Celebrate Thomas Jefferson's birthday at Monticello

Friday, April 11
At Monticello

Monticello will mark the 271st anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth with a celebration and ceremonies on the West Lawn. Held in conjunction with Founder's Day at the University of Virginia, the event will feature remarks by James H. Webb, Jr., former U.S. Senator from Virginia and the 2014 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership, and the presentation of wreaths honoring Jefferson by local, state, and national organizations. 10 a.m., free and open to the public. (Admission required for house tours.)

Other Events
You may also be interested in related events being held at the University of Virginia as part of Founder's Day:

April 11

• 12:30 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Citizen Leadership The Frank Batten School of Leadersip and Public Policy will host a talk by James H. Webb, Jr., former U.S. Senator (D-Va.) and Secretary of the Navy, decorated Vietnam veteran and successful author, journalist and filmmaker, in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

April 12

• 10:00 a.m. Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Law: A public talk will be held in the Caplin Pavilion featuring Kenneth R. Feinberg, an attorney who has administered the compensation funds for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech and the Boston Marathon bombings.
• 3:30 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Architecture
  The School of Architecture will host a public talk by Toyo Ito, a Tokyo-based architect who combines conceptual innovation with superbly executed buildings, as in his masterpiece, the Sendai Mediatheque, which reimagines what a public museum and library should be in the digital age, in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

Learn more about all Founder's Day events

Republican McDonnell thanks Democrats Web & Warner for off-shore oil legislation

Will off-shore drilling ever come to Virginia? It may be a step closer after last week's news from Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner. Jim Hoeft at Bearing Drift wrote:

... both senators have co-sponsored legislation that will begin the process of lease sales off the coast of Virginia and ensure a 50-50 revenue split between the state and federal government.

“Our economy and national security will be strengthened by an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to energy, including the expanded production of our own domestic energy resources. We should not be sending hundreds of billions of dollars each year to oil-producing countries that do not like us, ” Senator Warner said. “This legislation jump starts a multi-year process that will include responsible environmental reviews, close consultations with NASA and our military partners in Hampton Roads, and this process will include multiple public hearings. Senator Webb and I firmly believe that Virginians should benefit from any energy resources that are developed off of our coast, and our legislation specifically requires the federal government to make reasonable royalty payments to the Commonwealth.”

Recognizing and appreciative for the Democratic senators' stand, Republican Governor Bob McDonnell thanked them:

“We need more safe and reliable sources of domestic energy. We need more jobs. Utilizing our offshore oil and natural gas resources accomplishes both of these goals,” said McDonnell. “I urge the United States Congress to take up this legislation immediately, and pass it swiftly. It is time we got serious about American energy security. This legislation does that. I thank the Senators for their efforts, and look forward to working with them to get this legislation passed and offshore oil and natural gas production underway in Virginia.”

Sometimes working for what is best for the residents of Virginia goes beyond my-way-or-the-highway party politics and requires statesmanship and leadership.

Byron York: "Amid crises, Obama declares war -- on Arizona"

I sent emails to Virginia U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner asking them to speak out against President Barack Obama's desire to sue the state of Arizona. The President wants to use American tax money to sue an American state.

As The Washington Examiner's chief political correspondent Byron York was thinking along the same lines:

Even if it didn't have so many other fights on its hands, it would be unusual for an administration to align itself against an American state. But that's precisely what has happened. Soon it will be up to the courts and voters to decide whether Obama's campaign against Arizona will succeed or fail.

Will voters still be paying attention when that time rolls around?

Webb, Warner vote against VA citizens & FOR Big Government

Our lock-stepping U.S. senators did it again. Jim Webb and Mark Warner followed the Democrats right over the cliff, voting for even more overreaching Big Government, and voting against the will of their constituents in Virginia.

From Hot Air's Allahpundit:

And so a drama that began last December, when the EPA declared carbon dioxide to be an environmental hazard, ends predictably. Here’s the roll. All 41 Republicans voted yes — even Scotty B, despite an ad campaign in Massachusetts aimed at pressuring him to oppose the measure. Evan Bayh, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Mark Pryor, and even Jay Rockefeller, who hails from the coal capital of West Virginia, crossed the aisle to vote with the GOP. Result: The EPA will indeed retain its power to, in Ed’s words, “inject itself into just about every industry in the U.S.” in the name of reducing greenhouse gases.

