Debt Ceiling Deal

While there is definitely much to be wanted in the debt ceiling deal, it was a major step in the right direction. For the first time ever, we had a fight over raising the debt ceiling. This never happened under President Bush even though we raised it quite a few times. While the actual cuts were only a miniscule dent, at least we fought back. Honestly, as much as the deal could have been better, it may be the best we could get while only controlling one third of the legislative process. Hopefully every time there is a debt ceiling or budget vote, we fight hard on the spending issue, and when we take back the U.S. Senate we will force very deep cuts. This is not to say the Republican leadership was amazing, but at least we finally fought. Fighting and forcing conditions for a debt ceiling increase is an improvement and a small victory.

Sharing Our Values in a Christ-Like Way

Very often people are turned off by social conservatives not because of what they believe as much as how we present them. Honestly, they often have a point. This is why it is important to be careful not only about what we believe, but how we present it. A recent e-mail from Bob Vander Plaats and the Iowa Family Leader reinforces that point. In it he shares an e-mail their organization received from a homosexual African-American gentleman. A portion of that e-mail read...

"I do not take the same stand you do on gay marriage, but I spoke to a wonderful man today on your line. He was such an attentive listener and I listened when he spoke also. I want to thank him for being such a loving person and did not judge me, but does believe in his stand. He told me your entire organization is that way and, well, I believe him. Maybe I'm a pushover, but he reminded me of what Christ is like. He wasn't only Christian, but he was CHRIST-LIKE. That's what touched my heart. I hope the VERY BEST for him and I wish him all the love that he can handle. What a wonderful person. Please thank him for me (I'm sure he knows who he is). VERY SINCERELY..."

Do we present our views so that those who disagree with us can say that of us as well, or do we rudely shove our views down other people's throats? It doesn't matter how true your message is if you are presenting it in a way that is turning others away.

Jeff Frederick Campaign Kickoff

While Jeff Frederick has been knocking on doors for over a month, the campaign just announced their official campaign kickoff. Please come show your support for the campaign, and come by the campaign headquarters any time to volunteer.

Frederick for State Senate Campaign Kick-Off & HQ Opening

Saturday, July 30th at 10am

Frederick Headquarters

17934 Main Street

Dumfries, VA 22026

Jeff Frederick is Running for State Senate

The following e-mail was sent out by Jeff late this afternoon.

Willie --

I'm happy to report to you, after a lot of thought, discussion, and prayer, we've decided to run for the Senate of Virginia.

But, I'm not in it for the money ($18k a year), the title, the digs, some degree of perceived power, or people making me feel important. I am running to serve the people of eastern Prince William, Fairfax, and Stafford and to change politics as usual in Richmond. There's too much polarization; too much partisanship; and not enough principled people going down there who are focused on the people that they represent -- working hard day in and day out to make our communities, commonwealth and country a better place to live, work, and raise a family. We need leaders in Richmond who aren't afraid to shake up and stand up to the status quo and keep people of any political party accountable.

Citizens of the 36th Senate District aren't unlike most folks. They work hard. They pay their taxes. They strive to build a better future for themselves and their families. Whether it is someone who was born and raised in Virginia like me or someone who came from a foreign land to seek the American dream and integrate as a naturalized citizen, like my Colombian mother -- and everyone in between -- our best days are still ahead.

Yet, the career politicians in Richmond have made a mess of our economy and have put future generations at risk. Sure, they talk about creating jobs, but in reality they vote time and time again for job-killing tax hikes, new regulations, and more wasteful government programs.

I've opposed all attempts to grow government and tax you more, and I will continue to do so. You know better how to spend your money than government does. My record is clear and needs no election-year makeover. I never forget who I work for and always keep my promises. You might not always agree with me 100% of the time, but you'll always know where I stand and I'll always welcome your thoughts and ideas.

I hope you'll join our commonsense, pro-people -- not politics -- campaign to create jobs, grow our economy, improve transportation and infrastructure, and protect our special quality of life.

