Too Progressive

Ooooops! Wow, just wow.

Barack Obama delivers yet another inspiring speech to a crowd of 8,000 last night in Evansville, Indiana:

CNN is now projecting that Hillary Clinton will, as expected win the state of Pennsylvania. What remains to be seen though (and perhaps the bigger story of the evening) is exactly how large her margin of victory will be. As I said in my earlier post, Clinton was expected to win tonight but as long as Obama doesn’t lose by any more than 10 points it’s a victory for him considering Clinton was 20+ points ahead just a couple of weeks ago.

10:00pm UPDATE: Clinton leading 54-46 with 49% reporting.

10:19pm UPDATE: Clinton is currently speaking to supporters in Philadelphia. With 66% of precincts reporting she is still leading Obama 54-46.

10:45pm UPDATE: As Obama begins to address supporters in Evansville, Indiana he still trails 54-46 with 78% of precincts reporting in PA.

12:03am UPDATE: Clinton now leading 55-45 with 96% reporting. CNN currently has Clinton taking 52 PA delegates (1,556 total) while Obama is carrying 46 PA delegates (1,694 total).

Considering the source I have my doubts, but if it’s true tonight could be a very interesting night.  According to ABC News exit polls Clinton is carrying the white vote 60-40 while Obama is carrying the black vote 92-8.  At the same time Clinton is carrying the female vote 55-44 and Obama is carrying the male vote 53-47.  In addition more than six in 10 Pennsylvania voters decided on their candidate more than a month ago.

Despite all the down-to-the-wire campaigning, preliminary exit poll results indicate that nearly eight in 10 Pennsylvania voters made up their minds at least a week ago, and six in 10 decided on their candidate more than a month ago — a higher number of early deciders than the norm in Democratic primaries to date.

As far as campaigning, many discern a negative tone — and more blame it on Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., than on Barack Obama, D-Ill. Two-thirds of Pennsylvania voters in preliminary exit poll results say Clinton attacked Obama unfairly; fewer, but still about half, also say Obama unfairly attacked Clinton.

In other primaries to date, similarly, more saw Clinton than Obama as having attacked unfairly. The difference in Pennsylvania, these preliminary results suggest, is that voters there are more critical of both candidates.

Clinton will likely win tonight but as long as Obama doesn’t lose by any more than 10 points it’s a victory for him considering Clinton was 20+ points ahead just a couple of weeks ago.

Virginia NOW blasts Gerry Connolly [Raising Kaine & Bryan J. Scrafford]

Gerry Connolly sucks, Part 14 [Not Larry Sabato]

Virgil wants to let taxpayers pay more taxes [Democratic Central]

DEQ gives Dominion an “Out Clause” to pollute [VB Dems]

What’s your commute like? [Leesburg Tomorrow]

Happy Earth Day! [Not Larry Sabato & Bryan J. Scrafford]

Check this out via USA Today:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain had income of $405,409 in 2007 and $358,414 in 2006, his campaign just announced — figures that do not reflect the wealth of his wife, Cindy, but rather focus on his earnings as a U.S. senator, author, Social Security recipient and U.S. Navy veteran who receives a pension.

Wait, what!? By no means has McCain broken the law here, but considering the fact that he is making over $400,000 a year, is married to a multi-millionaire (not to mention a thief and pill popper) and is also a Republican who advocated for private savings accounts as a means of shoring up the looming Social Security shortfall, doesn’t this make him just a bit of a HYPOCRIT!?

UPDATE: For those interested, pictures from last weekend’s event can be found here and here. Sorry it took so long. Now back to politics….

I know I haven’t posted too much other than on weekends over the past week, but it’s for a good reason. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago and just wanted to remind everyone that the company I have been interning for all semester, Buzzlife Productions will be hosting a “Pink Party” tomorrow night to benefit the Susan G Komen Foundation. The event starts at 10pm and last until 4+ am at FUR Nightclub (33 Patterson St NE). Please shoot me an email at terry [at] buzzlife [dot] com with your full name to receive reduced admission! Also, wear pink and get a free drink!

