Stimulus in Va.: $437,148 for Elizabeth River ferries in Hampton Roads...

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced another round of stimulus funding this morning, with the federal government ponying up $437,148 for maintenance on Hampton Roads ferries.

The money, part of President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan, is heading for the Hampton Roads Transportation District Commission - which in a former life along with the singer Prince was known as the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The money is to "fund preventative maintenance costs associated with the Elizabeth Ferries, as well as other vehicles in the agency's use."

Funny how folks thought that all $787 billion of that was already pumping through the U.S. economy, but we're still getting a trickle of big spending announcement. And expect some more apparently. According to the release, the stimulus has been responsible for $4 billion in transit improvement across the country. But of the $48.1 billion in spending for transportation - only $22.5 billion has been obligated for 6,832 projects - and that's not even halfway there.

Here's a pretty blah quote from LaHood, I guess you don't get that high up in the transportation hierarchy being electrifying.

 “The Recovery Act was put in place quickly to rescue the economy from the worst recession since the Great Depression and rebuild it for a stronger future,” said Secretary LaHood.  “Rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure is a key part of that prescription for strength.  It creates jobs today and builds a better, more sustainable economy moving forward.”

 “By quickly moving federal dollars to the cities and towns across the country, we are ensuring that our nation will have reliable and efficient transit systems for generations to come,” he added.

Happy Friday - Louisianna politics rules...

Just when July politics was becoming a total snooze-fest, Louisiana steps into the void and offers you a porn star congressional hopeful beating up her husband because he didn't do the laundry or pay the bills all in the same week that her campaign managers car blew up.

Whew. 

Did I mention the fact that Stormy Daniels is considering a run against U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, the moral police politician whose name just happened to pop up in the records of a massive prostitution ring?   

Can I just say, Louisiana is awesome.

When was the last time Sens. Mark Warner or Jim Webb got caught up with a Washington madam? Sure Creigh Deeds got into a little fender-bender during the primary campaign, but I haven't heard about Bob McDonnell's car blowing up unexpectedly? I mean these guys need to cease with the whole policy roll out game - grab a bucket of popcorn and watch the circus with the rest of us. 

I mean, can you imagine applying the Louisiana standard to politics nationwide? New Jersey had a pretty nice run setting up what seemed like a old school, shaggy dog joke about the three mayors and four rabbis who are trafficking organs. But if Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates and Sgt. John Crowley opted to meet for a beer in the Big Easy rather than the White House, they'd probably end up streaking through the Lower Ninth Ward. There must be something in the hand grenades.       

Check out the meat of this story:

"Daniels was arrested Saturday at 3:18 p.m. after her husband, Michael Mosny, reported that Daniels hit him several times, according to a Tampa Police Department report. Police said neither Mosny nor Daniels were injured.

Mosny told police that Daniels was upset "about the way the clothes had been done" and then "got more upset about some bills that had not been paid," the police report said.

The police report said Daniels allegedly "threw a potted plant at the kitchen sink," hit Mosny on the head several times and "threw their wedding album onto the floor and knocked candles off coffee table, breaking them."

The bad week, though, started on July 23 when her political adviser's car blew up in suspicious circumstances in New Orleans.

Welsh, a Democratic adviser and manager of the Stormy Daniels Senate Exploratory Committee LLC., said his Audi convertible exploded into flames around 11:15 p.m. July 23, a Thursday, while he and his wife were walking their dog nearby."

Tell me you don't want to read the whole story of Stormy Daniels and her domestic violence charge  

And I'll tell you to start reading another blog.  

Va. House: Oder uses old payday lender building as campaign HQ...

Del. G. Glenn Oder is opening his re-election campaign headquarters in a Newport News office that used to house a payday lender. 

Oder, a Newport News Republican, has been a leading advocate in Richmond for tougher restrictions on payday lenders, who have been critiqued for giving out small loans that can carry yearly interest rates over 300 percent. Lawmakers have been working to crack down on predatory loans, and Oder's proposals have led to more regulations on the number of loans people can have out at any one time.  

After two-years of focus on predatory lending, lawmakers say that payday lenders are starting to close up shop and move out of the state. Oder's team said in the announcement that payday loans are down 85 percent and the number of Virginia locations have dropped by 35 percent.

Oder is hoping that his work against payday lending will be an important feather in his legislative cap as he faces a campaign challenge from Newport News attorney Gary West, a Democrat. 

The office, located at 12434 Warwick Boulevard, will open early next week - on Tuesday Aug. 4 at 5:30 p.m., along with the help of Ward Scull, a local activist who has championed tighter restrictions on payday lending.

The symbolism is too much to pass up for Oder's campaign - because payday lending has been one of his signature issues in Richmond. But it's unclear how payday lending will play out as a campaign issue and it remains to be seen how many voters in the district actively support the fight against payday lending.

