Decision Virginia

On Thursday, the two candidates for governor of Virginia face what could be the biggest stage in the campaign to this point. With at least one poll indicating that the race has tightened up, the forum could play a vital role in the direction of the contest.

The debate won’t be seen by a very large audience. The affair is hosted by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. While it won’t have the same type of exposure that prime-time televised statewide debate would have, the event is expected to receive an incredible amount of media coverage.

I will be at the debate and will be moderating a liveblog on NBC12.com. Please feel free to join in to the discussion. The debate begins at 10:30am, we will start our liveblog around 10:20am. I will then have a complete wrap up of the event on NBC12 news starting with First at Four.

Meanwhile..

The Creigh Deeds campaign began an effort to change the tone of the discussion surrounding the campaign. Today, senior Deeds advisers held a press conference call to discuss the state of the race. They said that Virginians are not interested in many of the federal issues that their opponent, Bob McDonnell is touting.

Supporters of Deeds claim that issues like health care reform, card-check and cap and trade are not issues the Governor of Virginia will have to deal with and Virginians, in general want answers about Virginia specific issues.  Here is a clip from my conversation with Mark Warner today where he addresses how Deeds should bring the focus of the campaign back to the Commonwealth.

“This is not a federal election. This is about who is going to be the Governor in Richmond and whether over the last 7 or 8 years we have found that common ground, you know, Democrats, Republicans, business leaders where we have been constantly named best-managed state, best state for business, and continue that or go in the opposite direction.”
-Sen. Mark Warner

But is there more to it than that? While Deeds has fundraised and campaigned with President Barack Obama, there is a sense that Creigh Deeds is hoping to make this election more about Virginia issues in an effort to make it less about the President and his administration. Today on that same conference call Deeds advisers said the President is welcome to come back to Virginia, but he won’t be the deciding factor in this race.

Today on NBC12 First at Four, the upcoming debate’s moderator David Gregory told me that the role of Barack Obama in the Virginia election is a dicey one for the democrats.

“It is a double edge sword of course, because a lot of his strength as a Democrat comes from Northern Virginia and getting that vote out, so Obama can be vital there, but I think this is an important time right now for Creigh Deeds to focus on Virginia as Senator Warner suggested and as you’ve seen him do over the last couple of days, try to link arms with Governor Kaine and Senator Warner, that he wants to be seen very much in that image.”
-David Gregory, Debate Moderator
Meet the Press Host

The entire interview previewing the debate can be seen below:

Virginia Senator Mark Warner, will hold a open town hall on the subject of health care this Thursday.  Warner has held two telephone town halls and has met with health care professionals on the topic, but he has faced some heat over the fact that he has yet to hold a face to face event that is open to the public.

That will all change Thursday. The details are below:

Mark Warner Health Care Town Hall:

When- Thursday, September 3rd

Where- Fredricksburg Expo Center, 1320 Central Park Blvd

Time- Doors open at 6:00pm, event begins at 7pm

For more information: http://warner.senate.gov/townhall

Expect the heat to now turn to Virginia’s senior Senator,  Jim Webb who has also not held a town hall on the subject.

————————————–

**UPDATE**

Central Virginia will be busy with a congressional town halls on health care.  Rep. Bobby Scott who has already held an event in the Norfolk area, will hear from his constituents in Richmond on Thursday as well.

The details are below:
What:     Richmond Health Care Town Hall with Rep. Bobby Scott
Where:   General Assembly Building, Senate Room A
910 Capitol Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Arrival Time: 6:00 p.m.
Start Time: 7:00 p.m.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds just announced a list of business leaders from across Virginia who are supporting his campaign. The list was headlined by prominent businessman and philanthropist Ted Leonsis. Leonsis is the former Vice Chairman of AOL and the majority owner of the NHL Washington Capitals and WNBA Washington Mystics. He is registered to vote in Fairfax County.

The announcement is another demonstration of Deeds’ effort to present himself as a business friendly Democrat in the mold of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Warner in fact, joined Deeds and Leonsis to announce the support of the long list of business leaders.

At the same time Deeds was presenting himself as a business friendly Democratic leader, his opponent’s campaign was working hard to paint him as a union-loving job killer. The Bob McDonnell campaign and the Republican Party of Virginia released a series of statements pointing out Deeds $100,000 in support from the prominent public employees union SEIU and a $500,000 donation from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union. The McDonnell team pointed out that AFSCME donation was the largest one time donation to the Deeds campaign.

McDonnell and his team have worked hard to build the case that the heavily debated federal “card check” legislation will be a job killer. They are also working to tie Deeds to the proposal. “Big national unions are for Card Check, and they are for Creigh Deeds.” said McDonnell campaign chairman Ed Gillespie.

But Leonsis said that Deeds is working hard to reach out to business leaders and will find ways to expand opportunities in Virginia. “I am impressed by Creigh’s focus on quality education, technology and innovation as the cornerstones of Virginia’s economic future,” he said.

Given the state of the economy, the future of business in Virginia will most certainly be a cornerstone issue of the gubernatorial campaign. This is no more apparent then here in the Richmond area where major, institutional companies (Circuit City, S&K etc.) have closed up shop. The candidate that can best convince voters that they have a plan for the future that can work could hold a distinct advantage.

The full release from the Deeds announcement and the release from the McDonnell campaign criticizing his support from the unions can be found after the jump..

Read the rest of this entry »

Senator Mark Warner, a close ally of Governor Tim Kaine and a former governor himself, weighed in on the attacks his successor is taking from Republicans regarding his travel as DNC chair. During an interview yesterday from Washington, Warner told me that while he is confident that Kaine will always put Virginia first, the Governor should not be surprised the attacks are coming.

“I am sure, Tim Kaine understands that he was going to take some shots,” said Warner. “I am sure the Democrats took some shots at former Governor Gilmore when he was RNC chair.”

Kaine has been dealing with an almost daily barrage of attacks from the Republican Party of Virginia regarding his travel as DNC chair. The party even released a web video, parsing his words and accusing him of abandoning Virginia in a time of crisis. Kaine’s staff defended the Governor and said his travel was only on his time and generally only on the weekends when his state business was complete.

But his explanation was not enough for various media outlets that criticized the Governor on their editorial pages and investigated his travel even further to learn that not all of it took place only on weekends. When pressed by the Washington Post, Kaine refused to say that he will release his entire travel schedule ahead of time, but will only answer questions truthfully if a reporter were to ask about a specific trip.

Senator Warner, wouldn’t say if he thought that Kaine owed it to Virginia taxpayers to release his complete travel schedule, but did say that he understands the Governor’s concerns over his security.  “I do know as a former governor, from a security standpoint the state police folks who provide incredible executive protection for the Governor and their families, like to not broadcast too much, ahead of time in particular,” said Warner. But the Senator did not go as far as to say that Kaine was handling the release of the information appropriately.  “I will let Governor Kaine and you folks work out all the issues on the travel.”

But while Warner did not emphatically defend the way the Governor is handling the questions about his travel, he was quick to say that under Kaine’s stewardship the commonwealth of Virginia is outperforming the rest of the country. He said that when he is on the clock, Kaine is making all the right moves.

“I think his first job, his 9 to 5 job and for that matter not just 9 to 5 but more like 9 to 9 everyday, is still Virginia first and foremost.”

Extended clips from my interview with Senator Warner can be found after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Virginia’s junior senator, Mark Warner, will be right in the middle of the confirmation of President Barack Obama’s first nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The senator just released a statement on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. In typical Warner fashion, he is cautious in his praise of Judge Sotomayor. He complimented her legal record, but did not go far enough to say that he is ready to support her confirmation.

His full statement is below:

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MARK WARNER
~ On the President’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court ~

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner issued the following statement on President Obama’s nomination today of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the United States Supreme Court:

“In nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the seat that Justice Souter is vacating, President Obama has selected a woman with an extraordinary personal story and very impressive legal credentials. I now look forward to the Senate Judiciary Committee undertaking its confirmation responsibilities, and I anticipate that the Senate will conduct its constitutional responsibility to advise and consent with thoroughness and without delay.”

Ryan Nobles – bio | email

PresidentBarack Obama did his best yesterday to attempt to quell the gathering storm surrounding his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Geithner has been on the hot seat it seems, since the day he was appointed. Now he is facing quite a few Republican legislators who are suggesting that he step down from his post.

On Saturday during an interview for 60 minutes that will air tonight, the President said that he has no intention of pushing Geithner out and even said that if the Secretary tendered his resignation that Mr. Obama would not accept it.

While it is clear that Geithner seems to have weathered this storm, (He did recieve the endorsement of Obama’s campaign rival John McCain) he is by no means comfortable in his position. The flap over the AIG bonuses has fallen directly at his feet. While Geithner does have the President’s full confidence, other Democratic elected officials seem a little reluctant to voice their unqualified support.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner falls into that camp. I spoke to Senator Warner on Thursday. The day that Congressional leaders were grilling AIG’s CEO. I had to ask Warner twice about whether or not Geithner should step down. Here is his response to the question the second time I asked.

My question was:  “So do you believe the Secretary should step down?”

To which Warner replied:  “At this point, no, I do no not. I think we’ve got to make sure that in this extraordinary circumstance that the kind of outrageous behavior of AIG is not allowed to be continued. That these employees who were out of this London based derivatives selling unit, the cancer that basically corrupted the entire AIG organization. That those types of retention bonuses do not stand and while I understand contractual law if they don’t give them back directly I think what you are going to see and in this case if could have been the treasury alone, it had to be the Congress to act this very, very onerous north of 90 percent tax rates on these payments.”

Note that Warner said “At this point, no”.  Much different from the unqualified support given by President Obama.

The video of Senator Warner’s response is after the jump..

Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan Nobles - bio | email

As expected the Virginia State Board of Elections today certified the November vote and declared Tom Periello as the winner in the congressional race in the 5th district. The margin of victory is less than 800 votes and certainly within the margin where Virgil Goode may ask for a recount that the Board of Elections will pay for. The question is, will Goode concede and make plans to run again in 2010, or will he force the hand of the BOE and make them count them all again? A liberal blog from Southeast Virginia has an interesting take.

If Perriello holds on to the certified victory, he will be a part of a series of landmark democratic wins in Virginia. In addition to Barack Obama and Mark Warner’s victories, The Dems picked up 3 congressional seats. However, the Roanoke Times published an interesting editorial this weekend about why their victories weren’t exactly perfect.

Elsewhere-

Mayor-Elect Dwight Jones holds a meeting today with his transition team. Jones plans to outline what areas the transition group will be focusing on and announce the appointment of some new members. There has been plenty of speculation as to who Jones will be appointing to some key City Hall staff positions. Similar appointments in the Wilder administration were cause for quite a bit of controversy. We will see if today’s announcement gives us any indication who might be in positions of power in a Jones City Hall.

And Attorney General/Candidate for Governor Bob McDonnell goes to the dogs. His office gets a “surprise” visit from some canine supporters.  

There are a few things are out there on a chilly Tuesday morning. I guess some parts of the state saw some snow. I know my friends back in Upstate New York saw much more, so I am not complaining. 

Attorney General Bob McDonnell plans to use the power of a state wide office to get a bit of earned media today. The AG, who essentially runs as an incumbent, will unveil what his office describes as a “powerful” video on the gang problem in Virginia. They will use the video as an educational tool to show young people the dangers of joining a gang.

Expect quite a few press events like this, where McDonnell appears as the Attorney General, not a candidate. His goal is to show voters that he is getting the job done as their top lawyer, not campaigning. It is an advantage he holds over any of his democratic opponents, because while two of them are both elected officials, they are not the Attorney General. The statewide office, compels more newsrooms to send cameras and notebooks to his events.   

Elsewhere.. 

Senator-Elect Mark Warner picks a new chief of staff for his legislative office. 

Washington, D.C. is bracing for as many as 4 million people for Barack Obama’s inauguration. (Are you going? let me know)

His not quite the congressman yet, but Tom Perriello went to Washington to prepare as if he were. It will be another week before Virgil Goode can ask for a recount. 

And Politico uses their “Arena” to have a lively discussion about the future of GOP leadership. See how many times you can find the name Eric Cantor. 

Finally..

