From the Virginia Public Access Project comes some fascinating new numbers that show Republicans are making a late play for some seats in the House of Delegates where they were once thought to have little chance for pick-ups.

The late donations, from Republican Party of Virginia, Dominion Leadership Trust and
candidate committees for Speaker William Howell and Del. Morgan Griffith, is a sign that Republicans are hoping a tidal wave of a win Tuesday could pull even more delegate candidates into the winner's column than they had once thought.

It's a stunning turnaround in a year when Democrats had once talked about regaining control of the House for the first time since 1999.

Per VPAP, here are late donations from Republican to House candidates just since Friday:

In the online world of opposition research, data can sometimes be misleading.

In our latest look at state House races, we examine two campaign fliers circulating around Loudoun County. One claims that state Del. David E. Poisson (D-Sterling) was late in paying his personal property taxes for four separate years between 1993 and 2001.

The mailers were circulated by Poisson's Republican opponent, Ashburn businessman Thomas "Tag" Greason. Virginia's Republican Party has made the race between Greason and Poisson a competitive one, pouring $147,000 into Greason's campaign. Poisson himself has received $107,000 from the state Democratic Party and $35,000 from the state House Democratic caucus. In a district that could has trended blue but could go red with a Robert F. McDonnell surge in the governor's race, every little bit helps.

But back to the mailer. Poisson, a Sterling lawyer in private practice, said he didn't move to Loudoun until 1995. And his 2001 late payment and penalty can be attributed to a mistake by his mortgage company, he said.

You know Election Day is approaching when things get this ugly. Late last week, Republican House of Delegates candidate Rich Anderson sent out a mailer to voters that dropped a bombshell about his opponent, Del. Paul Nichols (D-Prince William). Nichols, it said, had been arrested in North Carolina in 2006 for assaulting a police officer, and it implied that Nichols may have been intoxicated at the time.

Problem is, the mailer failed to note that a judge dropped the charges against Nichols, who has said it was the police officer who got aggressive with him when he came to the aid of a friend who had been pulled over. The mailer, which called Nichols "A Different Kind of 'Slugger,'" also included excerpts of a police report that displayed Nichols's Social Security number. In addition, a judge in September of this year granted Nichols's request that the documents be expunged.

Anderson's campaign has defended the mailer, saying voters deserved to know that the arrest occurred. But on a campaign stop in Occoquan yesterday, Nichols accused his opponent of overstepping the bounds of acceptable behavior and said he was contemplating legal action against the Republican.

Here's one of the most interesting endorsements this campaign season.

Del. Phil Hamilton was endorsed today by the Virginia Police Benevolent Association.

Yes, you read correctly.

The powerful Republican lawmaker from Newport News who is under federal investigation got the backing of more than 2,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officials.

Hamilton is under investigation for negotiating a job offer with Old Dominion University before securing state money for the school. A federal grand jury served the Newport News school system and ODU with subpoenas and search warrants.

"We will ask our members, their friends and families, and all citizens who respect the strong and efficient enforcement of our laws to cast their ballots in the upcoming election in your favor,'' William B. Gordon, Newport News Chapter President of PBA wrote in a letter to Hamilton.

Does the PBA know something we don't know?

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) paid a visit to Northern Virginia today in the hopes that his appeal among suburban voters might rub off on four fellow Democrats running for the House of Delegates: Incumbents Paul Nichols (Prince William) and Chuck Caputo (Fairfax/Loudoun), and newcomers John Bell (Loudoun/Prince William) and Mark Keam (Fairfax).

If you'll recall, Kaine won the 2005 gubernatorial race in part by emphasizing the issues that mattered to suburbanites: traffic, development and education. He became the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate in two decades to win Loudoun and Prince William counties, and he still enjoys a 71 percent approval rate in Northern Virginia, according to a recent Washington Post poll -- despite Republican efforts to paint him as a part-time governor because of his second job as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Hello politicos! And welcome to another installation of House Call. We haven't spent much time outside of Gotham this election season (that would be Northern Virginia), but today we're going to travel to the other urban powerhouse of Virginia electoral politics -- Hampton Roads.

Two House races in particular are shaping up to be quite competitive this year. Both seats are in Virginia Beach, and both are currently held by first-term Democrats. One is R.W. "Bobby" Mathieson of the 21st District, a longtime Virginia Beach city police officer who unseated Republican John J. Welch III in 2007. Mathieson faces Virginia Beach City Council member Ron A. Villanueva.

The other Democratic incumbent fighting for survival at the Beach is Joe F. Bouchard of the 83rd District, a former Naval commander who is in a rematch against Republican Chris P. Stolle, an obstetrician and brother of soon-to-retire state Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle. Bouchard beat Chris Stolle in 2007 in an open-seat contest to replace Republican Leo C. Wardrup Jr., who retired.

So here's what's interesting about these races.

1) Bouchard won by a hair two years ago, beating Stolle by just 131 votes. Mathieson won more handily, with 57 percent of the vote. But both Democrats had the political winds at their back at a time when then-President Bush's approval ratings were very low and anger over the Iraq war was high. This year, the winds have shifted and the historical Republican-leaning nature of these districts gives the challengers a lift.

2) Bouchard carried a financial advantage over Stolle as of Aug. 31; he had $68,000 on hand compared to Stolle's $26,000. But since then, Stolle has received more than $230,000 from the Republican State Leadership Committee, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Mathieson had $86,000 in the bank at the end of August; Villanueva had $15,000.

3) First-term incumbents are always vulnerable. They don't have much record, they don't have much name recognition, yet they must fight the negative imagery often associated with incumbency.

4) Virginia Beach is Robert F. McDonnell's hometown, the community he represented in the House of Delegates for 14 years. It's also the city that has elected Ken Stolle to the state Senate since 1991; Ken Stolle is on the ballot this year to become the city's next sheriff. Both those names give down-ballot Republicans a coat-tailing advantage.

GOPAC, a national organization dedicated to electing Republicans to state and local office, is donating $100,000 to gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell and Virginia's House of Delegate candidates. More is expected to come.

The group is assisting several Republican House candidates in Northern Virginia including Del. Dave Albo (42nd district), Jay McConville (44th), Barbara Comstock (34th), Rich Anderson (51st) and Jim LeMunyon (67th).

"We are going to win because Bob McDonnell and Republicans running for the House of Delegates have better solutions to the issues that concern voters: low taxes, adequate transportation funding and patient-centered health care," Chairman Frank Donatelli said.

In the spring, GOPAC launched its first ever multi-media campaign to support McDonnell that includes cable TV ads and run ads online using Google search engine advertising, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other media. It also trained House candidates on how to best communicate GOP positions on healthcare and taxes.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009

Good morning everyone. Here's what's happening in politics around the state today.

Election Day is exactly five weeks away. And it feels like it. The campaigns are in full swing -- working around the clock, rolling out policy plans, airing new TV ads.

Democrat Creigh Deeds heads back to a metro station this morning -- this time, to unveil an endorsement from former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton. (Didn't we already know Holton supported Deeds? After all, he's Gov. Tim Kaine's father-in-law and he's endorsed Democrats in most recent statewide elections, including Barack Obama).

Deeds debuted a TV ad yesterday featuring U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, arguably the most popular politician in the state.

Republican Bob McDonnell rolls out another policy -- on mental health -- this morning on a conference call with reporters.

McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling released the second part of their good government plan yesterday. McDonnell also raised $350,000 at a pair of fundraisers with
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Virginia Business magazine takes a look at how Deeds and McDonnell plan to create jobs and boost the economy. And as part of his voter series, Joel Rubin of Cox1Hampton Roads has posted new interviews with Deeds here and here, and McDonnell here and here.

