Webb and Warner owe Virginians an apology

AFP

   Column by Mark Obenshain www.markobenshain.com On Christmas Eve, while most Virginians prepared to celebrate with family and friends, Virginia’s two senators quietly broke faith with the Commonwealth, voting for the Obama health-care bill. In addition to adding an estimated 261,927 people to Virginia’s Medicaid rolls, Sens. Webb and Warner abjectly committed Virginians to help…

Government Inc. leads to red ink for small business

AFP

   Column by Bob Goodlatte www.goodlatte.house.gov Four years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in the now-notorious case of Kelo v. City of New London, which authorized the government to take private property from individuals for nearly any reason under the guise of eminent domain, even to give to other private individuals…

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

AFP

   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…