Republican Party

Tea Party Star O’Donnell Speaks at Arlington Rally

By ARLnow.com

Former Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell joined the Northern Virginia Tea Party organization for a small rally at Fort C.F. Smith’s Hendry House in Arlington this afternoon.

O’Donnell, promoting her new book “Trouble Maker,” told the audience that the Tea Party movement should not “take the bait and respond respond in anger” to attacks by the “not-so-nice liberal media.” If they can “rise above it,” O’Donnell said, the Tea Party can bolster its image as “a middle class movement” instead of “the angry extremists that they’re accusing us of.”

The advice comes less than 24 hours after O’Donnell walked off the set of CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight for what has been portrayed in the press as frustration over a line of questioning about gay marriage.

Joking that the interview is now “infamous,” O’Donnell explained that she was late for another appearance and that Morgan’s questioning before the gay marriage question was “rude.”

“It was very sexist, the line of questioning,” she said. “I think I was a good sport leading up to his questions. He took a decidedly creepy turn… He asked question after question after question about sex. Then he threw a question about gay marriage in there… He wouldn’t let up, and I was well over a half hour late for a Republican women’s event covered by C-SPAN.”

“I think Piers Morgan exaggerated what happened,” O’Donnell added.

In addition to taking digs at the media and talking about her book, O’Donnell repeatedly implored audience members to stand up for “the power of our principles.”

“These principles are nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said.

O’Donnell also discussed the need for the Republican Party’s “D.C. cocktail crowd” to unite with the Tea Party to better pursue the goal of smaller government.

“Just like America is at a crossroads, the Tea Party is at a crossroads… Right now we need leadership, we need stability,” she said. “If the Republicans as a party can unite and stop shooting within the tent… then we can make sure Barack Obama is a one-term president.”

“We crave freedom, and when you articulate that to people they get it,” O’Donnell added.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Contractor Says ART Drivers Weren’t Fired — The contractor that operates the Arlington Transit bus service says 23 striking drivers were suspended pending an investigation, not fired, as the drivers claim. ART reports that it is operating this morning with minimal delays on most bus lines. [Washington Post, Arlington Transit]

No Republicans Stepping Up for Board Race — County Board incumbents Mary Hynes and Walter Tejada are still without a Republican challenger. Today is the local GOP’s self-imposed deadline to find a candidate for the race. [Washington Examiner]

Activist Wants to Make Board Race About Libraries — Local activist Shelley Wade has one goal this fall: to make sure Walter Tejada gets slightly more votes than Mary Hynes. Wade is waging her one-woman campaign to draw attention to the fact that the Board only approved a partial restoration of library hours this year (effective July 5), rather than the full restoration she was hoping for. [Sun Gazette]

Man Wanted in Arlington Arrested After Chase — A man wanted for property crimes in Arlington has been arrested after a wild police chase that started in Loudoun County and ended with a three-car crash in West Virginia. [WJLA]

Shelves Stocked at New Pike Giant — The shelves of the new Giant on Columbia Pike have been stocked. The store has a grand opening set for Friday, June 24th, but may quietly open its doors before that date. [Pike Wire]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Where Are the GOP Candidates? — So far, Arlington Republicans have not been able to find a single candidate willing to run in any of this year’s six county government races. The last time a Republican was elected to the County Board was the late 1990s. [Sun Gazette]

Police Looking for Missing D.C. Man — Police are hoping for the public’s help in finding a missing D.C. man. Matthew Hill, 26, was reported missing on Tuesday. His last debit card transaction was recorded at noon on Tuesday at an Exxon gas station in Arlington. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to call D.C. police. [WUSA]

APAH Receives Housing Award — The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing has been named “Developer of the Year” by the Housing Assocation of Nonprofit Developers. APAH received the award at a ceremony yesterday.

