Wolf Votes Against Tax Relief for Struggling Homeowners, Protects Us Against Italian Rail Cars!

From the Winchester Star:

On Wednesday, Mr. Wolf voted against H.R. 3221 (The American Housing Rescue & Foreclosure Prevention Act), which, among other things, included a a real property tax deduction for homeowners who do not itemize their federal income taxes.

By the way, this bill passed overwhelmingly (272-152) and was promptly signed into law by President Bush. Wonderful, the one time Wolf disagrees with George W. Bush, it's to go to Bush's political "right" - opposing tax relief to struggling homeowners. That's just great.

So, WHY did Frank Wolf vote against this bill? Check out THIS crazy explanation!

Dan Scandling, Mr. Wolf’s campaign chief, was quick to respond. Of that tax relief provision, Mr. Scandling said that if such a deduction had appeared as “stand-alone” legislation, Mr. Wolf would have voted for it in a heartbeat. But, as the measure in which it was embedded was essentially a “bailout bill” putting the taxpayer on the hook for $25 billion, the veteran congressman could not support it, Mr. Scandling said. What’s more, he added, the bill also contained a subsidy for foreign companies to build rail cars outside the United States, another provision Mr. Wolf could not favor.

What?!? Is this a joke? But no, it's serious. Believe it or not, Frank Wolf actually voted against crucial tax relief for struggling American homeowners because it had a provision for a Canadian rail car company to build a facility in Alabama. True, that's MUCH more important than helping homeowners in trouble. (ha)

By the way, since when did this free trader, Frank Wolf, become a protectionist? Hasn't he argued for years that free trade is good for our economy? And haven't we been buying Metrorail cars from other countries for years? So....since when did THIS become a big issue for Frank Wolf? Only when he wants to use it as an excuse to vote against tax relief for homeowners stuck in the middle of one of the worst housing crises this country's seen in decades (not to mention an economy teetering on the edge of recession)? What a hypocrite.

Yeah, you've got to hand it to Frank Wolf, he's sure got his priorities straight -- keep those foreign Metrorail cars, the ones we've been buying for decades now, out of the country, even if it means Americans losing their homes. Obviously, the Metro car represent a threat to all we hold dear (like our homes, perhaps?). Or something.

Here's a suggestion: call Frank Wolf at (202) 225-5136 and ask him why he voted against a bill that was supported overwhelmingly, even by President Bush who signed it into law. While you're on the phone, you might also want to ask him why he won't tell his constitutents - who have been deluging his office with faxes and phone calls - what his position is on a timetable for getting out of Iraq. Who know, maybe they'll tell you it has something to do with foreign Metrorail cars? Ha. :)

Paul Begala: July Deadline Coming Up!

From Paul Begala - who spoke strongly for Judy Feder the other day in McLean - let's help the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee elect great Democrats like Judy!

Hard as it is to believe, there's less than 100 days until Election Day. And, in a political campaign as intense as this one, 100 days will disappear faster than Karl Rove did when he was subpoenaed to testify before Congress.

But before we even start the 100-day countdown, there's another big deadline charging at us even faster than that - in just 48 hours.

July 31st marks the final FEC filing deadline before Barack Obama accepts the Presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. It is so important to show our strength to the media before this deadline passes.

Oh, and speaking of the Democratic National Convention, if you give in the next 48 hours, you'll have one more chance to be there and see it all happen in person.

Contribute $15, $25, or more to the DCCC's 100-Day Voter Action Fund in the next 48 hours and win a chance to attend the Democratic National Convention. The more times you contribute, the more times you'll be entered to win.

In the last 100 days, mobilizing voters is the name of the game. That means putting boots on the ground, dialing phones, whatever it takes to get every voter to the polls.

With less than 100 days to go, the DCCC has kicked their mobilization plans into overdrive. They need make sure that all of our great House candidates can take their messages of change to every voter in their districts. But they need your help to make it all happen in the final 100 days.

Contribute $15, $25, or more to the DCCC's 100-Day Voter Action Fund in the next 48 hours and win a chance to attend the Democratic National Convention (August 25-29). The more times you contribute, the more times you'll be entered to win.

The critical July 31st deadline will pass in just 48 hours and we're still $99,000 away from our goal. Put us over the top and win a chance to be in Denver to watch Barack Obama give an acceptance speech for the ages live in front of 75,000 people in one of the greatest moments in time.

We're down to the wire.



Paul Begala

P.S. Every dime you send will help Democratic House candidates reach more voters with their messages of change in the final 100 days. Help us raise the final $99,000 before the July 31st FEC deadline passes at midnight this Thursday and win a front-row seat to history. Contribute to the DCCC's 100-Day Voter Action Fund today.

