Two years ago, national Democrats were feting Tom Periello’s 727-vote victory over popular incumbent Rep. Virgil Goode as evidence that, with the right candidate, Democrats can compete in even the reddest districts. Today, with scores of vulnerable incumbents to defend (even some senior incumbents in longtime Democratic districts) and fewer donors, the Democratic Party’s leadership is starting to rethink how it will allocate scarce resources in a manner to minimize its losses on November 2. Down 26-points in the most recent public poll, Rep. Tom Perriello is reportedly one of the candidates from whom the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is considering withdrawing its financial support. The reasons are not necessarily surprising.
This summer Rep. Perriello embarked on a townhall tour of every county in the 5th District that was plagued with missteps. Rep. Perriello initially refused to allow signs of any form to be brought into his townhall meetings citing the chilling effect signs have on civil discourse. The Charlottesville-based Jefferson Area Tea Party protested the congressman’s sign ban and, after threats of legal action from the Rutherford Institute, Rep. Perriello relented. Next, at a stop at Ferrum College, Rep. Perriello insisted that his vote for “Stimulus II” was necessary to prevent the Virginia General Assembly from imposing “a very costly tax hike” to keep teachers employed. Now, at a recent Perriello rally, Sen. Jim Webb publicly stated his opposition to Rep. Perriello’s position on Cap-and-Trade.
Perhaps sensing that the townhalls and campaign rallies were not going as well as expected, Rep. Perriello attempted to re-brand himself as a “[Ross] Perot-style Democrat” while formally calling for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s resignation.
Though he has changed the rhetoric, Treasury Secretary Geithner has too often championed President Bush’s economic priorities…. …The change many of us fought for in 2008 runs a lot deeper than changing the name plate on the door from Paulson to Geithner. I hope that President Obama will find the Arne Duncan of economic development, a visionary with ‘on the ground’ experience creating jobs.
Rep. Perriello’s statement on Sec. Geithner goes on to tout his dedication to rebuilding Main Street via “reinvestment” (a.k.a. the stimulus), which he asserts created–not saved or created but created–3 million jobs. Unfortunately, while supporting the Stimulus, Cap-and-Trade and Obamacare (which, unlike state Sen. Robert Hurt, Rep. Perriello still refuses to defund), Rep. Perriello does not appear to share Ross Perot’s concern for the deficit, which will soon affect everyone who still works on Main Street.
When you make numerous missteps during the summer and your state’s senior senator publicly disagrees with you while campaigning for you, the DCCC’s decision to divest only gets easier.
