A look at some of the faces from 2014 General Assembly session

 Trixie Averill, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Kurt Michael, Lieutenant Governor John Hager

 Delegate Will Morefield and Marty Hall

 Richard Crouse and Delegate Les Adams

 State Senator Emmett Hanger and Dr. Kurt Michael

 Former Delegate Chris Saxman with Kurt

 Kurt and State Senator Mark Obenshain

 Dr. Judi Lynch and Governor Bob McDonnell

Delegate and Congressional candidate Barbara Comstock

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
January 2014

6th Congressional District folks in Richmond ... 2014 General Assembly

 State Senator Emmett Hanger (R-24th) from Augusta County and Dr. Kurt Michael, former Augusta County Republican Committee chairman, spent time Friday afternoon talking about uniting the party and winning elections.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." --Galatians 6:9

 For Delegate Chris Saxman (R-20th House) of Staunton now lives in the Richmond area.

Kurt and I ran into State Senator Mark Obenshain (R-26th) of Harrisonburg in Capitol Square.

Former 6th Congressional District Chairman Fred Anderson and his wife Ann attended Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling's official portrait unveiling and afterward at the reception for guests, family, and friends. I always teased Fred about his many hats (literally) ... Ann always is a picture of fashion perfection.

"Do the Bolling" ... the Lieutenant Governor and Kurt. They go back many years together to SWAC Breakfasts and then the 2005 primary when Kurt and his wife hosted the Bollings for a fundraiser at their Fishersville home (the LG relayed a humorous story about that night at Thursday's dinner in Short Pump). After winning the primary, we organized a second fundraiser in October that was held at the horse farm of Vonda and Kevin Lacey in Augusta County -- a glorious fall day that also included then-AG candidate Bob McDonnell, many of the local electeds, and Ken Mehlman, then-chairman of the Republican National Committee who worked in the Bush administration with my sister. What a fantastic day ... and Bill and Bob went on to win lieutenant governor and attorney general on their way to leading the party to a sweep of the Top 3 a short four years later.

Trixie Averill ... the heart of the 6th Congressional District for 30 years. She worked with more candidates than we will ever remember but a few of them were George Allen, Jim Gilmore, Jerry Kilgore, George W. Bush, Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling ... she was the go-to person for western Virginia. Here she reconnects with Randy Marcus who has been with the LG since the beginning, and whom I first met in late 1999 on the George W. Bush presidential campaign.

Bill and Trixie at the LG's official portrait unveiling in Richmond on January 10, 2014.

Trixie and Governor Bob McDonnell meet in the Capitol. They drove hundreds of campaign miles together and have been friends for years.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
Richmond, Virginia
January 10, 2014

Déjà vu in Virginia attorney general drama

Eight years ago my phone rang bright and early the day after the 2005 election. I was still sleeping after a hard-fought campaign that saw Bill Bolling elected as lieutenant governor, Jerry Kilgore lose as governor, and Bob McDonnell in a tight down-to-the-wire race for attorney general. I was needed at the Augusta County Government Center to witness the vote canvas, the beginning of a process that eventually led to my participation in a mid-December recount that saw McDonnell prevail with a mere 360 votes over his Democratic challenger, Creigh Deeds.

Fast forward to last week's election that saw Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam winning the governor and lieutenant governor spots. The end of the day, however, showed a tighter-than-a-tick contest between Republican Mark Obenshain and Democrat Mark Herring that fluctuated back and forth as a variety of events took place over the next seven days. When all votes were finally tallied, Herring was ahead by 163 votes in a contest that was probably headed to recount.

However, as happened in the 2005 race, recounts rarely change the final numbers by much. If Herring prevails, Virginia Democrats will have swept the top three offices that were won in landslide victories four years earlier by Republicans McDonnell, Bolling, and Cuccinelli.

NBC 12 has a report on the final count.

Election Day in SWAC area ... ongoing updates

It's Election Day 2013 in Virginia. The polls are open ... voters are voting, candidate supporters are greeting them, and volunteers are sending them out the door with "I Voted" stickers.