Many thanks to the SPJ club at VCU. I spoke to the group last night and had a terrific time with the young journalists. They had many great questions about the election and the profession and I was honored to be asked to speak. A special thanks to Jonathan White, the club’s president for invitation. 

Here is a picture from the event:

Also a special thanks to the family from New Hartford, NY, who popped by to take part in the talk. What a small world!

Ryan Nobles - bio | email

I am sure if you are a regular reader of this blog you already have read Glenn Thrush’s piece on Politico’s front page today about Terry McAuliffe’s ambitions to run for Governor of Virginia. It is a great inside look at where McAulifee is and what circumstances could lead to him becoming the democratic nominee.

While the piece talks at length about the pros and cons to a McAuliffe candidacy, I thought the most interesting bit of news revealed was the commitment that “The Macker”, as insiders call him, has made to support democratic efforts to take control of the House of Delegates. The lower half of the General Assembly is the last bastion of GOP power in Virginia (although the Democratic lead in the Senate is slim and their chances of holding on to the Governor’s mansion is 50-50 at best.)

According to the article, the prodigious fundraiser, plans to set a target and raise enough cash to fill the coffers of democratic candidates in Virginia right on down the line. They did not disclose a specific sum, but speculated that it could be as much as $75 million. That is an incredible sum of cash to use as a carrot for hardcore party faithful, that want help for their small time house races.

This strategy, plays right into the heart of Del. Brian Moran’s base. Moran, while unknown in many parts of the state is a lion of the General Assembly and continually boasts of his support amongst grass roots democrats. The type of people who helped Tim Kaine and Mark Warner get elected. Moran, the house democratic leader, takes a least some of the credit for shrinking the republican majority and has worked hard to reach out to these supporters by being “one of them”. His hope is to draw the comparison that McAuliffe is an outsider who doesn’t know their process and hasn’t paid his Virginia dues.

Will that argument hold when these same supporters and potential and current candidates are presented with the possibility of big bucks to help topple a GOP institution in Richmond? McAuliffe has said that his commitment to the Democratic Party of Virginia is separate from his plans to run for Governor, but it would be hard to imagine that he would attack small time legislative races with the same zeal, were he not the candidate for Governor.

Another level of incredible intrigue in what promises to be a hectic primary.

Ryan Nobles - bio | email

As you might imagine it is a busy day on the campaign trail as we are now only one week away from voters heading to the polls to cast their ballots. 

Barack Obama spends the majority of his day in the Commonwealth, with the headwind of a new group of polls signaling his position in Virginia improving. Obama will be at James Madison University this afternoon before heading to a nighttime rally at Norfolk’s waterfront ballpark tonight. 

The democratic presidential nominee is also asking his supporters to take election day off from work, to help get people to the polls. He also got his buddy Gov. Tim Kaine, to record a radio spot in support of him. 

While Obama jets around other parts of the state, he brings a big name here to Richmond. Sheryl Crow will drop by his campaign office on Marshall Street to urge his supporters to get out on the street in support the candidate. She will appear at 2pm this afternoon, although don’t expect a performance. According to the release Crow is “expected to lay out the choice in this election: John McCain and four more years of the same failed policies of the last eight versus Obama and tax relief for the middle class, access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Virginians and a plan to bring a responsible end to the Iraq War.” It doesn’t say anything about her guitar. 
***UPDATE***
Crow performed with The Beastie Boys at Monroe Park for Free.

Meanwhile Republicans are still basking in the glow of a decent public relations day for them. Governor Sarah Palin played to big crowds in three different parts of the state and got quite a bit of coverage after an unplanned stop at an Ashland eatery. I was there and was among the many who stood in the rain. The main difference between the supporters and me, is that most of them had appropriate rain protection. My crack photographer Jamie Rife got inside, here was my view of the event.:

In the race for U.S. Senate, Mark Warner continues to show wide leads in every poll taken. Today his campaign sent out an email to supporters with a list of all of their newspaper endorsements. They even pointed out their non-endorsement by the Times-Dispatch, calling the paper’s nod to Jim Gilmore was “lukewarm.”

There is a lot of stuff happening, as you might imagine, so check back often!