Here's a snippet of the release from Oder's campaign:

“I worked very closely with a coalition of payday opponents to develop regulations that won bi-partisan support in the General Assembly. These regulations have reduced the number of payday loans in Virginia by 85%!”  said Oder.  “The opportunity to run my re-election campaign out of a former payday lending store is a testimony to the hard work so many people did on this legislation.”

 Delegate Oder is also encouraging people who attend the event to bring clothes and other items to donate to the Thrift Store located adjacent to the re-election HQ.

Va: Obama supporters and volunteers rally on the Peninsula this weekend...

President Barack Obama's supporters and campaign volunteers are rallying on Saturday in Newport News to discuss the best ways to back the president's agenda outside of Washington. 

Organizing for America is the grassroots group set up by the Democratic National Committeeto help put public muscle and manpower behind Obama's policy agenda. The group has already held three listening tour stops in Virginia recently, probably thanks to Virginia's close proximity to Washington, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's seat at the helm of the DNC and the high stakes governor's race between Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell. 

It was just this type of grassroots organizing that helped Obama overcome 44-years of history in Virginia to capture the state on his way to the White House. Obama's presidential campaign flexed an unprecedented level of technological muscle during the race - bringing together volunteers with staffers to make the case for his candidacy. Now Obama's organizing gurus are hoping to expand that organizational muscle to carry weight in policy feuds in Washington.

The hot topic right now, obviously, is the tragic breakup of celebrity couple Kim Kardasian and Reggie Bush. Wait, wait. That's not it. 

The main boiling point is some Harvard professor named Skip who can't remember his house keys and some handcuff-happy cop. No sorry, start over one more time.

The hot topic right now is Obama's push to reform health care and offer insurance to the millions of uninsured people around the country. Obama has been pushing the issue for months making the case that skyrocketing health care costs make the current health care system unsustainable. It's been a difficult sell for the president so far, in large because the issue is vast and complex. 

Obama's supporters are hoping to press the argument and not allow Republican opponents to slow the process down and kill this year's reform effort. Opponents of Obama's reform bill are also organizing supporters to try to submarine the federal plan.

Here's a quote for Organizing for America's local chief:

"We have just one goal for these events - to listen," said Brandyn Keating, Virginia OFA State Director. "The historic dedication and commitment of our supporters is what brought us victory in November and is what will help us advance President Obama's bold vision for the country over the coming years. They, more than anyone else, know what approaches will work best in Hampton Roads and we're eager to hear their ideas.”

 

And here are the details:

Who:

OFA Volunteers

Brandyn Keating, OFA Virginia State Director

Million Fikre, OFA Virginia Field Director

 

What: 

Organizing for America 'Listening Tour'

 

Where:

Main Street Library

110 Main Street
Newport News, VA 23601

When:

Saturday, August 1^st at 2:00 PM

 

Va. 2010: Goode won't push Perriello....

Former Republican Rep. Virgil Goode is not going to run against U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello when the seat is up for grabs in 2010.

Goode said he is clearing the way for about a dozen potential Republican hopefuls in the district. This was not an easy pick up for the Democrats - it was a narrow Perriella win - so the GOP is going to go after Perriello in the same way that they are targeting U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye.

In fact this week the Republican National Committeestarted running a radio ad campaign targeting Nye, Perriello and U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher. Here's a transcript from the new 60-second ad which focuses on President Barack Obama's health care push. From the RNC:

Voice: “Most Americans agree.  It’s time to take action to reform our healthcare system.  But the dangerous experiment President Obama and the Democrats in Congress want just can’t be the right answer.  The question is what Congressman [Nye/Perriello/Boucher] will do.”

 

Voice: “Look at their record.  The stimulus package cost us hundreds of billions without creating new jobs.  The national debt has more than doubled.”

 

Voice: “If Barack Obama and the Democrats get their way, the Federal Government will make the decisions about your health care.  And, their plan costs a trillion dollars we don’t have.  You have to pay a new tax to keep your private insurance.  It’s too much, too fast.”

 

Voice: “Call Congressman [Nye/Perriello/Boucher] at 202-225-3121, that’s 202-225-3121 and tell him to say no to this dangerous experiment.”

And here's a report from Brian McNeillover at the Daily Progress about Goode not seeking the seat - click at the bottom for the full story. 

    By Brian McNeill

    The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va.

    (MCT)

    Jul. 28--Former GOP congressman Virgil H. Goode Jr. said Monday that he will not seek a re-match against U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, setting up a primary contest of an estimated dozen Republicans interested in taking on the freshman Democrat in 2010.

    “You're probably going to see 11 or 12 candidates in the running,” said Albemarle County GOP Chairman Chris Schoenewald. “The campaign for 2010 starts today.”

