Eric Cantor's Young Guns of the GOP ride into Richmond: 2014 breakfast draws 1,700 to annual event

Congressman and House  Majority Leader Eric Cantor at Tuesday's annual breakfast where he hosted 1,700 attendees in an exhibition hall at the Richmond Center. The popular breakfast, a who's who of Virginia Republicans and the third largest Republican event in the Commonwealth, has grown in size over the years and will no longer fit in the ballrooms. The only two events larger are the Republican Convention and Eric Cantor's annual Republican Roundup held each fall in Henrico.

Congressman Cantor was joined by another of the GOP's Young Guns, Congressman Paul Ryan, who brought his conservative ideas to breakfast. The Congressional Young Guns -- Cantor, Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy -- came together in 2000 to help recruit and pull in new candidates and people to bring in fresh ideas. Those candidates believed in a small federal government, economic freedom, encouraging small business without additional government oversight, individual freedom -- supporting Americans as they pursue and build their dreams -- with common sense solutions to America's problems. Campaigning and working hard, 62 of their Young Gun recruits won seats in the House, flipping it to a Republican majority.

Congressman Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, joked, "The 2012 election didn't go quite as we planned," to laughter from the crowd. He went on to say that Republicans cannot just be the party of "no" ... they have to be the party of new ideas and ways to implement those ideas. Republicans, he said, need to show they belong in leadership. He noted that, while Obamacare is not the answer to the nation's health woes, the GOP has an alternative that would prove to be more affordable. In a nod to the Commonwealth, Ryan said, "A Virginian gave us the Declaration of Independence ... that has made us the most free society on earth."

Ryan was complimentary of Cantor. "Eric Cantor is more than just your Congressman," he said. "He's a conservative who knows how to lead. It's easy to be a sayer ... it's harder to be a do-er. He's a do-er who can actually move our country forward. Eric Cantor is an effective conservative. He's such an effective conservative that 233 people in congress unanimously reelected him to be Majority Leader in Congress. We know his principles. He's smart and can get things done." Quite an endorsement from a fellow congressman, and quite a compliment for Virginia.

Linwood Cobb, Chairman of the 7th Congressional District, opened the event, welcomed everyone, and introduced his friend, Congressman Cantor. Linwood, one of the most successful Republican Congressional District chairmen in Virginia, is running for re-election at the 7th District Convention on May 10, 2014. I would urge those in the 7th to become a delegate to support Linwood who is a proven fund raiser, organizer, and works extremely hard for the Republican Party. He does what many cannot -- he has candidates who WIN.

Delegate Barbara Comstock, candidate for the 10th Congressional District, offered the invocation.

Linwood with former Lieutenant Governor John Hager.

Andrew Vehorn and Jim Hoeft

Jason Kenney

The Virginia College Republicans were there including Kelly Myers and Matt Wertman. There was also a large group of students from Henrico's Deep Run High School.

Jason and Jim hard at work.

Plates of hearty breakfast foods were wheeled out while waiting for Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan to speak.

Aaron Gulbransen of Cigar Association of Virginia fame.

Ed Gillespie was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters after festivities wrapped up. Mr. Gillespie is running for the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Senator Mark Warner in November.

Delegate Comstock was also surrounded as she greeted those in the crowd after breakfast.

Mike Thomas, Linwood, former Lt. Governor John Hager (Milas granddad!).

Linwood, Judi Lynch, John Hager, and friends.

Jon Comer, chairman of the Page County Republicans.

There were many familiar faces including Kristi Way, Judi Lynch, Mike Wade, Melissa Nelson, Marie Quinn, and a number of elected officials in town for the 2014 General Assembly session. More than 80 businesses sponsored tables including some of the most recognizable names in Richmond and the Commonwealth. Media was represented as well as bloggers Jason Kenney, Jim Hoeft, Flint Engleman, and myself.

More coverage can be found at:
- Lynn R. Mitchell: The Young Guns of the GOP
- Richmond Times-Dispatch: GOP must do more than oppose
- Bearing Drift: Cantor calls for Va to resist Obamacare expansion

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
February 25, 2014

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander James Hoeft going ashore ... thanks for 20 years of service

The Watch

Aye mates, for 20 years

This Sailor has stood the watch.

While some of us were in our bunks at night

Seaman Hoeft stood the watch

While some of us were in school learning our trade

Electronics Technician Third Class Hoeft stood the watch

In those years when the storm clouds of war were seen
brewing on the horizon of history,

Ensign Hoeft stood the watch

Many times he would cast an eye ashore

and see his family standing there

Needing his guidance and help

Needing that hand to hold during those hard times

But Lieutenant Junior Grade Hoeft stood the watch

He stood the watch for twenty years

He stood the watch so that we, our families and

Our fellow countrymen, could sleep soundly in safety,

Each and every night,

Knowing that Lieutenant Hoeft stood the watch

Today, we are here to say

Shipmate ... the watch stands relieved

Relieved by those you have trained, guided, and led

Lieutenant Commander Hoeft, you stand relieved

We have the watch!