The weather is good ... a cold, frosty start to the day with temps in the 20s is expected to lead to a high in the 50s under overcast skies.

What an odd year it has been with some newspapers refusing to endorse anyone for governor while others encouraged write-in votes for Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. Many are happy to see this election cycle finally come to an end.  For many, it marks the finish of the daily barrage of campaign emails, robocalls, and television ads.

Virginia is being considered a bellwether for the country. The tea party and Libertarian wings of the Virginia Republican Party have their dream team of candidates in Ken Cuccinelli, E.W. Jackson, and Mark Obenshain for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Four years after the Republican team led by Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling swept into office with historic leads, will it happen again?

This is a notoriously red area of the Commonwealth so what's going on in the central Shenandoah Valley area that includes Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County? I'll pass along news as I hear it.

10:15 a.m.: Churchville precinct had light but steady turnout. The voting location within Churchville Elementary School had been moved with only one table for check-in as opposed to the usual two. About half a dozen people were in line to sign in; two machines were in use. Interestingly, there was a card table set up with a McAuliffe sign and materials but no presence from the Republicans.

2:00 p.m.: Wilson Precinct. Steady, light turnout continued.

7:10 p.m.: Polls have closed and the wait begins for returns to be posted and announced.

Editorial: 'Virginia Mainstream Project Seeks a Wider GOP Current, Which Would Benefit Us All'

If Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling hadn’t announced formation of the Virginia Mainstream Project prior to the GOP’s convention, he certainly would have done so afterwards.

So begins Thursday's Farmville Herald editorial by Ken Woodley as he noted the lack of transparency and lack of inclusiveness currently in the Republican Party of Virginia.

Mr. Woodley continued:

There is nothing mainstream about the trio of Republican candidates emerging from the convention, which was held for the specific purpose of deep-sixing the gubernatorial aspirations of Bolling and handing the party nomination to Ken Cuccinelli.

The attorney general is joined by E. W. Jackson as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor and Mark D. Obenshain, who’ll run for attorney general. Jackson made the most headlines following his nomination, with reports he has called the Democratic Party “anti-God” and labeled gays and lesbians as “sick” and “perverted.” Writing an opinion piece last fall for The Washington Times, Jackson, a minister, wondered how Democrats have “managed to hold on to black Christians in spite of an agenda worthy of the Anti-christ.

As the dust settles from the Republican convention held two weeks ago in Richmond, more are beginning to understand what Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling said after the convention:

Bolling issued a post-convention statement rightly saying that “some of the things he (Jackson) has said are simply indefensible. These kinds of comments are simply not appropriate, especially not from someone who wants to be a standard-bearer for our party and hold the second-highest elected office in our state. They feed the image of extremism, and that’s not where the Republican Party needs to be.”

The entire editorial can be read here.

Tea party endorsements: who is Middle Resolution PAC?

Who is Middle Resolution PAC? Or is it Middle Resolution Federal PAC?

After the revolt among Virgina tea party patriots about endorsements they did not agree with, perhaps questions should be asked about who is Middle Resolution PAC, the partner the worked at vetting candidates with the Virginia Tea Party Federation to endorse Corey Stewart for Lieutenant Governor and Mark Obenshain for Attorney General.

Why would the tea party have anything to do with a money-raising PAC in the process of candidate endorsements? Who, exactly, is Middle Resolution PAC?

Revolt within Virginia Tea Party Federation

Oops. There is open revolt within the tea party ranks in the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Tea Party Federation that includes the Shenandoah Valley Tea Party, along with a tea party PAC, got together last week and decided to vet the nine Republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Their final choices were Prince William County Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart and State Senator Mark Obenshain.

That didn't set well with some members of the tea party. Today there was open revolt in the blogosphere from Greg Letiecq, Chris Beer, Tito Munoz, Joshua Huffman, and Willie Deutsch. Apparently there are candidates they consider not "tea-party" enough.

