The new officers are Robert Kenyon of Fairfax County as chairman; Steven C. Latimer of Charlottesville (reelected) as vice chairman; Cliff Dunn of Newport News (reelected) as treasurer; and former chairman George Primbs as secretary. At-large board members are Eric Brescia of Arlington County, Nicholas Cote of Alexandria, Shelby McCurnin of Louisa County, and yours truly.

The three congressional endorsements were for Karen Kwiatkowski, who is challenging incumbent Representative Bob Goodlatte in the Sixth District; Floyd Bayne, who is challenging House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Seventh District; and Ken Vaughn, who is seeking the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat Gerry Connolly in the Eleventh District.

The convention also endorsed Shelby McCurnin for Republican National Committeeman and Donna Holt for Republican National Committeewoman. Those two offices will be filled by the delegates to the Republican Party of Virginia state convention in Richmond on Saturday, June 16.

Besides the three endorsed candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, the RLC delegates also heard from U.S. Senate candidate E.W. Jackson and Fourth District congressional challenger Bonnie Girard, who had not submitted endorsement questionnaires prior to the convention. The new executive committee agreed to consider their endorsements prior to the June 12 primary, if these candidates choose to seek formal RLC support.

The Republican Liberty Caucus was founded in 1991 to provide a voice for libertarians and classical liberals within the GOP. It has been described as “the conscience of the Republican party.”

Over the last several weeks, at conventions in every congressional district, grassroots Republican activists have been choosing their leadership. Chairmen of each congressional district serve on the SCC’s executive committee, which essentially sets the agenda for the governing body. Three members of the SCC are also elected from each congressional district.

This year, grassroots convention delegates made some changes, in some cases choosing candidates endorsed by the Tea Party and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli over incumbents.

- In the first district, Eric Herr defeated incumbent chairman Tom Foley.

- In the third district, Chris Stearns won a heated contest with incumbent chairman Chris Woodfin, who had tangled with Ron Paul delegates.

- In the tenth district, John Whitbeck easily captured an open seat being vacated by Howie Lind.

- In the eleventh district, Terry Wear won a three way race, defeating incumbent Becky Stoeckel.

- In the remaining districts, delegates returned incumbent chairmen to their posts.

Across the state, delegates sent new representatives to state central, as well as returning seasoned members of the SCC to their posts.

I am one of those new members.

Personal Excursus

After starting my campaign in December, I worked for months recruiting delegates, attending unit committee meetings and, after the units had selected their delegates, calling to introduce myself to as many of them as I could. I have to say, it has been an energizing experience.

As one of six individuals running for three state central seats, I had the privilege of participating in a remarkably focused and respectful intra-party contest. I criss-crossed the 10th district, meeting many like-minded patriots and discussing our shared priorities. It was an energizing experience. I got to work with a great team who delegates also choose to represent them on the SCC. In our district, two current SCC members were running and one, my friend Kay Gunter, was re-elected. I think all of us respect the Republican activism of those who were not the top vote-getters at our convention, too. It takes a lot of commitment to run for any volunteer party leadership position. At our convention, the race for elector took a most interesting turn when two of the individuals running used their speeches to endorse a third, taking a four person race down to a head-to-head contest.

The absolute best thing about running for the SCC was seeing so many new conservatives becoming active for the very first time. In my informal survey of delegates, I’d estimate that 20-25% of those attending our 10th district convention were participating for the first time in a party process. I reflected on this in my speech last Saturday:
“At my first Republican convention, I caught a vision for engaged citizenship. For fighting for the principles of liberty that I believe in. I haven’t stopped since. Some of you are attending your first convention today. I hope you won’t stop either.”

Of course, being elected is just a start. As a new member of the SCC, I have a lot to learn. Most of all, I hope to represent the Republicans of the 10th district well and to promote the principles of liberty from within our party structure. Lastly, I can’t forget to publicly thank my husband, who not only helped with my campaign but also put up with my frequent absences as I attended this meeting or that.
/personal excursus

Now that the district conventions have concluded, activists are asking what implications the changes on the SCC will have with regard to the management of the state Republican party. I don’t know. I haven’t even gone to a meeting yet! However, it is already being reported that the new SCC will be asked to consider the method by which we nominate our candidates in 2013.

