AFP Politics Blog – Monday, Feb. 9, 2009

Chris Graham

– News: Voter-restoration bill passes Virginia Senate, Monday, 7:40 p.m. – News: Shannon earns AG endorsements, Monday, 7:22 p.m. – News: House GOP talks up transportation-funding plan, Monday, 7:22 p.m. – News: Moran picks up endorsement of former Democratic Governors’ Association director, Monday, 2:45 p.m. – News: Poll suggests support for stimulus, Monday, 2:45 p.m….

Withering in the haze of secondhand smoke

Chris Graham

It will be hard for Bob McDonnell to portray himself as anything other than an ideologue after this debate over smoking in restaurants in Virginia is over. “He generally believes this is an issue that should be solved by the free market and not government,” McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said of the attorney general and…

The AFP Blog – Feb. 6-8, 2009

Chris Graham

– Bills prohibiting Virginia from complying with Federal Real ID Act head to floor of General Assembly, Friday, 9:38 a.m. – State awards contract for design of truck-climbing lanes on I-81 in Rockbridge, Friday, 9:38 a.m. – Libertarians call on Kaine to step down as DNC chair, Friday, 9:38 a.m. – DuPont Community Credit Union…

Poll: McDonnell leads Dem rivals

Chris Graham

A new poll has Republican Bob McDonnell leading all three of his potential Democratic Party rivals for governor this week. McDonnell leads former Northern Virginia state legislator Brian Moran by a 39 percent-to-36 percent margin in a poll released Thursday evening by Rasmussen Reports. The attorney general had trailed Moran in a December Rasmussen poll…

Williamson takes on new development job in Staunton

Chris Graham

Former Waynesboro economic-development director Meghan Williamson has signed on as the interim executive director of the Staunton Community Creative Fund, a microlending-focused small-business-development nonprofit that launched last year. Williamson stepped down from the economic-development job in Waynesboro in August. The city has yet to name a successor, and isn’t likely to have anybody heading its…