More Evidence That 2008 Is Not a Republican Year

Even before today's latest new, the national GOP was facing an extremely difficult political climate this year, with surveys showing people favoring the Democratic Party by wide margins. In that context, this certainly doesn't help matters for our Republican friends:

US SEN TED STEVENS INDICTED ON 7 CRIMINAL COUNTS RELATED TO HIS HOLDING OF PUBLIC OFFICE - SOURCE

It's news like this that makes a lot of us Democrats optimistic about November. With any luck, and a lot of hard work over the next 98 days, we will take back the White House and gain a bunch of seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The plan here in the 10th CD is for one of those gains to be a superb woman (and nationally recognized expert on health care) named Judy Feder. Go Judy! :)

99 Days Until We All Say "Farewell Frank!"

We only have 99 days left to change our country.

This past weekend we marked 100 days from November 4th with grassroots canvasses across the district. From Herndon to McLean and Ashburn to Winchester, volunteers took the Obama-Warner-Feder message of change to thousands of doors.

We’re receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. With tens of thousands of doors knocked, canvass results show Judy running ahead of Wolf in both Fairfax and Loudoun counties!

Maybe that’s why the Wolf campaign has decided to go on the attack. In 2006, they ignored us until the very end. This year, they know change is on the way and they’re doing everything they can to hold back the tide.

Contribute today to help us fight back.

Just last week the Wolf campaign attacked Judy twice. First, for supporting a bi-partisan effort to provide tax relief for middle income homeowners. Then, they trotted out the tired GOP strategy of trying to link Democratic candidates to Speaker Pelosi.

That strategy was tried and failed, in special elections across the country over the past year. It didn’t even work in Denny Hastert’s old seat and with your help it’s not going to work in VA-10 either.

Make a contribution today.

Unable to go toe-to-toe on the issues, they’ve resorted to the politics of the past. Tired, old attacks that just aren’t going to work in 2008.

Last week, they had to turn off their fax machine after being overwhelmed with questions on whether Rep. Wolf stood with the Iraqi government, Senator Obama and the American people in favor of a timeline for withdrawal or if he instead favored Senator McCain's open ended commitment.

With the local press saying, "the 10th Congressional District rematch between former Democrat Judy Feder and Republican Rep. Frank Wolf could well be a nip-and-tuck affair,” it’s no wonder they’re scared.

Please make your contribution today to help us keep the momentum going.

Thank you for your support. With your help we’re going to change the direction of our country on November 4th.

Luke McFarland
Campaign Manager

$490 Billion Deficit, Brought to You By...The Republicans!

This just in from the Washington Post:

The federal budget deficit will surge to nearly $490 billion next fiscal year, a record dollar amount, driven by continuing war costs and an economic slowdown that is not likely to turn around fast, the White House will announce today.

After three successive years of decline, this year's deficit will jump dramatically as well, to over $410 billion, according to figures from the Office of Management and Budget. That is likely to scramble the plans of the next president, regardless of which candidate prevails. Either Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama will enter the White House in a tide of red ink.

Heckvua job, Bush Administration! But not to worry, according to John McSame's campaign:

McCain economic advisers this morning shrugged off the new deficit figures. Harvard University economist Martin Feldstein said the surge of red ink is tied to cyclical developments -- the economic stimulus checks and the slowing economy -- not permanent changes.

So, what does Frank Wolf have to do with all this? Well, the fact is that Frank Wolf has voted in lockstep for the Bush administration’s irresponsible budget polices that have turned a budget surplus into massive federal deficits and mountains of debt that our children and grandchildren will be forced to pay for.

Over the past 7 1/2 years, Frank Wolf has repeatedly voted for Republican budgets that have created the largest budget deficits in history and increased the federal debt from $5.8 trillion to more than $9 trillion!

During this period of unprecedented fiscal irresponsibility, Frank Wolf has been George W. Bush’s willing accomplice in creating more debt in the past six years than every single president in history… combined. Wolf has opposed responsible proposals to require increases in spending to be offset, and instead has voted to raid Social Security and Medicare.

If you want 2 more years of this, vote for Frank Wolf in November. If you think it's time for a change, vote for Judy Feder. Yes, it's that simple.

CQ Politics Moves VA-10 Out of "Safe Republican" Category

CQ Politics moves VA-10 out of "Safe Republican" category.

Virginia’s 10th (New Rating: Republican Favored. Previous Rating: Safe Republican). As she did in 2006, Democrat Judy Feder is raising large sums of money for her campaign against Republican Rep. Frank R. Wolf , who is the dean of the state’s U.S. House delegation. Because she lost that first race by 16 percentage points, CQ Politics resisted moving Virginia 10 out of safe Republican territory. Rematch campaigns rarely are successful, and many rematch-minded candidates do worse the second time around. But the likelihood of a strong Democratic year statewide — Mark Warner is a strong favorite to win a Senate seat and Obama is polling competitively against McCain — could create an environment in which Feder could run a more competitive campaign.

There's still a long way to go and lot of hard work to do, but this race is moving in the right direction. Go Judy!

P.S. For all of CQ's ratings, see here.