So, that’s the lay of the land on the RPV SCC. What do you think? Do you know any of the new SCC members or District Chairmen? How can we best lead Virginia Republicans forward, promote conservative principles and help elect our party’s nominees?

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers

For he today that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother;…”

Gotta give ol Billy Shakespeare his due – that brother could write.

On November 11th of 2009, one of my brothers, a Washington and Lee fraternity brother, Army Corporal Chris Coffland, emailed his various bands of domestic brothers from Afghanistan describing his view of the war.

Several of us were lunching at a West Hollywood cafe in pursuit of our happiness as we shared the email’s text. Coff told us that the situation was very grim and that he fully expected to be hit by an IED any day. He also told us in no uncertain words that “the Tali don’t f*ck around. They hang kids in the trees if they think they are helping us.”

Two days later, Coff’s prediction eerily came true. The former captain of Washington and Lee’s football and lacrosse teams paid the ultimate sacrifice.

You might be at the point in the story where you think – wait, you had a fraternity brother in the Army and he was a corporal? Kind of old for a corporal, wasn’t he?

Well, yes and no. Yes he was old for a corporal, but he was ahead of pace on promotions.

Wait, how old was he when he signed up?

Um…41.

41?

Yup, the guy enlisted at 41. Wanna know why?

Coff said he enlisted because he had no wife and family and he would rather put himself on the line versus a dad or a husband. He figured that he had less to lose.

We lost a brave one 11/13/09; however, in his memory, Chris Coffland’s family established an awesome charity to help wounded soldiers and veterans – Catch A Lift Foundation

Here’s how it helped one wounded Marine Corps veteran  -

On July 1st 2004 Sgt. Leonard Vigil (USMC) was hit by a volley of roadside bombs. He suffered Traumatic Brain injury and shrapnel to his left hand. Despite his own injuries he was able to provide first aid to other wounded Marines and security until they were medically evacuated. He was awarded a Purple Heart and a Medal for Valor for the actions he took for his squad after the blast.

Sgt Vigil recently wrote to Catch A Life Foundation -

“In the military we always incorporated some type of physical activity in our daily routines.

From going to the gym, running, hiking, wrestling, to playing football or basketball. These activities improved the quality of our lives and made us feel better. Working out kept us healthy and physically fit. As a veteran I lacked the resources available to maintain a healthy lifestyle until Catch A Lift Foundation stepped in. They have worked with a local gym in my city and have provided me with a year membership. I now have the resources available to get fit. Thanks many.”

Please honor the memory of the bravest of the brave and help those who came home by donating to Catch A Lift.

Please help a member of that very special Band of Brothers who voluntarily offered their lives for our freedoms.

Here’s the link to the website:

https://www.ebcsoffice.com/catchaliftfund/home.php

Thank you for considering this very personal request and thank you also to the men and women of our Nation’s armed forces!

You are the best of the best!

Cantor wrote:

In line with our underlying principles for legislation, the House will move forward this summer with a number of proposals aimed at addressing job creation and the economy, reducing spending, and shrinking the size of the federal government while protecting and expanding liberty. Above all, we must continue to focus on economic growth and small business—producing results that get Americans back to work. The summer legislative schedule is detailed below for your review.

Regarding the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, Cantor added that “before we leave for August, I expect to schedule a vote on legislation preventing the largest tax increase in history.” He appealed to the Senate to join the House so that there is certainty before the November elections (I’m not holding my breath – this is sure to be a lame duck issue).

Read the entire memo here.

She said with women’s issues on the frontburner in Richmond, it would be beneficial for a woman to serve. Legislators need to stop talking about the “birth canal,’’ Miller said.

Miller began serving in the House of Delegates in 2005. She did not seek re-election last year after the Republican-led chamber redrew her Norfolk-area district.

Other Democrats mentioned as candidates for lieutenant governor are: Aneesh Chopra, who recently stepped down as the White House’s first chief technology officer, Sen. Ralph S. Northam (Norfolk) and Del. Kenneth Cooper Alexander (Norfolk).

One can almost read the resignation in this article, can’t ya?  Whereas on the right, heavyweights such as Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis, Corey Stewart, and Jill Vogel are being rolled out.

It can’t be that bad on the left, can it?

You see, not a lot of thought needs to go into it. Especially since Kaine managed to get all of his Democratic opposition to quit the nomination race early, allowing him to focus on the Republicans running.

All the scheduler seems to have to do is see where a newsworthy Republican event is, like debates, and schedule a unique Kaine event there.

Make no mistake, this is intentional.

The Kaine campaign in each debate has attempted to hijack any media attention the debates might get. Doing so gives Kaine and his surrogates an unchecked platform to lob pot-shots at his Republican opponents (while the Republicans are busy arguing with each other).

The Republican debate schedule was announced in mid-April for Roanoke, Virginia Beach, and Northern Virginia.

* The first debate in Roanoke was Saturday, April 28th. Therefore, the Kaine campaign announced, “On Saturday, Tim Kaine will hold a roundtable with Roanoke seniors and retirees, followed by a downtown business walking tour with Mayor David Bowers.”

* The second debate was held Friday, May 11th in Virginia Beach. Conveniently, “First Lady Anne Holton, joined Congressman Bobby Scott and 2nd district congressional candidate Paul Hirschbiel, and more than 120 Virginia Democrats to open the Norfolk/Virginia Beach Headquarters of the Democratic Party of Virginia’s 2012 coordinated campaign,” according to a Kaine statement.

* The final debate, tonight, 6:30 p.m., is in Falls Church, Virginia. Of course, Kaine will be in Northern Virginia to “hold a forum with Northern Virginia women to discuss his vision for creating jobs and strengthening our economy.”

At some point, presumably June 13, the Kaine campaign will have to come up with their own schedule.

Regarding tonight’s debate, you don’t have to travel to Northern Virginia. Just grab some popcorn and get a head-start on your Memorial Day weekend by watching the last debate right here:

Stream videos at Ustream

We will also be covering/following the debate using the primary Twitter hashtag #vasen. However, you also might want to consider using #rpv, #vagop, or #bdrift. But #vasen is generally where the fireworks are though – just like Kaine, you’re bound to get some lurkers on the left who are quick to chime-in:

And, as always, there’s Cover-it Live:

So, from here on out…open-thread. Enjoy the debate!

Like today’s Virginian-Pilot.

Seems the Pilot editorial board wishes we more more like North Carolina, with higher taxes and people who have decent newspapers that don’t hide stories about their white reporters getting assaulted in Norfolk Streets.

Well, if Pilot writers like Carolina so much, I got two words for them!

Move there!

But I digress. The point is that their editorial today actually tries to convince us that gas prices would be cheaper if the gas tax was raised!

Read that again.

Their editorial today actually tries to convince us that gas prices would be cheaper if the gas tax was raised!

Thursday morning, a gallon of regular gas was selling for $3.49 at a Shell station across the border in Moyock and $3.53 a gallon at a Shell in downtown Norfolk.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about that four-cent difference, except for this – North Carolina’s state gas tax is 38.9 cents a gallon, or 21.4 cents higher than Virginia’s state gas tax.

So the Pilot believes if only we had a higher gas tax in Virginia, our gas would be so much cheaper!

This is right up there with my daughter’s favorite Gallagher bit about shopping, and how you can go broke saving money.

But back to the title of this fun post. It’s Democrats’ fault.

It is. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and let’s see which Democrat candidates ran for Governor promising to raise gas taxes.

Deeds? No, he just wanted a table.
Kaine? No, a constitutional amendment for the fund first, which we still don’t have.
Warner? No, he actually said he wouldn’t raise taxes. Did anyway, but not for transportation.
Beyer? No, he promised no tax increases
Terry? No, she campaigned on avoiding tax increases.
Wilder? No, he even bragged about not raising taxes.
Baliles? No, he campaigned against raising taxes, but once elected, he raised 5 of them.

Governor McDonnell has done more for transportation that Mark Warner and Tim Kaine combined. But if you listen to Democrats, it’s Republicans who stand in the way on transportation funding.

Wrong! Democrats for Governor haven’t campaigned for a gas tax increase since it was last raised in the mid 80s.

If Democrats want to raise the gas tax so badly, then nominate a Democratic candidate for Governor who actually agrees with you and says so!

In 1,500 words, Mr. Mather managed to say this: some delegates miss votes because they are sick, have emergencies, or are busy with their constituents.

Mike Mather - Photo Credit WTKR.com

Except he made it look like members of the House of Delegates–Republican and Democrat–did nothing but selfishly avoid their public duties at all costs. He speaks of the number of “votes” that delegates have, and throws the numbers out there without mentioning at all what these votes are for.

For someone who is unfamiliar with parliamentary procedure — and that would be most Virginians — the numbers look damning.

Rick Morris missed 131 votes. So did Bob Purkey. Roslyn Tyler and David Yancey missed 110 votes each; Johnny Joannou missed 94. Pretty heavy stuff!

But what Mather does not do is try to explain what — or why — these non-votes were. In the General Assembly it is entirely possible to miss 100 recorded votes simply by going to the bathroom or taking a call from your spouse on the cell phone.

Let me explain:

When bills come out of committee, if there are no negative votes or abstentions in that committee, they go on the Uncontested Calendar, and are all lumped together in a block vote for the whole assembly to vote on. Meaning that 100 bills can come out of committee Nemine Contradicente, get bundled into a single package, voted on the floor to accept the whole package in one vote, and recorded as 100 separate votes for 100 separate bills.

Many of these bills that get bundled into the Uncontested Calendar are routine legislative minutiae. Consider this: SB 142: Amending the charter to the town of Pocahontas to shift “the town’s elections from May to November, [and] shifts the date that elected officials enter into their duties from July 1 to January 1.”

Guess what? This was a block vote… and Del. Yancey <gasp> missed it! Needless to say, it not only passed out of committee unanimously, but it also passed out of the House and the Senate unanimously.

But instead of reporting this significant little detail, Mather sensationalized non-votes in what can only be described as an effort to portray our public servants from shirking their public duties, and especially in light of the controversy surrounding Tracy Thorne-Begland.

Now, I am not saying that these minutiae votes like the one described above are unimportant–especially not to the town of Pocahontas. They were important enough for the town to bring up to the General Assembly, and they deserve its attention. But if there were dissent to moving a town’s election, opponents had every opportunity to make their case to members of the committee, needing to influence only one dissenting vote, and have their opposition considered in its own right on the floor.

But there are literally hundreds of bills like this–routine bills that require legislative approval. And to require that each bill be considered in its own right, and to expect every delegate to vote on those bills–no matter the inevitability of its unanimous approval–would make being a part of the General Assembly a full-time job.

This would not sit well with Mr. Mather. He admits that “being a member of the General Assembly is a part-time job and most have other jobs, too.” Nevertheless, this is not an excuse for Mather. He continues, “they do get elected and do get paid. And for you, the hard-working people who are paying them, you have to decide if you’re getting your money`s worth.”

Obviously, Mr. Mather does not want you to consider the money wasted spent on doing away with block votes, and would have you believe that by missing 110 votes, David Yancey was absent from his public duties an inordinate amount of time, when in fact, he could have missed all of those votes in a five-minute break.

In reality, the numbers that Mr. Mather “uncovers” in his “exposé” are really quite good, even without the “block vote” consideration. Consider Rick Morris of Carrolton, who, according to Mather, missed 161 votes. When there are as little as 2,500 votes in a session (not counting the unrecorded or voice votes), having a 94% attendance record on votes is actually pretty good. Sure, we’d like 100%, but 94% is equal to the average percentage each employee works after taking paid vacation/sick days. Is it really something worth writing 1,500 words on? Are the employers at WTKR getting their money’s worth out of Mike Mather?

The House of Delegates in Session, According to Mike Mather

In addition to this little fact, we must also consider another statistic provided by Mather. He claims that the average number of votes missed by the Hampton Roads Delegation for the House of Delegates is 61 (I won’t dispute his numbers). This makes Yancey’s 110, and surely Morris’s 161, look like they are astronomically high. ["What're we payin' ya for?"]

But considering that more than one vote may be recorded in a single vote it is not so strange. And Mr. Mather’s own numbers prove this. Yes, the average number of votes missed in the Hampton Roads delegation was 61. But the standard deviation on the number of votes missed was 57!

