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Video became available over the weekend of Thursday night’s Fairfax Family Forum candidate forum, held at Fair Oaks Church, for the candidates in the 37th Senate district special election. But an peculiar thing happened on the way to the forum. Only one candidate showed up — Republican Stephen Hunt. Democrat Dave Marsden apparently had another agenda and couldn’t find time to talk to voters about family and traditional values. An interesting tactic coming from any candidate who wants to represent “all the people.” It’s one thing to respectfully disagree, and at least hear where certain constituents come from on their views. It’s another to blow them off entirely. Even Barack Obama took questions from Pastor Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church. We’ll see if this serves to further motivate values voters to turn out to the polls.

The election is tomorrow, January 12. The district is in Fairfax County and polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The election is necessary because of the vacancy in the seat due to the election of Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli. Here is a portion of the forum as provided by the Fairfax Family Forum via Viemo:

Republican Steve Hunt attended the Fairfax Family Forum candidate forum for the candidates in the 37th Senate district special election. His opponent, Democrat Dave Marsden, must have had something else to do, rather than discuss with voters issues regarding family and traditional values.

The January 12 special election to fill Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli’s Fairfax County seat in the Virginia Senate is hot as it is important. As such, we are redoubling our efforts to alert and educate voters in the 37th Senate district. Our Winning Matters campaign, which distributed nearly 1,000,000 voter guides statewide during the recent election, now is focused solely on this important Senate race in Fairfax County.

In addition, our grassroots chapter, the Fairfax Family Forum, is hosting a candidate forum tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Fair Oaks Church, 4601 West Ox Road. Democrat nominee, Delegate Dave Marsden, and Republican nominee, former Fairfax County School Board Member Steve Hunt, have been invited to discuss their positions on issues of concern to the faith community. They will also take questions from the audience. Please plan to attend this important event.

We have two Winning Matters area coordinators working in the county, as well as a project manager. The Family Foundation has produced a special voter guide for this election, available in English, Spanish and, for the first time ever, Korean. Our area coordinators are contacting hundreds of churches, pastors and volunteers, and have distributed 20,000 voter guides across the district.

Despite this success, because of the extremely short time frame, we have been unable to contact anyone in several of the churches. If you attend one of these churches, or know the pastor or a parishioner at one of these churches, please help us make a connection there. E-Mail Mark Earley, Jr., at mlearleyjr@gmail.com or Marlon-David Sias at mdsias@gmail.com  and let them know how you can help. The voter guides need to be in these churches for distribution this Sunday, January 10:

Abundant Life Family Church, Fairfax

Annandale Calvary Church Of The Nazarene, 8220 Little River Turnpike

Annandale Church Of Christ, 4709 Ravensworth Road

Annandale Wash. Good Shepherd Nazarene, 8220 Little River Turnpike

Antioch Baptist Church, 6531 Little Ox Road, Fairfax Station

Braddock Missionary Baptist Church, 12326 Braddock Road, Fairfax

Calvary Church Of The Nazarene, 8220 Little River Turnpike, Annandale

Calvary Hill Baptist Church, 9301 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax

Centerpointe Church At Fair Oaks, 4104 Legato Road, Fairfax

Centreville Assembly Of God, 14821 Lee Highway

Centreville Church Of Christ, 13919 Braddock Road

Centreville Community Bible Church, 15109 Carlbern Drive

Centreville Community Church, 15301 Lee Highway

Centro Evangelistico El Refugio, 25207 Elk Lick Road, Chantilly

Chantilly Baptist Church, 14312 Chantilly Baptist Lane

Christ Church, 8285 Glen Eagles Lane, Fairfax Station

Christian Fellowship Church, 10237 Leesburg Pike, Burke

Church At Northern Virginia, 10922 Vale Road, Oakton

Church Of Love And Truth, 209 Oak Street Southwest, Vienna

Church Of The Apostles, 3500 Pickett Road, Fairfax

Clifton Baptist Church, 7152 Main Street

Community Baptist Church, 10112 Community Lane, Fairfax Station

Community Bible Church, 4400 Fair Lake Court, Suite 60, Fairfax

Diaspora Fellowship Church, 9304 Nester Road, Fairfax

Dulles Family Life Church Nazarene, 14740-H Flint Lee Road, Chantilly

Fairfax Baptist Church, 10830 Main Street

Fairfax Church Of Christ, 3901 Rugby Road

Fairfax Community Church, 11451 Braddock Road

Fairfax-Lee Highway Church Of God, 14740-H Flint Lee Road, Chantilly

Faith Baptist Church, 301 Center Street South, Burke

Faith For Living Church Of God, 12901 Lee Side Court

First Baptist Church Of Vienna, 450 Orchard Street

Grace Fellowship Church, 25350 Poland Road, Chantilly

Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 2381 Cedar Lane, Vienna

Immanuel Korean Baptist Church, 5020 Marshall Crown Road, Centreville

International Baptist Alexandria, Annandale

Knollwood Community Church, 10000 Coffer Woods Road, Burke

Koinos Fellowship Church, 43844 Churchill Glen Drive, Chantilly

Korean Presbyterian Church Of Centreville, 25454 Gum Spring Road, Chantilly

Living Covenant Church, 14637 Lee Highway, Suite 102, Oakton

Living Savior Lutheran, 5500 Ox Road, Fairfax Station

Maranatha Baptist Church, 3511 Annandale Road, Annandale

Mok Yang Presbyterian Church Mission, 6608 Little Ox Road, Fairfax

New Creation Mission, Centreville

New Hope Presbyterian Church, Fairfax City

Nova Worship Center, 14740 Flint Lee Road-Unit H, Chantilly

Ox Hill Baptist Church, 4101 Elmwood Street, Chantilly

Parkwood Baptist Church 8726 Braddock Road, Annandale

Pleasant Valley Assembly Of God, 25207 Elk Lick Road, Chantilly

Prince Of Peace Lutheran Church, 8304 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield

Prosperity Baptist, 42962 Braddock Road, Chantilly

Springfield Church Of Christ, 7512 Old Keene Mill Road

Truro Church, 10520 Main Street, Fairfax

Washington Bible Baptist Church, 14701 Lee Highway, Centreville

Washington Grace, Fairfax

During the recent statewide campaign, we and our sister organization, TFF Action, ran an unprecedented — and massively successful — voter education campaign, Winning Matters. Although we anticipated a wind down after the election in November, Winning Matters remains in high gear for the crucial special election for the 37th district Virginia Senate seat (in Fairfax, January 12) vacated by Republican Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli.

Winning Matters retained a staff of three (two field reps in Fairfax and a project manager) which has produced, and is distributing, thousands of paper and online voter guides in English, Spanish and Korean to churches, civic groups and area businesses. It also is providing absentee ballot applications for people not be able to vote in person on the 12th. Winning Matters also is working with churches to announce the election and/or put it in their bulletins as a reminder to their members to go out and vote.

If you are interested in helping Winning Matters with this crucial special election, between Republican Stephen Hunt and Democrat Dave Marsden, especially within your church, please contact Roger Pogge at 804-343-0010 or e-mail him at roger@familyfoundation.org. 

Although the campaign is a short one, it has been hot for a while, probably because it is so crucial to the makeup of the Virginia Senate, which the Democrats currently control by one seat. Among the issues: Marsden now claims to be for lower taxes, despite his history of votes to raise them; the fact that he moved into a friend’s house to be eligible to run for the seat; and, of course, it wouldn’t be a campaign in Virginia if life and abortion weren’t part of the (misleading) discussion. If Hunt wins for the GOP, it will remain within striking distance of winning crucial votes, with Lt. Governor Bill Bolling breaking ties. If Marsden pulls it out for the Dems, the left will have a little leeway with a second vote to spare. One seat might not sound like much, but whoever wins the election can change the dynamics of the entire Virginia Senate. Which is why winning matters.

During the recently completed statewide campaign, Family Foundation Action, our sister organization, conducted its largest ever voter education and mobilization effort — Winning Matters 2009. We know those efforts were not in vain as a record percentage of values voters voted in the November 3 election. Our work, though, is not through, and your financial support is needed.

In November, Virginians — to the great consternation of hyper liberals — resoundingly  chose Senator Ken Cuccinelli, with 58 percent of the vote, as their next Attorney General. However, his election created a vacancy in the Virginia Senate. Now, there will be a special election in the 37th Senate district (Fairfax County) on January 12, 2010, to fill out the remainder of the term. Because this seat is critical to advancing our pro-family agenda, we are planning to continue our Winning Matters efforts for the duration of this campaign. Our project manager and two area coordinators will continue their work on focusing, educating and mobilizing values voters for this upcoming special election.

Senator Cuccinelli has been a champion for issues that are important to the family and to Christians. He has been a leader in the fight to defund Planned Parenthood, protect property rights, bring transparency to government spending and strengthen marriage. In 2006, he was the only elected official who actively campaigned for the Marriage Amendment in Fairfax County. This year, he successfully shepherded the “Choose Life” license plate bill through both houses of the General Assembly.

It is vitally important that his seat be filled by another pro-family conservative. Senator Cuccinelli’s senatorial district has become very competitive. The last Senate race there was decided by only 92 votes. In a special election, the turnout is typically very low and every vote carries an even greater importance.

The Family Foundation plans to educate pro-family voters on the contrasting views of the two candidates and needs your gift to do so. Please donate today.

The Republican candidate for the seat is Steve Hunt, a long time conservative activist, and a former elected at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board. The Democrat candidate is Delegate Dave Marsden (D-41, Burke). Delegate Marsden did not live in the 37th Senate district but “moved” into a friend’s house in the district to be eligible to run for the seat. He earned a 20 percent score on The Family Foundation Action’s 2008-09 General Assembly Report Card.

We believe it is every Christian’s sacred duty as a citizen to participate in the electoral process and vote their Biblical values. Our Winning Matters staff is dedicated to making sure that happens on January 12. To ensure that voters are educated about where the candidates for this Senate seat stand, we are producing a Special Election Voter Guide for the 37th Senate seat. This guide will not only educate voters, but also remind them of this special election — less than one month away.

But to do all that we have planned we need your support. We spent nearly all of the funds raised for Winning Matters during the general election. So, to support Winning Matters’ efforts in this very important election, we hope that you will click here and send a special “Win the 37th!” Winning Matters contribution.

A few hours ago, the District of Columbia City Council voted to legalize same-sex marriage by a vote of 11-2. There must still be a Congressional review period and a second vote before it can go to Democrat Mayor Adrian Fenty’s desk. He has pledged to sign it. The Washington Post has the gritty details here, including former mayor and current Democrat City Councilman Marion Barry who was one of the two “no” votes, but who begged homosexual activists not to hold the vote against him; and Democrat Councilman Harry Thomas, who acknowledged his constituents are opposed to same-sex marriage, but who voted for it anyway to protect “the least among us.”

Annotations & Elucidations

The Turkeys Amongst Us

We’ve beaten everyone to the punch with some political leftovers. If you didn’t hear already, Governor Tim Kaine is talking the same way on the way out as he did on the way in — tax increase! That a way to leave a legacy, Excellency! Playing politics to the very end. Oh, well. It is, thankfully, the end.

In National News, the Catholic Bishop of Rhode Island, Thomas Tobin, has reluctantly become the foil to the most famous member of his flock: pro-abortion-on-demand Democrat Congressman Patrick Kennedy, son of the late senator. The congressman has made public private letters written to him by the Bishop explaining why abortion is evil and that his support for it endangers his soul. Leave it to a Kennedy to politicize private religious counseling. Speaking of Catholic Bishops, Real Catholic Blog reports on Richard Viguerie’s concern that the U.S. Bishops, despite directly cutting off ACORN, indirectly may still be funding it. Also, Mitt Romney’s presidential ambitions are sinking as “health care reform” rises in the public consciousness, the AFA calls a temporary cease fire with the Gap, and Republicans in Congress want an investigation into leaked e-mails from the organization the U.N. takes its “climate change” info from. You see, the e-mails admit “the science” is junk.

In Commentary, Chuck Norris chimes in on loss of freedoms, Matt Friedeman writes about a man in a coma for 23 years, who was able to hear but not communicate (so much for the euthanasia argument), and Friedemen discusses one brave clergyman not afraid to take on fellow evangelicals for modern day indulgences (”Prosperity Gospel”). But, today, as the News Stand wishes everyone a fantastic four day break from the serious, it’s all about Michelle Malkin’s “Turkeys of the Year” — a great figurative appetizer to the real deal meal Thursday. Enjoy. 

