In an interview with Newsmax, George Allen says Virginia “will play a key role in the 2012 elections, not just in the race for the presidency but in deciding whether Democrats or Republicans will control the Senate.”
Allen said, “Virginia’s key. Our U.S. Senate race here in Virginia is one that objective observers say is crucial. If we win Virginia, the Republicans, the conservatives, take over the majority in the U.S. Senate and everyone recognizes that whoever wins the presidency, they need to win Virginia.”
Allen rival Tim Kaine is touring the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke today, the Roanoke Times reports.
* Conservative blogger Norman Leahy of Bearing Drift and liberal Paul Goldman of Blue Virginia agree that allowing Virginia governors to serve two consecutive terms is a bad idea. Leahy writes, “Virginia governors have, largely, done pretty well for themselves and the state under the one-and-done rule. The single term gives them focus. It also gives them the freedom to tackle issues that would otherwise be kicked down the road with all the other cans.”
Meanwhile, Goldman writes, “The one-term limitation actually is the only reason we have real competition in Virginia politics today on a regular basis at the statewide level.” He says the Republican legislature would not make the change if a Democrat was in office, and if the GOP holds the governorship, “the ‘bipartisan’ effort by good little Democrats to save the state from the yoke of the ‘one term limit’ makes it easy for the GOP to enact their proposal as a good government measure” -- making it easier for a Republican to stay in office.
* The Burke Patch reports Chris Perkins, a retired Army colonel and Green Beret who is seeking the Republican nomination in Virginia’s 11th District, stopped by the Greenspring retirement community in Springfield last week. He told residents, “I’m not a politician, I’m an old soldier,” and said, “Our biggest threat is our struggling economy.”
* Red Maryland’s Mark Newgent chides Alex Mooney for focusing on raising money for his Sixth District congressional campaign while still officially chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. Newgent writes, “Don’t solicit donations under the auspices of the MDGOP chairmanship.”
* The Hagerstown Herald-Mail reports Republican state Sen. Christopher Shank said at a public forum Monday evening that Gov. Martin O’Malley has declared “war on rural Maryland” through new tax and regulatory proposals as well as the comprehensive Plan Maryland initiative.
* Washington City Paper says Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. made his first tweet since the FBI/IRS raid on his house two weeks ago -- “to disclaim a parody account” that appeared recently. The real Thomas wrote: “For the record @HarryThomasJr1 is not my Twitter. Disregard the foolishness. My staff will update my Twitter w/ general community information.” (The imitator replied, “I'll have my staff follow up with your complaint.”)
* On the Washington Post’s D.C. Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg reports Redskins owner Dan Snyder and his wife Tanya each gave the maximum allowable $2,500 to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign back in June. Caps/Wizards/Mystics owner Ted Leonsis “gave $2,500 to the Obama re-election effort in the same month. Leonsis went on to write an extremely critical blog post about the President in September.”
* Nope, O’Malley hasn’t heard back from Lady Gaga yet. And Marion Barry is waiting to hear from Spike Lee.
