Virginia Tomorrow

1. Tim Kaine’s Outgoing Budget

is yet to be released and he won’t be around next month to defend it, but it has already kindled a GOP firestorm in response to what might be in it. By all accounts, Kaine is prepared to recommend a budget that will roll back some existing tax credits to help cope with the shortfall (and there have even been rumors that he might eliminate the state contribution to car tax relief and hand this billion dollar baby back to the localities). I spoke to a college president this evening who also expects to be hit with further reductions in the outgoing Governor’s budget. The GOP has already announced that it won’t go along with Kaine’s tax recommendations and McDonnell explicitly criticized Kaine’s higher ed reductions during the campaign. But it appears that the purpose of Kaine’s recommendations will be to allow Bob McDonnell to say what’ll he cut in lieu of tax credits and higher ed.  Welcome!

2. Hurt Wins a Big Procedural Vote

Robert Hurt won a big procedural vote in the hotly contested race for the GOP nomination to face-off against Tom Perriello in next year’s 5th district congressional race when the district central committee voted to hold a primary. Almost all of Hurt’s opponents had favored a convention, but a primary is likely to to aid Hurt who is likely to have a significant financial advantage over most of the field.

3. McDonnell Elevates the LG Position

Bob McDonnell said that Bill Bolling would become the busiest Lieutenant Governor in America this week by making hin the point man on a number of the new administration’s economic development initiatives. This is both a great opportunity for Bolling and an innovative reshaping of the Lieutenant Governor’s role in Virginia state government.

4. Hunt v. Marsden

The GOP remains relatively confident that it can hold Cuccinelli’s seat in NOVA. My sources inside the Democraic Party tell me that polls taken prior to the time the parties selected their nominees did not look very good for the Democrats and the only potential path for a Democratic win required nominating Dave Marsden, even if he didn’t live in the district at the time.

5. Edd Houck Doesn’t Go

to the McDonnell administration. At least that’s what Democratic senators are saying today. A recent fundraising letter sent by the senator to his constituents certainly did not have the tone of someone preparing to to enter the GOP ranks. The Senate Democrats have spent a considerable amount of time trying to prevent Senate defections and there is a wonderful story here for an enterprising reporter, at least if the anecdotes I’m hearing bear any resemblance to the truth. But the Democrats shouldn’t get too complacent here- there are other targets of Republican opportunity that are being discussed.

6. Terrorists on YouTube

It appears that’s where some of the recruiting is done inside the United States for potential terrorist attackers. The arrests of 5 young men from NOVA in Pakistan who are suspected on trying to assist Al Qaeda has brought new attention to the venues and methods of recruiting radicals inside the U.S. (The great irony of this case, as reported by The Washington Post,  is that Al Qaeda appeared not be too eager to open a training camp for the young men as the terrorist group suspected they might be CIA plants).  One issue that has yet to receive much attention but is bound to loom far larger soon is that a number of the young men were attending Washington area institutions of higher education. Expect even more scrutiny of higher ed institutions and perhaps some legislation in this regard to be proposed during the upcoming session. 

7. Baliles and McDonnell

I was at a holiday party and a person who had been very close to Jerry Baliles told me that, if you take away the idoelogy, there lot of similarities between Baliles in ‘85 and McDonnell ‘09. He said they had both had run effective and highly professional AG offices. They were both well organized and highly disciplined gubernatorial candidates. And they each had a striking ability to focus and prioritize. Not a comparison that I had made, but one that is interesting and perceptive.