News:

Kaine doesn’t say no to possibility of a tax increase (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Kaine hints of Virginia tax hikes (Washington Times)

Kaine: New taxes possible (Roanoke Times)

Elections board certifies Virginians’ votes (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Villanueva certified as 21st District winner (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

National News:

Kennedy abortion debate puts politics, religion back in spotlight (CNN.com)

CCHD Still Funding ACORN? (Real Catholic Blog)

Mass. healthcare undermines Romney’s GOP support  (OneNewsNow.com)

Gap boycott on hold (OneNewsNow.com)

GOP opens probe into climate science e-mails (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

Commentary:

Turkeys of the year (Michelle Malkin/OneNewsNow.com)

Loving Life That Doesn’t Seem Very Alive (Matt Friedeman/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Fighting The Prosperity Gospel (Matt Friedeman/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Thankful for fading freedoms (Chuck Norris/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Obama Approval Index Hits New Low (Elijah Friedeman/The Millenial Perspective, Rightly Concerned Blog)

Annotations & Elucidations 

Election Eve Edition

Will tomorrow be the dream come true for exiled Virginia Republicans? Or will the vaunted Democrat machine of Obama, Warner & Kaine pull a dramatic upset? The Mason-Dixon Poll, the Gold Standard of Virginia political polls, has always called the winners, usually with remarkable accuracy. In 2006, it called it for Jim Webb by one percent. Yesterday’s results, in the Times-Dispatch, have it 53-41 for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell. It also has his running mates, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, and attorney general candidate Senator Ken Cuccinelli, up by double digits. 

What of the House of Delegates? Only months ago, Democrats were hopeful of a takeover. Now, projections run anywhere from a two to 12 seat gain for the GOP (see the Washington Times below). Expect at least one shocker. Maybe two. Today, of course, the News Stand (even the National and Commentary sections) is all about  the election.

News:

McDonnell extends advantage in Times-Dispatch poll (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

3 Points in 3 Months: VA Gov Contest Polling Ends Just About Where It Began, with GOP Sweep of VA Races (SurveyUSA.com)

McDonnell maintains large lead (PublicPolicyPolling.com)

Republicans Unleash “McBollinelli” (WTVR.com/WTVR-TV)

Virginia candidates step up efforts in waning hours (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Now it’s a sprint to Tuesday (The Daily Press)

Virginia governor candidates hold last-minute rallies (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

McDonnell, Deeds push key campaign themes as race nears end (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Welcome to work, governor. It’s time to slash the budget. (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

McDonnell and Deeds mostly mum on how to fund their ideas (Washington Post)

Virginia Republicans expect to make gains (Washington Times)

Republicans hope to gain House seats (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)

Palin records calls urging Virginians to vote (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

LU hoping for strong voter turnout on Tuesday (Lynchburg News & Advance)

National:

A few elections, a few clues about our politics (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Scorn for property taxes drives NJ governor’s race (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Third party challenges in NJ, NY are warning sign (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Limbaugh says Obama ‘in over his head’ (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary:

Republican Leaders Seeing the Light and Going Conservative? (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

At our Gala Monday evening, the loudest applause line of Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb’s address was when she said that pro-family Virginians expect that the next governor of Virginia to submit a budget that ends taxpayer subsidies to Planned Parenthood. In a radio interview the next day on the Laura Ingraham Show, Republican candidate for governor Bob McDonnell stated that he would do just that.

Now, Planned Parenthood is going berserk over McDonnell’s comments, despite the fact that The Washington Post today claims that Planned Parenthood didn’t receive any taxpayer money in this year’s budget. For several years The Family Foundation has worked with other pro-life organizations to end the taxpayer subsidizing of Planned Parenthood, often finding it difficult to uncover how much money they receive or through what agency or program.

While Planned Parenthood alleges that the money they receive is used for “women’s health care,” the fact is that this is a $1 billion a year organization that performs more than one-quarter of all abortions in the nation, with roughly one-third of its income coming from taxpayers.

Oddly, for an organization that claims to be about “health care,” it is run by a hard-core partisan Democrat, Cecile Richards, the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards and former chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The truth is, it is nothing more than a partisan organization that uses its taxpayer funding to bludgeon pro-life candidates across the country and to promote abortion on demand. This year, Planned Parenthood endorsed McDonnell’s opponent, Creigh Deeds, who supports taxpayer funding of that organization. in fact, Planned Parenthood endorsed all three Democrat statewide candidates.

The fact is that, regardless of their position on abortion, most Virginians do not like the idea of their tax dollars paying for abortions and, by extension, organizations that perform them. Planned Parenthood has plenty of its own money; it doesn’t need any from the taxpayers.

