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This David Weigel post on Friday reminded me that I should use the final election data to check a point I’d talked a fair amount about right after the election: that Romney ran ahead of the Republican Senate candidates in tightly contested races. My AEI colleague Caroline Kitchens went to the official state election-result sites and pulled the numbers, which are better than what we had in mid-November.In Wisconsin, Virginia, and Texas, Romney ran just barely ahead of Tommy Thompson (by 0.03 percent), George Allen (0.3 percent), and Ted Cruz (0.7 percent), respectively.In Nebraska, Ohio, and Arizona, Romney ran...

ALEXANDRIA -- Defeated Republican U.S.Senate candidate George Allen said Monday he will not seek elective office again. "I'm grateful for the support, generosity and the votes of over 1.7 million people, but I have no intention of running for office again,'' Allen said during a 45-minute interview in his Alexandria office.

The battle for the U.S. Senate between Tim Kaine and George Allen in Virginia may have been settled in the litter box instead of the ballot box if the tightly contested election had come down to about 6,000 votes given to a cat. It’s entirely possible that third-place finisher in Virginia is Hank the Cat, a Maine Coon who ran on a pro-feline, job-creation platform. In the current online results, Kaine is ahead of Allen by about 184,000 votes as of Thursday morning. The race was expected to be very close, and it was part of a record spending spree...

Virginia's 13 electoral votes went to President Obama for the second straight election, and the proprietor of a store in the south central city of Bedford is not hiding his dismay. Lyons Jewelers hung up multiple signs on the windows of the shop indicating the shop would not be open for business Wednesday, including one saying the store was closed to "mourn the loss of the America that our forefathers endowed to us," WDBJ reported. "Lyons will reopen tomorrow to continue the fight against a president who seeks my demise" and "Shame on VA & USA" read two other signs....

Jennifer Epstein@jeneps Crowd count for Biden, Kaine, Warner and Webb in Sterling, Va., is 800, fire marshal says. 5 Nov 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite Oh, my! As Twitchy reported, Biden has been flopping up a storm at rallies. It seems that voters are just not that into him, or his boss.Today was the saddest “Dear John” rally yet, according to reporters on the scene. [Snip] Criminy! If there was any more time left, his crowds might dwindle to Fluke-sized “intimate gatherings.” Take a gander at the sad pics. Poor, lonely Joe.

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder endorsed President Obama in 2008. America's first Black American Governor has opted not to endorse a president this time around.

When your opening act is an accused rapist and molester of women, a man who lied to a grand jury and was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice, a man who actually stood in the Rose Garden of the White House and lied as follows: But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time -- never. These allegations are false. And I...

WSET.com Poll The following candidates for President appear on the ballot in Virginia. Which candidate do you prefer? Thank you for participating in our poll. Here are the results so far: Mitt Romney 67% Barack Obama 24% Virgil Goode 2% Gary Johnson 1% Jill Stein 1% None of the above 5%

O'REILLY: "Campaign 2012 Segment" tonight, as you may know, Dick Morris predicting a big landslide for Mitt Romney even though, as we mentioned, a "New York Times" poll out today says the President will most likely win in three vital swing state. Morris, the author of the big new bestseller, "Here Comes the Black Helicopter"; he joins us now Dick Morris from Detroit. So you, I'm sure, repudiate the "New York Times" poll? DICK MORRIS, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. And let me go through the numbers because it's important for people to get in. In Florida, the "Times" says...

My brothers and sisters in Christ, With Election Day now a week away, I take this final opportunity to urge you all to vote in these very important national elections. As I have communicated to you in columns, letters, homilies and statements over the past months, we as Catholics are confronted with grave challenges to our beliefs as baptized and confirmed members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Indeed, we know that we face serious threats to our very ability to practice and live our faith in our communities as full citizens. We are first Catholics, not Democrats...

Former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder, America's first elected black governor, has his own reservations about America's first black president, Barack Obama. Wilder, an emphatic Obama supporter in 2008, said his fellow Democrat should have focused more on creating jobs during his first term and faulted the president for failing to keep his campaign promise to bridge the partisan gap in Washington. "I think he's governed left of center and didn't focus on jobs and economic recovery," Wilder told The Washington Examiner. But will Wilder still vote for Obama on Tuesday in a battleground state Obama is desperate to win again?...