Former Republican U.S. Senator George Allen commented:

[Thursday], by a narrow 53-47 majority, the US Senate appallingly voted for American economic unilateral disarmament. They voted against American and Virginia jobs and coal-related jobs, manufacturers and business, our competitiveness, and affordable electricity and for ceding legislative responsibility to unelected judges and bureaucrats.

The Washington Examiner wrote in its editorial:

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., predicts that a suffocating new round of EPA regulations will soon descend upon the "one-fifth of our restaurants, one-fourth of our schools, two-thirds of our hospitals and doctor's offices, 10 percent of our churches, thousands of farms and millions of small businesses" that emit greenhouse gases. Considering how the EPA grandees mistreat their underlings, we wonder how the agency will respond to the soon-to-be-swelling ranks of critics on the outside.

More at The Washington Examiner here.

Norm at Tertium Quids (H/T to Virginia Right!) nailed the two lock-stepping Virginia senators. He first notes that Webb voted no and called him inconsistent, commenting:

This would be the same senator Webb who earlier said he was against the EPA attempting to regulate greenhouse gases and who even earlier warned the President not to sign any biding agreements on greenhouse gas emissions at the ill-fated Copenhagen conference.

Perhaps inconstant isn't strong enough to describe Webb's behavior. Flaky is much closer to the mark.

Ouch. Warner, also voting against the measure, prompted Norm to add:

... proving again that the self-described "radical centrist" is neither...though he does have a healthy appetite for more, bigger and costlier government.

Virginia needs to do something about those two senators....

THYME Magazine ... "The bill we had to pass to know what's in it"

What a bitter pill for America ... ObamaCare ... the bill we had to pass to know what's in it.

Americans are outraged and rightly so. Many Democrats now have buyers remorse. Bob looks into it in the latest issue of "THYME Magazine ... Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor"

If we cannot expect our elected representatives to read the fine print, why have we hired them to do the job? That includes Jim Webb and Mark Warner, U.S. Senators who, in my opinion, sold out the citizens of Virginia. It's time for better representation.

Open letter to Sen. Jim Webb

This letter is reprinted with permission of the author. See Senator Webb's comments here.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Senator Webb,

I read a news story that indicated that you are having second thoughts about the cost of the Health Care bill after you were the deciding 60th vote that imposed this outrageous and unconstitutional bill on your constituents. Maybe it would have been better to express these doubts before you cast your “yea” vote in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. I know that you received thousands of calls and e-mails from Virginians who pleaded with you to oppose this bill. Now you expect us to believe that you have doubts about your vote. I can guarantee you that your concerns fall on deaf ears, just as our pleas were ignored by you.

If you believe that we will forget in 2012 what you did in 2009 you are sadly mistaken. We will work tirelessly to do whatever it takes to insure that you never have another opportunity to ignore us again. Nothing you can say or do will put out this fire, millions of Virginians will oppose your re-election and you WILL be defeated. You wanted us to believe that you were a different type of politician but you proved with this vote that you do not represent the people you only represent your party. You should have listened to Virginians; it is too late now. Save your crocodile tears for your memoirs. Maybe a few people who read them will believe you.

You have switched parties twice before and now you want to switch your vote on this bill. Just where do you stand on anything? I have the utmost respect for your military service, but I have absolutely zero respect for you as a Senator. Hopefully after November you will be in the minority and can no longer have the deciding vote on legislation that is this absurd. You have proven with this vote that you are unfit to represent the people of Virginia.

Lawrence Tillett
Waynesboro, Va.

Webb ignores Virginians ... plans "listening tour" of Japan

~Sen. Webb, how about a "listening tour" of Virginia?~

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) ignored Virginians by refusing to hold townhall meetings during the summer of 2009, and he is generally unavailable to his constituents.

So now we discover he is leaving this week on a "listening tour" of Japan:

The aim of Webb's tour is to "listen carefully to the views of the current Japanese government, the leaders and citizens of Okinawa and Guam, and U.S. military leaders and personnel stationed in the Pacific region," his office said in a statement.

Sen. Webb, here's a novel idea: How about a "listening tour" of Virginia to hear the concerns of the people you represent concerning health care, stimulus bills, overreaching government, and everything else going on in Washington?

H/T to Rick

Virginia's senator ... caught in his own Webb

~On his way to becoming "R3D2"?~

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) was referred to as "R2D2" by then-Sen. George Allen during a 2006 debate at The Homestead in western Virginia. The reference was to Jim Webb's flip-flops from Republican to Democrat to Republican and back to Democrat for his personal political survival.

