Unemployment down in Virginia for second straight month

Contributors

Gov. Tim Kaine today highlighted a second consecutive month of declining unemployment rates in Virginia. The Commonwealth’s August seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 6.5 percent, following rates of 7.1 percent in June and 6.9 percent in July. The August rate makes Virginia fifth lowest among unemployment rates nationally and maintains the Commonwealth’s ranking as…

Toss-up: New poll has McDonnell-Deeds race too close to call

Chris Graham

What was a nine-point advantage for Bob McDonnell in the Virginia governor’s race two weeks ago is now down to two, according to a new poll by Rasmussen Reports released Thursday afternoon. The poll has McDonnell’s lead at 48 percent to 46 percent for Creigh Deeds. McDonnell led two weeks ago by a 51 percent-to-42…

Why are they throwing in the towel?

Chris Graham

Interesting piece in the Washington Post from the weekend containing more of the gnashing of the teeth from the summer from the NoVans about the apparent rudderless nature of the Creigh Deeds campaign. Among the observations in the piece, filed by reporter Roz Helderman, but which otherwise read as a feature column: Deeds is not…

Keenan nominated to Fourth Circuit slot

Contributors

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner today applauded President Obama’s nomination of Virginia Supreme Court Justice Barbara Keenan to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Recommended by Sens. Webb and Warner on June 2, 2009, Keenan would be the first female judge from Virginia to…

Kickoff!

Chris Graham

The 2009 fall campaign got its unofficial official kickoff down the Blue Ridge Parkway in Buena Vista at the Valley city’s annual Labor Day Parade Monday morning. “This is home,” Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds answered a Washington Post reporter about why he feels he will do well in the Valley in the elections…

A Deeds surge?

Chris Graham

Two new polls are out on the Virginia governor’s race, and both still have Republican Bob McDonnell in the lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds, though the gap is clearly narrowing, to the point that one pollster is suggesting that Deeds could be surging into the lead. Deeds actually led in the two days of polling…

Stinging rebuke to local GOP lawmakers

Chris Graham

How about that ringing endorsement of 25th District Republican Del. Steve Landes’ effort to inject partisan politics into the special session of the Virginia General Assembly on Wednesday? The Republican-majority House of Delegates voted 82-7 to limit the legislation to come before the session to the matter at hand cited by Gov. Tim Kaine in…