Wed, November 26, 2008 - 2:55 PM

WASHINGTON-Many Virginians seeking jobs in the Obama White House are starting their quest at the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue

Dozens of applicants have approached Democratic Sen. Jim Webb's office for help securing a job in the new administration. The office has received so much interest from wannabe administration officials they dedicated a staff member to pre-screening letters and resumes.

"It's certainly an upswing in workload, but ... it's a good problem to have," said Paul Reagan, Webb's chief of staff. "President-elect Obama has really rekindled a spirit of public service in the country."

Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro said the transition team is "staying connected" with the supporters who helped elect the next president.

"(We) have always said that these same people working in their local communities would be the ones helping to bring the change we need to Washington," Shapiro said.

More than 300,000 people had applied for a job online as of Wednesday. All applicants must apply through www.change.gov, but having Obama's transition team hear from a sitting senator or representative can help one stand out from the rest of the pack.

The flood of requests for job recommendations coming into Webb's office is something Reagan first experience in 1996. Then he worked for Rep. Jim Moran of Alexandria, during the midpoint of Bill Clinton's presidency.

He figures the Virginia offices receive more applicants than other Capitol Hill offices simply due to geography. "There are a number of people in the Northern Virginia suburbs who have been in and around Washington," Reagan said.

Applicants seeking Webb's endorsement are seeking all types of administration jobs, from entry level to deputy cabinet secretary. Others will take anything they can get.

"There's a lot of people who write and they have a general desire and willingness to serve," said Reagan. "We review them all very carefully."

Webb sends recommendation letters with varying degrees of personalization for applicants deemed worthy of his support.

Some people get letters "without great comment" Reagan said. "Others, if he has a great knowledge of their work he'll state that."

More than 10 applicants have also sought help from Rep. Robert C. Scott, D-3rd. He "recommends people he knows" to be worthy, spokesman Larry Dillard said.

(Contact Neil H. Simon at nsimon@mediageneral.com or (202) 662-7669.)

Moments ago, President Bush spared two turkeys the indignity of ending up on a Thanksgiving table, issuing full, unconditional pardons to "Pecan" and "Pumpkin" in the Rose Garden of the White House.

These pardons were non-controversial, as were the 14 he issued on Monday that absolved actual humans of actual crimes. The more interesting and controversial pardons are likely being saved for his last few weeks in office, if history is a guide.

--Sean Mussenden

Tue, November 25, 2008 - 9:53 AM

Republican incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss scored a big name to campaign with him in his runoff election against Democrat Jim Martin.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitutuion, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign in Atlanta for Chambliss the night before the Dec. 2 election. You may remember - or can't possibly forget - Palin was the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Palin isn't the first political celebrity to campaign for both Chambliss and Martin in the runoff. But Palin draws big crowds and lots of attention. And it could prove to be the push that Chambliss needs to win the election.

In Georgia, a candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote or else the election goes to a runoff election. Chambliss took 49.8 percent of the vote.

The seat is important to both parties. Democrats are hoping for a 60-vote majority to block filibusters. Republicans, of course, want to hold onto every seat they can. The Democrats have 58 seats and races Minnesota and Georgia have yet to be decided.

-- Amy Dominello

Mon, November 24, 2008 - 5:21 PM

With 57 days to go until Inauguration, the Presidential Inaugural Committee is quietly beginning to come together, according to several media reports.

Official announcements of who’s on the committee could come as soon as this week according to reports.

While political junkies love to throw around the names of those involved, we want to know more details on the major events, such as the swearing-in, parade and inaugural balls.

In the meantime, check out the Inauguration guide I wrote a few weeks ago.

-- Amy Dominello

Down in Georgia these days, the long political season is coming close to an end.

Advanced voting started today for the Dec. 2 runoff between Republican incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

Chambliss took 49.8 percent of the vote. In Georgia, a candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote or else the election goes to a runoff election.

The seat is important to both parties. Democrats are hoping for a 60-vote majority to block filibusters. Republicans, of course, want to hold onto every seat they can. The Democrats have 58 seats and races Minnesota and Georgia have yet to be decided.

As a result, the Peach State has been a veritable who’s who of the political scene.

The three men who duked it out to be the Republican presidential nominee - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee – have all campaigned for Chambliss.

On the other side of the aisle, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore have campaigned in the state for Martin.

And there’s more political celebrities are lined up to campaign. Tomorrow, Gore's presidential campaign manager Donna Brazille will campaign for Martin and Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani will stump for Chambliss in Woodstock. Gov. Sonny Perdue and former Sen. Zell Miller will campaign for Chambliss Wednesday in Gainesville.