A state of confusion now seems to have settled over the Commonwealth. Chris Beer at Mason Conservative wrote:

I don't know who's what anymore.  Who's a RINO, who's establishment, who loves liberty, who's a real conservative?  It's getting so confusing!

The Tea Party Federation of Virginia endorsed Corey Stewart today, and apparently it's to the bewilderment of the Tea Party.  First off, allow me to say that the fact there is a large "federation" of Tea Party seems counter to what the Tea Party of 2009-10 stood for.  Anyways, apparently the Federation's choice is not the choice of the local (ie real) tea parties. [emphasis added]

It didn't take long after the Virginia Tea Party Federation's endorsements for this open revolt to hit. Now the federation side is pushing back: "The sore losers are on the emotional politics rampage. There was nothing 'rigged' about the process."

The Republican Convention is just a few weeks away. Stay tuned ... this could get interesting.

Cross-posted at Va Political Pineapple

Virginia General Assembly convenes today ... Bolling, Obenshain ready to lead

Virginia's legislators have traveled from all corners of the state to gather in Richmond for the beginning of the 2012 General Assembly. The bustle in the Commonwealth's capital increases each year as lawmakers, lobbyists, tourists, and interested citizens check out the proceedings of government in action.

According to State Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), over 3,000 bills are on the docket for this session that is slated to run through mid-March. Legislators like Obenshain will stay in contact with constituents at home while spending most of the next two months in Richmond meeting with committees and participating in the day-to-day business of lawmaking.

All citizens are encouraged to visit during session, sitting in overhead balconies to watch the action on the floor below. It's a fascinating process and often moves at breakneck speed but watching from above allows visitors to not only see their representatives but also get a peek into the debate as bills are advanced, defended, batted down, or sent back to committee.

As in the past, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling (R) will preside over the State Senate that finds itself evenly divided this year between Republicans and Democrats with Bolling acting as the tie-breaker. Democrats, unhappy at this change of events after years of controlling the senate, filed a lawsuit in December contesting Bolling's control.

Bolling agreed that he had control over organization but perhaps not the budget and some have wondered if that's what he really wanted all along since no tie votes for the budget seem to have played into previous sessions, according to the Washington Post:

“Perhaps the lieutenant governor’s not giving too much away,” said [A.E. Dick Howard, a constitutional law expert at the University of Virginia], who reviewed 100 years of Senate history and found not a single instance in which there was a tie vote on a budget. “It may well be the ability to vote on organization was, frankly, more important to him.”

The Post noted that senate Democrats planned to fight tooth-and-nail for control by using parliamentary maneuvering and lawsuits. Keep an eye on Bolling, a veteran at the job as president of the senate. The back-and-forth tussle for power is sure to provide some entertaining, teachable moments for viewers.

Meanwhile, local legislators like Obenshain are carrying bills that have been presented to them by constituents. For the Harrisonburg Republican who is running for Attorney General, this year's wish list includes eminent domain and strengthening private property rights, keeping Virginia as a right-to-work state, voter registration by party, and school choice. More on these important issues can be found at his website.

Many legislators have opinion surveys on their websites asking for input from citizens who can also follow the daily proceedings at the Capitol by checking the Virginia General Assembly website on a regular basis.

The 2012 session is off and running....

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift

Sheriff candidate Bryan Hutcheson at First Friday: "Policing for the People"

Bryan Hutcheson, candidate for Sheriff of Harrisonburg-Rockingham, addressed citizens at Wood Grille for First Friday on September 2.

Luis Padilla, wearing a "Hutcheson for Sheriff" shirt, stopped by during his lunch break from work.

The packed room had well-known faces like Barb Tillett, Donna & Tommy Moser, Ray Schneider, Sen. Mark Obenshain, Luis Padilla, Suzanne Obenshain, and Tony Wilt as well as some less-known faces.

Bryan Hutcheson, 39, was all smiles and stories Friday as he spoke at First Friday in Harrisonburg. The former Virginia state trooper spent 16 years stationed throughout the Commonwealth and, in 2010, was appointed as Police Chief of the Woodstock (Shenandoah County) police force.

