Conservative Caucus offers alternatives to the Governor’s Agenda.

Following Governor Kaine’s State of the commonwealth address, the Virginia Conservative Caucus offered its own alternative last Wednesday. The Conservative Caucus is a group of conservative legislators from the Senate and House of Delegates.

The caucus agenda, which currently includes 16 items but could expand as more bills are introduced, focuses on three main goals: Creating Economic Opportunity, Strengthening Families, and Limiting Government.

The 16 point plan includes:

It includes opposition to a Democrat-initiated statewide ban on restaurant and bar smoking,

It also opposes the governor’s cost-saving proposal to allow early release of up to 90 days for nonviolent felons.

The caucus also said it would oppose bills that would reinstate the estate tax, the repeal of which Kaine signed in 2006.

It also includes several reforms to the budget and tax process to limit tax increases and improve accountability and transparency.

Conservative Caucus chairman Del. Ben Cline, R-Amherst, called the package “a positive agenda for change” on the House floor Wednesday.

Sounds to me like a good start.

Washington Post Warns 'Fairfax Chairman Race May Be Tight.'

The Virginia Democrat party's public relations arm, The Washington Post, ran an ominous story today in which they warned their mostly Democrat readership that if turnout is low Republicans may reclaim the chairmanship of the Fairfax County board of supervisors.

The race between Democrat Sharon Bulova, and Republican Pat Herrity will be decided on Feb.3rd. Historically special elections produce lower voter turnout, and with a low turnout maybe Republicans can win. This possibility causes writers at the Washington Post some sleepless nights.

The Post story reminds Democrats that the special election earlier this month to replace Delegate Brian Moran didn't go as planned. The Republican candidate almost won a seat in Alexandria! The 46th district is deep blue, in fact Obama carried the 46th district by 72%. The Democrat candidate Charniele Herring won the special election by just 16 votes!

For the Post 16 votes is too close for comfort. Perhaps this story will be a wake up call for Fairfax Democrats, or at least that is the hope of the Editors of the Washington Post.

House Republicans Kill Fraud Bill

Thankfully a House of Delegates subcommittee voted down a bill which might have led to more election fraud. And while I am not claiming that the bill was designed to increase election fraud, I do have my suspicions.

Today the House Privileges and Elections Committee tabled a bill which according to its Democrat sponsors was designed to make it easier for voters to vote early (and perhaps often). According to the Washington Post:

“The state now requires voters to provide one of 17 acceptable reasons to qualify for an absentee ballot, among them being disabled, ill, pregnant or out of town on Election Day. Under the proposal, those wishing to vote absentee by mail would still have been required to meet one of the requirements.”

I have been a Virginia voter for 20 years, and I have never missed an election. Voting is already easy. I have noticed that whenever Democrats pass legislation to make voting ‘easier’ it always leads to more fraud; see motor voter.

Kudos to the House GOP.

GOP Shows Some Life in Northern Virginia.

The 46th district, located inside the beltway in Alexandria, is considered one of the bluest in all of Virginia. To give you an idea of how blue it is Barack Obama carried the district with 72% of the vote. And when Brian Moran announced his resignation, to run for Governor, no one imagined that the Republicans would have a shot at gaining the seat.

Yet only 16 votes separate Democrat Charniele Herring and Republican Joe Murray. And today, the House of Delegates have refused to seat Herring until after all legal action has been exhausted:

"There are enough question marks that the election does in fact hang in the balance," House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said. "It is extremely important that we make sure that if someone is casting votes on this floor, they are in fact the elected representative."

When asked why she underperformed, Herring said, "I think it's just the nature of the special election. . . . This can happen. Voter turnout is low." Sounds like she is acknowledging that she does not have a strong base of support or even a decent base.

Now, I realize that in a General election the Dems should be able to carry the district comfortably, but we should take heart in the fact that if we organize and get out our vote we can win in even the bluest Northern Virginia district.

Obama Taps Kaine To Run The DNC

Today, President-Elect Barack Obama introduced his new DNC chairman, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, an early supporter and supposed moderate Democrat.

The liberal bloggers are upset by the move; after all he is replacing Howard Dean, who is probably to the left of Karl Marx. But my liberal friends let your heart not be troubled, Kaine may appear to be a moderate, but at heart he is a liberal.

It could be a tough politically for Kaine to be Governor of a conservative leaning state while at the same time running a left wing party. We shall see how he does.