Virginia Tomorrow

1. McDonnell on the 2012 Ticket?

The attention that Governor Bob McDonnell is receiving in GOP circles nationally has picked up considerably in the last two months. The Governor’s slip-up on Confederate History month has receded into the background and conservative publications and pundits are touting the Virginia “surplus” as an example of what happens when a government is prudently managed without raising taxes. 2012 is a long way off and the national dynamic could change multiple times.  But it increasingly seems to me that McDonnell will be included on any short list of GOP vice-presidential nominees and that, after November, the national media will be treating him as such.

2. Does Virginia Have 2 GOP National Aspirants?

One can’t speak about nationally visible Republicans in Virginia without, however, mentioning the House Minority Whip Eric Cantor. If the GOP manages to take the House in November, Cantor becomes one of the House’s most powerful members. Congressional leadership positions may not be perceived by the public as the best training ground  for their political executives, but there has always been speculation about whether Cantor’s ultimate ambition ends with Congress. In 2008, Cantor’s supporters noted that he was under consideration for a spot on the national ticket. It’ll be interesting to see whether they encourage or discourage this speculation about 2012.

3. Cuccinelli

Okays Balanced Holiday Displays.

Wants Craigslist to Remove Adult Listings.

Says State Can Further Regulate Abortion Clinics

Another week. Another set of headlines.

He’s become the conservative Andrew Cuomo, using the AG’s position to advance an aggressive agenda linking events in Virginia to hot button national matters. No one’s quite sure what we’re observing: a new star in the GOP national firmament or a meterorite that will ultimately crash and burn? In any event, we’ve never seen anything like him as Virginia Attorney General.

4. The VITA Mess

Became the McDonnell adminstration’s baby ths week  as a multi-day computer meltdown prevented Virginians from being able to access services such as DMV online.  It’s a problem that has to be addressed in an expeditious and successful manner. Having watched him in both the Attorney General’s and now the Governor’s role, McDonnell is the kind of executive who takes great pride in his managerial competence. He needs VITA to become the Commonwealth’s back office, not its headline grabbing problem child.

5. Florida v. Virginia

High Speed Rail: Florida Yes, Virginia No

Race to the Top Dollars: Florida, Yes, Virginia No (2009) and Did Not Apply (2010)

JFCOM- Close Virginia, Possible Shift to Florida (news report ths week)

I guess if you’re against earmarks, the Obama administration’s treatment of Virginia compared to Florida is perfectly fine. But if you’re Glenn Nye, Tom Perriello or any other Democrat fighting for your political life in a terrible environment, you must have to wonder just what is going on. Who would have ever thought that with 6 Democrats in the House, both of the state’s U.S. senators, and the chair of the DNC from Virginia, the Commonwealth would get the cold shoulder from the White House?

6. The Transportation Connection

That’s what Bob McDonnell has started to make in his push to develop grassroots support for his ABC privatization initiative.  With some leakage developing on the Republican side of the aisle, the McDonnell administration highlighted the support of a powerful transportation group in NOVA for the proposal. I expect that we’ll hear a lot more about this in the next few weeks as the Governor tries to position his Democratic opponents in NOVA as willing to forego transportation funding to prevent him from having a political win