Free Republic

Several pillars of the Virginia Republican establishment have signed on with the flailing presidential campaign of Jeb Bush. Thomas F. Farrell II, CEO of utility giant Dominion Resources, and Richard Cullen, chairman of the influential law firm McGuire Woods, have endorsed the former Florida governor, the campaign will announce Wednesday. -snip- Former House majority leader Eric Cantor joined the campaign as a co-chair in August, but new to the list are his longtime chief of staff Kristi Way and his right hand within the state party, Linwood Cobb.

Republican Eric Cantor on Saturday addressed the inaugural gathering of a group formed after grass-roots activists helped Dave Brat topple the former majority leader in last summer’s GOP primary. The day-long meeting of the Virginia Conservative Network featured a who’s who of establishment Republicans in the mold of Cantor, many of whom are frustrated with the party’s loss of all five statewide offices in recent years. According to organizers, Cantor gave an invitation-only crowd of more than 100 people tips on how to frame their message to voters as Republicans prepare to defend their slim majority in the state Senate...