Free Republic

RICHMOND, Va. -- Democratic former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder is urging President Barack Obama to fire Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, another former Virginia governor. Wilder wrote of Kaine, in a column for the Politico news Web site, that "the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee is the wrong job for him." In an interview with The Associated Press, Wilder cited Republican victories in last month's Senate election in Massachusetts and in gubernatorial races last fall in New Jersey and Virginia. "I'm just disappointed in his leadership," Wilder told the AP. "And there are a lot of people...

Democratic former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder is urging President Barack Obama to fire Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, another former Virginia governor... snip. "Don't let yourself believe that Massachusetts and Virginia and New Jersey were some aberration," Wilder said, "and I hope Tim and the president will take it in the constructive way it was intended."

Second big snowstorm hits East Coast By Jeremy Pelofsky Jeremy Pelofsky 20 mins ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The second major snowstorm in less than a week hit the East Coast on Tuesday, with predictions of 12 inches or more stretching from Washington, D.C., to New York City, forcing schools to close and the U.S. Congress to sharply curtail legislative action. Government offices in Washington will be closed on Wednesday -- the third straight day at a cost of roughly $100 million in lost productivity per day -- and the National Weather Service predicted the U.S. capital could get upwards of...

The changes must go much deeper. Obama’s West Wing is filled with people who are in their jobs because of their Chicago connections or because they signed on with Obama early during his presidential campaign. One problem is that they do not have sufficient experience at governing at the executive branch level. The deeper problem is that they are not listening to the people. Hearing is one thing; listening is another.

Federal Government Operating Status in the Washington, DC, Area the following message applies only to Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are CLOSED. This Means . . . Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are closed. Nonemergency employees (including employees on pre-approved leave) will be granted excused absence for the number of hours they were scheduled to work. This does not apply to employees on leave without pay, leave without pay for military duty, workers' compensation, suspension, or in another nonpay status. Telework employees may be expected to work from their telework sites, as...

The heavy snow has taken a toll on some local buildings, and with more on the way the weight of winter is now its own danger. "When something collapses you never know when its going to happen," said Captain Dan Schmidt, Fairfax County (web | news) Fire and Rescue. The roof of Fairfax Fire Station 10 in Baily's Crossroads came crashing down early Monday morning. The 24 to 28 inches of snow and ice proved too much for the 12-year-old flat roof to handle

FEBRUARY 9--Felony snowball throwing charges have been leveled against two Virginia college students for allegedly pelting a city plow and an undercover police car during Saturday's blizzard. Charles Gill and Ryan Knight, both 21, were nabbed by cops in Harrisonburg, where they attend James Madison University. According to police, the pair first targeted a city plow last Saturday afternoon. The driver responded by calling cops to report the frosty fusillade. When police responded to the scene in a bid to identify the assailants, their unmarked vehicle also came under an icy assault, according to a Harrisonburg Police Department press release....

Patriots physically in Olney this Saturday: NONE Patriots there in spirit: TOO MANY TO MENTIONAfter braving the weather to be a Walter Reed this past Friday the snow continued to fall through Saturday. At 10AM Saturday we had around 20" on the ground. BELOW LEFT: Our driveway. Vehicle on right is not as covered as the left because we used it for Walter Reed. BELOW RIGHT: Progress!! BUT WE WERE ON THE CORNER IN SPIRIT!!!What’s that red thing up there? And there is a flag with it All right!! The Olney Patriots are here without really being there. NOTE: Picture...

VA-ALERT: Urgent Legislative Alert, Action Items! 1. Gun bills to be heard in Senate Courts of Justice full committee tomorrow, Wednesday, February 10th, INCLUDING A RESTAURANT BAN REPEAL BILL! 2. Restaurant Ban Repeal vote in House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee this morning - good news! Action Item. ********************************************************************* 1. Gun bills to be heard in Senate Courts of Justice full committee tomorrow, Wednesday, February 10th, INCLUDING A RESTAURANT BAN REPEAL BILL! Tomorrow is going to be a KEY day for the restaurant ban repeal, the anti-freedom "gun show loophole" bill, and other important gun bills - so we...