Hello, politicos! Welcome to this week's installment of House Call, in which we take a quick look at the state of money in various House races.

Last week, we talked of three incumbent Democrats in Northern Virginia being targeted by Republicans. This week, we know that two of these Democrats still squarely hold the financial advantage.

The conventional wisdom this fall is that, as a result of the economic downturn and concern about a variety of federal issues such as health care reform, Republicans have an opportunity even in Northern Virginia this year to pick up seats in the House of Delegates. The latest reports, however, show that it's always hard to overcome the financial advantage of being an incumbent.

And what does this mean for you and me? Mail. Lots of it.

Democrat Chuck Caputo in the 67th District in western Fairfax and eastern Loudoun wrapped up summer with $104,000 on hand after raising $44,000 in July and August, according to the always fabulous Virginia Public Access Project. Caputo's opponent, Republican Jim LeMunyon, reported $51,000 on hand. LeMunyon raised $40,000 in July and August, but more than half was a personal loan from himself.

Take a short hop west to the 32nd District in Ashburn and Sterling, and Democrat David Poisson reports $110,000 on hand on Aug. 31, after raising $44,000 in July and August. Poisson's opponent, Tag Greason, reports $36,000 on hand after raising $39,000.

Only in the meandering 34th District in McLean and Great Falls is the Democrat losing the money wars. Democrat Margi Vanderhye closed the summer with $133,000 on hand after raising $55,000. Vanderhye's Republican opponent, Barbara Comstock, a seasoned Washington operative with lots of fundraising contacts, had $158,000 in the bank after raising $60,000 in July and August.

It turns out U.S. Rep. Joe "You Lie!" Wilson has some interest in Virginia politics. Wilson e-mailed a fundraiser appeal Tuesday on behalf of the Dominion Leadership Trust political action committee, the PAC organized by House Speaker Bill Howell in 2002 to support Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates.

The South Carolina congressman encourages recipients to contribute to the PAC to keep a Republican majority in the House, to counter union money and national support from liberal groups including ACORN and to "send a message to the national Democrats -- Americans won't put up with your big government agenda."

It's worth noting that Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert F. McDonnell has condemned Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress, citing it as an example of the lack of civility now invading public life.

UPDATE: Eric Dell, Wilson's chief of staff, says the congressman sent the e-mail after Howell's office called and asked for his help. "They contacted us on this. The congressman said he'd be happy to help," Dell said.

You can read Wilson's whole e-mail after the jump.

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009

Welcome, race fans! And sorry for the House Call hiatus. Things happen.

This week, let's take a quick look at three seats held by Democrats in Northern Virginia that are attracting more and more attention as Nov. 3 gets close. We've told you that Republican lawmakers Dave Albo and Tom Rust are vulnerable. For about six years we've told you: They're always vulnerable to the inexorable march of the Democrats trampling across Northern Virginia.

But the story line has shifted this year, yes? The march is not so inexorable? President Obama's approval ratings have sagged. The economy has tanked. Angst is growing about health-care reform and government spending. Suddenly, folks are talking about Northern Virginia Democrats who might be in trouble this year. Chuck Caputo, David Poisson and Margi Vanderhye: This one's for you.

The Republican State Leadership Committee, which calls itself the nation's largest caucus of GOP state leaders, has donated nearly $250,000 to Virginia candidates this election cycle.

This week, the group gave more than $90,000 to the state Republican party (which let's face it, desperately needs the money) and Chris Stolle, a House candidate in Hampton Roads (and yes, brother of the state senator.)

"We believe that the Republican candidates are well-positioned for victory in November because they understand the private sector, not the public sector, will create the road to recovery and keep Virginia competitive,'' said Scott Ward, the group's president.

The RSLC is a national organization with more than 75,000 donors that works to elect Republicans to state legislatures as well as to the offices of attorney general, lieutenant governor and secretary of state.

You may recall that Virginia changed its campaign finance reporting law after the RSLC gave Bob McDonnell more than $2 million in his race for attorney general against Creigh Deeds. At the time, the group did not have to reveal the source of its donations.

Today is the deadline for candidates and others to report to turn in their campaign finance reports for the two months ending in August. Check back here for details on those reports as we get them.

Good morning, Virginia, here's what's happening in state politics today.

Today is the deadline for candidates in November's election to file their summer campaign finance reports, including gubernatorial hopefuls R. Creigh Deeds (D) and Robert F. McDonnell (R). The reports will provide a valuable glimpse into the kind of support each man is attracting, as did yesterday's announcement that Deeds has been endorsed by the state firefighters and McDonnell got the nod from the NRA, which supported Deeds in their last match-up four years ago. Observers will also be on the lookout for evidence of the national groups that are expected to pour resources into one of the first big races since last year's history-making presidential election.

Both men attend a candidates forum at a Bar Association event in Norfolk today, offering a preview of Thursday's debate in Fairfax.

Republican Barbara J. Comstock, who is challenging state Del. Margi Vanderhye in the McLean-based 34th House District, will hold a fundraiser Tuesday headlined by Karl Rove.

And Comstock will appear with former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Sunday at a fundraiser in the home of former solicitor general Ted Olson and his wife, Lady Booth Olson.

Comstock comes by her big-name contacts naturally: She is the former director of public affairs for the Department of Justice; the former chief counsel for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and a former senior aide to U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.). She is a founding partner of Corallo Comstock, a lobbying and public relations firm.

Comstock's Washington connections have served her campaign purse well. At the end of June, Comstock had outraised first-term delegate Vanderhye, with $167,000 in the bank, putting the 34th District on the map as one to watch in Northern Virginia. Check back with us Tuesday to see if the latest reports show more of the same.

For this week's examination of the House of Delegates races, we pick up on the controversy stirred up by our blog post last week that quoted Del. Steve Landes (R) comparing White House actions to those of "the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany."

During a speech at a local GOP picnic, Landes said some supporters of Republican causes are "afraid their neighbors are going to tell on them. When you've got a White House that's keeping names of people that don't agree with them, that reminds me of what went on in the Soviet Union and in Nazi Germany." (A longer excerpt can be found after the jump.)

Landes's opponent, Greg Marrow (D), has called for Landes to apologize for his statement. On Friday, the Waynesboro News Virginian reports that Landes has no plans to do so and posts a full nine-minute video of his remarks from the Aug. 29 Augusta GOP picnic in Fishersville, Va.

At least three Northern Virginia Democratic candidates for House of Delegates have asked their Republican opponents to condemn the views espoused by gubernatorial hopeful Bob McDonnell (R) in his much-discussed 1989 graduate school thesis.

It's unlikely that Greg Werkheiser and John Bell, who are respectively challenging Republican delegates Dave Albo and Bob Marshall, and Scott A. Surovell, who is up against Jay McConville (R) for the seat being vacated by Kris Amundson (D), actually expected a response. But one of them got one today.

Albo said in a phone interview that he did not know of Werkheiser's demand, but called the past assertion by McDonnell that working mothers are detrimental to the family "ridiculous."

"I think what Bob said [in the thesis] was ridiculous, but I know Bob McDonnell the legislator now and he's one of the best legislators who has ever served in Virginia," Albo said.

The Virginian-Pilotand the Daily Press are reporting that a federal grand jury served the Newport News school system with a subpoena and search warrant involving Del. Phil Hamilton's former job at Old Dominion University.

Hamilton, who works for the school system, used his e-mail account to negotiate a job offer with ODU before securing state money for the school, according to e-mails released by the university a couple of weeks ago.

"I welcome the inquiry and it is my hope that it will be completed swiftly,'' Hamilton said In an e-mail to reporters last night. "I am sure that the investigation will confirm my innocence, and I look forward to continuing my service to the people of Newport News and James City County."

