Obama offshore drilling ban draws bipartisan criticism

Chris Graham

A bipartisan group of Virginia leaders will work to get the Obama administration to reverse its move to block drilling off the coast of Virginia until at least 2017. “As a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we learned a number of lessons, most importantly that we need to proceed with caution and focus…

The AFP on WREL: Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

Chris Graham

Editor Chris Graham joins WREL’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan” to talk Virginia news. The segment begins with a review of Sen. Mark Warner’s visit to the Valley on Monday to host a tourism summit aimed at getting tourist-sector leaders to cooperate toward the development of a regional marketing strategy. The discussion turns to the back-and-forth…

Kidd: The fundamentals in Virginia politics haven’t changed

Chris Graham

At first glance, Virginia has flipped, big time. The Old Dominion was blue in 2008, and has been bright red since, with Republicans sweeping the 2009 state races and taking three of the six seats held by incumbent Democrats in the 2010 congressional midterms. Not so fast, says Quentin Kidd, a political-science professor at Christopher…

Dental Clinic to expand operations

Chris Graham

The Augusta Regional Free Clinic and the Augusta Regional Dental Clinic held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for the expanded Augusta Regional Dental Clinic. To increase the number of patients served and better meet their needs, the Augusta Regional Dental Clinic will double in both size and capacity. The new 5,000-square-foot facility will include state-of-the-art…

Don’t ask, don’t tell, DREAM Act fall victim to filibuster

Chris Graham

An effort to get a vote on legislation repealing the don’t ask, don’t tell policy that is used to keep gays and lesbians from serving in the United States military and a vote on a bill that would open educational opportunities and a path to citizenship for undocumented Americans who are long-time U.S. residents failed…

Another Dem-less year in the Sixth

Chris Graham

It had been 10 years since the last Democratic Party nominee challenge to Republican Bob Goodlatte when Sam Rasoul made a run at the Sixth District seat in 2008. Goodlatte’s 61 percent showing in 2008 was convincing enough to convince Democrats not to field a candidate against the incumbent in 2010. The question today –…

Senators raise issue with proposed Roanoke VA office renovations

Chris Graham

U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner on Thursday sent a letter requesting Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and General Services Administrator Martha Johnson re-evaluate plans to renovate the Roanoke Veterans Affairs Regional Office. The renovations, as currently planned, would likely exacerbate the VARO’s high backlog rate without solving some of its major infrastructure needs,…