Wolf Tells People to Fax Him Their Questions, Then Turns Off Machines

Ha, first Frank Wolf's tells people to fax their questions (email would be a lot easier, why are they trying to make this so hard?) about Iraq to him. Reportedly, Wolf's offices then proceeded to turn off their fax machines everywhere but at their Capitol Hill office. Great stuff, eh? :)

From the Feder for Congress campaign:

Congressman Wolf's Office Flooded with Faxes from Constituents

Staff Refuses to Answer Questions on Iraq

McLean, VA—Yesterday Judy Feder, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia's 10th District, called on Representative Frank Wolf to clarify his position on a timeline for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

The Feder campaign was alerted yesterday that Congressman Wolf's office was refusing to answer questions about his position on the Iraq War, and demanding instead that constituents fax their request for information to his Washington, DC office.

"I just think it's outrageous that the Congressman's staff couldn't be bothered to answer questions about where he stands on the issues important to his district," said Feder. "The voters of the 10th District ought to be able to pick up a phone and get answers from their Congressman — especially a Congressman who is known for constituent services."

In a letter addressed to the Congressman and faxed to his office, Feder requested that Congressman Wolf answer the following questions:

1. Prime Minister Al-Maliki and the Iraqi government have expressed a desire for American troops to withdraw for Iraq by the end of 2010. Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. More specifically, do you support the 2010 timeline for withdrawal?

2. Do you support Senator McCain's open-ended commitment to the War in Iraq?

The Feder campaign also reached out to supporters in the 10th District to send faxes and emails to the Congressman's office asking that he clarify his position. As of early this afternoon, Congressman Wolf's office had received more than 100 faxes and emails from around the 10th district from voters requesting that he clarify his position on a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

"There's nothing on either the campaign website or his congressional website about where he stands on this issue," said Luke McFarland, Feder campaign manager. "If you look at his record over the last couple of years, it's almost impossible to figure out what his position is on a timetable for withdrawal. The voters deserve to know his position on Iraq. And they should be able to call his office and get an answer from his staff without having to jump through hoops."

The full text of the letter sent to Congressman Wolf's office is below:

The Honorable Frank Wolf

241 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Wolf:

As I am sure you are aware, over the weekend Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki spoke out in favor of Senator Obama's plan for a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Yesterday, senior Iraqi government officials again re-stated their support for troop withdrawal by the end of 2010:

The comments by spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh mark the second time in recent days that a senior Iraqi has endorsed a timetable for U.S. withdrawal that is roughly similar to the one advocated by Obama. Dabbagh suggested that a combat force pullout could be completed by the end of 2010, which would be about seven months longer than Obama's 16-month formulation. [Washington Post, Iraq Points to Pullout in 2010, July 22, 2008]

I am writing to you today because I have been unable to determine your position with respect to setting a timetable for withdrawal of American troops, or whether you support the position of your party's presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, who has called for an open-ended commitment in Iraq.

Early today we received word from several 10th district voters that they too have been unable to get an answer from your office with respect to your position on Iraq. Apparently your office requested that constituents fax their specific questions to your office on Capitol Hill. Based on the information we have received from your office, we are faxing a request for answers to the following questions:

1. Prime Minister Al-Maliki and the Iraqi government have expressed a desire for American troops to withdraw for Iraq by the end of 2010. Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. More specifically, do you support the 2010 timeline for withdrawal?

2. Do you support Senator McCain's open-ended commitment to the War in Iraq?

I am sure you agree that the voters of Virginia's 10th district deserve to know exactly where their elected officials and candidates for office stand with respect to the Iraq War. I look forward to your timely response.


Respectfully,

Judy Feder

So True. So Pathetic.

Courtesy of the Northern Virginia Republican blog Too Conservative, check out this comment by "NoVA Scout" in a diary by "Loudoun Insider" entitled, "Will RPV Give Up on NoVA?":

The folks who hijacked Republicanism in Virginia can’t deal with Northern Virginia because they have no ethic of providing the best possible governance product to all the citizens. Their ethic is to have a little society where they babble the same old platitudes to each other. To actually address the problems of the Commonwealth is simply too challenging, and not nearly as entertaining as having a little echo chamber that is of increasingly diminishing relevance to the real world up here. I don’t think they particularly mind losing at the polls so long as they can get together and control who the voters have to vote against.

This wouldn’t be a big problem if it weren’t so corrosive of democracy. Republicans discourage and drive away competent candidates. The public officials who are willing to take the time to actually solve real world issues are pilloried on ephemeral ideological grounds.

If it is true that RPV is collapsing into a ROVA-only strategy, it’s because the real world is too hard for them.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it all up right there. What more is there to say?

Feder Statement on the Iraqi Government's Support for a Timetable for Withdrawal

A strong statement by Judy Feder.

McLean, VA — The following is a statement from Judy Feder in response to the Iraq Government's support of a timetable for withdrawal:

"In the wake of statements from Prime Minister Al-Maliki it has become increasingly clear that Americans are uniting behind the Democratic plan to set a responsible timeline for redeploying our troops.

"Over the weekend, Prime Minister Al-Maliki spoke in favor of the Obama plan. Yesterday, Iraqi government officials reiterated their support for a timetable for withdrawal. A majority of Iraqis are eager for the war to draw to a close so that they can take responsibility for their own future.

