DEEDS DOOMED?
In the final days of the Virginia gubernatorial campaign Republican candidate Robert F. McDonnell holds an 18 percentage point lead over his Democratic opponent, R. Creigh Deeds, among likely voters, according to a new Virginia Commonwealth University poll.
The survey results, released Wednesday, show that 54 percent of likely voters “support” or “lean” toward Mr. McDonnell, while 36 percent support or lean toward Mr. Deeds. A 56 percent majority of independents say they will vote for or lean toward Mr. McDonnell, while 29 percent of independents say they will vote for or lean toward Mr. Deeds.
Mr. McDonnell holds a lead in all regions of the state, the poll says
Both candidates do well with rank-and-file members of their parties. Fully 92 percent of Republicans support Mr. McDonnell, and 5 percent support Mr. Deeds. Similarly, 81 percent of Democrats support Mr. Deeds, while 10 percent support Mr. McDonnell.
The election Tuesday is a possible bellwether for a resurgence of the Republican Party nationwide.
VIRGINIA SEEING RED
“The clearest evidence that the Virginia gubernatorial race is over — apart from a blizzard of surveys showing Republican Bob McDonnell well over the 50 percent mark in the ballot test and leading Democrat Creigh Deeds by double digits in many surveys — is that White House insiders have already passed the word that it is Deeds who blew the race,” writes political strategist Stuart Rothenberg in the Roll Call newspaper.
“The assertion by Obama loyalists that Deeds would have done better by embracing President Barack Obama, as they say New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) has, ignores the fact that Corzine comes from a more Democratic state and that because Corzine is in a multicandidate race, he may need only 44 percent of the vote to win. If Deeds gets 44 percent of the vote in Virginia, he will be soundly defeated.
“If George W. Bush were still in the White House, Deeds almost certainly would be elected governor of Virginia, so it’s a little difficult to swallow the argument that national politics has nothing to do with the Virginia results. But it’s also important to note that Virginia Republicans [are] united behind their nominee and that McDonnell has kept his focus on jobs, taxes and transportation, rather than stressing social issues.
“The ability of McDonnell to roll up big margins outside Northern Virginia, against a Democratic nominee from rural Bath County, can’t be ignored, especially considering all of the growth in Northern Virginia and the hype about the region’s political importance in state races. The red parts of Virginia are acting red again, even against a Democratic nominee who was expected to have considerable appeal in those parts of the state.”
MORTGAGE SCRUTINY
“Chairman Edolphus Towns [New York Democrat] of the House Committee for Oversight and Government Reform [last week] announced a major investigation ’into whether mortgage companies employed deceptive and predatory lending practices, or improper tactics to thwart regulation, and the impact of those activities on the current crisis,’ ” writes the Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel on the Web site of the liberal magazine.
“This investigation is much needed, and frankly, overdue, as the foreclosure crisis has now hit record levels.
“The committee has requested — and will subpoena if necessary — records from Wells Fargo, Bank of America [including Countrywide], JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Residential Capital [GMAC], and US Bank Home Mortgage. It is also issuing a subpoena for records on Countrywide Financial’s VIP program.
“While the media seems focused on the Countrywide VIP program and questions of whether Towns himself benefited from it (he has denied doing so but will forward the documents to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct), I think the far more significant development here is the breadth of information the committee is demanding from Big Banking.
“The records in question cover 2000 to 2008, and include: the number and types of mortgages issued (whether fixed rate, adjustable, subprime, etc.); number of foreclosures and on which types of mortgages for every month during that time period; any marketing strategies and target audiences for residential mortgages, home equity loans, or similar products; special benefits provided to officials with a regulatory relationship with the banks; any draft legislation pertaining to mortgage lending that was offered to legislators; and any coordinated campaigns with other banks to fight mortgage regulation. …
“Here’s hoping the Towns’ investigation helps bring responses, finally, towards some of those crucial authentic answers.”
PUBLIC DECEPTION?
“Nearly every claim that House Democrats make about their [health care] bill is a deception,” writes Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute, on the Web site of the libertarian Washington think tank.
“Broader Medicaid eligibility does not reduce costs; it shifts costs to the poor through paltry access and low-quality care. The bill would not cost $900 billion; it would cost more than $2 trillion. The bill would not reduce the deficit; it would expand the deficit by creating new government health programs, which always cost more than projected.
“The cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will never happen because Congress will negate them later, just as Congress is currently trying to negate the ’standard growth rate’ cuts to Medicare physician payments. Finally, the bill would force taxpayers to fund abortions and would insure undocumented aliens.
“Where’s a death panel when you need one?”
PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE
Tom Matzzie blogs on the Huffington Post that President Obama’s Thursday morning visit to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where he received home the bodies of 18 U.S. military and law enforcement personnel killed Monday in Afghanistan, “brought a national spotlight onto the grimmest reality of the war.”
“President Obama didn’t have to go to Dover. George W. Bush never went, we’re told. Obama could’ve stayed back at the White House and kept some distance from the war - almost suggesting it is the responsibility of the former president. But instead he chose to put himself firmly in front as the commander in chief. He chose to create an image that will likely endure through his presidency and as part of his legacy. What a dramatic contrast to images from the last presidency of George W. Bush flying over Katrina or ’Mission Accomplished’ day.
“Unfortunately, although it is only a few hours since the president returned from Dover, we should expect that the Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks of the world will start whining about the president’s visit, accusing him of exploiting the event. Their script is so predictable that I can write this just after 9 AM with confidence that they’ll do it.
“But our president should always be reminding the American people of the sacrifice our troops make.”
• Sean Lengell can be reached at slengell@ washingtontimes.com
• Sean Lengell can be reached at slengell@washingtontimes.com.
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