U.S. House schedule for Tuesday, March 25, 2014

From U.S. House Leader Eric Cantor's office....

TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. First and last votes expected: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

One Minute Speeches

H.R. 2824 - Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America, Rules Committee Print (Structured Rule, One Hour of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Bill Johnson / Natural Resources Committee)

The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order the following amendments:

Rep. Alan Lowenthal Amendment (10 minutes of debate)

Reps. Cartwright / Van Hollen / Lowenthal Amendment (10 minutes of debate)

Postponed Suspension Vote on H.R. 1228 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 123 South 9th Street in De Pere, Wisconsin, as the “Corporal Justin D. Ross Post Office Building,” as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Reid Ribble / Oversight and Government Reform Committee) 

Special Order Speeches

COMMITTEE ACTIVITY OF THE DAY
Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing on “H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act” (Tuesday, March 25th, at 1:30 p.m.)

Printable PDF

Manning: 'War on bloggers escalates'

By Rick Manning
NetRightDaily
Reprinted with permission

The First Amendment is a pesky thing to politicians.  It allows, nay encourages, the exact kind of diverse political speech that those in power loathe.  Born out of the legacy of the Revolutionary War pamphleteers and their radical thoughts of freedom, today these liberty lovers take the form of citizen journalists utilizing the Internet to push ideas, advocate, report and uncover stories that aren't being told, afflicting the powerful and holding them accountable.  This has been at the heart of press freedom, not the corporate media empires that are often little more than government propaganda machines.

Now, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), not content to just continue her long running attempt to put a dagger into the right to keep and bear arms, is leading the charge to create a federal government sanctioned journalist licensing system that threatens the First Amendment as well.

Her Orwellian titled "Free Flow of Information Act of 2013", which is also known as the "media shield bill" has passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is expected to gain the votes necessary to get out of the Senate.  Proponents of the bill advocate that journalists be licensed by the federal government so that they can be protected from potential prosecution from a government insisting that their confidential sources be revealed - a freedom which already exists under current law.

In a scorching legal rebuke to Feinstein, Senators Jeff Sessions, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and John Cornyn argue vehemently against the law in a Minority View report writing,

"The freedom of the press does not discriminate amongst groups or individuals—it applies to all Americans. As the Supreme Court has long recognized, it was not intended to be limited to an organized industry or professional journalistic elite. See Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665, 704 (1972) (the ''liberty of the press is the right of the lonely pamphleteer who uses carbon paper or a mimeograph just as much as of the large metropolitan publisher who utilizes the latest photocomposition methods. Freedom of the press is a fundamental personal right[.]''); Lovell v. Griffin, 303 U.S. 444, 452 (1938) (''The liberty of the press is not confined to newspapers and periodicals. It necessarily embraces pamphlets and leaflets.  . . . The press in its historic connotation comprehends every sort of publication which affords a vehicle of information and opinion.'').

The Founders recognized that selectively extending the freedom of the press would require the government to decide who was a journalist worthy of protection and who was not, a form of licensure that was no freedom at all. As Justice White observed in Branzburg, administering a privilege for reporters necessitates defining ''those categories of newsmen who qualified for the privilege.'' 408 U.S. at 704 That inevitably does violence to ''the traditional doctrine that liberty of the press is the right of the lonely pamphleteer who uses carbon paper or a mimeograph just as much as of the large metropolitan publisher who utilizes the latest photocomposition methods.'' Id.

The First Amendment was adopted to prevent—not further—the federal government licensing of media. See Lovell, 303 U.S. at 451 (striking an ordinance ''that . . . strikes at the very foundation of the freedom of the press by subjecting it to license and censorship.  The struggle for the freedom of the press was primarily directed against the power of the licensor.'').