Let’s at least call it what it is, shall we? For the third straight month the nation saw a net-loss of jobs (a quarter million since the beginning of the year, to be exact) bringing the national unemployment rate to 5.1 percent.

Nearly a quarter-million jobs have been lost nationwide since the beginning of the year, the Labor Department reported yesterday, reflecting the deepening recession in manufacturing and construction and a pullback and cost-cutting by retailers, temporary agencies and other businesses.

Average wage growth of 3.6 percent in the past year continued to fall behind the 4.3 percent inflation rate, setting workers further back as they grapple to pay for food, fuel and other necessities.

Ugh! Bushenomics continue to run America right into the ground.

Governor Tim Kaine signed twelve bills into law yesterday that will pave the way for expanding benefits for Virginia’s military veterans, active service members and their families. The bills covered health care, voting rights, driver’s licenses, benefits and more. One of the longest over-due pieces of legislation being the “Wounded Warrior Initiative” provides $4.5 million to expand treatment for mental-health disorders which effect nearly two-thirds of those returning from active military duty according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. Also, Kaine signed bills into law that make the process of establishing eligibility for veterans services much easier and a bill that makes it easier for service members to continue to hold an active driver’s license and vote while serving overseas.

“These bills take important steps toward improving the lives of those who have served or are serving our country, as well as their families,” Kaine said in a statement, noting later that one of every 10 Virginians is a veteran.

Take a look at the complete run down of the bills signed into law yesterday by Governor Kaine after the jump!

Read the rest of this post »

This is awesome!

Youth Climate Activists confront Exxon-Mobil Executive, Stephen Simon, after he testified to the US House on his record-high profits. The hearing was held on April 1st, so in celebration of “Fossil Fools” day young people wanted to present him with a “Fossil Foolie” Piggy Bank Award.

Governor Kaine has put a moratorium on all executions in Virginia pending a supreme court ruling on the constitutionality of lethal injections. It’s time for Conservatives to pick a side. They cry and holler over stem cell research and a women’s right to choose but they’re all for murder and “playing God” when it comes to the death penalty. So which is it?

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine ordered the moratorium on Tuesday in delaying the scheduled April 8 execution of Edward Nathaniel Bell until July 24.

It is the 30th such stay of execution nationally since September, when the Supreme Court agreed to hear a Kentucky case that challenged the constitutionality of lethal injections. Other executions are not being scheduled pending the ruling, expected in late June.

“That’s the pattern all over the country–dates are not being set,” Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said Wednesday.

Since the Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate capital punishment in 1976, 1,099 executions have been carried out in the United States, including 98 in Virginia, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Only Texas has carried out more executions, at 405.

Just a day after Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy seemingly “nudged” Hillary Clinton out of the race for fear of dividing the party ahead of a general election fight against John McCain, Barack Obama said Hillary Clinton “can run as long as she wants.”

“She should be able to compete, and her supporters should be able to support her as long as they are willing or able,” Obama said.

Obama said the notion that the party is divided is “somewhat overstated.” But he said Democrats must pivot quickly to the general election after the primary contests end in June.

VA-02 is, in my opinion, one of our best chances to pickup a congressional seat in Virginia and as Lowell pointed out early last week, the DCCC agrees. Let’s help VA-02 elect Glenn Nye and thereby put one of America’s worst public servants in the unemployment line!

From a message I received this morning on Facebook from Glenn Nye:

Friends,

March 31st is an extremely important deadline for Glenn’s Campaign–its the day he has to file his first fundraising report! Thelma Drake, our opponent, had Dick Cheney host a fundraiser for her, but we can win if YOU help.

Can you contribute $25 or $15 or even $5?

http://glennnye.com/contributions

We’ve been seeing it a lot this year, time and again–change begins when we all work together. Small donations, when lots of committed people stand as one voice, can beat the rich and powerful.

