The AFP on WREL: Battle lines

Chris Graham

AFP editor Chris Graham talks Virginia news with WREL-1450AM’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan.” The segment begins with talk on legislative redistricting. Democrats and Republicans continue to squabble over how to redivide Virginia into legislative districts. Can Gov. Bob McDonnell serve as an arbiter for the two sides? Talk on the Virginia economy and budget woes…

Sanford D. Horn: The unfair and unbalanced media

Letters

While Congressman Jim Moran’s assault on the military and its veterans went viral Friday, April 8, one day following a town hall meeting held in Alexandria at Hammond Middle School, nary a word appeared in The Washington Post. Moran treated Wayne Tunick, a disabled 27-year veteran rudely following an important question regarding military pay in…

Brian Moran: A view of Virginia’s future

AFP

As Virginians prepare for a 2011 campaign in which every state legislator is up for election, many are probably wondering what the real differences are between the two parties competing for their votes. Fortunately, state government provides a clear contrast between the divergent priorities of Democrats and Republicans in the commonwealth. Democrats believe that making…

Candidate discusses campaign for Democratic Party nomination in the Sixth

AFP

Award-winning author and blogger Andy Schmookler has thrown his hat into the ring for the Sixth District Democratic Party congressional nomination. Schmookler, 64, said he wouldn’t be running for Congress “if these were normal political times,” but the Harvard and Cal-Berkeley grad and NPR and PBS commentator sees in the recent policy drift in Washington…

Warner, Webb join group urging Boehner to avoid government shutdown

Chris Graham

A group of 16 moderate Democratic senators, led by Mark Udall of Colorado, today sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, urging him to prevent a shutdown of the federal government that would hurt our country’s still-fragile economy and distract from the need to work together to address greater, long-term fiscal challenges. The senators…

Chris Graham: Switch in district lines could aid Dems

AFP

The conventional wisdom to the proposed legislative redistricting that would move Waynesboro into the 20th House District along with Staunton is that Republican Del. Dickie Bell gets Waynesboro in his district. I’m usually not big on conventional wisdom, and I’m certainly not in this case. I’ve written columns over the past couple of years about…

Raegan Weber: Setting the record straight

AFP

Over the past several weeks, there has been great speculation, poor reporting, and gross misrepresentation of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s positions on pension reform and collective bargaining. The erroneous claims have traveled through the blogosphere and grabbed the attention of mainstream media. Unfortunately, due to little or no fact-checking, ALEC’s positions and activities have…

Ken Plum: New legislative districts

Ken Plum

By the time you read this column, you will have had an opportunity to see the proposed district boundaries for the House of Delegates, State Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. I write this column amidst much concern, angst, and fear among incumbents and potential candidates as rumors have been circulating about what the districts…

Robert Hurt: America can’t afford inaction

Robert Hurt

Last year’s Congress failed in their most basic governing responsibility by not passing a budget for the first time since the Congressional Budget Act was adopted in 1974, and what we are currently seeing are the real and negative consequences of allowing reckless government spending to go unchecked. Our national debt has skyrocketed to over…