But federal government licensing is exactly what the Free Flow of Information Act would create. The bill identifies favored forms of media—''legitimate'' press—by granting them a special privilege.  That selective grant of privilege is inimical to the First Amendment, which promises all citizens the ''freedom of the press.'' See Branzburg, 408 U.S. at 704 (''Freedom of the press is a fundamental personal right[.]'') (emphasis added). It also threatens the viability of any other form of press. The specially privileged press will gain easier access to news. That will tip the scales against its competitors and make it beholden to the government for that competitive advantage. A law enacted to protect the press from the state will, in fact, make that press dependent upon the federal government— anything but free."

Feinstein's proposed licensing law might seem innocuous if not for the fresh stench of federal government targeting of conservative groups through the IRS, the Federal Communications Commission's recent attempts to monitor news rooms, the spying on Associated Press reporters by Obama's Department of Justice to gain access to their sources and most recently, the announced giveaway of First Amendment protections for those who use the Internet by the U.S. Commerce Department all of which serve as recent examples where this Administration has proven their enmity to dissent.

Feinstein's bill, when coupled with the U.S. government's attempt to turn the Internet over to international control, represents a turning point in the relationship between the federal government and the free flow of information in the modern world.

Under the Obama Administration's proposal to give control of the Internet to unspecified international sources, citizen journalists will necessarily lose their First Amendment shield of protection from censorship.  A censorship that is likely to first find its form in blocking ideas inimical to the unelected, unaccountable, unknown new Internet governing body's group think.  Ideas that are deemed "dangerous", "hateful" or "offensive" to some arbiter of worldwide political correctness will disappear from the Internet as Internet Protocol addresses of "offending" parties simply vanish.

Unlicensed political dissent, a critical component to the Web's democratization of information that scares the elite who cling to power, is equally threatened by Feinstein's attempt to create a non-protected class of journalists.  The local blogger who has a buddy who reveals corruption at City Hall deserves the same right to be able to protect sources as the Washington Post reporter who dutifully regurgitates the latest Obama Administration planned Friday afternoon leak.

The same whistle blower's identity should be protected whether he or she talks to NetRightDaily.com, TalkingPointsMemo, or the Los Angeles Times.

Failure to convey the same First Amendment protections to all people, whether they are paid or not for their activities, strikes at the heart of the basis of our nation's most precious freedoms, and Congress should reject the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013.

Rick Manning @rmanning957) is the vice president of public policy and communications for Americans for Limited Government.

U.S. House schedule for Monday, March 24, 2014

From U.S. House Leader Eric Cantor's office....

MONDAY, MARCH 24TH
On Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business.
Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

One Minute Speeches

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:

1) H.R. 1228 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 123 South 9th Street in De Pere, Wisconsin, as the “Corporal Justin D. Ross Post Office Building”, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Reid Ribble / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

2) H.R. 3060 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 232 Southwest Johnson Avenue in Burleson, Texas, as the “Sergeant William Moody Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Roger Williams / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

3) H.R. 1451 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14 Main Street in Brockport, New York, as the “Staff Sergeant Nicholas J. Reid Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Louis Slaughter / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

4) H.R. 1376 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 369 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Jersey City, New Jersey, as the “Judge Shirley A. Tolentino Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Donald Payne / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

5) H.R. 1813 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 162 Northeast Avenue in Tallmadge, Ohio, as the “Lance Corporal Daniel Nathan Deyarmin Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Tim Ryan / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

6) H.R. 1036 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 Center Street West in Eatonville, Washington, as the “National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. David Reichert / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

7) H.R. 3771 - Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalwell / Ways & Means Committee)

8) H.R. 4275 - Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act (Sponsored by Rep. Susan Brooks / Education and the Workforce Committee)

9) H.R. 2391 - A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5323 Highway N in Cottleville, Missouri as the “Lance Corporal Phillip Vinnedge Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner / Oversight and Government Reform Committee) 

Special Order Speeches

COMMITTEE ACTIVITY OF THE DAY
Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology markup of “H.R. __ a bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to extend expiring provisions relating to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations, and for other purposes” (Monday, March 24th, at 5:30 p.m.)