    Not all of the possible Republican contenders have yet been identified, but several -- including a member of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors -- expressed interest in the wake of Goode's announcement Monday morning.

    “I can say that I'm awfully flattered about being asked if I'd run,” said Ken Boyd, the lone Republican serving on Albemarle's Board of Supervisors. “I'm not announcing anything at this point, but I will say that I'm looking into it very seriously.”

    Goode's decision not to run opens up the GOP field in what will almost certainly be one of the most hotly contested races in next year's mid-term congressional elections.

    Perriello, a Democrat from Ivy, unseated the six-term incumbent Goode by 727 votes -- the slimmest margin of any congressional race in 2008.

 

Michelle Obama to visit Norfolk Friday meet with Navy families...

First Lady Michelle Obama is returning to Hampton Roads on Friday to meet with Navy families and celebrate the homecoming  pf The USS Eisenhower Strike Group and the USNS Comfort.

The ships return to Norfolk on Thursday, and Obama will be there on Friday for a welcome home ceremony. Obama made a military-themed swing through Hampton Roads during the presidential campaign. During the campaign, she met with military families at Old Dominion University and also headlined a fundraiser for her husband Barack Obama at the Norfolk Opera House.

Then-candidate Barack Obama also made a handful of stops in Hampton Roads during the final weeks of the presidential election, as it became clear that Virginia was indeed up for grabs in the race for the White House. Obama headlined events in Norfolk, Newport News and Virginia Beach during the final months of the campaign.

According to a White House press release, Michelle Obama will meet with Navy leadership and local families during the visit. The events are not open to the public.

The future of journalism....Sally Struthers style...

Perhaps you thought newspapers were dying, well not if the folks over at Slate have anything to say about it.

VT massacre: Families want new look at VT shooting after mental records surface...

The Virginia Tech families touched by the mass shooting on the campus two years ago want a deeper review of the massacre after the mental health file of the shooter surfaced last week. 

The killer, Seung Hui Cho, shot 32 students and faculty members at Virginia Tech before turning his gunon himself. Cho left a serious wake of devastation and only dark hints at what was going on inside his head, including disturbing video of him ranting against fellow students and brandishing weapons. Most of the clues that Cho left behind painted an incomplete picture. 

The discovery of Cho's mental health records last week threw open old wounds and revived painful questions about how Cho slipped through the cracks far enough to go on a killing spree.  

So now the families want Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to get the panel back together to incorporate new information, mistakes and omissions found by family members since the report was issued. This statement to the Washington Post pretty much sums it up.

"While we appreciate the hard work of the Virginia Tech Review Panel, the report issued by the panel contains grave errors, misinformation, and glaring omissions," said the statement, signed by 65 victim's families and survivors. "We respectfully ask that Governor Kaine re-convene the panel. We consider the panel's report extremely valuable, and we cannot accept that the Commonwealth allows it to stand with errors of any kind."

From the looks of this article in the Post it looks like Kaine's office wants a look at the mental health records too

This is a very, very sensitive issue and so far there have been few clues about what is inside that folder. But whether it's an extensive look into Cho's mental state, or simply a few pieces of paper acknowledging his counseling - the folder is going to be a hot topic until it goes public. The fact is that folder could end up playing a big role in civil lawsuits, so keep an eye out for the details.   

House of Delegates: Hamilton launches new web site, hits Abbott on transportation...

Del. Phil Hamilton is getting something of an overhaul thanks to his Democratic opponent Robin Abbott, in the past week Hamilton launched a full redesigned website and issued a challenge to Abbott on transportation.

Hamilton is the ranking Republican on the House Appropriation Committeeand he's got deep pockets ready for the campaign trail. Facing his first campaign in more than a decade, Hamilton has already done tele-townhalls that reach out to homeowners in the district and sent out another copy of the "Hamilton Herald" his personal newsletter that updates local voters on what's happening in Richmond.

Now Hamilton has a brand new spiffy web site - one that looks a lot like the one's set up by Barack Obama and Terry McAuliffe on the campaign trail. The site has all the bells and whistles of social networking that are the hallmark of political outreach these days. Hamilton has links to his Facebook, Twitter and flickr accounts and a Youtube channel to boot.  

Abbott has proved to be a formidable opponent - connecting with Newport News Democrats who were reinvigorated by the attention President Barack Obama paid to Hampton Roads during his national victory last fall. Many Democrats were giddy just to see Democratic campaign headquarters set up, and Abbott is hoping to tap into that energy and she's getting some nice financial support in the legal community.

So far both campaigns have essentially been building their teams, fundraising and door knocking - but we're starting to see some of the issues that are going to define the race between these two, and one appears to be transportation.