As Washington digs itself out from under the Snowpocalypse, the region braces for yet more flurries. At least 18 inches of snow lie on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and some places were blanketed under as much as three feet. More arctic blasts this week could drive 2010 into the history books as the capital's snowiest winter ever.

During the 2008 campaign, I strongly endorsed Barack Obama for president. I did so early, when many Democratic leaders — including many prominent African-American politicians — believed the safe bet was to back then-front-runner Hillary Clinton. ... I still believe Obama can stand for positive change. But first he must make some hard changes of his own. The need is becoming more obvious by the day: He must overhaul his own team, replacing the admittedly brilliant advisers who helped elect him with others more capable of helping him govern. Getting elected and getting things done for the people are two...

AccuWeather.com is now projecting that Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Wilmington (DE), Baltimore, Atlantic City and others will break their records for snowiest season in recorded history, after tomorrow's storm. Here are the stats (in inches, current/record/expected after tomorrow): Philly: 56.4 / 65.5 / 71.0 Atlantic City: 42.8 / 46.9 / 53.7 Wilmington: 53.9 / 55.9 / 67.3 Washington D.C.: 63.1 / 61.9 / 72.3 Baltimore: 60.4 / 62.5 / 74.6 Other tidbits: Only one other season has provided two storms with more than a foot of snow for Philly (and only 7 storms total!) and those were barely over a foot...

Felony snowball throwing charges have been leveled against two Virginia college students for allegedly pelting a city plow and an undercover police car during Saturday's blizzard. Charles Gill and Ryan Knight, both 21, were nabbed by cops in Harrisonburg, where they attend James Madison University. According to police, the pair first targeted a city plow last Saturday afternoon. The driver responded by calling cops to report the frosty fusillade. When police responded to the scene in a bid to identify the assailants, their unmarked vehicle also came under an icy assault. Gill and Knight, a guard on JMU's basketball team,...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The rarely-shuttered US government closed down for a second day Tuesday, as the northeast braced for another massive snow blitz just days after a historic blizzard paralyzed the region. Schools in the Washington area were shut and thousands of homes were without power after a massive snowfall barreled across the area Friday and Saturday, leaving some areas entombed in as much as three feet (one meter) of snow. Forecasters said residents now face another wintry onslaught, with another 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of snow forecast to fall on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unlike the...

With Washington, D.C. buried beneath at least 20 inches of snow, and with more in the forecast, common sense would suggest global warming alarmists look elsewhere to make the argument to raise awareness for their concerns. But no, Dylan Ratigan thinks it's ridiculous to suggest all the snowfall totals could cast doubt on the theory of anthropogenic global warming. On MSNBC's Feb. 8 "The Dylan Ratigan Show," Ratigan criticized those who would dare express misgivings about climate change based on the so-called "snowpocalypse." "Here's the problem - these ‘snowpocalypses' that have been going through DC and other extreme weather events...

WASHINGTON -- A second major snowstorm in less than a week was blowing Tuesday toward the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. with more flights expected to be canceled. Plows still hadn't touched some roads, utility workers were struggling to restore power and shovels were in short supply. Forecasters predicted the snow would start Tuesday afternoon and continue into Wednesday, along with wicked winds. A foot or more was forecast for Washington and as many as 18 inches for the Northeast travel hub of Philadelphia -- which could cause travel problems as far north as Boston. Some areas are already under...

As Washington digs itself out from under the Snowpocalypse, the region braces for yet more flurries. At least 18 inches of snow lie on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and some places were blanketed under as much as three feet. More arctic blasts this week could drive 2010 into the history books as the capital's snowiest winter ever. The news must send chills up the spines of global warming adherents, for whom this winter has been marked by discontent. Several of the movement's high priests have been exposed as charlatans. The famed "hockey stick" chart - cited...

Federal Government Operating Status in the Washington, DC, Area the following message applies only to Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are CLOSED. This Means . . . Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are closed. Nonemergency employees (including employees on pre-approved leave) will be granted excused absence for the number of hours they were scheduled to work. This does not apply to employees on leave without pay, leave without pay for military duty, workers' compensation, suspension, or in another nonpay status. Telework employees may be expected to work from their telework sites, as...

Weather closes government offices a second day Photo 8:11pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal government agencies in the capital region will remain closed for a second day on Tuesday as residents brace for another blizzard while trying to clean up from a weekend storm that paralyzed the area with two feet of snow. Another big winter storm was expected to hit the U.S. mid-Atlantic from about noon/1700 GMT on Tuesday and last through Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecast on Monday. Projected snowfall ranged from 10 to 20 inches, it said. The potentially crippling new storm was expected to hit...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Another big winter storm was forecast on Monday for the U.S. mid-Atlantic still struggling to dig out from a blizzard that dumped two feet (half a meter) of snow and closed the federal government. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Washington, D.C., beginning at noon/1700 GMT on Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday, with projected snow totals of 10 to 20 inches. The potentially crippling new storm was expected to hit other big cities along the East Coast, like Baltimore and Philadelphia, that are still digging out and extend into New Jersey and New...

A WINTER STORM WARNING has been issued starting at noon tomorrow and extending into Wednesday for most of the ABC 7 viewing area including the District, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Frederick, Calvert, Charles, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun Counties. A WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for St Marys, Orange, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties. This storm has the potential to drop upwards of a foot of snow across the area with lesser amounts of snow are anticipated for Central Virginia with a mix with rain possible in Southern Maryland keeping accumulations down.

RECENT VIRGINIA CHURCH SERVICE-STIMULUS SERMON Genesis 47:13-27 I would love to give the Pastor of this predominantly black church in Virginia a hug and a high five. This guy is obviously a leader. Perhaps we should each decide who our real leader is.....It is amazing to see that very little has changed in 4,000 years. --------------------------------------------------- Good morning, brothers and sisters; it's always a delight to see the pews crowded on Sunday morning, and so eager to get into God's Word. Turn with me in your Bibles, if you will to the 47th chapter of Genesis, we'll begin our reading...

Issued by The National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington, MD 3:04 pm EST, Mon., Feb. 8, 2010 ... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * PRECIPITATION TYPE... SNOW. * ACCUMULATIONS... 10 TO 20 INCHES. * TIMING... MID-AFTERNOON TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. * TEMPERATURES... TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING AT THE ONSET TUESDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S TUESDAY NIGHT AND...

A respected domestic violence and anger management counselor in Fairfax County was arraigned in federal court Thursday after he allegedly pulled a gun on two men who he believed were blocking his car on an Annandale street last week. The two men were federal marshals. Jose L. Avila, 57, was ordered held without bond pending a detention hearing Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. He has been held in the Fairfax jail since Jan. 25, when he apparently picked the wrong place and time to complain about thoughtless parking. Avila's attorney said Avila had worked for many years at...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Residents of the US east coast began digging out from under a thick blanket of snow Sunday after a record-breaking blizzard paralyzed Washington and the region, snapping power to 350,000 residents and killing two people. The monster storm stretched more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from eastern Indiana across into New Jersey and then down as far south as North Carolina, affecting tens of millions of Americans. With winds gusting at almost 60 miles (90 kilometers) an hour, meteorologists said they had recorded snowfall as high as 38 inches (96 centimeters) near Baltimore, Maryland -- a record....