Jim Webb voted for the Obama health care bill. Does he now see the handwriting on the wall and is he possibly thinking of bailing on the Democrats?

Webb has effectively ignored his constituents the past year. He ignored them when they visited in Washington, he skipped out on an overseas trip last summer and avoided holding any townhall meetings even as questions arose over health care, and he avoids meeting with Virginia citizens in his satellite offices.

Barbara Hollingsworth at the Washington Examiner sees through Webb:

There’s nothing like a party changer to sense exactly when the political winds have shifted decisively in the other direction. Before the champagne at Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown’s campaign headquarters dried, freshman Virginia Senator Jim Webb, D-VA, was busy trying to figure out how to spin his way out of the mess he’s in.
...
It was only after Brown’s victory that Webb declared: “It is vital that we restore the respect of the American people in our system of government and in our leaders. To that end, I believe it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.”

Read the entire commentary where she closes with a zinger:

... it took the late Ted Kennedy’s seat falling into Republican hands to convince Webb that he needed to distance himself from the rest of his fellow Senate Democrats, who totally excluded Republicans when they were putting together this legislative monstrosity. Webb’s too-little, too-late insistence on fairness now is nothing but another political calculation designed to insulate himself from irate voters. If Brown is seated and the Republicans filibuster, Webb can blame them for “killing health care reform,” supposedly leaving him completely off the hook.

Too little, too late. Too bad Senator Webb didn't feel this way a year ago.

H/T to Dick

200 patriots take concerns to Webb's Roanoke office

About 200 Tea Party Patriots from western Virginia met at Sen. Jim Webb's office Wednesday to express disappointment in federal legislation voted on by Virginia's senators. Afterwards, a number of patriots rallied on the street where motorists honked horns in agreement. Photo by Sandi Andrews.


Conservative activist Suzanne Curran from Shenandoah County at Sen. Webb's office. Patriots from all over western Virginia attended the meeting and rally. Arriving at 11:10, constituents were told they had to vacate the building until their noon appointment time. Here they reconvene at the appointed time. Photo by William Becker.

Constituents voice concerns. Photo by Sandi Andrews.

After meeting with the senator's rep, patriots took their signs and flags to the street. Photo by Sandi Andrews.

The flag says it all. Photo by Sandi Andrews.

If Virginia's U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner thought that ducking out of townhall meetings and voting to end health care debate was going to quiet their constituents, they were sadly mistaken.

On Wednesday, January 6, 200 western Virginia tea party patriots met at Senator Jim Webb's office in Roanoke, taking their concerns to their representatives. (Senator Mark Warner's office had insufficient parking for more than a few constituents to meet at his office.)

The rally was covered by Roanoke's WDBJ Channel 7 ... check out their video coverage ... and led the 6:00 news that evening.

There was an interesting exchange between Suzanne Curran and Sen. Webb's staff member about an hour before the meeting began when Mrs. Curran delivered a personal letter to the senator. Mrs. Curran asked how many letters they had received against health care, and how many they had received for health care.

The staff member responded she did not have that information, that it was available from the Washington office, and that Mrs. Curran would need to call Washington for the information. Mrs. Curran responded that no one answered the phone in Washington and asked if the staffer could call. She was told again that she would have to call. Mrs. Curran reminded the staffer that she was the senator's representative and again asked if she would call for the information. By that time a couple of other people had arrived and it was 11:10 a.m. The staffer said they would have to vacate the office until their noon appointment.

By noon the hallway outside the office was packed with people and a tea party patriot stood outside on the sidewalk ringing a bell calling folks in for the meeting. The staffer came out of her office with another staffer, stood on the steps with a legal pad in her hand, and began to address the crowd with talking points. She was politely stopped and informed that they were there to air their concerns, not listen to her talking points.

One after another, those concerns were voiced from the 200 who filled the hallway and overflowed outdoors onto the sidewalk in the cold temperatures.

A young Marine probably summed it up best and caused teary eyes in the crowd when he said it was well known that Jim Webb had served in Vietnam and his service to this country was much respected. However, he said, when he went into the service, Mr. Webb took an oath and swore to uphold the Constitution of this country so how could he now ignore it? Please, he asked the staffer, write that on your tablet ... along with "Semper Fi."

The crowd reminded the Webb staffer that Mr. Webb had held NO townhall meetings, that Mr. Warner had held only ONE townhall and that was in Fredericksburg, and that they wanted to have townhalls in this part of Virginia to voice concerns directly to the senators.

Ken Cruise summed up the concerns and asked that the staffer write it down in her notes and get answers back to the constituents. Others asked when they could expect to have those answers because their phone calls, emails, and letters had been unanswered throughout the entire health care debate.

Perhaps Mr. Cruise summed it up best when he said, "When liberty is gone for us it is gone for the world, perhaps never to return in our life time."

The voters were peaceful and respectful. Photo by William Becker.

Many let signs do their talking since time was limited with Sen. Webb's representative. Photo by William Becker.

Webb and Warner constituents traveled from all parts of western Virginia for Wednesday's meeting. Photo by William Becker.

"Can you promise to get us the same health care plan that YOU have?" Photo by William Becker.

Photo credit: My thanks to Sandi Andrews and William Becker
6 January 2010

Sen. Obenshain: "Webb & Warner owe Virginians an apology"

The email went out from State Sen. Mark Obenshain on Tuesday, and today it has been picked up by the Washington Times and Real Clear Politics (H/T to Dave for alerting me of the national pickup).

If you missed it, here is what Sen. Obenshain wrote:

Two weeks ago, while most Virginians prepared to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, Virginia's two senators quietly broke faith with the commonwealth, voting for the Obama health care bill. In addition to adding an estimated 261,927 people to Virginia's Medicaid rolls, Sens. James Webb and Mark Warner "charitably" committed Virginians to pick up the Medicaid tab for half-a-dozen other states.

Medicaid already is so expensive that it threatens to bust the bank in Virginia. We commit one-sixth of the state budget to Medicaid - $7 billion a year. Now Virginia's two senators hope to impose on their own state a federally mandated increase in Medicaid enrollment of nearly 30 percent.

Skilled politicians that they are, Messrs. Webb and Warner hedged, of course: They expressed a few doubts, uttered a few platitudes about cost-cutting, and touted their "independence" and credentials as mavericks. But at the end of the day, they were right there with President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, burdening Virginia with new costs we can only begin to fathom.

Mr. Webb, in particular, had the tough talk down pat - insisting that true reform must not create "a cumbersome, overly bureaucratic system." He pledged that his vote would be contingent on eliminating proposed Medicaid cuts, excluding abortion coverage, and ensuring fair and equal treatment. His statements were refreshing - and ultimately meaningless. Mr. Webb's Democratic colleagues ignored his objections, and he dutifully and passively submitted, voting for precisely the kind of bill he said he would reject.

Meanwhile, Mr. Warner insisted that he would "only support a final bill if convinced it will lower the deficit." Does Virginia's junior senator think adding 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls nationwide is a cost-cutting measure? It is a mathematical impossibility. And he knows it.

Yes, the states are in for a financial rude awakening - well, except Nebraska. Thanks to the now-infamous "Cornhusker Compromise," the federal government will pick up Nebraska's entire Medicaid tab in perpetuity. Sen. Ben Nelson abandoned his principled opposition to abortion coverage for the right price. Then there's the new "Louisiana Purchase," in which Sen. Mary Landrieu sold her vote for $300 million in federal assistance to her state.

Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his support for the bill only after extracting $10 billion for new health centers, two in his state. Vermont and Massachusetts will also receive additional Medicaid funding, while Pennsylvania, New York and Florida all won protection for their Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at a time when the program is facing cuts nationwide, including here in Virginia.

Michigan's senators, meanwhile, carved out a tax exemption for non-profit insurers in their state; that's a tax for which similar non-profits in Virginia are still on the hook.

Outrageous, right? What did our intrepid duo in the U.S. Senate do to stand strong for the rights and interests of Virginians? Absolutely nothing. They fell right in line with Mr. Reid and the rest of the Democrats in the Senate and voted for this abomination. They required little coaxing and no incentives. Jim Webb may have been "born fighting," but he did not hesitate to run up the white flag here.

This is not the garden-variety pork, the proverbial lard that has long greased the wheels of Congress. It is now evidently acceptable to exempt entire states from costly mandates if that is what it takes to secure one more vote. Even if it was too much to ask Messrs. Warner and Webb to break ranks with the president and their leadership over the government takeover of health care (something to which Virginians and Americans have expressed their overt opposition and which threatens to transform fundamentally the landscape of our freedoms as we know them), Virginians nonetheless had every right to expect them to reject these crass deals doled out to the states of their recalcitrant colleagues.