For those that are not statistically inclined, allow me to explain. Three people have an average (mean) of $2,000 in their bank account. One person has $5,997 in his and therefore looks exceedingly wealthy compared to the average. But the other two only have $1 and $2 respectively. The average is $2,000, but the standard deviation — the average amount a given individual varies from the mean — is $3,461.50. In other words, the average means nothing when comparing it to an individual.

So it is for the average number of votes missed: Yes, the average number of votes missed is 61, but when the delegation is averaging 57 votes above or below the mean, 110 total votes missed doesn’t seem like such a big deal (especially considering the block vote factor).

Statistically speaking we consider anomalies as being more than two standard deviations away from the mean. (In this case, having more or less than 114 non-votes from the average of 61). The ONLY person who fits this description in the Hampton Roads delegation is Algie Howell (D-Norfolk), who had — according to Mather — missed 209 votes. (Interestingly, Del. Howell is only mentioned in the article to say that he couldn’t be reached for comment.)

When I asked WTKR how they determine an employee’s value in regards to their attendance, they refused to address the matter, citing “Since neither Mike Mather nor any other employee is a public servant, those records are confidential.” But being a private citizen did not stop Mike Mather from doing man-on-the-street interviews, asking “Would your boss just let you go home whenever you feel like it?”

His respondents, of course, answered in the negative to such a loaded question. But how many of these private citizens have left work early because of a family emergency, or because they were sick, or because they had a pre-approved appointment? I would guess all of them. How would they respond if they were asked “How many staff meetings did you miss because of your absences?” or “How many times has your boss deferred to someone else on a question because you were on a lunch break?”

How many times have you missed work, Mr. Mather? How many times has another reporter responded first to a mass email before you could because you were in the bathroom? These are valid questions since you have not considered why the delegates in your story missed their votes. Is WTKR getting their money’s worth with you?

If Mather wanted to do the story about why the delegates in question missed the vote on Tracy Thorne-Begland, he should’ve stuck with that. But I suspect he realized the audience would understand why delegates did not stay for a 1:00am vote in which the outcome seemed inevitable anyway.

There are many examples of our hard-working public servants going the extra mile to perform their public duties despite having a private life. When passing a budget seemed bleak, Sen. Harry Blevins left a deadlocked senate to be with his wife who was undergoing a heart procedure. After he left, a deal was reached, and other members of the house and senate did everything they could to get him back, even calling the state police. Del. Barry Knight even offered to fly Blevins back to his wife after the vote. Sen. Blevins turned around, returned to Richmond, performed his public duty, and helped Virginia get a budget (the state police choppered him back to his wife afterward). Why don’t you report a story about that, Mr. Mather, instead of mountains you have created ex nihilo?

With Virginia being one of the top three battleground states, along with Ohio and Florida, the importance of Northern Virginia – and my home county of Fairfax – cannot be understated. The road to the White House this year goes straight through Fairfax County. If Romney does not do well here, he will not be the next President of the United States.  There are few, if any, realistic road maps to the White House for Romney that do not include winning Virginia.  And there are few, if any, realistic road maps to the White House for winning Virginia that do not include tightening up the totals in Fairfax.

The most populous county in Virginia, Fairfax boasts 12.5% of Virginia’s total population, over 1 million residents. Of that million, nearly 708,000 are registered voters and 631,000 of those are active – having voted in one or more elections in the past four years. Virginia has around 5.1 million registered voters, of which 4.7 million are active. Thus, Fairfax contains nearly 14% of the registered and active voters in Virginia – by far the largest percentage in the Commonwealth.

Since 1984, Fairfax County has made up a significant percentage of the ballots cast by Virginians in the Presidential races.

Here’s quick rundown on how Fairfax has voted in the last seven Presidential contests:

Until 2004, Fairfax had been a Republican stronghold, giving Republican presidential candidates their votes in each race since for twenty years, including years like 1992 and 1996 when Republicans failed to capture the White House. In 2004, Kerry took Fairfax by 7 points, requiring George W. Bush to make up the difference of 33,000 votes downstate. He did that by crushing Kerry in Augusta, Bedford, Campbell, Chesterfield, Faquier, Frederick, Roanoke and York counties, winning by nearly 30 to 40 points in each.

