Conservativa

Republican races from presidential to state are realizing that energy is the issue this year. President Bush speaking in the Rose Garden yesterday. John McCain speaking yesterday. Common sense from Jim Gilmore. Del. Chris Saxman will be introducing legislation in Virginia’s Special Session “that will dedicate all future revenues and royalties that are paid to the Commonwealth as a result of offshore natural gas and oil drilling to the Transportation Trust Fund.”

Congressman Eric Cantor (photo) blogs about it here.

Some excellent thoughts and questions from the incomparable Victor Davis Hanson here.

This issue can be a winner for Republicans, since it goes from the everyday (putting gas in your car) through national defense.

Photo details: Nikon D40, 150mm, ISO 400, 1/100 at f/7.0.

More Rep. Eric Cantor for Vice-President talk, this time from the New York Post. Count me in!

In this photo, Rep. Rob Wittman (at left) has a word with Cantor. Photo details: Canon EOS5D, 200mm, ISO 3200, 1/60 at f/2.8.

A reporter from Massachusetts, former Mass. Gov. and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, and a Romney/Bolling supporter at a Bill Bolling fundraiser last night in Glen Allen, Virginia. Romney and Bolling stood gamely out in the 90+ degree heat and humidity and talked with the almost 400 supporters, many of whom had friends taking pictures with the former (and maybe future?) presidential candidate.

Photo notes - please skip if you aren’t a photo geek… this photo borrows two ideas from Strobist. One is “strobe on a stick,” i.e. flash affixed to a monopod and triggered remotely; the other is using a CTO gel on the flash, with the camera’s white balance turned as far tungsten as it will go (2800K). The result is a glowing blue sky and over-warm skin tones. It wasn’t far from sunset outside, but this CTO use exaggerates that look. Canon EOS5D, ISO 200, 1/60 at f/14 (to shut out much of the ambient), 24mm. Canon 580EX flash, on manual, at about 1/2 power. Didn’t record the zoom setting, sorry. Guessing 105.

Bill Bolling, Mitt Romney, and Bob McDonnell share a laugh at a fundraiser on a the hottest day of the year so far in central Virginia.

Photo below: Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney has some kind words for Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Romney also mentioned the presidential race. Of John McCain, Romney said, “He wasn’t my first choice… I was my first choice…” which brought a laugh from the crowd. Now he fully supports McCain, while of course not agreeing on everything with him.

The Republican Party of Virginia chose former Gov. Jim Gilmore as its Senate nominee, and elected Del. Jeff Frederick as its new party chairman during its convention May 30-31, 2008. Here is a photo slideshow of the convention highlights.

Must see! Excellent work from Rick Sincere! YouTube link here, link on Rick’s blog here.

In this photo, Bob Marshall is at the podium, but the Henrico delegation is waving signs supporting Jim Gilmore.

Will you be at the GOP Convention Friday? Then join the Jeffersoniad bloggers, elected officials, and others, at our Hospitality Suite at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Room B19. This is being kindly sponsored by Rhumb Line and Speaker of the House Bill Howell. We can promise chocolate, coffee, and good company. There is also a high potential for civilized but sharp looks and barbs flying between our two Jeffersoniad camps, Republican and Libertarian. Really, it’s going to be like a big mashup between West Side Story, Pride and Prejudice, and C-SPAN, but with chocolate, and it will be blogged. Don’t miss this one!!!!!

Not making a federal case here, just pointing out - Jim Gilmore has in a mailer: “He supports using federal transportation bonds and public/private partnerships to raise the funds needed for transportation projects across the state.” Pat McSweeney, speaking for Bob Marshall, says that this borrowing mentality is a Very Bad Thing. In his speech to the 7th CD convention, said “Now I’m going to say some things about our actions matching our words… …his [Gilmore’s] solution for one of our major problems, the transportation problem, is to borrow more money. Folks, that is precisely the mentality that got us to 10.4 trillion dollars, and it must end.”

Bob Marshall apparently also spoke against borrowing money for transportation at the 2nd District convention. But Marshall’s record as delegate doesn’t seem to indicate that he thinks it’s such a bad thing:

2006, HB 1257 (Co-patron); 2005, HB 2099; 2002, HB 109 - Marshall was Patron: this one looks to me like flat-out borrowing.

There are more such bills. (And what on earth is this one, from 1994, HB 1293 - borrowing money for some Disney project? He was a co-sponsor, with Chichester and Stosch in the Senate, on this one).

I’m not an accountant. I don’t have a thoroughgoing understanding of Virginia’s budget. But those bills look like borrowing money to me. But now all of a sudden borrowing money is the worst thing ever?

Attorney General Bob McDonnell addresses a crowd at a Young Professionals for McDonnell event in Richmond, May 13. It was on the back porch and patio of Siné, and the patio area was crowded with young (nearly all under 50 years old) supporters of the AG. Speaker of the House Bill Howell was there. McDonnell seemed gratified by the turnout, thanked everyone several times, and made a point of reminding people how important it is to be working for John McCain now.

Congressman Eric Cantor and AG (and candidate for Governor) Bob McDonnell shake hands at the 7th Congressional District Convention. One thing worth noting: Cantor’s name tag, which you can easily see in the original photo, shows that he is a delegate. He could have just breezed in, made a speech, and breezed out again, but he went to the trouble to apply, file, get elected as delegate, show up, and stay for the whole convention.

Photo details: Canon EOS5D, ISO 3200, 200mm, 1/100 at f/3.2.

Unfortunately, Eric Cantor did not make it into round 2, but some other good choices did. Have you voted yet? Go over to the CQ VP Madness site and place your vote in Round 2, which runs through May 12.

Over at Bearing Drift:

Jim Gilmore at 7th CD Convention

Marshall’s Monger of Doom

7th CD Convention Blogging Pt. 1

Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling appear to have next year’s big race well in hand. Check out this post at Bearing Drift, complete with a podcast of AG McDonnell. Virginia’s Republican congressional delegation, Virginia’s party leadership, etc. have all strongly endorsed McDonnell for Governor and Bill Bolling for Lt. Governor.

Photo details: photo taken at the Shad Planking. Canon EOS5D, 45mm, ISO 400, 1/125 at f/22.

At Saturday’s Virginia Conservative Leadership Conference on Saturday, a straw poll was taken during the banquet. The room was full of conservative activists, pro-life folks, home-schoolers, etc. For Senate, here are the results (roughly 200 people voting):

Jim Gilmore: 57%
Bob Marshall: 40%

Marshall was there that day and he should have owned the room. If he couldn’t win in that room, it’s not looking good for him for the convention. Conservatives can and will support Jim Gilmore for Senate.

Two more interesting results:

1. For President, 91% voted for McCain. So much for the idea that conservatives will refuse en masse to vote for him.
2. For Attorney General:
   Cuccinelli: 85%
   Brownlee: 9%
   Harris: 6%
3. Most predictable result: for Gov., Lt. Gov., McDonnell and Bolling at 99%+.