Health care legislation in Washington may be stalled, but that has not stopped legislatures in more than two-thirds of the states from objecting to one of its central planks: a requirement that everyone buy health insurance. The objections, many of them driven by the Tea Party movement, may turn out to be largely symbolic. But they nonetheless serve notice to President Obama and the Democrats of real anger over their health care plans and signal the potential for political upheaval down the road. These measures, which are in various stages of ripening in about 36 states, could also pave the...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Presidential quips about Washington's supposed lack of winter toughness have disappeared as snow accumulations mounted. Barack Obama had been in office for about a week in 2009 when he expressed disbelief that many schools had canceled classes one day because of ice. "As my children pointed out, in Chicago, school is never canceled," he said then. "We're going to have to try to apply some flinty Chicago toughness." Well, here comes more than a little ice: an estimated 20 to 30 inches of snow in Washington.

WASHINGTON – Mid-Atlantic residents were buried Saturday from a likely record-setting blizzard the president jokingly dubbed "Snowmageddon," and those brave enough tried to clear a path through the wet, heavy mounds of thigh-high snow. The snow was falling too quickly in the nation's capital for crews to keep up, and officials begged residents to stay home and out of the way so that roads might be cleared in time for everyone to return to work Monday. The usually traffic-snarled roads were mostly barren, and Washington's familiar sites and monuments were covered with nearly 2 feet of snow.

WASHINGTON – A blizzard battered the Mid-Atlantic region Saturday, with emergency crews struggling to keep pace with the heavy, wet snow that has piled up on roadways, toppled trees and left thousands without electricity. Officials urged people to huddle at home and out of the way of emergency crews. Forecasters said the storm could be the biggest for the nation's capital in modern history. A record 2 1/2 feet or more was predicted for Washington. As of early Saturday, 10 inches of snow was reported at the White House, while parts of Maryland and West Virginia were buried under more...

4 products issued by NWS for: Washington DC Blizzard Warning URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1044 PM EST FRI FEB 5 2010 DCZ001-MDZ007-011-013-014-018-061130- /O.CON.KLWX.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-100207T0300Z/ DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-HARFORD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL-CALVERT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...BALTIMORE...ANNAPOLIS 1044 PM EST FRI FEB 5 2010 ...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST SATURDAY... A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST SATURDAY. * PRECIPITATION TYPE...HEAVY SNOW...ACCOMPANIED OCCASIONALLY BY THUNDER OVERNIGHT. * ACCUMULATIONS...WIDESPREAD STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 20 TO 30 INCHES...WITH SOME LOCATIONS IN EXCESS OF 30 INCHES. * TIMING...SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY...

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim has challengers, but it remains to be seen if any of them are a threat to his office. The least likely challenger is 20-year-old ODU junior Ryan Cooper, who plans on running in the May 4 mayoral election. AltDaily spoke via email to the ambitious young man about his chances of winning, how he plans on fighting crime, and how being a door-to-door salesman prepared him to be the next mayor of Norfolk. AltDaily: Let’s start with the blunt, obvious question: You’re a 20-year-old ODU student taking on an incumbent of some 16 years. Do you...

The Federal Government will be open in the morning operating under an unscheduled leave policy with a planned 4 hour early dismissal. Employees reporting for work should be dismissed by their agencies 4 hours earlier than their normal departure time from work. OPM is continuing to closely monitor developing weather conditions should there be a need to reassess the Government's operating status.

...RECORD SNOWFALL FORECAST IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON DC REGION... ...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS DEVELOPING TONIGHT... GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH VISIBILITIES FREQUENTLY FALLING BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE DUE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT TO PRODUCE NEAR-BLIZZARD AND EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED TONIGHT AND WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS. LOOKING BACK AT THE BIGGEST STORM OF RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC... THE JANUARY 1922 KNICKERBOCKER STORM...28.0 INCHES OF SNOW WAS PRODUCED FROM 3.02 INCHES OF LIQUID WATER. CURRENT FORECASTS FOR THIS EVENT HAVE TOTAL LIQUID FALLING FROM THIS STORM APPROACHING 3...

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco has released the following statement: An epic snowstorm has the mid-Atlantic region in its cross hairs. At this time, personal safety must be first and foremost. National Weather Service forecasters have been tracking this storm for the past week and now that the storm is here it must be taken very seriously. Chris Strong, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) Office in Sterling, Va. just emailed CWG and other media outlets the following note: Our media partners, If you would, please ensure these points get some...

WEEK 242 - Dec. 04, LOTS OF BUSES, LOTS OF FREEPERS NEWS FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER There was a lot of activity on the NW corner tonight. Token visits by [Mrs] T, TomtheRedHunter and Fraxinus were appreciated, but the visit by Sensei Ern was most appreciative. He brought me a real nice cigar. More importantly was the support from passerbys. One young lady walking by had her brother in Walter Reed. He arrived several weeks ago and had a leg amputated. He is doing well. She wants to bring him out to the corners when he is able. One...

WASHINGTON – Shoppers jammed aisles and emptied stores of milk, bread and shovels Friday as a massive snowstorm blew into the Mid-Atlantic. Forecasters predicted a record 30 inches or more for the nation's capital, and authorities already were blaming the storm for the deaths of father-son Samaritans in Virginia. The region's second snow storm in less than two months could be "extremely dangerous," and heavy, wet snow and strong winds threatened to knock out power, the National Weather Service said. Flakes started falling around noon in Washington, where the federal government sent workers home early. The storm's wide swath and...

Okay, so I just got back from the store...DC is close to a full-blown panic about the storm heading our way. There's an interesting race-to-the-bottom dynamic that overtakes DC when it snows. People hie to the supermarket as if a billion Chinese zombies with frickn' lasers strapped to their heads are about to invade from outer space and nobody knows the correct translation of "Klaatu burada nikto." When I lived in Adam's Morgan (the most New York City-ish DC neighborhood) I was amazed at how people would buy not just canned goods and, say, chili-fixings, but gallons and gallons of...

Sung to “Clap On - Clap Off” if you hadn’t made the connection. Now you’ll have this theme running thru your brain as you get snowed in. :-))WEEK 211 - Jan. 23,2010 CLAP OFF - NO SNOW!!Hooray, warmer weather continued this week. While it was only around 30 degrees, the sun was out, the wind was still, and there was NO SNOW on the ground. The sun actually made it feel toasty out since we were not dressed for the sun. At Walter Reed 30 degrees is chilly since there is no sun. Patriots in Olney this Saturday include Glenn...

A storm expected to dump up to 2 feet of snow in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C., was already pelting the Southeast with heavy rain Thursday. Virginia's General Assembly canceled Friday's floor sessions and committee meetings, the first time anyone could remember that the threat of snow had sent the whole legislature home. Officials urged people to stock up on supplies Thursday night and warned of a tough evening commute Friday. Those who can should work from home, said Joan Morris, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation. "This is not a good mix," Morris said. "Heavy,...

Gov. Bob McDonnell has declared a state of emergency in advance of a winter storm expected early Friday through Saturday. Wednesday's declaration authorizes state agencies to assist local governments responding to a storm that could bring high winds and up to 20 inches of snow to the northern and western parts of the state. Forecasters are calling for up to three-quarters of an inch of freezing rain for much of western and southwestern Virginia and heavy rains and high winds in southeastern Virginia. McDonnell said road crews and the Virginia National Guard are prepared to respond, and urged residents to...

A special grand jury has found that officers have smuggled drugs into the Henry County jail and have had sex with inmates, while administrators and supervisors have been inadequate in trying to stop the behavior. The sheriff's office said in a news release that the two-year investigation has resulted in perjury charges against two people, Deputy Glenn Stokes and former Deputy Mary Markland.

Breaking with their party and president, five Democrats yesterday helped push through the state Senate a Republican measure allowing Virginians to just say no to compulsory health insurance. Voting 23-17, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved three identical proposals -- Senate Bills 283, 311 and 417 -- making it illegal to require residents to purchase health-care coverage. Similar bills are under consideration in the Republican-dominated House. Virginia joins a growing number of states -- at least 30, according to The Associated Press -- where legislators are debating proposals that object to government-mandated health-care proposals similar to those being considered by Congress.

Five American Muslims in custody in Sargodha threw a handwritten note to reporters from a police vehicle while on their way to a court hearing...Tuesday, stating: “Since our arrest, the U.S.A., F.B.I., and Pakistani police have tortured us,” according to their representative, Khalid Khawaja. A Pakistani relative of one of the men also claimed that the police had threatened to give them electric shocks. A spokesman for the American Embassy in Islamabad, Richard W. Snelsire, said that the United States “categorically rejects those allegations.” Mr. Khawaja, whose organization provided the young men’s lawyer, said a bail hearing would be held...

Five Democrats broke with their party Monday to endorse measures that would ban government health care mandates like the one being debated in Congress. Three identical bills to prohibit Virginians from being required to purchase health care were approved on 23-17 votes in the Virginia Senate, where Democrats have a 22-18 majority. If approved by the GOP-controlled House, Virginia would be the second state behind Arizona to pass measures in defiance of the proposed federal legislation. Arizona last year approved a similar constitutional amendment, which will be on the ballot in November. "I don't think the government has any right...

Yesterday the U.S. Constitution and federalism won a key battle. The Virginia Senate, which has a Democrat Majority, passed a bill prohibiting a requirement for Virginians to purchase health-care insurance. Five Democrats from swing districts joined all of the Senate Republicans in voting in favor of the measure. And with a Republican State House and Governor, this bill is expected to make it into law.

Miss America Theme Song) MARIO LOPEZ: Ladies and gentlemen, Miss America 2010 is... Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron! RUSH: And that's how it happened last Saturday night in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Theater. And we have with us Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron. Congratulations. I will never forget your face when your name was announced. MISS AMERICA: Awww. Thank you for playing that. That was so sweet. RUSH: Have you gotten over it yet? MISS AMERICA: No. I don't think I will. (chuckles) RUSH: Where are you now? MISS AMERICA: I am inside of my hotel room in Times Square....

The director and two stars of the Oscar-nominated "Avatar" flew to the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower last week for a visit and a special screening of the movie in the ship's hangar bay. Actors Michelle Rodriguez and Stephen Lang signed autographs and posed for photos with the crew, according to a Navy news release. They also toured the guided-missile cruiser Hue City. They were accompanied by director James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and Cameron's brother John, a former Marine and the movie's military consultant. The Eisenhower left Norfolk on Jan. 2 for a six-month deployment to the Middle East....

Virginia Senate Bills Say No To Requiring Health Insurance By Rosalind S. Helderman Washington Post Staff Writer February 2, 2010 RICHMOND -- Virginia's Democratic-controlled state Senate passed measures Monday that would make it illegal to require individuals to purchase health insurance, a direct challenge to the party's efforts in Washington to reform health care. The bills, a top priority of Virginia's "tea party" movement, were approved 23 to 17 as five Democrats who represent swing areas of the state joined all 18 Republicans in the chamber in backing the legislation. The votes came less than a week after President Obama...

RICHMOND, Va. Five Democrats broke with their party Monday to endorse measures that would ban government health care mandates like the one being debated in Congress. Three identical bills to prohibit Virginians from being required to purchase health care were approved on 23-17 votes in the Virginia Senate, where Democrats have a 22-18 majority. If approved by the GOP-controlled House, Virginia would be the second state behind Arizona to pass measures in defiance of the proposed federal legislation. Arizona last year approved a similar constitutional amendment, which will be on the ballot in November.

As you know, the Virginia General Assembly is in full swing, and as usual, Planned Parenthood is fighting against restrictions to women's reproductive health care. Click here to see our bill chart. Because we have an anti-choice governor and anti-choice majority in the House of Delegates, it is critically important for pro-choice supporters to be out in force this year! We are putting together a great program for you this year, so register now to be a part of this historic day! 2010 Pro-Choice Lobby Day is Thursday, February 11! Register Now to Attend! We need YOU to help protect...