Focus | McPadden: ‘(C)hange the party from the inside out’

Chris Graham

Congressional candidate pushes back-to-basics GOP campaign Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The tea-party protests of the summer motivated many on the right. It was another protest half a world away that motivated Mike McPadden to run for Congress. “Those kids were out there in the streets fighting for their liberties. That was a watershed moment…

Fifth District Report

Letters

Column by Tom Perriello www.perriello.house.gov As this year winds to a close, I continue to focus on economic recovery and the fiscal discipline to bring our deficit under control. First, I have once again signed on as co-sponsor of a measure to block members of Congress from receiving automatic pay increases, this time for the…

Focus | No car tax, but yes, local income tax?

Chris Graham

Kaine gets heat for controversial proposed switch Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Goodbye, No Car Tax. Hello, New Local Income Tax. Tim Kaine didn’t exactly say it that way, but that was the sum effect. “Let’s keep the promise. Let’s get rid of the car tax on personal vehicles completely, but do it the right…

Focus | Democratic divide

Chris Graham

Battle brewing between progressives, centrists over direction of party Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The 2001 election that ushered in the Democratic Decade in Virginia gave power in Democratic Party circles to the centrists in the mold of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine who led the mini-revolution that fall. The model that they laid out…

Charter schools, when explained, get support

Chris Graham

VCU survey shows most know little about charter-school concept Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] Virginia residents are not well informed about charter schools but a majority support them when charter school programs are explained, according to a new statewide survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University. The Commonwealth Education Poll finds only 8 percent say they…

The Rant | Power to the people

Contributors

   Video Essay by Chris Graham [email protected] It’s Democrats now being all righteously indignant over the threat of filibuster that Joe Lieberman is using to get his way on health-care reform. Republicans were pretty indignant a couple of years back when it was Democrats using the threat of filibuster to try to influence judicial appointments….

Focus | The political calculus on health-care reform for Warner, Webb

Chris Graham

   Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Virginia’s two United States senators, within hours of each other earlier this week, were headlining efforts in the Senate aimed at impacting the health-care reform whirlwind winding up on Capitol Hill this December. Mark Warner was first out of the gate on Tuesday with the coalition of moderate Democrats…

Webb backs fiscal task force

Contributors

   Staff Report www.webb.senate.gov Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) today cosponsored legislation to create a bipartisan fiscal task force to address the nation’s long-term budget crisis. The Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action Act of 2009, S. 2853, was introduced by Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of…

Kaine statement on GOP efforts on financial industry

Contributors

  Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement after Roll Call reported that House Republican leaders, including Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), met with more than 100 Wall Street lobbyists yesterday to strategize a plan to kill financial regulatory reform: