Brian Moran, APSCU’s Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel, will serve as interim President of the association.

Read more, click here.

1. Osama bin Laden brought to justice
   A Virginia-based Navy SEAL team succeeded in bringing terrorist leader Osama bin Laden to justice after a nearly decade-long manhunt. Leaders from all parties across the country praised President Obama and the men and women of our armed forces and intelligence community for their leadership in bringing bin Laden to justice. To read more about the Virginia fallout of this victory for our nation click here. To read DPVA Chairman Brian Moran’s statement on this successful mission click here. 
    
2. McAuliffe has his numbers straight on China-held debt, trade deficit
   PolitiFact Virginia recently fact-checked claims by Virginia businessman Terry McAuliffe on the amount of U.S. debt that China owns and our country’s trade deficit with that nation.  McAuliffe appeared on MSNBC to discuss Donald Trump’s distracting and ridiculous birther crusade, particularly in light of the difficulties many families are facing today. He stated that China holds $1.1 trillion in American debt and that our trade deficit is a quarter of a trillion dollars with China. PolitiFact rated those claims true. To read PolitiFact’s fact check of Terry McAuliffe’s MSNBC appearance click here. 
    
3. Cuccinelli continues to be the Crusader-in-Chief
   Ken Cuccinelli continues to find new ways to inject himself into the limelight of political controversies. His latest foray into the federal government’s fines against Virginia Tech following their handling of the tragic 2007 shooting drew criticism from the Roanoke Times editorial department as an example of “petulant grandstanding.” To read the full editorial click here. 
    
4. Allen continues to push 19^th century energy plan
   George Allen has decided to make energy a central feature of his campaign for the U.S Senate. However, instead of advancing a forward-thinking agenda to develop clean, abundant, renewable energy here in Virginia, Allen is pushing more coal and more oil. To read Allen’s latest missive about the need to continue further down the path of our addiction to fossil fuels and his resistance to creating clean energy jobs in Virginia click here.
    
5. McDonnell finally sticks it to Big Bird
   Governor Bob McDonnell finally got his symbolic victory over public-interest media yesterday, using a line item veto to cut $424,000 out of the budget that would have gone to public broadcasting. The General Assembly had already rebuffed McDonnell twice on this issue, but he overcame and proved that nothing is more important than cutting public goods that middle class families use. To read more abut McDonnell’s symbolic Tea Party pandering on public-interest media click here.

1. Supreme Court rejects Cuccinelli’s health care request
   The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Ken Cuccinelli’s request to expedite the Court’s consideration of his legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Cuccinelli will now take his personal political crusade through the regular appeals process, and Virginians will continue footing the bill. To read more about our litigious attorney general’s latest setback click here. To read DPVA Chairman Brian Moran’s statement on the cost of Cuccinelli’s ideological overreach click here. 
    
2. McAuliffe moves forward on renewable energy venture in Isle of Wight
   Virginia businessman Terry McAuliffe and his business partners moved forward last week with their plan to convert the shuttered Franklin Paper Mill to produce wood pellets used in Europe as renewable energy. If all goes well the partners expect to be up and creating jobs in the next 18-24 months. To read more about Terry McAuliffe’s business venture in Franklin County click here.
    
3. Republicans gripe about McDonnell’s political redistricting veto
   Republicans in the House of Delegates are not happy with Governor Bob McDonnell’s decision to veto legislative redistricting plans, which passed both chambers earlier this month. More than a dozen leaders voice their displeasure to the Washington Post. To read more about meddling McDonnell running afoul of Republicans yet again, click here.
    
4. House and Senate square off on congressional redistricting
   As they continue to work on the state legislative redistricting plans, Democrats in the state Senate and Republicans in the House of Delegates are also preparing for battle on the future of the congressional map. Senate Democrats offered a plan which includes a second minority influence district, while Republicans insist that the plan should ‘reflect the results of the last election,’ presumably instead of reflecting the actual demographic make up of the Commonwealth. To read more about the looming battle of minority representation in Virginia’s congressional delegation click here.
    
