I am not one of these delegates who doesn’t do any work. I’m not one of these guys who people don’t see.

We don’t doubt Delegate Albo’s hard work. Anyone who’s sat through a Friday Courts of Justice Committee docket can attest to that. But he did leave us wondering . . . just who is it he implies doesn’t work?

As we were one of the first to report that Mr. Frederick was considering a political comeback, his announcement was no surprise. At the time we noted how the Democrat-leaning district, though to tough to win, might be winnable for an energetic, grassroots oriented candidate such as Mr. Frederick. After all, he won his old House district, which was a Democrat district, three times and now 37 percent of that old House district is in the new 36th Senate district. Not only that, the Senate Democrat Majority took away some Democrat precincts from the 36th to shore up another district. In an off-off-off year election, where turnout is between 30-35 percent, and in a newly redrawn district where many won’t know their senator, a GOP victory there is possible. It’s not just conservative fantasy, either: None other than the left-wing blog Not Larry Sabato mourned the loss of the seat with an April healdine, “Senator-Elect Jeff Frederick Gives GOP Control of Senate.”

But it won’t be easy, as Mr. Frederick himself observes (see below). One theory is that an energetic, grassroots Republican can indeed win, but perhaps lightening rod candidates such as Mr. Frederick and Mr. Munoz (who has campaigned with Sarah Palin in the past) will send up a red flag as large as Wyoming and drive out liberal voters. However, Mr. Frederick told Anita Kumar of the Washington Post that, “We were able to find a path to victory through the data.” This is one campaign that we, and most of the commonwealth, will keep an eye on.

Here’s a portion of Mr. Frederick’s announcement statement (read it in its entirety, here):

I’m happy to report to you, after a lot of thought, discussion, and prayer, we’ve decided to run for the Senate of Virginia.

But, I’m not in it for the money ($18k a year), the title, the digs, some degree of perceived power, or people making me feel important. I am running to serve the people of eastern Prince William, Fairfax, and Stafford and to change politics as usual in Richmond. There’s too much polarization; too much partisanship; and not enough principled people going down there who are focused on the people that they represent — working hard day in and day out to make our communities, commonwealth and country a better place to live, work, and raise a family. We need leaders in Richmond who aren’t afraid to shake up and stand up to the status quo and keep people of any political party accountable. . . .

I’ve opposed all attempts to grow government and tax you more, and I will continue to do so. You know better how to spend your money than government does. My record is clear and needs no election-year makeover. I never forget who I work for and always keep my promises. You might not always agree with me 100% of the time, but you’ll always know where I stand and I’ll always welcome your thoughts and ideas. . . .

God willing, we’ll win this election and change politics as usual in Virginia.

This is going to be a tough race in a district that was clearly gerrymandered for someone of the opposite political party. I’ve got a track record of winning in these tough districts and appealing to people of all political stripes, but this one could be the most difficult one yet. Notwithstanding, the numbers tell us it is winnable, especially given that 37% of the district is my old House district. Some of the toughest precincts in this new Senate district are precincts I consistently won in my prior House races against difficult opposition. . . .

While it is pardonable that the average Joe and Jane Virginian does not to know, most might think the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee — the budget writing committee — would know. But Delegate Lacey Putney (I-19, Bedford) was candid with the Washington Post Monday, telling Anita Kumar, regarding a special appropriation patroned by House Majority Leader Kirk Cox (R-66, Colonial Heights) and Speaker Bill Howell (R-28, Stafford):

Do you think I know everything in the budget, honey? I don’t know what’s in a $78 billion budget . . . I don’t know.

Realistically, he is exactly right, and no blame goes his way. But if the chairman doesn’t know, that tells us all we need to know — the amount of state spending remains considerable and much more needs to be done to get it to a reasonable level.

In a statement, she said:

I am the mother of three young children, and my first priority is both to protect them today and protect their future. I truly worry about what the next five years holds for our children and the nation, given this climate of reckless and immoral spending. Someone must step into the gap so that our children and America are not crushed in the coming years under the weight of insurmountable debt and debilitating taxes. 

The front runner is former governor and senator George Allen, who lost the seat in 2006 to the incumbent, Democrat Jim Webb. Delegate Bob Marshall and Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart also are considering a run. Hampton Roads businessman Bert Mizusawa, who lost the GOP second district House nomination to now Representative-Elect Scott Rigell, also may throw his hat in the ring. However, former 11th district Representative Tom Davis seems to have taken himself out of consideration, preferring instead, “to have left Congress undefeated and unindicted. You like to keep it that way.”

Then, late last week, she resigned as chairwoman of the Virginia TEA Party Patriots Federation, according to Anita Kumar at the Washington Post’s Virginia Politics blog, in order to explore a possible a campaign for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Jim Webb. This followed her victory in a poll at Bearing Drift over more established and likely candidates, including the previous holder of that seat, George Allen, as well as Prince William County Board Chairman Corey Stewart, and Delegate Bob Marshall.

According to the Post, Radtke, as we thought, was thinking of a Virginia Senate run. But after the success of the convention, she has been encouraged to think globally, as it were. Is it all a head fake, to build visibility for a 2011 state Senate GOP primary run after all? Could that also be said for Stewart’s recent interest in the job, since he long has eyed the Lt. Governor’s post? (See his provocative interview at tbd.com.) Then there’s the possibility, as reported by the Post and Bearing Drift that former Congressman Tom Davis may seek the GOP nomination as well.

So, will Virginia join some states from this year’s election and throw a Boston Tea Party in two years or settle for a traditional, genteel tea party, complete with appropriate china? For the junkie, 2012 can’t get here soon enough. For some of us, can’t we just get through the General Assembly and the 2011 elections, first?