Printable PDF

Avid fisherman Bill Bolling appointed to Game and Inland Fishersies board

Congratulations to former Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling on his appointment by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries. A long-time angler, he is the perfect ambassador for that position. Don't be surprised if you see him casting for trout at a river near you. Maybe I'll find this avid fisherman one of these days and get photos in his outdoor environment far away from the hustle and bustle of the business and political worlds. Good choice by the governor....

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
January 2014

The compassion of Eric Cantor and the 'Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act'

The words of a little girl who fought a battle against brain cancer touched one of the most powerful men in Washington, D.C. who continued her crusade after she passed from this world.

Just before her death, ten-year old Gabriella Miller was asked in a documentary what she would like to tell U.S. leaders about the need for pediatric cancer research and she said, “Less talking, more doing. We need action.”

On Tuesday the U.S. Senate unanimously approved bipartisan legislation that had been passed in December by the House, and will now be passed on to the President.

Gabriella's comments came during a documentary that was filmed not long before the fifth grader's death on October 26, 2013. The video was seen by Eric Cantor, the U.S. House Majority Leader who was already working on a bipartisan pediatric medical research bill.  He renamed it the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act.

On Thursday the Richmond Times-Dispatch explained the act:

The measure transfers roughly $100 million from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund — a taxpayer subsidy for presidential nominating conventions — to research on pediatric ailments at the National Institutes of Health. A few months ago Democrats opposed the measure, calling it a sham and a joke, because they were angry about sequestration — a brainchild of the Obama administration.

Liberal bloggers had bashed Cantor, accusing him of exploiting a little girl. But they were wrong.

The bill passed unanimously.

Wiser heads prevailed, and the other day the Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent. Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, championed the measure. (No word yet on what ThinkProgress has to say about them.) Cantor issued a statement noting that often “everyone is (so) focused on what Congress cannot accomplish that we overlook the good that can be done when both parties work together.” He has a point — albeit one blunted by the reality that it still took Congress months to set aside partisanship long enough to help find cures for sick kids.

The Times-Dispatch concluded:

And Cantor was motivated not by calculation but by compassion.

Compassion for a little girl whose illness touched one of the most powerful men in America. After the vote, Cantor spoke of Gabriella's impact:

“So often everyone is focused on what Congress cannot accomplish that we overlook the good that can be done when both parties work together. One courageous young girl, Gabriella Miller, inspired bipartisan action to help research, treat, and cure pediatric diseases and disorders. When people would remark that Gabriella was wise beyond her years, she would tell them that having a brain tumor means you have to grow up real fast. And so a 10-year-old girl was battling for more pediatric research at the same time she battled for her life.”

Gabriella didn't live to see the bill passed but when her parents visited with Cantor after her death, they brought a bouquet of brightly-colored tissue paper flowers. Caitlin Gibson wrote in the Washington Post:

The flowers, which were collected by the thousands after Gabriella’s death, were displayed at her memorial service and intended to be distributed to people who could make a difference in the fight against cancer: researchers, legislators, nurses, patients.

Fittingly, the flowers were placed in Cantor's office, a bright splash of color as a fitting reminder of a little girl named Gabriella whose short life, and death, will have a lasting impact.

See also Congress heeds dying Va. girl's call for research by Frederick J. Frommer with the Associated Press.

Photos: 2011 & 2013 spring snowstorms

With the possibility of some type of winter precipitation in the forecasts for March 26, a quick look back in my photo archives showed spring snowstorms in the Shenandoah Valley in the past. Above was from March 24, 2013.

March 24, 2013

 March 27, 2011

 March 27, 2013

March 27, 2013

There have been April snowstorms, too, so just because the calendar says spring doesn't mean Old Man Winter won't have a couple more snowballs to throw at us. It's part of the weather in Virginia and specifically in the Shenandoah Valley....