 Boatswain, stand by to pipe the side, shipmate going ashore!

Jim Hoeft sits at the Governor's conference table in Richmond.
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling's 4th Annual Bloggers Day 

February 16, 2011

We know him as Jim or JR who was the founder of Bearing Drift and now has founded Virginia Politics On Demand, recruiting top-notch bloggers to help provide news and information to the Virginia blogosphere. He has covered Republican Advances, Eric Cantor's Republican Roundup, candidate events, interviewed elected officials and those running for office, and fill in for radio personalities. That is the Jim I've known since 2006.

Jim's other career was as an officer in the U.S. Navy and, in a ceremony in Virginia Beach on Friday, September 13, 2013, he retired after 20 years of service.

His Naval career began in 1992 at the Recruit Training Center in Orlando, Florida. From 1992-93 he was at Nuclear Power Training Command in Orland, and in 1993-94 part of Nuclear Power Training Unit in Charleston, SC. He ended up in Newport News, Va, from 1994-96 with the PCU Cheyenne (SSN 773). He spent 1996-99 at Old Dominion University NROTC, 2000 in Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, RI, and returned to the USS Mitscher (DDG 57) from 2000-02 and the USS Ponce (LPD 15) from 2002-03.

Jim found his niche in public affairs:

2003-06: U.S. Fleet Forces Command
TAD: Hurricane Katrina
Navy Expedition Combat Command

2006-07: Navy Personnel Development Command

2007-08: Navy Public Affairs Support Element
TAD: Amphibious Squadron 8 embarked
USS KEARSARGE (LHD 3)

2008-11: Joint Public Affairs Support Element
TAD: Operation Assured Delivery
Operation Odyssey Dawn embarked USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC 20)
Pakistan Flood Relief
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

2011-13: Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command
IA: United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

Congratulations to our friend and colleague with best wishes for the next chapter in his life and a sincere thank you for 20 years of service to our country.

Cross-posted at Virginia Politics On Demand

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell

Va Dems circle wagons ... Va Republicans join in circular firing squad

Attacking Republicans seems to be the sport of the day, not only by Democrats, but also within the Republican Party. Recently, Marco Rubio and Chris Christie were attacked by the right wing of the GOP for not being conservative enough on their policies about immigration and other issues. Now add Bob McDonnell to that list.

Conservative bloggers like Willie Deutsch at Bearing Drift have joined with Democratic bloggers in the mindless act of becoming participants in attacking the Virginia Republican Governor. What should be more disconcerting is the effect this circular firing squad will have on GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli who has also been caught up in the controversy with his own issue of unreported gifts from Star Scientific and Jonnie Williams. When the far right is done with Bob McDonnell, will they then turn their guns on Cuccinelli?

In the words of Richmond Times-Dispatch political writer Jeff Schapiro, "... all Democrats have to do is watch a great Republican tradition: cannibalism."

The hemorrhaging needs to stop.

Interestingly enough, in the shadows away from this controversy stands Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. The far right had its fair share of attacking him earlier this year by calling him a RINO and questioning his conservative credentials. In hindsight, perhaps Bolling did the wisest thing by stepping aside in this toxic environment. Meanwhile, as Jim Hoeft  reported, it's business as usual in the LG's office as he goes about the job of working for the people of Virginia.

The LG is also on the minds of the editorial board at Charlottesville's Daily Progress, wondering what if concerning Bolling's aborted campaign for Governor. Noting the issues surrounding the Governor, the Daily Progress wrote:

“Much of this has occurred on center stage during a summer that was supposed to have belonged to Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a better man who stands in the shadows, cast there by a party that failed him and failed Virginia.

Undercut by state GOP leaders whose political IQ’s can only be measured in minuses, Bolling was thrown to the side by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a man with more baggage than Samsonite.

Rather than hold a primary to allow voters to select the next Republican candidate for governor, party string-pullers conducted the rough equivalent of a meeting in a smoke-filled room, holding a convention to hand Cuccinelli the nomination.

Bolling could have taken his shot in 2009 — surely, he wishes now that he had — but he agreed to stand aside to unify the party, paving the path to McDonnell’s sweeping victory. The idea was that Bolling would wait his turn until 2013.

