Long Long Overdue Update

Hi Everyone,
It has been wayyyy too long and I apologize. I dropped off the face of the earth here, but Loudoun Yd's has been put on the map thanks to a lot of people and events in 2008!! Much of it, Much of it has to go to Robert Latham, the new President of Loudoun County Young Democrats. I now sit as the Vice President, Mr. Errin Beckner is the Communications and Visibility Chairman. Much more people I dont have their full names in front of me, I'll add more later. Just to say that on November 4th, our luck changed for the better with Loudoun going solid for Barack Obama!! And Mark Warner. .. A new tide is sweeping over the western part of northern Virginia. Its growing blue!!

Marrett

Three Days and one Senator-Elect Later

All of every single Democrats ultimate dream came true on Tuesday night. From the time I woke up Tuesday at 5:00, I knew that that was going to be our day. We had nearly 50 percent turnout at my precinct alone with voters. It was awesome. I've never seen that before, and Jim Webb prevailed over George Allen by about twently votes when it was all said and done. Judy Feder was way behind and that was unfortunate. BUt being able to stand against the machine known as George Felix Allen was a dream come true. His reckless behavior, his mediocre service and his overall poor stance was showing at the polls. I got so many responses and feedback from the voters about how they were either "Republican and voting Democrat" or simply "voting anti incumbent." This was just music to my ears.

I have been active in state politics for twelve years since Oliver North took on Chuck Robb in 1994, before that I went to a Clinton rally in 1992. Never have or could I have imagined this big turnout or such good turnout for the Democratic Party. I was so amazed at the attitude of the voters. And they said something to me, that we need a new direction in America. That we need new leadership in America and in Virginia. Unfortunately, that leadership is not in George Allen and George BUsh. And they found that out very strongly. Time and time again, I had the feeling Jim Webb would not prevail and that our prospects of taking back the Senate ... were at best slim. I was surprised about Judy Feder and the margins between her and Frank Wolf. But the western part of my district was going to go for Wolf. We always stay out of that area. But I sure do hope she goes for it again.

I think now that this nation has a new and fresher road to go down now that the Republican establishment has been voted out. A new road that means we will have new policies go into effect that make difference to the regular people like you and me and not the one percent of Americans that always get first hand attention from this administration that they have been getting for the past six years. I think of a fresher road in Iraq and a chance to hold George W Bush more accountable than he has been held in the duration of time he has been in Washington. November 7, 2006 is definately a night to remember and go down in history. Anyone who I have invited to join this blog I urge you to add to this and offer your own opinion, as well as anyone who will read this.

On the eve of Election 2006 by Marrett Ceo

It is Saturday night before the midterm elections in 2006 and what a comback year this election in Virginia to say the least has. We actually are within striking distance of taking down George Allen and perhaps, perhaps Frank Wolf. Jim Webb is ahead of Senator Allen in the polls and Judy Feder as outraised Congressman Wolf in the last quarter.

Nick, Ginger and I have been contemplating ideas to get something going again for the YD movement here in Loudoun. We are all open for ideas, and urge anyone who stops by this site to definately submit their ideas and brainchilds for what could really stir up some excitement and involvement here in the west. Fairfax and Arlington are so active with their chapters and I think with all the success Democrats have been having over the past year, I for one think that its time that things get going again and we have some type of meeting. After the election I think you can look forward to soemething happening.

On this election, I know I need to be more thorough on contributing to the blog I started up on my own. My computer was messed up so badly in the spring and I paid for having internet when I should have canceled it sooner, but I can be a dumb ass. Oh well. But its almost a year after Tim Kaine made headlines, along with David Poisson at the House of Delegates level. Hopefully this can all translate to, not only Jim Webb and hopefully Judy Feder being successful on Tuesday, but many others. It looks like Montana and Missouri are poised to hopefully lean in Jon Tester and Claire McCaskil's favors. I hope I spelled the latter candidate's name correctly.

In New Jersey, I do think that Bob Menendez can retain the Senate seat he has had for a year. I used to intern for former Senator Robert Torricelli and I got to work with Jon Corzine when he was a senator, and my family hails from the New Jersey/New York area. Just because your dad is a former governor of the state and sat on the 9/11 Commission doesn't mean you can use that to climb into the upper house of the United States Congress. Bob Menendez has been in the House for a long time and I also can say that the man vying to replace him will win on Tuesday as well. I do feel confident that NJ will stay Democratic as it is and has been in the past. Hillary Clinton in NY, well... she has had token opposition and no real fight there.

Democrats from wherever and anyone who sees this post should really realize that this is our chance, our one shot at taking back what is ours. Congress! Both houses! Governors races as well. Who is going to feel comfortable on November 8th when you wake up and stretch and wipe the fog out of your face and look at the Washington Post or your local paper with a smirk on the face of George W. Bush or George W. Allen or some other Republican and it says "Two more years of Republican rule as Bush looks forward to more BS policy.

A clear road for the final two years for Bush." This CANNOT happen folks! We re-elected Bush, that was an embarassment enough as it is. We cannot allow this Congress, as lazy and ineffective as it has been to simply roll over for this president as it has. George Allen might as well not be running, he disappeared when he entered Washington in the first place. The once big Republican behemoth is .. he has dropped off the map and that giant I used to think of in George Allen is no more. Please, go to the polls and vote for Democrats, vote for a new direction in Iraq, a REAL and RIGHT strategy. Three thousand dead and counting along with no clear direction is not the way to go!!! Sixty four million Americans without healthcare is not the option as well.

I invite anyone to offer their input again as I said earlier, please go to either the state of VIrginia website to find your polling place www.Virginia.gov and go to STate Board of Elections. Or go to www.WebbforSenate.com or www.JudyFeder.com to find out the issues. IF we don't go to the polls and show this Congress the change we need, we will have lost that chance and it will evaporate and we can look forward to the next two years of more Gestapo like tactics by this incumbent Congress and the Bush administration. Hopefully we won't take that route. Vote Tuesday Jim Webb for Senate, Judy Feder for Congress and No on the Marriage Amendment!!!

Its been way too long and overdue. I must apologize for the last few months. I have been trying to get my career back on track and was busy running for Vice President of VAYD. It didn't seem like anyone was going to run for any of the offices except for the incumbents and I thought I would step up to the plate. We reworked the entire organization from the bottom up. Now, instead of a VP, we have several Vps of Comm, Political Action, Fundraising Membership and an Executive Vice PResident.

I dropped down to run for VP of Comm, I figured Executive VP would be too much for me since I'm starting a new career. And Dominic, our president had wrapped up a lot of support for Shayna Englin. She seems like someone who has a vision like Dominic and goals. What a convention though, we had a visit by Governor Kaine, a dinner with Senator Creigh Deeds and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my position has been eliminated. I am still appointed as the district chair for this area. But I honestly believe, that Dominic Gabello has the right vision for this org, and I stand behind him no matter what. There is nobody that I think could do a better and more progressive job as VAYD President than him.

I think we will be having more events soon with the 10th district as soon as we have another meeting. I'm working with Nick and Ginger about doing that. I'm also continuing doing work with Bryan Spoon, the City/County Caucus chair who was just elected President of Fairfax YD's. Congrats to my man Bryan, who is my backbone in this org. Without Bryan I'm blind and so is this organization. He was selected as the Male YD of the Year and he deserves it for everything he has done and more.

Carolyn Hankins I wish was still here, but she moved to South Carolina, she was Female YD of the Year, I nominated her because of all the advice she has given me and the support. Hopefully she will be able to do in South Carolina what she did in Virginia in Tidewater. I intend for one to get more active with the state and the party.

I want to serve on a commission or board whether its county or statewide and I would encourage anyone who reads this to go to either www.loudoun.gov/advisory or to the Secretary of the Commonwealths website to see lists of state boards and commissions to find opportunities. I have other ideas for the Loudoun YD's in the future, maybe a trip to Richmond to see the Executive Mansion and meet Governor Kaine himself. Soon, I want to get the high schools involved, its kind of late this year with school almost over but maybe we can get lists going.

Feel free to add anything to the blog and lets get it up and running again. Back in the game!!!

special election, kaine in town

Sorry I haven't written on here yet about our special election coming up, but it will be in less than two weeks. The election for the 33rd district will be January 31, and our candidate will be Mark Herring, the former Leesburg supervisor, and he'll be running against Dick Black's buddy Mick Staton. Whats even more exciting than very likely picking up a senate seat is that on Saturday afternoon Governor Kaine will be here in Sterling for a Herring fundraiser at NoVa to help it happen. Check out Herring's site at www.herringforsenate.com