Annotations & Elucidations 

Military Shafted Again By Virginia Registrars

We lead off with another mention of The Family Foundation by a national organization (American Family Association). State and national media have paid a lot of attention to us recently for a variety of good reasons. This time, about our voter guides for the November 3 election. Additionally, our very own Victoria Cobb was interviewed by Richmond’s NBC12 yesterday in response to the “Hate Crimes Bill” President Obama signed into law, but unfortunately, it has yet to post it on its Web page. (If this bill was so important, why did it have to be attached to the Defence Appropriations Bill?)

Speaking of the military, NBC12 does an excellent job reporting on 16 Virginia localities which again failed to mail on time (in violation of state law) military personnel their absentee ballots. In a sign that it’s just as well it didn’t post Victoria’s video, the video of the absentee ballot report won’t post here, but we have the link to it. This incompetence has not gone unnoticed as concerned citizens and military families rallied outside the State Board of Elections. 

Meanwhile, back on the campaign trail, it was desperate enough of Democrat attorney general candidate, Delegate Steve Shannon to call his Republican opponent, Senator Ken Cuccinelli, a racist last week because of his 10th Amendment support, but now he’s a gay basher of sorts. Really, Delegate Shannon. Show some grace. If Senator Cuccinelli was all those things, why have you accepted dinner invitations at his home? 

News:

*Virginia residents to vote on Election Day — Tuesday, November 3, 2009 (AFAAction.net)

Military absentee ballots mailed late (transcript and video) (WWBT-TV/NBC12.com)

GOP headliners hopscotch Virginia for McDonnell (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Romney makes pitch for McDonnell at Virginia Beach lunch (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Giuliani stumps for McDonnell (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)

McDonnell critics question ideology (Washington Post)

Deeds, McDonnell have similar blueprints for state’s economy (The Daily Press)

Shannon criticizes Cuccinelli remarks on policies toward gays (Washington Post)

Cuccinelli is no libertarian (Augusta Free Press)

Democrats pour money into 6th race (Roanoke Times)  

Trible uses CNU letterhead to raise money for Hamilton (The Daily Press)

Nonprofit halts planned mailing of voting history (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Can you shame people into voting? (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

National News:

After 10-year dispute, expansion of hate crimes law to gays signed (Washington Post)

Annotations & Elucidations 

The Day After

Wow! What an evening last night! We’ll have a review and other highlights later, and hopefully some video later in the week. Mike Huckabee brought down the Greater Richmond Convention Center with an inspirational speech filled with philosophical overtones overlayed with moral and Biblical principles, capped with a moving exposition as to what happens when people stand idly by and ignore the events around them. We have coverage from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog and The Shad Plank Blog.

Meanwhile, President Obama is in Norfolk today to campaign for Democrat Creigh Deeds. If he’s truly the chosen one, he should be able to raise this campaign from the dead, right? As he passes the gates of D.C. into Virginia, the POTUS will see a new Post poll that shows Republican candidate Bob McDonnell stretching his lead to 11 points. He leads in campaign donations, too, the latest filing reports show.

In Commentary, Thomas Sowell looks at the dismantling of America, Bobby Eberle excoriates Republicans and the president, and Richard Olivastro reports on an “under God” button controversy. There’s more, too, as well as a full National News section. Read up! We’re only a week away.

*McDonnell leads Deeds in poll, cash (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

*Huckabee draws a crowd in Richmond (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

*Huckabee in Richmond tonight as Del. Oder snags award . . . (The Shad Plank Blog)

McDonnell’s edge over Deeds grows stronger (Washington Post)

Heading into homestretch, McDonnell has more cash (Roanoke Times)

Competition for 17th District House of Delegates seat in home stretch (Roanoke Times)

National News:

No guarantees on Senate health bill’s public plan (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Long-term care insurance program gains in the House (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Pelosi: ‘There’s got to be a better name for this’ (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Senate Leader Harry Reid faces tough re-election (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama admin concerned about freedom of speech (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary:

Dismantling America (Thomas Sowell/GOPUSA.com)

Obama’s War On Fox Is Liberalism’s War On Dissent (David Limbaugh/GOPUSA.com)

‘One Nation Under God’ Button ‘Terminated’ (Richard Olivastro/GOPUSA.com)

Scratch Another GOP Candidate Off The List For 2012 (Doug Patton/GOPUSA.com)

Message to Republican Leaders: Get a Clue! (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

Obama Bails Out When Asked About Fox News (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)