President-elect Barack Obama has not visited Georgia on behalf of Martin, but cut a radio ad urging voters to get out to the polls and vote for him.

A poll from Ramussen Reports last week shows Chambliss ahead 50 percent to 46 percent. Four percent were undecided.

-- Amy Dominello

Sun, November 23, 2008 - 8:49 PM

"We're out with the dithering. We're in with a bang."
-- Austan Goolsbee, chief economic adviser to Barack Obama on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, Nov. 23.

If you missed the Sunday talk shows today, just remember that quote. It's all you need to know about the Obama team's mindset. Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economics professor, made the point to Bob Schieffer that the economic situation is so dire, there's no time to waste. Obama plans to be hit the ground running Jan. 20.

Obama said in his radio address Saturday (you didn't miss that too, did you?) that quick work is needed to avoid losing millions more jobs next year. He's developing a plan to create 2.5 million more jobs by January 2011. Doing what?

"We’ll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels; fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead," he said.

To keep the focus on the economy, Obama is slated to announce his picks for Treasury secretary and head of the National Economic Council Monday in Chicago. They are, respectively, Tim Geithner, 47, president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Larry Summers, former president of Harvard and Treasury secretary in the Clinton White House.

-- Marsha Mercer

Fri, November 21, 2008 - 5:42 PM

In this week's Carolinas Update, Sean Mussenden tells you about Kay Hagan's visit to Washington and Elizabeth Dole's farewell to the Senate. Plus, it looks like Rep. John Spratt won't be getting the Office of Management and Budget spot.

Thu, November 20, 2008 - 3:35 PM

Florida's two senators are making good on their end of a bet with Pennsylvania's two senators on the World Series.



Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Bill Nelson, with the Tampa Bay Rays having lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, are sending the Keystone state's Republican Arlen Specter and Democrat Bob Casey a box of citrus, Cuban pastries, Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, and copies of the Columbia Restaurant Spanish Cookbook.

An accompanying letter with a picture of citrus on it reads:

“The oranges are still a little bitter over the Rays’ loss. It will take till the end of November for them to sweeten … (Actually – Mother Nature dictated the schedule for citrus ripening. Florida citrus will be at their peak ripeness in a few weeks. After Thanksgiving, the Offices of Senators Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson will deliver a bushel of this year’s harvest to the winning senators.)”

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

What a difference two years can make!

At this time in November 2006, GOP Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor—as a newly sworn-in freshman lawmaker in the minority party—would soon learn where his Capitol Hill office would be located.

What he got, as a result of a lottery of left-over offices available to first-year Republicans, was a cramped sixth-floor suite at the Longworth Office Building.

For the next two years, Bilirakis and his staff would work from that office located in a little-used hallway, shared by a minor subcommittee on energy and minerals, and several storage rooms.

But heading now into his second term, things are already looking up, er, down for Bilirakis.

Downstairs that is. And that’s a good thing.

Bilirakis is now moving to a larger, first-floor corner office – Rm. 1124 – on at the Longworth Office Building, previously occupied by Henry Brown of South Carolina, who also is relocating.

Among other benefits, the new digs are much easier to locate, and more convenient to the underground subway that shuttles lawmakers and others to and from the Capitol building.

Now, perhaps, Bilirakis will be able to look on with a smile Friday as the incoming freshman House members hold their office-space lottery.

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

WASHINGTON – Retiring GOP Virginia Sen. John Warner has just spoken on the Senate floor as one of several senators to praise and express gratitude to long-time colleague, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.

The recognition came after Stevens, 85, conceded defeat in his re-election bid Wednesday. Eight days before the election, Stevens had been convicted by a federal jury on felony charges of concealing gifts.

Some of Stevens’ Senate Republican colleagues had been considering expelling him. But that issue now appears moot because of the loss of his seat.

None of that was mention by Warner on the Senate floor.

But Warner noted that Stevens served at a young ages in the Army Air Corp. during World War II, earning medals and other recognition.

“He exemplified the courage of the World War II generation,” said Warner, of his 85-year-old fellow senator. “And he deserves the credeit of being a member of the greatest generation.”

Stevens, speaking later, said "my mission in life is not completed" and that he still can see the day ahead when he can "remove the cloud" that hovers about him.

His remarks drew applause from senators and others who were in the Senate chamber.

-- Billy House, Media General News Service

Wed, November 19, 2008 - 5:15 PM

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., introduced a bill Wednesday to cut in half the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package.

Under the program, which was designed to shore up the financial system by allowing the government to purchase toxic mortgage-backed securities, the Treasury Department has injected nearly $290 billion into troubled banks.

If Treasury wants to spend more than $350 billion, it must submit another request to Congress. If that happens, it would trigger a vote on the legislation introduced by Foxx, which would deny that request.