In 2008, Obama crushed McCain in Fairfax, defeating him by 110,000 votes, almost 22 points. There was no way he could make up that kind of a margin downstate. Even looking at the largest counties that went heavily for Bush against Kerry, Obama held McCain to single digit victories in Chesterfield and Faquier. Obama outperformed Kerry in 10 counties by enough to win those counties outright, while only underperforming Kerry in 2 counties to lose them. It was Obama’s blowing up the numbers in Fairfax while winning Prince William and Loudoun that enabled him to withstand losing most of the rest of the counties in Virginia.

To put it simply – you can’t win Virginia without keeping Fairfax close.

If Mitt Romney wants to be President of the United States, he has got to keep Fairfax competitive or win it outright. Given that Fairfax went for both Kerry and Obama, the only scenarios that show Romney winning Virginia require him to replicate George W. Bush’s efforts in 2004. He needs to keep Fairfax County competitive and he needs to blow up the numbers downstate in the largest, heavily Republican performing counties. He can’t afford to lose Fairfax by more than 30,000 votes. The better he does in Fairfax gives him padding to withstand the inevitable drubbings he’ll receive in parts of Southside and the rest of Northern Virginia.

The same thing can be said for George Allen and Tim Kaine’s race for U.S. Senate. In 2006, Allen lost Fairfax – his home county – by 70,000 votes. He made enough up downstate to only lose by 9,000 votes across Virginia, but had he done just a point or two better in Fairfax, he would have won. In 2000, Allen only lost Fairfax by 13,000 votes, going on to beat Chuck Robb by 124,000 downstate.

What this means is that Fairfax County is going to be one of the bloodiest of the battlegrounds in Virginia and in the nation when it comes to the Presidential race. Those of us up here are going to have our work cut out for us.

“I’m proud to announce my support for George Allen,” said Senator Coburn. “He was one of only 14 Senators who stood with me when I led the effort to eliminate funding for the infamous ‘Bridge to Nowhere.’ It didn’t make us popular with many of our colleagues but we did what was right. George is ready to fight Washington’s reckless spending.  Future generations need leaders like George Allen stepping up today, so they won’t be forced to shoulder the burdens of Washington’s continued failures tomorrow.”

Senator Coburn is a cosponsor of legislation calling for a Balanced Budget Amendment, an enforcement mechanism for fiscal discipline that George Allen also sponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In his Blueprint for America’s Comeback, George Allen continues to call for a Balanced Budget Amendment with presidential line-item veto authority and a paycheck penalty if Congress fails to pass a budget.

“Tom Coburn is a stalwart leader for accountability in Washington, and I’m honored to have his support,” said George Allen. “Like Tom, I believe the American Dream is threatened by the reckless, over-spending and burdensome regulations coming from Washington.  It has been over three years since the Senate has met their most basic and fundamental responsibility of passing a budget.  It is time we bring fiscal accountability to Washington.  I’m proud to be running for U.S. Senate on positive, proven solutions to rein in Washington, reinvigorate our economy and secure the American Dream for future generations.  I look forward to working alongside of Dr. Coburn to keep Washington out of our lives and businesses.”

The coveted Coburn endorsement comes mere weeks away from the Virginia U.S. Senate primary.  Allen currently polls in the mid-60s, with all other challengers trailing.

It happened on the same day that the House rejected a nomination by a gay activist to be a judge.

The gay activist, who gave money to Del. Manoli Loupassi and Sen. Don McEachin, was very vocally supported by both.

Google Tracy Thorne-Begland and you’ll still see stories all over the Commonwealth and the country about how he didn’t become a judge, but might still be appointed, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Hardly a peep about Kim White, who was certified by the Senate Courts of Justice Committee but whose name was removed by Senate Democrats before the vote was taken.

Have you read that in your newspaper?

It happened the same day the gay activist didn’t become a judge. You have to find the Mecklenburg Sun to find a story about Democrats blocking a Republican from a judgeship.

This time, the Senate Courts of Justice committee certified White as qualified for the Circuit judgeship, but it made no difference as the appointment process unfolded Tuesday. (Sun)

That’s it. No outcry. No namecalling. No editorials blasting away about a qualified candidate being blocked from a judgeship.

She isn’t gay.

