Hurst 2006 Blog

Final Post

2006-11-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks again to everyone who read this blog and helped out on the campaign (see previous post for full thanks). This is my last post to this blog, I will leave the blog open for archival reasons (and well, because it's free).

I'll leave you with the following.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Thank You!

2006-11-12T21:53:00.001-05:00

In the "blockquote" is the Thank You note that Andy sent out. Before we get to that, I wanted to thank everyone that I met on this campaign. It was a tremendous experience and I learned a lot. It is working on this campaign that reminded me of why I work on campaigns for minimal pay and even less sleep.

As I move forward, myself and three other Hurst staffers (two that I had worked with before) are creating a PAC, Next Generation Democrats to financially assist candidates under the age of 40 (at all levels, dog catcher to President), and political operatives and campaign workers under the age of 25.

For all of you that helped, please remember the following two facts (in addition to what Andy points out in his letter)

1. In 2004, Tom Davis sent $240,000 to 39 candidates outside of his District, this year during the wave he was only able to send $3,100 to 3 candidates. We helped elect Democrats nationwide by forcing Davis to break the bank here at home.

2. At every single door that we knocked and phone that we called, and vote that we turned out for GOTV was given a message about Webb, and I honestly believe that at least 95% of Andy supporters were Webb supporters. Webb won the 11th by 25,000 votes, in as close a race as we had this year for Senate, please believe you played a major part in that.

Now from Andy himself,

I wanted to send you a note of thanks for all you did for my campaign for Congress.

This campaign accomplished amazing things. You and I began this effort with a candidate who never before ran for office, with no name recognition and no treasury -- only ideas on how to improve our representation and a passion to share them.

At the end, we received more than 100,000 votes, more than any other House challenger in all of Virginia. The race ended at 56%-44%, the closest margin by far of any House campaign in Northern Virginia. We won 19 precincts, and lost by a razor-thin margin in many others. Tom Davis received a challenge like he has never faced in his twelve years of incumbency.

Even more amazing is what you and I overcame in doing so well:

* We refused to take any special interest or PAC money, and nevertheless raised nearly $400,000 from individuals who cared about the future of our country. Davis, on the other hand, took money from every special interest or PAC who would give it to him, and spent more than THREE MILLION DOLLARS on his re-election campaign.

* We declined the invitation to engage in a negative campaign. We focused on Davis' record of support of the Bush administration, and kept our commercials and distributions focused on our positive message of change. Davis took a different tack, sending out a series of seven negative mailers calling me things such as "dangerous" and "extremist," attacking my service as an attorney and my New Jersey roots in attempting to smear me.

* We received little attention from the press, pundits, or the national Democratic Party apparatus, all of whom believed Davis' argument that he was untouchable by someone he considered a "goofball" and a "midget." As it turned out, our energized grassroots field campaign mobilized tens of thousands of voters who were hungry for change, and we far outperformed other campaigns that were given much more publicity and far greater resources.

When all was said and done, you and I got the 11th District electorate focused on things we care about -- like the War in Iraq, corruption in Washington, and improving our health care system. We took on a powerful Republican with all the advantages of incumbency, and fought him to a standstill. Resources that otherwise would have been sent to help George Allen and other Republicans in tight races were spent here. Tom Davis will now be a member of the minority in Congress, and that is no small part due to our hard work.

Elizabeth, the kids and I can't thank you enough for all you did for us. Our family made a lot of new friends in the campaign, and believe more than ever in the causes that inspired me to run in the first place. I look forward to thanking all of you personally in the next few weeks, to sharing stories and catching up. Elizabeth and I will continue to work for Democratic causes and candidates in the future, and would be delighted to work with you in doing so.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

DID YOU VOTE YET????

2006-11-07T16:15:00.000-05:00

The turnout numbers that we are getting make this race seem extremely close, if you have not yet voted, PLEASE DO SO!!

If you have any questions about where to vote, do not hesitate to call us at 703.455.1014

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Happy Election Day!!

2006-11-07T00:02:00.000-05:00

[UPDATE] I will be live blogging the election over at RaisingKaine, here is The Link

It's E-DAY!!!! WOOOO!!!

and it's better than Christmas.

If you want to help out the Hurst Campaign on Election Day, just swing by our office before 7PM

11198 Suite D2 Lee Highway
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

We're Going to Braddock, then we're going to Springfield, then we're going to Mason, then we're going to Gainesville, then we're going all the way to the Sheraton in Tysons to take back the Capital, BYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!(sorry coudn't resist)

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisers, staff, or "The Campaign".

This IS What Democracy Looks Like!

2006-11-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we caught wind that George Allen and Tom Davis were going to be having a rally at the Vienna Metro Station today at 7AM, so what happened? The Hurst campaign together with the Webb campaign and FCDC asked our supporters to be there to wave some signs and show Mr. Allen and Mr. Davis that this is not their turf and that they are not welcome here.

Read Raising Kaine's Account, Vienna Metro: Webb Supporters Out in Force; Allen Leaves in 5 Minutes for Lowell is a much better writer than I.

This morning, George Allen was scheduled to appear at Vienna Metro to greet commuters. Well, Allen showed up alright, but none of the 30-40 Webb/Hurst supporters there saw any evidence of Allen greeting commuters. Instead, Allen stayed for about 4 or 5 minutes, surrounded by his young white male supporters, and quickly hightailed it out of there without addressing the larger crowd.

Meanwhile, Frank Wolf stood next to Tom Davis, both looking miserable, with Frank Wolf occasionally checking his watch as if to say, "why the hell do I have to be doing this DEMOCRACY thing...ugh?" In contrast, Andy Hurst was his usual bubbly self, greeting anyone and everyone with a big smile on his face. The contrast between the unsmiling, unhappy, scared Republicans and the ebullient Democrats couldn't have been greater.

Wolf and Davis looking bored as almost all the Metro riders walk by without so much as a "hello".

AP Shot on the front page of CNN.com
Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Paid Canvassers URGENTLY Needed in Prince William County

2006-11-05T09:31:00.001-05:00

Andrew Hurst for Congress and Jim Webb for Senate urgently need to fill Paid Canvass positions in Prince William County in Northern Virginia.

Come help defeat George Allen and Tom Davis, two of the worst rubber-stamping Republican members of Congress.

We are willing to pay $60 a day for working from 10AM to 7PM on Election Day November 7th. Not only will you get paid, but you will help turn Virginia Blue!

To apply, please contact Donald Brownlee at donald@hurstforcongress.com

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Military Papers "Rumsfeld Must Go"!

2006-11-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

That's right, you read this correctly, independent military newspapers representing all four branches of the United States Military will call for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

From the Ross Report,

the an Joint editorial scheduled to appear on Monday in Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times, calls for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Now let's think about this, dozens of retired Generals from all the branches have called for the resignation of Rumsfeld, now their independent newspapers are calling for the same, when will President Bush awaken from his neo-con dreams and become aware of reality and his disastrous policies.

More importantly when will Tom Davis have the courage to stand up to this Administration which he has supported 90% of the time, when will we have real leadership in Washington?

If you want to change Washington you need to change the leaders you send there!

This year send Andrew Hurst and Jim Webb to Washington!

See below for full text and other analysis of how big this really is.

Time for Rumsfeld to go

"So long as our government requires the backing of an aroused and informed public opinion ... it is necessary to tell the hard bruising truth."

That statement was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Marguerite Higgins more than a half-century ago during the Korean War.

But until recently, the "hard bruising" truth about the Iraq war has been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington. One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "mission accomplished," the insurgency is "in its last throes," and "back off," we know what we're doing, are a few choice examples.

Military leaders generally toed the line, although a few retired generals eventually spoke out from the safety of the sidelines, inciting criticism equally from anti-war types, who thought they should have spoken out while still in uniform, and pro-war foes, who thought the generals should have kept their critiques behind closed doors.

Now, however, a new chorus of criticism is beginning to resonate. Active-duty military leaders are starting to voice misgivings about the war's planning, execution and dimming prospects for success.

Army Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command, told a Senate Armed Services Committee in September: "I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I've seen it ... and that if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move towards civil war."

Last week, someone leaked to The New York Times a Central Command briefing slide showing an assessment that the civil conflict in Iraq now borders on "critical" and has been sliding toward "chaos" for most of the past year. The strategy in Iraq has been to train an Iraqi army and police force that could gradually take over for U.S. troops in providing for the security of their new government and their nation.

But despite the best efforts of American trainers, the problem of molding a viciously sectarian population into anything resembling a force for national unity has become a losing proposition.

For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don't show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves.

Meanwhile, colonels and generals have asked their bosses for more troops. Service chiefs have asked for more money.

And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.

Now, the president says he'll stick with Rumsfeld for the balance of his term in the White House.

This is a mistake.

It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation's current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.

These officers have been loyal public promoters of a war policy many privately feared would fail. They have kept their counsel private, adhering to more than two centuries of American tradition of subordination of the military to civilian authority.

And although that tradition, and the officers' deep sense of honor, prevent them from saying this publicly, more and more of them believe it.

Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt.

This is not about the midterm elections. Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth:

Donald Rumsfeld must go.

CNN Chimes in
At the Time of this printing (12:18 PM Nov. 4th) foxnews.com still doesn't have a front page story about this (big surprise).

