Archive: Democrats
What Dems Say on AG Race
Post reporter Carol Morello was in Richmond this morning for the Democrats' press conference, and she filed this report about the situation in the attorney general's race: Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, said today that voting machines in the Roanoke area had malfunctioned and he had appointed a team to prepare for a state-paid recount. In separate remarks, Governor-elect Timothy M. Kaine said the margin in what is the closest race in Virginia history was within the percentage point required to request a recount. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure every vote is counted," said Deeds after strolling into a meeting room at the Marriott Hotel in Richmond a few minutes before Kaine was about to give his first post-election news conference. Deeds stopped short of alleging fraud, and said he did not know what had happened. But he cited "anecdotal evidence" or irregularities...
By Robert Thomson | November 9, 2005; 12:41 PM ET | Comments (6)
Mrs. Clinton Comes to Virginia
No one could say that Leslie Byrne is running from her Democratic roots as she campaigns for LG this fall. The one and the only Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has sent out a letter to Byrne's supporters asking them to support the former congresswoman and state senator on Tuesday. "My friend Leslie Byrne is running for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Leslie has long stood up for Virginia families - now it's our chance to stand up for her!" Clinton wrote in an e-mail to Byrne supporters. But given that Clinton has been painted by national and state Republicans as being liberal as liberal gets, the e-mail also appears to be playing into the hands of Byrne's Republican opponent, Sen. Bill Bolling. Since the primary in June, Bolling has been branding Byrne with the "too liberal" for Virginia moniker. In his latest radio ad, he calls the platform of "liberal Leslie...
By Chris Jenkins | November 4, 2005; 12:16 PM ET | Comments (6)
Which Way, Wilder?
So, who is Doug going to endorse? The topic of where former Virginia governor and current Richmond mayor L. Douglas Wilder is going to throw his support in the governor's race is starting to become a hot one among political insiders around the state. A couple of months back, Wilder opened up the pitch for his support by asking Tim Kaine, Jerry Kilgore and Russ Potts a few questions about a 10-point plan he developed to help improve cities around the commonwealth. All three candidates were cooperative, although Kilgore scored highest, agreeing on all 10 points, including a tax credit for low- and moderate-income families. Kaine, who embraced eight of Wilder's points, didn't agree to the tax credit. But now a new wrinkle. Wilder has asked Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) to use the state's surplus to help set up a program that will help poor and working class Virginians pay...
By Chris Jenkins | October 21, 2005; 07:42 PM ET | Comments (6)
The Ad War
Sorry for the lag between posts. It's been quite a week. The big news? An ad by Jerry Kilgore, attacking Tim Kaine on the death penalty. It's two ads, actually. You can see them here. Kaine immediately responded with an ad of his own. You can see that one here. And a bit later, he went up with a second ad, which you can find here, too. The conclusion? The immediate conventional wisdom was that the ads were devastating for Kaine. They depict very sorrowful family members talking about their loved ones who were murdered, and -- in essence -- blaming Kaine, who opposes the death penalty but says he will enforce it if elected. Without the benefit of any polling, though, political pundits are left wondering what impact the ads really had. Did they hurt Kaine as much as people think? Or could there be a backlash from people who...
By Michael Shear | October 14, 2005; 04:46 PM ET | Comments (13)
Dillard Dallies with Democrats
Retiring State Del. Jim Dillard, no conservative he, dumped whatever good will he had left with the Republican party today by formally endorsing a Democrat to replace him in January. No real surprise there. The GOP has known Dillard's been working on behalf of Dave Marsden for months. (Marsden was Dillard's campaign manager twice and worked as his legislative aide.) But hearing the words makes it plain. And he didn't mince them. "His opponent, Michael Golden, really has no experience at all," Dillard said. "[He] is a one-issue candidate and a partisan extremist. "We don't need that kind of leadership down in Richmond." Wow. No doubt there where he stands regarding Mr. Golden. And it could come back to haunt him. Republican leaders in the House have made it clear they are not likely to be in the mood to help appoint emeritus lawmakers to cushy boards and commissions -- a...
By Michael Shear | October 3, 2005; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (7)
A $500K dinner
I meant to write this a while ago, but here it is anyway: the menu from Tim Kaine's $500,000 fundraiser at the Omni Hotel. Why? Just because: * Mixed greens with rasberry vinaigrette. * Tournedos of beef, with mushroom, pepers and onion sauce * Garlic whipped mashed potatos. * Asparagus spears and carrots * Dessert: Chocolate ganache-dipped white chocolate swirl cheesecake on painted plate with whipped cream and red rasberry garnish See, who could pass up a post with a dessert like that? Anyway, that's what the crowd munched on before speeches by Kaine and Mark Warner....