Messrs. Warner and Webb signed off on a plan that makes Virginia the loser coming and going. Not only must we shoulder an increased Medicaid burden, which could not come at a worse time for Virginia's taxpayers, but all those sweetheart deals come with a price tag, and we are the ones left holding (and footing) the bill - a bill we cannot begin to pay.

Some say that the solution is to extend the same deals to all 50 states, but this would be the height of folly. Federal spending is already out of control - the national debt now stands at more than $12 trillion - and this would bloat the program to such an extent that no one, not even the president, could continue to assert the already absurd claims that the program will be revenue neutral.

There was only ever one responsible choice: to vote against this offensive bill. Messrs. Warner and Webb voted against Virginia when it counted most, and that, the people of Virginia will not forget.

Mark D. Obenshain is a Republican state senator from central Virginia.

Richmond Times-Dispatch calls health care a "lump of coal"

The Saturday editorial says it all: "Health Care: Lump of Coal." I could not agree more:

The Senate celebrated Christmas Eve by passing its version of health care reform. Although we readily confess that, like several hundred million of our fellow citizens and like just about every bloviating commentator on the left and the right, we have not read the legislation in its entirety, we know the bill is a monstrosity. And how is that? The shenanigans leading to passage make the point. If this bill embodied worthy reform, then senators would not have had to engage in pork-barreling or log-rolling or ear-marking or whatever one wants to call the process to secure passage.

They absolutely hit the nail on the head when nailing Virginia Sens. Webb and Warner with this:

There remains a slight change that public opinion could compel a reassessment, however. Virginians, for instance might want to ask Democrats Mark Warner and Jim Webb why they will be expected to bail out Nebraska's Ben Nelson, Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, and other trenchermen and women.

What say you, Senators?

Senate health care cloture vote feedback from VA conservative blogosphere

Jim at Bearing Drift: Webb and Warner vote for cloture on healthcare ...

In the dead of the night at 1:33 a.m., both Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner voted for cloture for the Senate version of the health care bill. Now the bill must receive final passage, likely Christmas Eve, in the Senate (only a simple majority is required, so some Democrats who voted for cloture could vote against final passage and the bill will still pass) and then go to conference with the House to work out the details between the one passed there and this one.

Krystle at Crystal Clear Conservative: Welcome to Socialized Medicine, America! ...

It is 1:21 a.m., and the U.S. Senate just voted in a party line vote, 60-40, to approve cloture on the manager’s amendment. All of the usual so-called Moderate Democrats voted with Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to approve cloture...

Chris at Mason Conservative: The Founders are turning over in their graves ...

Especially at the thought of Sen. Harry Reid, leader of the Senate by bribery. I'm pretty sure representative government wasn't meant to mean one asshat senator from Nevada throwing tax payer money around like its his own to buy senators votes for a bill the American people, both left and right, despise. This is the hope and change all of you voted for in 2008? Tax payer money treated like graft as the mafioso in the White House and Congressional Democrat leadership throw money around one bribe after another. ... What happened to ending earmarks? What happened to having cameras in the room while legislation is discussed? What happened to Barack Obama bringing sense back to government. Bush didn't do this, you can't pin it on him Barry.

Jerry at From On High: These guys have got to go ...

Democrats in Washington realize how unpopular their actions are. That's why they're doing their level best to concoct their nefarious work in secret. And without support from anyone in this country beyond the rabidly liberal left.

Concrete Bob at United Conservatives (and best wishes to Bob who underwent heart surgery last month and is recuperating by keeping an eye on the shenanigans in D.C.): The Question Is: Are We the Windshield or the Butterfly? ...

In the Bella Center on the south side of Copenhagen and in the Senate chamber on the north side of the Capitol, we're seeing what happens when liberal dreams collide with American public opinion. It's like what happens when a butterfly collides with the windshield of a speeding sport utility vehicle. Splat.

Riley at Virginia Virtucon: Democrats ready lump of coal for Americans' Christmas stockings ...

Why are they doing this again?

Fishersville Mike: New Nebraska slogan ...

What can be said about Ben Nelson's deal to get his vote on health care reform?

Yankee Phil: Going down ...

U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) boards an elevator after talking to reporters about a compromise for his vote on healthcare legislation at the U.S. Capitol in Washington December 19, 2009.