And, we need your help. Click here to donate to our campaign or get involved.

This is going to be a tough race in a district that was clearly gerrymandered for someone of the opposite political party. I've got a track record of winning in these tough districts and appealing to people of all political stripes, but this one could be the most difficult one yet. Notwithstanding, the numbers tell us it is winnable, especially given that 37% of the district is my old House district. Some of the toughest precincts in this new Senate district are precincts I consistently won in my prior House races against difficult opposition.

However, our past success could not have been possible without the efforts of so many -- volunteering, contributing, and praying for us.

Please consider making a financial contribution now, and signing up to volunteer with our campaign. With your help, I know we'll have a big victory this November. God willing, we'll win this election and change politics as usual in Virginia.

Amy and I are incredibly grateful for all you've done in the past, and we're counting on you now more than ever.

Thanks again. More updates to come soon.

-JMF.

Tripp Godsey running against John Edwards

As long as I lived in Roanoke, John Edwards was my state senator. He sits on the Health and Education Committee, and would vote down all the pro-life and homeschool friendly legislation I was tracking. He was one of the more liberal members of the state senate. Sadly Republicans weren't able to field a candidate against him in 2007, and he was elected unchallenged.

Thankfully the Roanoke Tea Party found a candidate to run against John Edwards. Tripp Godsey an insurance agent from SW Roanoke has risen to the challenge. The Roanoke Times reports that,

Godsey, 47, described himself as "polar opposites" with Edwards, D-Roanoke. Godsey said he's noticed discontent with Edwards in the business community.

"It was time to step up," Godsey said.

Godsey is a Farmers Insurance agent who specializes in restaurants and hotels. He sits on the board of the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association. He's married with three children.

Whether he can win or not remains to be seen, but it is important that John Edwards not run unopposed again. Godsey claims to be pro-life, and is at least willing to run against John Edwards. We need to hold every single Democrat in the Senate accountable this election cycle.

Especially if you live in the district check out his website and support him on facebook. Hopefully Tripp is a strong aggressive and conservative candidate. He should at least be supported to hold John Edwards accountable.

Jo-Ann Chase for Delegate VA-87

With redistricting, two new House of Delegates seats were formed in Loudoun Co. One of these One of these, the 87th, takes up much of eastern Loudoun and centers around Dulles airport. Most of this district used to be represented by Del. Bob Marshall.

A good friend and long time conservative activist has stepped up to run for this seat, Jo-Ann Chase. Now more than ever we need people of conviction who will fight for their beliefs. Jo-Ann is undoubtedly such a person. She has a passion for protecting the unborn, and protecting the freedoms we are losing as a nation. Jo-Ann will tell you exactly what she believes and will not change. With Jo-Ann what you see is what you get. Del. Bob Marshall has worked closely with Jo-Ann. He recognizes that she is the same kind of fighter that he is, and is excited to have her in the House of Delegates to work with him.

If you want a representative of conviction who will hold the party leadership accountable, vote for Jo-Ann. If you think now is a time to fight back hard against the wave of change in this nation, then J0-Ann is your person. Jo-Ann has worked hard within the party and her community, and it is time to send her to Richmond.

Go to her website and join her on facebook and do whatever you can to help Jo-Ann.

Rapture Helps Romney and Obama

First of all it is sad to see that people are still taking Harold Camping seriously after he failed miserably in predicting the return of Christ, something that can not be predicted. However if his new prediction is right, PPP has found what candidates it would help. In their national poll of the presidential field, Public Policy Polling found some interesting data. (Read enjoy, and laugh.)

One game changer that could help Romney and Pawlenty's prospects for the nomination? The Rapture. 18% of GOP primary voters believe it will occur in their lifetimes and 31% of them support Palin to 15% for Romney, 11% for Cain and Gingrich, and 10% for Pawlenty. Let's say that Harold Camping's revised projection of October for the event comes true and that all the Republicans who think it's coming go up. With those voters taken out of the equation Romney leads with 16% while Pawlenty moves into second at 14%, and Palin and Cain tie for 3rd at 13% each.

