Posted on 11/03/2013 1:02:34 PM PST by mdittmar
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats attempted on Sunday to tap into voter anger about a 16-day U.S. government shutdown and turn Virginia's upcoming governor's election into a referendum on Tea Party conservatives.
With Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe leading polls over Republican Ken Cuccinelli before Tuesday's vote, Obama and Democratic speakers at a rally in the Washington suburb of Arlington pressed party activists to focus on turning out the vote.
Northern Virginia's Washington suburbs, where many government employees and contractors live, was hit particularly hard by the government shutdown last month that resulted from a stalemate over the U.S. budget and debt ceiling that Americans for the most part blamed on Republicans.
The Tea Party conservative wing within the House of Representatives was a key bloc in Republicans' failed push to defund Obama's signature healthcare law in exchange for approving spending bills to reopen the government.
"This election is going to say a lot about Virginia's future, and the country's future," said Obama.
Addressing a crowd of about 1,600 people in a high school gymnasium, Obama said the Tea Party was "willing to hijack their party, the country and the economy and bring progress to an absolute halt if they don't get 100 percent of what they want."
Speakers tried to tie Cuccinelli, a conservative who is the Virginia attorney general and an opponent of abortion, to the Tea Party movement by pointing out he had Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz, a senator from Texas, speak at an event for him two weeks ago.
"He refused to speak out and tell Ted Cruz to stop the government shutdown, stop hurting Virginia families," said Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, himself a former governor. "He stood with the Tea Party and not with Virginia families."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Ubama has been making some bad bets lately.
"Hey! Look over here!" - Barack Hussein Obama.
Seems like a great media food fight opportunity.
When the excesses, taxes, penalties, enforced by the Administration's hand-picked IRS officers begin to reach into every household in Virginia, perhaps those who vote for McAuliffe may rethink their position of support for this chief fundraiser for the so-called "progressive" Party of Clinton and Obama.
Man, I hope Cuchinelli wins.
I find it absolutely CHILLING to think that over 40% of the so called “americans” feeding off of other Americans in this country have sided with the communists in their destruction of this once great country. Disgusting.
They don’t call them “Rooters” for nothing.
-PJ
Can they give this back to the Indians?
If McAwful wins, the MSM will point to that as making Hillary a lock for 2016.
Hope it IS a referendum.
What voter anger? Seriously if it was not for the LSM Most Americans would only have known anything was going on by the Youtube Videos of Americans carrying the Barrycades to the SpiteHouse. It had no effect for 99% of American.
Even if McAwful wins, it is likely to be close and the 'Them vs The Tea Party' will be largely meaningless.
On the other hand if Cuccinelli wins, it will give greater encourgement, recognition and empowerment to the Tea Party movement. It could have a major cascade affect on next year's elections.
Its rather stupid for Obama to continually bash Tea party activists with the IRS scandal hanging over his head.
He'd better win by 7 pts or more because that's what he was ahead when the witch swooped in. Otherwise, she brought him down.
There that makes more sense.
“Northern Virginia’s Washington suburbs, where many government employees and contractors live, was hit particularly hard by the government shutdown last month ...”
B.S. Every govt employee will have had an extra several days paid vacation. The contractors’ pay will remain the same. Restaurants/shops/malls/theaters, etc. in NOVA remain quite prosperous. The rest of the country only wishes they were this prosperous.
I’m not so sure about your view.
McAwful has been part of the Clinton Crime Family since 94.
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