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisers, staff, or "The Campaign".

Because of Iraq

2006-11-02T11:04:00.001-05:00

New Hurst Ad and GOTV

2006-11-01T18:33:00.000-05:00

Tom Davis has spent weeks launching misleading attacks on Andy's immigration policies. But do we really know where Davis stands on immigration?

This video exposes the hypocrisy and blatant pandering that characterize Tom Davis. Can we really trust this man to deal with our immigration problems?

Where Does Davis Stand on Immigration?

Volunteer to Get Out the Vote
Months of hard work now come down to the final six days. We'll be working every day between now and Tuesday to turn out Democrats across the 11th district.

Can you volunteer to help Get Out the Vote?

Email matt@hurstforcongress.com to find out about our phone banks, lit drops and polling place staffing. There's something for everyone.

Contribute To Our GOTV Effort
Getting Out the Vote is not cheap. We need to purchase door hangers, folders, highlighters, water, snacks, and a host of other items to keep our volunteer army going.

Can you contribute today to help fund our GOTV effort?

Your contribution of $50, $100 or $500 could be what puts us over the top on Tuesday. Click here to contribute.

Tom Davis is spreading his special interest money around the district to buy the type of organization we've built through your volunteer efforts. Don't let Tom Davis buy this election.

Click here to prove that everyday people are still more powerful than lobbyists and corrupt special interests.
Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisers, staff, or "The Campaign".

Will Washington Post Print LTE?

2006-11-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

A supporter recently sent in a letter to the editor of the Washington Post, let's see if they have the courage to print it. I'm guessing they won't print it, so I'll supply the letter below for you all to read.

To the Editor:
None of you folks on the Washington Post editorial Board who were involved with the recent editorial describing Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) as a “moderate” are Republicans from Davis’s Congressional District.

I know this because if any of you were Republicans -- with a “big R” -- from Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, you would have received the flyer from the Davis campaign describing his democratic opponent Andrew Hurst as an “extremist” because he is a “lawyer with a proven record of defending (gasp!) criminals.”

It used to be the case that “moderate” Republican lawyers like Tom Davis would stick up for what even they considered -- until now -- the noble calling of their fellow legal professionals who provide counsel for those accused of crimes.

Before he became our second President -- a 34-year-old John Adams successfully defended the British soldiers who fired on and killed a group of American patriots in what became known as the Boston Massacre. Adams later described this representation as “one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested actions of my whole life, and one of the best pieces of service I ever rendered my country.” Apparently, Tom Davis would also describe John Adams as an “extremist.”

Representative Davis has his eye on the Senate seat that he hopes John Warner (R-VA) is going to leave vacant in 2008: perhaps this is just Davis’s way of showing that he can run a campaign as nasty as George Allen is in order to gain street cred with the “big Rs” who he would like on board for his Senate bid. Perhaps Andy Hurst -- an attractive democratic candidate in Davis’s predominately democratic district -- has got Davis worried, and his “big R” Republican campaign consultants advised him to sling a little right wing muck with targeted mailings that would go only to “big R”s. All the rest of us would get bright blue brochures with Davis’s smiling faces, bragging about the pork he brought home with no mention of Davis’s party affiliation, his “big R” voting record, or his apparent contempt for the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

Whatever the reason, its time we realized that anyone who slings muck at fellow lawyers because they “defend criminals” is no friend of the constitution, and no “moderate.” If we are stupid enough to pretend otherwise and re-elect Davis, we should expect much more immoderation from him as he sets out to convince his party faithful that he is enough of a Neanderthal to be their standard bearer in the Senate.

Sincerely,

Marc Greidinger
Springfield, VA
mpoweru@cox.net

Video Fun Today

2006-10-31T17:57:00.000-05:00

A couple of great videos for you.

#1 is a parody of the RNC ad against Harold Ford

#2 Allen Staffers assault First Year UVA Law Student Mike Stark.

For your Viewing Pleasure,

also, don't forget to check out the Andy Hurst Commercial

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Andy Hurst at GMU

2006-10-31T09:50:00.000-05:00

Andy was at GMU last night meeting with students and taking questions. I had to leave halfway through to attend a class, but here are a few reviews by other bloggers.

Although, let me tip my hat to the girl who had the courage to say "global warming isn't real" in a room full of liberal academics.

Melissa from Ditzy Democracts was way to busy to attend, but did so anyway, here's what she had to say. The Importance of Being Earnest- Andy Hurst at GMU Review-ish

In all seriousness, I found Andy's sense of optimism and sincerity and earnest-ness (? is that a word?) to be refreshing, his sense of reality to be a welcome change and his sense of humor to be superb. We need him in Congress, like, yesterday.

Brian Scrafford from Ambivalent Mumblings also has a great post up, Coverage of Andrew Hurst at GMU

As Andy stated last night, however, voters can trust that Congressman Hurst will work towards instituting campaign and lobbying reform, both of which are unfulfilled promises that were promoted by the Republican party in the mid '90s, and make sure that Congress puts the best interests of the American public before playing partisan politics. Furthermore, unlike Congressman Davis who is running for a 7th term -- despite previously advocating a 6 term limit-- Andy guaranteed that he would keep his promise to only serve six terms as a Member of the House of Representatives.

As I stated earlier, Andy was also asked about his views on the Republican lead Congress’s recent decision to cut higher education funding by $12.7 billion. As Andy pointed out in his answer, these cuts will result in the average student having to pay an extra $2,000 on student loans. With the cost of college already resulting in students facing enormous amounts of debt, an extra $2,000 ultimately means that there is even more unnecessary stress on students and those still paying off their loans. Since billions of dollars are being spent on the War in Iraq, however, Bush and the Republican lead Congress felt that this was a burden that students just had to pay.

GOP Chairman or Immature Child?

2006-10-27T17:21:00.000-05:00

GOP Chairman or Immature Child?

Tom Kopko Chairman of the Prince William Republican Committee needs to take some lessons in etiquette and professionalism.

In published reports in the The Gainesville Times about the Prince William County debate between Andrew Hurst and Tom Davis for the VA-11 Congressional seat, Kopko is quoted as being extremely rude,

Kopko, who was sitting behind a table 15 feet or so away from the panel where the two candidates spoke, scorned comments by Hurst throughout the debate, though relatively quietly at first, saying "yeah, right" and sneering at the end of some of Hurst's comments.

After each candidate made their closing statements, their supporters cheered and applauded as loud as possible. However, when Hurst concluded his remarks and shook hands with Davis, Kopko yelled as the hall drew silent, "Go home, Andy!" The comment drew a chorus of boos from the standing room-only crowd that filled two rooms.

One man said, "That is so rude." A woman added, "That's unprofessional.

Mr. Kopko needs to apologize to Mr. Hurst for these rude statements.

Then again, I can’t really blame him: he was merely following the lead of the Tom Davis campaign which, in recent weeks has gone increasingly negative.

In the past few weeks Davis’s mailers have gone more and more negative, to the point that they are now personally attacking Hurst, alleging he is a “dangerous out-of-this-world liberal”. Claiming that Andrew Hurst wants amnesty for all illegal immigrants (not true) and attacking Andy for “defending criminals”. Well in our country everybody accused of a crime is not only allowed a defense lawyer, but is guaranteed one by our constitution. And the worst of it is, of the 9 cases that Davis cites, only 2 resulted in convictions meaning 7 of the 9 were declared innocent, might I ask what is wrong with defending the innocent?

Mr. Davis is running scared (having spent $2.6 Million as of 10/18) and Mr. Kopko is just plain rude and unprofessional. It is absolutely unacceptable for someone of Mr. Kopko’s stature to act in such a childish way, that behavior is not acceptable from a volunteer or supporter, and certainly not from a Republican Party Chairman.

If you want to get in touch with Tom Kopko and ask him to apologize, his e-mail is chairman@PWCGOP.org

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Please Ignore the Iraqi Civil War

2006-10-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

The following quote is Tom Davis responding to President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security.

"I guess you could argue if it gets Iraq off the front page, it was probably a good thing at this point."

Holy *&#!

2006-10-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

WOW! Is all I really have to say. Tom Davis used to have this aura of invincibility, but not any more, his poll numbers must scaring the poop out of him. Look at his last financial report HERE Tom Davis has spent $2.6 MILLION. If he was so "safe" and at the same time thinking of running for Senate in '08, why would he be spending all his money now?

In 2004 he spent $1.8 Million, but at least $350,000+ went to other candidates (Federal $240,000 and VA State, $110,000 (Conveniently enough VPAP for “Friends of Davis – Tom” seems to be down, and only bad page on site, so I had to add up totals by hand meaning I could have missed some).

So in 2004, the most money that Davis could have spent on the race was $1.45 Million, a full $1.15 Million less then what he spent this year (with three weeks left when this last report was filed on 10/18), he must be Running Scared

For the record, this year he has only donated $3,100 to other candidates, a negligible amount.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Andy Gets National Attention on DailyKos

2006-10-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

There is a daily recurring diary on Daily Kos where cmanaster, donates $20 to a different candidate each day, and blogs about it in hopes of getting matching donations. As more people give to his selected candidates, through his Act Blue site, he ups his personal donation, so if this goes viral, it could create a big fundraiser, looking at his act blue site, the biggest receiving candidate was $2,400+ and the lowest was $20, so it really depends on community support.

Please, recommend the following diary on Daily Kos, and if you are able to at all, donate $20 on the diarist Act Blue page so hopefully we can get more money from the diarist.

VA-11 | My Daily Donation | E-13 | $20 to Andrew Hurst

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Hurst Launches TV Ad

2006-10-24T16:27:00.000-05:00

We did it, thanks to our overwhelming support across the 11th District, we've become the first campaign ever to run TV ads against Tom Davis. But we need to raise another $50,000 to keep this ad on the air through Election Day.

Click here to contribute today.

Our polling shows that this race is very close, but it's critical that we communicate our message in these final weeks. Can you help us tell the truth about Tom Davis?

You and I know that Davis is little more than a rubberstamp for the Bush Administration.

You and I know that Andrew Hurst is the kind of principled leader we need in Washington.

But it's critical that we make sure voters across the district know what we know. Click here to contribute $500, $200, or the most you can afford today.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Great Debate Round-Up

2006-10-22T01:01:00.000-05:00

Criag's Musing has put up a great debate round up in two parts (links below). Craig's assesment is fair and non-partisan, check it out.

Hurst and Davis square off, a grand political spectacle

Hurst and Davis square off, part II

As I was writing this, I found a Traditional Media round up of the debate, for your reading pleasure.

Davis, Hurst square off for 11th by the Potomac News.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Like the new colors?

2006-10-20T16:36:00.001-05:00

Time for a little Meta-Hurst 2006 Blog,

Just changed the colors and format on the blog, what do you guys think? Like it, dislike it, like the old one better? Let me know.

-Nate

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Hurst Dominates Debate!

2006-10-20T16:30:00.000-05:00

This just out from James Walkinshaw, Hurst campaign manager.

We are cleaning up the video, should be up soon.

Hurst Dominates Davis in PW Debate, Leaves 11th District Voters With a Clear Choice

Democrat Andrew Hurst dominated a debate last night against his opponent, Congressman Tom Davis (R-11). Nearly 300 people packed into the dining room of the Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge to hear how Congressman Davis has supported the Bush agenda 90% of the time, continues to support the "stay the course" strategy in Iraq, and takes millions from corrupt special interests. Hurst stressed his vow to change the way business is done in Washington by fighting to implement his reform agenda.

"I'm not a professional politician like George Allen or Tom Davis," Hurst said. "But I believe in the issues I'm pushing and I'm disatisfied with my representation in Congress. I want to offer voters something different and something better."

Davis looked ill at ease throughout the event and often resorted to outlandish attacks unrelated to the issues at hand. In the final weeks of the campaign, Davis has grown increasingly desperate and has unleashed a series of negative and misleading attacks against Hurst.

"Congressman Davis looked like a fish out of water tonight," said James Walkinshaw, Hurst's campaign manager. "He's clearly having a tough time trying to explain his record of lock-step support for the Bush Administration. This man is fighting for his political life and it's not a pretty thing to watch."

Hurst and Davis differed on a number of important issues.

* On transportation, Davis continued to support a corrupt earmarking system that sends $250 million to build a Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska but leaves Northern Virginia with the 2nd worst traffic congestion in the nation and guarantees our permanent status as a "donor state" that sends more transportation dollars to D.C. than we get back. Hurst offered a reform proposal that would take politics out of transportation funding and guarantee extra funding for "high needs" areas like Northern Virginia. "Tom Davis has been in elected office here for 30 years and traffic has gotten worse every year," said Hurst. "How can he take credit for improving transportation?"
* On immigration, Davis attempted to shirk responsibility for Congress' inability to craft a comprehensive solution. Hurst highlighted the need to hire more border patrol agents and crack down on employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants. "Building a 700 mile fence on a 2100 mile border is not a real solution," said Hurst. "We need real solutions."
* On the war in Iraq, Davis continued to mimic Bush talking points. He offered no plan to bring our troops home and presented little more than a continuation of the Bush "stay the course" strategy. Hurst highlighted the need to elect new leaders who can guide our Iraq policy in a new direction to bring our troops home as soon as possible. "If you want a new course in Iraq," Hurst said. "You must vote for people like Jim Webb and I."
* On education, Davis continued to support the Bush position that No Child Left Behind is not an unfunded mandate. NCLB imposes strict requirements on local school systems, but is $40 billion underfunded. Educators, administrators and local school officials all agree that it is, indeed, an unfunded mandate. George Bush and Tom Davis disagree with those educators, administrators and local school officials.
* On energy, Davis reiterated his support for the Bush-Cheney energy bill that gave billions of dollars in tax breaks to rich oil executives while failing to invest in alternative energy sources. Hurst took Davis to task for supporting the bill and laid out his ideas to achieve energy independence. "We need to invest in wind, solar and other alternative sources of energy and we need to stop giving handouts to the big oil companies that fund campaigns like Mr. Davis'," said Hur

Hurst's closing summed up the campaign.

"Tom Davis takes money from special interests, puts it in his pocket, and then claims to represent you. I don't take money from special interests. When I go to Washington, I'll represent you and you alone."

Tom Davis Doesn't Get It

2006-10-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

Tom must have missed that day in Middle School when the teacher explains you can't answer a question, by using the question. See the recent Connection Newspaper candidate bio on Tom Davis.

9. While the economy has grown in the last five years, the wages of middle- and low-income Americans has stagnated. How would you address the income disparity between the very wealthy and the rest of the working America?

The best policies to improve incomes are those that promote economic growth

Tom, the question states that economic growth has occured, but incomes have stagnated.

Then there is this little nugget

For the following questions, please respond with a yes or no answer.

14. Do you believe that Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision that overturned state laws banning abortion, should be overturned?

This is a judicial decision, but I do not support amending the Constitution to overturn Roe; however, I do support a ban on partial birth abortions, late term abortions, and federal funding of abortions.

Tom, where is the yes or no?

Does anyone else find this amusing?

If Tom Davis can't fill out a simple questionare, how can he be an effective congressman?

Here is Andy's Candidate Bio

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Davis: "Race is tight"

2006-10-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Tom Davis Admitted the race was tighting, according to GCN.com

Davis, a Virginia Republican, acknowledged his own tight re-election campaign at a speech in Fairfax, Va., Thursday at the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association's annual Vision conference

Can You Tell the Difference?

2006-10-18T20:14:00.000-05:00

Kindler, over at Raising Kaine put up Take the Tom Davis Mailing Challenge!

Here is a sample

I have in front of me two glossy brochures from Tom Davis. One of them, sent a few months ago, was a Congressional update “prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.” The other, sent more recently, was a campaign piece “Paid for by Tom Davis for Congress.”

In the tradition of those old commercials where people did blind taste tests of Coke and Pepsi, I am going to refer to these two brochures as “A” and “B”, offer some quotes from them, and see if you can tell which is which. Take the challenge – and see if you can tell the difference between Davis’s taxpayer-funded official updates and his campaign ads!

A: “Fighting for Fairfax’s Taxpayers, Families and Seniors.”
B: “Making Congress work for Northern Virginia families.”

A: “Tom Davis knows how important improving transportation and easing traffic congestion is to all of our families and neighbors.”
B: “Tom Davis is leading the charge to revitalize the overcrowded and aging Metro system.”

Can you tell the difference?

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tim Kaine: Andy Hurst is Ready to Change Washington!

2006-10-17T14:30:00.000-05:00

Below is an email sent out by Tim Kaine (D) Governor of Virginia asking his supporters to support Andrew Hurst candidate for the VA-11 Congressional seat as we take on Tom Davis.

Dear Friends,

I want to let you know about an important Congressional race that is critical to our efforts to continue moving Virginia forward.

Andy Hurst, a successful young lawyer and father of three, is the Democratic nominee in Virginia's 11th District. Andy is exactly the kind of person we need working for us in Washington. Andy worked his way through college and law school and is now a nationally-recognized expert on health care law. Recently, he was named the Under-40 Lawyer of the Year for his commitment to community service and pro bono legal work.

During my race in 2005 we saw that Virginia is ready for change. The people of the 11th Congressional District are ready to move in a new direction this year and Andy Hurst is exactly the right candidate to reform Washington.

Will you help Andy change Congress? Contribute to his campaign today.

Recent elections show that Andy's district is Democratic. In 2004, John Kerry lost by just a percentage point. Last year, thanks to your hard work, I won the 11th Congressional District by 13 points -- a 14-point swing in just one year!

There are so many important races this year. But Andy's is particularly important to our efforts to win control of Congress in November.

Will you help Andy get his message to voters in Virginia and build on the success of Governor Warner and myself? Make a contribution of $1000, $500, $250, $100, or $50 today.

People across the Commonwealth are excited about Andy's campaign. He began his grassroots effort in 2005. Andy and his team knocked on doors and phone banked for local candidates like Dave Marsden, Dave Bulova, Bruce Roemmelt, Greg Werkheiser and Earnie Porta.

Andy helped us win some great victories last year. Let's do our part now to help Andy. Please contribute to his campaign today.