"The American people understand that it is time to bring the troops home and allow the Iraqi people to move forward with a vision for a new sovereign Iraq. Those of us who are looking for a responsible end to the war should embrace the opportunity that has been created by the Iraqi government call for a timetable.

"While it is becoming increasingly clear that the American people and Iraqi leaders strongly support the Democratic plan to bring our troops home, the Republicans have refused to support a timetable for withdrawal.

"The choice is clear: the Republican position on Iraq is no longer acceptable, and Americans are uniting behind a responsible timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. It is time for the Republican Party and its leaders to listen to the American people."

So, Frank Wolf, are you still sticking with Johnny McSame and his 100-year plan for Iraq? In answering this question, you might want to keep in mind that your fearless leader, Dubya, has said about the Iraqis, "If they were to say, leave, we would leave." Uh, oh... :)

Paul Begala: Frank Wolf Called him a Soviet Spy!

Last night, Del. Margi Vanderhye hosted a fundraiser for Judy Feder. The special guest was legendary political strategist Paul Begala, who blasted Frank Wolf. Here are my notes from what Begala said last night:

According to Begala, Frank Wolf's "master narrative" is that he's a "moderate," but that's complete nonsense. Incredibly, back in the 1990s, Wolf suggested that Begala was a spy for the Soviet Union. Of course, there wasn't a Soviet Union anymore at that point (it collapsed in 1991, before Bill Clinton and Paul Begala appeared on Frank Wolf's wacky radar screen), and Begala wasn't a spy, but whatever...

Begala said that it's great Wolf's concerned with religious freedom in China, but here in America he gets a 100% rating from the "extremist," "divisive," "homophobic," "mysogynistic" Family Research Council. In short, Frank Wolf is no moderate ("It just ain't so"), and it's "preposterous" how he is viewed that way. To the contrary, Begala noted that Wolf votes close to 100% of the time with Bush, and that he certainly does NOT reflect the values of the 10th CD. In contrast, Judy Feder will reflect those values when she's sworn in next January!

Feder Getting Under Frank's Skin?

Based on this article, it sure looks like Judy Feder is getting under Frank Wolf's (thin) skin.

Speaking in an interview earlier this week, Wolf campaign manager Dan Scandling said the Feder campaign was "all bluff and no stuff," and was trying to draw a false connection between fundraising and votes.

"Dan Scandling's attacks against this campaign are nothing more than an attempt to deflect from our obvious strength," said Luke McFarland, Feder's campaign manager.

"I'm sure they would prefer that we didn't raise a penny and just went away quietly. That isn't going to happen," McFarland said.

"As for the merits of the statement, well, we just can't let that kind of blatant attack go unchallenged. So, we'll be happy to share some of our 'stuff,'" he said.

Feder's campaign has participated in 34 community meetings across the district and attended 23 parades, festivals and other events, he said.

They also have knocked on 14,917 doors and made 12,942 volunteer phone calls.

"We're one of the most competitive, well-funded challengers in the nation so it's hardly a surprise that the Wolf campaign would be feeling defensive and like they need to lash out," he said.

How many doors have you knocked on, Frank Wolf?

100 Days.

From the Democratic Party of Virginia:

100 days.

That's all the time we have to make history in Virginia. As of Saturday, we'll have just 100 days to turn Virginia blue for the first time since 1964, to elect Mark Warner to the Senate and to take back the majority of Virginia's Congressional delegation.

Saturday marks the beginning -- over the next 100 days, we will change the course of the country. But we can't make history in Virginia without your help.

That's why we need you and your friends to knock on 100 doors in your neighborhood this weekend for our "100 Days to History" canvass.

This Saturday and Sunday, volunteers across Virginia will hit the streets to talk to their neighbors about Barack Obama, Mark Warner and the Democratic candidates on behalf of Virginia Victory '08, the DPVA's Coordinated Campaign.

Sign up here to join our 100 Days to History canvass!

Plus, there's an extra bonus if you join our "100 for 100" program.

If you and your friends knock on 100 doors in your neighborhood this weekend, you will all get a limited edition Obama-Warner photo, personally signed by Gov. Warner. The average volunteer knocks about 25 doors, so you'll need two or three friends to make it happen.

So, why do we need you to get out of the air conditioning and knock on doors on a hot July weekend?

Because the Commonwealth of Virginia could make the difference between President Barack Obama and four more years of Bush-McCain policies. As Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne put it last week: "If the 2008 election is destined to break up a frozen electoral map, Virginia is one of the most likely venues for the great political thaw."

But this "thawing" doesn't happen by itself. To make history, we're going to need to out-work, out-organize and out-campaign the Republicans for the next 100 days.

We need you to start this weekend by joining our "100 Days to History" canvass.

For months, Virginia Democrats have been talking to voters where it matters most: face-to-face, on their doorstep. This weekend, that task becomes even more important, with only 100 days (15 weekends!) separating us from history.

Remember, the last time we turned Virginia blue, LBJ was President, gas cost 30 cents-per-gallon, and Ronald Reagan was just a movie actor. This year, with your help, we can win Virginia for the first time in 44 years.

There's still plenty of time this summer to enjoy the air conditioning or to fire up the barbecue. But right now, we need your help to make history.

Sign up here to join our "100 Days to History" canvass this weekend.

Thank you for all of your help,

Levar Stoney

No Wonder Why Frank Wolf is Worried!

That's right, of the 20 campaigns nationwide on the DCCC's "Emerging Races" list, Judy Feder is second in both total money raised for the second quarter, and also "cash on hand." The only candidate ahead of Judy Feder is Michael Skelly, a partial self-funder in TX-7. Not bad...can we say "Farewell Frank?!?" :)

By the way, Republicans in the Fairfax's Dranesville district are so worried that they've sent a letter to their own members begging them not to defect to Barack Obama, Mark Warner and Judy Feder. Funny stuff, if you need a good laugh, here's a link. Enjoy!

Feder-Wolf a "nip-and-tuck affair?"

With money numbers showing Judy Feder and Frank Wolf nearly neck and neck, NVDaily.com reports:

Voters don't go to the polls for nearly three months, but if financial reports are any indication, the 10th Congressional District rematch between former Democrat Judy Feder and Republican Rep. Frank Wolf could well be a nip-and-tuck affair.

[...]

Feder, a former dean of Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, is running in a virtual financial dead heat with Wolf, a 14-term incumbent.

Wolf raised the most during the second quarter of 2008, logging just over $201,000 in contributions. But Feder was close on his heels, taking in just over $200,000.

As Feder campaign manager Luke McFarland says, "Anyone who thinks this is just going to be a replay of 2006 is kidding themselves...We're raising more money, we've got a much stronger base of support and this district is ready for change in 2008."

So there you have it. As much as the Wolf team and its allies want to diminish the serious challenged posed by Judy Feder to Wolf's multi-decade tenure in Congress, this year could mark the end of Wolf's "moderate Republican" charade and his replacement with someone who will actually be in touch with the rapidly changing 10th congressional district. But, as the NVDaily.com article points out, this race is going to be "nip-and-tuck," so if you want change in the 10th, please help Judy by contributing to her campaign, by making calls, or by volunteering in any other way. Thanks, and go Judy!

Swing State Project on Judy Feder's Fundraising

Courtesy of Swing State Project:

There is a lot of great news for Democrats here, but in particular, the numbers for Jim Himes (CT-04), Ashwin Madia (MN-03), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Darcy Burner (WA-08), Raul Martinez (FL-21) and Joe Garcia (FL-25) are absolutely stunning. In some races that are still under the radar, Democrats posted solid numbers, including Scott Harper (IL-13), Nick Leibham (CA-50), Sharen Neuhardt (OH-07), Jim Esch (NE-02), Dennis Shulman (NJ-05), Sam Bennett (PA-15), and Judy Feder (VA-10).

To date, Judy Feder has raised $1.2 million, almost equal to Frank Wolf's $1.4 million. In terms of "cash on hand," the two candidates are about even as well, with Wolf at $849,000 and Feder at $812,000. And remember, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) had $47.1 million in the bank at the end of May, while the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) had just $6.65 million. This should be a fun fall...if you're a Democrat, that is! :)

Where Does Frank Wolf Stand on the "Whiners" Comment?

The Democratic Party of Virginia is calling on Attorney General Bob McDonnell to "renounce the support of top campaign donor Phil Gramm, who believes America is 'a nation of whiners.'" What does Frank Wolf think of his John McCain's top economic advisor?

Democrats call on McDonnell to renounce Gramm
Top McDonnell donor believes America is "a nation of whiners"

RICHMOND - The Democratic Party of Virginia called on Bob McDonnell on Tuesday to renounce the support of top campaign donor Phil Gramm, who believes America is "a nation of whiners."

"Virginians have a right to know whether Bob McDonnell thinks we're all just whiners," said Democratic Party of Virginia executive director Levar Stoney. "We think it's time for Bob McDonnell to clean his hands of this matter. McDonnell needs to tell Virginians if he stands with this top donor or if he stands with them."

Gramm, a top economic advisor to Sen. John McCain, made headlines last week when he said that the country is in a "mental recession" and that we were a "nation of whiners." He declared the current economic recession only in our minds one day after the average gas prices in Virginia crossed $4 a gallon.

Gramm is a top-15 donor and close acquaintance of Bob McDonnell. The Former Senator gave $50,000 to McDonnell's campaign for Attorney General and another $5,000 last July. [VPAP.org]

During his time in the Senate, Gramm authored the so-called "Enron Loophole," which allowed oil speculators to drive up the price of gas. As recently as 2006, Gramm was lobbying against the loophole's closure. [MSNBC, 6/18/08]

McDonnell's latest campaign finance reports will be released this week.

"Phil Gramm gave us $4 a gallon gas, and now he says we're in a mental recession?" Stoney said. "I would hope that Attorney General McDonnell will have the sense to distance himself from Mr. Gramm."