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell

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

Augusta County library board elects new chairman, remembers Terry Sumey

Trustees of the Augusta County Library elected a new chairman at Thursday's board meeting after the recent passing of chairman Terry Sumey. Tapped to head the board was Frank Deckert who has been serving in the position as vice chairman.

Terry Sumey was a long-time member of the library board as well as other organizations and boards around the Commonwealth.  He was a graduate of the Lee High School class of 1962, and attended the University of Virginia.

He worked at Coca-Cola in Staunton, and at Lynchburg College where he held many posts, culminating in Business Manager and Treasurer of the College. He was active and an officer in a number of state, regional, and national college associations. When he returned to the Staunton area he managed family owned business including Quality Improvements, Inc., Sunrooms by Quality, Gutter Helmet of Central Virginia, and Meredith Rent-A-Space.

Terry was an avid reader and bibliophile, enjoyed foreign travel including France, Italy, England, Spain, Greece, Morocco, Iran, Russia, China, Haiti, Jamaica, Bermuda, and Mexico. He collected art focusing on active Virginia artists in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, and many pieces of his collection are in the Daura Gallery at Lynchburg College.

He served many arts, cultural, and civic organizations as board member and officer. Among these were the original board of the Lynchburg Academy Theater; the Sarah Winston Henry chapter of the Assn. for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities; the Renaissance Theater and was a founding member of the board of the Hamner Theater and its Chairman. He served as a 22 year member of the Augusta County Library Board and was a number of times its Chairman. He was a member of the Virginia Library Association, served as Chairman of the Trustees division, was elected Treasurer and trained a new Executive Director, and for his services to that organization and libraries was named a Life Member of the VLA. He was a founding organizer of the Virginia Library Endowment and was its first Treasurer.

Terry Sumey ... July 12, 1944 - February 19, 2014. RIP.

WaPost: 'Route 11 Potato Chips finds success as a cult favorite in a fiercely competitive market'

Welcome to the world of Route 11 Potato Chips, a small Virginia chippery in the rustic Shenandoah that has been cooking up Kettle-style cult favorites for more than 20 years.

The Washington Post visited Route 11 Potato Chips in the northern Shenandoah Valley and discovered the yumminess that so many already know.

We stopped there in 2011 while roaming the back roads in that part of Shenandoah County with my parents and, even though they were not actively cooking at that time, the varied choices of chips was far larger than anything we had seen in retail outlets.

When in Seaside, Florida, last year, we were pleasantly surprised to find one of the food trucks offering Route 11 chips. The secret is spreading about this local gem.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
2011

Robert S. Landes Jr. 1925-2014

Robert Samuel Landes, Jr., 88, husband of Elizabeth Dudley Landes, of 189 Vista Lane, died Thursday, March 20, 2014, at Brightview. He was born Oct. 6, 1925, in Augusta County, a son of the late Robert Samuel Sr. and Addie (Nichols) Landes.

He attended the University of Toledo and received his Bachelor of Arts from Bridgewater College.

Mr. Landes was a veteran of the United States Army Air Corps having served during WWII in the Pacific Theater. He was also Military Police Private First Class.

He retired as President and CEO of J.B. Wine & Son, Inc., General Contractors in 1993. Mr. Landes was on the Board of Directors of Planters Bank and Trust Co., Inc. (StellarOne).

He was a member of Second Presbyterian Church where he served as Deacon, Ruling Elder, and Sunday School Superintendent.

Robert was a member of the State Highway and Transportation Commission, Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, Staunton Rotary Club, Augusta County Historical Society, and the Staunton Planning Commission.

He served as Board President for the Staunton-Augusta YMCA from 1972 until 1974. Mr. Landes was Director for the Staunton-Augusta County Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts of America Stonewall Jackson Area Council. He was also a member and officer for the Staunton Republican Committee and Augusta County Republican Committee.

