Virginia Politics Blog Archive: Winners and Losers

Virginia Notebook: Democrats Stuck in Neutral

Shortly after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) called a special session to try to tackle transportation funding issues, the governor gave a blunt assessment of what he hoped to accomplish by advocating a tax increase even though he didn't have the support of the Republican-controlled House of Delegates. "It will be very productive to either try to find a solution or make it plain to people who are standing in the way," Kaine said in an interview with The Washington Post in May. "We are going to make something happen or let the public see who is obstructing, and frankly, that is one of the reasons why Democrats have won elections in Virginia." But 10 days into the special session on transportation -- legislators have been on vacation for six of those days -- it remains uncertain whether any solution will be found or whether the governor will score any...

By Tim Craig | July 2, 2008; 2:31 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Abusive Driver Fees , Election 2008/Congress , Election 2008/Local , Election 2008/President , Election 2008/U.S. Senate , Election 2009 , General Assembly 2008 , Tim Craig , Timothy M. Kaine , Transportation , Virginia Notebook , Winners and Losers Share This: E-Mail | Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Stumble

Convention Recap

As the 2008 Virginia Democratic Party convention draws to a close, here are eight observations about the weekend's events at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton. 1) If the Democrats' goal was to leave the convention united behind Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), they still have a lot of work to do. Surprisingly, numerous supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) said they weren't sure if they would vote for Obama in the fall....

By Tim Craig | June 15, 2008; 12:38 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Brian J. Moran , Election 2008/Congress , Election 2008/Local , Election 2008/President , Election 2008/U.S. Senate , Election 2009 , General Assembly 2008 , Gerald E. Connolly , James Gilmore III , James Webb , Mark Warner , Tim Craig , Timothy M. Kaine , Winners and Losers Share This: E-Mail | Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Stumble

Winners & Losers from JJ Dinner

Here are some winners and losers from the Virginia Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Day dinner Saturday night in Richmond. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) spoke to about 6,000 party activists and donors. Before the event, which also featured speeches from a elected leaders and party officials, hundreds of Clinton and Obama supporters faced off outside the Stuart C. Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Winners: Barack Obama Virginia organizers: Obama supporters appeared to outnumber Clinton supporters by about 3 to 1. Before the dinner, about 300 Obama supporters paraded down one of Richmond's busiest streets to show their support for their candidate. The Obama campaign, aided by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's (D) trusted political aide Charlie Kelly, even brought in a marching band to lead the group. There was little doubt inside or outside the Siegel Center that Obama supporters appeared...

This Week's Winners and Losers

This Week's Winners: Tom Perriello - A Democratic candidate for Congress in the 5th District, Tom Perriello is being touted as a possible serious challenger to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va) this year. Some Democrats in Richmond say Perriello, who raised $263,000 last year, will be well funded, considering the relatively cheap television advertisements costs in southern Virginia. Goode remains heavily favored to win, but Perriello can't be disappointed with the free press he got this week in the Martinsville Bulletin and the Roanoke Times. You can find the articles here and here....

Winners & Losers

This week's winners House Speaker William J. Howell -- Despite lots of pressure from delegates, Howell stands firm in opposing an increase in the daily allowance, or per diem, citing the state's budget shortfall. Del. Steve Shannon (D-Fairfax)- Campaign finance reports show that Shannon, a possible Democratic candidate for attorney general next year, has over $202,000 in the bank. Shannon is also speaking more often on the House floor, which may help raise his profile in preparation for a statewide campaign. Del. Lionel Spruill Sr. (D-Chesapeake) -- Spruill earns headlines nationwide over his bill to make it illegal to hang rubber testicles from a vehicle hitch....

Winners and Losers

This Week's Winners Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va) - Roll Call, the Capitol Hill paper, reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to target 40 Republican-held House seats next year. No seats from Virginia are on the list. By excluding Davis's district, which includes Fairfax and Prince William counties, Democrats are signaling that he remains in a strong position if he decides to run again. House and Senate Republicans- After years of squabbling, top Senate and House leaders showed this week they can be far more effective when they are unified. After Kaine unveiled his budget, they spoke with one voice, setting the stage for a purely partisan battle over the budget, which hasn't occurred since the late 1990s. Barack Obama - Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-Va) endorsed his presidential bid. If the race for the Democratic nomination is still competitive by Virginia's Feb. 12 primary, Obama...

Older Entries in This Category »

Winners and Losers, Steve Fehr , December 14, 2007

Winners and Losers, Anita Kumar , December 7, 2007

Winners and Losers From the GOP Advance, Tim Craig , December 3, 2007

Winners and Losers, Tim Craig , November 21, 2007

Winners and Losers, Steve Fehr , November 16, 2007

Virginia Notebook: Election Answers, Tim Craig , November 14, 2007

Election Winners, Steve Fehr , November 9, 2007

Election Losers, Steve Fehr , November 9, 2007

This Week's Winners and Losers, Steve Fehr , October 19, 2007

This Week's Winner and Losers, Steve Fehr , October 5, 2007

This Week's Winners and Losers, Steve Fehr , September 28, 2007

Introducing Winners and Losers, Steve Fehr , September 21, 2007