Southwest Virginia Democrats

Don’t forget folks that a fundraising breakfast for Congressman Rick Boucher will be held Saturday, July 15, 2006, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the John Fox Jr. House in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. The cost is $25 per person, or $150 to sponsor the event. The food is always wonderful! Come out and support our Congresman and his re-election efforts. Thanks!

Bill Carrico, the Republican candidate running against Congressman Boucher here in the Ninth District, recently gave an interview to the Quality News Network. It is available here.

Some of his responses were very interesting, the others are mostly GOP talking points. He did, however, stop short of declaring that God had endorsed his candidacy this time.

After being asked about the immigration problem, Carrico says “we have got to build that wall around us,” seemingly suggesting that we need to build a wall around the entire country. I have heard proposals of building a wall across the southern border, but Carrico is the first candidate I have ever heard suggest that we need a wall between us and Canada and on our coastlines.

Carrico was also asked about the budget and he quickly proclaims that he thinks the budget should be balanced. On the follow-up, though, when asked if he would support revoking the recent tax cuts on just people making more than $500,000 per year if it would balance the budget, he declines to answer. Could that mean that Carrico has a few friends (i.e., campaign donors) who make more than half-a-million per year?

This interview confirms what most of us here in the Ninth District already knew – Congressman Boucher should easily win re-election.

Today marked the official organization of the Southwest Virginia Young Democrats as a large group of young (and a few not so “young”) people from all over the Ninth Congressional District convereged on Los Arcos in Abingdon, Virginia.

The group approved their official name, voted on a constitution, elected officers, and approved the beginning of the chartering process with the Virginia Young Democrats.

Serving for the 2006-2007 term will be Tabitha Hibbitts Peace (Wise County), Chair; Brian Patton (Dickenson County), Vice Chair; Sara Sword (Russell County), Secretary; and Joseph Puckett (Russell County), Treasurer.

There were representatives from Bristol City, Washington County, Scott County, Wise County, Russell County, Dickenson County, Grayson County, and Smyth County on hand. The group intends to open membership to anyone within the Ninth Congressional District.

Special guests were Tom Graham, Ninth District Committee Chairman; Jack Heacock with the Bristol City Democrats; and John W. Peace II, member of the Wise County Board of Supervisors. All three showed up to show their support for the organization of a Young Democrat group for Southwest Virginia, and praised the efforts of all who came out.

The group will meet again on August 6, 2006 at 6 p.m. The meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held at Macados in Marion, Virginia, located at 142 East Main Street. For more information, or to become a member, contact Tabitha Peace at 276-393-1055 or by email at TabithaPeace@hotmail.com.

Polls Archive

Hope you can attend the Southwest Virginia Young Democrats‘ first meeting, this weekend, on July 2, 2006, at 5:00 PM.

The meeting is being held at Los Arcos, in the old Stringer’s Building.

The first meeting of the Southwest Virginia Young Democrats group will be:

Sunday, July 2, 2006, at 5:00 PM

The first meeting will be held at:

Although not required, you are encouraged to RSVP to tabithapeace@hotmail.com

If you need more information or have any questions regarding this group, please contact Tabitha Peace at (276) 393-1055.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but to be considered a “Young Democrat” by the Virginia Young Democrats, one must be between the ages of 13-35.

www.swvadems.com/young

Updated rankings are up here.

The Webb v. Allen race moves up one spot, to 13th.

It could potentially move higher.

We’re a few more weeks away from truly buying into this race as competitive. It has the potential to become the cycle’s most nationalized race, and it has the potential to be the country’s most competitive race. The key word here is potential. Webb gives the Democrats a lot of hope, but until the money begins flowing, this race won’t crack the top 10.

If you want to see this race continue moving up, click here.

In other news, SurveyUSA has released results of a new poll here.

The results were:

56% Allen (R)

37% Webb (D)

2% Parker (IG)

3% Other

3% Undecided

Once Webb gets to meet more people in the coming months, though, the numbers will quickly narrow.