You’re Invited to a Victory Rally with Mitt Romney and the Republican Team! Monday, November 5, 2012 Doors Open 12:45 PM | Event Begins 2:45 PM *The first 500 attendees will receive free souvenir footballs!* Recreation and Athletic Complex George Mason University 4350 Banister Creek Court Fairfax, VA 22030 All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted. For Questions, Contact Us At: TeamVA@mittromney.com or (757) 279-8253 For Important Campaign Updates: Text VA to GOMITT (466488)...

Editor's note: The 2012 presidential race is CNN Chief National Correspondent John King's seventh campaign. King is traveling through battleground states, where the election will be decided, to find the voters who will determine whether President Barack Obama gets a second term or if the country needs the change in direction that Mitt Romney represents. Dumfries, Virginia (CNN) -- Retiree Robert Stevens says he often turns off the television when the attack ads appear, and he hangs up the phone when it's a presidential campaign calling. "I want to make my own independent decision," Stevens said in a lunchtime conversation...

Very welcome news from Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report: Dave Wasserman@Redistrict VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: Today's new 10/31 numbers even more troubling for Obama. His best counties way off '08 pace: https://t.co/6WgvhBSC 1 Nov 12 Reply Retweet Favorite Dave Wasserman@Redistrict VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: Turnout down 13.6% in Obama '08 localities, vs. just 1.1% in McCain '08 (statewide down 9.2%): docs.google.com/spreadsheet/cc… 1 Nov 12 Reply Retweet Favorite Dave Wasserman@Redistrict VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: Obama strongholds Arlington -20.0%, Fairfax - 20.9%, Richmond -13.7% (vs. just -9.2% statewide). Hmm... 1 Nov 12 Reply Retweet Favorite Dave Wasserman@Redistrict VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: In Romney strongholds,...

I saw this poll late last night, long after getting back from walking with my granddaughters on Halloween, trick or treating in their neighborhood. At first, I thought this new poll from PPP in Virginia was a trick, but by this morning, I considered it more of a treat: A new Public Policy Polling survey in Virginia, conducted on behalf of Health Care for America Now, finds Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney 49-46. PPP has conducted 5 Virginia polls during the month of October and found Obama leading in every single one, by an average margin of 2.8 points.Key findings...

I've been following Dave Wasserman of Cook Political Report on Twitter. He has been updating the tallies of the early vote in Virginia, and what he is finding is more and more bad news for Obama:VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: Today's new 10/31 numbers even more troubling for Obama. His best counties way off '08 paceVIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: Turnout down 13.6% in Obama '08 localities, vs. just 1.1% in McCain '08 (statewide down 9.2%)VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE 10/31: 185,489 ballots cast in Obama localities (214,783 by this pt. in '08), 115,908 in McCain (117,224 in '08)VIRGINIA EARLY VOTE: Even more worrisome for O...in...

Virginia Congressman: Veterans “Unqualified to Serve” in Congress Because Deployments Prevent Veterans from Serving Local Communities Fairfax, VA – Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11) shocked constituents by suggesting that military Veterans are unqualified to serve in Congress because their deployments prevent them from putting “sweat equity” into the districts they hope to serve in Congress. Congressman Connolly is running against Colonel Chris Perkins, a retired officer who served most of his more than 24 years in uniform as an Army Green Beret deployed overseas. Connolly has repeatedly suggested that Perkins’ lack of local involvement because of his military career makes...

Come meet our next President Governor Mitt Romney Thursday, November 1, 2012 Doors Open 7:30 AM | Event Begins 9:30 AM. Integrity Windows and Doors 4050 Integrity Drive in Roanoke, VA 24012. To RSVP and Get Your Ticket Visit: www.mittromney.com/VA Or Pick Up Your Free Ticket in Person at Blacksburg Victory Office: 215 Draper Road, NW, Blacksburg, VA, 24060 Lynchburg Victory Office: 3700 Candlers Mountain Road, Lynchburg, VA 24501 Roanoke Victory Office: 2706 Ogden Road, SW, Roanoke, VA, 24018 For Questions, Contact TeamVA@mittromney.com or (757) 279-8253 All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items...

Go to the www.mittromney.com website to RSVP and print your ticket!

The tone of the 2012 campaign might best be captured by the need to begin with an emphasis on what the Republican candidate will not do. Mitt Romney will not raise taxes on the middle class. He will not destroy Medicare. And he will not lie to the American people every time he opens his mouth.

Vice President Joe Biden earned ridicule from foes Saturday when he twice referred to the Democratic Virginia Senate candidate by the wrong first name. Biden began his remarks to an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,500 at the Lynchburg Armory by praising former Gov. Tim Kaine with the correct name but later declared two times that he is "a big Tom Kaine fan." Kaine is running against Republican George Allen for the seat vacated by Democrat Sen. Jim Webb, who is retiring. The vice president went on to offer similar compliments for ex-Rep. Tom Perriello, whose first name is Tom. A...

On the Sunday, October 28 edition of ABC's This Week, Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Beast claimed that Obama might lose this election because the whole south is filled with racists that are somehow just like the Old Confederacy. As George Will noted, according to Sullivan all the whites that were not racist in 2008 suddenly are racist in 2012. In a discussion of the "racial gap" in this year's election, Sullivan declared all southerners to be racists and are sliding back into the civil war. "If Virginia and Florida go back to the Republicans, it's the Confederacy, entirely. You...

The tone of the 2012 campaign might best be captured by the need to begin with an emphasis on what the Republican candidate will not do. Mitt Romney will not raise taxes on the middle class. He will not destroy Medicare. And he will not lie to the American people every time he opens his mouth. Political campaigns exaggerate grossly, play loose with the facts and cast the opposition in the worst light imaginable. Yet it is difficult to recall a campaign less truthful than President Obama's in 2012. Its foundation rests on deeply misleading assertions about Romney, a strategy...

If you think comparing Mitt Romney’s supporters in the American South to the Civil War’s Confederacy would be irresponsible and racially suggestive, Daily Beast “Daily Dish” blogger Andrew Sullivan apparently disagrees with you. “If Virginia and Florida go back to the Republicans, it’s the Confederacy, entirely,” Sullivan declared on this weekend’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”“You put a map of the Civil War over this electoral map, you’ve got the Civil War,” he added. That comment drew the ire of Washington Post columnist George Will, who said the president’s policies — not racism — are influencing voters in states like...

If Mitt Romney wins the White House, he can thank voters like Dayle Mauck of Fredericksburg, Va. Mauck, 57, is a swing voter in a key battleground state. He voted for Barack Obama four years ago, but he’s backing Romney Nov. 6. “My theory is Obama is a good man and he means well, but he and Congress just butt heads,” Mauck told me. “Romney has been in business. He knows what it’s like. I’m looking for who can get the economy rolling again.” Political commentators toss around the slogan “it’s the economy.” Voters like Mauck live with it every...

In remarks today in Virginia, Vice President Joe Biden got the name of the Virginia Democratic Senate candidate wrong. There is a decent honorable man," Biden said of the Virginia Democratic Senate candidate. "That man has more integrity in his little finger than most people have in their whole body. I'm a big Tom Kaine fan. A big Tom Kaine fan." His name is Tim Kaine, and he's the former chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Been going door-to-door for Romney for the past three Saturdays in central Virginia. A lot more Obama signs cropped up this week, even though we are in Falwell country. Yikes! In one house there was a group of women inside who informed us they would not vote for Romney...one of them yelled, "women's rights!" After we left two of them got in their car and followed us for awhile, trying to intimidate us. Good thing my partner was carrying. Another lady informed us she "loves Obama" because her main concern is the economy and he is her go-to man to...

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says “there’s no indication that any offense took place” when Patrick Moran, the son of Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), discussed voter fraud with an undercover reporter on Oct. 8. Moran resigned as his father’s campaign field director Wednesday, after the video – produced by the Project Veritas activist group – was published online. The video shows the congressman's son engaging a discussion – which he did not initiate -- about forging utility bills, which can be used as voter identification at the polls in Virginia. They'd "have to look legit," Patrick tells

9:00am rally; doors open at 7:30am McLean Central Park Please go to www.mittromney.com to register and print your ticket!

