Virginia Tomorrow

In light of the overwhelming victories won by Republican candidates across Virginia just a few weeks ago, many political observers are saying that Virginia is ripe for Republican Congressional victories in 2010. 

As many as four Congressional seats currently held by Democrats are in play, with none as competitive as Virginia’s Fifth Congressional district, held by freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), rated by the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza as the most vulnerable Democrat in the country.

But as I have traveled throughout this 22 county district since August, from Charlottesville in the north, to Bedford in the West, down to the North Carolina border to the south and back up west of Richmond, I have heard one consistent message from central and southern Virginians: weak-kneed moderates need not apply. 

Unfortunately, that message has either not been sent loudly enough or not received by the GOP establishment in Washington, D.C. 

In recent weeks, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) endorsed State Senator Robert Hurt for Virginia’s 5^th Congressional seat. 

This is a perplexing and worrisome decision for several reasons: 

First, Sen. Hurt had only been an announced candidate for a few weeks and had not displayed significant fundraising or organizational support, and certainly has not offered any new ideas to get our economy moving again for Virginia. 

Second, Sen. Hurt may impress D.C. insiders and Richmond lobbyists, but Virginians remember two of his disastrous votes on critical legislation while he was serving in Richmond: his votes for then Gov. Mark Warner’s (D-VA) $1.4 billion tax increase and for outgoing Gov. Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) unconstitutional transportation bill. 

Gov. Warner’s tax hike levied the largest tax increase in the history of our state at a time when we were carrying a surplus.  And Gov. Kaine’s bill to appoint regional tax authorities to tax Virginians without their approval was ruled unconstitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court by a unanimous 7-0 vote on the grounds that it imposed a system of taxation without representation. 

The District of Columbia and Senator Hurt may be willing to accept taxation without representation, but Virginians won’t. 

These significant mistakes by the anointed GOP candidate should require an open nomination process where candidates are required to prove themselves, offer ideas, debate publicly, answer questions from the local news media, and campaign hard to win the Republican nomination for the right to take on Rep. Periello. 

Instead, D.C. party insiders would rather anoint a blue-blooded candidate now and ignore the six other principled conservative candidates who are currently running, including me.

While I’d like to convince you that I am the best conservative candidate due to my private sector background and bold tax cut proposals, all I really want is a fair fight. 

Republicans have an excellent chance to defeat Rep. Periello for his votes on the government takeover of health care and the anti-business Cap and Tax bill.  Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell won Virginia’s 5^th district only weeks ago with 61.4% of the vote, an 11 point improvement over GOP presidential nominee John McCain in 2008, the year that Rep. Periello won his seat by only 727 votes. 

Conservatives and Republicans want to end the Democratic congressional majority next year.  But I believe that the best way to do that is to allow for competition, which will ultimately provide the starkest contrast with conservative candidates running against the excesses and damaging left-wing policies of this administration and the Democratic Congress. 

It’s time to get Washington back on track with courage and judgment, not a “go along to get along” attitude being transferred from Richmond to Washington, D.C. 

Conservatives who care about the direction of the Republican party and the country need to send a clear message that we will win again when we go back to our conservative roots and principles and demand that our leadership do the same. 

Verga is an announced Republican candidate in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District and can be reached via his website, http://www.vergaforcongress.com