In addition to his wife, family members included two sons, Robert D. Landes and wife, Sally, of Staunton and R. Steven Landes and wife, Angela, of Weyers Cave; two daughters, Carolyn L. Bing and husband, Herb, of Harrisonburg and Rebecca L. Landes of Cypress, Texas; six grandchildren, Ben Landes and wife, Ashley, Megan Landes and fiancé, Aaron Powell, Nathan Landes, Kevin and Austen Solis, and Roth Landes; two brothers, Kenneth Landes of Mt. Sidney and Russell Landes of Staunton; a sister, Louise Sheets of Staunton; a sister-in-law, Deloris Dudley of Staunton; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Ward Landes, Myron Landes, and Lawrence Landes and three sisters, Janet Brubeck, Margaret Bright, and Elizabeth Snyder.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23, 2014, in Second Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Harry Johns and Chaplain Murphy Terry. A private burial will be in Thornrose Cemetery.

The family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to Daily Living Center, 990 E. Hopeman Parkway, Waynesboro, VA 22980 or Legacy Hospice, 17 Parkway Lane, Fishersville, VA 22939.

Henry Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Shenandoah National Park & JMU join for starry adventure

If you've never experienced a night hike in the mountains, you've missed an excellent opportunity to heighten the senses and explore the outdoors in a way not possible during daylight hours.

Next Friday, March 28, Shenandoah National Park will join with James Madison University's "Starry Nights" program by hosting an event at the Park:

Shenandoah National Park: Nature hikes, astrophotography, public star party, Brown Mountain Overlook (~0.8 mile South of mile marker 76) on Skyline Drive. Visitors will use RT 33 to get to the park at Swift Run and travel SOUTH on Skyline Drive about 11 miles to this overlook. Beginning at 8pm. For more information: http://www.jmu.edu/planetarium/starrynightsharrisonburg-page.shtml#sthash.QkKZ7qWD.dpuf

"Starry Nights" will take place all next week, March 24-29. See the website for a complete schedule of events.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
Shenandoah National Park

Verona Elementary survives school board meeting

 A standing-room only crowd filled the meeting room at the Augusta County Government Center on Thursday night as the school board met to discuss the budget and Verona Elementary School that had been put on the chopping block two weeks earlier. The Staunton News Leader has the latest.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
March 20, 2014

Random acts of love from Nashville

So the mailman (thanks, Mike!) delivered an unexpected gift today from SWAC Daughter and her husband in Nashville ... a little care package that came out of the blue for no occasion at all except it's fun to surprise with spontaneous and random acts of love. Angry Bird cookies and cheese biscuits ... yum! I'll be baking those biscuits in the next few days. Meanwhile, the timing was perfect because I had been a little blue yesterday missing SWAC Daughter who lives so far from home so this was a day brightener. Thanks, kids!

Random acts of love ... pass it on!

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
March 20, 2014

Flower photos from spring 2012 prove that we don't have long to wait

Flowering trees were blooming in my yard in April of 2012 while the woods had not yet come out of hibernation. Just a reminder on this first day of spring of what is to come and much of it is thanks to the snowy winter that replenished the water table.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
April 2012

Larry Sabato: Jeb at top of GOP presidential field

It's no secret that I'm a Jeb Bush supporter but someone else has been paying attention to this under-the-radar possible presidential candidate.

University of Virginia's political guru Larry Sabato's latest Crystal Ball has Jeb at the top of the field of contenders:

In our first ranking of the very large and very unsettled 2016 Republican presidential field back in April of last year, we decided to not even include the name of one of the brightest stars in the GOP universe: Jeb Bush. We just didn’t think, at the time, that the former Florida governor and brother and son of presidents was all that interested in running.

But during 2013 and into this new year, we’ve gotten the sense, like many others, that things might be changing. So much so that we now consider Bush the leader of the field if he decides to run.

The bold emphasis is Sabato's. In the Crystal Ball's latest, 2016 Republican Presidential Update: A New Familiar Name at the Top, he admits that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was the preferred presidential candidate until his recent troubles with Bridgegate and falling popularity numbers. There's also a widespread distrust of politicians like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz so, for those and all kinds of other reasons, Sabato writes:

And that leads us to another reason to take a potential Bush candidacy seriously: The establishment loves him.

