Special ops forces criticize anti-Obama group

A week after a group of special forces launched a website and video criticizing President Barack Obama for allegedly taking too much credit for the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, they are facing some criticism of their own.

A report from the Associated Press notes U.S. Army Special Forces Maj. Fernando Lujan slamming Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, the Virginia Beach-based group led by Scott Taylor, an ex-Navy SEAL and former GOP Congressional hopeful.

“This is an unprofessional, shameful action on the part of the operators that appear in the video, period,” Lujan is quoted saying on his Facebook page in the report. Lujan said in the report the video and website are "in violation of everything we’ve been taught, and the opposite of what we should be doing, which is being quiet professionals.”

Adm. Bill McRaven, who oversaw the mission to get Bin Laden, credited the president for his work in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer in late July.

"At the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it was the president of the United States that shouldered the burden of this operation, that made the hard decision," McRaven said in the interview.

 

 

Group criticizes Obama on Bin Laden raid, classified leaks

A group of former special forces and intelligence operatives are set to launch a series of television advertisements criticizing President Barack Obama for 'taking credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden', Reuters reported Wednesday.

The group, dubbed OPSEC Education Fund Inc., is led by former Va. Beach Congressional hopeful Scott Taylor, according to the report.

Taylor is an ex-Navy SEAL and ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the 2nd Congressional District in 2010. Taylor placed 4th out of 6 candidates, behind eventual winner U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach. Taylor also made an unsuccessful bid for Virginia Beach mayor in 2008. He has been a frequent critic of the Administration's handling of the aftermath of the Bin Laden raid.

The group, which bills itself as non-partisan, also criticizes the Obama administration for a series of classified leaks which they said jeopardizes special forces security, the report said.

Black Legislative Caucus decries new education standards

In a letter to Gov. Bob McDonnell the General Assembly's Black Legislative Caucus (VBLC) asks the governor to "discard" new education standard established by the state Board of Education saying the standards "aim low" and "categorizes children in a way that harkens back to Virginia’s inglorious past."

In the wake of Virginia getting a waiver from the federal government from the No Child Left Behind law, the Board of Education has adopted "Annual Measurable Objectives" to replace "Adequate Yearly Progress" measures.

The AMOs divide students into distinct demographic categories that have different levels of achievement required depending on the group. For example benchmark pass rates in Math are set at 82 percent for Asian students; 68 percent for white students; 52 percent for Hispanic students; 45 percent for black students; and 33 percent for all Special Education students.

"The new 'Annual Measurable Objectives' takes the position that pass rates for students must be differentiated on the basis of race, intellectual ability, income levels, and language proficiency," wrote Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, who serves as the caucus chair. "This proposal establishes different requirements for different groups of students, marginalizing many.  This 'aim low' approach is both insulting and narrow-minded in its approach to doing what is in the best interest of children. "

The VBLCis asking for an explanation from the McDonnell administration as to how the new standards are developed and asks the governor to set the AMO aside and replaced with a set of benchmarks that do not separate students into such distinct demographic groups.

"We strongly urge that these new requirements be discarded and replaced with standards that ensure that every child, irrespective of race, national origin, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or intellectual ability, be afforded the opportunity to be successful," the letter states.

Read the full letter from the VBLC to Gov. McDonnell here: (Note: Emphasis is as it appears in original letter)

                                                            13 August, 2012

The Honorable Robert F. McDonnell

Governor

Patrick Henry Building

1111 E. Broad Street

Richmond, VA 23219 

Dear Governor McDonnell:

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus is an organization committed to ensuring that children in the Commonwealth receive a quality education in the public school systems of this great state.   Further, we believe that education is the “great equalizer” in our society and that our system of public education must remain viable and strong.  The state’s new system of benchmarks for performance is antithetical to this goal.

For many years the state has touted that its Standards of Learning (SOLs) were far superior to the No Child Left Behind requirements.  The latter established a goal of every student meeting standards of learning for math and reading.  The new “Annual Measurable Objectives” takes the position that pass rates for students must be differentiated on the basis of race, intellectual ability, income levels, and language proficiency.  This proposal establishes different requirements for different groups of students, marginalizing many.  This “aim low” approach is both insulting and narrow-minded in its approach to doing what is in the best interest of children.  As an educator, I am appalled that the Commonwealth would put forward such a proposal that categorizes children in a way that harkens back to Virginia’s inglorious past.  The VLBC has worked hard to promote fair and equitable opportunities for children only to be faced with yet another effort to undermine public education and minimize the learning capabilities of children.  A prominent Virginia educator once said about his success as a teacher, “I can teach students anything, once I have their attention.”  This proposal forsakes attention for expediency in having Virginia meet goals through low expectations.  Schools will never improve or close the achievement gap if this is the approach to be taken.  There is little accountability and little consequences for this method of providing education for Virginia’s children.

