GOP primary in Hampton Roads listed at one to watch in national circles....

The Republican primary to see who gets to face off against U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye is getting some national heat thanks to the tea party versus establishment theme.

This week Time's political blog tapped the race as one of the seven across the country to watch as the primary season heats up. They don't offer much detail, but it is significant to see that national folks are paying attention to the tea leaves that come out of this local race.

The race between Ben Loyola, Ed Maulbeck, Bert Mizusawa, Scott Rigell, Jessica Sandlin and Scott Taylorhas the potential to be a complex showdown. But until the Hampton Roads Tea Party backed Loyola this week the theme really seemed to be questions about Rigell.

Rigell has been answering questions about donations to Barack Obama and the transportation tax referendum in 2002 called the "Yes campaign." And he's even taken heat for being involved in the "Cash for Clunkers" program even though he said he only engaged in the federally backed car return program because his customers demanded it - not because he supported the idea in any way.

But you'll see things like this old ad circulating - where Freedom Automotive touts it Cash for Clunkers approved status in a newspaper ad from an - AHEM - unmentionable Hampton Roads newspaper. Let's call it the VP for short - wink. Download CashforClunkersad.

At this point Rigell knows he's not getting the Hampton Roads Tea Party endorsement, but his internal polling suggests a huge lead heading into the home stretch - so you've got to believe that Rigell is focusing on get-out-the-vote efforts which usually end up playing a hand in primary wins. It's not like Rigell is going to go negative against the tea party ( which is highlighting his past political efforts.)

"He can't go after the tea party," said Christopher Newport University political science professor Quentin Kidd. "He's stuck working the non-tea part establishment portion of the Republican base."

 

McDonnell still backs offshore drilling - but understands Obama's caution...

Gov. Bob McDonnell just released a formal statement on President Barack Obama's move to delay and cancel various efforts to explore for oil and gas off the United States coastline.

McDonnell, a strong proponent of domestic energy production specifically off Virginia's coast, had high hopes for leading the state into a new generation of energy that could provide jobs and cash for the commonwealth.

Clearly, McDonnell sees that the BP oil spill in the Gulf is a "major setback" for offshore drilling proponents. "Drill, baby, drill" isn't quite such a cute slogan anymore now that the dangers are so openly on display. Here's McDonnell's statement with emphasis added:   

“The environmental disaster still unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico is unprecedented and devastating. The full attention of the federal government, as well as state and local governments and the private sector companies involved should appropriately be focused on permanently capping this leak and cleaning up the oil that has been spilled.The images from Louisiana and around the Gulf are stunning, and it will take significant time and resources to fully recover from this tragedy. The Commonwealth of Virginia is prepared to assist in those efforts, should our services be required or useful. I have previously called Governor Bobby Jindal to inform him of our willingness to help. He is doing excellent work in leading his state’s response.

Similarly, it will take significant time to fully investigate and evaluate what took place at the Deepwater Horizon rig on April 20th and in the ensuing weeks. This accident must lead to necessary improvements in offshore exploration and drilling technology and safety, and the implementation of new safeguards and regulations moving forward. This process will make it difficult to move forward with the lease sale currently scheduled off the coast of Virginia in 2012. Thus, I understand the decision the President has made today. While I respect his decision, and the need for delay and investigation, I do not believe outright cancellation was the only alternative given the fact that this sale was not due to occur until two years from now, and actual drilling would likely take place years after that. The two-year environmental impact statement already underway would provide ample information about the wisdom of proceeding on to an actual lease sale.

It is my hope that the President’s action does not signal the end of offshore energy exploration and production off Virginia in the years ahead. Once we have learned the lessons from this tragic accident, and made the necessary changes and improvements in the offshore industry and government oversight, we should move forward with environmentally responsible domestic offshore energy production for oil and natural gas. This nation needs more domestic energy production. If we decrease the amount of energy produced here in the United States, we will only increase the amount of energy we must import from overseas. We must have the foresight and objectivity to not let this tragic accident cripple our ability to increase energy production in the United States. That would be a tragedy in its own right.

Just as Americans did not quit or retreat from innovation after tragedies in space exploration, so must we learn, change and persevere in advancing energy independence by using all our natural resources. The spirit of American progress is to overcome adversity and conquer obstacles, not quit and accept failure. Our nation needs domestic energy production and the jobs and security that come with it. I am a strong proponent of a comprehensive energy policy for Virginia and America. We should greatly increase our domestic production and utilization of all energy sources. That includes offshore and onshore wind, coal, solar, nuclear, biofuels, waste to energy, natural gas and, with the appropriate improvements in the industry incorporated moving forward, offshore oil and gas. I have great confidence in American ingenuity, intelligence and innovation, and our ability to properly and reasonably move forward following this major setback.”

Bolling rips Obama on offshore drilling halt....

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is not happy that President Barack Obama is clamping down on offshore drilling efforts in Virginia - specifically the lease sale of land to explore for oil and natural gas.

Bolling has seen firsthand the fallout from major disasters - he was trapped in Italy for some extra overseas time after the volcanic ash shut down flights all over Europe a few months back.  

“I am extremely disappointed that President Obama has chosen to cancel the Virginia lease sale for offshore energy exploration that was scheduled for 2012. While I certainly agree that we need to learn from the accident that recently occurred in the Gulf of Mexico and take additional steps to minimize the chance of an incident of this nature occurring again, I remain convinced that offshore energy development can occur safely and I do not believe that we should abandon or postpone responsible efforts to develop our offshore energy resources.

“Proceeding with this lease sale would enable our country to achieve a greater degree of energy security, while enabling Virginia to achieve a greater degree of economic security. The President’s decision will deprive Virginia of the economic resources and jobs that could be created as a result of offshore energy development, resources that are needed to help address critical needs like transportation; and it will keep our country dependent on foreign nations for large amounts of our energy resources. I do not believe that this is the right policy for our country, and I will continue to work to advance the exploration and development of Virginia’s offshore energy resources at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Obama cancels exploration off Virginia coast amid Gulf oil spill fallout....

President Barack Obamais clamping down on federal offshore drilling initiatives, announcing today that he is canceling offshore exploration along the East Coast and delaying the lease sale for Virginia property.

Here's some detail on Obama's move from ABC News.

A senior White House official said "the president's eyes have been opened" to the risks of offshore drilling. Officials point specifically to the inability of the U.S. Minerals Management Service to reliably regulate the industry, the inaccurate claims by the oil industry that companies are able to stop catastrophes such as these from happening and whether the industry can contain the damage.

Each of those assumptions have been proven false, the senior White House official told ABC News, which is why projects are being canceled or delayed.

The Virginia sale is being cancelled because of environmental concerns and concerns raised by the Defense Department, the official said. Planned exploration off the coast of Alaska in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas is also being delayed pending the review of the presidential commission looking into the BP spill.

The move makes sense in regards to the current spill in the Gulf, but it's probably not going to sit well with folks like Gov. Bob McDonnell, who remains a steadfast supporter of offshore exploration.

Sen. Mark R. Warner is holding a 2 p.m. press conference to address the ramifications in Virginia. Warner appears to agree with Obama on the delays and cancellations in light of the Gulf spill. Here's a snippet from Warner's planning release.

  [Senator Warner, who has supported moving forward with the required reviews and permits for developing Virginia’s coastal wind, natural gas and oil resources, believes cancellation of the scheduled 2012 lease sale makes sense in light of the ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.]

McDonnell announces Orion Air Group to expand in Newport News....

Gov. Bob's for Jobs McDonnell announced today that Orion Air Group is moving headquarters from Yorktown to Newport News and adding about 50 new jobs.

Here's the full details from a release:

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Orion Air Group, one of the world’s leading operators of business aircraft, will invest $4 million to consolidate its Virginia operations in the City of Newport News. The company, headquartered in Yorktown, Virginia, outgrew its current location and will develop a hangar and office space complex at Air Commerce Park located at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. The project will include retention of 57 jobs in York County and Newport News and create 51 new jobs within the next 12 months with an average annual salary of $81,569.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell commented, “The aviation industry in Virginia is thriving, especially in the Hampton Roads area. It is noteworthy that Orion Air Group’s recent contracts resulted in outgrowing the company’s current Virginia location. Keeping the company and those 57 jobs in the Commonwealth was our goal, and I am pleased that Newport News offered the infrastructure that Orion needed. In addition, 51 new positions will be created as a result of the consolidation and expansion, paying above-average salaries.”

Orion Air Group is a privately owned aviation services firm. The Company provides a full range of value-added services for government and commercial clients on a worldwide basis. The company’s business lines include aircraft charter and management, sales and leasing, aviation insurance and financial services, and maintenance and modifications. Orion Air Group owns and operates more than $150 million worth of corporate aircraft and is the world’s largest operator of the Bombardier Global Express business jet. The company operates from eight locations in the U.S. and abroad while employing more than 100 aviation professionals.

"The Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport offers a business and operating environment that is extremely conducive to the continued growth of our company," said Scott Terry, Orion Air Group's President. "The airport's proximity to our government customer base and the availability of well-trained aerospace professionals who are transitioning from the numerous military aviation commands in the area are attractive features that convinced us to make a long-term investment in the community."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Newport News, the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and the Peninsula Airport Commission to secure the project for Virginia. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide training assistance through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

“This exciting announcement continues the successful momentum in our business attraction and retention efforts,” said Newport News Mayor Joe S. Frank. “We are thrilled with Orion’s growth and welcome their consolidation to Newport News.”

“We are extremely pleased to have Orion Air Group relocating to the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport and building a new ‘state-of-the-art’ facility,” said Herbert H. Bateman, Jr., Chairman, Peninsula Airport Commission. “Orion will have a positive economic impact on our local community and provide high paying jobs to our citizens.”

Loyola says "the campaign begins today" in GOP sprint to take on Nye...

Republican congressional hopeful Ben Loyola is working to get the word out abut his endorsement from the leaders of the Hampton Roads Tea Party.

Loyola's team is blasting the endorsement out to supporters online and touting on his campaign's Internet headquarters, along with this quote from Loyola.

“The campaign begins today,” said Ben Loyola of the primary race that will culminate on June 8th. “The Tea Party has been the center of gravity in American politics, especially in primaries, and this endorsement means we have essentially a two-person race, and a choice between yesterday’s establishment candidates and candidates who will fight for real change in Washington.”

Loyola, of course, it aiming at Republican Scott Rigell, the Gov. Bob McDonnell backed candidate with internal polling suggesting a huge 37 point lead in the race. Rigell certainly knows that being the frontrunner has its advantages - everybody loves to vote for the winner - but it also puts a huge target on his back.

The statement "the campaign begins today" should remind voters that in a clouded primary with a ton of candidates still working their tails off on the trail the race remains up for grabs. Ten days is a lifetime in this kind of political environment, and you never know what the final weeks of a primary are going to look like - especially with the potential for someone to go negative and simply start trying to bring down Rigell.  

Recall that Creigh Deeds was the also-ran in last years gubernatorial primary until he surged out of nowhere to knock off Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran.  

At this point the race between Rigell, Loyola and Ed Maulbeck, Bert Mizusawa, Jessica Sandlin and Scott Taylor becomes a full blown sprint to the finish. A lot of these folks are first time candidates so you've got to believe that they are going to skip as much sleep as possible and break their backs working for votes.

Keep a close eye on this race, because it's got a ton of potential to offer some big surprises in the final stretch.  

Hampton Roads Tea Party backs Loyola...

The leaders of the Hampton Roads Tea Party have stepped into the endorsement game, backing congressional hopeful Ben Loyola's bid for the Republican nomination opposite U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye.

It has been fairly obvious recently that the local tea party activists were uncomfortable with frontrunner Republican Scott Rigell for a number of reasons. Click on that link and you'll get the side of the story from the tea party folks perspective. In fact the leadership specifically took on Rigell late last week, posting a laundry list of problems that they have with his candidacy.

Tea party folks said that some of Rigell's previous actions were "deal breakers" including his $1,000 donation to Barack Obama, participation in the "Cash for Clunkers" program and $10,000 donation to the "Yes campaign" in Hampton Roads which backed higher taxes for transportation improvements.

This is a nice coup for Loyola, even though the leaders are quick to say that they aren't speaking for their supporters by rather attempting to speak to the ones who need some direction in clearing through a crowded field of candidates.

Loyola has won the backing of the tea party folks - and he also won over folks like Alan Vanasse - the longtime Hampton political player. With the victory of Rand Paul in Kentucky - a tea party endorsement can clearly mean something.

Here's the text of the news release from the tea party folks.

"After thoroughly and thoughtfully evaluating the GOP candidates vying for the Second District nod," says HRTP Founder and Chairperson Karen Miner Hurd, "the Board has decided to make a clear declaration of its support for Mr. Loyola."

"The Hampton Roads Tea Party was created to fight back an overreaching, corrupt, and obese government – at all levels," says Hurd. The Tea Party movement, including the Hampton Roads Tea Party, holds both the Republicans and the Democrats accountable for the current state of the Nation. The political elites are not listening to the people who pay their salaries. In 2010 we have an opportunity to send representatives to Congress who WILL listen and who know that they are obligated to the people - the voters - not to a political machine."

Hurd continues, "Initially, the Board had no intention of making an endorsement in the 2nd District Congressional GOP primary. However, we started getting calls and emails from our members, asking which candidate to support, especially as the members became aware of front-runner Scott Rigell’s donation to Obama and his past support for a sales tax increase and other issues which are deal-breakers for many of our members."

"As the Board of Directors of the Hampton Roads Tea Party, we felt an obligation and a responsibility to take an informed stand in a very crowded candidate field. By endorsing Ben Loyola, we don’t presume to speak FOR our members, but rather TO our members. We know that each person’s vote is precious. We know that the “tea party vote” when focused on one candidate, has been shown to change elections and greatly impact even the most deeply entrenched candidates. We feel very strongly that the 'Republican political machine' in Hampton Roads needs to be defeated."

"Clearly, each member of the Tea Party is able to think and choose for themselves. We encourage our members to take a hard look at Ben Loyola. We encourage them to get involved in his campaign. So far, this Republican primary election is being dominated by money and the GOP establishment."

McDonnell hits Hampton Roads over holiday weekend for Rigell's birthday party...

Gov. Bob McDonnell is going to be in Virginia Beach this weekend to help congressional hopeful Scott Rigell celebrate his 50th birthday.

The birthday party is going to double as a get out the vote - and grab some attention - rally for Rigell in the waning days of the Republican primary contest that is set to be finished up on Tuesday June 8. Rigell and McDonnell are certainly hoping to draw a big crowd and drum up some excited for the final stretch of the primary campaign.

The BBQ celebration will be held on the lawn of the swanky Cavalier Hotel from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. The event is open to the public - Rigell's campaign team just sent out an email blast about the shindig - and families are welcome. But you're encouraged to RSVP to events @scottrigell.com or call 757-802-9936.

McDonnell's Malek appointment draws fire for Nixon connection and $100,000 SEC fine...

Gov. Bob McDonnell's choice of Fred Malek to chair the state commission on government reform and restructuring is still drawing fire from a couple of different angles.

Today, Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, blasted McDonnell for selecting Malek because of the businessman's $100,000 in fines from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The full amount of fines was $250,000.

According to McEachin, McDonnell dismissed the regulatory fines as a fairly typical offshoot of being in business for decades.

“For Governor McDonnell to imply that this kind of behavior is acceptable and allowable, even normal, is exactly the very reason that Virginians and Americans are frustrated and fed up with government. This did not happen thirty or forty years ago, but happened in 2004, a few short years ago! To ever tolerate corruption and illegal activity is totally unacceptable. Virginians deserve better. We deserve to know that our governor will seek out the very best, most highly qualified and above ethical reproach individuals to serve in our government. This government belongs to Virginians and we need that the individuals participating in it be ethical and above board. For us to have any confidence in the workings of this commission and this administration, we need to know that the Governor will insist on the highest ethical standards and will not tolerate illegal behavior of any kind.

“For Governor McDonnell to first say he was unaware of these details, and ignorant of a six figure fine, is absolutely stunning and, frankly, beyond belief. When any Virginian applies for a job, he is expected to fill out an application that asks about past activities. Is Governor McDonnell not even asking his appointees for the same minimal information? Instead, it seems we have yet another example of insider cronyism where the governor simply appoints his highly placed friends, perhaps in exchange for future endorsements or monetary support.

“This is simply unacceptable. I would ask the governor again to replace Fred Malek. In no way, shape or form should an individual who was fined for his illegal behavior with another state's pension funds be involved, let alone in charge of, "reforming" Virginia state government. The governor needs to find someone to lead this commission who is above ethical reproach, who has not been fined by the SEC and who the governor has ensured is the best qualified person for the job.” 

Meanwhile, Timothy Noah at Slate.com- has a more historical takedown of Malek because of his work for the White House of Richard M. Nixon. As a 34-year-old Malek produced a memo President Nixon identifying Jews who worked in the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Noah is not pleased that the common wisdom in Washington is that the bygones have already been accounted for.

"Malek's defenders," explains Frederick Kunkle in the May 21 Washington Post, "have said that he long ago apologized and atoned for his role in the Nixon-led inquisition." This view is widely held within Washington. But it happens to be wrong. Malek long ago copped to writing the Jew-counting memo, but he never admitted to—indeed, he lied with theatrical indignation about—his role in punishing the offending Semites, proof of which quietly surfaced in Slate three years ago."

Noah goes on to document Malek's statements about the affair and then match them with what really happened inside the White House. For McDonnell's side of the affair, here's his answer to did he know about Malek's role counting Jews for Nixon.

"No, I didn't know. Listen, Fred Malek is a very distinguished and successful business leader in Virginia. He's been president of Northwest Airlines, Mariott Hotels, he's turned those companies around, and when I'm looking for somebody to be a leader in a government reform effort to try to make Virginia government work better, I want a successful businessperson.

The second thing I would say, I did not know about this background but it was 40 years ago, he made a mistake, he's apologized and atoned for it. But here's something even more important, Mark. Is that the leading Jewish organizations and leaders in America that know him have issued statements of support. The American-Israel Friendship League has issued a statement. [Malek sits on its board.] The Anti-Defamation League has issued a statement. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who knows him well, says that he's an honorable man that she respects and trusts. Congressman Eric Cantor issued a statement. These are leading Jewish leaders. And so, they understand that that was 40 years ago, he made a mistake, and he has since then done any number of things not only to make up for that mistake but more importantly be a really successful, productive leader in Virginia. I respect that record."

But for Noah the math doesn't quite add up (and read to the bottom of the story for a good archive of Noah tracking Malek.)  

"Now Malek is reorganizing Virginia state government. I wouldn't go so far as to say that in giving Malek this job, McDonnell is coddling an anti-Semite. I believe that Malek was probably repulsed by what he ended up doing for Nixon. But he did it, and ever since Malek has lied to avoid admitting the depth of his involvement in this grotesque episode. If that's atonement, then I'm St. Francis of Assisi."

And Virginia Democrats are now using the Slate article to help with fundraising efforts, talking about the direction of the state since the "McDonnell / Cuccinelli administration" took office.

Chairman Richard Cranwellhad this to say in a email fundraising plea.

Again and again, the McDonnell/Cuccinelli administration continues to jeopardize the successes that we've built here in Virginia in order to pursue a personal, ideological agenda.

GOP challenger Rigell claims 37 point lead over opponents on internal poll...

Virginia voters are just two weeks away from some must-watch primary contests, and in the 2nd District Republican Scott Rigell's campaign is claiming a 37 point lead over its closest competitor.

There are six Republicans vying for the right to challenge freshman Democrat U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, a political newcomer who knocked off Thelma Drake during the 2008 election cycle with the help of a turnout surge for President Barack Obama.

In addition to Rigell - www.scottrigell.com - the other candidates running for the GOP nomination are Ben Loyola - www.benloyola.com - Ed Maulbeck - www.edmaulbeck.com - Bert Mizusawa - www.bermizusawa.com - Jessica Sandlin - www.sandlinforcongress.com and Scott Taylor - www.scotttaylorforcongress.com.

Rigell's been considered the frontrunner candidate for quite some time and he's snagged some important endorsements - including the backing of Gov. Bob McDonnell - who did pretty well in his former home district in Virginia Beach last fall on the way to a double digit statewide victory.

But Rigell has plenty of challengers and they've been more than willing to take shots at his campaign - for cutting checks to support Barack Obama's presidential run, for his car dealerships' lucrative payout from the federal "cash for clunkers" program - and for local issues too - because of his support for the "Yes campaign" which backed the doomed referendum for higher taxes for road improvements in Hampton Roads.

Frontrunner status is further called into question especially because of the "throw the bums out" atmosphere of the tea party folks - many of whom are not interested in backing traditional candidates from either party.

The early primary results in places like Kentucky and Pennsylvania have shown that voters aren't simply picking candidates based on party affiliation or endorsements. And in a crowded primary is never easy to figure out who is going to win because turnout ends up being a major factor - and many folks simply can't be bothered to vote in a June primary in a midterm election with no statewide candidate on the ballot.

But according to an internal poll for Rigell's campaign he has a commanding lead the the race is going to be a walk. It's important to remember that internal poll results come with wheelbarrow full of salt. Usually campaigns won't let you dive into the full information, because they don't want to give to many details away to their opponents.

Rigell's campaign released the polling memo- a short two page breakdown of what pollsters found out there - but it doesn't have all the crosstabs and other juicy bits that come from major polling operations.

This close to the primary Rigell appears willing to flex some frontrunner muscle, perhaps in an attempt to drown the spirits of other campaigns - or scare off opponents' supporters who hate hearing that the candidate they favor might lose by a wide margin. Voters love to pick a winner.

Here's Rigell's stock quote:

"I am pleased that my conservative message of cutting spending, creating jobs, and changing Congress is resonating so well with the people of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. While these results are incredibly encouraging, we will continue the focused, intense pace that has characterized our campaign since I declared my candidacy for Congress on July 8, 2009.

We will be traveling throughout the Second District, meeting with voters who are concerned about our stagnant economy, out of control spending in Washington and an out-of-touch Congress. I remain fully focused on our ultimate objective, which is bringing business sense and conservative leadership to our United States Congress."

There is a danger in claiming such a wide margin though, because many savvy folks might realize that such a commanding lead makes their vote backing Rigell numerically unimportant - and decide to relax a bit and maybe even not take the time to vote.

Further, it's unlikely that internal polls are going to drive anybody out of the race this late. If folks have made it this far in the primary - and they still have money in the bank - you have to believe that each campaign is simply going to sprint to ballot box and not give a hoot what pollsters are telling Rigell's campaign.

It ought to be interesting to see how the other campaigns react - or if they simply ignore the lofty internal numbers.