Hamilton has refused to step down despite calls for his resignation -- even from leaders of his own party, including Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling.

No word yet on whether ODU or the House of Delegates were subpoenaed.

For this week's Kitchen Table, we dropped by a GOP picnic last Saturday in Augusta County, one of the state's most longstanding Republican strongholds. On a sunny afternoon interrupted by a brief spray of rain, over a lunch of barbecue and cole slaw, party activists in this Shenandoah Valley community expressed an overwhelming concern that their country and culture were being threatened by forces in Washington.

Featured speaker Patrick McSweeney, former state GOP chairman and founder of a new think tank called Restore the Founders' Vision, said his son was becoming so concerned with current affairs that he was considering moving to Costa Rica. Del. Steve Landes accused the White House of keeping tabs on Republicans, some of whom he said live in a climate of fear, and evoked the always-dicey Hitler comparison.

In certain districts in Southside, Southwest and along the I-81 corridor, Republicans are hoping the hot-button issue of offshore drilling may work to their advantage in the House of Delegates races.

So House Speaker Bill Howell (R) is trying to push the issue to the forefront by sending a letter this week to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asking for the federal government to allow for the exploration of oil and gas off Virginia's coast.

His letter comes after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) sent his own letter to Salazar earlier this year asking for a delay in drilling off the Virginia coast.

"The expedited lease of the 2.9 million acres 50 miles offshore of Virginia would significantly improve Virginia's - and America's - energy security as well as assist in meeting that growing demand,'' Howell wrote in his letter. "Developing these resources would create thousands of new jobs in our Commonwealth, arriving at the right time to assist in lifting our workers, families and communities out of this economic recession."

Enough said.

Hello, legislative junkies! Yes, the big story in House races this week remains Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, the Newport News Republican fighting for his life amid a bipartisan chorus of calls for his resignation. But by now, the back-room banter among both Republicans and Democrats is that Hamilton is sunk -- and that even if he steps down and the Rs can find a candidate to step in, they'd be hard-pressed to hang on against Democrat Robin Abbott in the ever-bluer 93rd District.

And so, like the Republican Party, I'm moving on -- to an entirely different topic: this year's Rainbow Coalition. Let me explain with a question: Which major party is mounting the most diverse ticket of legislative challengers that anyone can remember? And, in two-thirds of those races, which party is facing a slate of incumbents who could be described with perfect accuracy as bunch of middle-aged white guys? I know, I know, I'm playing to stereotypes. But even the Republicans admit that it's surprising that the GOP challenge ticket is packing such diversity this year. At the very least, it's interesting and worth a closer look. So here are some eye-opening facts on the subject, in no particular order:

Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009

Good morning, politicos! Here's what's happening today.

In the gubernatorial universe (is there any other??), Republican Bob McDonnell continues his RV tour of Virginia with stops in Botetourt County, Woodstock, Weyers Cave and Harrisonburg. Democrat Creigh Deeds ... well, if I knew what Democrat Creigh Deeds were doing today, I'd tell you. No word yet from the campaign on his public schedule, other than that he'll be in Northern Virginia at least part of the day.

On Monday, in an appearance in Charlottesville, Deeds highlighted his plans to help small businesses. McDonnell, meanwhile, will join Deeds Wednesday on the airwaves. The Republican Governors Association is also launching a TV ad campaign, and national HuckPAC volunteers are pitching in for McDonnell as well.

The big news of the day remains the fate of Newport News Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, the beleaguered ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee who is under fire for seeking a job at a new teacher training center at Old Dominion University at the same time he was securing the center $500,000 in annual state funding.

House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) has called for an ethics investigation, and a bipartisan chorus of state leaders (including McDonnell) has urged Hamilton to resign, but the 21-year House veteran said he won't. McDonnell's stand may neutralize the potential for Hamilton's fate to harm Republicans beyond the 93rd District. But Democrat Robin Abbott, now expected by just about everyone to prevail over Hamilton in November, isn't likely to let the issue alone. Expect this race to remain ugly so long as Hamilton stays in it.

We expected Democrats to call for GOP Del. Phillip A. Hamilton to resign in response to emails showing he sought a job at Old Dominion University while securing state money for the school. But now Republicans leaders are calling for his resignation too.

In extremely strong statements, gubernatorial hopeful Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Pat Mullins, chairman of the state GOP, all said tonight that Hamilton should resign.

"From what I have seen of published news accounts containing emails and admissions, it appears that Delegate Hamilton has violated the public trust,'' McDonnell said. "Based on this public information it would be in the best interests of his constituents for him to step down."

McDonnell and Mullins called for the resignation, but acknowedge that Hamilton has the right to defend himself in any investigations first if he chooses to do so.

Updated: Hamilton said in a statement late tonight that he was disappointed in the statements of the statewide candidates but "their collective opinions have not lessened my resolve to continue serving the people of the 93rd District."

"These gentlemen have cited the best interests of the people of the 93rd District as their
reason for calling on me to resign,'' he said. "Yet, it appears that only Governor Kaine and Senator Cuccinelli possess sufficient confidence in those voters to permit them the privilege of expressing their opinion at the ballot box. I share that view, have confidence in the fairness and judgment of the people I serve, and will continue to campaign for their support."

Read the full statements from Republican leaders and Hamlton below:

House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong of Henry County has weighed in on the flap over Republican Del. Phillip A. Hamilton of Newport News, who is under fire for asking for a job at Old Dominion University while also securing for the school a $500,000 annual state appropriation.

Armstrong criticized Republican House leaders for referring the matter to a legislative ethics panel, which he said typically meets behind closed doors, instead of sending it to the House Privileges and Elections Committee, which is open.

"Unfortunately, a lack of transparency is what led to this situation in the first place. Delegate Hamilton is a public official, and any investigation into his actions should be conducted in full view of the citizens of Virginia," Armstrong said.

"We cannot risk losing the public's trust in our institution by continuing to cloak this incident in secrecy."

Still no word from Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert F. McDonnell on whether he thinks Hamilton should resign.

GOP House speaker William J. Howell and other top House Republicans decided Monday to ask the House Ethics Advisory Panel to look into the actions of Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, the Newport News Republican who is under fire for securing state funding for Old Dominion University while also seeking a job there.

Following statements from top Democratic statewide candidates calling for Hamilton's resignation, Howell (Stafford) issued a statement Monday sending the matter to the independent panel "to protect the integrity of the House." Howell said he has not asked Hamilton to resign, and Hamilton said he has no plans to.

"The seriousness with which I view this matter dictates determining the facts and finding out if any impropriety occurred," Howell said.

Although the panel has 120 days to review the matter, Howell said he asked that the review occur as quickly as possible. He added: "It is important to me and the citizens in whose name all delegates serve to know whether Delegate Hamilton's activities in this matter were legal and in keeping with expected standards of conduct for lawmakers. Virginia has a reputation for good government and I want to keep it that way."

The panel is composed of five members, including two former lawmakers and a former judge. If it finds that Hamilton knowingly violated the state's ethics law, the matter will be referred to Attorney General William C. Mims.

No word yet from Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert F. McDonnell about whether Hamilton should resign.

Republican Del. Phillip A. Hamilton of Newport News has a little more explaining to do this week regarding the paid job he took with Old Dominion University after helping the school score a half-million-dollar state appropriation for a teacher training program.

According to reports in today's Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot, Hamilton actively sought the position before securing the state funding for ODU
as the House Appropriations Committee's ranking Republican.

The emails Hamilton sent to ODU officials seeking a post with the training center he was helping don't do him much good. They'll sting even more if (when?) Democrat Robin Abbott starts quoting them in radio and TV ads.

