Peninsula League of Women Voters to hold local candidate forums

The Peninsula League of Women Voters will be holding four candidates' forums featuring debates between General Assembly candidates in the 1st Senate District, the 2nd Senate District, the 93rd House District and the 94th House District ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.

The forums will be moderated by The Daily Presseditorial page editor John Fredericks and video of the forums will be posted online at dailypress.com following each debate.

The forums are free and open to the public.

Following is the forum schedule:

Senate District 1 - Sen. John Miller, Democrat, incumbent, v. Mickey Chohany, Republican

Friday, Sept. 30

6:30 p.m.

Newport News Fountain Plaza II

700 Town Center Drive, Newport News

City Center at Oyster Point

House District 93 - Del. Robin Abbott, Democrat, incumbent, v. Mike Watson, Republican

Friday, Oct. 14

6:30 p.m.

Newport News Fountain Plaza II

700 Town Center Drive, Newport News

City Center at Oyster Point

House District 94 - Gary West, Democrat, v. David Yancey, Republican

Friday, Oct. 21

6:30 p.m

Newport News Fountain Plaza II

700 Town Center Drive, Newport News

City Center at Oyster Point

Senate District 2 - Sen. Mamie Locke, Democrat, incumbent, v. Thomas Harmon IV, Republican

6:30 p.m.

Hampton City Hall

22 Lincoln, Hampton

Rigell put on NRCC incumbent protection list

Freshman Virginia Beach Congressman Scott Rigell was added to the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program, which is designed to help incumbents seen as vulnerable win reelection.

Rigell was one of 10 Republican Congressional incumbents from around the country named to the NRCC's program earlier this week - almost 14 months ahead of the 2012 election.

The Patriot Program helps candidates with fund raising, grassroots organization and communications. In return, the incumbent candidates are expected to run a well-planned and aggressive campaign.

“The Patriot Program is about staying on offense by building strong and winning campaigns against Democrats and their agenda that bankrupts our nation,” said NRCC chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in a press release announcing the 10 new members. . “Patriot Members have demonstrated the leadership and ability to wage aggressive campaigns based on rigorous goals and proven strategies for victory. I’m very proud of these Patriot Members who are leading the fight for victory in 2012.”

At least one Virginia Beach Democrat, businessman Paul Hirschbiel, has announced his intent to challenge Rigell for the Congressional seat. This is Hirschbiel's first run for political office.

Rigell has been a target this summer of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which ran an anti-Rigell ad campaign in Hampton Roads last month, which included billboards and radio spots.

“Voters are rejecting Congressman Scott Rigell for voting to end Medicare, protect tax breaks for big oil and billionaires while not doing a thing to create jobs in Virginia,” said Adam Hodge of the DCCCon Rigell being named to the Patriot Program.  “Congressman Rigell is already a sinking ship and there’s nothing that Washington Republicans can do to bail him out.”

The other Republican members of Congress named to the Patriot Program this week include California Rep. Jeff Denham, Illinois Reps. Bob Dold, Judy Biggert and Bobby Schilling, New Jersey Rep. Jon Runyan, Ohio Reps. Bill Johnson, Jim Renacci and Bob Gibbs and New York Rep. Michael Grimm.

Poll shows McDonnell, Warner get high marks from VA voters

Up 6 percentage points from June, Gov. Bob McDonnell is widely popular among Virginia voters, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University.

Poll respondents gave McDonnell a 61 percent approval rating compared to 21 percent disapproving. This is a jump from a similar June 30 Quinnipiac poll that gave the governor a 55 to 26 percent approval rating.

 “Not only is he personally popular, but so too is his budget.  Virtually every other governor in the country must be envious about Bob McDonnell’s numbers," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Not suprisingly, Republicans approve of McDonnell 79 to 7 percent, but, with a +/-2.7 percentage points margin of error for the poll, the Republican governor is in a statistical tie in his approval rating among Democrats, coming in at 39 to 40 percent.

One surprise, however, Brown points out, is McDonnell's approval rating among black voters, who traditionally favor Democrats. Black respondents gave governor a 46 to 32 percent approval rating, which Brown said is "a highly unusual finding for a Republican office-holder."

While McDonnell is showing very well among the state's registered voters, former Democratic Gov. and current U.S. Sen. Mark Warner is doing even better in the eyes of thestate electorate with a 64 to 22 percent approval rating. That's a 7 percentage point rise from the June 30 Quinnipiac poll where Warner garnered a 57 to 29 percent approval rating. It also includes a 51 to 33 percent approval rating from Republicans, and the highest approval numbers of any state-wide office holder in the commonwealth.

The state's General Assembly, however, is faring nowhere near as well with registered voters, garnering a 48 percent to 34 percent approval rating. Respondents do saythey would like the composition of the Legislature to stay relatively the same, with Republicans controlling the House of Delegates and Democrats controlling the Senate, ahead of the November election - 43 percent would like to continue split control of the General Assembly with 25 percent saying they would like to see both chambers controlled by Republicans and 25 percent saying they would like to see complete control given to Democrats.

This comes at a time when state and Senate Republican leaders are making a concerted effort to take back control of the Senate from Democrats, who hold the chamber 22-18.

The poll also shows that voters in the commonwealth back a law passed last session that requires abortion clinics to be regulated on the level of hospitals that perform other out-patient surgeries by a large margin of 55 percent to 22 percent. State health regulators are meeting Thursday to vote on the implementation of those regulations, which abortion rights organizations say is an attempt to limit abortions in the state because many clinics will not be able to meet the new requirements.

Although the poll shows that most Virginians believe abortion should be legal in the commonwealth in all or most cases by a 50 percent to 41 percent margin, both men and women strongly support the new regulations. Men showed a 57 to 24 percent approval of the law with women supporting 54 percent to 21 percent.

“There is strong support for the new abortion law among men and women.  Opponents apparently have been unable to convince the electorate that this is an unwarranted back-door way to stop abortions,” Brown said. “Even Democrats, by a plurality, support the measure.”

Respondents to the poll questions who identified themselves as Democrats supported the law 47 percent to 34 percent.

Other notable state-wide office holders included in the survey included U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D), Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R).

Webb, who is not seeking reelection beyond his one term, had a 51 percent to 30 percent approval rating.

Bolling, who has indicated he will make a run for governor in 2013, got a 39 percent to 15 percent approval rating.

Cuccinelli, who has not said decided if he will run for governor in the next election, came in with a 47 to 29 percent approval rating.

The Qunnipiac University poll was conducted between Sept. 7 and 12, with live interviewers speaking to 1,368 registered voters. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.7 percentage points.

Obama's numbers slipping in VA; Kaine, Allen in statistical tie new poll shows

In a state that may be vital to his reelection in 2012, 51 percent of registered voters in Virginia say President Barack Obama does not deserve to be reelected, according to a Qunnipiac University poll released Thursday.

With only 40 percent of respondents willing to give the president a second term, Obama will face a tough battle in the commonwealth where the poll shows him in statistical dead heats with the front runners for the Republican nomination Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. Obama holds a 44 percent to 42 lead over Texas Gov. Perry, in a poll that has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percent. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney tops Obama 44 percent to 42 percent.

“At this point Romney and Perry both are in a horse race against President Barack Obama, challenging Romney’s ‘electability’ argument,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Connecticut based Qunnipiac University Polling Institute.  “The big difference is among independent voters, where Romney holds a solid 44 – 35 percent lead, and Perry is in a 40 – 40 percent dead heat with the president.”

While Romney technically shows better than Perry against Obama, Perry leads Romney 25 percent to 19 percent in the crowded field for the Republican nomination. No other Republican contender gets double digits in the state, with Texas Congressman Ron Paul coming in a distant third at 8 percent and Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann showing a dismal 5 percent.

“Rick Perry’s campaign sees carrying the South in the nomination race as critical and the data from the Capital of the Confederacy gives him reason to be optimistic,” Brown said. “And while this is our first look at the GOP presidential race in Virginia, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s 5-percent showing could be a real body blow to her White House hopes.”

The poll shows Virginia voters preferring Obama to Bachmann 48 percent to 37 percent in a general election battle.

Following a tough fight with House Republicans this summer over raising the nation's debt limit, the President's disapproval rating in the state rose from June with 54 percent dissaproving of Obama's job performance compared to 40 percent approving. That's up 6 percent from a June 30 Qunnipiac poll which had Virginia voters split 48-48.

Obama did get a small jump in his approval rating nationally following his presenting his $447 billion jobs plan to Congress on Sept. 8 - going from 45 percent in August to 47 percent following his speech, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday. Although the Qunnipiac poll suggests that Obama's follow-up speech where he took his plan to the people at the University of Richmond on Sept. 9 did not help him in the Old Dominion state.

The same Qunnipiac University poll shows the president's close friend and ally, former Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine in a statistical tie with Republican rival and fellow former Gov. George Allen in their bids to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Webb.

The poll shows Allen with 45 percent to Kaine's 44 percent. This shows little change over the summer for both, who have been campaigning vigorously since announcing their candidacies last spring. The June 30 Quinnipiac poll showed Kaine with 43 percent to Allen's 42 percent. Allen lost the Senate seat to Webb in 2006.

While both men have been attacking each other steadily, both Kaine and Allen need to win their respective party primaries in June before they officially face off against each other in the November general election.

Kaine is facing challengers Courtney Lynch and Julien Modica for the Democratic nomination. Allen is in a much more crowded field with challenges coming fromJaime Radtke, Tim Donner, Earl Jackson, David McCormick, Robert Marshall, Bert Mizusawa and Corey Stewart in the Republican contest.

The Qunnipiac University poll was conducted between Sept. 7 and 12, with live interviewers speaking to 1,368 registered voters. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.7 percentage points.

Warner asks Obama to name Ft. Monroe a national monument

In light of the official deactivation of Hampton's Ft. Monroe as a U.S. Army base today, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner took to the floor of the Senate Wednesday to urge President Barack Obama to designate the former base a national monument.

“As our nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, it is an especially appropriate time for the President to recognize the critical role Fort Monroe has played in our nation's history,” Warner said. “I urge the President to help Virginia preserve Fort Monroe’s incredibly rich history.”

Warner asked that Obama use the Antiquities Act to make a portion of the fort, which will now be controlled by the the commonwealth under the auspices of the Ft. Monroe Authority heade by former Newport News Del. Glenn Oder, a national monument which would make it a part of the National Parks Service.

The fort, which was established in 1819 played a critical role as a Union fort during the Civil War. It became known as the "Freedom Fort" as thousands of escaped slaves sought refuge their. Confederate President jefferson Davis spent to years as a prisoner at Ft. Monroe following the war.

Warner and Sen. Jim Webb introduced legislation this summer thaty would allow the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to establish the Ft. Monroe National Historic Park. The bill is currently in the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Here is the full text of Warner's floor speech:

"Mister President, I rise today to encourage President Obama to use his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate Hampton, Virginia’s Fort Monroe as a national monument, which would make it an official part of the National Park Service

Allow me to tell you something about this special place.

The Fort was built in the early 1800’s, but the history of fortifications on the site goes back much further.

As early as 1608, Captain John Smith recognized the importance of building a fort at Point Comfort, as the English colonists called this land. 

From its very beginnings, Fort Monroe has been associated with many of the key figures in American history:

Robert E. Lee supervised work on the fortress as a young U.S. Army lieutenant.

Edgar Allan Poe was a soldier at Fort Monroe.

Abraham Lincoln paid a war-time visit.

And Harriet Tubman nursed wounded soldiers there in 1865.

Jefferson Davis was at Fort Monroe on two very different occasions: first, as the U.S. secretary of War, and later, as the former President of the Confederacy, he was imprisoned at Fort Monroe for two years.

By World War Two, Fort Monroe was the headquarters of our military’s successful efforts to protect the mid-Atlantic coast. 

After World War Two and to the current day, it has been home of the Army command responsible for training our warfighters.  

But, if I could, I would like to focus for one minute on a single spring night in May 1861.

You see, during the Civil War, Fort Monroe had an important strategic role as one of the few Union military installations located in the South that was never occupied by Confederate forces.

On May 23, 1861, three slaves -- Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory and James Townsend – got into a small boat in Hampton, crossed the James River, and presented themselves at the front gate of Fort Monroe seeking safety and sanctuary.

For the previous many weeks, Baker, Mallory and Townsend had been forced by their owner to help construct a Confederate artillery post aimed directly at Fort Monroe.

That’s not something they wanted to be a part of.

 I want you to think a moment about the choices that were being made by these three men – these three slaves -- Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory and James Townsend.

They left behind the community where they had spent most, if not all of their lives.

At least two of them left behind wives and children.

It was entirely possible, once these three men reached Fort Monroe, that Union soldiers would simply turn them around and send them back to their owners. You see, that was the official U.S. government policy, even in the so-called Confederate states, even after the Civil War erupted in April of 1861.

And Baker, Mallory and Townsend had to know that, if they were returned as runaways, they could expect to be punished.  

But they figured the choice should be theirs to make – so they made it.

They soon found themselves standing before the new commander at Fort Monroe, Major General Benjamin Franklin Butler.

Deciding it might be easier to apologize later rather than seek permission beforehand, General Butler made a huge and historically courageous decision.

He classified the three slaves as the "contraband" of war – a policy that was later adopted across the Union to protect any slave who managed to reach Union lines.

And as a result, Virginia’s Fort Monroe ultimately became a beacon of hope for thousands of enslaved people seeking freedom.

In fact, Fort Monroe became known as the "freedom fort."

The day after General Butler's edict, eight more slaves showed up at Fort Monroe.

The day after that, 47 more appeared.

By war's end, thousands – thousands -- had appealed for contraband status at Fort Monroe.

General Butler’s “contraband of war” decision helped change the course of the Civil War and the nation's history.

This Thursday, the U.S. Army will officially hand-over Fort Monroe to the City of Hampton and the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of the 2005 BRAC process.

And I am proud to join with my colleague Senator Webb -- the bipartisan Virginia House delegation -- Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell -- local residents -- and the National Trust for Historic Preservation -- in urging the President to take this opportunity to declare Fort Monroe a national historic treasure.

By using the Antiquities Act to grant this designation, it also would allow us to begin work to create a National Park at Monroe.

For more than 100 years, presidents have used the Antiquities Act to protect some of America's most important and beloved historic places, from the Grand Canyon to the Statue of Liberty.

There is no dispute over the historical significance of Fort Monroe.

I have spent considerable time over the past several years working with state and local residents and officials to explore opportunities to partner with the National Park Service to preserve this incredibly rich history.

I spoke as recently as last Friday with the White House about Fort Monroe.

I am hopeful we will have promising news in short order.

It would certainly be timely if the President’s decision could be announced this week, as the Army prepares to exit Fort Monroe, as our nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and as many Virginians focus anew on the future of this special place.

I feel that this is an especially appropriate time for the President to recognize the critical role Fort Monroe has played in our nation's history. And I again urge him to use his long-established power under Antiquities Act to keep this process on track.

Thank you, Mister President."

Kaine hits Allen on Politifact false ruling

Tim Kaine's Senate campaign moved to quickly capitalize on Politifact Virginia's ruling that George Allen's website falsely claimed that he cut state spending during his gubernatorial term. The fact checking organization said that spending under Allen had increased more than 45.6 percent when he was governor during the mid-'90s. 

On Monday, Kaine's campaign blasted Allen, saying the incident was the "height of hypocrisy."

Here's part of the statement from Kaine spokesman Mo Elleithee:

"...the same guy who is going around pandering to the tea party about the virtues of limited government used his term as governor to increase state spending by more than 45% and used his term as Senator to turn America's largest surplus into a massive deficit. It’s outrageous."

House Minority Leader wants to freeze state's electricity rates

House of Delegates Minority Leader Ward Armstrong, D-Henry County, issued a statement Tuesday calling on the General Assembly to freeze electric rates in the commonwealth.

Armstrong said the rate freeze should stay in place until the state Legislature passes "meaningful reform" of Virginia's electric utility regulations.

"The citizens and businesses of Virginia, particularly within the Appalachian Power service area, have suffered enough. They deserve action from their elected officials, not lip service, as legislators cut backroom deals with the utilities," Armstrong said. "Until the General Assembly decides to take action, they should ensure that the people of Virginia do not see another crippling rate increase."

Armstrong said he has introduced legislation in the past to overhaul the state's electric utility regulatory system, but his efforts have been stymied by legislators.

"For the past two years I have introduced legislation to fix electric utility regulation in Virginia and bring relief to customers while ensuring fair rates.  Time and again the General Assembly has rejected these efforts, siding with the electric utilities, and claiming that they need more time to see the effects of current law," Armstrong said.

The embattled leader of the House Democrats said he planned to introduce legislation in the 2012 General Assembly session to freeze electricity rates and revamp the regulatory system.

That is if he is reelected to the state Legislator. Ward, who currently represents Virginia's 10th House District was drawn out of the district during the redistricting process. Under the new map, Armstrong's home was drawn into the 16th House District. He said he will be moving to the 9th District, where many of his constituents now reside under the redistricting plan, challenging Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Glade Hills, who has represented the current 9th District for the past four years.

McDonnell on appelate court ruling tossing Virginia health care suit

Gov. Bob McDonnell issued the following statement on the decision of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Virginia had "no standing" in A.G. Ken Cuccinelli's suit against President Barack Obama's controversial health care reform law:

“Today, a three judge panel, consisting of two judges appointed by President Barack Obama and one by former President Bill Clinton, found that Virginia lacks standing to challenge the individual mandate provision of the federal health care law.  We respectfully disagree with the panel’s reasoning.  To conclude that a state has no standing to challenge an expensive and burdensome federal mandate on its citizens that the state has banned in its law, might cause James Madison and George Mason, Virginia’s principal drafters of our nation’s founding documents, to promptly roll in their graves.  To dismiss a Virginia statute as a basis for standing, declaring it to be ‘quintessentially political,’ and asserting that a state cannot be a ‘constitutional watchdog’ undermines our precious principles of federalism.  This decision must be promptly appealed. 

“As federal courts across the country continue to come to differing conclusions on the merits of cases arguing the unconstitutionality of the federal health care law, today’s decision further exemplifies why these cases should be expedited to the nation’s highest court.  It is the Supreme Court that will ultimately determine whether the federal mandate on every citizen to purchase health insurance violates the U.S. Constitution.  States and businesses continue to expend time and money and languish in uncertainty as they try to come into compliance with a law that may ultimately be ruled unconstitutional. It is exasperating that the President and the Justice Department oppose a prompt resolution of this case through an expedited appeal.  America needs finality in this case.”

Radtke decries 4th Appelate Court decision

Jamie Radtke, who is running for the GOP nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, said today's decision by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to toss the state's suit against the Obama health care reform law shows the court does not understand the U.S. Constitution.

A three-judge panel ruled today that the state has "no standing" in the suit filed by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in March 23, 2010, the same day President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable care act into law.

"The U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond has demonstrated a shocking lack of understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the intent of the states that ratified it, by virtue of the court’s ruling today that Virginia has no standing to challenge the constitutionality of a federal law that directly conflicts with a Virginia statute," Radtke said in a press release.

Cuccinelli's suit alleges that the provision of the health care law that requires individuals to have health care by 2014 is unconstitutional. Last fall U.S. District Court judge Henry E. Hudson  ruled in favor of Virginia. His decision was appealed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The attorney general argued before the panel in May that the commonwealth did have standing to bring the suit because the federal health care law is in conflict with the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act, which says no resident of the state can be required to obtain or maintain health insurance.

In it's ruling that Virginia had no standing in the case the courtwrote, "the mere existence of a state law like the VHCFA does not license a state to mount a judicial challenge to any federal statute with which the state law assertedly conflicts."

Cuccinelli said he plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Here is Radtke's full statement:

"The U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond has demonstrated a shocking lack of understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the intent of the states that ratified it, by virtue of the court’s ruling today that Virginia has no standing to challenge the constitutionality of a federal law that directly conflicts with a Virginia statute.

James Madison, the father of the Constitution, said that the federal courts were the proper forum to resolve disputes between a state and the national government over whether Congress has exceeded its constitutional authority.

The court’s decision trivializes the Virginia General Assembly’s enactment of legislation that is in explicit and direct conflict with the individual mandate provision of ObamaCare.

This ruling strikes at the heart of our federal system, which the Founders considered the most important protection of individual liberty. For the court to label Virginia’s legislative opposition to the federal law “a smokescreen” and a “generalized grievance… about the conduct of government” reflects a fundamental misreading of the language of the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act and the essence of our system of government.  

If the U.S. Supreme Court does not reverse this decision, the states in this circuit will be severely restricted in their ability to preserve the Constitution’s checks and balances, which were deliberately intended to protect the people from Congressional overreach."

 

 

VA Dems launch anti-McDonnell website

The Democratic Party of Virginia launched their "Bob's for Bob" website today in what the party calls an attempt to "counter the spin and gimmicks from Governor Bob McDonnell’s administration."

“The goal of Bob’s for Bob is to inform Virginians about McDonnell’s ‘me first’ approach to government and equip them with the tools to hold him accountable. We plan to show Virginians that a Governor who urges Washington to make tea party budget cuts that will cost thousands of Virginia jobs, who pats himself on the back about jobs while ducking massive layoffs and who drapes his arm around radical right-wing presidential candidates who think Medicare and Social Security are ‘ponzi schemes,’ is doing so for his own political benefit, not theirs," said DPV executive director David Mills.

The website, bobs4bob.com, looks much like a traditional blog site and contains news items, blog posts, multi-media, such as videos, and social website posts. The website will also contain information about media and public events relating to McDonnell.