VA Republicans cure convention boredom with paper airplanes

By   /  May 18, 2013  /  Virginia Watchblog, WatchBlog  /  2 Comments

WAITING: Republicans got a little restless on Saturday waiting for ballots to be cast, and began flying paper airplanes to cure the boredom.

ALEXANDRIA—Republicans in Richmond got a little restless on Saturday as they waited more than three hours for the first round of ballots to be cast and counted.
About 140 improperly marked ballots slowed the tallying of about 8,000 ballots, according to reports. Some of the thousands of bored delegates, staff, volunteers and other observers responded with [...]

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Cantor denounces IRS actions at state GOP convention

By   /  May 18, 2013  /  Virginia Watchblog, WatchBlog  /  No Comments

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's argument for job growth via limited government was well supported by historical data, but was slighted by PolitiFact's Virginia operation.

RICHMOND, Va.—House Majority Leader Eric Cantor couldn’t pass up the chance to blast the Obama administration’s recent scandals Saturday morning in a ballroom full of breakfasting Republicans at the Virginia GOP convention in Richmond.
“We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Cantor said of the IRS’ targeting of tea party-like groups with extra scrutiny. “…There [...]

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Week in Review: All eyes on Richmond

By   /  May 16, 2013  /  Virginia  /  No Comments

state-flag-virginia

By Bre Payton│Watchdog.org, Virginia Bureau
ALEXANDRIA — All eyes are on Richmond as delegates from across the state gather to select nominees for 2013 GOP nomination.
And the future of Virginia’s toll road remain in question after a circuit court ruling.
This is your week in review.
 GOP convention highlights party division
Virginia Republican delegates will select nominees for its [...]

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Poll: Virginians approve of McDonnell, Obama equally

By   /  May 15, 2013  /  Virginia Watchblog, WatchBlog  /  No Comments

ALL ABOUT GUNS: President Barack Obama on Wednesday speaks at the Denver Police Academy praising Colorado's new gun laws. (AP photo)

ALEXANDRIA—Virginia voters approve of Gov. Bob McDonnell and President Barack Obama equally, a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows.
McDonnell’s job approval rating slipped to its lowest in the two years Quinnipiac has been taking the temperature of Virginia politics, while Obama’s approval rating ticked up slightly, to put them both at 49 percent approval.
But, the two [...]

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Court decision clouds future of Virginia toll roads

By   /  May 14, 2013  /  News, State Government, transportation, Virginia  /  1 Comment

TUNNEL TROUBLE: One circuit court judge's opinion that tolling in the Hampton Roads area is unconstitutional may place future public-private partnerships in Virginia in peril.

By Kathryn Watson | Watchdog.org, Virginia Bureau

ALEXANDRIA — Virginia’s love affair with public-private partnerships could be in peril.

A circuit court judge from Portsmouth ruled earlier this month that collecting tolls on an existing tunnel to pay for another tunnel is tantamount to raising taxes — and the un-elected Virginia Department of Transportation can’t do that under the Constitution of Virginia.

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