To then-ODU president Roseann Runte: "...when we talked about the Center last August, I expressed an interest in being associated with the initiative from a professional perspective."

Ouch.

Happy Friday, here's what's happening in Virginia politics today.

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds goes on the offensive, making an 11 a.m. speech in Northern Virginia, where some Democrats say they aren't fired up about his candidacy. He follows the address with his first television ad of the general election and immediately plunges back into rural Virginia with a weekend spin through Harrisonburg, Salem, Roanoke, Christiansburg, Bland, Tazewell and Bristol.

McDonnell, meanwhile, continues his RV tour of the state, making stops in Lynchburg, Appomattox and Harrisonburg today. At recent events he has sought to deflect Deeds' attacks on his record opposing abortion, accusing the state senator of being the one who is overly focused on the issue.

Good morning Virginia, here's what's happening in politics around the state today.

The big news was yesterday's special legislative session in Richmond. The General Assembly yesterday voted to change a law governing breath tests in drunk driving cases in a mad dash to accommodate a recent Supreme Court ruling that would have made prosecutions in those cases more difficult.

Lawmakers also received a grim update on the budget. Gov. Kaine announced a $1.5 billion shortfall that will require significant cuts, which he'll announce in early September. They also decided to compensate a Norfolk man wrongly convicted of rape with a $633,000 settlement.

With the special session over, both men vying for Virginia governor turn their attention back to the campaign. Democrat R. Creigh Deeds, a state senator, participated in yesterday's session. He tries to give a boost to his campaign by spending the day in the Democratic-leaning Washington suburbs, where he will make a major campaign speech tomorrow.

Republican Robert F. McDonnell, the former attorney general who stepped down to focus on the campaign, kept it low-key yesterday as well but began his day at 5:30 this morning meeting workers at the Newport News Shipyard.

Lawmakers had a productive day in Richmond on Wednesday, successfully coming to agreement on two bills. Identical versions of the measures have unanimously passed both the House of Delegates and the Senate. One measure is designed to address the issue that brought the General Assembly to town on a blazing hot August day, a Supreme Court decision that requires live testimony from forensic analysts in DUI and drug cases.

The bill passed by the legislature allows prosecutors to use written testimony but requires them to alert defendants in advance that they will do so, providing time for objections. The House and Senate have also passed identical bills that would provide more than $600,000 in compensation to a Hampton Roads man who spent 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

While in Richmond, Democratic delegates and senators also report receiving a briefing during their closed-door caucus meetings from gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds's campaign manager, Joe Abbey.

Good morning, here's what's happening in politics around the state.

Virginia lawmakers struggle with the reality that the piggy bank is empty for transportation. Gov. Kaine has decided to delay part of the HOT Lanes project, a decision that drew an instant rebuke from GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.

The Post uses Virginia as a test case for the health care debate and finds broad skepticism.

State lawmakers have begun working on legislation to address a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that could make prosecuting criminals more difficult. The General Assembly meets tomorrow to consider the changes and will likely get some bad news about the state budget too, says the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star.

Hello politicos, and welcome to our second installment of House Call! This week we're going to drill down into the Fightin' 42nd District in southeastern Fairfax County, because you know what they say: As Albo goes, so goes the commonwealth.

Actually, as far as I know, I'm the only one who said that. But I think it's a reasonable way to describe what should be the Democrats' easiest pick-up of the year. If Republican incumbent Dave Albo hangs on again this year in one of the state's two most Democratic-performing districts currently held by Republicans (the other is Tom Rust's 86th District in Herndon and Loudoun County), then Democrats have little hope of winning the six seats they need to take back the House of Delegates.

It's really hard to say what will happen. Albo, when he has a challenger, is always deemed vulnerable. And yet he has always scraped by in a district that by most accounts is pretty evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The district includes West Springfield, where Albo grew up, as well as Lorton and a chunk of Route 1.

Hello everyone! And welcome to House Call, the Virginia Politics blog's new weekly feature that will focus on, yep, you guessed it -- the House of Delegates! Call me a geek, but there are few subjects I'd rather blog than the murky depths of this year's down-ballot races.

Where else is a senior appropriator in the political fight of his life (and under investigation) for budgeting state money to his future employer? And where else is the seat of the former chairman of the state GOP one of the Democrats' top targets? And where else did a challenger from the Northern Neck urge supporters to take to the bullet box if the ballot box didn't work out?

Forget about the fireworks, though. There's a lot of serious business at stake in the House of Delegates, the lower house of the General Assembly where all 100 seats are up for election this year. The House is currently controlled by a coalition of Republicans and independents who tend to favor fiscally and socially conservative policies, gun rights and private property rights. That puts them at odds with the Democrat-controlled state Senate, not to mention Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine -- an overall dynamic often blamed for the policy gridlock (transportation, anyone?) that has beset Richmond for Kaine's entire term.

Democrats must win six new seats on Nov. 3 to win back the House for the first time this decade, a task that even Democrats concede is a steep hill to climb. Much depends on factors beyond House candidates' control: the economy, the popularity of President Obama and what happens at the top of the ballot between Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell.

But a lot depends on what happens on the ground. Where are the bloodiest battlegrounds likely to be? Who's got the better transpo plan? Who's raising the biggest pile-o-cash? What are the polls saying? And what do YOU think? All tips, opinions and even idle musings are welcome, as there are 12 weeks to go between now and Nov. 3, and that means TWELVE House Calls must be made. Reach me by email at gardnera@washpost.com or by telephone, (703) 383-5102.

In the meantime, here are a few quick, Northern Virginia-centric thoughts to get us started:

Move over Michael Phelps. Make some room in the water for Morgan Griffith.

Yes, that is none other than the Virginia House majority leader pictured at a swimming competition at the Salem YMCA this week. Check out the expression on his face!

Our friends at the Roanoke Times describe Griffith's long history as a swimmer in this feature story from Sunday's paper. Who knew?

Word from Gov. Tim Kaine's Office this morning is that the governor would "not object" to a bill dealing with compensation for Arthur Whitfield, who spent 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) had been pushing the issue and wanted it addressed at the Aug. 19 special session.

And it looks like the retiring senator will likely get his way. With possible objections from Kaine cleared, not to mention gubernatorial candidates Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell both backing the idea, seems likely the bill will get taken up. Next question: What other worthy causes will lawmakers believe deserve similar consideration?

Here's what Kaine spokeswoman Lynda Tran had to say on the issue via email this morning: "Governor Kaine's top priority is to ensure the Special Session addresses the public safety issues raised by the recent decision in the Melendez-Diaz case. However Governor Kaine, who pardoned Mr. Whitfield earlier this year, is clearly sympathetic to his circumstances and would not object to a claims bill being considered as part of a session that is otherwise focused on public safety."

There are some interesting politics developing around what had been assumed likely to be a routine and quickie special legislative session scheduled for next month. The session was called by Gov. Tim Kaine to make legislative fixes in response to a recent Supreme Court decision that requires live testimony, rather than written reports, in court cases that use certain scientific evidence. Without the fixes, Kaine has said some DUI and other offenders would walk on technicalities.

When Kaine announced he was calling, he said he did so with the agreement of both parties that the session would last one day and legislators would consider only bills on this one topic, likely with legislative language agreed upon in advance.

Enter retiring and respected Republican Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle (R-Virginia Beach).

Among the seven Republicans who announced their support for Democrat Creigh Deeds for governor yesterday, the two "surprising" endorsements weren't really that surprising after all.

Marty Williams, the longtime Republican state senator from Newport News, and Brandon Bell, the two-term senator from Roanoke, had never before endorsed a Democrat for statewide office. But both faced primary challenges from the right in 2007, and both lost -- without any support from Republican Bob McDonnell.

Sure, there's plenty of precedent for statewide officeholders (McDonnell was attorney general at the time) to stay out of primary battles. But in this case, two prominent Republicans were facing challengers who derived much of their support from the conservative wing of their local parties. (One of them, unknown Tricia Stall of Newport News, went on to lose to Democrat John Miller.)

In other words, Williams and Bell were not conservative enough for some in their districts. If nothing else, Wednesday's endorsements show that they have not forgotten.

Del. Phil Hamilton (R) of Newport News emailed me to point out that, in addition to the $180,000 he's got in his campaign account, his leadership PAC, Leading VA Forward, has $78,000 on hand. So his advantage against Democratic challenger Robin Abbott is bigger than I suggested earlier today.

(As an aside, and this is not directed only at you, Phil, but is there a machine that spits out the names of these PACs? How many combinations of the words moving, leading, Virginia, Dominion, forward and together ARE there? An endless number, apparently.)

Secondly, I left out the 34th House District, which runs from McLean to the Loudoun County line along the Potomac River. First-term Democrat Margie Vanderhye raised $70,000 in June, bringing her total on hand to $123,000. But here's the real news: Vanderhye's Republican challenger, Barbara Comstock, raised $44,000 and has $167,000 in the bank.

This race is worth watching.

Scott Surovell, the outgoing chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee who is running against Republican Jay McConville in the 44th House District, announced today that he collected an astonishing $82,000 in his first seven days in the race.

See corrections to numbers on McConville at the bottom of this posting.

Surovell, who jumped in quickly after incumbent Democrat Kristen Amundson announced late last month that she would step down, was described recently by fellow Fairfax Democrat Ken Plum as the "energizer bunny" of Northern Virginia politics. He also has deep roots in the Mount Vernon-based 44th District, where he grew up, went to high school and cut his political teeth as chairman of the local Democratic political committee.

Surovell's biggest donations have come from Amundson ($10,000), and from his law firm, his dad, state Sen. Toddy Puller and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association ($5,000 each), he said. But Surovell boasted that about two-thirds of 266 donors who gave during those seven days gave $100 or less.

The paperwork is in and the names are filed, and it's official: 2009 will be the most competitive election year in Virginia in more than a decade.

According to an analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project, 57 of 100 House districts in Virginia feature major-party challenges -- a higher number than any other year going back to 1997. It's not saying much in a state with a pretty sorry record on such matters -- i.e. 33 competitive races two years ago -- but it's something.

Democrats, just six seats shy of taking back the House after a decade in the minority, are gunning for the usual suspects this year: Dave Albo and Tom Rust in Fairfax; Bob Marshall and Jeff Frederick's open seat in Prince William; Phil Hamilton in Newport News; and others. (They missed challenge opportunities in the 31st and 33rd districts, though, where Scott Lingamfelter of Prince William and Joe May of Loudoun run unopposed.)

Republicans say they are just as eager to make gains themselves, mounting campaigns in 15 of 17 House seats in Fairfax County alone and assembling most of those candidates at a pep rally-cum-barbecue Saturday at Mason District Park in Annandale

"We're competitive," House Speaker William J. Howell told about 200 party activists at the picnic. "We can speak to the issues in Fairfax. We're going to do well."

Del. Kristen J. Amundson (D-Fairfax) announced today she was retiring after ten years in the House. Amundson, who has her own communications firm, said she was stepping down at the end of her term this year for financial reasons.

"For most of these years, I have been able to put together enough freelance and consulting work to allow me to continue in public office," she wrote in a letter to constituents. "All that changed with the recession. Among the cutbacks that many businesses have made are the consulting services that made up the bulk of my income. Campaigning is a full time job. So I have made the difficult decision not to run for reelection to the House of Delegates."

Running for her eastern Fairfax County seat will be Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chairman Scott A. Surovell. Surovell, who is no stranger to this blog, said he will resign from his chairmanship tonight. "I think there's a lot going on in Richmond that I'd like to get fixed," said the longtime Mount Vernon resident.

We may not know when Gov. Tim Kaine is flying around the country for the DNC, but we are starting to get a better idea of when he is doing his in-state fundraising.

Tonight, Kaine attended at a fundraiser for Del. Chuck Caputo at the Centreville home of Steve and Lu Ann McNabb, friends of a family of a Tech student who died in the 2007 shootings.

Tomorrow night, he is expected at a fundraiser for Del. Joe Morrissey at Old City Bar in Richmond. Saturday afternoon, he will head to Virginia Beach for a barbeque with Sen. John Miller and a fundraiser for Del. Joe Bouchard.

No word on whether Kaine is heading out of state this week for DNC fundraising trips. As usual, we will let you know when we know.

Last Sunday, Gov. Tim Kaine wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post blaming state transportation woes on House Republicans.

Today, House Speaker Bill Howell offers his response. Check it out here.

For a few years, transportation was the issue in Virginia. It died down this year, but these two pieces are a clear sign that transportation will play a significant role in this year's House elections.

Not keen to be overshadowed by this week's dramatic, show-stealing Democratic primary, the Fairfax County Republican Committee issued a statement today praising what chairman Anthony Bedell called "the strongest top-to-bottom Republican ticket we have fielded in a very long time."

The party is fielding candidates in 15 out of the 16 House of Delegates seats in the county, compared with 6 out of 16 in 2007, the statement said. The county's Republicans have been energized by two strong showings in special elections in the Democratic-leaning county, including county Supervisor John Cook's win in the Braddock District in March, it continued.

They "proved that the GOP is still a viable party in Fairfax," the statement said.

UPDATE AND CORRECTION: As Fairfax County Democratic Chairman Scott Surovell noted in a follow-up release today, there are 17, not 16, House districts in Fairfax County. Fifteen of those races are contested this year.

The disconnect between the political class and avid voters on the one hand, and many average Virginians on the other, became even clearer around the Commonwealth today as the three men running for governor made their final appeals.

Just after noon in front of Alexandria's city hall, a 30-year-old Arlington IT worker named Anil Karthkia happened across a crowd of more then 250 people sweating in blazing sun as Brian Moran prepared for his final hometown rally and speech exhorting supporters to show up at the polls Tuesday.

Karthkia was there to tour Alexandria's Waterfront and missed most of the warm-up acts. He would have heard local legislators telling the crowd that Moran is the best general-election candidate to help Democrats take Virginia's House of Delegates in November.

"I'm very selfish. I'm thinking about who's the best person...to help me get reelected and to get my colleagues reelected, " said Fairfax County Del. Chuck Caputo. Caputo made a case for Moran the governor, but emphasized the case for Moran the campaigner. Flipping the House is the key to progress, Alexandria state Sen. Patsy Ticer added. "We in the Senate can't get a darn thing done until we do," Ticer said.

Once Moran took the stage to the blaring sounds of "Born to Run," he made his case and Karthkia tried to take it all in.

If you're trying to figure out which House of Delegates races will be the most competitive in Tuesday's primary, and later this fall, just follow the money.

Below find the 10 candidates that raised the most money in the two-month period that ended May 27, as compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in Virginia politics.

You'll notice that seven out of the 10 are Democratic candidates. Is that a sign that the Democrats have more strength heading into fall elections? Maybe not. Of the 12 primaries on Tuesday, nine are among Democrats, including four in Northern Virginia, so they have to have money right away..

Democrats are working hard to regain control of the 100-member House, which has been in Republican hands since 1999. They have won 11 seats since 2003 and need to win six more to win the majority.

After millions of dollars spent, thousands of miles traveled, and much talk of chicken waste, coal-fired power plants, and pre-K, it looks like we may be headed for rain Tuesday.

