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Annotations & Elucidations

Looking For A Legacy

After a lull in state news, it all came bursting out today with Governor Tim Kaine (contact) trying to steal his successor’s thunder — and continue to leave himself a peculiar legacy. Before the Thanksgiving break he hinted he would include tax increases in his last budget. He confirmed that today with proposals to repeal certain tax credits. Bad enough. But then he moved on to the social side and wants to extend state benefits to domestic partners. As we noted last week, he’s going out as he came in. It wasn’t a pretty picture then, it’s not now, either.

Governor-elect Bob McDonnell, on the other hand, who opposes these measures, proceeded to announce the first several appointments to his administration, including Governor Kaine’s finance secretary. At least for now, until the budget is dealt with. Meanwhile, The Daily Press previews what will amount to a GOP victory weekend celebration party in Williamsburg this weekend at its Annual Advance. But the campaigns aren’t over. Robert McCartney of the Washington Post takes a look at the 37th Senate District special election, and wonders — hopes — Dave Marsden can excite Northern Virginia liberals to the polls. He doubts it.

Nationally, as we mentioned Tuesday, same-sex marriage bills are meeting resistance in, of all places, New York and New Jersey. Yesterday, the New York Senate officially killed it with amazing bi-partisan support. But, as we all know, no one cares about the “social issues.” Elsewhere, ClimateGate continues to unfold in unpleasant ways for the left, while two other horrendous bills are flying under the radar in Congress, both of which we should all be concerned about: a “cyber security” bill, that could curtail individual liberty, and the “Non-Discrimination Act,” which is anything but, of course.

News:

Gov.-elect McDonnell opposes Kaine tax break repeal in next budget (AP/WSLS.com)

Va. budget to test McDonnell’s stance (Washington Post)

Kaine proposal: extend state benefits to domestic partners, other adults (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) 

Gov. proposal offers state’s coverage to more adults (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

McDonnell announces first round of appointments (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

Kent likely to get chief of staff nod Thursday (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

McDonnell keeping Kaine’s financial chief, temporarily (Charlottesville Daily Progress)

McDonnell expected to fill two positions (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Virginia GOP huddles in Williamsburg (The Daily Press)

National:

NY traditional marriage supporters celebrate (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

‘Cyber threat’ bill a threat itself (OneNewsNow.com)

UK University to probe integrity of climate data (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

Commentary:

In Va. Senate race, Democrats get another chance (Robert McCartney/Washington Post)

The discriminatory ‘Non-Discrimination Act’ (Matt Barber/OneNewsNow.com)

ClimateGate: NPR sees silver lining (Larry Elder/OneNewsNow.com)

2012: Is the Sky Really Falling? (Dave Sterrett/Rightly Concerned Blog)

They Call It Fiscal Responsibilty; We Call It Socialism (David Limbaugh/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Annotations & Elucidations

Back From Break

The four day Thanksgiving break is universally good for everyone. With so many events converging in November, it’s good to hit the breaks, take a rest, then gear up for the non-stop onslaught that is December (Christmas season and preparing for the General Assembly) and January and February (which is all General Assembly all the time).

One wouldn’t think there’d be much news over the break, but there is. The Richmond Times-Dispatch profiles Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli, who is ready and eager for his new job (to the horrors of liberals). Virginia’s financial woes continue to make news as the commonwealth borrows more to meet its unemployment insurance obligations, but it may just yet reap a windfall (see the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot and Washington Post, respectively). Speaking of the GA, ethics reform will be big this year, per The Daily Press. Speaking of ethics, the State Board of Elections is demanding some answers this week from a group that wanted to mail you information about your neighbors voting habits. Only certain people can obtain Voter Vault lists, such as elected officials, so the supplier (or willing supplier) to the Know Campaign is a case for the curious. The Virginian-Pilot has the details. In some good news, because we believe the more people can understand that the Founding Fathers intended America as a land of limited government and religious liberty, it’s now easier than ever to read their words as they wrote them (see the T-D).

Nationally, more fallout from the leaked e-mails documenting the “global warming” hoax, the GOP looks for more orthodoxy, a boycott of Gap and Old Navy ends, a Hollywood superstar calls President Obama a “socialist,” while said POTUS leaves out God in his Thanksgiving proclamation. Finally, speaking of Hollywood, the latest “feel good movie of the year,” Blind Side, has some troubling aspects about public education and government influence on families that shouldn’t go unnoticed, as writes Star Parker. Whoa! Told you it’s full steam ahead. Hope the break got you ready for what’s coming at us.