By Michael Shear | September 30, 2005; 05:56 PM ET | Comments (7)
Piggin' out at the Fair
See that guy chowin' down on the corn dog, slathered with mustard? That's the governor of Virginia, Mark Warner, at the State Fair on Friday. And there he is again: eating a fried Oreo cookie. And some French Fries. And pickles. And sampling four kinds of homemade pie. (Full disclosure: I had a fried Oreo, a corn dog and a few fries, too.) Warner came to the fair to give a speech to farmers and then to campaign with Democratic candidate Tim Kaine, who wants to replace Warner in January. The idea: shake hands with as many people as possible in an hour. He did that. Some said they would vote for Kaine in November, and several said they hoped Warner ran for president in 2008. But the soon-to-be-ex governor seemed to be having more fun eating his way through the fair. "Finally, something good about being governor," Warner said as...
By Michael Shear | September 23, 2005; 02:06 PM ET | Comments (9)
Blogging About Base Budgeting
Bear with us here. This is a post about something called "base budgeting." Mark Warner's budget chief gave a presentation to House delegates Monday in which he said his staffers are assuming that next year's budget will not include a transfer of about $290 million from the state's general fund to its transportation fund. In documents and testimony, budget chief Rick Brown said the "base budget" for Virginia -- which includes all required spending and none of the frills -- will not, by default, include the transfer. The decision, he said, will be made separately by Warner later. (Stay with me.) Republican lawmakers flipped. What!? they said, their voices tinged with outrage. How could Warner "take" that money out of transportation at a time that traffic congestion is so bad. They accused Warner of robbing $1 billion from transportation over six years. Is that true? As usual, it depends on how...
By Michael Shear | September 21, 2005; 11:22 PM ET | Comments (5)
Recipe for a Melee?
The Greater Richmond Convention Center and the Richmond Marriott are separated only by the width of 5th Street in downtown Richmond. That may not be enough. On Nov. 8, Jerry Kilgore and his followers will be whooping it up at the convention center as the returns pour in, while Tim Kaine and his throngs celebrate the end of the campaign at the Marriott. It is, according to seasoned political pros in Virginia, the first time that two candidates have been virtually on top of each other on election night. (In 2001, for example, Mark Warner was at the Marriott and Mark Earley was at the Omni -- also in Richmond but far enough away that nary would the two parties mix.) So should we expect chaos? Probably not. Despite the passions of the campaign -- and there are certainly those -- Virginians are basically an orderly lot. In fact, I wouldn't...
By Michael Shear | September 20, 2005; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (16)
The Rappahanock White House?
Reagan had Santa Barbara.Bush I had Kennebunkport.Clinton had Martha's Vineyard.Bush II has Crawford, Texas. So where would a President Mark Warner vacation? Welcome to Rappahanock Bend Farm, a 110-acre spread in King George County just at the bend of (can you guess?) the Rappahanock River. It's got a house (white, of course), swimming pool, barn, basketball court and a vineyard. Warner bought the spread in 1989, long before he was elected governor of Virginia in 2001. Just about every year at this time, he hosts a Pig Roast at the farm and invites a few thousand of his closest friends. He's done it about 15 times. There's beer, lemonade, barbecue, and lots of Democrats. Visitors park their cars in a huge field, directed by efficient young parking attendants. It might as well be a county festival. Warner does nothing but stand at the head of a receiving line that snakes around...
By Michael Shear | September 17, 2005; 08:34 PM ET | Comments (6)
Where's Gilmore?
It was all set to be a blockbuster -- former governor Jim Gilmore, the Republican heavy-hitter, v. Virginia Democratic Chairman Dicky Cranwell, Gilmore's former nemesis in the legislature. And in the middle: Mark Plotkin, the political guru of WTOP radio whose main goal in life seems to be to annoy every politician he can. With all that, the hour-long debate Friday morning couldn't help but be a doozy. And then Gilmore backed out. A royally upset Plotkin told listeners at 10 a.m. that Gilmore -- who had requested an opportunity on the radio -- had called at the last minute to back out. "If I'm showing my displeasure, I am," Plotkin said. Gilmore spokesman Dan Kreske said Gilmore had cancelled because of a full schedule Friday morning. "He had a late flight in from Colorado, a meeting on [Hurricane] Katrina relief, and a meeting with the president of Romania. We had...