Our all-season colleagues over at the Capital Weather Gang have ginned up this forecast:

"Showers and thunderstorms are likely both Tuesday and Wednesday (60% chance), especially in the afternoon and evening. High temperatures both days will be in the 80s with lows in the 60s," writes Chief Meteorologist Jason Samenow.

The National Weather Service mirrors that outlook for Roanoke. Norfolk may be better off, with just a 30 percent chance of showers.

But could the diehards courted by the campaigns using sophisticated databases and months of phone calls really be thrown off by a little rain?

A mad fundraising dash in Fairfax is set to test the political axiom Tuesday that the candidate with the most money usually wins.

Mark Keam, a former top aide to Illinois Senator Richard Durbin (D), and Esam Omeish, chief of surgery at Inova Alexandria Hospital, have been on money raising tear. Vienna attorney Roy Baldwin has also put in a strong showing, while former Fairfax prosecutor John Carroll has lagged in the money race.

The four are vying for the Democratic nomination in Fairfax's 35th House of Delegates district, which includes Tysons Corner and Oakton.
In the most recent reporting period, Keam and Omeish were two of the top-ten fundraisers in House races across the Commonwealth, according to a Washington Post analysis of data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Between April 1 and May 27, Omeish raised $75,800 and Keam took in $61,800. Omeish had $33,500 on hand as of late last month, a $3,000 edge over Keam.

Former governor L. Douglas Wilder finally endorses in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

No, not for governor.

Wilder, the nation's first elected black governor, endorsed Fairfax County Del. Bob Hull, who is in a surprisingly tough Democratic primary race against Fairfax School Board memeber Kaye Kory. He recorded robocalls for the man he calls his friend.

Wilder was governor when Hull was first elected to the General Assembly in 1992. "You could have no better person representing your interests in Richmond than Bob Hull," Wilder says in the call.

The endorsements in Arlington's 47th House District, where five men are vying in Tuesday's Democratic primary to replace Del. Al Eisenberg, keep rollin' in. Today, retired U.S. Army general Wesley Clark endorsed Adam Parkhomenko.

We're not sure how Clark, a presidential contender in 2004, feels about widening Interstate 66, preserving affordable housing along Route 50 or fostering transit-oriented development around North Arlington's Orange Line Metro stations.

But we do know that Parkhomenko, a 23-year-old former campaign staffer last year to Hillary Rodham Clinton, has put his national political connections to work. Parkhomenko also nabbed the endorsement of former president Bill Clinton, who has placed robocalls into the district on Parkhomenko's behalf.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) has weighed in on the five-way primary battle to replace Al Eisenberg in Arlington's 47th House District, endorsing Alan Howze, who was Warner's policy director in the governor's office.

Already hard to predict by virtue of the size of the field, the race has been complicated by the divided allegiances of big-name Democrats. First, former president Bill Clinton recorded a robo-call for Adam Parkhomenko, the 23-year-old former staffer for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Then, after rumblings from irritated Arlington Democrats that Clinton had butted into a local race, Del. Bob Brink and state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple endorsed Patrick Hope, a civic activist and adjunct professor of health at Johns Hopkins University. Arlington board member Chris Zimmerman, meanwhile, supports Andres Tobar, a veteran of the U.S. Department of Education who directs a day-labor center. And a number of Virginia's liberal blogs have thrown their support behind Miles Grant, an employee of the National Wildlife Federation.

Now comes Warner.

"When I was governor, Alan worked closely with me to get Virginia's finances back on track and make needed investments in education and the environment," Warner wrote. "Alan is a hard worker and a dedicated Democrat, and I know he'll be a great delegate for Arlington."

U.S. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.) has endorsed Mark L. Keam in the four-man race for the Democratic nomination in the House of Delegates' 35th District.

Connolly's endorsement comes a day after one of Keam's opponents, Roy J. Baldwin, criticized Keam for his work as a federal lobbyist for Verizon. Keam is a former chief counsel to Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and also worked stints at the Federal Communications Commission and Small Business Administration.

Keam is also a Korean-born immigrant, a potential advantage in increasingly diverse and Democrat-leaning Fairfax County. And he has raised more money than the other three contenders, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) lambastes Republican gubernatorial nominee Robert F. McDonnell this week over the state's refusal to accept $125 million in federal stimulus money for unemployed Virginians.

"I would challenge you to explain to a single Virginia family why their economic security is less important than your party's political ambitions, and that Virginians facing the devastation of unemployment and the concomitant consequences of foreclosure, loss of healthcare, and creditworthiness for the partisan gain of the Republican Party and its gubematorial aspirants," Connolly wrote in a letter to McDonnell.

The Republican-led House of Delegates voted 53 to 46, largely along party lines, last month to reject the funds. McDonnell supported that decision.

Del. Bob Brink and Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple have endorsed Patrick Hope in the five-man Democratic primary to replace Al Eisenberg in the 47th House District in Arlington.

The endorsement could make a difference in such a crowded field, particularly in an election likely to be dominated by activist voters who know Brink and Whipple personally. The nod also comes, perhaps not coincidentally, on the heels of former president Bill Clinton's endorsement of Adam Parkhomenko -- an endorsement that caused some Arlington Democrats to grumble privately about Clinton's entrance into a local primary contest.

Del. Phillip Hamilton, a Newport News Republican who is chairman of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee, told Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today that he was "appalled" hackers were able to access millions of personal pharmaceutical records they say they stole from the state's prescription drug database.

The FBI and State Police are searching for hackers who demanded that the state pay them a $10 million ransom by yesterday for the return of 8 million patient records and 35 million prescriptions collected by the Prescription Monitoring Program.

"I am appalled that, given concerns over identity theft and computer hackers, a breach of security for the prescription drug monitoring program was even a remote possibility,'' Hamilton wrote in a letter to Kaine today. "I would have thought that sufficient security firewalls would have been in place to protect the identity of those legally receiving prescription drugs."

Hamilton wrote that he hopes the hackers are arrested and "that the job performance of the individual or individuals responsible for protecting the sanctity of these records would be dealt with appropriately."

Positions are hardening between Virginia's political parties over the issue of $125 million in federal unemployment dollars rejected by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates last month.

Today, Democrats launch a weeklong tour to "support Virginia's unemployed," with events at the closed Tultex sweat shirt headquarters in Martinsville and the Danville Workforce Center featuring delegates and delegate candidates signing a petition on the issue. Every Democrat in the state will be highlighting this vote for months to come, convinced voters in a depressed economy will see the decision to turnback federal funds for the unemployed as heartless and out of touch.

But Republicans have hardly ceded the issue. Federal bailouts are not exactly universally popular at the moment, and they see the unemployment dollars as an example of federal overreach.

It looks like the House of Delegates will no longer have a Frederick among its members.

Amy Frederick announced this morning that she is withdrawing from the race to replace her husband -- delegate and ousted party chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick -- in his Prince William County district.

In an email that blasts House Speaker William J. Howell and the Republican leadership, Frederick said she is "not interested in running for office to serve under broken leadership, where the speaker compromises principle for what he perceives as immediate political gain."

Trying to determine which House of Delegates races are shaping up to be the most competitive this fall? Start by checking out the candidates' most recent fundraising numbers.

Here are the five candidates who have raised more than $100,000 in the three-month period that ended March 31.

The list, compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project, gives us a hint of which races to watch in November.

Facing a growing tide of Democratic attacks, House Republicans today defended their decision to reject $125 million in federal unemployment money, arguing the dollars came with strings that would have been costly to Virginia business and cost jobs.

The April 8 vote is becoming a marquee issue on the campaign trail, as all three Democratic gubernatorial and other Democratic leaders looking to win back the Virginia House sense an opportunity to paint Republicans as sympathetic to the troubles of the state's unemployed. Democrats have said they will target Republicans who voted to turn back the money.

