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The Biggest Loser Strikes Again

The Washington Post is at it again . . . still! Forget Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon, election night’s biggest loser was the Post. It created Deeds with its Democrat primary endorsement of him. His campaign slogan effectively became, “Endorsed by the Washington Post” and its influence over the liberal Northern Virginia base carried him to primary victory. It then became his de facto political consultant, telling him to come clean on his tax increase plans, which he did in a Post op-ed, and coaching him every step of the way. It even gave him his singular line of attack against his Republican opponent — a thesis Bob McDonnell wrote while earning his MBA at Regent University. Now, after a couple of weeks of silence, the Post can’t contain itself and is back on the hunt, trying to tie the governor-elect to a comment Regent founder Pat Robertson made about Muslims. Lesson learned number one from the campaign: Don’t hire the Washington Post as your campaign advisor. Lesson two: It’s a real sore loser.

Elsewhere, we’re mentioned in a piece about Governor-elect McDonnell’s transition team. One of our board members, Dave Barrett, was named as a transition team senior advisor. Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Jeff Schapiro speculates on whom McDonnell will name as Secretary of Finance, his most important personnel decision, according to Mr. Schapiro. Is House Majority Whip Kirk Cox (R-66, Colonial Heights) a contender? The T-D also examines the online advertising aspect of the late campaign — it was among the best, it says. No wonder, there was a lot of material to work with. Also, policies are starting to emerge from the Team McDonnell. Finally, please check out Michael Ramirez’s editorial comics at the links below. He’s a hoot. Maybe the Post should look them over, laugh . . . and lighten up.

News:

*Gov.-elect McDonnell announces senior advisers to transition team (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

McDonnell meets House Democrats, stresses common ground (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

McDonnell eyes health-care changes at state level (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Robertson’s remarks put McDonnell in a bind (Washington Post)

Online ads in Va. gubernatorial race ’set the standard’ (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Dates set for special Senate primaries; “Debate” held in the 8th today (BearingDrift.com)

Tickets on sale now for Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly in Norfolk (The Daily Press)

Analysis:

Budget boss atop concern (Jeff Schapiro/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Editorial Comics:

Pork Flu (Below) (Michael Ramirez/TheWeek.com)

Pelosi & Reid’s Miracle Health Care Reform (Michael Ramirez/Townhall.com)

RINO: A Scene From “The Godfather” (Michael Ramirez/Townhall.com)

Don’t you just love all the media pundits, mainstream media types and liberal political consultants who have spent the last 10 days backpeddling faster than Michael Phelps swims to anyone and everyone who will listen that the Virginia Republican earthquake/landslide/nuking wasn’t a conservative win when they spent the last two months spending millions of dollars and filing scores of stories trying to paint Bob McDonnell as a right wing Pat Robertson acolyte, Bill Bolling as an evil capitalist insurance executive, and Ken Cuccinelli as an 1860’s states rightist?

Not that those caricatures define conservatism but you can’t say your opponents are far outside the mainstream then claim they won only because they did a better job getting to the middle than your guys did. Not to mention the six seat gain in the House of Delegates in areas of the state liberals thought they owned. When 74 percent of McDonnell voters said they were “unhappy with the direction they (Obama administration) are taking Washington and the country” there’s every reason to believe they expect a good dose of Virginia conservatism to counter Washington’s hyper liberalism. November 3 was a conservative upheaval.

Last Friday evening Planned Parenthood of Southeast Virginia held an annual fundraiser, earnestly mocking Christians in Virginia with particular vitriol for Pat Roberston. All this was done in the name of raising money for a new “health” facility to be built in Virginia Beach. Health for everyone except the mothers and the babies that enter, of course.

According to reports, Democrat candidate for Lt. Governor Jody Wagner was in attendance, lending her public support to the most extreme pro-abortion group in the country. Remember, it was current Lt. Governor Bill Bolling who cast the tie breaking Senate vote earlier this year that would have ended Virginia taxpayer subsidies of Planned Parenthood. The budget amendment Bolling supported was later stripped by budget conferees. No doubt that issue will be a part of next year’s race for Lt. Governor.

But Wagner wasn’t alone Friday. The crowd included Glenn Nye, Democrat candidate for Congress running against second district Congresswoman Thelma Drake; third district Democrat Congressman Bobby “Ban Christmas” Scott, and Delegate Bobby Mathieson (D-21, Virginia Beach).

Attendees were urged to join “The Other 700 Club,” a group of 700 people donating $1,000 toward a new facility. The shot at Robertson and his “700 Club” television ministry was a nice touch, don’t you think? Very tolerant.