By Michael Shear | September 16, 2005; 12:16 PM ET | Comments (10)
House Dems: Riding the Warner Express
House Democrats this morning rolled out their strategy for picking up some seats in the legislature in the Nov. 8 election. (Currently there are 38 Dems in the House.) And the road map basically begins with "Mark" and ends with "Warner" with lots of talk of "budget reform" spread in the middle. Democratic candidates running for House races apparently know which side of their bread is buttered. So at a news conference with about 20 of their candidates for office they announced that they're going to tell voters about how "they" helped usher in the 2004 tax package and all of the "reform" and "investment" that they say came along with it. It is true that without those three dozen Democratic votes there would have been no tax package to increase spending on state services. And voters aren't going to be able to forget it as the candidates tout their Party-of-Warner...
By Chris Jenkins | September 7, 2005; 01:44 PM ET | Comments (10)
The Big Joe-Mentum
Tim Kaine may be keeping his distance from Howard Dean, but he's not staying away from all national Democrats. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman came to town today, spending almost the entire day with Kaine. Publicly, he toured a Richmond school with Kaine, but privately he helped the Democrat raise some money. The first fundraiser took place over lunch at the Jefferson Hotel. About 125 people crowded into the Empire Room to hear Lieberman extoll Kaine's virtues for at least $250 per plate. According to one participant, Lieberman called the Virginia race a "special" one that will have big implications for national politics. He said that with George Bush's popularity plummeting, both national parties are looking to what happens in Virginia as a test. And he said Kaine is a "special" kind of candidate who can have success in Virginia. Kaine spokeswoman Delacey Skinner said Lieberman was scheduled to do another fundraiser...
By Michael Shear | August 29, 2005; 02:35 PM ET | Comments (1)
A Message that Works?
For weeks, we haven't heard much from Leslie Byrne, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and then -- Bam! -- she lets loose with a doozy. During a speech to the United Mine Workers, Byrne said she would abolish the state's right-to-work laws, according to a report in the Times Dispatch. The paper quoted her calling it "the right-to-be-poor" law. In a statement today, Byrne expanded on those comments: "Throughout my 20 years in public service, I have been a tireless advocate for working families and have opposed 'right-to-work' laws. I support the right of every Virginian to make a living wage: a wage that allows them to provide for their families," the statement said. She then went on to attack her Republican opponent, State Sen. Bill Bolling."I believe that Virginia must have a positive environment for both workers and businesses--particularly small businesses. That's why I have proposed, but Mr. Bolling...
By Michael Shear | August 12, 2005; 02:29 PM ET | Comments (10)
RATS!
Yes, there are rats in the state's new executive office building in Richmond. No, we're not talking about lobbyists. We're talking about the real, furry kind, with tails and sharp teeth and an apparently voracious appetite for pork rinds. They seem to be crawling around the Patrick Henry building, where the legislature will hold its 2006 session. The state has apparently caught 200 of them. The news was first reported in the Virginian-Pilot and then today followed by the Times Dispatch. According to both stories, there have been several rat sightings in the new building, which houses the governor's office and much of his cabinet. Carmella Bills, the public relations manager for the House of Delegates, says she found rat poop in the top drawer of her desk, according to Times Dispatch reporter Mike Hardy. No jokes, please, about the rats that will arrive in January....
By Michael Shear | August 9, 2005; 11:58 AM ET | Comments (2)
You May Kiss the Bride
"By the power vested in me -- by me -- I pronounce you husband and wife." With those words, Gov. Mark Warner married Edward Augustus Mullen (one of his loyal assistants) and Jennifer Davis Kane at a ritzy black-tie ceremony Saturday evening in Charlottesville, overlooking a stunning valley. It was a connected affair of about 200 people. Everybody who was anybody was there. (Note: I wasn't) And Warner has now completed his second wedding as a celebrant. Brunch was held at the University of Virginia's Pavilion #4, a magnificent garden attached to the on-campus house occupied by Virginia's leading pundit, Larry Sabato. Sabato was not there, but graciously allowed the brunch to be held in his garden. The wedding and reception moved to the Kluge Estate and winery in the hills overlooking Charlottesville. The 6:30 ceremony was a bit rushed as everyone stared at the rapidly darkening skies. Worried that the...
