Hurricane Earl delays Virginia efforts to rescue Joint Forces Command...

In response to the Pentagon's desire to shutter Joint Forces Command in Hampton Roads, Gov. Bob McDonnell put together a military affairs commission stacked with elected leaders and military veterans with deep Virginia roots.

Dubbed the Commission on Military and National Security Facilities, the panel is designed to bring some added weight to Virginia's efforts to protect the military and civilian jobs at Joint Forces in Norfolk and Suffolk. Virginia elected officials blasted the move when Defense Secretary Robert gates announced it in mid-August.

Here's what McDonnell had to say about the closing, here's what Rep. Rob Wittman had to say about closing Joint Forces Command, and Here's what Sen. Mark. R. Warner had to say just last week. Sen. Jim Webb appears to have secured a hearing on Joint Forces Command - but it's unclear when.

The panel is essentially a way to get a lot of firepower in a room and draw attention to questions that strategies that could undermine the rational for the move. It's likely to be used long after the battle over Joint Force Command, because Virginia officials still want to make sure that aircraft carriers aren't moved south to Mayport Fla. without a fight.

It's sort of a statewide version of the Hampton Roads Military Affairs Commission, detailed here by our military scribe at Hampton Roads Recon.

But now it appears that Hurricane Earl's swipe at the Virginia coast is going to postpone the first meeting of McDonnell's commission. The meeting has been rescheduled for next Thursday Sept. 9. The short delay might not seem like a big deal, but with internal memos suggesting that President Barack Obama might sign off on closing Joint Forces Command soon - there's not time to waste.