Joined by the heads of four small businesses, House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) and House Majority Caucus Chairman Samuel A. "Sam" Nixon Jr. (R-Chesterfield) insisted that federal rules meant accepting the money required changing Virginia's unemployment insurance program in a way could hurt job-creating businesses.

Earlier today Post reporter Amy Gardner posted a video by a student journalist that takes a closer look at footage from the House of Delegates to find what the politicians are browsing on their state-issued laptops, finding several of them -- including Northern Virginia delegates Albert Eisenberg and Robert Brink of Arlington, David Englin of Alexandria, Mark Sickles of Franconia, Dave Albo of Springfield and Kristen Amundson of Mt. Vernon -- shopping, reading the news or on social networking sites.

The journalist, Tracy Kennedy of Virginia Commonwealth University, closed the video by suggesting the state might need to block such sites to keep delegates on task.

Three of the delegates featured in the video took exception to that assessment.

Albo added a comment to this morning's post, explaining that the House was taking a break at the time while waiting for the Senate to act on a bill, and that he was looking at real estate at the request of a constituent.

"The 'reporter' did not give any subject of the report an opportunity to respond," Albo wrote. "Just a slam piece taken out of context."

Almost 5,000 Virginians, including all three Democrats running for governor, signed a petition calling for GOP gubernatorial nominee Robert F. McDonnell and House Republicans to support an effort to collect $125 million in federal stimulus money for jobless Virginians.

The Democratic Party of Virginia launched the petition Monday. Twenty-four hours later, 4,817 Virginians had signed the petition calling for the General Assembly to return to Richmond and vote to accept the money.

"Bob McDonnell's opposition to urgent assistance for displaced workers is heartless,'' state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds said. "Bob McDonnell and Virginia Republicans are turning their backs on the Virginians who are hurting the most. It's time to put politics aside and get this done."

A handful of legislators traditionally walk to the governor's third-floor Capitol office when the House and Senate are ready to adjourn a session. In the last year or two, Kaine and legislators have ignored the largely symbolic practice.

But last night when legislators were ready to adjourn their one-day session they decided to stick with tradition, partly out of respect for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and what is likely to be his last session during his four-year term.

Afterwards, some Republicans wished they skipped the event.

A visibly angry and red faced Kaine berated legislators for narrowly rejecting $125 million in federal stimulus money that would have provided additional unemployment benefits to thousands of jobless Virginians.

By Chris Jenkins

The fight over extending jobless benefits to more of Virginia's unemployed workers is coming down to the wire.

House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) dug a deeper line in the sand today, reaffirming House leadership's opposition to Gov. Tim Kaine's effort to offer unemployment insurance to workers looking for part time work and those who are in certain kinds of job training programs.

The General Assembly will vote on the expansion, which is funded through $125 million in federal stimulus money, during the legislature's one-day reconvene session Wednesday.

Barbara Comstock, who is running for a House of Delegates seat in Fairfax County in November, has raised $120,000 since mid-January -- a substantial amount of money for a non-incumbent.

Comstock, running against Democratic Del. Margaret G. Vanderhye, received donations from more than 300 people.

"We are particularly pleased with the support that Barbara's campaign has received financially from her many friends, neighbors, colleagues and supporters,'' said John Hishta, a campaign spokesman. "We have gone beyond our best hopes for this early show of support. We understand that in order to be successful this fall we will need to have the necessary financial resources in order to get our message out."

Comstock worked on Capitol Hill for Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) and the Government Reform Committee, ran opposition research for the Republican National Committee and helped Scooter Libby's legal team in his criminal case. Last year, she worked on Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and is now a lobbyist in the District.

Del. Clarke N. Hogan (R-Charlotte) announced this weekend that he will not run for re-election in November.

Hogan, a friend of House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) and a powerful budget conferee, has represented the southcentral part of the state since 2001.

Hogan did not immediately return calls today. But he told the Gazette Virginian in Halifax County that he made the decision after considering the responsibilities of owning and operating a business, Ontario Hardwood, during tough economic times.

"We are dealing with the toughest economy we have seen in 60 years, since the Great Depression that requires anyone who has a business to spend all of their focus on that business,'' he told the newspaper. "I see this decision as dealing with the reality of the environment."

The Virginia Republican party's governing body has asked state chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick to resign after a series of missteps, internal disagreements and the party's election losses last year.

Frederick (R-Prince William) has not said whether he will resign or face a vote to remove him at an emergency state central committee meeting next month. He and his spokesman did not return phone calls today.

Frederick campaigned for the job of chairman last year as a young, energetic leader who blamed his predecessor for failures at the polls. But many now consider his short tenure a failure.

In November, Republicans lost a U.S. Senate seat, three U.S. House seats and their 44-year-old hold on Virginia's 13 presidential electoral votes.

Frederick's critics said his lackluster fundraising, his disputes with Sen. John McCain's campaign team and his ill-timed remark comparing Sen. Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden did nothing to help.

Del. William H. Fralin Jr., who has represented Roanoke since 2004, announced today on the House of Delegates floor that he will not seek re-election in November.

Fralin, 46, is the fifth delegate to announce his retirement this year.

Others include Dels. Jeffrey M. Frederick (R-Prince William), Albert C. Eisenberg (D-Arlington), Frank D. Hargrove Sr. (R-Hanover) and Kenneth R. Melvin (D-Portsmouth)

All 100 seats will be on the ballot in November.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said last night he thinks there is a 40 percent chance his party will pick up the six seats needed this fall to retake control of the House of Delegates.

In a wide ranging interview with Washington Post editors and reporters, Kaine conceded Democrats face an uphill task this year to retake the House but said the odds are not daunting enough to dissuade him from taking on the challenge. Kaine noted, at this stage of the 2007 cycle, few would have predicted Democrats would have been able to retake the state Senate. Democrats retook the Senate that year after they picked up four seats.

"What are the chances on the House side that we are going to win? I would say maybe 40 percent," Kaine said. "But that is a good enough percentage to say 'lets go after it and who knows, we might get a break or two with retirements. We might get a break or two in a primary'."

In order to the take the House, Virginia Democrats would likely have to win at least two of the three GOP-held House seats in Fairfax County, make gains in Hampton Roads and pull off one or two upsets in conservative southern Virginia. But House Republicans are vowing they will be on offensive this year and plan to work hard to try unseat several Democratic incumbents, including two newly Democratic delegates in Hampton Roads.

Kaine is more optimistic that Democrats can win this year's governor's race, but he expects a heated primary that may result in him playing the role of peacemaker.

The General Assembly unanimously confirmed William C. Mims, a former Republican legislator from Loudoun County, as Virginia's attorney general.

Mims, chief deputy attorney general, will replace Robert F. McDonnell (R), who stepped down last week to campaign for governor. He will be sworn in tomorrow.

"I am honored to serve as Attorney General following Bob McDonnell," Mims said. "Bob McDonnell was an exceptional Attorney General, and I plan to continue his legacy by providing the very best legal services for Virginia's citizens."

Mims, 51, served three terms in the House and two state terms in the Senate, will finish McDonnell's term, which ends in January. He said he will not run for re-election.

"Today's unanimous confirmation vote demonstrates the high regard in which Bill is held by leaders from both political parties,'' McDonnell said in a statement. "He is beloved by the staff at the office, widely respected in the Virginia legal and political communities, and well suited to serve as the next Attorney General of Virginia."

Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke) is one of five candidates recommended by the Virginia Bar Association for a judgeship on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

More than 20 candidates had expressed interest in the post. President Obama will make the appointment and the U.S. Senate will confirm the selection.

