McDonnell’s inauguration speech also took aim at leaders Washington. “The founders recognized that government closest to the people works best.” In an effort to curb the growth of government, McDonnell quickly created a commission on government reform and restructuring.

I mean, really? That’s like me announcing that I’m going to quit drinking alcohol while at the same time downing a bottle of champagne.

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While the overall U.S. financial system is showing signs of stability, a rapidly rising tide of troubled loans for commercial real estate threatens the survival of hundreds of the nation’s small and medium-sized banks.

Financial reports this month from federal regulators and industry analysts detail a new cycle of uncertainty that they fear could cripple the economic recovery. Billions of dollars in commercial debt will have to be paid back or refinanced at a time when property values have plummeted. About $500 billion will come due in 2010 alone and an equal amount every year through at least 2012, according to the Federal Reserve.

Many banks that cater to regional and community developments were largely unscathed by the residential mortgage meltdown. But now they are facing huge numbers of possible defaults by builders who erected thousands of office towers, condominiums and shopping centers with the easy credit available five years ago. With few tenants, those developments are turning into what industry insiders call zombie buildings.

This problem is not new, and I have written extensively about it in the past. However, I’m glad to see a larger media outlet starting to catch out.  It would be nice if the “smart growth” practiced here in North Arlington would gain wider recognition and practice nationwide, along with a “taller not wider” policy.

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Senior administration officials have expressed frustration with how Democrat R. Creigh Deeds has handled his campaign for governor, refusing early offers of strategic advice and failing to reach out to several key constituencies that helped Obama win Virginia in 2008, they say.

A second administration official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Obama, Kaine and others had drawn a road map to victory in Virginia. Deeds chose another path.”

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I will be writing “public option” on my ballot and encourage others to do the same. Send a powerful message to the Deeds campaign who, let’s face it, has no chance of winning anyway, the DNC and Washington, DC. Let them know we want REAL health care reform, not a watered down compromise with the devil.

UPDATE: Real Democrats can win in Virginia (keyword: REAL).

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Bob closes by talking about leadership, service and getting Virginia’s economy back on track.

Hm, that’s funny. Virginia was recently named the number one state to do business in the U.S. Last year Virginia placed second. So one can only conclude that by “getting Virginia’s economy back on track” McDonnell clearly means he plans to wreck it. Kind of like our last Republican governor who ALMOST really fucked us on our bond rating. Way to go Taliban Bob!

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More to come…

7:49pm update: WaPo via The Virginia Democrat:

The Deeds campaign surely hopes the visit, confirmed by the White House and the campaign, will motivate core Democratic voters inspired by Obama’s effort last year. It should also put to rest some of the chattering about whether the White House was backing off Deeds’ effort, with polls showing him trailing.

Announcement from the Deeds campaign expected within the next few days.

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This is pretty much unchanged, from the toplines (just float within the MoE), to the favorability numbers.

These findings are quite different from Rasmussen’s latest Virginia poll, which found McDonnell with a narrow 48-46 lead, and seeming evidence that McDonnell’s college thesis had hurt his numbers:

Pretty odd that left-leaning Daily Kos shows Deeds trailing McDonnell by a wider margin than does Rasmussen - who tends to lean right.

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The bill by Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, would make major changes to the nation’s $2.5 trillion health care system, including requiring all individuals to purchase health care or pay a fine, and language prohibiting insurance company practices like charging more to people with more serious health problems.

So basically, they plan to ATTEMPT to lower insurance cost by requiring all Americans to participate, but still over no public option:

The bill fails to fulfill President Barack Obama’s aim of creating a new government-run insurance plan — or option — to compete with the private market. It proposes instead a system of nonprofit member owned cooperatives, somewhat akin to electric co-ops that exist in many places around the country. That was one of many concessions meant to win over Republicans.

Democrats can take this bill and put it where it belongs… in the garbage.

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Richmond, VA –Virginia small businessman Charlie Diradour today launched his congressional campaign for Virginia’s 7^th Congressional District.

“Virginians know we need to get our economy moving again. As a small business owner, I understand the importance of creating jobs, reducing taxes, and having an educational system that teaches the values and skills that enable our children to lead productive lives.”

It’s going to be an uphill battle, though. Cantor has received more than 60 percent of the vote in each of his first five campaigns and the 7th district (which I used to live in) leans heavily Republican. Part of the problem, though, is that Cantor has never really faced a strong candidate. It looks as though Diradour may represent a change in this pattern.

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“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.”

Not good enough. Wilson embarassed himself, his state and the entire nation tonight. He should resign immediately.

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WASHINGTON — The nastiness of August reached from the nation’s town halls into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as President Barack Obama tried to move his health care plan forward.

South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “You lie!” after Obama had talked about illegal immigrants.

Please call Rep Wilson at 202-225-2452 and let him know that disrespecting the President, the country and millions of Americans who tuned in is NOT ACCEPTABLE. You can also contact the Congressman through his website.

UPDATE: Website has been crashed, presumably by the overwhelming response?

9:35pm UPDATE: Website still not working, phone lines are still busy.

9:47pm UPDATE: John McCain calling on Wislon to apologize.

9:49pm UPDATE: CNN has a photo.

10:07pm UPDATE: Contribute to Joe Wilson’s 2010 opponent, Rob Miller, by clicking here.

10:48pm UPDATE: SC Democrats release statement: “Once again a South Carolina Republican has embarrassed our state.” How long before Joe Wilson apologizes?

11:27pm UPDATE: Rob Miller has already raised $40,000 tonight!!

11:32pm UPDATE: Wilson’s Wikipedia entry has been locked due to vandalism.

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Sen. Webb’s “New GI Bill,” which went into effect Aug. 1, returns a full measure of educational aid to Americans who’ve served since 9/11, when falling towers and a flaming Pentagon signaled the start of a long war against a new set of lethal enemies. The fierce fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan–between them, the wars have killed more than 5,000 Americans and wounded perhaps 10 times that number–justifies a robust GI Bill, especially since, as Mr. Webb last year told Free Lance-Star readers, “Seventy percent of the Marine Corps and 75 percent of the Army leave at or before the end of their first enlistment, so the all-volunteer military is not an all-career military. When the overwhelming majority are leaving at the end of one enlistment, you still have a citizen-soldier, and those are the people who have not been taken care of.”

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The government plans to suspend its popular “cash for clunkers” program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases, congressional officials said Thursday.

UPDATE: Okay, I was wrong. The New York Times is reporting that the program has actually exhausted it’s funds, thus it has been suspended. If that is the case, hopefully Congress will allocate more money for the program.

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Terry –

You’ve probably seen the headlines: Opponents of change are doing everything they can to delay health insurance reform. As a Republican strategy memo concluded, “If we slow this sausage-making process down, we can defeat it.”

They’re betting that as time goes by, our energy will flag, our movement will weaken, and they’ll ultimately be able to block any change.

But they just don’t get it — thanks to the regular Americans who are reaching out in neighborhoods nationwide, our movement is expanding every day. In fact, over the weekend, we surpassed our big goal of one million people taking action for health insurance reform. And with your help, we’ll keep growing and prove that our opponents’ strategy of “delay, delay, delay” simply won’t work.

So I want to ask you for something unusual: Can you chip in $1 each day until we pass real health insurance reform? A huge response will show the insurance companies and their allies in Congress that their delay tactics will only make our movement stronger.

Here’s how it works: We’ll bill your credit card for thirty days worth of donations now and once a month until the President signs real health insurance reform into law.

The cost of inaction on health insurance reform is astounding. Every day, 14,000 more Americans lose their coverage. Premiums continue to rise at three times the rate of wages. And each day, more small businesses are forced to choose between covering their employees and keeping their doors open.

But that doesn’t stop our opponents from trying to bog down the process with legislative tricks. And at the same time, they’re attacking the President for “moving too fast,” even though Washington has been talking about the need for comprehensive health insurance reform since the days of Harry Truman!

What they don’t realize is that outside of Washington, our campaign keeps growing. We’ve reached our “million” milestone, but the stories behind that number are even more impressive: grassroots press conferences with small business owners in Missouri, more than 1,200 people at an organizing meeting in Minnesota, huge events outside local Senate offices in Florida, and so much more.

That’s why our dollar-a-day campaign is so important: If the few senators and representatives who are opposing reform understand that dragging their heels makes us stronger every day — and that the grassroots pressure on them will increase — they’ll be far less willing to keep slowing down the process.

Can you help? Please donate $1 per day until we pass real health insurance reform:

https://donate.barackobama.com/dollar

Thank you,
Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America]

Uh, what if health care reform is NEVER passed, which looks more than likely thanks to Republicans and DINOs???

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“Reeling congressional Republicans launched a new policy effort days after their latest setback - the sudden defection of Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania to the Democrats,” the Boston Globe writes. “House GOP Whip Eric Cantor announced yesterday that the National Council for a New America will hold its first event tomorrow in suburban Washington, D.C.

Talk about irony!!

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The mission on Monday, officials said, was set up to create an iconic shot of Air Force One, similar to one that was taken in recent years over the Grand Canyon.

When President Obama learned of the episode on Monday afternoon, aides said, he, too, was furious. Senior administration officials conveyed the president’s anger in a meeting with Mr. Caldera on Monday afternoon.

I guess the visionary artist and/or dimwitted codger who came up with the idea just really, really wanted the photo to be totally authentic and did not want a horrible asterisk to forever stain copies of the photo, history books and Wikipedia noting the image of the plane was “simulated.” Plus, they obviously just figured it was a good opportunity to celebrate a belated April Fools Day by simulating a terror attack.

Also (and I’m talking to you James Young), it’s important to note that the President had no prior knowledge that the Air Force was planning to use the plane for such a stupid activity.

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This is not news. Not new news, at least.

A new Census of Agriculture report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that Virginia lost 521,000 acres of farmland from 2002 to 2007, the largest decline in the past 20 years. That’s more than the combined land area of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico.

“We’ve been losing 50,000 to 70,000 acres on average every year for decades,” said Jonah Bowles, the agricultural risk analyst for the Farm Bureau. “Now it’s accelerating.”

Some lost farm acres have been rolled into conservation programs, but most were used for development.

The amount of urban and suburban sprawl in Virginia, especially in the Richmond area, is out of control and has been for some time now. In fact, I wrote extensively about Virginia’s excessive retail problem back in 2006.

In the United States, on average, there is about 20 square feet of retail space per person. The average for the Richmond metro area is OVER tripled that, at about 67 square FEET OF RETAIL SPACE FOR EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD!

This is absurd, especially since walking around local malls (on the rare occasion that I go to them), makes me believe that some retailers aren’t having an easy time of things! It seems like many stores (especially the smaller ones) do not stay open long, and at Short Pump Town Center (despite their blatant LIE claiming otherwise) I can’t help but notice there are A LOT OF EMPTY SUITES, from where a business has packed up and left the mall (presumably due to a lack of business).

While SOME growth clearly CAN be a good thing, UNNECESSARY GROWTH NEVER IS! Richmond CANNOT support all of this retail. Not only that, but when either new homes, or retail centers are thrown up hastily, and/or in areas where they are not needed, in time, the building becomes empty, or unkempt, and the area becomes essentially a SLUM, which will no doubt happen to Short Pump, and other suburbs within the next 10 years.

It’s time for U.S. and Viriginia lawmakers to step up and get the situation under control before the entire country is left looking like New Jersey.

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