Andy's TV ad will be on the air soon. The money he raises now is critical to keeping his message on the air, and winning on November 7. Visit Andy's website today at www.hurstforcongress.com to make a secure on-line donation and learn more about his campaign.

I hope you will join me as we work to change Washington by electing Andy Hurst to Congress.

Sincerely,

Tim Kaine

P.S. Every dollar counts -- especially when multiplied by thousands of other Virginians who are committed to change. Your contribution today will help make the difference for Andy's campaign.

Hurst-Davis Debate Video

2006-10-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Kenton Ngo and 750 Volts for putting up a video of the recent Hurst-Davis 11th District Virginia Congressional debate.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Virginia Virtucon Documents Illegal GOP Activities!

2006-10-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

Virginia Virtuacon (Virtual Convservative) recently put up a blog post Sunday Drive Sign Wars detailing the plethora of GOP signs; Davis, Allen, Stewart and Wolf, on major roads in Prince William County. The thing to remember here, it is illegal to put up signs on road medians or other public property in PWC, you can only place them on private property with the owners consent.

Virginia Virtucon, thanks for letting the world know that the Corrupt GOP does not care for local laws.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

WaPo: Davis Runs From Bush Record

2006-10-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

Lisa Rein of the Washington Post has written a new article about the Andrew Hurst campaign today, It Just Seems Like Bush Is in the Race in which it describes how Tom Davis is trying to run away from his record of supporting President Bush.

the Northern Virginia congressman looks as though he is running for his political life.

says the article

"Think of everything the administration has done," Hurst said. "Ninety percent of it, Tom Davis has supported. It's a perfect storm for a guy like me."

This is in fact true, according to the DCCC Davis has voted with President Bush 87% and with the House GOP leadership, 89% of the time. Yet Davis claims he’s a moderate, according to the article,

"I have my own identity," Davis said. "Time and again, I have stood up for the values of this region.

Davis, who lives in Vienna with his wife, state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-Fairfax), is quick to distance himself from the Bush administration on some issues. "I've been critical of the administration in many aspects of their conduct of the war,"

Mr. Davis you are no moderate, and your electorate realizes this!

For another great article about how Davis is towing the Bush line, please see, Hurst Campaign Recognizes Need For Change, Davis Remains Loyal to Bush

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Canvasser? Protect Your Rights

2006-10-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

From Virginia Progressive, Canvassers, know your rights…

… from the ACLU. You know, those people that protect the CONSTITUTION, even for the KLAN.

“The right of canvassers to enter onto private property to express their views is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution,” the ACLU of Virginia’s Kent Willis wrote Tuesday in a letter to 185 police chiefs. “This right trumps any local anti-solicitation ordinance.”

The letter stems from a Sept. 23 confrontation between a Warrenton police officer and three volunteers from The Commonwealth Coalition, an organization that is campaigning against the proposed constitutional amendment that bans gay marriages and civil unions.

The officer told the volunteers they were in violation of Warrenton’s anti-solicitation ordinance and ordered them to leave the neighborhood, Willis said.

The ACLU maintains that political canvassing that doesn’t involve asking for contributions is not solicitation.

“The proper response of police officers to property owners who are merely irritated by the presence of canvassers in their neighborhood is to explain the rights of canvassers, not to demand that the canvassers leave the neighborhood,” Willis wrote in the letter.

Hurst Pulls No Punches at Candidates Forum

2006-10-12T13:49:00.000-05:00

Washington Jewish Weekly recently wrote up a great summary, Va. candidates spliton Iraq, immigrationIsrael barely mentioned as Beth El Hebrew hosts panel(sic), of a candidates forum held at the Beth El Hebrew Congregation at the Alexandria Reform synagogue's Brotherhood political brunch. Tom Davis did not attend and sent his wife Jeannemarie Devolites Davis while Andy Hurst represented himself.

Hurst said that Davis' consistent backing of President George W. Bush's "stay-the-course" Iraq policy is one of the chief reasons he is challenging Davis.
"Iraq is gong nowhere, the occupation is not fixing anything ‹ it's hurting things," said Hurst. If "you trust [Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld] with security, I have a bridge I want to sell you."
Iraq "won't stabilize until we leave," he said.

Thieves Without Honor

2006-10-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

It appears that certain Allen opperatives have taken to Stealing signs in the middle of the night from the elderly. This is just despicable behavior, and illegal, theft and trespassing as signs are personal property.

I will say that where I live, in McLean near Tysons, a lot of Webb signs in the medians have disapeared and have been replaced with Allen signs. Can't speak for private homes though.

If your Webb or Hurst signs are stolen, please contact me here at the Hurst campaign, nate@hurstforcongress.com, so we can give you a replacement, and maybe even a 4x8.

Let's flood them with our signs! Sea of Blue!

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Hurst: We Need Change, Davis: Stay the Course

2006-10-10T13:34:00.000-05:00

Bryan Scrafford from Ambivalent Mumblings, put up a great post today, Hurst Campaign Recognizes Need For Change, Davis Remains Loyal to Bush.

Bryan was given an original statement from the Andy campaign for this piece and is coupled with great analysis by Bryan.

Unfortunately for the residents of Virginia’s 11th district, Tom Davis falls is one of the Republicans who blindly support President Bush’s policies on foreign affairs. On June 16, 2006, for instance, Tom Davis voted in favor of H. Res. 861. The resolution stated that it would be inappropriate to discuss any policy in Iraq besides staying the course. Furthermore, during a June 16 speech delivered on the floor of the House of the Representatives, Tom Davis all but declared that the terrorists would prevail if there was even discussion about whether or not Bush’s “Stay the Course” strategy was correct.

Why moderates and Independents should consider voting for Andy Hurst

2006-10-09T20:20:00.000-05:00

Recently, Craigs Musings publicly endorsed Andy Hurst for Congress, today he published a list of reasons on why moderates and independents should support Andrew Hurst this year even if they have voted for Davis in the past.

Included are...

* Tom Davis understands technology and its importance to the economy of Northern Virginia and has been instrumental in creating high paying jobs for the region;

Congressman Davis certainly has in-depth knowledge of the technology industry, especially as it pertains to northern Virginia. While it's probably a stretch to give him credit for igniting the region's technology boom, he has done some good work, especially in the area of government contracting.

But voters should know that Andy is well-versed in the needs of Northern Virginia's technology industry as well. In fact, he recently received the Young Lawyer of the Year award from the Bar Association in part for his pro-bono regulatory work on behalf of minority-owned technology start-ups. Rest assured that he'll work hard to bring high-paying, quality technology jobs to northern Virginia.

Head on over to Craig's Musings to read the rest.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Senator Edwards and Governor Kaine Endorse Andrew Hurst

2006-10-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

About a week ago, Senator John Edwards endorsed Andrew Hurst and held a fundraiser on his behalf. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will also host a fundraiser benefiting Andrew Hurst on October 28th.

Last week, Senator Edwards said the following:

Senator Edwards inspired nearly 70 Hurst supporters yesterday by reminding us all that America "can do better."

"Under the leadership of George Bush and his Republican allies, we've lost standing in the world and failed to live up to our responsibilities as the only remaining superpower," he said.

"I'm proud to call Andy Hurst my friend and I'm proud to support his campaign."

“We are very excited to have the support of Senator John Edwards and Governor Tim Kaine. I look forward to representing the11th so we can take on corruption and stand up to President Bush’s misguided policies,” said Andrew Hurst.

This year it is extremely important that we take on Congressman Tom Davis, Chairman of Government Reform and Oversight who has refused to use his jurisdiction and investigative powers for what really matters. Davis has declined to look into the rampant corruption in Congress and in Iraqi reconstruction contracts as well as rejecting calls to scrutinize the recent Mark Foley scandal of which GOP leaders knew what and when.

Instead, Tom Davis, has sought to distract voters by investigating baseball and supporting a discriminatory amendment to the Virginia Bill of Rights.

Join Senator John Edwards and Governor Tim Kaine in supporting Andrew Hurst Today!

Click HERE to Volunteer or request bumper stickers or yard signs.

Click HERE to Contribute to the Hurst Campaign.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

What is Davis Waiting For?

2006-10-05T15:09:00.000-05:00

Andy is renewing his Call for Tom Davis to Demand Hastert's Resignation, below is the announcement.

Hurst Calls on Davis to Demand Hastert Resignation

Congressman Davis remains unwilling to call for the resignation of his Republican colleague, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, despite recent revelations that Hastert and members of his staff knew of inappropriate e-mails from Rep. Mark Foley to underage pages and did nothing.

In a recent statement Davis said, "If any members of Congress, leadership or rank and file, were involved in covering up knowledge of Mr. Foley's sexually explicit messages, they should step down immediately." (Chicago Sun Times, 10/4/06)

Hastert himself has admitted he was informed of the e-mails more than a year ago and House Majority Leader John Boehner recently told ABCNews that he told Hastert of the e-mails and was left with the impression it was being "dealt with." Hastert took no action to investigate the situation.

"Congressman Davis issues a statement saying anyone involved in the cover-up should step down. Hastert was involved in the cover-up. Davis should call on Hastert to resign," said James Walkinshaw, Hurst's campaign manager. "Every day that goes by without a strong call from Davis for Hastert's resignation is another day that Davis puts his allegiance to the Republican Party ahead of common sense and basic honesty."

