U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott didn't quite make the cut for Barack Obama's short list of potential Supreme Court nominees but the longtime lawmaker is dipping into Virginia's Democratic primaries.
On Wednesday Scott, D-Newport News, announced that he would be publicly supporting Virginia Beach Democrat Jody Wagner, who is running for Lt. Governor against Mike Signer. Scott served in the General Assembly for years before making the leap to Washington - which gives him some good street credentials with Virginia's political insiders.
Scott offered this statement about Wagner's experience:
"I'm proud to stand with Jody Wagner in her race for Lt. Governor. As a long-time legislator in the Virginia Assembly and Congress, I have great respect for Jody's deep experience as Treasurer and Secretary of Finance. I saw her work hand-in-hand with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to straighten out the state's budget, maintain our critical AAA bond rating, create new jobs, and invest billions more in education."
Scott's endorsement ought to carry some weight in the June 9 primary, but the real question is whether he's going to weigh in on the top of the ticket Democratic primary race.
So far Virginia' leading statewide Democrats have opted to stay on the sidelines - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, Sen, Jim Webb and Sen. Mark R. Warner are all steering clear of endorsements - at least at this point.
But there have been questions about who Scott is supporting in the three way fight between Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran and Sen. Creigh Deeds. Rumor has it that Scott has been wearing a McAuliffe sticker on the inside of his lapel so he can show folks in the know - Here's a photo of Scott at a McAuliffe headquarters wearing a McAuliffe for governor sticker.
That's not exactly a smoking gun - after all if you've been to a partisan event during election season you've probably ended up with a random sticker slyly stuck to you - sort of like a political "kick me" sign hanging from your back.
But the underlying question is what is the cost benefit of jumping into the race for Scott?
Scott doesn't want to back the wrong horse and watch his endorsement become ammunition for Republican Bob McDonnell. And he certainly doesn't want to create a rift with the next governor of Virginia.
He doesn't really need to have an amazing working relationship with every member of the General Assembly so he can jump in. But he probably doesn't want to bury two longtime lawmakers who have diligently served in the legislature for years and are well respected within the state party.
So what are the positives for Scott speaking out?
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