Frank Wolf Ignores Traffic Problems

In the inevitable consequence of the failure of Assembly Republicans to allow Virginia to do anything about the commonwealth's transportation funding deficit, a large number of Loudoun traffic projects have been placed in limbo. After VDOT announced a 44% drop in transportation funding for Loudoun back in April, the Board of Supervisors were forced to look at what projects would be affected. On Friday, we found out.

County officials have been forced to scale back their six-year road building plan to reflect a 44 percent drop in projected state transportation spending. For Loudoun, the decrease in projected state funding totals more than $16 million for the six-year period.

The revised plan, if approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors, will reduce funding for improvements to Belmont Ridge Road, Route 287 and the South King Street Trail, as well as engineering and surveying countywide. Funding will be eliminated for construction on Edwards Ferry Road, Waxpool Road and Creamer Lane and for preliminary engineering for improvements to Lincoln Road. - LoudounExtra

Meanwhile, our Representative in Congress has been hunkered down and hoping the voters of the 10th District won't notice that he has done absolutely nothing to help solve our transportation funding problems. Perhaps Frank Wolf could have used some of his vaunted experience and influence to help the roads funding problems in his district? That may be asking too much, though. After all, he was completely out of the loop on the problems with funding for rail to Reston, so that experience and influence is worth less than a hill of beans these days.

The failure of Republicans in the House of Delegates to join a solution on roads money in Virginia puts all the Federal money for metro to Dulles at risk once again. One might expect Frank Wolf, as the most senior Virginia Republican in the House of Representatives, to take an interest in activities in Richmond that put a Federal project of such concern to his constituents at risk. After all, he has no problem sticking his nose in Richmond's business when it suits his political purposes. We might have expected Frank Wolf to use his influence with his own party in Richmond to help fix the roads funding problems in his district and put funding for rail to Dulles on a more secure footing. We might have expected that, but we would have been disappointed.

This year, Congressman Wolf seems to be too busy trying to raise rel-election money and echoing The Executive to bother with the signature Federal project in his district. Apparently, a quixotic quest to deal with tolls on 267 is more important than fixing the real road and rail funding crisis in his Commonwealth. Frank Wolf is hoping the voters won't notice his abandonment of their interests on this issue.

Too bad we've noticed and will hold Frank Wolf, and Republicans in the Assembly, accountable. Judy Feder will do a much better job of managing our Federal interests in Congress than Frank Wolf's ignore-and-dodge antics. Go Judy!

Hillary Clinton: Republicans Should Apologize to Country

This speech rocks. See 5:45-7:10 in particular for some serious fireworks, including her line, "the Republicans should hold a press conference tomorrow and apologize to the country and say they're just not going to run anybody for president this time." Maybe Frank Wolf will participate in that press conference with the rest of his party? Just a thought.

Tom McCain Advisor Says Econ. Problems are Just "Mental"

I wonder if Frank Wolf agrees with this analysis.

"Yes Virginia, Wolf May Have Another Race"

From today's National Journal House Race Hotline report:

VIRGINIA 10 (R/LOUDOUN COUNTY -- WOLF)

Yes Virginia, Wolf May Have Another Race

Thu. Jul 10, 2008

'06 nominee/Georgetown Dean Judy Feder (D) announced "her strongest fundraising" qtr, raising "approximately" $320K. She has $812K CoH (release, 7/9).

John McCain: Social Security is an "Absolute Disgrace?"

Does Frank Wolf agree with his party's nominee about Social Security or not?

Feder Continues to Rake in the $$$

Excellent news from the Feder campaign!

FEDER PICKS UP MOMENTUM WITH STRONGEST FUNDRAISING PERFORMANCE OF THE CYCLE

VA-10 UPGRADED BY COOK REPORT

(McLean, VA)—Coming off the news that the Democratic Campaign Congressional Committee named Congressional Candidate Judy Feder (VA-10) to its “Emerging Races” program. Today the campaign announced her strongest fundraising quarter of the 2008 election cycle. The Cook Political Report has also added the race in Virginia’s 10th district to its list of competitive races nationwide.

“Voters in Virginia’s 10th congressional district want change.” said Feder. “It’s what I hear all over the district when I talk with the voters. They’ve been represented by the status quo in Washington for more than a quarter century and it just isn’t enough anymore. The voters want something different.”

The Feder campaign reported raising approximately $320,000 for the quarter ending June 30th, and has more than $812,000 cash on hand. So far this cycle, more than 1,000 Virginians have contributed to Feder’s efforts to unseat Congressman Frank Wolf in November.

The fundraising numbers from the 3rd quarter demonstrate the growing grassroots appeal of Judy’s message. Feder has already raised nearly twice as much money as she had as of the July 15th, report in 2006 when she gave Frank Wolf his closest race in 24 years.

“Anyone who thinks this is just going to be a replay of 2006 is kidding themselves,” said Feder campaign manager Luke McFarland. “We’re raising more money, we’ve got a much stronger base of support and this district is ready for change in 2008. We’re on the move towards victory in November.”

Feder, a nationally recognized healthcare expert and former Dean of the Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute, was recently ranked by Congressional Quarterly as the 7th best-funded Congressional challenger in the country, having already raised over $1.2 million dollars.

And just to reiterate the quote by Feder campaign manager Luke McFarland: "Anyone who thinks this is just going to be a replay of 2006 is kidding themselves." Exactly.

Virginia GOP Would Rather Commit Suicide Than Compromise?

That's the conclusion, as far as I can tell, of today's Washington Post article on the "last-ditch effort at finding a solution to fund transportation projects" that resumes today in Richmond.

Since 2000, political analysts and Democratic strategists say, there has been a direct correlation between the worsening traffic in Northern Virginia, the debate over what to do about it in Richmond and the decline of the GOP in that part of the state.

"If you look at the gains Democrats have made in Northern Virginia . . . there is a lot of stuff in that powder keg, but transportation is what lit the fuse," said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald. E. Connolly, the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 11th District. "It is the premier symbol of everything that is wrong with the Republican power structure."

That analysis seems dead-on to me. As does the following by Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech:

"Suburban voters in Washington already fit the demographic Republicans are having trouble with nationally: ethnically diverse, and whites with advanced degrees," Lang said. "You throw in some local issues like traffic that also bother people, and it is a fairly explosive dynamic."

The end result of the Republicans' "my way or NO highway" attitude? Not good - even suicidal - if you're a Republican, certainly if you're a northern Virginia Republican. In fact, former Republican delegate Vincent F. Callahan of Fairfax expects "the GOP to become the minority party in Virginia within six years."

How about this; let's cut that to two years or four at most, elect a Democrat to the governor's mansion (and to the LG and AG slots) in 2009, and get this state moving again? Alternatively, we can stay with the "from my cold dead hands," extreme ideological/non-pragmatic school (NO TAXES EVER!!!!) of government honed to an art form by the likes of Republicans Kirkland Cox, Morgan Griffith, Bill Howell, and Jeff Frederick. We've seen how THAT has worked out; enjoy your gridlock, in other words! Man, is it ever time for a change. Farewell Frank! Go Judy! :)

Fundraising Call Nights at FCDC HQ

Courtesy of MyBarackObama.com, here's a chance for you to help Judy Feder, Barack Obama and other Democrats on the ballot this year:

Lee District has two fundraising call nights at FCDC HQ (Fairfax County Democratic Committee Headquarters). Funds raised will help all our efforts this year to elect/re-elect our Democrats: White House (Obama), Senate (Mark Warner) and Congress (Jim Moran, Judy Feder, Gerry Connolly)! Please help by signing up today to help our efforts on behalf of FCDC. Contact Lee District Democratic Committee co-chair: Hugh Robertson 703.924.1433 HughRbrtsn@aol.com

More Photos from the Fourth

Thanks to David for these:

Feder on the Fourth of July

Judy Feder was busy this Fourth of July, marching in the Great Falls and Leesburg parades, partying at the CLC picnic and the "Celebrate America" event in Manassas with future U.S. Senator Mark Warner, and attending Herndon's Independence Day celebration. Here are some photos from Judy Feder's Fourth of July.

Cook Political Report Downgrades Wolf

Obviously, there's still a long way to go, but it's great to see a respected publication like the Cook Political Report downgrading Frank Wolf from "Solid R" to "Likely R." Next stop, "Lean Republican?" Followed by "Republican Toss-Up?"

Maybe, but to accomplish that, we're all going to have to work really hard for Judy Feder, spread the word about how much better a representative in Congress than Frank Wolf she'd make, help her with the resources she needs to compete, etc. If we all do that, perhaps we can get this race to "toss up" by the fall.

P.S. By the way, overall Cook lists 68 Republicans in competitive or potentially competitive House races, compared to just 33 Democrats. Just looking at "lean" or "tossup" seats puts 33 Republicans in potential jeopardy compared to 19 Democrats.

Barack Obama on the Bush-McCain Job Loss Economy

As Barack Obama says, "Senator McCain has fully embraced the Bush economic agenda." Sadly, so has Frank Wolf. Just keep that in mind when you're considering your vote this November; the bottom line is that if you like the way things are going with the economy, you should vote to reelect Frank Wolf. If not, you should vote to replace him. It's that simple. Go Judy Feder!

As we head into the 4th of July weekend, today's report that our economy has lost another 62,000 jobs is a stark reminder that far too many Americans will spend this holiday out of work and struggling to provide for their families because of the failed policies of the last eight years.

Our economy has now shed 438,000 jobs over the past six months, while workers' wages fail to keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of gas, groceries and healthcare. The American people are paying the price for the failed economic policies of the past eight years, and we can't afford four more years of more of the same. That is the essential issue of this campaign because Senator McCain has fully embraced the Bush economic agenda. I believe it has to change.

But, as these numbers demonstrate, the American people can't wait another six months. We need action now.

That's why I'm calling on Congress and the President to enact real, immediate relief with energy rebates for working families this summer, a fund to help families avoid foreclosure, extended benefits for the long-term jobless, and assistance to states that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn.

As President, I'll move us in a new direction with policies to restore broad-based, bottom up growth that benefits all Americans. I will provide working families with a middle-class tax cut; fight for affordable health care and college tuition; work to help raise workers' wages, and invest in infrastructure, education and a clean energy future to create millions of new jobs. That's the change the American people need.

Meet Frank Wolf's Party

From the DPVA:

Meet the New Republican Party of Virginia: Now Even More Extreme

Frederick's recent hiring decisions show right-wing takeover of RPV

RICHMOND -- It's been a month since Del. Jeff Frederick's election to Chairman of the Virginia GOP, and his moves since have quickly lived up to what pundits like Larry Sabato have called the party's "complete takeover by the far-right." [Southern Political Report, 6/8/08]

Now that Frederick has nearly finished cleaning house and assembling his new staff, the RPV's hard right-wing swing is nearly complete. While the extremist GOP base may be happy, moderate Republicans have already sounded the alarm:

"I'm extremely distressed by the path [the party is] taking. It could end up being a minority debating society. We can't be a party about immigrant-bashing or gay-bashing or any other bashing. We should be a party of fiscal responsibility, which is how I got into it." - former Del. Vince Callahan [Washington Post, 6/10/08]

"Where the party's going, I make no apologies for supporting Mark Warner." - former Sen. John Chichester [Washington Post, 6/10/08]

Based on Frederick's record, moderates hoping for a seat at the table should look elsewhere. As the Virginian Pilot editorial board noted, Frederick is "an unlikely peacemaker," given his record of killing moderate Republican legislation and attacking Republican candidates in primaries. [Virginian-Pilot, 6/3/08]

Frederick's hiring decisions, announced in the last few weeks, show the party's turn toward the extreme right:

* Walter M. Curt, new Finance Committee Chairman -- Curt has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to right-wing GOP candidates over the past decade, much of it directed toward extremist primary challengers. The Washington Post noted that last year, "Curt and his company were the single biggest donor to Robert Sayre in his bid to unseat Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr. (R-Augusta) in the GOP primary," giving Sayre a total of $100,000.

According to VPAP, Curt has also funded primary challengers to Del. Joe May and former Senators Marty Williams and John Chichester, either through his own funds or those of his companies - Power Monitors Inc. and Shenandoah Electronic Intelligence.

More troubling, former Sen. Brandon Bell has claimed that Curt offered him $10,000 during his own primary challenge, but said that Curt "made it very clear that he wanted me to promise to vote a certain way on a potential measure that I might face once elected." "After the call," Bell added, "I did some checking and it was typical for Mr. Curt to make a large contribution but then demand it back later if a particular vote wasn't to his liking." [Brandon Bell, Roanoke Red Zone, 6/9/08]

* Allison Coccia, new RPV Executive Director -- Coccia cut her teeth on Republican politics in Pennsylvania, where she filed a lawsuit to oust a moderate primary challenger to former right-wing poster boy Sen. Rick Santorum. [Philadelphia Inquirer 3/14/06]

* Tom Bunnell, new RPV Campaign Director -- Bunnell most recently guided former Sen. Conrad Burns to defeat in the 2006 Montana U.S. Senate election. Previously, he served as the political director on Oliver North's 1994 U.S. Senate race, a campaign that is still mostly remembered for Sen. John Warner's protest endorsement of independent candidate Marshall Coleman. [Washington Times, 11/6/94]

* Gerry Scimeca, new RPV Communications Director -- Scimeca was the subject of a 1995 New York Times article that placed much of the blame for Virginia GOP House losses on his "lurid" and "garish" attack mailers. "Hard to believe one little machine could spew so much hate!" Scimeca bragged as he patted his computer. [New York Times, 11/12/95]

* Cleta Mitchell, new RPV legal counsel -- Mitchell, a frequent talking head on cable news shows, has a laundry list of ties to right-wing candidates and organizations. In 2005, she emceed a salute to disgraced Congressman Tom DeLay - an event even most House Republicans avoided - kicking off the evening by proclaiming, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a celebration of the vast-right wing conspiracy." [New York Times, 5/12/05; Washington Post, 5/13/05]

Mitchell's current clients include global-warming denier Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), noted family values proponent Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who believes gay teachers should be banned from public schools. [Mitchell biography]

With this crew in charge, it's no wonder that the Republican Party of Virginia is so out-of-touch with moderate Virginians.

So...will Frank Wolf be denouncing and rejecting his own party, maybe calling it a can of spoiled dog food as Tom Davis has done, anytime soon? Don't hold your breath.

Judy Feder on Olympics and Human Rights

I love this quote by Judy:

I believe that Mr. Wolf's concern for human rights is genuine and I applaud him for what he's done...I just wish he had a broader concept of human rights than he does and cared more about problems facing our families.

Exactly.