5. Virginia loses two outstanding leaders
   This past week Virginians lost two leaders who devoted much of their lives to serving this Commonwealth through the political process. Congressman Bobby Scott’s long-time Communications Director Larry Dillard and House of Delegates Clerk Bruce Jamerson left Virginians with fond memories of their friendship and the lasting impact their leadership will have on this Commonwealth. To read the DPVA statement on the passing of Larry Dillard click here. To read Chairman the DPVA statement on the passing of Bruce Jamerson click here.

Welcome to the DPVA Weekly Top 5, your review of the top five stories from the past week and a look at what’s ahead.

1.    McDonnell’s Transportation Plan Inspires Bipartisan Anxiety 
The Appropriations Committees of the House of Delegates held a hearing to consider Bob McDonnell’s deficit-spending transportation plan. The overwhelming theme of the hearing was anxiety on both sides of the aisle over the amount of debt the plan would incur.

To read more about the transportation hearing click here.

2. Democratic Legislators Stand Up to Cuccinelli’s Attack on Academic Freedom
Senators Donald McEachin and Chap Petersen and Delegate David Toscano held a press conference to talk about several proposals aimed at curtailing the powers that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli abused with his Civil Investigative Demand of the University of Virginia for private correspondence relating to academic research.

To read more about the press conference click here. 

3. Unlikely allies join together on foreclosure reform
Democratic Senators Donald McEachin and Chap Petersen, Democratic Delegate Robin Abbot and Republican Delegate Bob Marshall held a press conference to discuss several proposals to confront problems with the foreclosures process in Virginia. Marshall is known as one of the most conservative and controversial members of the General Assembly but Democratic legislators endorsed his approach on this particular issue.

To read more about the press conference on foreclosure issues click here. 

4. Armstrong Offers Democratic Response to McDonnell’s State of the Commonwealth
Virginia House Democratic Leader Ward Armstrong responded to Governor Bob McDonnell’s State of the Commonwealth Address last on the first day of session last Wednesday. Armstrong’s remarks focused on the irresponsible path the Governor has taken to fund his priorities and the Democratic vision for meeting the challenges we face without mortgaging the future.

To read Ward Armstrong’s State of the Commonwealth response click here. To watch the response click here.

5. McDonnell Proposes Diverting Revenue from Schools and Public Safety to Roads
Governor Bob McDonnell proposed diverting .25 percent of sales tax revenues collected in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads from the general fund (where they pay for education and public safety statewide) to pay for transportation projects in those two regions.

To read more about McDonnell’s plan to take money out of schools statewide to pay for transportation in two state regions click here.

What You Can Say

Governor’s proposal to divert sales tax revenue from general fund to transportation

• We absolutely must fix transportation in order for our economy to keep growing, but we simply cannot do so by robbing the core services of government like education, public safety and mental health services without which our Commonwealth could not function.
• The Governor announced a plan to divert .25 percent of the sales tax revenue generated in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads away from the general fund, and toward transportation projects in those regions. That means he is proposing to take money away from education and public safety statewide to pay for transportation in those two areas.
• This is another creative scheme from a Governor who simply refuses to find the new revenue we need to fund any serious long-term transportation plan.
• Democrats are dedicated to working with the Governor to fund a long-term transportation plan, but a plan that diverts funding away from other core government services like education and public safety is flatly unacceptable.
• The Governor seems to be continuously searching for a free lunch solution to transportation funding that will help him avoid offering a long-term plan that funds transportation maintenance and construction. We need more than a one-shot burst of funding, we need year-after-year funding to maintain roads and be able to plan long-term projects.
• Background, click here.

Happy New Year! Thanks for checking out the first DPVA Weekly Top 5 of 2011, your weekly look at the top 5 news items from last week and what’s coming up for Virginia Democrats.