In recent months, we’ve noticed an unmistakable and widespread desire among some of the Republicans we talk to, particularly ones who would be classified as members of the establishment on and off Capitol Hill, for a third Bush nominee in less than three decades. In one conversation, we mentioned several other potential candidates on our list, but the chatter kept coming back to Jeb. He was the only candidate with whom these party leaders appeared to be comfortable.

Jeb is known as a strong leader who was very popular during his time as governor of Florida. His connections reach to pockets nationwide for fundraising, and his campaigning ability encompasses the Bush family and beyond, not to mention the mentoring of two former United States presidents -- his father George H.W. and brother George W.

In 1998 and 1999, the name George W. Bush kept drifting to the surface of presidential nominee talk. Few took it seriously. It feels like a similar scenario this go round. And while Sabato has seen it all with candidates rising to the top only to sink again, one constant remains: Jeb Bush:

The implications of a Bush candidacy would be wide-reaching, and -- to be clear -- we don’t know if he’s running. He probably doesn’t know himself. The reason we’re putting him first now is that if he were to run, we’d see him as a modest favorite over the other potential candidates in the field, and he might be the one Republican whose entry could keep other candidates out. For instance, Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) are close, and many observers doubt that they would run against one another in a presidential contest. (Bush’s son, George P., just appeared at two Palm Beach fundraisers for Rubio; the younger Bush is running for land commissioner, a statewide elected office in Texas.) That said, stranger things have happened in politics than a hypothetical Bush vs. Rubio matchup in a GOP primary field: Political alliances are often written in pencil, not pen.

While I cannot imagine Jeb and Marco Rubio running against each other for the nomination, I can imagine Jeb as the presidential nominee with Rubio as his vice president.

Much has been made of Barbara Bush, Jeb's mom, who, when asked about Jeb running, famously responded that there had been enough Bushes in the White House. What got lost in the hurry to push out that quote was the rest of her sentiment: that surely there were other families out there with sons and daughters willing to run for president whose last names weren't Bush. But she also came back recently to say she thought Jeb was definitely qualified and would make a terrific president. And smiled firmly as she added, "Be sure you say that I said that." I noted it on my Facebook page at the time.

For an interesting read, check out the rest of Sabato's top field of Republican contenders. Sitting right there on top is Jeb Bush, the one to keep an eye on as 2014 unfolds.

Update: Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post has been keeping up with Jeb and again wrote on Wednesday about his possible candidacy:

The most compelling argument for Jeb Bush goes like this: The country and his party need him. Eight years of President Obama will leave us internationally weakened, politically gridlocked, economically listless and stewing in partisan juices. From the Republicans’ perspective, four more years of Democratic rule, especially from Hillary Clinton, whose fingerprints are all over Obamacare and a series of foreign policy debacles, would push the country to a breaking point. Moreover, both to beat Hillary Clinton and to clean up the mess, the party and country need a grown up, a proven performer and a qualified chief executive. Choosing an ideologically extreme and/or under-qualified senator or an untested and unknown governor is fraught with peril. So, therefore, Jeb Bush becomes the most logical choice.

"The party needs a grown up." That about sums it up right there.

First day of spring: Virginia outdoor getaways

 Jonquils in my yard, March 13, 2012

It's the first official day of spring and many are ready to get outdoors after being cooped up inside during a long, snowy winter. Virginia travel and tourism folks are ready to help make that happen with deals and getaways to wash away the winter blues. Check them out here and while you're at it, you may want to check out the 10 Virginia Spring Festivals You Don't Want To Miss.

More from Virginia Is For Lovers....

17 Scenic Drives for Virginia Wine

21 Influential Virginia Women

14 Reasons to Experience Virginia’s Most Iconic Scenic Drives

Virginia’s Coastal Spring Drives

Virginia is for spring lovers....

