Gillespie Expected to Head Virginia GOP

The Washington Times reports:

Virginia Republicans say they expect Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, to be named the new head of the state party.

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A New Jersey native who started his career on Capitol Hill as a Senate parking lot attendant, Mr. Gillespie has built a strong reputation as a Republican strategist.

In 1994, he was a top aide to then-Rep. Dick Armey, Texas Republican, and helped draft Republicans' "Contract with America," which many credit with winning Republicans control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.

In 2000, Mr. Gillespie served as a senior communications adviser for the presidential campaign of then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush and as communications director for his 2001 inauguration.

Mr. Gillespie was a campaign strategist for Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2002. Mrs. Dole, North Carolina Republican, won by the biggest margin of victory of any Senate candidate in the state in more than 25 years.

From July 2003 to January 2005, he served as chairman of the Republican National Committee. He was the first chairman in 80 years to oversee the re-election of a Republican president while maintaining majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Technorati Tags: Republicans, Virginia

Remembering the American Civil War

The Washington Times has an interesting article reviewing how long it took the U.S. to get over the Civil War, even after it officially ended in 1865:

Although the Civil War was not fought -- at least initially -- to destroy slavery ... after the firing on Fort Sumter, the president invaded the South and after four years of horrendous and costly struggle (nearly 700,000 soldiers and civilians lost their lives) the South was conquered and after Lincoln's death, only five days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, the Era of Reconstruction began.

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During Reconstruction there were many Southern "insurgents" who totally rejected the new social order (Gen. Robert E. Lee, along with many of his followers, not among them) that the war had brought about and consequently they formed al Qaeda-like terrorist groups known as the Ku Klux Klan and numerous other such organizations, all determined that the new racial reality would not be respected, much less sustained. Members of these insurgent groups permeated every level of state governments, economic and social organizations. They were "states" within their respective states and feared by nearly everyone. That fear translated into force, a force only a few were willing to resist.

Union troops were removed from the South after the 1876 presidential election. After that, blacks and their small number of sympathetic white supporters were the constant victims of unimaginable horrors (mass lynchings, church and home bombings, etc.) which most of the elected civic authorities pretended were not even occurring.

...it can be argued that the American Civil War really did not effectively conclude until a century after the fighting had ended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).

Although comparisons to Iraq more than minimize the cost of the Civil War, the full article is worth reading.

Technorati Tags: America, Civil War, Iraq

Democrat Vows to Kill Social Security Reform

The AP reports:

The incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said Thursday he wants to hold hearings on looming insolvencies in the Medicare and Social Security programs but said President Bush's plan to [reform] Social Security is dead.

"Don't waste our time," said Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana. "It's off the table."

He said the rising cost of Medicare and other health costs is a priority for the committee, though he did not detail how the committee would approach those problems. He said he will hold "vigorous" hearings on the issue.

So he admits there is a problem, has no solution, but won't even consider the one solution that has ever been seriously suggested. That leaves only one choice - continuously higher taxes.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Senate, Social Security

Alito Delays Made No Difference

Last November we noted that the confirmation hearings for now-Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito were delayed for a month so that Senators could go home to campaign.

Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona won reelection by almost 10 points and Mike DeWine of Ohio lost by 12.

Technorati Tags: Senate, Supreme Court, 2006 Elections

Democrats Plan to Increase Energy Costs and Combat Energy Independence

The AP reports on Democrat plans to increase energy costs and reliance on foreign oil:

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an outline of priorities over the first 100 hours of the next Congress in January, promises to begin a move toward greater energy independence "by rolling back the multibillion dollar subsidies for Big Oil."

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Topping the list for repeal are:

-Tax breaks for refinery expansion and for geological studies to help oil exploration.

-A measure passed two years ago primarily to promote domestic manufacturing. It allows oil companies to take a tax credit if they chose to drill in this country instead of going abroad.

Democrats say neither tax benefit should be needed for an industry reaping large profits at today's high crude oil prices.

Deregulation might be a better solution to the lack of refining capacity, but that seems to be complicated by state regulations as well.

Tax breaks are very useful for promoting domestic energy exploration and encouraging development of resources that might not otherwise be economical to access. Just because oil companies are able to make money doesn't mean they will (or should) put any of it into otherwise unprofitable or barely profitable ventures.

Technorati Tags: Congress, Democrats, Energy

Queen to Visit Jamestown

The Washington Times reports:

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will visit Virginia in May to mark the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in America, the queen announced yesterday.

The trip to the site of the Jamestown Settlement will be the fourth state visit to the United States for the queen and her husband.

The queen briefly announced the planned visit during her annual speech to Parliament, when she was outlining the government's legislative program for the coming session.

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President Bush, in Moscow yesterday, said he hoped the visit would celebrate strong relations between the U.S. and Britain.

"The United States and the United Kingdom enjoy an extraordinary friendship that is sustained by deep historical and cultural ties and a commitment to defend freedom around the world," Mr. Bush said. "We look forward to her majesty's state visit as an occasion to celebrate these enduring bonds."

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Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine welcomed the news from London, where he is in the midst of a four-nation trade and tourism [junket].

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The Jamestown Settlement began as a business venture by a group of merchants operating under a charter granted by King James I in 1606.

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The queen's last visit to the United States was in May 1991 to meet with the first President Bush. The earlier state visits were in 1957 and 1976.

Technorati Tags: Tourism, Virginia

Lieberman Pledges Independence

The Boston Globe reports:

Sen. Joe Lieberman on Sunday repeated his pledge to caucus with Senate Democrats when the 110th Congress convenes in January, but refused to slam the door on possibly moving to the Republican side of the aisle.

Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" if he might follow the example of Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont, who left the Republicans in 2001 and became an independent, ending Republican control of the U.S. Senate, Lieberman refused to discount the possibility.

"I'm not ruling it out but I hope I don't get to that point," he said. "And I must say -- and with all respect to the Republicans who supported me in Connecticut -- nobody ever said, 'We're doing this because we want you to switch over. We want you to do what you think is right and good for our state and country,' and I appreciate that."

...Lieberman was elected to a fourth term last Tuesday as an independent, and said Sunday his political affiliation will be as an "Independent Democrat."

The Democrats won control of the Senate with 51 seats. Lieberman and newly elected Bernie Sanders of Vermont are the Senate's only Independents.

A switch to the Republicans would bring the Senate to a 50-50 division, giving Republican Vice President Dick Cheney opportunities to break tie votes.

Senator Lieberman would find himself more welcomed by Republicans than Democrats. The Connecticut primary is proof of that.

Technorati Tags: Connecticut, Democrats, Senate