Mitt Romney still earns 50% support in Virginia, but the presidential race remains a toss-up in the Old Dominion. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Virginia Voters finds Romney with 50% support to President Obama’s 48%. Only one percent (1%) remains undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) Last week, Romney hit the 50% mark for the first time here, while Obama earned 47% of the vote. With the exception of last week, however, the candidates have been within two points or less of each other in every survey in Virginia since April. Virginia continues to be a...

The race for the White House has tightened in Virginia, where Mitt Romney is now preferred over Barack Obama by two percentage points -- 47-45 percent. That’s according to a Fox News poll of Virginia likely voters released Thursday. Romney’s edge is within the poll’s margin of sampling error. The poll shows a nine-point shift in the margin and a four-point increase in support for Romney. A month ago, Obama topped Romney by seven points in this battleground state (50-43 percent). The president has also lost ground in the state on his job performance and favorable rating. In 2008, Obama...

President Obama leads Mitt Romney in the critical battleground state of Virginia, according to a survey released Thursday from Public Policy Polling. Obama takes 51 percent support over Romney at 46. The survey was conducted on the Tuesday and Wednesday following Monday’s third and final presidential debate. Obama led the same poll from last weekend, 49-47, over Romney. The poll could be an outlier — according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Obama and Romney are tied at 48 in Virginia. Obama is buoyed in the poll by a wide gender gap. Women favored Obama 57-41 over Romney, while men...

The son of Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) resigned this afternoon following the release of a video from James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas showing him scheming to commit voter fraud with an undercover investigator.... (Video at Legal Insurrection)

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. – whose campaign-field-director son has been caught in a voter-fraud sting – is familiar with controversy. Known for anti-Semitic statements that have earned him censure from his own party, Moran has long been criticized for taking money from Middle East sources with ties to terrorism, known as “the Wahhabi Lobby.” Ads by Google In 2003, Moran, then a regional whip in the House of Representatives, was punished by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi after he suggested Jews were responsible for the push for war against Iraq. As WND reported today, his son, Patrick Moran, who...

October 24, 2012 VA: Rep. Moran’s son resigns, but corruption rolls on By Kenric Ward | Watchdog.org Virginia BureauARLINGTON – Despite a colorful past – and a new video that triggered his son’s resignation from the campaign on Wednesday – U.S. Rep. Jim Moran appears to be cruising to a 12th term in Congress.GOING FOR 12 IN ’12: Jim Moran is seeking a 12th term in Congress. The Northern Virginia Democrat, ensconced in a heavily Democratic district, is squaring off for a second round against Republican challenger Patrick Murray. Moran beat Murray by 24 percentage points in 2010, when turnout...

A new undercover video from James O’Keefe and Project Veritas shows Pat Moran, son of longtime incumbent congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) and field director for his father’s re-election campaign, instructing a supporter in how to use fraudulent documents to cast a hundred illegal votes: Note that Project Veritas prominently includes the unedited raw footage of this encounter, to counter the usual whines about false editing. There’s not much question about what happens here. An undercover operative posing as a very enthusiastic supporter says he’s got a hundred names of people who probably aren’t going to vote, and he wants to...

Watch below as Patrick Moran, the son of Virginia Congressman Jim Moran(and the Field Director for his father's campaign), is caught on tape talking to an undercover reporter about how to allegedly cast ballots deceitfully for registered voters............ Here's part of the transcript below: Undercover Reporter: There are 100 people who don’t vote. He’s looking for two guys to help him with. … Patrick Moran: Crank it out? Undercover Reporter: Yes. He’s got a van and he and me were going to go around. … Patrick Moran: Rally these people up and get them to the polls. Undercover Reporter: Well,...

Project Veritas and James O'Keefe strikes again. Video of Jim Moran (D-VA) campaign field director (and his son) conspiring to commit voter fraud.

James O'Keefe has struck again. O'Keefe is the guy who broke the big ACORN scandal with his undercover video reporting. Now, he's out with a video that may land a Congressman's son in trouble for voter fraud. Watch below as Patrick Moran, the son of Virginia Congressman Jim Moran(and the Field Director for his father's campaign), is caught on tape talking to an undercover reporter about how to allegedly cast ballots deceitfully for registered voters.

You’re Invited to a Victory Rally with Mitt Romney and the Republican Team! Sunday, October 28, 2012 Doors Open 10:00 AM | Event Begins 12:00 PM *The first 500 attendees will receive Romney -- Ryan Footballs! Battlefield High School 15000 Graduation Drive Haymarket, VA 20169 All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted. For questions, contact us at: TeamVA@mittromney.com | (757) 279-8253

You’re Invited to a Victory Rally with Mitt Romney and the Republican Team! Sunday, October 28, 2012 Doors Open 6:15 PM | Event Begins 8:15 PM Farm Bureau Live Amphitheater 3550 Cellar Door Way Virginia Beach, VA 23456 To RSVP for a ticket, visit www.mittromney.com/VA All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted. PAID FOR BY ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT, INC. WWW.MITTROMNEY.COM

You’re invited to a Victory Rally with Paul Ryan and the Republican Team! Thursday, October 25, 2012 Doors Open 4:30 PM | Event Begins 6:30 PM Crutchfield Corporation 1 Crutchfield Park in Charlottesville, VA 22911 To RSVP and get your ticket, please visit: www.mittromney.com/VA Or Pick Up Your Free Ticket in Person at the Charlottesville Victory Office: 455 Albemarle Square, Charlottesville, VA 22901 For questions, contact us at: TeamVA@mittromney.com | (757) 279-8253 For Important Campaign Updates: Text (VA) to GOMITT (466488)

You’re invited to a Victory Rally with Paul Ryan and the Republican Team! Thursday, October 25, 2012 Doors Open 10:00 AM | Event Begins 12:00 PM Universal Fibers 14401 Industrial Park Road in Bristol, VA 24202 For questions, contact us at: TeamVA@mittromney.com | (757) 279-8253 For Important Campaign Updates: Text (VA) to GOMITT (466488) All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted. PAID FOR BY ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT, INC. WWW.MITTROMNEY.COM

The Romney camp and GOP operatives on the ground in key swing states think the wind is at their back. A senior Republican told me Sunday night that Mitt Romney is up by two to three points in Virginia, which President Obama won by nearly seven points in 2008. Two recent polls have Romney tied or up one point in Iowa, while two others have Obama up eight and three points. Private Republican polling has Romney up by one point. Republican operatives, who see swing-state voters, by definition, as representative of the country as a whole. In the GOP’s view,...

“If you don’t think you can change Washington from inside the White House, then let’s give you the plane ticket back to Chicago you have earned.” Christie said. “I mean that is a scary thing for the President of the United States to say, isn’t it?”

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Officials from two Southwestern Virginia counties say a project vital to the area’s economic development has been held up for years because of a dispute with federal regulators over what is an airport and what is a coal mine. Local leaders say the three-year battle with the U.S. Office of Surface Mining over plans to extend the runway at Grundy Municipal Airport has cost taxpayers in this poverty-stricken corner of Appalachia millions of dollars in lost opportunities, and a list of regulatory hurdles remains before construction can even begin. “We were attempting to permit this project as an airport project,...

Methodology (Caller ID) All respondents interviewed in this study were part of a fully representative sample of registered voters in the state of Virginia using a probability sampling method of landlines for a total sample of N=696 registered “likely” voters. The Margin of Error for the sample is +/- 3.7% with a confidence level of 95%. The survey was administered using an Automated Telephone Interviewing (ATI) system. The ATI system allows data to be entered directly into a computerized database through the numbers on interviewee’s phone, providing a highly reliable system of data collection. A random sample of registered voters...

Paul Ryan about to speak in Fredericksburg Virginia!

Click link to get free tickets You’re Invited to a Victory Rally with Mitt Romney and the Republican Team! Wednesday, October 17, 2012 Doors Open 4:30 PM | Event Begins 6:30 PM Ida Lee Park 60 Ida Lee Dr. NW Leesburg, VA 20176-2224 All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted. For questions, contact us at: TeamVA@mittromney.com or (757) 279-8253 For Important Campaign Updates: Text VA to GOMITT (466488)