Although only 18% of Republican voters think the Rapture will occur in their lifetimes, a whooping 72% of them think they would be taken up in the event that it did occur. If Romney was still here after that his nomination prospects would really be enhanced- with the 28% of GOP voters who either think they would not go up or are unsure Romney gets 23% to 13% for Pawlenty, 11% for Paul and Cain, and 10% for Palin and Bachmann.

It would be a Pyrrhic victory for him though because as our general election numbers showed Barack Obama would be pretty much unstoppable for reelection if everyone who thought they were going in the Rapture was right about it.

Pawlenty the Strongest Candidate to Defeat Romney Head on

Public Policy Polling took their first Iowa poll since Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump announced they would not be running for president. While it is very early for polling to mean a lot, one thing they found was that Pawlenty appears to be the strongest candidate in a head to head match up with Romney.

There's been a lot of speculation that the Republican race could eventually come down to Romney and a single more conservative alternative. Although this will likely not be the case when the voting in Iowa happens we tested several head to head match ups between Romney and other GOP contenders to see how they would come out. Pawlenty may actually be the strongest contender to become the 'anti-Romney' as he ties him at 41%. Otherwise Romney leads- 48-41 over Palin, 46-38 over Bachmann, and 48-34 over Cain.

Pawlenty doesn't poll the strongest head to head among Romney among 'very conservative' voters- he leads by 17 compared to a 21 point lead for Palin and a 24 point advantage for Bachmann with that group. But with center right voters- those calling themselves 'somewhat conservative'- Romney leads Pawlenty by just a single point while he has a 19 point advantage over Palin and a 22 point lead over Bachmann with that group. What that says to me is that many Republicans are looking for someone more conservative than Romney but someone who isn't bound to get creamed in the general election the way Palin, Bachmann, and Cain probably would. That's very good news for Pawlenty if it ever plays itself out in real life.

Teiro Cuccinelli: A Stay at Home Wife and Mother

In a day and age when our culture pressures women to pursue careers and find a sense of purpose from their job, Teiro Cuccinelli models the opposite for Virginia women. As Ken Cuccinelli's wife and the mother of seven kids, Teiro has dedicated her life to raising the children and supporting her husband. Her home is her "first priority." As a wife and mother she exudes grace and strength. Their children show that she has done quite a job raising them. We need more women like Teiro in our state. One of the many blessings of having Ken as attorney general is that the state can glimpse the value and importance of women who choose to make their home their "first priority."

Remembering the Fallen and the Nation They Died to Protect

Yesterday Americans gathered to remember and honor those who died defending this nation. The words of the Gettysburg Address came to min throughout the day. With this short but powerful speech President Lincoln reminded Americans why this nation existed and honored the memory and sacrifice of those who fell in that great battle. In many ways these words ring just as true today as they did then, and it is worthwhile to reread and ponder President Lincoln's words.

_________________________________________________________

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Americans Generally Want Abortion Made Illegal

Gallup released its annual polling on America's views on abortion. While Americans have opposed abortion since the polling began in 1994, this year's level of opposition was higher than it had been for quite a few years. 61% of Americans believe abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances, while only 37% believe it should be permitted in most or any circumstance. This is a substantial improvement from last year's 56%-39% spread. 51% of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong while only 39% believe it is morally acceptable.

For all the accusations that abortion is a losing Republicans, the polls continue to show the opposite. Republicans need to stay true to their pro-life convictions. We need a presidential candidate who is willing to fight for the unborn. In most districts and states, Republicans should also be very willing to espouse and fight for the cause of the unborn. It is morally right and politically viable to be a pro-life politician. Politicians have no excuse not to fight for the unborn.