"From the beginning, I thought what they were doing was wrong," said Foxx, who, joined most conservatives in voting against the bailout. "I didn't think it would work. They've compounded the problem by not following what they said they would do."

Critics of the program complain that it has failed to loosen frozen credit markets, as troubled banks have been reluctant to increase lending to consumers despite the injection of cash.

The administration signaled this week that it would likely not return to Congress to request access to the full $700 billion before President Bush's term ends in January, according to reports.

--Sean Mussenden

Tobacco policy watchers should pay attention to the leaks today that President-elect Barack Obama has tapped former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to serve as Health and Human Services secretary.

He will run a department that will oversee the Food and Drug Administration. While in the Senate in 2004, Daschle voted to give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products. And a former top staffer of his, Bill Corr, is executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that has been pushing for years to give FDA oversight of cigarettes.

Last week, Obama’s transition team named Corr to a group of health policy experts who will review HHS activities to make sure the next secretary can begin working immediately.

FDA oversight legislation has been kicking around Congress for years, but always failed to pass both chambers. This year, it passed the House, but stalled in the Senate.

Supporters say they expect it to come up again early next year and pass, but opponents say those predictions are too optimistic.

A key difference in 2009: the likely backing of the administration. President George W. Bush opposed the move, and his implied veto threat was a significant roadblock to passage.

Obama was a co-sponsor of the legislation in the Senate. And with his appointments of Daschle as HHS secretary and Corr to the transition team, he’s put into key positions people who share his views. Does this mean FDA tobacco oversight will pass next year?

Perhaps, but it’s far from guaranteed. One possible roadblock that remains is money. The budget is expected to be extremely tight next year, and opponents say adding tobacco oversight to FDA’s portfolio will keep it from carrying out its core mission.

Update (11/20 - 12:00 p.m.)

As several tobacco control advocates have pointed out to me, the proposed legislation would impose user fees on tobacco companies to pay for the expansion of FDA oversight. But some critics of the proposal have questioned whether the funding mechanism would cover all regulation costs.

--Sean Mussenden

It’s looking increasingly likely that Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., will remain in the House. Spratt, who chairs the House budget committee, was rumored to be under consideration to head the White House Office of Management and Budget in the Obama administration.

Most major news outlets, citing anonymous sources, are reporting today that Obama has settled on Peter Orszag, director of the Congressional Budget Office, for that slot. The transition team has not made a formal announcement on the decision.

--Sean Mussenden

Rep Eric I. Cantor of Virginia has been elected House Republican whip, becoming the first Virginian to hold either party's No. 2 leadership post.

More coming shortly

-- Neil Simon

Tue, November 18, 2008 - 2:35 PM

In his quest to become the No. 2 Republican in the House, Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-Va., planned to send a letter to Republican colleagues today saying it was time to rehabilitate the party’s “conservative voice.”

The “Dear Colleague” letter comes the same day The Washington Times reported Cantor called Republicans no longer “relevant” and two days before House Republicans are to vote on new leaders.

Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is stepping down as Republican Whip.

No Representative from Virginia has ever been elected to the party’s No. 2 position. Cantor has no clear opposition in the race to lead the pared-down minority party.

The three-page letter to be circulated Tuesday called for keeping the government’s “foray” in the private sector “temporary and limited in scope” during the economic crisis.

Cantor makes a brief diagnosis of the GOP’s condition in the letter, saying electoral losses could be pegged in part to being out of step with new technology.

“Our ability to succeed will rest on our commitment to using every bit of today’s innovative technology to deliver our message to the younger voters who are our future,” wrote Cantor, 45, the current deputy Republican whip.

Without naming any one issue, there is a veiled criticism for Republicans who think wedge issues (abortion, guns) can win elections. Single issues “are not a vision,” the letter said. “We can no longer just speak in ideological terms.”

As a member of House leadership, Cantor pledged bipartisanship with the incoming administration of Barack Obama on tax breaks for middle class Americans and small businesses.

“Our opposition will not be reflexive and automatic; it will be honest and responsible,” he said.

There are mentions of health care and commuter stresses in the letter, but not an explicit mention of Cantor’s Middle Class Bill of Rights, which he unveiled as a campaign tool for House candidates earlier this year.

There are mentions of health care and commuter stresses in the letter, but not explicitly a mention of Cantor’s Middle Class Bill of Rights, which he unveiled as a campaign tool for House candidates earlier this year.

“I am running to be your Republican Whip because I am determined to help re-establish the forward momentum of common sense conservative solutions to the challenges facing the hardworking middle-class American taxpayers,” the letter said.

Text of the letter is below:

AN INNOVATIVE PATH TO THE FUTURE

Dear Colleague:

As we gear up for the 111th Congress, our beliefs seem under fire. Countless election ’08 post-mortems appearing in newspapers across the country have cast doubt on the GOP’s ability to carry on as a viable political party. Some have even gone so far as to proclaim that conservative principles have become irrelevant – if not dead – as a response to our nation’s formidable challenges. To many in the pundit class, our party is finished.

These tales of doom are flatly absurd. In the face of a grueling economic slowdown, the Democrats intend to raise taxes on capital investment and the incomes of those they deem “rich,” two-thirds of whom are small businesses that are engines of job creation. How could there possibly be a time where GOP tenets like low taxes are more necessary?

Like you, I know how invaluable common sense conservative principles are to maintaining a healthy and vibrant democracy. Our nation is at its finest when individuals have the incentives and ability to work, invent, invest and responsibly carve out their own destinies. That’s why Republican goals are tied to free markets, limiting government, keeping taxes low, spending wisely and governing more transparently and effectively. Building an agenda of reform based on self-empowerment and entrepreneurialism is absolutely essential to expanding our tent and making inroads with an increasingly diverse electorate.

Why I Am Running

I am running to be your Republican Whip because I am determined to help re-establish the forward momentum of common sense conservative solutions to the challenges facing the hardworking middle-class American taxpayers. First, we must begin the rehabilitation of our conservative voice by being honest with ourselves and the American people. Have we as a party lived up to our principles? Perhaps not. But our values are still extremely relevant and worth fighting for.

None of us is comfortable with the government’s ongoing foray into the private sphere, and we must be determined to keep these actions temporary and limited in scope. We must then commit ourselves to:



• Holding both sides accountable for excessive spending.

• Rooting out corruption among all Members of Congress who behave unethically.

• Start developing a bold and radically different plan of reform for our government as well as a plan with solutions for America’s families. Our ability to succeed will rest on our commitment to using every bit of today’s innovative technology to deliver our message to the younger voters who are our future.

Be the Honest Opposition and the Check and Balance on Obama and Pelosi’s Power

The Obama Administration will ascend to power at an enormously critical juncture for our nation. With so much left unsettled on the vital economic and national security fronts, scarcely has there been a more important time to fight for what we believe in. From day one we will serve as the check and balance on majority rule envisioned under the Constitution. But our opposition will not be reflexive and automatic; it will be honest and responsible. Should the majority reach out to us on behalf of the national interest, they will find us ready and willing to cooperate.

The first order of business in the 111th will undoubtedly be repairing the ailing economy. In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Depression, not to mention two wars, it is imperative that we work to minimize any further damage. If the Democrats come to us with proposals to cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses, or propose other plans that responsibly stimulate the economy, we will support them. If the Democrats instead reinvent the same old high-tax, heavy spending solutions that died out in the last century, we will strongly oppose them and thoughtfully bring our case before the American people.

Provide a Bold and Radically Different Plan for America

Over the next several years we must convey to the American people that we truly do represent something different. We must develop a broad strategic message. One of the lessons from campaign ’08 is that zeroing in on one single issue can fall short of our goals if it is not wrapped into a broader, overarching vision for America. Single issues can be outstanding tools to reinforce our hopeful message of personal freedom, strong families and free markets, but they are not a vision.

The vision we will take to the American people must start with a specific plan to overhaul the way Washington works. It will feature prescriptions of reform to move the federal government into a world of accountability where only deliverable promises are made. We must identify and also be able to communicate our common sense policies to the most pressing issues families struggle with every day, including health care, jobs, education, wages, commuting, the environment and crime.

Our alternative vision for America will tap into our country’s innovative spirit and lay out a case for making her safer, more secure and prosperous. It will both start and end with empowering individuals and families to make their own decisions in taking on the challenges they face. It must offer a way for the American people to see how their lives will improve and their future will be brighter.

Shortly after the polls closed two weeks ago a survey was taken in which nearly 70% of respondents indicated that the Democrat Party better understood the interest of “people like them.” Conversely, nearly 70% of the time, polls indicate that voters, regardless of party, agree with Republicans on the issues. Going forward, we must root ourselves in our core beliefs, but we can no longer just speak in ideological terms. Our candidates and our party must bring about a clean break from the past and offer a contemporary vision of life in America that is heavy on reform. Make no mistake, the road leading up to the 2010 midterm elections and beyond won’t be easy. Success will never be final. Reform is continuous.

I look forward to getting down to work together - right away! Thanks for all you do, and congratulations on your recent victory. I appreciate your consideration, and hope I can count on your support.

Sincerely,

Eric Cantor
Member of Congress