9/6: Contact Report – Scott, Deeds, McDonnell, Cuccinelli, Maryland Unis & rest stops

By JR Hoeft | Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 | Catch-All

* Whew, I was worried. I thought Democrats might actually run a candidate that could give former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen a serious run for his money. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. Apparently the cheerleader-in-chief, former DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, will not have any serious opposition for the Democratic senate nomination with Congressman Bobby Scott officially bowing out. Looks like Kaine has the nomination “Scott” free.

* That being said, former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen on the GOP side still faces challengers for the Republican nomination. Jamie Radtke and Tim Donner appeared at the Labor Day parade in Buena Vista. Radtke sported her new tour bus. I’m all for someone giving it their best to convince voters that they have what it takes to be their representative, but when do you know it’s time to pull the caravan into the driveway for the last time?

* When I sat down comfortably to watch the Maryland v. Miami game, I was looking forward to an evening of competitive football. While I may have gotten that, I was mildly amused at the Terrapins new uniforms. Kudos to Maryland for at least giving the effort at educating the general public about their very cool state flag, but, please, retire that uniform. Immediately.

* That said, one cannot else help but think of other things that need to be retired when Sen. Creigh Deeds spoke of another gubernatorial run Monday at Buena Vista. Perhaps it was just a gaffe, considering how much time he spent on the campaign trail running for the state’s top spot in 2009, but given who is possibly in the Democratic field, such as Terry McAuliffe and Mark Warner, I’d say Sen. Deeds might want to keep those slips to a minimum.

* Speaking of who Deeds lost to, The Staunton News-Leader took time to assess our current governor’s performance during the recent spate of natural phenomenon:

“Six days encompassing plagues born of earth, wind and fire gave Virginia’s Republican governor a magical media tour before national television lenses at least 19 times. For a guy who has made it clear he wouldn’t mind being a heartbeat from the White House in as little as 17 months, he had a chance to shine.

“How’d he do?

“Not bad, by most accounts.”

Not bad indeed. The governor proved he can handle simultaneous crises – certainly a quality that any rational presidential nominee would want for their number 2.

* Congressman Bob Goodlatte was also in Buena Vista on Labor Day. The congressman has been a champion for the Balanced Budget Amendment and still advocates for it today. He delivered the GOP address this weekend talking about the amendment and its importance for America.

* While politics dominates the posts on this website, I’m still impressed by good public policy. In this case, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is taking those who would commit fraud with Medicare to the wood shed.

“Since taking office in 2010, Cuccinelli has expanded the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit from more than 40 employees to nearly 80 workers, making it the largest section of the office by far.

“Over the last 30 years, the unit, which also handles elder abuse and includes lawyers, investigators, nurses, and auditors — has developed a reputation as one of the best in the country, helping to recover nearly $800 million from fraudulent providers. Last year, the unit recovered more than $15 million.”

Kudos to the attorney general.

* For more about the state Senate and how the GOP aims to gain the majority in that house, the Roanoke Times attempts to dissuade voters from voting Republican:

“Republicans occupy Virginia’s three executive branch offices and have a comfortable majority in the House of Delegates. Now they are waging an all-out effort to take over the Senate and gain complete control of state government for just the second time in history. And their road map goes right through Southwest and Southside Virginia.”

OMG! The world is going to end! The Republicans are coming! The Republicans are coming!

Given the current climate for jobs and the economy in the southwest, I think the Roanoke Times would be ready for a change from status quo in the state senate.

* Finally, the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star recognizes that Gov. McDonnell’s plan for rest areas is a good one:

“The centers and rest areas are not just for convenience. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that sleepiness causes 56,000 accidents each year. The National Transportation Safety Board says that 52 percent of big-rig accidents stem from driver fatigue. With the rest areas closed, finding places to pull off and get refreshed was a huge problem, especially for truckers. Reopening them enhanced safety.

“Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton says that the centers and rest areas welcome 90,000 visitors daily. The state will get $2 million per year (plus a percentage of the sales) from the catering company. Travelers will appreciate the enhancements–and so will state coffers.”

I think we all could use a break. Is our four-day work week over yet?

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