By Michael Shear | August 9, 2005; 11:25 AM ET | Email a Comment
Not Eliot Spitzer
Del. Bob McDonnell says he will not be an Eliot Spitzer-style attorney general if Virginia voters elect him on Nov. 8, and he accused his opponent, Creigh Deeds, of secretly harboring desires to be an "activist" AG. Why invoke New York Attorney General Spitzer's name? And why borrow terms like "activist" from the national debate over judges? McDonnell wants to paint his opponent as a foe of business, that's why. He made the accusations today at a press conference, flanked by the leaders of the National Federation of Independent Business and the Virginia Manufacturers Association. Just as an aside: The leaders of both of those business groups lauded McDonnell for his exceptional record toward business. One called him "rock solid." Another said he has been a "staunch supporter" of business and said small businesses "owe you a very great thank you." Even so, both men declined to endorse McDonnell, saying they...
By Michael Shear | August 3, 2005; 03:11 PM ET | Comments (2)
Md. Gov Says He Likes Warner, Really
The First Couple hit the trail Thursday night to support leading Republicans in Virginia and Maryland. President Bush went to a dinner for gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore at the home of developer and home builder Dwight Schar in McLean. Laura Bush went to Bethesda, to attend a fundraiser for Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Post reporter Matt Mosk, who covers Maryland state government, was at the Bethesda fundraiser. In addition to contributing to The Post's story on the two money-raising events, Matt filed this report: Ehrlich tried to dial back from comments he made about Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) a few days earlier. In trumpeting Maryland's billion dollar budget surplus on talk radio, Ehrlich had specifically noted that his economic plan was superior to Warner's, because it did not involve a tax increase. "They have a huge surplus because they passed taxes when they didn't need to, when some...
By Robert Thomson | July 22, 2005; 12:18 PM ET | Comments (5)
A Royal Pain in the...Hand
His Excellency, the Governor of Virginia, is in lots of pain. Aides say Mark Warner's famous stubbornness finally gave way Wednesday when his doctor virtually forbade him from taking a scheduled trip to Maine today. Warner had been scheduled to participate in a National Governors Association town hall there (as well as some political handshaking). He told his doctor he intended to go. Are you nuts? the doctor said, in not exactly those terms. Warner broke his right hand in a bicycling accident over the weekend and had to undergo two hours of surgery. Drugs masked the pain immediately after the surgery, but Warner's people said he got very little sleep Tuesday night and was in excruciating pain. Warner seemed better this morning, though. He traveled to the studios of WRVA radio in Richmond for his monthly Ask The Governor radio show. The "clipped wing" didn't stop him from answering questions...
By Michael Shear | June 30, 2005; 10:09 AM ET | Email a Comment
Want Mark Warner's DNA? Bid Now.
Seriously. We're not kidding here. A Roanoke radio station is auctioning off a plastic cup of lemonade that Warner drank from and a nametag Warner wore at a meeting of the Patrick County Educational Foundation last week. The headline on their eBay auction screams: "DNA from Virginia State Governor MARK WARNER. Maybe a future PRESIDENT or VICE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES!!" The auction goes on to specify that the winning bidder will win the following: "(1) Plastic cup from which Virginia Governor Mark Warner drank lemonade during a luncheon last week in Southwest Virginia. And yes, there is still that lemonade filmy-looking sticky stuff in the bottom of the cup. ACTUAL DNA FROM A MAN WHO MAY BE COMMANDER IN CHIEF!!" "(2) Governor Warner's nametag he wore on his body. Again, IT WAS TOUCHING A MAN WHO MAY BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!" Before we go any further: Yes,...
By Michael Shear | June 23, 2005; 05:58 PM ET | Comments (3)
It's Over! Now the fun begins.
For the bleary-eyed among you who stayed up till the bitter end, this will come as no surprise. But for the rest of you: The Virginia primary is over. Done. Kaput. Finito. All those Web sites for losing candidates like Sean Connaughton, Steve Baril, Chap Petersen and Viola Baskerville will fade into obscurity. You can remove them from your bookmark lists now. (Connaughton's already has been replaced with a message of support for the GOP ticket. Boy, that was fast!) But there's no rest for weary bloggers, so don't you dare delete the Race to Richmond from your lists. We're on to bigger and better things. Specifically the 2005 general election, which we now know will feature no end of fasicnating matchups. Of course, there's Kilgore v. Kaine v. Potts. Since we're now in the 24-hour-news cycle, stay tuned for a nearly non-stop torrent of sniping, accusations and multi-media bashing. Oh,...