Winning the Republican nomination in a summer firehouse primary with a huge turnout of his supporters, Hutcheson good-naturedly recalled the dozens of lawn parties and fairs he had attended throughout the area as he works toward the November election where he will face an Independent and a Democrat. Animated and personable with his military-style haircut and ready smile, he had the entire room roaring with laughter as he told of a madcap adventure when he helped deputies inadvertently chase down and capture a suspect with outstanding warrants, all while attending a townwide yard sale in Shenandoah County.

From his website, Hutcheson laid out his vision for being the county sheriff:

I believe law enforcement has traditionally been far too reactive in nature, where the officers merely respond to calls for service as they come in or solve problems after they have occurred. This is very important of course, but all it really amounts to is policing OF the people. That is simply not enough.

There are times when things are "quiet," for example when there are no calls for service pending that can be put to efficient use in serving the public. I believe the primary goal of the Sheriff's Office is to provide public safety through public service.

The proactive approach to law enforcement that I would implement as your Sheriff would ensure that your Sheriff's Department is truly providing the highest quality of service to the citizens in the courts, in the jails, and on patrol. This will provide policing FOR the people, where law enforcement takes a lead role in making sure our community is safe.

To implement the plan, he suggests visibility, accessibility, and accountability. Read more at his website.

His three "Es" -- Education, Experience, and Ethics -- define what has made him who he is at this point in his life, and I was most especially interested in his Ethics Statement:

I possess strong values and high moral character in both my personal and professional life. I am completely dedicated to the mission of law enforcement and I take pride in being a very hard worker.

Husband and father of two young sons, Bryan Hutcheson told the crowd on Friday that he's a political novice and that he would humbly accept help on his campaign. He will be campaigning until November 8th, looking straight ahead toward the goal and not looking back....

www.bryan4sheriff.com

Obenshain: "Pelosi/Warner/Obama Energy Window Dressing"

By Sen. Mark Obenshain
26th Senate District

Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues in Congress have just put up new window dressing, so an election has to be right around the corner.

With skyrocketing gas prices, Americans have increasingly clamored for an "all of the above" response to our energy challenges. One essential component of this approach is to allow offshore drilling now to allow us to tap known oil and gas reserves and thereby increase our domestic energy supply.

Here in Virginia, we have repeatedly passed legislation to allow the development of our offshore oil and gas reserves. The Virginia plan called for a significant royalty that would be paid by oil and gas developers in exchange for their being allowed to tap our natural resources. Those royalties could have provided much needed transportation funding to Virginia. Despite wide support, Governors Warner and Kaine consistently have opposed this plan, which drew a gubernatorial veto from Warner.

Now after three years of debate in Virginia, the "drill here, drill now, pay less" theme has caught hold among the American voters, who rightfully view this as an important component of our effort to gain energy independence. One of the first "cracks" in the facade came when both Mark Warner and Barack Obama announced a "change" in their position on offshore drilling, saying they would now "consider" an offshore drilling plan. These vague promises to "consider" drilling left many wondering, "What's the catch?" Well, now we know.

Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues in Congress have cleverly crafted a "drilling plan" that will do one thing-prevent drilling. Another "facet": it will allow candidates like Mark Warner and Barack Obama say that they support a drilling plan without alienating Al Gore and his radical environmental allies.

Here's the Pelosi plan in a nutshell. Offshore drilling and development of oil and gas reserves will be permitted, but not less than 50 miles off shore. Each state must approve offshore drilling for it to be allowed in its offshore waters, but states will be denied the customary right to extract a royalty or other, similar payments.

The plan, of course, is absurd and unworkable. The 50-mile restriction is estimated to leave as much as 90% of the available oil and gas resources off limits. By prohibiting revenue sharing from new oil and gas proceeds, moreover, the Pelosi plan removes any incentive for states to approve drilling off their coast.