Can you get five friends to contribute $5?

http://glennnye.com/contributions

Thank you for your interest in changing America, and for supporting our campaign.

-Glenn Nye

Republican State Senator Ken Cuccinelli is expected to possibly finalize the 2009 Republican ticket on Monday by declaring for Virginia Attorney General on Monday.   With Bill Bolling having declared last week that he will run for re-election as Lt. Governor and AG Bob McDonnell having already declared he will run for Governor, it could be a McDonnell-Bolling-Cuccinelli ticket for the Republicans.  Apparently Virginia Republicans still haven’t wised up to the fact that the politics of Virginia are rapidly changing and we’re no longer going to elect ultra conservatives to office.

A patent lawyer and conservative Republican, Cuccinelli was elected to the General Assembly in a 2002 special election. He has been re-elected to the state Senate twice, most recently last year when he retained his office by a margin of about 100 votes.

His office Friday announced a Monday afternoon press conference in Fairfax County.

Hello all, just wanted to do a brief “plug” for this because it’s going to be a great night to benefit a great cause.  I’ve been working at Buzzlife Productions as a PR & Marketing Intern this semester and one of my main projects has been working to put together our Pink Party to benefit Breast Cancer research.  If you’re going to be in the DC area on Friday April 11 you should definitely come check it out.

In a seldom made move of intelligence (as of late, at least) today Governor Tim Kaine signed legislation immediately repealing the unpopular abusive driver fees.  The fees, which applied only to Virginians, were part of a plan to raise money for transportation and mainly supported by Dave Albo and Governor Kaine.

“In the earnestness of trying to solve the transportation issue, a mistake was made,” said Sen. R. Edward Houck, D-Spotsylvania, who sponsored Senate Bill 1 in the 2008 session to repeal the fees. “This was simply the wrong way to go about funding transportation. And today is the day we correct all that.”

Kaine signed the Houck bill along with the House of Delegates version authored by Del. Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax.

“After six months of implementation, it was clear that the fees did not improve the safety of Virginia highways,” Kaine said.

Virginians who have paid any fees will get a refund from the Department of Accounts. No further action is required, Kaine said. All outstanding fees will be waived and considered satisfied. Individuals should not pay any bills they receive from the courts for an abusive driver fee.

This doesn’t make any sense. If I can’t walk right into a public school and get a job without the proper credentials, why should I be able to educate my own kids (if I had any) without any special training or qualifications?

The California appellate court that recently appeared to outlaw home-schooling in California has now agreed to rehear the case, raising hopes among home-schooling supporters that the court will revise its ruling.

I’m sure there are some people who can teach their kids just fine, but do we really want to leave the education of our nation’s next generation up to someone who lacks qualification? The American education system is already falling behind the rest of the world as it is. I’d like to see the California courts uphold this decision and I’d like to see similar legislation introduced here in Virginia.

Not like he’ll listen, but they tried again anyway:

Behind the Pentagon’s closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President Bush Wednesday they are worried about the Iraq war’s mounting strain on troops and their families. But they indicated they’d go along with a brief halt in pulling out troops this summer.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff did say senior commanders in Iraq should make more frequent assessments of security conditions, an idea that appeared aimed at increasing pressure for more rapid troop reductions.

The chiefs’ concern is that U.S. forces are being worn thin, compromising the Pentagon’s ability to handle crises elsewhere in the world.

Senator Mary Margaret Whipple live blogs and responds to reader questions [Raising Kaine]

Glad to see I wasn’t the only one bewildered by this [Not Larry Sabato]

ACLU Fights for In-State Tuition to US-Born Students [VB Dems]

You stay classy, media [Huffington Post via Daily Whackjob]

On Creigh Deeds and Del. Brian Moran [Fred2Blue]

Frank Wolf’s scare tactics and other nonsense [Farewell Frank]