Even today, the Virginian-Pilot spends an entire editorial still opining that Tracy Thorne-Begland can be appointed to “right a wrong.”

Meanwhile, a circuit judgeship in the 10th is still vacant, but the Pilot doesn’t care. A recommended judge was blocked by Democrats. The Virginian-Pilot, the Washington Post, the Daily Press and the Richmond Times-Dispatch doesn’t care.

She isn’t gay.

I’m frustrated that it’s up to me and the Mecklenburg Sun to shine a sliver of light on this story.

Thorne-Begland wasn’t the only judicial candidate to be rejected late Monday night. But you’d never know it from the press. You’d never know it from TV news.

Kim White was blocked from a Circuit Court judgeship by Senate Democrats led by Sen. McEachin the same day that Tracy Thorne-Begland was rejected by Republicans.

One gets a thousand stories in every news outlet in Virginia.

At least Kim White gets Bearing Drift.

From the beginning Jamie Radtke’s strategy has been to run as the anti-George Allen. We’ve told her repeatedly that we didn’t think that strategy would work, that she should build the case for why she should be senator rather than why George Allen should not.

She didn’t listen, and in the latest poll from Public Policy Polling  she trails Allen by some 63%. In fact, combined Radtke, Marshall and Jackson don’t reach 15%. The poll says, “Allen’s overall favorability with primary voters is 65/17, so there really just isn’t much desire there for an alternative to him.”

Yet even with this information, Radtke has not changed her strategy.

Tom at Virginia Right! compiled video excerpts from the Virginia Beach debate. He noted that Jamie Radtke spent nearly a fourth of her time attacking George Allen. Her attacks were often met by groans from the audience.

Brian Kirwin put it this way: Bottom Line – Radtke lost the crowd, and it was obvious, and the viewers, to whom she came off shrill and answerless, but to the press, she was the focus point, and if that was the goal, then she scored.

And just on cue, who reacted gleefully? The Kaine campaign and the DNC.

All of this has been to the delight of the Democrats. When Radtke’s ad started airing this week, we could have told you who would be the first blog to have picked it up. Over at Blue Virginia (links are yours for the getting) Lowell said:

Look, she’s a total right-wing nutjob, but as far as her (true) criticisms of George Allen are concerned, all I have to say is, “Go Jamie Radtke!!!” LOL

Some other media outlets are picking up the story giving Radtke more earned media than she could buy. Notable among them The Washington Post, who loves to hate them some George Allen.

Despite all the twitter noise and the outside of the Commonwealth Tea Party buzz that’s been generated, only the politically naive would think that George Allen doesn’t win the primary. ** I should note that Bearing Drift has yet to make an endorsement in this race, and this is my opinion, not that of Bearing Drift **

So what happens then on June 13? Will the other Senate candidates, including Jamie Radtke, unite in support of George Allen?

Perhaps it is his theological training that makes Bishop Jackson more adept at reading the handwriting on the wall. But in recent appearances, he’s begun to signal that he knows how the primary results will play out on June 12. More to the point he’s been stressing that all of the candidates are friends and need to be united on the morning of June 13. Jackson has frequently said that he’ll bring an axe to federal spending. But he’s also said that, come June 13, he’ll pass that axe on to the winner.

While it’s generally dangerous to assume anything where Bob Marshall is concerned, it’s probably safe to say that he’ll be a team player as well. No word from David McCormick, who didn’t qualify for the ballot, but former candidate and now Bearing Drift contributor Tim Donner has endorsed George Allen.

In his endorsement, Donner said: “From his unambiguous opposition to Obamacare to his strong stand on the critical issue of energy independence to his legacy as a governor that was perhaps the most consequential in recent history, Gov. Allen has demonstrated through experience and judgment that he is more than capable of carrying the fight to the leftists seeking to assume control of every area of our lives.”

Forgive me for speculating that if Jamie Radtke had an axe, she’d be burying it in the back of her competitors. Reality is, how could she backtrack on all that she’s blamed George Allen for? How does she issue a statement that says “I know George is the antichrist, but Tim Kaine is really bad?”

Sure it happens all the time. Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have all endorsed Mitt Romney and have had to eat some of their words. But none of them made their failed campaigns exclusively about being “Not Mitt Romney.” But after all she’s said, once she loses, how can Jamie Radtke go gentle into that good night?