Tim Pawlenty: Not a "Fake Christian"

A powerful testimonial about Tim Pawlenty's faith was recently published. It was written by someone who used to go to church with T-Paw, but left the church when he became an atheist. He doesn't have a personal or political interest in building up Tim Pawlenty, but just wanted to relay to a friend his observations. The heart of the message stated,

"In my life, I’ve seen many –far too many– politicians who court the church when they thought it would do their career a favor, but disappear when they achieved the present goal. I can tell you, from personal experience, Governor Pawlenty is not like that... Again: I think all religion is nothing but a shameful way to control people. And I also think the GOP is destroying America. But I want you to know that the one thing people can’t say about Tim Pawlenty is that he’s a fake Christian. Thought you might be interested in an insider’s perspective."

In a day of fake Christians, every Christian should want their atheist friends to look at them and say this person is not a fake. This is even more true of politicians. If Tim Pawlenty can communicate a genuineness about his convictions and beliefs, he may do very well in Iowa and eventually the entire nominating process.

NARAL Enables Pro-Lifers Put Faces to the Movement

As NARAL lobbies the U.S. Senate, they have created a vehicle for pro-lifers to advance their cause. NARAL asked supporters to e-mail in pictures which would be automatically added to their flicker account. Pro-lifers quickly took advantage of this opportunity to spread the message of life, and very quickly the account was flooded with pictures telling a pro-life message. For more information and to take advantage of this effort to help spread the message of life, go to the following link.

Tommy Norment Least "Family-Friendly" Republican in the General Assembly

Last week the Virginia Family Foundation released their report card for the last session of the Virginia General Assembly. The scorecard ranks legislators based on a large number of votes that the Virginia Family Foundation was tracking during the last session. Forty members of the House of Delegates received a 100% and 9 members of the State Senate received the same score. All of these members were Republican. The highest rated Democrat was Del. Joe Johnson with a 95%, an the highest rated Democrat Senator was Sen. Phil Puckett with a 92%. These were the only two Democrats to receive a score above 90%.

On the other hand, the lowest rated Republican was Sen. Tommy Norment with a 65%. If this were a grade in college, he would have scored a solid D. No either Republican in either body scored below 70%. (Del. Morgan Harvey was the second lowest Republican with a 72%.) If Tommy Norment were just a normal senator, this wouldn't be as big a deal. However, he is currently the Republican Leader in the Senate. The prospect of installing Tommy Norment as the majority leader if the Republicans take back the senate should not excite any values voters. Taking back the State Senate is only worth it if we have a pro-life chairman in charge of the Health and Education Committee in the next session. This will not happen if Tommy Norment is the majority leader. As we move forward with the senate races, values voters need to put their efforts behind senate candidates who will work to change the Republican leadership in the Senate. Unless the leadership is conservative it won't matter if we retake the majority, or even if the majority of the caucus will vote as conservatives on legislation.

Robert Sarvis and the Importance of a 40 Seat Plan

Recently I was informed of a new state senate campaign. Robert Sarvis is running for state senate in the 35th district against Dick Saslaw. While there is not a lot of detailed information regarding issues on his website, he seems to have a solid resume. While it is definitely a long shot to unseat Dick Saslaw, we need to be fielding solid candidates in all 40 districts this year. The more districts we contest, the more we have the possibility of winning. We picked up 6 seats in the House of Delegates in 2009 by contesting almost every seat. Winning back the state senate will be much easier this cycle if we give every Democrat a challenge. For the safe ones like Dick Saslaw it will force them to spend money in their own district, and keep them from using their time and resources to help others. There may also be some surprises as the rising wave sweeps supposedly safe Democrats out of office. While his chances may be long, Robert Sarvis deserves our appreciation for being willing to challenge Dick Saslaw.

Tim Pawlenty is Running for President

Tim Pawlenty announced earlier this week he is running for president with a very inspirational video. He has a record of governing as a conservative in a very liberal state, and is one of the few people in the Republican field who has the ability to unite all wings of the Republican Party. It will be interesting to see if this is his moment, and he emerges as the unifier.