"Unfortunately this type of situation is common-place in the current Congress. This is yet another example of a win-at-all-costs culture where holding on to power is more important than doing the right thing," said Andrew Hurst. "Davis should demand Hastert's resignation immediately."

Given his ties to Foley and to the Republican leadership, Tom Davis has a unique responsibility to speak out.

* Davis is a former Chair of the NRCC and self-described "leader" in the Republican Congress.

* Davis chairs the Government Reform and Oversight Committee with oversight responsiblity for all federal programs, including the Page program.

* Mark Foley was a major contributer to the NRCC during Davis' Chairmanship and served as the NRCC's "bridge to Hollywood." (CQ, 10/2/06)

"We will continue to call on Davis to demand Hastert's resignation," said Walkinshaw. "Andrew Hurst believes Congress should put children's safety and well-being ahead of the crass obsession with preserving power. We're confident that Congressman Davis will eventually come around to that view as well."

Chairman Tom Davis Refuses to State What He Knew About Mark Foley!

2006-10-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

What did Representative Tom Davis know about Mark Foley and his problem regarding sexual deviancy towards minors, specifically towards House Pages? The honest answer is that I don’t know, because Tom Davis refuses to answer the simple question of what he knew and when.

On Monday, His Democratic opponent for the US House(VA-11), Andrew Hurst, issued a statement asking Tom Davis, amongst other things, to come clean and inform the public and his constituents what he knew. There is reason to believe that Representative Davis may have known about Mark Foley's problem before the public scandal. Tom Davis was the Chairman of the NRCC directly preceding Tom Reynolds, in fact Reynolds was his hand picked successor. Furthermore, while Davis was Chairman, the NRCC received $210,000 from Foley. Additionally, Tom Davis is currently Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee which has jurisdiction over ALL federal programs, including the House Page program, yet refuses to investigate how this could have happened.

Tom Davis was recently quoted by the Associated Press…

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., who served as a Senate page between 1963 and 1967, said Foley's attempts to socialize with pages went beyond the ordinary. Davis and other lawmakers may have taken their own pages to lunch at the Members' Dining Room at the end of the year, Davis said, but anything else was considered inappropriate.

Based on the above quote in which Tom Davis states “anything else was considered inappropriate”, I renew the call for Representative Davis to do the following things;
• Immediately disclose any personal knowledge you had of Rep. Foley's electronic communications. Various members of the Republican leadership knew of the illicit emails and did nothing. As a committee Chairman and former head of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, you must have been privy to these conversations. What, exactly, did you know and when did you know it?
• Call for the immediate resignation of Republican leaders like Tom Reynolds and Dennis Hastert who knew about the illicit communications for years but failed to investigate. Those who put politics ahead of the safety of children do not deserve to serve in Congress. Don't you agree?
• Use your position as Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee to open a full and complete investigation to determine who knew what and when. You had no qualms issuing a subpoena to Terri Schiavo as she lay on her death bed. Will you subpoena Hastert, Reynolds and others who failed to protect underage pages from a sexual predator?
• Demand that National Republican Campaign Committee Chair Tom Reynolds donate to charity any funds given by Rep. Foley to the NRCC. As NRCC chair, you accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mark Foley. Will you call on Rep. Reynolds to donate those funds?

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tom Davis Refuses to Take Action on Foley!

2006-10-04T12:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Andrew Hurst Democratic candidate for Congress (VA-11) issued a statement asking Tom Davis, Chairman of Government Reform and Oversight Committee and former Chairman of the NRCC to do the appropriate thing and take action and due diligence on the Foley pedophilia scandal. Tom Davis has yet to even issue a response. (for the record, I e-mail Nick Meads Tom Davis’s campaign manager asking him for a statement, and received no response).

Here are the four specific actions that Tom Davis was asked to take.

1. Immediately disclose any personal knowledge you had of Rep. Foley's electronic communications. Various members of the Republican leadership knew of the illicit emails and did nothing. As a committee Chairman and former head of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, you must have been privy to these conversations. What, exactly, did you know and when did you know it?

2. Call for the immediate resignation of Republican leaders like Tom Reynolds and Dennis Hastert who knew about the illicit communications for years but failed to investigate. Those who put politics ahead of the safety of children do not deserve to serve in Congress. Don't you agree?

3. Use your position as Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee to open a full and complete investigation to determine who knew what and when. You had no qualms issuing a subpoena to Terri Schiavo as she lay on her death bed. Will you subpoena Hastert, Reynolds and others who failed to protect underage pages from a sexual predator?

4. Demand that National Republican Campaign Committee Chair Tom Reynolds donate to charity any funds given by Rep. Foley to the NRCC. As NRCC chair, you accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mark Foley. Will you call on Rep. Reynolds to donate those funds?

I would like to point you now to an independent website tomdavistruth.com which points out that Tom Davis should have known about Foley’s problems.

According to Roll Call: “nearly a dozen House GOP lawmakers and staffers have acknowledged that they knew of the initial batch of non-sexually explicit messages from Foley to a 16-year-old former House page, some of them for a year or more.
Tom Davis likely was one of the first to know. Davis worked closely at the NRCC with Reynolds especially in 2001-2002, since Davis would end his term at the end of the cycle in 2002. Davis was grooming Reynolds to head the NRCC after Davis would leave. Presumably this inner circle of high-level Republicans who knew about Foley would have included Tom Davis, since during that election year they worked intensely together and since this news would have a potentially devastating effect on their fund raising challenge.

The question to ask now is, when will Tom Davis take action, when will he declare what he knew and when (I hope he’s not waiting until GOP leadership straightens out their story), will he call for Hastert to resign, and will he use his power to investigate (he does in fact have jurisdiction).

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Hurst to Davis: Take Action Regarding Foley

2006-10-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

The Hurst Campaign is demanding Tom Davis take action on the Foley Situation.

Democratic congressional candidate Andrew Hurst issued the following statement today regarding the controversy surrounding Rep. Mark Foley

"The disturbing revelations of inappropriate e-mail and instant messenger communications between Congressman Mark Foley and underage pages working at the Capitol have shocked our collective consciousness.

But perhaps more shocking is the fact that Republican leaders knew about these communications and did nothing.

The idea that members of Congress could sit by and watch while underage pages were preyed upon is almost too much to believe.

My opponent, Tom Davis, highlights his leadership and clout on Capitol Hill as reasons to re-elect him. But leadership is about much more than building pork-barrel projects and holding meaningless hearings.

Leadership is about standing up for what's right even when it might get you in trouble with your friends.

So today, I call on Congressman Davis to do the following things:

-Immediately disclose any personal knowledge you had of Rep. Foley's electronic communications. Various members of the Republican leadership knew of the illicit emails and did nothing. As a committee Chairman and former head of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, you must have been privy to these conversations. What, exactly, did you know and when did you know it?

-Call for the immediate resignation of Republican leaders like Tom Reynolds and Dennis Hastert who knew about the illicit communications for years but failed to investigate. Those who put politics ahead of the safety of children do not deserve to serve in Congress. Don't you agree?

-Use your position as Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee to open a full and complete investigation to determine who knew what and when. You had no qualms issuing a subpoena to Terri Schiavo as she lay on her death bed. Will you subpoena Hastert, Reynolds and others who failed to protect underage pages from a sexual predator?

-Demand that National Republican Campaign Committee Chair Tom Reynolds donate to charity any funds given by Rep. Foley to the NRCC. As NRCC chair, you accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mark Foley. Will you call on Rep. Reynolds to donate those funds?

-Congressman Davis' Government Reform and Oversight committee has responsibility to oversee federal programs, including the Page program. What kind of oversight did the committee provide in this instance? Not much, it appears.

Congressman Davis claims the benefits of leadership, but thus far has accepted none of the burdens."

Should I be Nervous?

2006-10-02T11:49:00.000-05:00

Should I be nervous about this, and is this illegal?

So, for a while now I have been writing posts about Tom Davis that are pretty negative, but I never thought it would come to this. Someone using a House.gov IP (using the internet in the capitol or from one of the House office buildings) has started to do opposition research, on me.

Let me be clear on this, someone, not from a campaign office, but using a federal computer, on federal property (and presumably on federal payroll) has been investigating me. (see picture at end of diary for documentation)

Now I can't prove that this was a Tom Davis staffer, only that it was a House Member or staffer. But I find this completely unacceptable.

I don't pay taxes to be researched and possibly attacked by government officials.

I'm not really sure exactly how Tom Davis feels about Civil Liberties because he missed the torture bill vote, but I do know that he supports the patriot act.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

I'm Too Disgusted [UPDATE]

2006-09-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

I should be writing a proper blog post about this, but I can't without using language that would get me in trouble.

It appears that dam well the entire GOP leadership knew about Foley and his pedophilia. Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Boehner, National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds, Chairman of the House Page Board John Shimkus and Rodney Alexander (R-LA), the pages sponsor all knew about Foley's Impropriety. Sources Here and Here

The only Democrat on the House Page Board was not given the information.

[UPDATE]Warning Very Explicit, I literally threw up after reading this. The Instant Message transcript has been released, here is the link on AmericaBlog. Keep in mind, this is a U.S. Representative who is chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited children discussin masterbation techniques and other sexual details with a 16 year-old boy.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

We Did It!

2006-09-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

We on September 26, the Andrew Hurst campaign issued a very ambitious challenge to our online supporters. Raising $11,000 online in 5 days. Guess what, we have reached our goal. At noon on Saturday September 30th, we have raised $11,620.03!!

Click Here to contribute $25, $50, $100 or more.

So we have raised our goal to $13,000, this is no time to get complacent. Tom Davis is proud of the fact that he can raised millions of dollars from lobbyist, while having the audacity to say that Andrew Hurst’s money “comes from out of state lawyers who sue doctors”.

The time has come, we have only twelve hours before the end of the current reporting period. This financial report coupled with the next poll that comes out, will determine the “conventional wisdom” of how this race is going to go. (does anyone else find it “interesting” that Tom Davis has run a few polls already but refuses to release them publicly?)

Click Here to contribute $25, $50, $100 or more.

If twelve hours until the end of the reporting cycle isn’t enough, I have found yet another anonymous donor that will match the first $100 of all contributions from noon to midnight on September 30th.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Andy on Channel 8 Tonight, and only $1500 to go!

2006-09-29T14:08:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: An Anonymous donor has e-mailed me and has pledged to match all donations given from 5:30PM to 11:59PM on 9/29 up to $500, please give NOW and have your donation doubled

Thanks to your contributions -- large and small -- we've already raised $9,500 toward our online goal of $11,000. But we still need to raise another $1,500 before tomorrow's deadline.

Can you help? Click here to contribute today.

Tom Davis brags of his ability to raise millions from special interests.

He thinks those dollars can cover up his record of supporting the Bush Administration 90% of the time. He thinks those dollars can cover up his unflinching support for the "stay the course" strategy in Iraq.

Help us prove him wrong.

Click here to contribute $25, $50, $100, or the most you can afford today.

Are you tired of a Congress that gives massive handouts to oil executives while refusing to invest in alternative energy?

Are you tired of a Congress that puts the interests of drug lobbyists ahead of our seniors?

Are you tired of a Congress that allows our troops to be sent into harm's way without the equipment to protect them?

If so, click here to help elect a new member of Congress -- a member of Congress who will stand up to George Bush and represent our values.

Watch Andy on Newschannel 8 Tonight

Andy did a great job this morning on Mark Plotkin's Politics Hour radio show. In case you missed it, you'll be able to view the hour-long interview tonight at 8:00 PM on Newchannel 8.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tom Davis Defends Abramoff

2006-09-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

According to a new Roll Call article, House Report Details 485 Contacts Between Abramoff Team and White House Officials Tom Davis issued a report defending Abramoff and his ties to the White House and members of Congress.

Ambivalent Mumblings has a great analysis.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Multi-time Davis Voter to Vote for Hurst!

2006-09-28T17:46:00.000-05:00

I just came across this great diary, and wanted to highlight it. On Craig’s Musings, most recent diary Andrew Hurst for Congress, Craig goes on to explain why he is voting for Andrew Hurst this year.

As much as I hate to admit it I have voted for Tom Davis in the past. In fact, I voted for Tom Davis every time he has was on the ballot and I cast a vote in Virginia.

This year I will be voting for Andrew Hurst.

I have known that I would vote for Hurst since I heard him speak at the PWCDC JJ dinner this year. As an Independent I voted for Hurst in the Democratic primary because I wanted him to be my next Representative. Andrew Hurst is an amazing candidate. He is down to earth, intelligent, and has actually taken the time to draft real positions.

Craig, thanks for joining Team Hurst.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

2/3 Done, Whose Coming With Us?

2006-09-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

We are almost there! Only September 26, The Andrew Hurst campaign issued a A challenge to raise $11,000 online in 5 days.

As of 4PM on September 28, we have raised $7285.02 towards our goal of $11,000 from September 20th-30th ($6485.02 through Act Blue and $800 through Click and Pledge) That is 66% towards our goal!!

I just wanted to show you the level of commitment that the Hurst staffers have, and how badly we want to win. Today, I asked all the Hurst staffers to donate some money towards this goal, and THEY ALL HAVE (pictures below for documentation).

Please Contribute $25, $50, $100 or more.

Tom Davis is proud of the fact that he can raise millions of dollars from corporate and special interests. What he isn't proud of is the fact that he supports the Bush agenda 90% of the time!

In fact, Tom Davis has Taken close to $200,000 from 6 of the top 10 “most brazen war profiteers”

Help us tell voters the truth about Tom Davis.

Here are the images of our staffers donating…Please Join Us in Contributing to Andrew Hurst

Amounts and Adress blocked out for privacy

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Iraqi’s Want U.S. Out, When Will Rep Davis (VA-11) Listen?

2006-09-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

random side-note, we have raised $4615.01 towards our goal of raising $11,000 from September 26-30 for our final push before the financial report filing deadline, please Contribute today, and help us reach our goal

In a recent article the Washington Post Reports that Iraqi citizens want the U.S. forces out of Iraq and by vast majorities. Tom Davis has voted with President Bush 90% of the time, including 100% of the time in regards to Iraq, when will Representative Davis listen to his constituents and Iraqi citizens.

According to the article…

In Baghdad, for example, nearly three-quarters of residents polled said they would feel safer if U.S. and other foreign forces left Iraq, with 65 percent of those asked favoring an immediate pullout, according to State Department polling results obtained by The Washington Post.

Then there are the independent polls…

The director of another Iraqi polling firm, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared being killed, said public opinion surveys he conducted last month showed that 80 percent of Iraqis who were questioned favored an immediate withdrawal. Eight-five percent of Sunnis in that poll supported an immediate withdrawal…

Better yet

"The very fact that there is such a low support for American forces has to do with the American failure to do basically anything for Iraqis," said Mansoor Moaddel, a professor of sociology at Eastern Michigan University, who commissioned a poll earlier this year that also found widespread support for a withdrawal.

When is the U.S. Congress specifically Tom Davis going to realize this reality and fix the Iraqi situation? I propose, never, we need to switch out the leadership and elect new people to Congress, people like Andrew Hurst who has opposed the Iraqi war since the beginning, and has an Iraq War Plan to bring home our troops from Iraq.

Specifically, I propose:
1. An immediate redeployment of troops. The 46,000 National Guard and Reserve troops should immediately return to the United States. The remaining forces should withdraw from urban areas and be redeployed to neighboring countries like Kuwait and Afghanistan;
2. A renewal of diplomatic efforts in the region. Once the redeployment of troops begins, the United States should begin working with nations like Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others to discuss cooperation in the rebuilding of Iraq, improving border security and dismantling terrorist networks;
3. A renewed focus upon the reconstruction of Iraq. The United States should be involved in the rebuilding of Iraq, but we must stop trying to impose our own vision of democracy on unwilling Iraqis; and
4. Increased involvement of the international community. After showing our good faith by redeploying our troops, we can make a stronger case to responsible members of the United Nations that they should have a substantial role in helping to rebuild Iraq.
By withdrawing our troops from the most dangerous portions of Iraq, we will remove the impetus for the insurgency. Most importantly, we can create a more stable Middle East, which will further strengthen our national security.

Here’s a fun graph for your viewing pleasure.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Now More Then Ever!

2006-09-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

[UPDATE #1]At 4:17PM on September 26 we are at $28,307.47, a gain of $2,495, Not Bad at all, let's keep going, only $8505 to go!

Now more than ever we need your support

If you have ever thought of contributing to the Andrew Hurst campaign, or have given before and were thinking of doing it again Now Is The Time. The final deadline for a major financial filing is September 30th and the country is watching. Based on what this report looks like, a lot of national donors and pundits will be making decisions about this race.

In the five days between September 26 and 30 we hope to raise $11,000 online. In the previous debate between Andy Hurst and Tom Davis, Tom stated “all of Andy’s money comes from out of state lawyers that sue doctors”, let’s prove him wrong.

Please contribute whatever you can, whether it’s $20, $50, $200 or more.

As of 12:01AM on September 26 we have raised $25,812.47 online (since late July when we made the switch to Act Blue). I will be the first to contribute in this effort (donating $20 back of my meager salary), bringing the new total to $25,832.47, only $10,980 to go!

If you need some reasons to contribute to Andrew Hurst, here are 5

#5 – Andrew Hurst is a Fighter. After Tom Davis sent out two campaign pieces at taxpayer expense, Andy Filed a Formal Complaint

#4 – Tom Davis is more Vulnurable then ever!

#3 – Andrew Hurst CRUSHED Tom Davis in their debate.

#2 – Tom Davis = Corruption, $14k trips to Italy, ICG Influence Peddling Scandal, Tom Davis has heavy ties to Bob Ney. This list could go on forever, for more details read Andrea Chamblee’s research diaries.

#1 – Andy Hurst is leading by example in trying to reform Washington. He is refusing to take PAC money, which makes your contributions all the more powerful.

We can’t win this race without your support. We can’t raise the millions of dollars Tom Davis has, because we don’t have ties to Abramoff and Karl Roves Rolodex, but we do have you, and we need you know more than ever.