It's a sad day in America because there are those who actually believe they will have "free" health insurance.

Barack Obama wants to leave a legacy of enacting nationalized health care. Instead, he's going to leave a legacy of bankrupting America by bribing, legislating in the wee hours of the morning, and forcing a vote on a bill that has not even been read! Where is the mainstream media to scream about that?

A tip of the hat to Sean for passing along this reminder:

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” - Thomas Jefferson

The American work ethic ... pull yourself up by the bootstraps, work hard, and live on what you earn ... is going down the drain.

Will we remember in November 2010? Wake up, America!

Thousands of signatures delivered to Webb: "No nationalized health care"

Petitions saying "no" to nationalized health care were delivered to Sen. Jim Webb's office in Virginia Beach Thursday afternoon.

Petitions are delivered to Sen. Webb's Danville office.

From Republican Party of Virginia...

Virginia citizens have delivered to Senator Jim Webb the names and signatures of nearly five thousand Virginia residents who have signed a Republican Party of Virginia petition expressing opposition to the monstrous federal government takeover of the health care system. The names and signatures were collected either in person or through RPV’s website (petition here) and delivered to Webb’s district offices in Virginia Beach and Danville Thursday.

The signatories requested Webb, and his fellow Senator Mark Warner, to oppose the government-run health care behemoth currently being considered by the U.S. Senate. The enormous experiment will explode the federal deficit, threaten Medicare and harmfully impact consumers and the economy. Likewise, it will raise taxes on small businesses, increase the cost of health care to consumers and limit their options and freedoms.

Webb is under particular scrutiny because he appears to be attempting to be on both sides of the health care debate simultaneously. In order to move the bill to a final consideration, Democrats need 60 Senators to agree; however, only a simple majority is needed for final approval. Webb appears positioned to vote to move the bill along (vote for cloture), but then be allowed by his party leadership to vote against it on final passage once its ultimate success is assured. This is the classic “I voted for the bill before I voted against it” strategy embarrassingly attempted by John Kerry in the past.

The Republican National Committee has captured the essence of Webb’s strategy in this online video.

The RPV petition includes the following text:

“We, the undersigned, hereby state our opposition to the nationalized health care plan currently being considered by the U.S. Senate. The governmental takeover of the health care industry would have a devastating impact on people’s ability to make choices regarding their health care coverage, their doctors and the treatments they receive. The idea would place an additional barrier between a patient and a medical caregiver and make it much more difficult to obtain even the most basic health care needs.

“At a time of high unemployment, it is irresponsible to spend such an incredible amount of money that we currently do not have. The result will be inflation, a weakened dollar and a dramatic blow to an economy that is just struggling to recover.

“Additionally, the full effects of the measure would have results that will not be felt for a number of years, in that it will discourage young people from entering the medical field and becoming doctors, nurses or other important professionals. The government plan will also be a job-killer, destroying almost 5 million jobs.

“By affixing our names to this petition, we are urging our two Virginia senators to oppose passage of the bill.”

Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins commented on the health care bill:

“Everywhere I go in Virginia, I constantly hear from people how afraid they are that the government is about to replace their health care coverage with something that’s worse and more expensive. The Democrats in Congress are about to place one-sixth of the nation’s economy under the control of the federal government. People feel their voices aren’t being heard, and this petition is just another avenue for them to try to get their elected representatives to pay attention.”

Keep up the pressure ... no socialized health care ... please call our senators and sign the petition.

Photos courtesy of Republican Party of Virginia

Response from Sen. Webb about health care vote

Passed along by Barb who had contacted Sen. Jim Webb. It is dated December 15, 2009....

Knowing of your interest in the ongoing debate in Congress over health care reform, I wanted to update you on a number of votes and positions that I have taken during the process.

Together with 60 of my colleagues, I voted in favor of proceeding to debate the proposed health care reform legislation. I have yet to decide whether I will support final passage of the bill.

I have stated on several occasions my concerns that the Obama administration should have begun the health care process with a clear, detailed proposal, from which legislation could then be put into place. Instead, the legislation now before the Congress is the product of five separate congressional committees, three in the House and two in the Senate. I and my staff have carefully worked through thousands of pages of sometimes contradictory information, and have done our best to bring focus to the debate and clarity to any final product.

Our country needs health care reform. While a strong percentage of Americans are satisfied with their health care, the system is not working for millions of others. Spiraling costs for health care also have placed our biggest industries at a severe competitive disadvantage worldwide, and have become unsustainable for many small businesses.