Edwards. who unsuccessfully ran for Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2001 and considered a run in 2005, also may be considering running again. He would face Del. Stephen C. Shannon (D-Fairfax) in the June 9 primary.

Three Republicans are already in the race. State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax), John Brownlee, the former top prosecutor for Virginia's western district, and David M. Foster, former chairman of the Arlington County School Board.

Del. Kenneth R. Melvin (D-Portsmouth) announced today that he will retire from the House of Delegates after 24 years.

Melvin, one of the longest-serving members of the Courts of Justice Committee, is credited with defending civil rights and supporting the disadvantaged.

"Ken Melvin has one of the sharpest legal minds of anyone I've ever had the privilege to work with," House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry) said. "He has devoted his career to the equal and fair distribution of the law, and this House will not be the same without him."

Melvin, elected to the House in 1985, and represents parts of Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Norfolk.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (R-Prince William), chairman of the state GOP, is keeping his pledge to not seek re-election in November, but is trying to convince his wife, Amy, to run for his seat.

In a letter this morning, Frederick asks supporters to help urge his wife to run by visiting www.VoteAmy.com.

"While Amy hasn't yet made a final decision yet, she is leaning towards running but could use some extra convincing,'' he wrote. "As a mom and someone who has spent her career and life working for those less fortunate and providing a voice to those that needed one, I think she'd make a great delegate."

Fredrerick is completing his third two-year term. He vowed not to run for a fourth term if elected chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. His wife is a frequent visitor to Richmond and is often seen on the House floor with the couple's two young daughters.

Text of the full letter is below:

Vote in the poll below, and explain your vote in the comments.

Virginia, a leading grower of tobacco in the U.S., will ban smoking in most restaurants and bars in an agreement announced today by Gov. Kaine. Only private clubs and restaurants, or those with an independently ventilated smoking room, would not be affected. The text of the governor's press release follows.

RICHMOND--Governor Timothy M. Kaine and key leaders in the General Assembly today announced a landmark agreement to pass a statewide smoking ban in Virginia's bars and restaurants. The legislation will ban smoking in nearly all restaurants across the Commonwealth, allowing narrow exceptions for private clubs and restaurants with a designated smoking room that is physically separated and independently ventilated from non-smoking dining areas.

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Posted at 3:45 PM ET, 01/14/2009

Republicans Target Democratic Fundraising

The Republican-controlled House didn't waste any time in targeting Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the incoming Democratic National Committee chairman, and his colleagues in the General Assembly.

The House Privileges and Elections Committee voted 12 to 8, along partisian lines, to send a bill that would ban lawmakers or statewide officials from attending fundraising events sponsored by a political party, lobbyist or campaign contributors during the legislative session.

"People should know money does not influence our business,'' said Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Staunton), who introduced the bill.

In recent weeks, Republicans criticized Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who they say is violating current state law by raising money Monday during in the second week of the legislative session.

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Posted at 3:30 PM ET, 01/14/2009

Plum Elected House Democratic Caucus Leader

In a surprising move, House Democrats chose Del. Kenneth R. Plum (D-Fairfax) over Del. Kristen J. Amundson (D-Fairfax) to be their caucus chairman, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the House.

Amundson congratulated Plum afterward and said the Democratic caucus' goal remains the same no matter who is in charge: To win the six seats the party needs to take control of the Republican-led House.

The caucus deadlocked in three votes yesterday. Today, Plum narrowly won, after two new Democratic delegates were included in the vote behind closed doors.

Del. Mark D. Sickles (D-Fairfax) said the close votes were the result of disagreements over personality differences between Plum and Amundson, and nothing else.

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Posted at 10:06 PM ET, 01/ 9/2009

House Will Broadcast Floor Sessions

Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) announced today that the House of Delegates will implement live video streaming of floor proceedings with the 45-day legislative session that starts Wednesday.

"The House of Delegates is an essential institution in our representative democracy," Howell said. "Online video broadcasts provide not only a window into the seriousness and solution-oriented nature of the legislative process, but also a responsible and unfiltered method of allowing more Virginians to see the House at work doing the people's business."

Howell instructed the House Clerk's Office to make House floor proceedings accessible on the Internet. The video will be broadcast using cameras currently installed and operated in the House chamber.

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Posted at 9:00 AM ET, 01/ 8/2009

House GOP Challenges Senate Democrats

House Republicans are calling on Senate Democrats to limit their salaries and expenses to the ones that GOP delegates recently agreed to in a meeting last month.

In a letter to Senate leaders, House Republican Caucus Chairman Samuel A. Nixon Jr. (R-Chesterfield) wrote that the Senate could save taxpayers more than $100,000 if it enacted the same changes for the legislative session beginning Wednesday.

Nixon asks senators to agree to a two percent reduction to bring their salaries to $17,640 and a daily session per diem rate of $135. The Senate's per diem rate is $169.

"These changes can be enacted quickly. Doing so would send an important signal to the citizens of the Commonwealth,'' Nixon wrote. "It would demonstrate that legislators in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly not only are willing to come together but also are prepared to lead by example during this time of serious economic difficulty."

Last month, House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) announced reforms and cost-cutting measures for the upcoming year that included cutting $1.1 million in operational expenses to help the state address a multibillion-dollar shortfall.

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Posted at 7:26 AM ET, 01/ 5/2009

Republicans Attack Kaine on DNC Post

Virginia Republicans wasted little time in criticizing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine for taking on the job of chairman of the Democratic National Committee during his final year in office.

The news broke the week before the General Assembly returns to Richmond for a 45-day legislative session that will be largely focused on trimming the $77-billion budget by $3 billion.

"Now is not a time for more partisanship from our Governor, but a time for leadership, to cross party lines and provide solid, common sense solutions for Virginians who are hurting and worried about their future,'' Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. "This is the wrong move and sends the wrong signal to the people of Virginia at such a critical time."

Kaine had previously told reporters that he was not interested in the DNC job, and would not leave the Governor's Mansion early for a post in the Obama administration.

"It is very disappointing that at a time when Virginia needs its elected leaders from both parties to come together and work to solve the serious issues currently facing our Commonwealth, Tim Kaine breaks yet another pledge, this time taking a job he said he wouldn't accept", Frederick said.

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Posted at 8:00 PM ET, 12/30/2008

Republicans Target Democratic District

Northern Virginia Republicans, already facing an uphill battle to win a House seat in a largely Democratic district in Alexandria, are upset it took until today to get a list of voters seeking absentee ballots.

Chris Marston, chairman of the Alexandria Republican party, said he had been asking for the lists -- which are public record -- from the Fairfax and Alexandria registrars since Dec. 19. A State Board of Elections glitch prevented them from receiving lists until today.

Republicans are looking to target the more than 300 voters who requested absentee ballots in the special election Jan. 13 in the hopes that they can sway enough of them to make a difference in what is expected to be a low-turnout election.

Democrat Charniele Herring, who was homeless as a teenager but rose to become an attorney and civic activist, will face Joe Murray, a special assistant to U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC).

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Posted at 5:00 PM ET, 12/29/2008

GOP May Lodge Complaint Against Kaine

Republicans are considering lodging a complaint against Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who they say is violating state law by raising money during next month's legislative session.

Kaine, along with Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) and Sen.-elect Mark R. Warner (D), are hosting a Virginia inaugural ball Jan. 19 at the Westin Arlington Gateway. The 45-day session begins Jan. 14.

The black-tie event, which sold-out in hours, is a fundraiser for the Virginia Democratic Party and the Arlington Democratic Party. Tickets are $200 but donors can be listed as sponsors for a $10,000 contribution.

House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said Kaine is violating both "the spirit and the letter of the law."

"The event is taking place during session,'' he said. "They knew or should have known that this was a violation of state law."

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