1. Bob Marshall Continues to Embarrass Virginia

Bob Marshall’s one-man effort to maintain the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in the Virginia National Guard even after congress and President Obama acted to repeal it continued to confound national and state spectators last week.

Daily Press columnist Tamara Dietrich celebrated the fact that Bob Marshall is part of a “dying breed” and deconstructed numerous elements of his “awkwardly personal and weirdly specific” reasons for pursuing this quest that even Republican Governor Bob McDonnell says is a bridge too far.

To read Tamara Dietrich’s column on Bob Marshall’s discrimination bill click here.

2. Cuccinelli Continues to Pass the Buck on U.S. Navy Vets

Last week the Virginian-Pilot took Ken Cuccinelli to task for spending the year suing everyone in sight, but sitting on his hands while the state of Ohio investigated and charged Bobby Thompson, the founder of the U.S. Navy Vets charity and a major Cuccinelli contributor, for defrauding donors and families of veterans.

As the article states, after months of public pressure “Cuccinelli donated the $55,000 he collected from ‘Bobby Thompson’ to a real charity, but an investigation of the faux vet group is being handled by another state agency, and no charges have been filed in Virginia.”

To read the Pilot’s yearly round up which included Ken Cuccinelli’s abdication of leadership on U.S. Navy Vets click here.

To read about the dubious chain of events surrounding Cuccinelli’s relationship with U.S. Navy Vets, click here.

3. President Obama and Congressional Democrats Close the Year Strong

As the year drew to a close, President Obama and congressional Democrats finished a post-election session by passing a flurry of bills that will make our nation more secure, more equal and more prosperous.

From a renewed arms control treaty with Russia, to a bill to provide 911 first responders with critical aid, to the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Democrats closed 2011 by standing up to Republican obstruction and doing the right thing for Americans. The session was the capstone of a remarkably productive two years for the President and the Democratic majority in Congress.

To read DNC Chairman and Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s year-end analysis of President Obama’s first two-years in office click here.

4. McDonnell’s ‘Credit Card’ Transportation Plan Continues to Draw Fire

Governor Bob McDonnell’s plan to borrow $3 billion to try and fix Virginia’s transportation crisis continues to face criticism from leaders and journalists who are concerned both by the plan’s lack of sufficient funding to meet Virginia’s transportation needs and the staggering debt it would rack up. 

Last week the Daily Press weighed in calling the plan “an inadequate solution, on many counts.” To read the full editorial click here.

5. Jamie Radtke Brings the Party to 2012

Virginia Tea Party leader Jamie Radtke announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2012 U.S. Senate race last week. Radtke, who will likely run in a primary with several leading Republicans including former Senator George Allen, drew immediate criticism from Republican bloggers across the state who described her as Virginia’s “own Christine O’Donnell,” and claimed that she can’t win a general election in Virginia.

To read about Jamie Radkte’s announcement for the U.S. Senate click here. To read about Republican opposition to her candidacy click here.

• Bob McDonnell’s plan to borrow $4 billion dollars to pay for road funding projects is an example of the same gimmicky approach to government that led to the demise of his plan to privatize the state’s ABC program.

• The Governor’s plan borrows billions of dollars we don’t have at a time when Virginia taxpayers are already spending more on debt-service than we are spending on Sheriff’s offices (debt-service is the 6th most expensive item in the general fund, sheriff’s offices are the 7th).

• We will not fix transportation in Virginia until this Governor offers a real plan that includes a sustained source of revenue. Until then Virginians will continue to drive on roads that are increasingly congested and unsafe.

• This borrowing plan for transportation projects will not only guarantee that a future governor will have to pay for this Governor’s irresponsibility, it will also put the state at risk of losing it’s hard earned and enviable AAA bond-rating.

• The Governor’s suggested use of $1.1 billion in GARVEY bonds means that Virginia will spend money now and hope to repay it with anticipated future federal funding that is not guaranteed to be available.  If for any reason the federal funding is not there, Virginia taxpayers will have to pick up the tab.

• In a year when our budget is already perilously balanced on the backs of Virginia’s retirees, we can’t afford for the Governor to float a reckless and irresponsible plan to pay for his priorities by borrowing money that we don’t have and cannot pay back without raising taxes.

• The last Governor to mortgage the future in this way to pay for transportation projects was Jim Gilmore, whose similar scheme nearly bankrupted the state by spending money we don’t have.

• Background: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-09/va-governor-borrow-4-billion-for-roads-by-2013.html

cross-posted from Washington Post online

By Rosalind Helderman |  June 30, 2009; 4:48 PM ET  | Category:  Rosalind Helderman

The Democratic Party of Virginia has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission, related to deficiencies in the party’s financial disclosure forms dating to 2006.

The FEC reports that they found problems with DPV’s financial disclosure forms through routine reviews of their filings. The FEC said it sent DPV 31 different requests for additional information related to its 2006 filings, of which the party failed to respond, responded inadequately or responded late to 16. Problems included mathematical discrepancies and some excessive or impermissible contributions.

According to the settlement agreement which you can read here (http://eqs.nictusa.com/eqsdocs/29190281428.pdf), DPV acknowledged it had reporting problems in the past but said it had hired more experienced staff and rectified problems. They also agreed to hire a compliance specialist and attend an FEC conference.

Leigh Anne Collier, who took over as the party’s interim director just last week, says the party has paid the fine, which was due June 28, and overhauled its process for complying with FEC guidelines. That included bringing on a new accounting firm and other new staff.

"We wanted to put all of this behind us," she said. "We have paid the fine and have completely revamped our system, and we’re happy with the system we’ve put in place."

You can read all the documents related to this issue here (http://eqs.nictusa.com/eqs/searcheqs?SUBMIT=continue).

Such settlements only become public at the end of a rather lengthy period of negotiations with the FEC. The fine is low, but it’s altogether bad timing for DPV, which is gearing up now to support the Creigh Deeds campaign for governor.

To wit, Republican Party of Virginia spokesman Tim Murtaugh offers this response: "Without having looked into it fully, it sounds significant and particularly negligent and cheating is never allowed."

I am excited to announce that Leigh Anne Collier will be filling in as Interim Executive Director through November.  Leigh Anne should be a familiar face to many of you – she served as Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Operations from March 2008 through this past February.

I encourage you to reach out to her as she gets settled back in with the DPVA.  Her contact information is below:

Leigh Anne Collier
Interim Executive Director
Email: leighanne@vademocrats.org
Phone: 804-644-1966 ext 225

I know she is looking forward to working with all of you to elect Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon and take back the House of Delegates this November. 

Regards,
C. Richard Cranwell
Chairman, DPVA

• Take exit 238, follow signs toward Colonial Williamsburg
• Take a right at the 2nd traffic light onto Rt. 132
• Go straight through 2 traffic lights
• Make the next right onto Scotland St.
• Go 3 blocks to Richmond Rd
• Go through the light turn left to parking on Stadium Drive

Business to be conducted includes:

• Elect Party Officers
• Adopt Resolutions (Word doc, click here)
• Elect three members to the 2009-2013 Resolutions Committee
• Vote on the recognition of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia (DLOV) as a caucus

The Unity Rally will be held immediately following the conclusion of the State Central Committee Meeting at noon on the front lawn of the William and Mary Alumni House (map, click here).

cross-posted from DemRulz

Chairman Richard Cranwell and Northern Virginia elected Democrats addressed a rally today in Annandale, down the road from the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s announcement.  Cranwell praised all three Democratic candidates, recalled the successes of the Warner and Kaine administrations (best managed state in the country, etc.), and made it clear that the GOP candidate opposed those progressive efforts.  Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple in particular pointed out GOP opposition to adequate funding for education.  Cranwell said that the GOP candidate was trying to reinvent himself as a moderate, but it won’t work.  Cranwell, who is running for reelection as state party chair will be attending events around the Commonwealth today to tell the truth about the GOP ticket.