The Times They Are A-Changin' in Virginia

John Warner has announced he will retire after 30 years in the U.S. Senate. Most likely, Mark Warner will run for U.S. Senate and win, giving Virginia two - count 'em TWO! - Democratic U.S. Senators. Assuming Mark Warner is elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008, it will mark a string of Democratic victories in Virginia that truly represents a sea change. Beginning with Mark Warner in 2001, followed by Tim Kaine (and almost Leslie Byrne and Creigh Deeds) in 2005, plus Jim Webb in 2006, the times they are a-changin' in Virginia. And speaking of change, Frank Wolf has been in the House (27 years) for nearly as long as John Warner has been in the Senate (28 years). Just sayin'...

Comment, Congressman?

I wonder if Congressman Wolf has any comment on the latest scandal involving Jill Holtzman Vogel, the right-wing Republican running against Democrat Karen Schultz in the 27th State Senate District to replace Russ Potts. The reason I ask is that Wolf has been highly supportive of Holtzman Vogel, as he has been of Patricia "Dick Black Cat-Woman" Phillips and other far-right-wing Republicans. One question I'd like to ask Congressman Wolf, if he'd ever agree to meet with anyone who doesn't give him wads of money, is how his professed "moderation" gibes with the right-wing extremism and the scandalous behavior of the people he endorses.

Second Time's the Charm?

In June 2007, former Congressman Martin Frost wrote a column entitled, "Try Again." Frost writes:

The recent news that my friend Judy Feder was going to run again for Congress against Republican incumbent Frank Wolf, R-Va., in northern Virginia points out that perseverance is one of the most important qualities for anyone who aspires to public office.

To be elected, you have to be a risk-taker and you have to be willing to lose an early race. There is no guarantee Judy will win this second race but she is following in the footsteps of some very interesting people.

Frost then lists a number of races where the challenger lost the first time, then won on the second or third try. For instance:

*Martin Frost himself lost his first election for Congress in 1974, then won in 1978 on his second try.

*"Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) lost races for Congress in 1974 and 1976 before he was finally elected in 1978."

*"Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) badly lost a race for Congress from Chicago in 2000 against the Democratic incumbent, Bobby Rush (D-Ill.). Obama then went on to be elected to the Senate in 2004."

*"Four current freshman Democrats -- Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.), Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) — lost races for Congress in 2004 and came back to defeat the same Republican incumbent in 2006."

It goes on and on, but I really like this one:

*"In 1978, the year I first was elected to Congress, a young man in West Texas, George W. Bush, lost a race for Congress. He later was elected governor and president."

Can Judy Feder win this time around? As Martin Frost says:

The mental toughness and drive needed to make a second race after you lose are no small matters. The successful candidates often are the ones who posses these qualities.

Anyone who knows Judy Feder knows she has that mental toughness. Anyone who writes her off as a "loser" simply doesn't know Judy -- or the history of American politics. It's often the case that the "second time's the charm." This is going to be one of those cases.

Why Won't Wolf Talk About the Tunnel?

Back in February, Frank Wolf avoided a rally for supporters of a Metro tunnel through Tysons. Jim Moran was there. Chap Petersen was there. Tim Kaine called in. Heck, even Tom Davis and Jeannemarie Devolites Davis were there. But, oddly, there was no sign of Frank Wolf, just an explanation from Jim Moran that Wolf wasn't there because he was "afraid that all his work [on Metro to Dulles] could come to naught." And all that work would be...what, exactly? According to the Washington Post, the entire project is on the verge of going down the tubes, as cost estimates have soared and as there have been "new hurdles, new objections, every step of the way."

Anyyway, you'd think that if Frank Wolf cared so much about Metro to Dulles, he would show up at a rally with 500 people who strongly support the project -- with a tunnel, of course. Yet, when I asked Tom Davis whether he thought Jim Webb was going to get involved in the issue, Davis snarled, "single-issue Senator." I wonder if Tom Davis would also snarl at Frank Wolf, who refuses to meet with his constituents, the vast majority of whom want a tunnel through Tysons.

Meanwhile, what I hear coming out of the Tysons Tunnel emergency summit meeting held on Capitol Hill August 2 is that Frank Wolf remains opposed to a tunnel, and fully prepared to move forward with the no-bid, single-source contract for "Big Dig" Bechtel to build an "aerial route" through Tysons. The question is, why? What reason could Frank Wolf have for opposing what the overwhelming majority of his constituents want? What reason could he have for opposing open, competitive bidding on this multi-billion-dollar project? What, in other words, does Frank Wolf know that we don't know? It would be great if we could ask him that question except for one problem: Wolf won't meet with anyone who disagrees with him. Convenient, eh?

Frank Wolf Blows Off 80 Constitutents

According to the Potomac News:

Even though Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10th, declined the invitation, about 80 people gathered in Manassas with the intention of sending the congressman a message.

They said they wanted him to support a plan that would remove U.S. troops from Iraq.

"We hand-delivered a request, we faxed two requests, we had an Iraq veteran deliver a reminder of this meeting, but clearly, Wolf is refusing to explain his reasons to you," said E.J. Scott, moderator of the event sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, a coalition of 12 entities from across the country.

That's right, Frank Wolf won't meet with his constituents on one of the most important issues of our day (Iraq). He won't even explain his reasons for not meeting with them. The arrogance is incredible.

Will Frank Wolf Demand that Rush Limbaugh Apologize?

Frank Wolf has been very active on the issue of stopping genocide in Darfur, Sudan. That's certainly a good thing. Or is it? According to Rush Limbaugh, speaking on his August 21 show:

Democrats "want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur," Limbaugh said.

He continued: "There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur? It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble."

A caller responded, "The black population," to which Limbaugh said, "Right."

...So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela -- who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing.

Rush Limbaugh is disgusting, no doubt about it. The question is, will Republicans -- including Frank Wolf, for whom Darfur is a major issue -- condemn his remarks? Or, will they remain silent just as they did when Virgil Goode insulted Muslim Americans? And if Republicans like Frank Wolf remain silent, does that mean they condone such sentiments? What's so hard about condemning racism and anti-Muslim bigotry, anyway? Maybe Frank Wolf can explain.

P.S. If Wolf wants to sign a petition demanding that Limbaugh apologize, he can click here.

Warner's Comments Highlight Wolf's Refusal to Listen to Virginians on Iraq

McLean, VA –Senator John Warner's recommendation that the US begin withdrawing troops from Iraq highlights the fact that 27-year incumbent Rep. Frank Wolf is out of touch with Virginia voters.

"Perhaps Senator Warner is hearing the same thing from Virginians that I'm hearing—it's time to bring our troops home. Like President Bush, Frank Wolf only discusses the war at Republican Party events while refusing to meet with the ordinary Virginians he is supposed to represent. Voters are wondering whether Frank Wolf is more interested in playing politics with the war than in bringing it to an end."

Rep. Wolf has been wedded to backing the Bush policy on Iraq, from the initial war, through the surge and at every major step in between. He has refused to attend a non-partisan town hall meeting on August 28, in Manassas to listen to his constituents’ views on Iraq.

Feder, who made ending the war a focus of her 2006 campaign to unseat Frank Wolf, added, "Virginians, like most Americans, believe the President's leadership has failed, and Congress must provide the leadership to bring our troops home. The President cannot be relied upon to initiate a withdrawal when Mr. Bush has already made it clear he will leave troops in Iraq until he leaves office," said Feder.

Feder has been traveling Virginia's 10th District listening to voters about Iraq. A video on her website, www.JudyFeder.com, features some of these conversations and has garnered national attention.

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Frank Wolf and the "Monster" Power Line

This is an excellent letter from Jerry Boyles in Boyce, Virginia. Here's part of it:

After attending three public hearings on the proposed power line held last week at James Wood High School, I am left with two conclusions.

1. Too few citizens appreciate the potential impact that this 500KV line will have.
2. This situation didn't just fall off the turnip truck at our doorstep.

To understand where it all started, you have to go back two years. In July 2005 Congress passed House Bill HR6. This energy bill has more pork in it than a Jimmy Dean plant, but it touted its purpose as a way to "promote conservation and minimize the environmental impact of energy production". Noble objectives, indeed. So noble it was that both Sen. John Warner and Congressman Frank Wolf voted for it. But, as they say, the devil is in the details. Two things that HR6 did was to create authority at the federal level to define corridors for electrical transmission, and to provide federal power of eminent domain superceding local authority.

Contrary to Dominion Electric's position that this monster of a transmission line is mandatory, the solution to power demands on the eastern seaboard is not a single answer question...

[...]

It is time for our elected officials to acknowledge the monster that HR6 has created and actively work to hold Dominion Electric, and the associated transmission companies, accountable to protect this historic region of the country.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Frank Wolf to "old Dominion Electric, and the associated transmission companies, accountable."

Feder Says Wolf is "Aiding and Abetting" Bush

Here are some great quotes, one from Judy Feder and the other from John Bruhns, legislative representative for the coalition group, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Both spoke to the Fairfax County Times after an anti-war rally on August 16.

First, Judy Feder:

"People in this district want change, and we can see here today that the war is at the top of the list," Feder said. "Frank Wolf is aiding and abetting George Bush's failed policies. We need someone to represent this district who will stand up and end the war."

Next, John Bruhns, who "lay the fault of the 10th District's financial priorities squarely at Wolf's feet."

"Frank Wolf has enabled George W. Bush to break the back of our military by continually supporting his reckless war policy in Iraq," Bruhns told The Times.

"George W. Bush isn't running in 2008, but Frank Wolf is - and if he thinks we are going anywhere, he has another thing coming. We are just warming up and we are just getting started."

That pretty much says it all about Frank Wolf. Man, is it ever time for a change in the 10th District!

Feder Iraq War Video Hits National Blog

Judy Feder's Iraq War "person on the street" video hits a national blog. Great stuff. Now, if Feder could only get Frank Wolf on camera about Iraq! Heh.