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
March 13, 2012

Chris Saxman to head statewide business advocacy group

Former Delegate Chris Saxman -- he was my delegate in the 20th House District in the central Shenandoah Valley -- has taken on the role of Executive Director for the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education (VA FREE), effective immediately.

VA FREE is a statewide advocacy organization that works through public policy to promote a competitive pro-business environment in the Commonwealth. In its mission, VA FREE is supported by a large number of companies, foundations and individuals, representing many different industry sectors across Virginia.

Jimmy Hazel of Angler Environmental and VA FREE board chairman welcomed Chris:

“I am excited to welcome Chris Saxman as Executive Director of VA FREE. Chris is a business person who also is well versed in the political process. Chris ably represented Staunton in the House of Delegates for many years and earned a reputation with his colleagues in the General Assembly as someone who comfortably and successfully worked across party lines. While in the House, Chris served as General Manager of his family’s business, Shenandoah Valley Water Company and as Chairman of the International Bottled Water Association.

"Through these leadership positions, Chris has first-hand experience with the importance of how laws and regulations impact the business climate that plays such an important role in determining a company’s success. Chris is the right leader for our organization, and I look forward to working with him."

Chris expressed excitement about the new opportunity with VA FREE:

“I want to thank the VA Free Executive Committee and Board Chair, Jimmy Hazel, for this wonderful opportunity. VA FREE is an organization that has tremendous respect among elected officials across the Commonwealth and was a group whose voice carried great credibility with me while serving in the General Assembly. In recent months, the organization has been well by the support of Bill Leighty and Bob Holsworth from DecideSmart who, along with Clayton Roberts, have managed the organization and allowed for a very smooth transition so that I am able to hit the ground running. It is this level of commitment which shows why VA FREE is such a well-respected, well-run organization. I am honored to have the opportunity to build on those efforts in leading the organization."

Chris Saxman earned his B.A. in History from Washington and Lee University in 1987. Prior to this role, he served as a founding partner, along with former Delegate Brian Moran and Rob Jones, of New South Partners, a business consulting company.

Congratulations, Chris, and best wishes.

Foggy snow on last day of winter

The woods behind the house are shrouded in fog on this last day of winter 2014. The snow covering the ground will melt quickly as 60-degree temps hit later in the week. Many are ready for spring but the weather doesn't follow the calendar and long-range forecasts suggest the Valley isn't quite yet finished with wintry inclement weather....

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
March 19, 2014

Roaming the yard in the St. Patrick's Day snow

St. Patrick's Day 2014 ... I had to roam around the yard in the 8-10 inches of snow left by the storm that actually began on St. Patrick's Day eve. Temperature was around 25; it has gotten up to 28 at mid-day with a wind that freezes the fingers. It's a beautiful wet snow that is sticking to trees, limbs, fences, and everything else. I found my jonquils that were not quite ready to bloom and brushed the snow off to see if there was a glimpse of yellow but they're hiding from the cold.

The neighbors are out, snowplows have cleared the road, and SWAC Husband has shoveled a path from the back yard to the road. I followed animal tracks in the yard and watched birds at the feeder and bird bath. The snow-flocked trees are beautiful. It won't last long ... March snows never do. The weather forecast is calling for 60s by the end of the week so the snow will melt into the ground to water bulbs that will become colorful spring flowers that will be popping out soon.

Enjoy your white St. Patty's Day ... the green will be here soon.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
March 17, 2014

2014 St. Patrick's Day snowstorm in Shenandoah Valley

 St. Patrick's Day 2014 ... at 9:30 a.m. it's still snowing with 8-10 inches of snow on the ground, temperature is 24 degrees, and we're under a winter storm warning until this afternoon. The snow began yesterday afternoon a little past 2:00 as rain mixed with snow with the temperature at 41 but it quickly dropped and the rain turned to all snow. By 4:00 it was sticking to grassy areas.

 The Narnia lamp post.

 My poor car is buried.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
March 17, 2014