News:

Cuccinelli digs in to set course for AG’s office (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

GOP to hold firehouse primaries for both open Senate seats (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

Va. to borrow $1.26 billion for depleted unemployment funds (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

U.S. sitting on $17 billion in unclaimed war bonds (Washington Post)

Lawmakers expect focus on ethics reform in wake of Phil Hamilton (The Daily Press)

Officials tell nonprofit to reveal voter history data source (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Founding Fathers’ papers go online (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

National News:

Global-warming data sets ’simply made up’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Divided Senate opens health care debate (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

GOP purity test proposed (OneNewsNow.com)

AFA ends boycott of Gap, Old Navy: Best Buy and Dick’s Sporting Goods make AFA’s “Naughty” list (American Family Association)

Commentary:

Obama Doesn’t Use ‘God’ in Thanksgiving Proclamation (Bryan Fischer/Focal Point Right, Rightly Concerned Blog) 

Angelina Jolie Thinks Obama Is A Socialist (Elijah Friedeman/The Millennial Perspective, Rightly Concerned Blog)

Obama invites a nightmare (Peter Heck/OneNewsNow.com)

‘The Blide Side’ should trouble as well as inspire (Star Parker/OneNewsNow.com)

So Much For Obama’s Pledge to Remove the Influence of Lobbyists (Bryan Fischer/Focal Point Right, Rightly Concerned Blog) 

All of us at The Family Foundation of Virginia hope that you will spend time with your loved ones and friends this Thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on the abundance of grace and mercy that is poured out on each of us each year by our loving God.

In the many battles we face, and in a culture where our values seem to be slipping away, it is often difficult to find joy and thankfulness. Yet, we are incredibly blessed in so many ways. Simply being alive, having the opportunity to serve our God, to live in a land that is free — still — and having family and friends to love are just some of the things we too often take for granted.

This year, we at The Family Foundation have much for which to be thankful. While many will first think of the recent elections where pro-family candidates were victorious, our gratitude goes far beyond those results. For one, we can never express enough how thankful we are for our supporters. This year, despite the difficult economy, donors to The Family Foundation helped make Winning Matters an unquestioned success. Add to that the nearly 1,300 people who attended our Annual Gala with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and we can truly say that God supplied for our needs in remarkable ways in 2009.

We also are extremely thankful for our army of volunteers, both those who guide or work through our local grassroots networks, and those who help us here in the office or at various events. Incredibly, volunteers sacrificially gave more than 1,000 hours of their time in our headquarters this year! From stuffing envelopes for mailings, helping distribute nearly 900,000 Voter Guides, to making thousands of phone calls, the help given by these volunteers can simply not be measured. We could not have had a successful Winning Matters campaign, nor Gala, without these selfless individuals. The Family Foundation — Board and staff — offer our collective heartfelt thanks.

We also are thankful for the challenges God places in our path. It is only through those hard times that we truly place our trust in Him and mature in our faith. Together, we face many challenges — culturally and politically. But it is for just this time that God has placed us in this Commonwealth. He chose us to be here to fight for our liberties when they are in peril. That is an honor for which we can truly be thankful.

Again, we thank you for your support of The Family Foundation. May God bless you abundantly this Thanksgiving!

Boston may have had its Tea Party in 1773 (a fact I know well as a stammering, stage-frightened, scene-blowing actor in my 7th grade play, The Boston Tea Party), but Virginia’s rebellious nature against authoritarian rule is no less historic, given Patrick Henry’s famous 1765 “Caesar had his Brutus” “Treason” speech in the House of Burgesses. As with Thanksgiving, them Yankees try to steal all our firsts.

But it seems the Tea Party movement has revived more than 235 years later. Thousands of Americans are fed up with the large government debt, the printing of money, stimulus packages, government bailouts, and the inevitable higher taxes to pay for it all and resulting inflation that would completely wreak our country.

So, on Tax Day, April 15, as of now, at least five Virginia localities are joining hundreds more across America to have their own tea parties to demonstrate their displeasure with the government’s increasing involvement in the private sector.

The tea parties will be in Richmond, Charlottesville, Virginia Beach and Lynchburg (locations, times, etc., here at TaxDayTeaParty.com); as well as Newport News (more info here via Tertium Quids). Richmond and Newport News have wsonderfully appropriate locations: at Kanawa Plaza, in front of the Federal Reserve Building in the Holy City; and in front of the office of 3rd District U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-Newport News).

It won’t be July 4th. But there should be some (rhetorical) fireworks nonethesame.

This has been a turbulent year. The last two months alone have been enough to make the sun spin. The year comes to a close with a lot of uncertainty and certainly with a political twist many of us do not look forward to.

However, there will be time to fight those battles and, yes, win them, with all of us pulling together. However, the timing of this most gracious and warm approaching holiday could not have come at a better time.

Like you, we too look forward to the warmth and love of the company of our family and friends this time of year; of great food, fun times and just relaxing. We appreciate the time, however mandated by the calendar, to pause, reflect and give thanks for all this country and commonwealth provides us and means to us; and we pray for and help those whose lives need help.

We pause and pray to The Almighty God for his abundant blessings and goodness to us and this country and commonwealth. We offer thanks to Him for all that we are and have, and to pledge to Him to work to reciprocate that love year-round by making our world a better place, a place worthy of His grace and Word, through charity to those less fortunate than us, in refecting in ourselves His Word to others by example, as well as actively engaging the public at large for policies that protect the enduring values of civilization — doing it all one small accumulative step at a time.

From the staff, board and volunteers of The Family Foundation of Virginia, please accept our warmest and sincerest wishes for a blessed, safe and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday.