Virginia Campaign News, Monday, May 23, 2005 - Thread VIII

Various | May 23, 2005 | Various

[Corin Stormhands]

Weekly wrap-up of Virginia Campaign New. Post 'em if you got em...

April 11, 2005 Thread I
April 18, 2005 Thread II
April 25, 2005 Thread III
May 2, 2005 Thread IV
May 9, 2005 Thread VI
May 16, 2005 Thread VII

FROM TODAY

Anti-tax PAC targets GOP delegates
Group mounting primary challenges to lawmakers who backed higher taxes
by Pamela Stallsmith
After the Republican-controlled General Assembly voted to raise taxes last year, R. Jerry Parker Jr. was so mad that his first reaction was to run for office.

FROM THE WEEKEND

In the governor's race, watch for outside influence
by Jeff Schapiro
(Sunday) After losing the governorship to Democrat Charles S. Robb in 1981, Republican Marshall Coleman mused that the soft national economy drove swarms of voters to the other guy.

GOP ad goes after Kaine's tax record
Democrats says TV spot that labels him liberal is inaccurate
by Jeff Schapiro
(Saturday) In the first television attack ad of the Virginia governor's race, national Republicans yesterday branded Democrat Timothy M. Kaine with one of their favorite epithets: tax-raising liberal.

OTHER THREADS

Sen. Allen predicts showdown will end in 'nuclear option'

LINKS YOU CAN USE

Kaine is Not Able (under construction)

George Allen 2008 oval sticker.

[Flora McDonald]

LOL! And that reminds me of the pictures of Doug Wilder when he was elected mayor. Tim Kaine was in all the shots. It looked like Wilder was holding on to the podium so Tim wouldn't push him out of the way.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Democrats are funny!

[iceskater]

Of all the dems I've ever paid attention to, Doug is one that I can admire. He doesn't just hew to the party line. Sometimes he doesn't just to tick people off. Sometimes it seems to be a matter of conviction on his part. In any event, it usually annoys the Dem party hacks and thus, is fun to watch!

[ReagansRaiders]

Let's hope that Warner stands down in 2008. If he doesn't, I think he'll get a challenge stronger than Jim Miller's in '96. If we can just move to closed primaries and get party registration by then, he'll really be in deep doo doo.

So, who all do you see making a move for his seat in '08 (whether it is an open seat or as a primary challenge)?

The names I've heard kicked around are:

Jim Gilmore
Jo Ann Davis
Tom Davis

I'd love to see Jo Ann go for it (not to mention that would create an open seat in the district where I live....)

[ReagansRaiders]

Wilder isn't quite Zell Miller.... yet. But we can work on that! After all, I seem to recall him at some press conference with George Allen not long ago saying that the surplus should be given back to the taxpayers.

[iceskater]

He is very much a no tax increase kinda guy. So, for that I think he's better than most Dems.

[iceskater]

My personal favorite is Virgil Goode.
I think there are plenty of people who can take the reins.

[Corin Stormhands]

IIRC, Wilder was in agreement with Allen and Kilgore over pushing for a referendum on Warner's tax hike.

As for replacing Jawn, lots of people are interested.

In addition to the ones you mentioned (Gilmore, J. Davis, T. Davis), I think Bob Goodlatte is probably interested, as well as Eric Cantor and Randy Forbes.

We've no shortage of potentials.

And the runner up can be appointed to fill the seat vacated by President Allen. ;-)

[iceskater]

And the runner up can be appointed to fill the seat vacated by President Allen. ;-)

From your keyboard to God's ears!!!!!!

[ReagansRaiders]

Allen is really hitting his stride right now. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him last night (there were about a dozen of us there for a fundraiser.) No one mentioned '08 last night, but every person there could see it happening (and this was the D.C. PAC / lobbying community, not just VA GOPers.) He's also doing the wise thing and popping his head into other candidates' events to say "Hi" like he did with Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) last night.

He's making all the right moves, that's for sure.

By the way, mark Oct. 1 on your calendars for this year's Hoe Down. Place TBD.

[Flora McDonald]

Gilmore is running for something and running hard with an expanding war chest. Have we figured out what he's running for yet?

[Corin Stormhands]

My guess is Gilmore is going after John Warner's seat.

But I bet he'd like to be Governor again.

[iceskater]

Why, so he can do it right this time?
Or continue to foist that budgetary albatross of the car tax relief on the public? I am all in favor of reducing taxes anywhere and everywhere but the car tax thing has turned out to be a huge problem.

[Corin Stormhands]

He will never see it that way.

[Corin Stormhands]

Friday pingage...

Taxpayer Alliance full of hypocrisy (Virginia RINO Alert!)
(Sean Connaughton endorsement letter)

Va. sex offenders got Viagra
More than 50 on registry received impotence drugs through state's Medicaid
by Frank Green
Virginia provided Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs to 52 registered sex offenders through its Medicaid program last year.

This morning Jimmy Barrett (WRVA) was praising the Governor's quick response. Someone brought up the question yesterday when Warner was doing the monthly call in. Warner did act quickly after the question was asked. I don't fault Warner for the actual problem. But I'm not gonna praise his response time either. Why didn't he look into it last week?

Candidates for attorney post spell out plans to fight crime
by Chastity Gunn (someone else actually named their child "Chastity?")
Three Democratic candidates for Richmond commonwealth's attorney told an audience yesterday how they plan to reduce crime and train new prosecutors.

Connaughton gets Stosch's support in GOP election
Senate Majority Leader Walter A. Stosch, R-Henrico, is backing Sean Connaughton of Prince William County for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.

I was undecided until I read this. Consider me in the Bolling camp.

Kaine proposal targets state's uninsured
Plan gives tax credit to small firms; cost could hit $250 million a year
by Tyler Whitley and Pamela Stallsmith
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Timothy M. Kaine, acknowledging its high cost, proposed a state tax credit yesterday to encourage small businesses to offer health insurance to their employees.

Hold onto your wallets folks.

Lee Boyd Malvo, center in coveralls, is escorted by Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputies from an aircraft in Frederick, Md., Wednesday, May 25, 2005, after being extradited to Maryland to face charges of killing six people in Montgomery County during the October 2002 shooting spree that terrorized the Washington area. Malvo was taken out of Red Onion Prison in southwest Virginia, where he is serving a life sentence for the Oct. 14, 2002 shooting of FBI analyst Linda Franklin in Virginia
(AP Photo)

Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't it be kinda poetic justice if a sniper took him out?

[Ligeia]

Did y'all sign up yet for your Cookouts for Kilgore BBQ?? I did!