Pro-Life Congress Convenes

Many of the Libertarian members of the tea party movement have tried to minimize the importance of values voters in this last election, and discourage legislation from being pushed in this new congress. However, the election results gave us possibly the most pro-life congress ever, and a house speaker who wants to be the most "pro-life speaker in history."

Four key pieces of pro-life legislation will be introduced this session. Investigations will be conducted by Congressman Chris Smith into the exportation of abortions by President Obama, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Yesterday Congressman Mike Pence introduced legislation to defund Planned Parenthood. Since the House of Representatives sets the budget, Republicans should be able to accomplish this goal in this congress. Over 120 congressmen cosponsored the legislation. A pro-life house needs to defund Planned Parenthood.

"The largest abortion provider in America should not also be the largest recipient of federal funding under Title X." ~Congressman Mike Pence

Abby Johnson Exposes Planned Parenthood

Dear Friends,

On January 11, 2011, former Planned Parenthood director and 2008 "employee of the year" Abby Johnson will FINALLY be able to reveal all the secrets from behind the closed doors of the abortion business ...and why she left to join the pro-life movement!

After winning the legal battle against a massive Planned Parenthood lawsuit and restraining order --which was intended to silence her -- Abby is finally able to blow the whistle on her former employer and reveal ALL the shocking details of her conversion.

Abby's entire story has never been revealed publicly... UNTIL NOW!.

On Tuesday, January 11, Abby's story will be released to the world in a landmark book, UNPLANNED, published jointly by Tyndale House, Focus on the Family, and Ignatius Press. It's going to be huge!

One night before -- on Monday, January 10, at 9 PMEastern (8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific)-- YOU are invited to join Abby for a live webcast "sneak preview" of the no-holds-barred revelations which fill the pages of UNPLANNED.

Register for the FREE online event at: http://www.unplannedwebcast.com/

During the webcast, you will discover ...

* What initially attracted Abby to volunteer and then work for Planned Parenthood -- America's largest abortion chain -- even after being raised in a faithful Christian home
* The hidden personal secret that Abby had kept buried for years
* The shocking discovery that suddenly caused Abby to question everything Planned Parenthood had told her over eight years
* Planned Parenthood's confidential plans to expand its biggest money-maker -- abortion -- all across America
* The abortion industry's furious reaction when Abby decided to quit her job and join local and national pro-life efforts
* What Abby's court battle brought to light about Planned Parenthood's REAL agenda
* The single most effective way to reduce Planned Parenthood's abortion business and change the hearts and minds of clinic workers

You won't want to miss this eye-opening webcast!

The announcement about this event is being sent to hundreds of thousands of people around the world, and there is limited space available.

To grab your spot before the webcast is filled up, register to attend NOW, before it's too late: http://www.unplannedwebcast.com/

For Life,
Jacinta Whittaker

40 Days for Life - Alexandria, VA

P.S.- When you register for the webcast, they'll also send you the first chapter of Abby's breakthrough book, UNPLANNED -- for FREE! You'll be among the very first to peek inside the pages of the book the abortion industry tried to stop. Get chapter one now at: http://www.unplannedwebcast.com/

Mark Obenshain Calls on Political Parties to Stop Burdening Localities

Every time Virginia Republicans or Democrats choose a primary to nominate their political candidates they strap localities with the cost of the process. At a time when localities are hard pressed for money, political parties that claim to be fiscally responsible should not be forcing localities to shell out large amounts of money for them to choose a candidate. Primaries are not the only way for political parties to select a nominee in Virginia. Virginia political need to stop forcing local government to subsidize their operations. Thankfully Mark Obenshain is bringing up this issue this year in the General Assembly. In a recent e-mail Obenshain introduced his idea.

Ending Subsidies to Political Parties

Virginia is in a somewhat unique situation: we don’t allow voter registration by political party, but we still pay for party primaries. And the truth is, we pay through the nose, sometimes as much as $20 per voter.

There are perfectly good alternatives. Parties often choose to nominate via convention or party canvass, or through a “firehouse primary,” in which a limited number of polling places are opened in each locality, usually for fewer hours than in a government-run election. All of these methods are common, all are relatively affordable – and all are paid for by the political parties themselves.

If a political party wants a conventional primary, fine – but they can pay for it. Our localities are burdened enough as it is. If a party cannot or will not put up that much money, they can always go with a cheaper option. Our localities can ill afford it – and under my proposal, they wouldn’t have to.

It is highly doubtful this legislation will pass. Both parties have a vested interest in keeping the system as it is. However, Maybe legislators will do the right thing, help localities, and do the right thing. No matter what this is an important issue that needs to be raised.

Most Important Goal for 2011

Recently, a lot of the political discussion in Virginia has focussed on the 2012 Senate race. While this is an important race, it can not be the focus of Virginia conservatives this year. We have to be focussed like a laser on putting a conservative majority in the state senate. The state senate is the one body with a general election this year that the Democrats still control. If we are going to bring conservative reform to this state, we need to take the Democrats out of power in the state senate. However, as the Republicans showed the last time they controlled the state senate, just having a Republican majority is not enough. It has to be a conservative majority. We need enough conservative senators to elect a conservative majority, block tax increases from passing through that chamber, and enough votes to pass true reform legislation.

This year we will be endorsing state senate candidates who are committed to opposing all tax increases, and put a pro-life majority leader in charge of the state senate who will put a pro-life chairman in charge of the Health and Education Committee. If you know of incumbent state senators, or candidates for state senate who meet those criterion, please comment and let the blog know about them so we can promote them this year.

A Look Back on Last Year

With the dawn of 2011, it is a good time to look back on the last year. Countless blogs and political sites have recounted the biggest stories of the last year, and made predictions for 2011. I thought it would be interesting to see what stories from this site you thought were most important. The following is a list of the 5 most visited articles on this site from the past year.

1. Greg Habeeb for 6th District GOP Committee Chairman, Bill Stanley for 5th District GOP Committee Chairman; Ironically both of these men are running in special elections next Tuesday. They are both running strong campaigns, and will be fine replacements for Morgan Griffith and Robert Hurt.

2. How will the Student Loan provisions affect me? Part II; In many ways this speaks to the biggest story in VA politics of the year. D.C. passed a healthcare bill full of unknown and dangerous provisions, and Virginians have lead the way in fighting it.

3. Why Joshua Solovskoy resigned as Michael McPadden's Campaign Manager; This was one more story of the mess that was conservatives shooting themselves in the foot in the 5th District nomination fight. Hopefully we have learned our lesson and can avoid such destructive infighting in future nomination contests.

4. Virginians Should Vote NO on the Constitutional Amendments; If an organized campaign had formed at least one of these could have been beat...

5. Trixie Averill Supports Undermining the Republican Party; For an article written very late in the year, it definitely got a lot of traffic fast. It also shows one of the things this blog is committed to: holding Republicans, and especially party leaders accountable.

Let's work together this year and put a conservative majority in the state senate this year. While there is a lot of talk about the 2012 Senate race right now, the state senate elections are the only general election this year, and winning them is critical to continuing the momentum heading into 2012.

Tied for 6th Highest Ranked VA Conservative Blog

Following the closing of BNN, Tom White at Virginia Right has stepped up and created an aggregator for the Virginia blogosphere, Old Dominion Blogs. Over the weekend he created a ranking system for the different blogs in the VA blogosphere. To my pleasant surprise, VA Social Conservative tied for 9th overall, and 6th in the list of conservative blogs. Thank you all for your readership, and support over the last two years. I look forward to seeing what the next two years brings in VA politics.