In addition to these illogical restrictions, the bill also provides companies engaging in oil and gas exploration with no lawsuit protection, thereby permitting environmental groups to relentlessly harass them with perpetual litigation. If that is not enough, instead of providing an incentive, it penalizes companies that actually tap domestic energy reserves by imposing new taxes on them of $13.9 billion -- just to provide tax incentives to energy projects and products more favored by the congressional energy commissars.

Of course, the bill will never pass the Senate and will never be signed into law, but that is beside the point. It was never intended to do anything. Notwithstanding its name-Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act-the bill does nothing but provide political cover to those who continue to block a reasonable response to our domestic energy challenges.

Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues are eager to push this issue off the agenda because they know it puts them at odds with the vast majority of the American people -- people who cannot understand why Congress would block proven, environmentally sustainable offshore drilling at a time when the price of a barrel of oil exceeds $100. They do not understand why Mark Warner and Barack Obama favor a scenario in which we are forced to rely more heavily on Middle Eastern and Venezuelan oil, and which plays into the hands of other major oil producers like Russia. Frankly, neither do I.

The Democrats are pushing a meaningless bill for blatantly political reasons, and hope that, failing its passage, the issue can be deferred until after the Election. They are hoping that the American people will not see through the games they are playing with our nation's energy security. They are wrong.

Empty promises are insufficient. We must embrace all viable and environmentally sensitive energy options. The "all of the above" approach is so attractive precisely because it is so intuitive. To leave energy resources off-limits unnecessarily is political malpractice; it is placing radical ideology before national interest, and the people of this country should not stand for it.

Volunteer
With only six weeks left until Election Day, we need volunteers to turn out the vote for our great Republican ticket. Whether you are interested in working at headquarters, delivering signs, making phone calls, or going door-to-door, your efforts could very well make the difference in what is shaping up to be a very competitive political environment here in Virginia. Please reply to this email for more information about how you can get involved.

Contribute
If you agree with me that our future should not be held hostage by politicians and share my commitment to principles of limited government, please consider contributing to my reelection campaign. Your generous contribution will allow me to help our Republican candidates in the Shenandoah Valley and throughout the Commonwealth, and is an investment in keeping the 26th Senate District in Republican hands. Make an investment in victory: contribute today!

Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com

Hanger supports gas tax ... Obenshain opposed

Today's Harrisonburg Daily News Record has more on Friday's vote to increase the gas tax for one cent per gallon for each of five years:

Two Shenandoah Valley senators were on opposing sides Friday when the Senate voted to raise Virginia's gasoline tax by a penny per gallon in each of the next five years.

While Sen. Hanger voted for the gas tax increase, Sen. Obenshain voted against it at a time when he proposed the Commonwealth cut spending:

Obenshain said he opposed the tax increase because the state is claiming poverty because of declining revenue projections to support the proposed biennial budget while seeking new spending.

Instead of raising taxes, he said, the state should be looking at ways to cut proposed new spending, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's reconstituted and expanded pre-kindergarten program.

Sen. Obenshain expressed doubt about the increased revenue from the gas tax actually being used for transportation needs.

Senator Obenshain said, "Virginia families are already doing enough."

The DNR continued:

The proposal to increase the state gasoline tax, Obenshain noted, comes after the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission proposed Congress triple the federal gasoline tax from 18.4 cents per gallon to nearly 60 cents per gallon over five years.

"This is a typical big government solution to real problems - raise taxes and give failing bureaucrats more money to waste," he said in a prepared statement.

Obenshain called on Kaine to reject Saslaw's proposal. Kaine has said that his budget plans do not include raising taxes.

"He should not stand idly by as his allies in the Senate demand that Virginia families cut back their already tight budgets to pay for an ever-expanding state bureaucracy," Obenshain said in a prepared statement. [emphasis added]

Thank you, Senator Obenshain.

Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com

Local delegates support abortion bill in House

Rockingham County Del. Matt Lohr's bill placing greater regulation on abortion clinics was passed in the House of Delegates Tuesday. Lohr (R-Broadway) had the support of his fellow Shenandoah Valley delegates Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock), Chris Saxman (R-Staunton), Steve Landes (R-Weyers Cave), and Ben Cline (R-Lexington).

The bill, which passed by 60-37, calls for "state licensing of all abortion clinics, not including a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center, in which 25 or more first trimester abortions are performed in any 12-month period," according to the Harrisonburg Daily News Record.

Now it faces the Senate where it is expected to face more opposition. Valley Senators Mark Obenshain and Emmett Hanger will be in on that vote.

Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com

Senator Mark Obenshain elected to leadership position

Congratulations to conservative Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) who was voted into leadership of the state senate. He will share whip duties with Senator Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach).

Obenshain joins Cuccinelli in challenging Virginia GOP leadership

Amid reports from various sources reporting that Republican conservatives are challenging moderate leadership in the Senate comes this interesting post from Jim Bacon at Bacon's Rebellion. Senator Walter Stosch (R-Henrico) received a battering in the June primary in which he spent a reported $1 million against challenger Joe Blackburn and survived by a mere 200 votes. In his weakened position, he is facing challenges from his fellow senators.

Conservative Senator Ken Cuccinelli has made a move:

“I think this party needs new leadership from top to bottom,” said Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax. He plans to be part of a challenge at the leadership elections Nov. 26 against current Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch.

Now comes word that conservative 26th Senatorial District Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) has also contacted Stosch concerning a change in leadership.

In a November 13, 2007, letter Sen. Obenshain wrote:

Difficult as it is to address this issue, I believe that it is time for a change in the leadership of the Senate Republicans. I believe that we need a new leader who will help us come together as Republicans, stop the infighting, focus on the ideas that unite us as a party, and set about rebuilding for the future.

Any student of military history understands that dividing an army is undertaken only at great peril and when absolutely necessary. Since I joined the Senate, our leadership has consistently divided Republican ranks. Examples abound, including doing battle with House Republicans, dissolving the joint Republican Legislative Caucus, the functional dissolution of the Senate Republican Caucus and the establishment of the Republican Senate Leadership Trust.

It is imperative that we immediately refocus our attention on the ideas that brought the Republican Party to power in the 1990s. We must look for common ground, not just with a majority of our colleagues in the Senate, but also with our colleagues in the House. Towards that end, we must immediately move to reestablish the Joint Republican Legislative Caucus. Last, but not lease it is important that the Virginia Senate Republican Leadership Trust, with its exclusive membership and loyalty oath, be retired.

It is my hope that you will agree with my observations and that you will agree that it is time for a change in direction and new Republican Leadership in the Senate as we adjust to last week's setback, and prepare again to resume the majority in four years or sooner. I ask that you have a positive and productive dialog as we promptly make it known as to whether you plan to step aside as Republican Leader so that we can prepare for our meeting on November 26.

Also in agreement concerning a change in leadership is Delegate Bob Marshall who has lined up with Sen. Cuccinelli and Sen. Obenshain. The November 26 meeting will be very interesting ... stay tuned.

"Defending the American Dream:" Bob McDonnell led Virginia delegation

Attorney General Bob McDonnell leads Virginia delegation in the roll call of states.



Part of the Virginia delegation....

When the parade of state delegations rolled around during the "Defending the American Dream" summit, the first state called was Virginia. With the largest group of 350 attendees, it was led by Attorney General Bob McDonnell who was backed by Paul Harris, Juanita Ballinger, Jim Crosby, Mike Meredith, Trixie Averill, Kathy Terry, Jacob Parrish, and others.

Later in the day AG McDonnell addressed the Virginia lunch where he was thanked for his military service to our country and that of his daughter Jeanine who has served with the U.S. Army in Iraq.

Others welcomed and heard from during the Virginia standing-room-only lunch were Presidential candidate Fred Thompson, Congressman Tom Davis, State Senator Mark Obenshain, and Delegate Chris Saxman.

More to come....

Photos by SWAC Girl