Abbott apparently critiqued the General Assembly's fruitless efforts to solve Virginia's transportation problems - a very apt place for a challenger to start on the trail because gridlock is an issue that really irks the public and allows candidates to solidly connect with a vocal section of the public.

So when Abbott said that "nothing has been accomplished on transportation over the last five years" she's on fairly solid ground. Lawmakers passed a 2007 transportation plan that was eventually gutted by the state Supreme Court - and while Republican Bob McDonnell has suggested that the state should start issuing bonds to help pay for roadwork, the bonds remain untouched.   

Now Hamilton is pressing Abbott on what she would do on transportation, saying "she should immediately provide the details of her transportation plan." 

It's a delicate Kabuki dance for Democrats taking on Republican incumbents on the trail this year, and you're watching the same two-step play out in the gubernatorial race between McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds. Urban Democrats have been some of the most adamant supporters of increased funding for the state's aging transportation network, but House Republicans have consistently battled against tax increases for roadwork. 

So the challengers know that transportation is a soft-spot for any sitting member of the General Assembly, especially those who control the purse strings - like Hamilton. The problem is that the main solution for upgrading the state's road network is more money - a lot more money - and finding more money for state lawmakers is a major problem. 

Senators - especially Democrats - are protective of the state's General Fund when it comes to transportation, saying that the main bank account should only be used to pay for core services like public education, public safety and health care. That is why Del. G. Glenn Oder's bill to use future growth from the port for roads has never gotten anywhere in the Senate - where the leadership sees the proposal as a raid on schools, cops, etc. McDonnell incorporated the idea into his transportation plan, despite the fact that it faces near certain death in Richmond. 

So if the money doesn't come out of the General Fund, well where does it come from?

Taxes.

But every politician knows that advocating higher-taxes is the death knell for any political campaign. It is a classic example of the old adage that "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission." 

Mark R. Warner said explicitly on the campaign trail that he wouldn't raise taxes, but after a series of cuts Warner ended up pushing for tax increases to clean up the financial mess left by former Gov. Jim Gilmore. Warner ended up championing the 2004 tax increases, and four years later Warner smashed Gilmore head-to-head on the campaign trail. 

But stepping out and saying you're going to raise taxes simply turns voters off. Democratic hopefuls trying to hold high the Warner - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine tradition are forced to confront this uncomfortable reality.

So folks lay out the broad parameters of their transportation plans without painting themselves into a corner on where to get the money. Deeds is trying to walk that line at the statewide level right now saying he wants a "longterm, statewide solution." Deeds' critics can point to his voting record in the General Assembly to give voters an idea of the types of solutions that he favors.

Abbott doesn't have a voting record to sift through, but if she continues pressing Hamilton on transportation, she's going to keep hearing calls for her to get specific. Here's the text on transportation from Abbott's web site: 

Robin understands that transportation is a big problem for the residents of our community and around the Commonwealth.  Like many of the people in our community, she has wasted hours of her personal and professional time sitting in traffic while trying to get to work and meetings, pick up her kids from their activities, and run errands. She recognizes that our transportation problems are having a negative impact on the quality of life for many of those in our community, and she is committed to finding solutions to clear the gridlock, both in Richmond and on our roads. 

Robin believes it is unacceptable that after years of having the discussion in Richmond about how to solve transportation problems in Hampton Roads, that the legislators from our region and the current leadership have yet to create and implement a solution.

Robin believes that solving Hampton Roads' transportation problems is about developing long-term, forward-thinking solutions as much as it is about fixing transportation dilemmas in the short term.  With a firm commitment to creating and implementing smart transportation legislation, we have a terrific opportunity to create thousands of jobs in our community.

As your Delegate, Robin will make satisfying our transportation needs a priority. She will work across the aisle to rapidly develop and implement solutions that make long term sense and which invest in the building and repairing of roads and bridges, mass transit and high-speed rail.    

Here's a link to Phil Hamilton's new site

 

And here's a link to Abbott's web site

 

Va. AG: Shannon ad hits Cuccinelli, links him to Crabhill...

A new web ad released by Democrat Steve Shannon is pressing Republican attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli on the statements made by a Republican House of Delegates candidate about resorting to the bullet box.

Shannon's campaign has asked Cuccinelli to condemn the remarks made by Republican Catherine Crabhill, who is running against Democrat Albert Pollard in the 99th House District. Here's the orginal video.  

“At a time when a lot of people in the country are on edge about their economic future, the last thing we need are candidates talking about armed violence because they don’t like election results. We need an Attorney General with the leadership and principles to stand against this type of reckless rhetoric,” said Shannon. “If Ken Cuccinelli wants to be Virginia’s top law enforcement official, he shouldn’t have a problem condemning these remarks and the implication that violence is an acceptable solution to any political dispute.”
 
And here's Shannon's ad going after Cuccinelli.