Then along came Cuccinelli. One wonders how strongly the capital’s most powerful Republican stood for the friend who helped him win election. There are apparent prices to be paid for McDonnell’s friendship. Williams is Exhibit A, evidently.

That has stirred rumblings about McDonnell’s possible early departure from Richmond. A conservative blogger claimed over the weekend that two sources told him the governor was preparing to resign in a plea deal to avoid ethics charges. McDonnell’s staff quickly denied the rumor.

It’s a sign of how deep the governor is in his own mess. Were he to be forced out, moving Bolling into the mansion, Virginia would be served in the interim by a leader superior to the alternatives being offered up for the fall. Perhaps Bolling might gain fuel enough for a write-in run.

That might be a dream, but it is far pleasanter than the nightmare now being lived out in the state’s highest office.

What the far right's circular firing squad is doing is driving people like Laura Lennox of Richmond to consider a write-in vote for Bill Bolling while others have taken to Facebook.

The loser in all this is the Republican Party, both statewide and nationally. Maybe we all need to reconsider the 11th commandment often quoted by Ronald Reagan: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.

Announcing VPOD: 'Virginia Politics On Demand -- Conservative Reason for the Commonwealth'

 [Originally posted on May 14, 2013]

There's a new source for conservative commentary and political analysis in Virginia. Up and going for only three weeks, it is already making inroads into the conservative political blogosphere.

Some of Virginia’s best writers, broadcasters, and humorists -- and all keen conservative political observers – have launched “Virginia Politics On Demand,” a new Web site for information and commentary.

The site offers insightful analysis and original information to the Virginia political conversation.

"Many political web sites focus on advocacy, and there's a need for that, but our goal is to be more analytical and original," said J.R. Hoeft, the publisher of VPOD. "We want to help Virginians understand why something is happening, not why we want something to happen; and, we want to provide unique information, not something you can read somewhere else."

In addition to politics, the site will provide perspective on history, economics, society and culture, and how they affect today's political landscape. Two opinion leaders will also offer their thoughts on major topic, but from different conservative perspectives, and the audience will have the opportunity to vote as to which policy position they support.

The contributors to VPOD include conservatives from every corner of the Commonwealth and have decades of political and media experience. Additionally, VPOD welcomes radio personality Steve Batton and cartoonist Kurt Michael who each offer their unique talents to the line up. In addition to Hoeft, Batton, and Michael, are Alton Foley, Jason Johnson, Wayne Ozmore, Andrew Schwartz, Scott Hirons, Tim Donner, Stephen Spiker, Jason Miyares, Rick Sincere, Steve Thomas, Mike Thomas, and Lynn Mitchell.

Besides the web site, VPOD can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to keep up with all the latest by subscribing to our free newsletter for alerts and regular updates. Interested parties can also subscribe to a free newsletter for alerts and regular updates.

- VPOD -

Bearing Drift's JR Hoeft post hits multiple news outlets

Jim Hoeft, proprietor at Virginia's Bearing Drift blog, wrote a post on Tuesday titled Romney-McDonnell 2012? In it, he noted that former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney headlined a fundraiser in Virginia Beach on Monday.

JR picked up on a comment from Romney, who is currently considered at the head of the GOP pack:

"Romney said that McDonnell has been an 'incredible governor' and will be on 'any candidate’s short-list' for Vice President."

Which helped lead to the question of a possible Romney-McDonnell ticket in 2012.

The news outlets jumped on it and have been running with JR's supposition ever since with multiple links to Bearing Drift from nationwide sources.

Some of the news links to Bearing Drift:

Fox DC
The Fix at The Washington Post
Gothamist
Business Insider
Briefly on http://www.billoreilly.com/ but not there anymore.
The Atlantic Wire
Political Wire

Boston.com 
NY Post  
PolitickerNJ 
Yahoo!News Hot Air 

Real Clear Politics (second link under Election 2012)
Huffington Post 

From Memeorandum:

–

Discussion:

O.Kay Henderson:   Bachmann: other House GOPers “will have to come to their own conclusion” (audio)

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:   Krauthammer: Bachmann Is ‘Unbelievably Irresponsible’ On Debt Ceiling

Matt Lewis / The Daily Caller:   As TheDC's Amanda Carey noted yesterday, the debt debate is dividing Republicans.

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:   Bachmann knocks Boehner debt-ceiling plan

JR Hoeft / Bearing Drift:
Romney-McDonnell 2012?  —  Former Massachussets governor …

Link Search: IceRocket, Google, and Ask

+

Discussion: msnbc.com, Politics, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, Red Dog Report, GOP 12, Gothamist and National Review

Even Democrats are alarmed at nation's unemployment

Unemployment is at 9.2%. Twenty million Americans are out of work, have stopped looking, or are underemployed.

Even the Democrats are alarmed. The ProgressiveDem blog wrote:

The disdain shown by Obama, his administration, and his political and economic crew towards the tens of millions of struggling, unemployed Americans trying to find jobs when there are none or not enough, and those working for stagnant wages, living from pay check to pay check, barely hanging on is abominable.

Here is the latest pile of cow excrement being thrown at them by these pompous, damn DINO asses.

What followed were excerpts from a post by Scarecrow at Firedoglake:

"I’ve always thought the pent up anger at George Bush and the frustration from the Bush years would have allowed Daisy Duck or the Chipmunks to win the Presidency in 2008. So the trick was to elect someone who understood that anger and was prepared to reverse all the reasons it existed. Sure, the Obama message people understood this, but so did my cat.

"Now the people who helped Obama defraud voters by channeling everyone’s hope for change have convinced themselves he won the election because they’re political geniuses.

"The lastest example of this delusion is Obama’s senior campaign adviser, David Plouffe, who confidently told Bloomberg that going into the 2012 elections with over 8 percent unemployment and no meaningful jobs programs will not hurt Obama’s chances for reelection.

When it comes to jobs and the economy, Americans become everyday people without Rs or Ds behind their names. They need to provide for their families.

Jim Hoeft at Bearing Drift blog has the June unemployment report and notes:

... you can sense the frustration growing from Majority Leader Eric Cantor whose House Republicans have been trying to pass job creating legislation and boost economic growth, only be stymied by the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress.

Meanwhile, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air doesn't mince words at the incompetence after Obama White House adviser David Plouffe said "unemployment rates or even monthly jobs numbers do not matter to the average American." Morrissey wrote:

This is denial on the scale of Baghdad Bob. The “prism” of GDP and the unemployment rate are precisely how Americans evaluate the economy. They don’t give a damn if the President makes decisions “based on me and my family” if those decisions turn out to be disastrous, and right now, that’s the case presented in the latest economic slide. Plouffe’s argument seems to be that people will vote for caring incompetence — and while that may be the only argument left for Obama’s re-election, Plouffe and company are about to find out that denial isn’t exactly a winning strategy.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney didn't mince words either as he retorted in Politico:

With their cavalier attitude about the economy, the White House has turned the audacity of hope into the audacity of indifference.”

Ouch.

Poll: Allen up by 13 points over reluctant candidate Kaine

A newly released Roanoke College (Va) poll has Republican U.S. Senate candidate George Allen up 13 points over  Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine. The findings were:

George Allen: 45%
Tim Kaine: 32%

Kaine did Virginians no favor as governor, and he has been closely associated with Democratic President Barack Obama's liberal overreaching government policies including ObamaCare, something he claims to be proud of. In Virginia?

As he was preparing to leave the governorship, he proposed billions of dollars in new taxes with a budget that was billions in debt (a budget that was later balanced without new taxes by the newly-elected Gov. Bob McDonnell). He closed rest areas (claiming there was no money but newly-elected Gov. McDonnell authorized an audit of VDOT and found $1.45 billion tucked away) all while his banner was supposed to be transportation. Does Virginia really need more of that?

Check out Jim Hoeft's post at Bearing Drift ... "Kaine comes screaming out of the gates for Senate ... 13 points behind Allen".

Bearing Drift ... the magazine

Don't know where he found the time but JR Hoeft has put together a Bearing Drift Magazine with help from his friends, and the first issue is out featuring an in-depth interview with Gov. Bob McDonnell, contributing articles from bloggers Brian Kirwin, Georgie Gale, and Krystle Weeks, and snark from Ward Smythe. Great stuff which just illustrates even more the vast array of talent available in the Virginia blogosphere. Congratulations to JR and crew!

Virginia Virtucon & Bearing Drift ... conservative blogging leaders

Jim Riley is has done a little research of his own into Technorati rankings which change on a daily basis, and discovered the new leader yesterday was his own Virginia Virtucon followed by Bearing Drift. Congrats for their conservative blogging leadership. My hat's off to them both and to all the conservative bloggers who are dedicated to disseminating the conservative message.

Congrats JR and Bearing Drift!

Bearing Drift ... "Virginia politics on demand." Keep up the good work on the conservative front line of the blogosphere.

I agree ... but will it ever happen?

Jim Hoeft has reflected on the purpose of Bearing Drift and the blogosphere and the sharing of ideas/discussions/disagreements. I agree with what he says ... but will it ever happen? In the arena of "macaca" and "Bush is a Nazi" and the abundant use of profanity, will there ever be civility in the political blogosphere?