Ms. Radkte was the lead organizer of the first-ever Virginia TEA Party Convention October 8-9. The event was the largest of its type in the country, drawing nearly 3,000 people, dozens of prominent speakers, a plethora of sponsors and media from all four corners of the country and some from abroad. Think of it as campaign activists, donors, high profile endorsements and media savy, respectively, and you have the makings of a solid candidate.

She handled it all professionally, too, even though her TEA Party activities are volunteer. Only a couple of hours ago, Anita Kumar of the Washington Post’s Virginia Politics Blog, added to the Radtke speculation:

Radtke said if it happens it would not be anytime soon because she is so busy with the tea party movement and because there is no election in the near future (after the midterm election in two weeks).

“It will be something I will consider and think about,” she said.

That may be a bit coy on Ms. Radtke’s part. As astute as she is, she knows there are elections next year in Virginia for the House of Delegates as well as the Virginia Senate. Could a TEA Party come to a GOP primary or general election near you in 2011?

Typically, NARAL and Planned Parenthood, which each have a vested financial interest in ensuring children never learn the word “abstinence,” at first tried to lobby the governor’s office against applying for the grant and then, upon his decision, blasted him (although we hear no harsh words for President Obama). According to Anita Kumar at the Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog, Planned Parenthood’s Jessica Honke issued this statement:

Given Virginia’s economic situation, wasting $400,000 of taxpayer money for an ineffective program is not a good use of the commonwealth’s limited resources. The simple fact is that young people deserve honest information, not political ideology in their health classrooms.

No school district will be forced to adopt this curriculum, but for those that believe it is in the best interest of their communities, the funds will be available. Call it school choice of another kind. But that doesn’t stop the other side from presuming to speak for the majority when, in fact, its position is in the minority (as polls show). It continues to amaze us that pro-abortion groups, which advocate “choice” because they stand to profit by unwanted pregnancies, are against choice in sex education as well as true choice in carrying pregnancies to term (see their opposition to pregnancy resource centers).

But it’s worse than that. These groups continue to perpetuate the myth that abstinence education does not work (studies prove otherwise). Somehow, centuries-old and time tested virtue is “dishonest information” and “political,” even though it creates healthier societies (physically, mentally and financially). But it is perfectly normal and not political to indoctrinate children that doing something for which they are not ready with questionable means of “protection” somehow is a healthy lifestyle.

In an attempt to drum up support for something that supposedly doesn’t need it — it is now law and president says the people and businesses want it — Mr. Kaine and the DNC are spending millions of dollars in radio advertisements in targeted House districts around the country to prop up government-run health care against those running on its repeal. In fact, he’s trying to scare people with a slogan in the ads: “Hands off my health care.”

There’s one small problem. It’s a slogan used quite effectively by Americans For Prosperity, one of the most vocal and well organized opponents of President Obama’s tax-it-all-and-spend-even-more policies. AFP created the “Hands Off My Health Care” campaign about a year ago and has a U.S. trade mark pending. Looks like Mr. Kaine, who tried to rob from Virginia taxpayers to pay for his grandiose spending plans, can’t get out of the habit of taking from others.  

AFP, whose Virginia chapter did its fair share of bringing to the public’s attention Mr.  Kaine’s spend-and-deficit budgets as governor, sent the DNC a cease-and-desist letter on March 27 and asked for reply by April 2. According to Anita Kumar at the Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog, AFP plans a law suit if the DNC does not stop. It looks like we’re headed to court. DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse arrogantly told Kumar:

This group used this slogan to try and deny millions of people access to affordable health care. We should have sued them for false advertising a long time ago.

So, the DNC is against free speech? Love that leftist tolerance.

AFP national President Tim Phillips rightfully claims that the DNC is creating confusion on the meaning of the AFP campaign and Virginia Director Ben Marchi explained (Washington Post Politics and Policy Blog) that AFP spent millions of dollars developing the brand. More to come on this, but we won’t be surprised to find out soon that the new law also has nationalized all health care slogans as well. 

You remember those projects, the ones that were “shovel ready” and supposedly would lift us out of the recession. You know, the same Governor Kaine (contact here) who is so concerned about Virginia’s transportation problems that he’s tried to raise our taxes ever year in office, including the first week of his tenure, even after campaigning that he would not raise taxes; the same governor who wanted to tax gas when it was $4.00 a gallon? The same governor Creigh Deeds says he’ll model himself after?

Here’s an excerpt from Rep. Oberstar’s letter (read the entire volley here):

Based on the State progress reports submitted to the Committee in September 2009, Virginia has fallen far behind other States in putting to work its Recovery Act Highway formula funds. According to submissions received from all States and the District of Columbia, your State ranks last among all States (51 out of 51) based on an analysis of percentage of Recovery Act Highway formula funds put out to bid, under contract and underway.

As of August 31, Virginia had begun construction of projects totaling only 17 percent of the State’s funding.

I strongly urge you to refocus your efforts to implement the Recovery Act and use the available funds to create and sustain family-wage jobs. These jobs are critical to Virginia’s and the nation’s long-term economic growth.

In August 2009, almost six months after enactment of the Recovery Act, I sent letters to the best and worst performers in putting to work Recovery Act highway funds. Since then, we have watched many states move aggressively. … 

Regrettably, Virginia is not among these States.

Anita Kumar of the Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog has the complete story in two parts: Her initial post (here) and a follow-up (here). We’re sure Governor Kaine will have a private response to Rep. Oberstar, who should know this is no way to address the chairman, especially when it validates the governor’s critics — the same critics he’s tried to ostracize, demagogue and steamroll the last four years — and undercuts his gubernatorial nominee.