But true reform must be done in an effective and responsible fashion, without creating a cumbersome, overly-bureaucratic system. The bottom line should be to achieve a more cost-effective health care system that increases accessibility, affordability, and quality of care, and which does not burden our economy along the way.

The process also requires openness, so that the American people understand exactly what is being debated. At the start of this debate I was one of eight Senators who called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to post the text and complete budget scores of the health care bill on a public website for review at least 72 hours prior to both the first vote and final passage. This request was agreed to, affording proper transparency in the process.

Over the past few weeks, I have taken a number of difficult votes. As with every other issue since I came to the Senate I have voted my conscience throughout this process. I have broken with my party six times, including four votes to send the current legislation back to committee for a more thorough review. I voted five times against proposed cuts to Medicare due to my concerns about taking half a trillion dollars out of that system at a time when the pool for Medicare is about to expand with the retirement of those in the Baby Boom generation. I am a long-time supporter of Medicare Advantage programs which have, in my view, improved services in rural areas of Virginia, and I did not want to see cuts to benefits or services.

On the issue of abortion, I studied the bill closely to ensure that no taxpayer dollars will be used to fund abortions. I am convinced that this legislation strictly adheres to the requirements of the Hyde Amendment. It also includes clear conscience provisions for providers and consumers who elect to reject a plan that offers such coverage.

Since drug prices in the U.S. have risen dramatically in recent years�a 9% jump in 2009 alone�I have cosponsored an amendment to lower prescription drug costs. The measure would allow Americans to safely import lower-priced, Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs from other approved countries, and save the federal government nearly $20 billion over the next ten years.

In summary, I have been working actively to improve the health care reform bill for the good of our country and without bowing to party politics. As we continue to debate the bill and amend it, I remain hopeful that the Senate can reach consensus on fair and effective health care legislation. Whether this is so will determine my vote on final passage.

As the Senate continues to debate health care reform, please be assured that your views will be very helpful to me and my staff. I hope that you will continue to share your thoughts with us in the years ahead.

Thank you again for your interest in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Jim Webb
United States Senator

Virginia Sen. Webb & Warner ... no accountability to constituents?

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner skated through the Congressional recess by having only one townhall meeting in Fredericksburg ... by facing his constituents only once.

Sen. Jim Webb skated through the Congressional recess by having NO townhall meetings.

A friend sent the following which expresses what I have heard from others:

If you haven't seen this video of Senator Warner, it is worth watching. He comes across as arrogant and belligerent.

Further, he is like Obama using a "straw man" argument: if you don't want the federal government to take over the entire private sector medical insurance system at an additional increase in debt of $1,500,000,000,000, it means you want to get rid of Medicare. Warner is proving to be as elitist and liberal as Obama.

Sen. Mark Warner: ‘No Place In Constitution That Says Health Care’

For the record, If they want to give me all the money I have contributed to Medicare over the past 40 years, with interest compounded at the rate of inflation, I will be happy to get off Medicare and take care of myself.

H/T to DS

Mark Warner holds tele-phony townhall ... Richmond Tea Party responds

Graphic compliments of Richmond Tea Party

The Richmond Tea Party folks have called out Sen. Mark Warner after hos teleconference Monday afternoon with those who signed up at his website. The 5:30 pm event left many feeling left out and unable to talk with their representative about the proposed nationalized health care.

While ducking out on meeting with his constituents, is Mark Warner in trouble with some of his backers?

Richmond Tea Party has sponsored a billboard campaign in Richmond calling out Jim Webb and Mark Warner to bring REAL health care townhall meetings to the area. The billboards can be found at these locations:

7912 W. Broad St F/EMech. Turrnpk
.3 miles east of I-64 @ Showplace
NW/S 195 S/O I-64-95 IntersectionS/S I-64
.6 mi WO Laburnum F/EW/S I--95
1st N/O Bells Road F/N

The billboard campaign targets both Senators Webb and Warner with messages such as: "Wanted: Senators Willing to Hold Real Town Halls. Apply Next Election," and "Senator Webb: Absent on Health Care. Where's Our Town Hall?"

Wanted: Senators willing to hold a "real" townhall

Richmond Tea Party billboard

Bob at The Journey alerts us of billboards sponsored by the Richmond Tea Party. Mark Warner and Jim Webb ... where are you? Are you listening ... do you care what your constituents have to say about socialized health care?

Sen. Mark Warner ... where's our townhall?

Richmond Tea Party billboard

Bob at The Journey alerts us of billboards sponsored by the Richmond Tea Party. Mark Warner and Jim Webb ... where are you? Are you listening ... do you care what your constituents have to say about socialized health care?

Karaffa invites Sen. Webb & Warner to Valley townhall meeting

~Using own money to rent facility and advertise event~

His name is David Karaffa, he is 25 years old, and he is an Augusta County resident. He's a cardiac RN at the local hospital and he has many questions about the Democrat nationalized health care bill.

David wants to talk to his U.S. senators about his concerns. The problem is his senators are nowhere to be found. He has tried calling, emailing, sending faxes -- everything he can think of -- with no response other than form letters that don't answer his questions.

Since Jim Webb and Mark Warner were not holding any townhall events anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia, David decided to invest his own money and rent the auditorium at Riverheads High School in southern Augusta County and set it up so all the senators have to do is show up.

Invitations have been sent to Sen. Webb and Warner.

Friday morning David called Glenn Beck's conservative radio program to spread the news about his townhall meeting. He went on the air and explained his concerns and why he felt it necessary to go out on his own to set up a townhall meeting that may end up with the names of the senators on signs sitting on empty chairs.

But a townhall meeting ... with or without the senators ... gives local residents the opportunity to bring their concerns about nationalized health care to a public forum. This young man is moving forward in his quest to receive answers to his health care questions.

Update: Articles in August 22, 2009, The News Virginian and News Leader.

The Shenandoah Valley
invites
Virginia U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner
to a
Healthcare Town Hall Meeting!!

Sunday, September 6, 2009
6-8 p.m.
Auditorium at Riverheads High School
Augusta County, Virginia

All Valley residents are encouraged to attend. Please bring your questions, support, or criticism.

This is the Valley's opportunity to have its voice heard.

Come out and be heard!

Virginia: Are Warner and Webb in hiding?

~We Will Not Allow Ourselves to be Shamed Into Silence.~

My.BarackObama.com sent out letters to followers this week exhorting them to visit the offices of their representatives. They were motivated to action by falsehoods about "partisan attack groups stirring up fear with false rumors about the President's plan."

Here's an excerpt from the email that was sent:

As you've probably seen in the news, special interest attack groups are stirring up partisan mobs with lies about health reform, and it's getting ugly. Across the country, members of Congress who support reform are being shouted down, physically assaulted, hung in effigy, and receiving death threats. We can't let extremists hijack this debate, or confuse Congress about where the people stand.

Thus, with scripts at the ready, Organizing for America members will be dropping by local congressional offices to drum up support for so-called 'insurance reform.' This is considered noble community organizing, when done against taxpayers at taxpayer expense.

However, in Virginia, ain't nobody gonna be around for constituents to talk to.

Our esteemed Senator Jim Webb left Sunday on a two-week, five-nation tour of Asia to "explore opportunities to advance U.S. interests in Burma and the region." Senator Mark Warner has responded to a Townhall Meeting request by Richmond Tea Party with an offer to meet one-on-one with a staff member.

Instead of working with citizens in a spirit of cooperation, our representatives have gone into hiding. Even though they can show no evidence of Richmond Tea Party members being anything other than peaceful citizen activists wanting answers to basic questions about pending legislation -- they toe their party's line and accuse us of being angry mob members, and violent right wing extremists.

What is our next step?

While our "representatives" cringe in the shadows, fearful of having their health care scheme exposed for what it is, we will continue to work. We will reach out to the community with our message and become stronger in the light.

Last weekend, approximately 75 enthusiastic volunteers collected petition signatures at Carytown Watermelon Festival and the Outdoor Sportsman Show. Unlike our elected representatives, we are not afraid of finding opposition. We know that having the truth and facts on our side give confidence.

The result: Over 3,000 citizens signed our petitions against government takeover of our health care system! But we are not done. This weekend, Richmond Tea Party will be at the Gun Collector Show at RIR. Come and buy a ticket for our exciting raffle, and if you have not done so, sign the petition. We will not stop until we stop this administration's attempt to steal our liberty and freedom.

In the end, health insurance is like any other commodity. There are only two ways to obtain it: buy it, or force someone else to give it to you. -- Hot Air Blog, August 10

--From Richmond Tea Party