Thing is, I don’t think she’s going to. Radtke has said that people asked for a fighter and she intends to fight. That’s great, when you pick the right fight. But the cynic in me thinks that Radtke really is savvy enough to know that she’s going to lose, and that once she loses she hopes that Allen does as well. Because that will fit into the Tea Party narrative that establishment Republicans were to blame for the losses of Christine O’Donnell, Sharron Angle, and now Jamie Radtke.

I seriously hope I’m wrong and that in her inevitable concession speech on the evening of June 12, Jamie Radtke swallows her pride and endorses George Allen.

The Kaine campaign and the DNC will be logged into Twitter, just in case.

Representative Morgan Griffith with former Representative William C. Wampler, sr. Photo: Sam Dean, The Roanoke Times

Tonight, we’ve received the news that former Congressman William C. Wampler, Sr. has passed away.

Former U.S. Rep. William C. Wampler Sr. dies at 86
Richmond Times Dispatch

Wampler represented the “Fighting 9th” District in far Southwest, Virginia first for a term in the early 1950s, then returning to Congress in 1966 where he remained until losing to Rick Boucher in 1982. His son, William C. Wampler, Jr. retired last year from the Senate of Virginia after 24 years.

I grew up in the 9th District, and Bill Wampler was the first Congressman I remember and probably one of the first campaigns I for which I ever volunteered.

Rest in Peace, Congressman Wampler.

Congressman Morgan Griffith, who now holds that seat, issued the following statement:

Griffith Statement on Passing of Former U.S. Rep. William C. Wampler Sr.

May 23, 2012 – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) released the following statement today after receiving the news that former Ninth District Congressman William C. Wampler Sr. had died:

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Ninth District Congressman William Wampler, ‘The Bald Eagle of the Cumberlands.’ Bill was a good friend and a courageous public servant. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Lee; his children; friends; and loved ones. May God give them comfort during this difficult time.”

Go here to read more about: Congressman William C. Wampler, Sr.: The Bald Eagle of the Cumberlands

I chose Cuccinelli for specific reasons, many dealing with what he is not. Cuccinelli is not more conservative than Bolling. In fact, they’re records on issues are nearly identical. They even have the same glaring error (to me), namely HB3202.

What makes Cuccinelli an Outsider, rather, is his demeanor and approach to politics. Cuccinelli is more confrontational than the typical politician, a trait which combines dynamic thinking and a sense if urgency that the more stability-oriented Establishment tends to downplay. He revels in being the underdog, and in his 2009 general election campaign, he stunned his complacent opponent by seizing the initiative and never letting go. Rather than rely on party networks, he established and grew his own.

Now, there are more than a few politicians who also fit that bill. What makes Cuccinelli more the archetype Outsider was his almost disastrous failure to try the Establishment role in his 2007 re-election campaign. While Bolling’s attempt to play against type as  an insurgent running for Governor in 2007-8 was generally problematic, Cuccinelli’s attempt to play by the Establishment playbill was a barely mitigated fiasco. He nearly destroyed his credibility by voting for HB3202. His campaign tried the incumbency card – and flubbed badly. If not for an opponent nearly everyone acknowledges as subpar, he might have lost in 2007 and become a brief footnote in local political history.

As it was, he squeaked through, and never used the Establishment plan again. He was the first (and if memory serves, the only) elected Republican to back Bob Marshall in 2008; in his AG campaign next year he ran against an opponent right out of central casting, and beat him for the nomination. He played in the role he likes best – the underdog – against Steve Shannon, and  turned a race that worried many Republicans into a rout.

By choosing to run for Governor, he will likely not run for re-election for anything until the 2020s. I doubt that is accidental.

In short, Cuccinelli is most comfortable going against the odds and shaking things up; he also has the success that keeps him on the good side (so far) of the line between dynamic and reckless.

Again, and I emphasize this once more because some BD commenters are having trouble processing this, Cuccinelli is not an Outsider because he is more conservative than Bolling (in fact, he’s not). This isn’t about principle or ideology. It is about attitude, method, and the nature of the man. That is what makes Cuccinelli an Outsider.

Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal