“Good move by the President on this moratorium that has harmed U.S. energy supply. I’ve been advocating this action for years. Senators Alexander, Landrieu and Warner have al carried on the battle. Now most Democrats (other than Sens. Landrieu, Johnson, and Ben Nelson) and a few Republicans in Congress must vote differently to allow Virginia and other States to safely explore far off our coasts for American energy rather than continuing to send hundreds of billions out of our country.” -George Allen

Bush to lift executive ban on offshore drilling
Jul 14, 10:46 AM
By Ben Feller
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - In another push to deal with soaring gas prices, President Bush on Monday will lift an executive ban on offshore drilling that his stood since his father was president. But the move, by itself, will do nothing unless Congress acts as well.

The president plans to officially lift the ban and then explain his actions in a Rose Garden statement, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by former President Bush in 1990. The current president, trying to ease market tensions and boost supply, called last month for Congress to lift its prohibition before he did so himself.

CLICK HERE to view the entire article.

“At least 8O% of these proposals highlighted by Del. Marshall are good ideas worthy of passage now or as soon as possible. If not, aggravation will build and it will take Virginia’s next Governor to push truly reasonable common sense measures into effect. Like most Virginians, we are annoyed by waiting for action on some of these and other good ideas.” -George Allen

No need to raise taxes for roads
Bob Marshall
July 9, 2008
The Daily Press

Virginia’s families face falling home prices, increased real property taxes, skyrocketing gas and food prices, an 18 percent electric-rate hike for Dominion, a 6.4 percent monthly increase in natural gas prices, almost five decades of federal deficit spending, and a devalued dollar.

Enough is enough. Surely this is not the time for the General Assembly to be raising taxes and fees.

If Virginia’s government cannot operate on 97 percent of its $75.9 billion budget (2009-10), something is definitely wrong. Three percent of that figure is $2.277 billion, or $1.14 billion that could be re-directed each year to fix roads and transit systems.

No Democratic (SB 6009) or Republican (HB 6055) tax proposal pending in the General Assembly raises more than $1.1 billion a year. Also, the Assembly should support changing work schedules or tele-work, use toll- and fare-supported transportation bonds, set up bio-fuel capture centers and permanently make state government more efficient for it to spend the savings on roads and transit.

CLICK HERE to read the entire post.

For Immediate Release:
July 12, 2008

Statement from former Governor George Allen

Mount Vernon, Va. – Former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen issued the following statement today, mourning the loss of Tony Snow.

“Susan and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend Tony Snow. He was truly an exceptionally positive, wonderful friend and a leader in all his pursuits in life. He was always grounded in foundational principles and understood the sentiments of the American people.

“Our family enjoyed seeing him at church from time to time and were inspired by his cheerful spirit. We all must remain inspired by Tony and enjoy life to the fullest. Our prayers are with, and our hearts ache for, his dear wife Jill and their three children, in whom Tony’s blood and spirit lives on. So many people were blessed to have had Tony as a true friend and optimistic leader for wholesome American values.”

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McCain Supporters Counter Obama Event
Thu July 10, 2008
WJLA

FAIRFAX, Va. - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain is conceding no ground in the commonwealth of Virginia.

While his Democratic rival held a town hall-style rally in Fairfax Thursday, McCain supporters were busy pitching their candidate to voters in a counter-news conference.

“We have a special visitor in the state today, Barack Obama, who thinks he’s going to steal the hearts and votes of women in Virginia, but I think he’s wrong,” said former Virginia First Lady Susan Allen, the wife of former GOP Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen.

CLICK HERE to view the entire story and watch video from the event.

“Very good, accurate statement setting up the perameters of an actual solution rather than more political posturing.” -George Allen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2008
From the Office of Bill Bolling

STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BOLLING ON CONCLUSION OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL SESSION

RICHMOND - Early this morning, the Virginia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die, ending the Special Session on transportation that had convened on June 23rd. In response to this action, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling issued the following statement:

“I am very disappointed that the General Assembly was unable to make any meaningful progress toward addressing Virginia’s transportation challenges during this Special Session. The failure to do so does not reflect well on anyone involved in this process, and it leaves one of the major challenges facing Virginia unresolved.

“Unfortunately, much of the responsibility for this failure rests on the shoulders of Governor Kaine, who decided to call legislators back to Richmond without building any consensus around a possible transportation solution. In my judgment, the Governor’s decision to call the Special Session without first developing a framework for success was a mistake.

“In addition, Governor Kaine complicated the effort to find a transportation solution by introducing a transportation proposal that had very little, if any, support in the General Assembly. The Governor’s bill, which relied on massive statewide and regional tax increases, was not even supported by the members of his own party, and it was clearly not the right solution given the economic challenges that Virginia is currently facing.

“I am also disappointed that Democrats in the General Assembly systematically defeated common sense Republican proposals that would have helped us address Virginia’s long term transportation needs, at least in part. I was particularly disappointed that Democrats rejected legislation that would have:

• Directed potential revenues associated with offshore drilling in Virginia to transportation.
• Enabled Hampton Roads localities to keep the tax revenues derived from the Port of Virginia and use those revenues to fund transportation projects in their region of the state.
• Enabled Northern Virginia localities to keep the tax revenue derived from the Dulles International Airport and the Ronald Reagan International Airport and use those revenues to fund transportation projects in their region of the state.
• Amended the Constitution of Virginia to prohibit the use of transportation dollars to pay for other government programs without super majority approval of the members of the General Assembly
• Ordered an external management review of the Virginia Department of Transportation to make certain that our transportation dollars are being spent effectively and efficiently and directed to our state’s highest transportation priority - congestion relief.

“These were commonsense proposals that should have received widespread bipartisan support. By rejecting these proposals without serious consideration or debate, Democrats showed that they are unwilling to seriously consider any solution to our transportation challenges that do not involve higher taxes.

“Fortunately, the General Assembly meets every year, and we will have another chance to address this issue in January. It remains my hope that the members of the General Assembly will work to craft a transportation solution that relies on existing revenue sources and innovative transportation alternatives, not higher taxes.”

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Governor Allen will appear on WRVA’s “Richmond’s Morning News” with host Jimmy Barrett tomorrow morning at 8:30am to discuss the 2008 elections in Virginia and Senator John McCain’s plan for American Energy Security. Tune in to 1140 AM in the Richmond area or CLICK HERE to listen live tomorrow at 8:30am, EDT.

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press
July 7, 2008
Minneapolis Star-Tribune

WASHINGTON - A business coalition launched a new television ad Monday criticizing DFL Senate candidate Al Franken for supporting legislation that would make it easier for workers to start unions.

The ad by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace takes aim at the Employee Free Choice Act, which would certify a union as soon as a majority of workers at a plant signed cards authorizing it. Current law calls allows employers to demand a secret ballot election when their workers seek to organize a union.

Coalition spokeswoman Rhonda Bentz described it as major statewide buy to run through the first week of August, which the average Minnesotan will see 12 to 15 times during that time. Another ad on the issue, which does not mention any specific candidate, has already run for three weeks in the state and will continue to run through the first week in August. Bentz said that the average Minnesotan would see that one 12 to 15 times, too.

Bentz declined to say how much the group was spending on the ads, but said that the overall effort — including direct mail as well as TV, radio and Internet advertising — would run between $10 million and $20 million.

The new ad begins with a cardboard cutout of Franken’s opponent, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, as an announcer says, “Norm Coleman says keep the secret ballot for union organizing elections.”

CLICK HERE to read the entire article.

“In celebration of Independence Day, Rick Monday stood strong for freedom when he snatched a lighter-fluid soaked American flag right out the hands of a couple of would-be desecraters. Enjoy.” -George Allen

Kerry Dougherty
The Virginian-Pilot
July 1, 2008

Johnny Marocco Williams’ timing was terrific. His luck was terrible.

On Saturday night - just four days after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that  Americans have a constitutional right to own handguns - the 41-year-old Hampton  man decided to stick up a pizza joint in Virginia Beach.

In doing so, he provided a timely lesson in the Second Amendment.

When Williams crept through the back door of Dominick’s Pizza and Pasta on  Holland Road with a bandana over his face, he gambled on two things:

That the safe was full of cash and the owner was unarmed.

He was wrong on both.

The safe - the one that Williams ordered Ferdinando Abbondante to open -  contained just one item.

A 9 mm Berretta.

Unfortunately for Williams, Abbondante, the father of three and a former  security guard, also knew how to use it.

“Nerves of steel,” is how Abbondante’s business partner and father-in-law,  Roger Stephens, described him.

In interviews, Abbondante said he told the robber to just empty the cash  register and get out.

Williams, however, was adamant that the owner unlock that safe.

The Italian immigrant did just that. Then he turned around and shot Williams  to death.

If supporters of the Second Amendment had been looking for a textbook case of  how gun ownership is supposed to work, they got it. An outlaw entered a  restaurant brandishing a weapon and left on a gurney because a law-abiding gun  owner decided to protect himself and his employees.

At this point in the investigation, Virginia Beach police have little to say  other than shots were fired at the pizzeria Saturday night and the bad guy  died.

“That’s about it,” said police spokesman Jimmy Barnes. “All indications are  he (Abbondante) did nothing wrong.”

Stephens told me that the dead man’s weapon might have been a toy gun. The  police had no comment, but Barnes noted that whether or not a weapon is real is  usually immaterial.

Fear for your life is what matters in self-defense.

If Williams had been smart - and few criminals are - he would have driven to  Washington to stage a holdup. D.C.’s unconstitutional handgun ban still  guarantees that most citizens can’t protect themselves. That will soon change,  when the District enacts new gun laws.

I tried to reach Abbondante on Monday, but he wasn’t at the pizza place  that’s named for his 7-year-old son. He was at the hospital with a worker who’d  been splattered with the dead man’s blood. Williams was HIV positive, Stephens  said, so in addition to sanitizing the restaurant, workers were receiving  medical evaluations.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Abbondante wasn’t gloating. He told  reporters that he wasn’t “proud” of what he’d done but that his actions had been  intended to save the lives of innocent people.

There’s little doubt of that.

It’s a pity that anyone had to die. But it was Williams himself who set those  deadly events in action.

Governor George Allen will appear on “Happening Now” on Fox News today at 12:40pm EST to discuss current events in the race between John McCain and Barack Obama for the White House.