:

It seems Warner's roommate as a young student at Washington and Lee University was none other than Linwood Holton, Virginia's first Republican governor since Reconstruction, who served in the 1970's. Holton is also the father-in-law of Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

``He was a smart-aleck little kid," Holton said of Warner. ``He needed a lot of training. I sent him on his way with a pretty brisk paddle as part of the hazing at our fraternity."

To which the 81-year-old Warner later replied:

``What he didn't tell you is when he hit me with a paddle, he broke it over my ass."

Webb-McCain battle brewing?

With Sen. John McCain leading the opposition, the battle over Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's GI Bill could be heating up.

Webb, a Democrat, has won broad bipartisan support for his legislation to give qualified troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan a full college tuition and monthly stipend, under certain conditions.

The Pentagon has expressed concerns about the bill, fearing it would entice many troops to leave the military earlier than they otherwise might. And officials have worried about the price tag, which lawmakers have estimated at $2.5 billion to $4 billion a year.

McCain, hoping to quash the measure, offered an alternative bill last week that provides only modest increases to current education benefits.

Now, hoping to up the ante, Webb and his supporters are scheduled to hold a rally at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday with more than 100 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Webb is scheduled to be joined by many lawmakers supporting his bill, including Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. John Warner, R-Va.

Warner is supporting Webb's bill even as he backs McCain's presidential campaign.

Bipartisan love for John Warner

It may be a heated election year, but here at Arlington's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Virginia's political leadership are showing signs of bipartisan harmony.

The occasion is a dinner saluting Sen. John Warner, who steps down from office in January at the age of 81.

All seven living ex-governors  joined Gov. Timothy Kaine and Sen. Jim Webb with the guest of honor and were on their best behavior.

As they lined up for a photo, former Gov. Charles Robb took note of the bipartisan affection.

``It's contagious!" Robb joked. ``I don't think it will cross the river," he said, referring to Washington D.C. ``But it's good to see."

Former Republican Sen. George Allen bumped into the man who ousted him in 2006, Webb, and the two posed for a photo.

``Look at us, we're buddies!," Allen was overhead saying, according to one observer.

Warner appeared in high spirits as he greeted the caravan of political stars, past and present, with his wife Jeanne.

Among the guests were former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner and the man he is likely to face this fall for John Warner's Senate seat: former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore. But the two candidates appeared to keep their distance.

Hampton Roads plus Northern Virginia = transportation solution...

During Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's appearance in Norfolk on Thursday night, Del. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, made some really interesting points about the looming transportation debate in Richmond.

Cosgrove sits at the head of the Hampton Roads caucus, a group typically not known for unity that has increasingly sung from the same sheet of music on transportation recently. Cosgrove said that a meeting is in the works to bring together lawmakers from Hampton Roads with their counterparts in Northern Virginia.

The two bookend regions of the urban crescent have growing populations, which leads to growing power in Richmond especially when redistricting moves seats to follow population. A joint Hampton Roads - Northern Virginia caucus has got to have lawmakers from other regions worried. If those groups can effectively come together it would be extremely difficult to derail their priorities - which could leave other regions very far behind.

Cosgrove also made an interesting point about the people - like himself - who voted for last year's transportation plan - House Bill 3202. Cosgrove represents a conservative bastion and he touted his strong voting record against tax increase, but he acknowledged that you can't get the virginity back. Cosgrove continued to hint that he would support a sales tax increase.

"I've already voted for those fees and taxes," Cosgrove said, referring to last year's plan which was struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court. "If I switch over (to a sales tax increase) I'm actually helping my constituents."

Cosgrove noted that a sales tax would hit businesses and tourists - who almost completely escaped the package of taxes and fees last year.

Where's this all headed? Who knows - but the arrows are pointing toward some sort of tax increase for transportation.      

Governors on Parade

Virginia's governors-- past and present-- will gather in Arlington tonight to pay tribute to Sen. John Warner, who will retire in January after a 30-year tenure.

The gala black-tie dinner, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, promises to offer plenty of glowing tributes to a much-beloved senator-- and plenty of potentially awkward moments.

Among the invited guests: fomer Gov. George Allen and Sen. Jim Webb, who ousted the Republican from the Senate.

Also invited: former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner and former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore, who are likely to do battle in the fall to fill John Warner's seat.

The gala is sponsored by the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.