By Michael Shear | June 15, 2005; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (1)
Cranwell Speaks
It appears that C. Richard Cranwell, the former House Majority Leader and Democrats' incoming party chairman, has jumped head first into the gubernatorial campaign's choppy waters--and he hasn't even officially started his new gig yet. On a mid-afternoon conference call with reporters, Cranwell, whose ascendency to party chairman was first reported Sunday by Mike Shear, made a few observations about Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore's latest radio ads running in his home base of Southwest Virginia. In them, the Kilgore campaign sets the candidate apart from his Democratic opponent, saying that basically Tim Kaine is a big liberal, who's positions on guns, abortion and the death penalty can't be trusted in the Old Dominion. One ad says that Kaine supports "abortion on demand." You'll find some of the Kilgore ads here. Cranwell, who's known to be razor sharp with his comebacks, did not a direct swipe at Kilgore, but he...
By Chris Jenkins | June 7, 2005; 04:22 PM ET | Comments (3)
Where's Warner? (Hint: Think 2008)
There are 50 states. Mark Warner happens to be heading to the one that holds the nation's first presidential contest every year. That's right, Virginia's leader is on his way to Iowa two years and eight months before voters there meet in little groups to pick a Democratic nominee for president. He leaves this morning and comes back late Tuesday. Not that his trip has anything to do with politics. Nooooo. It's all about his bipartisan role as the chairman of the National Governors Association. While in Iowa, he'll host a town-hall meeting about the future of the American high school with Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (a fellow Dem.) And according to spokesman Kevin Hall, Warner will run a victory lap with Vilsack for luring the NGA's annual meeting to the city next month. But even tight-lipped Hall concedes that Warner will squeeze in a bit of politicking while he's in...
By Michael Shear | June 6, 2005; 10:52 AM ET | Email a Comment
Chairman Cranwell
Democrats have persuaded "Dickey" Cranwell, the former House Majority Leader and master of legislative strategery, to lead the party into the final six months of the 2005 campaign. The party announced the change in a press release Sunday after it was first reported in the Washington Post Sunday morning. "As he did when he was majority leader, Cranwell will work tirelessly and passionately for the party and its statewide ticket, including Kaine and Sen. Creigh Deeds," said the party's spokesman, Kevin Griffis. No, the change is not being made because Donley's first name reminds people of John Kerry. Griffis says Donley is taking a job as the atheletic director at Alexandria's T.C. Wiliams High School, which means lots of push ups, and no politics. The school board asked him to step down as party chairman and he will do so this month. For Democrats, Cranwell brings a sharp tongue, a long...
By Michael Shear | June 4, 2005; 10:55 PM ET | Email a Comment
Dems versus Dems
How better to prove you're a team player than to take a couple of good swipes at your potential ticket mate and the leader of your party? Del. Viola Baskerville, one of the Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor, is under fire from some in her party because she has criticized Tim Kaine's tax-cutting proposal. Today, her campaign manager insisted that she's a good team player, but in the process gave the back of his hand to both Kaine and Gov. Mark Warner (D). In the e-mail, B.J. Neidhardt writes that "Kaine certainly knows from experience that Democrats can win statewide office even when they don't agree on everything ... or has he forgotten being stiff armed by running mate Mark Warner the day after his primary victory in 2001?" Stiff armed? That probably refers to Warner's decision in 2001 to distance himself from Kaine's position on capital punishment and guns. Now,...
By Michael Shear | June 2, 2005; 02:17 PM ET | Comments (1)
Petersen Would Open Six Regional LG Offices
The race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor is confounding even the sharpest of political observers these days. Indeed, with four candidates representing three areas of the state--and each claiming they've got the right political and regional formula to win on June 14--it does appear to be a race that will keep the hands wringing until late in the evening on Primary Day (Just 15 days off!). So in an apparent attempt to break himself away from the competition, Del. J. Chapman Petersen of Fairfax announced this morning that, if elected, he'll break up the LG's office and set up six "regional offices" around the state to do the good work of the people, literally on Main Street. You can pretty much guess the locales: Northern Virginia, Tidewater, Southside, the Shenandoah Valley, central Virginia and Southwest Virginia. Petersen is facing former state senator Leslie L. Byrne (Fairfax), Del. Viola O....
By Chris Jenkins | May 31, 2005; 01:20 PM ET | Comments (1)
