Patrick Murray

Afternoon Notes: Chain Bridge Closure

By ARLnow.com

Last Chain Bridge Closure — Starting around 9:00 tonight Chain Bridge will once again close completely to traffic and pedestrians. Crews will be working to repave the bridge deck, the Washington Post reports. The bridge is expected to reopen on Monday morning. This should be the last full closure of the bridge, which has been undergoing a year-long rehabilitation process.

Berry Officially Joins Young Guns List — GOP congressional candidate Matthew Berry has been officially listed as “On the Radar” on the National Republican Congressional Campaign’s “Young Guns” website. The list recognizes congressional contenders who have achieved certain fundraising goals.

Murray Objects to Straw Poll — Patrick Murray, Berry’s competitor for the eighth district GOP nomination, sent a strongly-worded email to supporters calling a straw poll that will be conducted at Saturday’s district Republican convention “illegitimate.” Murray says charging $20 for votes and not limiting the number of votes conflicts “with many principles for which our Republican Party stands.” Murray’s campaign also objects to the possibility of illegal aliens voting in the straw poll, since identification won’t be required.

Slapsticon Returns to Rosslyn Spectrum — The Slapsticon vintage comedy film festival is returning to Rosslyn this summer. The Spectrum Theater will host the festival from July 15-18. Read more here.

Flickr Pool photo by tadnkat

Patrick Murray Appears on Fox News Online Show

By ARLnow.com

Former Army colonel Patrick Murray, who’s facing Matthew Berry in the VA-8 GOP primary on June 8, appeared on Fox News’ Strategy Room show on foxnews.com this morning.

Murray said his biggest issue is “the fact that we have misplaced our Constitutional values.”

“I believe we’re ignoring the Constitution,” Murray said. “I am a big believer in the 10th Amendment… I think our footprint for the federal government has gotten way too big.”

Murray also discussed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as his own military experience.

See the clip here.

Afternoon Notes: Michael Brown Starts Work as County Manager

By ARLnow.com

County Government’s Michael Brown Era Begins — Former Savannah, Ga. city manager Michael Brown was officially appointed as Arlington’s new County Manager today, a month and a half after his hiring was first announced. Brown’s first order of business this morning was meeting with County Board Chairman Jay Fisette. He also met with his staff and spent much of the day preparing for his first board meeting, coming up this weekend. A public reception will be held in the lobby of 2100 Clarendon Blvd next Monday (May 24) from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. to welcome Brown to Arlington.

Iota Jam Session Reviewed — On Thursday night, The Infamous Stringdusters rocked Iota Club and Café in Clarendon. It may be the first time a band that includes a mandolinist, a dobro player, a fiddler and a banjo player started a performance with a “six-way fist bump.” More from jambands.com.

Endorsements for Berry, Murray — Conservative Virginia politics website Bearing Drift has endorsed Matthew Berry as the only GOP candidate who “has the capacity and wherewithal to give Jim Moran a run for his money.” Meanwhile, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi has endorsed former Army colonel Patrick Murray, Berry’s opponent in next month’s eighth district primary.

DCist Does Brunch at Tallula — If you’re looking for a lumberjack-sized plate of pancakes, eggs and bacon, Tallula is not the place to find it. But the Lyon Park eatery does serve up some very artistic-looking brunch dishes that — when paired with one of Tallula’s dessert options — should satisfy all but the most voracious eaters. More from DCist.

Moran Fires Opening Salvo of 2010 Campaign

By ARLnow.com

Congressman Jim Moran, who has heretofore ignored the challengers who hope to unseat him in November, fired the first salvo of his 2010 campaign last night at a forum sponsored by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce.

Following a short debate between GOP candidates Matthew Berry and Patrick Murray, and Green Party candidate Ron Fisher, Moran took the stage for a brief solo question and answer session with debate moderator and ABC7 reporter Scott Thuman.

“I give these three guys credit,” Moran said wryly in his opening remarks. Having spent ten years as a city councilman and mayor in Alexandria before running for national office, Moran said he “would have never had the gall” to run for congress without local government experience, as his opponents are doing.

The comment garnered a smattering of intended laughter from the buttoned-up crowd at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton.

Prior to Moran’s question and answer session, Berry and Murray took turns swiping at the ten-term congressman’s policies but largely avoided criticism of one another. Fisher was a full participant in the debate, but his pacifist, pro-tax message did not receive a very warm welcome from an audience full of businesspeople.

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Eighth District Debate To Be Held In Pentagon City Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D), whose eighth congressional district includes Arlington, will take the stage tonight with the men hoping to unseat him in the fall.

Republican primary opponents Matthew Berry and Patrick Murray are expected to participate in tonight’s debate, as is Independent-Green party candidate Ron Fisher. ABC7 reporter Scott Thuman will moderate.

The debate is sponsored by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce in partnership with a number of other local chambers of commerce. Tickets are $35 for Chamber members, and $45 for everyone else.

It will take place at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Congressional Candidate Murray Blasts Obama, Touts Twitter

By ARLnow.com

Patrick Murray is ramping up his rhetoric in the somewhat low-key Republican primary battle for Virginia’s eighth congressional district.

Murray, who is challenging Matthew Berry for the right to face incumbent Democratic congressman Jim Moran in the fall, sent an email to his supporters today blasting Moran and the Obama administration.

Murray said defeating Moran would “restore honor and dignity to representation for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District.”

Murray, a retired U.S. Army colonel, wrote about the need to reverse “the dangerous course that the Obama administration has carelessly taken us on.”

Also in the email, Murray sounded a bit Ted Stevens-esque when he referenced our “our innovative use of every modern communications tool at our disposal.”

“Two of those tools are Facebook and Twitter!” Murray wrote. “You have probably heard of them (Obama’s use of these new media techniques was widely publicized during his campaign).”

Murray has largely avoided mentioning Berry during the course of his campaign. He has, however, repeatedly criticized Moran and the Obama administration, and has focused much attention on the issue of securing the country’s borders.

On Monday he said on Twitter: “Times Square terrorists have international links. Now can we focus on securing the border?”

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Berry Leads Online Poll Ahead of GOP Primary

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23 — Laurence Socci has endorsed Matthew Berry. “Matthew knows the issues important to the 8th District and has a viable plan for fixing the problems caused by Jim Moran,” Socci said.

Virginia’s eighth congressional district, which includes Arlington, has been a decidedly elusive target for Republicans for nearly two decades.

The first George Bush was president the last time a Republican held the seat. The last three presidential elections have been laughably lopsided in favor of Democrats. President Obama carried the district by a margin of 69 percent to 30 percent over Sen. John McCain, whose own national campaign headquarters was based in Arlington.

Despite the apparent electoral futility, attorney and GOP hopeful Matthew Berry is optimistic about his chances. Last month he cited polling data that showed a close race in a potential match-up with incumbent Rep. Jim Moran. And now, an online poll shows Berry well ahead of his competitor for the GOP nomination, Iraq war veteran Patrick Murray.

The poll, hosted on the blog Red NoVa, shows Berry leading Murray by a margin of 787 votes to 317 votes. Laurence Socci, who withdrew from the race last week, has received 321 votes.

Both Berry and Murray hope to use voter unease about health care reform to their advantage.

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