  Noted educator Dr. Benjamin Mays once said "The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for, not failure, but low aim, is sin."   Is the Commonwealth setting our children up for failure through low aim and giving them little to dream for in terms of equal opportunity?  We submit that this proposal does exactly that.

We are requesting an explanation of these new standards, why they were developed, the purpose served and whether you support the implementation.  We strongly urge that these new requirements be discarded and replaced with standards that ensure that every child, irrespective of race, national origin, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or intellectual ability, be afforded the opportunity to be successful.

                                                                                               Sincerely, 

                                                                                                Senator Mamie E. Locke,

                                                                                                Ph.D., Chair, VLBC

McDonnell launches state procurement mobile phone app

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the launch of a mobile phone app Tuesday that allows businesses to access the state's eVA electronic procurement system through their smart phones or tablets.

The app, developed in conjunction with CGI the information technology group that helped the state develop eVA ten years ago, allows users to view current state bid and solicitation opportunities, contact appropriate state agencies and began the bid application process.

“Success in business today requires real-time, mobile access to business opportunities,” McDonnell said. “The eVA Mobile 4 Business app turns every smart phone into a portal to Virginia’s cutting edge e-procurement system. This app increases access and transparency for businesses and individuals, and by expanding the pool of potential bidders, will save taxpayer dollars. This first-of-its-kind mobile application will unleash the power of the private sector to deliver better, more cost-effective services to the citizens of Virginia.”

The app is available for free on itunes for Apple products, in the Android app store or by accessing the web version through mobile browsers at www.eve.vriginia.gov/evamoblie.

Sandra Sylvester,president and CEO of Chesterfield-based Superior Global Solutions, said her business has been using eVA for nine years with great success and as a small-business owner she is excited about the new mobile app.

"I'm on the road a lot," Sylvester said. " So that is really, really nice for us to be able to click on the app, go to it, forward and call some buyers."

Report: Romney endorses Bolling, backs off a short while later

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that Mitt Romney, during his Saturday campaign appearance in Ashland, appeared to endorse Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling in his 2013 race for governor only to back away from that endorsement moments later.

Speaking to a crowd at Randolph-Macon College, Romney called Bolling "a great friend and, I hope, the next governor of this great state of Virginia."

A short while later, speaking to the overflow crowd outside, Romney said, "There are a couple of guys in the race, I love them both. I want to see one of those guys take [Gov. Bob McDonnell's] place."

Bolling was the first Republican in a statewide office to endorse Romney and became Romney's campaign chairman for Virginia.

The other guy in the race is Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who surprised Bolling and McDonnell by announcing that he would challenge Bolling for the GOP nomination. Cuccinelli and his supporters then managed to have Virginia's Republican Party change its original decision to hold a primary election to choose a candidate. The nominee will now be chosen at a party convention.

Here's the Times-Dispatch report.

Kaine makes fund raising appeal based on independent attack ad

U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine (D) sent out a fund raising email to supporters Wednesday based on a new attack ad against the former governor from a super-PAC headed by Karl Rove.

The $1.9 million ad buy Wednesday by Crossroads GPS goes after Kaine for his stance on taxes. Kaine has said he wants to let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for people making over $500,000 a year.

This is the latest in a number of independent attack ads leveled against Kaine by Crossroads. Many of the earlier ads have been debunked by independent fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact.

In his appeal to donors Kaine tells supporters that he is being beat in outside spending by a ratio of six to one.  Majority PAC, a super-PAC controlled by Democrats in Congress intent on keeping the Senate in Democratic hands, has run ads against Kaine's opponent former Gov. and former U.S. Sen. George Allen.

In his fund raising email Kaine said there is a bright spot in that Kaine has been able to out raise Allen in Virginia.

"We've received donations from nearly 30,000 individual donors.," Kaine wrote. "We're dramatically out raising George Allen from Virginians and grassroots donors. Our volunteers are making calls and canvassing neighborhoods, doing the person-to-person persuasion that has always been at the heart of my campaigns since I first ran for office."

In the latest contribution numbers from the Federal Election Commission for the reporting period that ran from April 1 to June 31 Kaine totalled nearly $1.7 million in donations from Virginians. Kaine raised roughly $468,000 from contributors donating less than $200, which includes out-of-state donors.

During the same period Allen raised $747,000 from Virginians donating more that $200. Allen raised another nearly $200,000 in donations less than $200. The Allen campaign has not sent out information detailing how much of their donations under $200 came from Virginians, which don't have to be itemized according to FEC regulations.

The FEC numbers show Kaine out raising Allen in donations under $200 by a two to one ratio.

Poll: Obama leads Romney in VA; Kaine, Allen race still dead heat

A poll released Wednesday shows President Barack Obama leading GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in by four percentage points in Virginia.

The Quinnipiac University poll done in conjunction with the New York Times and CBS News has Obama with 49 percent compared to Romney's 45 percent.

In addition to the key battleground state of Virginia the poll also looked at two other swing states - Colorado and Wisconsin. Romney leads by five percentage points in Colorado, while Obama has a six percentage point lead in Wisconsin.

“There is good reason why Virginia, Colorado and Wisconsin are considered swing states – and this data shows how close they are,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.  “Most voters say they have made up their minds.  Nine out of 10 in each state say they are sure they will vote for the candidate they favor, which means that the pool of those who say they can be persuaded is pretty small.

In Virginia this poll is a boost for Obama from a Quinnipiac poll released in mid-July that had both presidential candidates tied at 46 percent.

The poll showed a gender gap in the commonwealth with women favoring Obama 54 percent to 40 percent, and men favoring Romney 50 percent to 46 percent.

Romney leads Obama with independent voters, with Romney garnering 50 percent to Obama's 43 percent.

As in previous Quinnipiac polls the race for the U.S. Senate between former Govs. Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) remains to close to call. The latest number show Kaine with 48 percent to Allen's 46 percent - well within the polls margin of error.

“Virginia’s U.S. Senate has been a dead heat since it began,” Brown said. “It’s pretty clear that whether George Allen or Tim Kaine becomes the Old Dominion’s next senator, it almost certainly will be by a razor-thin margin.”

The poll was conducted from July 31 to Aug. 6 among 1,412 likely Virginia voters with a +/- 2.6 percentage point margin of error.

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Rigell airs first TV ad

 

U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, began airing his first TV ad of the election cycle Tuesday that asks voters to look at his performance in Congress.

The 30-second spot, titled "Performance Review," features Rigell walking through the show room of one of his auto dealerships speaking into the camera.

"Every year every employee in our business gets a performance review," Rigell says.

"Now that I'm your employee I expect you to check my performance too," He continues. "You sent me to Congress two years ago to fight the growth of federal spending. I'm doing that - even taking on my own party.

"You told me to protect America and defend the military. That's been my number one job.

"I'm Scott Rigell. I approve this message and you have my word that I'll never forget that I work for you."

Rigell's opponent in the 2nd Congressional District, Virginia Beach businessman Paul Hirschbiel, began running his first TV spot Monday.

 

Hirschbiel airs first TV ad

 

The Democratic challenger in the 2nd Congressional District and Virginia Beach businessman Paul Hirschbiel will begin airing his first campaign TV ad of the election Monday titled "Teacher" that focuses on the candidate's commitment to early-childhood and K-12 education enrichment programs.

 Hirschbiel is running against U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, in the district that has increased in presence on the Peninsula due to redistricting.

The ad features a voice over by a teacher, Jamie Arnett, in the Horizons Virginia Beach summer enrichment program for kids in first through ninth grade.

Speaking over clips in the 30-second spot of Hirschbiel interacting with kids taking part in the program Arnett says, "Paul knows that to compete with China and India we got to give our kids a great education.  
 
"There comes a time where they end up graduating from High school they write you to tell you thank you for making a difference in my life, there is nothing more powerful than that. 

"For Paul it’s not just about the bottom line, it’s about improving lives."

Hirschbiel founded the Hampton Roads chapter of Horizons National Student Enrichment Program, and resigned as vice-chair of the national board to run for Congress.

He also founded founded Smart Beginnings, an early-childhood education program that has 29 programs across the commonwealth and works with the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, a public-private partnership established by the General Assembly under former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner. Warner now serves as the state's junior U.S. Senator. Hirschbiel worked with the Warner administration in developing the Early Childhood Education Initiative.