Arlington Gets Another AAA Rating — A third bond rating agency has given Arlington its highest vote of confidence. Moody’s affirmed Arlington’s AAA debt rating yesterday. This is the eleventh consecutive year that Arlington’s debt has received a AAA rating from all three rating agencies. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Woman Falls into Hatch at Pentagon Station — Last week a 52-year-old woman fell through a hatch near an escalator at the Pentagon Metro station, injuring her knee and face. Two Metro workers have been fired for their role in leaving the hatch wide open. [WTOP]

GOP Praying for Candidates — The Arlington County Republican Committee is literally praying for candidates to challenge Democrats in the fall. So far, they only have one for more than a dozen local races. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Wins Walkability Award — Arlington has received a “Gold-level designation for walkability” from the national Walk Friendly Communities program. “We welcome this recognition of Arlington’s efforts to create streets and paths that are safe, pleasant and interesting places to walk,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said in a statement. [Arlington County]

Medical Office Opens Near Crystal City — Commonwealth Medical Center, a new primary care provider, celebrates its grand opening today at 3535 S. Ball Street, between Crystal City and Potomac Yard.

Flickr pool photo by Karon

Morning Poll: Bikeshare Worth the Parking Sacrifice?

By ARLnow.com

For many people who don’t have cars, Capital Bikeshare seems like a no-brainer. With all the money spent on road construction and maintenance, and with our streets lined with parked vehicles, the loss of a few parking spaces and the investment of a few thousand dollars to bring CaBi to Rosslyn is a drop in the bucket.

But to those who own cars and frequently utilize street parking, even the loss of a couple of parking spaces in a crowded area like Rosslyn can seem like an encroachment. Doubly so if you don’t believe Bikeshare is an efficient use of tax dollars.

Thus, when someone at the Arlington County Republican Committee observed the loss of eight parking spaces for CaBi’s four new Rosslyn locations, he or she took to blogosphere to vent.

“Those parking spaces had been heavily used by Rosslyn visitors and shoppers… but the County decided to replace the valuable spots with rental stations for the costly subsidized bicycle rental program,” the GOPer fumed on the committee’s blog.

“The loss of on-street parking in Rosslyn means additional inconvenience,” the GOPer argued. “It also hurts Rosslyn shops and restaurants, who depend on available parking to attract customers.”

The blog estimated that the loss of the parking spaces would cost the county $10,000 in parking meter revenue per year.

Do you think the loss of parking spaces and meter revenue is worth it in order to bring Capital Bikeshare to Rosslyn and – soon – other Orange Line locations?


Flickr pool photo by Patryce

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Republicans Look to 2011 — Mark Kelly, who just lost his bid to unseat Chris Zimmerman on the county board, says that 2011 represents the Republican Party’s best chance of getting a toe hold in Arlington politics. Voter turnout should be very low, since there will be no federal races on the ballot. Two county board, a school board and a number of state legislative seats will be up for grabs. More from the Sun Gazette.

Rousselot Launches Bid for State Party Chair — Peter Rousselot, who served as chairman of the Arlington County Democratic Committee from 2006 to 2010, is seeking to the chairmanship of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Rousselot says the DPVA should focus on “maximizing the ability of Democratic candidates to win statewide races in Virginia.” One expected rival for the position is Brian Moran, former gubernatorial candidate and brother of Rep. Jim Moran. (That is, if Moran is legally qualified to be state party chair.)

State Supreme Court Upholds Transportation Tax — In a ruling on a case out of Fairfax County, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld the legality of a special transportation tax on property. Commercial property holders in Arlington have objected to paying a county transportation tax — $0.125 for every $100 in property value — while residential property owners are exempt. More from TBD.

Glebe Road’s Lost Interchange — Greater Greater Washington uncovers evidence that an oddly-curved section of Glebe Road near Chain Bridge was originally intended to be a interchange with the George Washington Parkway and a never-built bridge across the Potomac.

Dems Sweep, Bonds Pass as Arlington Remains Deep Blue

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Democrats won a decisive victory Tuesday, pulling off a clean sweep on a night where voters kicked many of their national colleagues out of office.

Congressman Jim Moran, county board member Chris Zimmerman and school board member Sally Baird were all re-elected. All four proposed county bond issues, each supported by the Democrats, passed. No bond received less than 62 percent of the vote.

At the Democrat’s victory party in the Westin hotel in Ballston, Moran declared victory early, but tempered his remarks with a warning about challenges that lie ahead for the party.

“It appears pretty clear that we will have won tonight,” he said. “But the victory is bittersweet — this is going to be a tough night for Democrats nationally.”

“We are going to work with the president for the next two years to fight efforts to take this country backwards,” Moran added. He said a “lack of civic involvement” and “extremist Tea Party views” were the downfall of his opponent, Republican Patrick Murray.

Zimmerman said the victory reflected Arlington’s values.

“I recognize that this is not simply a personal victory, but a statement about governance — an affirmation of the progressive values that I and my colleagues have worked to put into policy,” he said. “Arlington is a great community, and together we are making it even better.”

Arlington County Democratic Committee chairman Mike Lieberman credited volunteers for keeping the faith in a down year for Democrats.

“We worked this place,” he told the large and noisy crowd.

(more…)

Police Called on GOP Volunteer at Patrick Henry Elementary

By ARLnow.com

Election officials called police when a Republican precinct captain became unruly outside Patrick Henry Elementary School in Arlington Heights this afternoon.

The man, a local resident named John Moroz, Jr., said he was passing out voting guides outside the school — as he has done every year since 1998 — when a voter directed profane language at him for being a Republican.

Moroz said he started shouting at the man, who left the scene by the time police arrived.

After he calmed down, Moroz complained to police about the lack of parking in the parking lot. No police action was taken, and Moroz ultimately returned to his volunteer duties.

A Few Problems Reported, But Parties Satisfied

By ARLnow.com

As the 7:00 p.m. deadline for voting nears, we’re hearing of a few problems at the polls in Arlington County — but both Republicans and Democrats say they’re happy with the day’s events.

“The numbers we’re getting back show a higher than 2009 turnout, which gives us room for optimism,” said Mike Lieberman, chairman of the Arlington County Democratic Committee. He emphasized that county Democrats are “cautiously” optimistic.

“Given how strange this year is we’re not taking anything for granted until we see the actual numbers come in,” he said.

Arlington County Republican Committee vice-chair Charles Hokanson said the day was largely “uneventful” in terms of problems.

“From what i can gather, it sounds like turnout is about what would be expected in an off-year election,” he said. He added that the organization has significantly improved its operations at the polls on election day.

“We’re having our best precinct operations in the past decade or more, ” Hokanson said, noting that they had volunteers at 50 out of 51 county precincts.

Arlington County Registrar Linda Lindberg acknowledged reports from both parties of voting machines freezing up in some precincts.

Of the several precincts that had issues with voting machines, Oak Ridge/Gunston appeared to have the worst problems. Democrats reported that voters there had to use paper ballots during part of the morning.

“We’re dealt with all those issues,” Lindberg said.

“My sense is [turnout] was probably a little bit better than we anticipated,” Lindberg added. “We’ve had steady voting all day in most precincts.”

Cooch, Tea Party Leaders to Spend Election Night in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

If the election results go their way, the Tea Party will be partying in Arlington on Nov. 2.

The Clarendon-based Leadership Institute, a sort of conservative political training camp, will host “an election night victory party for 350 conservative and Tea Party activists.”

Those activists are expected to include:

  • Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia Attorney General
  • Morton Blackwell, President of the Leadership Institute
  • Brent Bozell, President of the Media Research Center
  • Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler, Co-Founders and National Coordinators of the Tea Party Patriots
  • Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform
  • Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council

The Leadership Institute is inviting journalists and bloggers to the event, billing it as a “one-stop conservative central” to get reaction to election results from leaders of the conservative movement.

According to a press release, the theme of the party is “Replacing the ruling class with constitutional small government conservatives.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Launches Housing Blog — Under One Roof aims to be “a broad and accessible news portal on housing and more in Arlington County. It will feature “blog posts on a broad range of topics including affordable housing, green building, construction, neighborhoods, homeless and housing assistance.”

Fire Houses Open to Public This Weekend — To mark Fire Prevention Week, Arlington’s 10 fire stations will hold a countywide open house from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. There will be fun for the whole family, including fire stations tours and activities for kids.

Two Urgent Care Facilities Planned for South Arlington — Urgrent care facilities are coming to the Westmont Shopping Center (Columbia Pike and Glebe Road) and the Camden at Potomac Yard (Glebe Road and South Ball Street). However, there’s still no hospital or emergency room in South Arlington. More from TBD.

Ridge to Campaign with Murray — Former Homeland Security secretary and Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge is slated to attend a fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate Patrick Murray next week. Tickets for the fundraiser, which is being held at the University Club in the District, range from $150 to $500. Murray has attracted the support of a number of high-profile Republicans recently. In September he held fundraisers with Gov. Bob McDonnell and Sen. John McCain. Ridge, who is pro-choice, was briefly considered as a possible running mate for McCain in 2008.

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