Please try and Contribute before the September 30th deadline so that your donation will make it into our final major report.

-Nate de la Piedra

PS: We don't have anyone in house that can do those spiffy graphics that show how much money has been raised, so I'll be putting up updates throughout the week.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tom Davis Freaks Out!

2006-09-22T23:54:00.000-05:00

I apologize that I don’t have any videos or pictures for this event, just didn’t think it would be necessary at the time, lessoned learned, I will always have a digital camcorder at all times now.

Today, the Log Cabin Republicans held a fundraiser where Tom Davis spoke. Hypocritical thing here is, that Tom is on the record supporting the Hate Amendment (inserts discrimination into the Virginia Bill of Rights by “defining marriage”), and the LCR are a member of the Commonwealth Coalition (the group formed to fight the amendment).

Anywho, me and 1 other staffer and 2 volunteers made up these flyers (had a "paid for and authorized") that stated Tom's record on this issue.
-Supports Marshall-Newman Hate Amendment
-Zero Rating from Human Rights Campaign
-voted for "marriage definition" for US Constitution
-voted against gay adoption, and so on

Turns out that Nick Meads, (his campaign manager) was doing advance, so we gave him a flyer too. At this point, he walks across the streets and gets on the phone frantically pacing back and forth clearly reading the flyer for whoever was on the other side.

About 1/2 hour later, Tom Davis and Jean-Marie (State Senator and current wife) show up, Tom Refuses to shake my hand (though Jean-Marie smiled and said hello), then Tom just freaks out and yells "I RAISED $50,000 DOLLARS TODAY AND WAS ON THREE CHANNELS (I assume he means his ads)". I responded by saying "you must be really proud of yourself brother", at this point Tom's face starts to turn red (literally), and Jean-Marie sensing an on coming confrontation, grabs Tom's arm and pulls him into the fundraiser.

My point here is, if you can get under the skin of a 12 year incumbent that easily, is he really fit for office? If a grown man, who should be a statesman yells at 20-somethings, is he really fit for office?

Maybe Tom was just outside of his comfort zone, we all know he votes with President Bush 90% of the time, and the Pres opposes gay marriage, maybe he was on edge that the people at this fundraiser found out he was betraying his voting record, that'd make me nervous too.

If anyone wants to volunteer to "track" Tom Davis and catch his next freak out on video, please e-mail me at nate@hurstforcongress.com

For the Record, Nick Meads was nice, shook our hands and chatted for a bit, then complained I always misspelled his name, it is MeadS with an S, not Mead, my apologies Nick.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Senator Tom Davis?

2006-09-22T19:23:00.000-05:00

According to the Examiner, that is exactly what Tom Davis has in mind.

...too bad he won't be a sitting congressman in 2008, and it'll be harder to run.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Davis: Supports Hate Amendment but takes Gay money!!

2006-09-20T23:22:00.000-05:00

Tom Davis has done some pretty hypocritical stuff, but this just tops them all.

Last night at a candidate’s debate with Democrat Andrew Hurst for the 11th district of Virginia House of Rep seat, Tom Davis clearly stated that he would vote for Virginia’s hate bill.

Question: Shall Article I (the Bill of Rights) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to state:

"That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage."?

Yet, according to gaypatriot.net the The Virginia Log Cabin Republicans will hold a fundraiser for Tom Davis In case you don’t know, the Log Cabin Republicans are the Gay interest group of the GOP

This hypocrisy just kills me. Tom Davis seemed pissed that this question was even asked last night, wonder if he didn’t want to let this one out of the bag before the fundraiser.

The fundraiser is to be held Friday September 22nd, I urge you to contact their RSVP info dclampo@yahoo.com, and politely ask them to cancel this fundraiser.

You might want to point out that in 2003-2004 Tom Davis received a ZERO rating from the Human Rights Campaign.

Please e-mail dclampo@yahoo.com, and CC nate@hurstforcongress.com so that we can keep track of the community outrage.

For the record, Andrew Hurst has stated unequivocally that he will vote NO on this amendment, is urging others to vote no, and has even spoken at a rally against this bill.

If you want to support an honest campaign, seeking real equality for all, please Contribute to Andy Hurst for Congress.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Hurst Dominates Debate - Around the Horn

2006-09-20T10:38:00.000-05:00

UPDATE Seems that even Georgia Blogs are picking up on this race.

Coverage of Debate Between Davis and Hurst

Analysis of Yesterday's Hurst v Davis Debate

Hurst vs. Davis: A Question of Character

Taking Down Tom Davis

GOTV has the Andrew Hurst press release in full Democrat Andrew Hurst Dominates Debate, Davis Unable to Defend Record

The Washington Post snoozer article

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Andrew Hurst Delivered the Thunder From the Left

2006-09-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

please note, this is my first time trying to transcribe a debate and may have missed reported some of the quotes below. Please consider all quotes to be a “paraphrase” of what the candidate said

Thunder from the left is what was promised, and it came. I need to catch at least a little sleep as I’m a full time student, but I wanted to get the best quotes of the debate up here tonight. The analysis will come tomorrow.

Everyone I talked to, including non-partisans said that Andy kicked ass. Even some of the reporters (let’s see if they print that tomorrow). About 2/3 of the audience was pro-Hurst, with 1/3 pro-Davis.

The debate was supposed to start at 7:30, yet Davis showed up at 7:57 (the moderators and host killed time until he arrived). This brings us to our first quote.

#1 “Name calling won’t catch Osama Bin Laden, fix healthcare or transportation that prevented you from getting here on time”. Andrew Hurst to Tom Davis in the opening statements, he was referring to a Washington Examiner article in which Tom Davis called Andy a “goofball”.

#2 In the same Washington Examiner article Tom Davis said “[Andrew Hurst] hasn’t done a thing”, Andy responds with “I haven’t supported Bush 90% of the time, I haven’t taken special interest money, I didn’t support the war when it started and I don’t support staying the course”

#3 Regarding a question on striking the balance between privacy and homeland security, Andrew Hurst said “can you believe it, in this country we are talking about torturing people”

#4 In response to the above question Ferdinando Greco (Green Party) begins by saying “All I know is what I hear on TV”, then fumbles around for a few seconds and goes on to say “I’m sorry that’s all I have”, Andrew Hurst then flips through his notes and says to Greco “here, you can use mine”, laughter abounds from all sides. I should note that Greco seemed extremely unprepared, and if it wasn’t on his talking points, he had no clue what to say. This happened more than once.

#5 Tom Davis wins whopper of the year in his response to this question “ we may well have been hit again without the Patriot Act”…

#6 Andrew Hurst: “Every Problem in Iraq was predicted…We are solving nothing…It is time to change the war”

#7 Tom Davis again on a whopper (this time with cheese) “No Child Left Behind is a good bill”

#8 In response Andy says “I didn’t know this was possible but Tom Davis received a Zero Rating from the National Education Association, Cut $12.7 Billion from Student assistance, and created an under funded mandate by $40 Billion…we can’t balance the budget on the backs of our future”

#9 DOUBLE WHOPPER Tom Davis “I SUPPORTED TUNNEL TO TYSONS”, yes he had the balls to say that after he threatened to cut off federal funds if Governor Kaine went with the tunnel, so that his maxed out campaign contributors Bechtel could keep the above ground contract.

# 10 Andrew Hurst “Corruption predates Republicans, they just perfected it”, a response to Tom Davis saying that corruption in the House predates his tenure as Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee.

# 11 Andrew Hurst “I will be voting NO [on the constitutional amendment], I’m a United Methodist and in my church marriage is between a man and a woman, but my marriage is not threatened by gay or straight people getting married.

And finally in Andy’s closing statements responding to Tom Davis harping about some ballfield that he claims he got for Fairfax County

”What good is a ballfield, if that child will die in Iraq for no good reason”

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tom Davis and Rob Ney Share Money and Power in Abramoff's NRCC

2006-09-19T11:46:00.000-05:00

Editor's note, this is a post from Andrea Chamblee that I am posting for her - Nate

Andrew Hurst for Congress

Crossposted on Raising Kaine.

In 2002, Christopher Shays [R-Conn] was next in line for the Chair of the Government Reform Committee. "The advantage I have is 16 years of devoted service on the committee," Shays observed. But he acknowledged Tom Davis (R-VA) had his own selling point:

"'I think [Davis] has an edge based on the extraordinary work he's done to make us a strong majority,' said Shays, 57." There was no secret what that work was.

"Davis, 53, had less seniority than Shays and others vying for the Reform Committee chair. But Shays knew what others also knew: according to The Federal Paper Republicans want to reward him. As Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee [NRCC], Davis supervised a $160 million fund raising effort and campaigned for 40 Republican candidates in 27 states" includng Rob Ney, the criminal Congressman from Ohio.

Follow the story for more on how the contagious corruption of Tom Davis spread in Ohio.

Davis's strength was also Shays' weakness: again according to The Federal Paper:

One factor that may work against Shays is his key role in passing the campaign finance law that GOP leaders opposed.