Talk about impressive!! Kaine to respond to State of the Union

Democrats Tap Kaine to Deliver State of the Union Response
By Michael D. ShearWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, January 19, 2006; 10:25 AM
RICHMOND, Jan.19 -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has been tapped to give the Democratic Party's response to President Bush's State of the Union speech on Jan. 31, according to Capitol Hill sources.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are scheduled to call Kaine Thursday morning to officially ask him to accept. They, along with Gov. Bill Richardson, the chairman of the Democratic Governor's Association, are expected to make the announcement later this afternoon, according to two sources, who declined to be identified before the announcement is made.
The Richmond Report

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Kaine spokeswoman Delacey Skinner declined to comment, saying no announcement has been made yet.
Kaine, who won a tight election to become Virginia's 70th governor in November, is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party. He won convincingly in a conservative state and he campaigned as a fiscal conservative and spoke frequently about the importance of his faith.
For national Democrats, those messages are attractive as both parties head toward the mid-term elections later this year.
In the wake of the congressional lobbying scandals, Democrats are attempting to capitalize on what they call a culture of corruption in the Republican-controlled Congress. That makes it appealing to turn to an outside-the-Beltway governor, rather than a member of Congress, for the response to Bush's speech this month.
For Kaine, the selection is the culmination of a whirlwind of activity since he defeated Republican Jerry W. Kilgore on Nov. 8.
Kaine spent weeks traveling around the state at town hall meetings on transportation. Last Saturday, he was inaugurated in an historic ceremony in Williamsburg and gave his first speech as the state's new governor.
This week, he unveiled his legislative priorities to lawmakers, including a push for new controls on growth and development. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to announce his plans for raising new money to fix the state's transportation network.
In previous years, congressional leaders have chosen insiders, such Reid and former House leader Richard Gephardt, or governors such as former governor Gary Locke of Washington state.

Damn, been a long time, better say something

Sorry, its been so long. Wow a lot has happened lately. A lot. It seems as though we have fallen short and I mean SHORT in the recount for Attorney General. Bob McDonnell was certified the winner and he has won fair and square. However, this has now opened up a state senate seat in Loudoun with Bill Mims being appointed to be Chief Deputy Attorney General with McDonnell. Looks like a date will be set in January. We can rebound the loss with a bittersweet win. This seat was held by Charles Waddell for nearly 30 years before Mims took over. We can really win here, we can take it back. In doing this, if we come out for Mark Herring, Waddell's stepson and a former Leesburg Supervisor, we will shrinken the Republican majority and hopefully set the state for 2007 when we take back our General Assembly. We can do this, I've talked to Andy Resnick who will be helping Mark out again, (Mark ran in 2003 against Russ Potts and lost after he had served on the Board, Andy was his manager.) Funny how this seat encircles the 32nd house district that Mims used to hold and David Poisson recently won, thank god. We stand a fighting chance. More to come on this.

Loudoun County Young Democrats is in the midst of having another meeting soon now that the holidays are behind us and the new year hopefully will bring in good and better things for our organization and for our party overall. I'll give you an update or Ginger or Nick will as well. One thing I must say switching subjects, the town hall went real well with Governor-Elect Tim Kaine. That was so cool, first meeting him as Lieutenant Governor in Loudoun, then as candidate for Governor and now as Governor-Elect. About 300 people came to the Leesburg Airport and a lot of imput was put in, except for the damn LaRouche people. And all you other chapters you all suck because Lyndon LaRouche and Nancy Spannaus live in my backyard, in Lovettsville so I have to put up with his bull#@!$ . He is always on Cablevision of Loudoun and it gets annoying. If he comes out to any event, of course it will be here first, consider yourselves lucky. IF I could, I would legally ban his organization from any Democratic event or any event where a Democrat speaks, he is not one of us and he is the dark side of our party. NOBODY in our party is convicted of mail and fraud charges and runs for president from prison in Minnesota!!

There will be another town hall at George Mason High School in Fairfax on Tuesday night. Anyone interested should try and make it out. I'm sure they could use help in setting up. Then in two weeks, Governor-Elect Kaine will offically be dubbed Governor. Everyone is invited, the event will be in Williamsburg. The capitol in Richmond is under renovations. If you can make it you should contact me or Nick and Ginger. Carpool might be a good idea if we get a good size crowd. There are also Inaugural Balls that are still open I believe. A Young Professionals Ball in Richmond another one is there as well, and one in Williamsburg. Let me know if you can go or go to www.KaineInaugural.com. This should be good. We haven't inaugurated a governor in Williamsburg since Thomas Jefferson a couple hundred years ago. If you can, come!!