It is important to remember Davis's key role as head of the NRCC, along with his deputy, uber-lobbyist, K Street Project operative, and Abramoff colleague Dan Mattoon. Tom Davis cultivated the relationships, the atmosphere of pay-to-play politics, and the money for himself, his campaign fund, his two PACs, and for the NRCC. Bob Ney and his American Liberty Pac flourished under Davis's watch.

Davis made sure Ney tithed to the NRCC. Ney contributed $47,000 during 1997-2003. Of that, $22,000, or over 40%, was paid to the NRCC during the time Davis was NRCC head from 1998-2002.

Davis himself jumped on the Ney bandwagon early, giving him $2,000.00 on 06/14/1999 (FEC record number 99034720197).

Davis also supported Ney from NRCC funds. Again according to the FEC, in 1998, Davis’s first year at the NRCC, the support for Ney from the Committee was $1,928, an increase of 23 times the previous year of $86 in 1997. The RNCC paid Ney a total of $7,452. Of that, $3,014, or 40%, was provided during the time Davis was NRCC head.

Davis continues to reap the rewards of his fundraising machine, now using the Chairmanship of the Government Reform Committee that was his reward for his fundraising at the NRCC. Davis couldn't have asked for the job at a more profitable time. Administration outsourcing of national obligations to its cronies, followed by waste and scandal after scandal made the protection of the Reform Committee invaluable. As with the RNCC, Davis was able to turn the Chairmanship into one that generates millions from PACs and lobbyists. Now he is turning to the Senate, and he has Presidential ambitions.

I've written about Davis's ties to Jack Abramoff, including the $4,500 Davis himself received from Abramoff, the $312,000 he collected from Abramoff's tribal clients for the NRCC, and the money he collected from "Team Abramoff for his wife. Public Citizen and CapitalEye have found ties from Tom Davis and Abramoff, especially through super-lobbyist Dan Mattoon, but Davis has somehow escaped scrutiny and has never been held accountable.

Davis's corruption has infected Government Reform and races all over the country. Davis has used the millions he has from fundraising to influence races in 40 States, 42 Districts, 3 senate races, totaling 103 candidates, not counting his NRCC fundraising. His money is probably in your state no matter where you're from.

Fortunately, Davis has a formidable opponent in Andy Hurst. You can be a part of helping Hurst unseat Davis by donating to and volunteering for Andy Hurst. Hurst is not taking any PAC money. Can you donate $11 for the 11th District? Or a multiple of $11?

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tom Davis (VA-11) Profits from War and Death!

2006-09-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

Hat-tip to Mosquitopest for giving me the idea to do this more in-depth research.

According to an article The 10 Most Brazen War Profiteers from Alternet.org there is some seriously fishy and potentially illegal stuff going on with the distribution of US Government Contracts relating to Iraq.

Tom Davis is the Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, it is his job to investigate such claims, instead, he does not. He ignores these problems while at the same time taking political donations from said companies. Below the fold is the dirty truth.

For the total contributions, I’m only looking at the 01-02/03-04/05-06 cycles, since those are the only ones affected by the war in Iraq. In all, Tom Davis has taken $195,330 from companies he should be investigating. While his opponent Andrew Hurst Democratic nominee for Congress, is refusing to take PAC money specifically because of this level of corruption and influence peddling.

#1 CACI. This company had “private interrogators” in Abu Ghraib. According to tray.comTom Davis and his PAC Federal Victory Fund, have taken $14,130 from CACI employees, including Chairman of the Board J Phillip London and President Paul Cofoni.

#2 L-3 Communications owns Titan Corporation. Titan was also in Abu Ghraib.Tom Davis and his PAC have taken $9,200 from L-3 and Titan Employees and Titan’s PAC.

#3 Bechtel

The San Francisco-based construction and engineering giant received one of the largest no-bid contracts -- worth $2.4 billion -- to help coordinate and rebuild a large part of Iraq's infrastructure. But the company's reconstruction failures range from shoddy school repairs to failing to finish a large hospital in Basra on time and within budget.

Davis has taken close to $31,000 from Bechtel and it’s employees.

#4 Aegis. I couldn’t find any money here, probably because it’s a Brittish firm

An industry insider told Avant that the $293 million contract was given despite the fact that American competitors had submitted lower bids, suggesting the government wanted to hire the foreign company to shield both sides of the transaction from accountability for any "dirty tricks."

#5 Custer Battles

Custer Battles was a newly formed company with no experience in the security industry when it landed one of the first contracts issued in Iraq, in the spring of 2003, to secure the Baghdad airport. The sole source or "no-bid" contract was worth US$16 million when it was awarded in the chaos after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Couldn’t find anything here, perhaps a reader can help me out.

#6 General Dynamics
General Dynamics PAC has given $23,500 to Tom Davis and his PAC

In July, the Post reported that the company's profits have tripled since 9/11. That should make some people happy, including David K Heebner, a former top aide to Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, who was hired by General Dynamics in 1999, a year before the Stryker contract was sealed. According to Defense watchdogs at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), General Dynamics formally announced it was hiring Heebner on November 20, 1999, just one month after Shinseki announced a new "vision" to transform the Army by moving away from tracked armored vehicles toward wheeled light-armored vehicles, and more than a month prior to Heebner's official retirement date of Dec. 31, 1999.

#7 Nour USA. This is a shadowy firm, that incorporated as the war in Iraq started, with the specific purpose to get US Government Contracts. Now also has contracts with the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Oil Ministry. Can't find any ties to Tom Davis, as I can't really find out much about the company. But there do seem to be Suspect contract deals and another here

#8 Chevron. #9 ExxonMobile #10 Petro-imperialists.
Unfortunately, at this point Alternet gets a little vague, but there is still interesting stuff. Tom Davis was quoted as saying “I have never taken a nickel from the oil companies”. This was clearly false, in fact, He has taken over $115,000 from Oil Company PACs Alone. $42,750 from ExxonMobil.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Thunder From the Left

2006-09-17T12:50:00.001-05:00

“Thunder from the left”, that is what Andrew Hurst said he would bring against Tom Davis at the upcoming September 19th debate against Tom Davis.

When: Tuesday, September 19, 7:30 PM

Where: Fairfax County Government Center

Click here for directions

Andrew Hurst has already come out swinging. A few weeks ago he filed Formal Charges against Tom Davis for using taxpayer money to send out campaign e-mails. Before that Andy Called on Tom Davis to resign as Chair of the Government Reform Committee for his influence peddling scandal involving ICG.

Please join us and see what all the ruckus is about, even forcing the Washington Post to write an article, Now, a Word About the Invigorated 11th District Democrats.

There will be an opportunity to for attendees to ask the candidates questions, so come prepared.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Tom Davis: Dissent = Treason

2006-09-17T02:52:00.000-05:00

Open Letter to Representative Tom Davis (R-VA),

Dear Rep. Davis,

We all knew that the GOP was going to run a dirty race this year to make Democrats look weak on National Security, but I had no idea how bad it was, and how common this tactic was in 2002 and 2004. Swift boating John Kerry was nothing, read This Article and you find this.

February 2002: Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle expresses mild disagreement with US anti-terror policies, saying US success in the war on terror "is still somewhat in doubt." In response, Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) says that Daschle's "divisive comments have the effect of giving aid and comfort to our enemies by allowing them to exploit divisions in our country."

Mr. Davis, have you no shame. Your majorty leader John Boener accused Democrats of committing treason, is this something you agree with, or have you changed position from 2002?

Mr. Davis, you can send your response to nate@hurstforcongress.com

Nate de la Piedra
Online Outreach Coordinator
Hurst for Congress, Inc.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Centerville Day Parade, Democrats Outshow Republicans!

2006-09-17T02:13:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend either the Centerville Day Parade or Gov. Warner's Pig Roast yesterday, as today (Sept 17th) is my birthday and I was doing personal stuff.

However, from what I hear, it was a great day to be alive and in blue, take a look at these pictures...

Seems like we had more of a turn out. Here is a link to a great summary by Ambivalent Mumblings, Local Democrats At The Centreville Day Parade

As you may know, today was the Centreville Day Parade and Andrew Hurst, Judy Feder, and Jim Webb all had supporters there. Plus, both Andy and Judy were there walking the parade route with us. I definitely had been looking forward to the event because it was nice not to have to travel very far (Centreville High School is less than a mile and a half away from where I live) and I hadn’t participated in Centreville Day since my days in Centreville’s marching band.

Support Andrew Hurst orJim Webb? Read This!

2006-09-14T19:21:00.000-05:00

Andrew Hurst and Jim Webb are putting out a call for supporters. We don’t have the $2 Million war chest that Tom Davis has, or the big Karl Rove donors that George Allen has, but what we do have is YOU.

And we need to know who you are. This is not to ask you for your money or your time (unless you want to give it), but so that we can mark you as a supporter. This has many advantages that you might not have been aware of.

When someone is identified as a member of Team Hurst they are taken off of our canvass and phone bank lists until it is time to vote. This allows us to save our volunteers time, and to save your time as well. Think of it as one less phone call during dinner.

Additionally, people that we know are behind Andrew Hurst and Jim Webb 100%, don’t get some of the persuasion mailings, allowing us to save money, and letting your piece of mail to go to an undecided voter and a potential winning a new vote.

I have set up a Website Form that allows you to put in your info and let us know that you support Andrew Hurst and Jim Webb.

Please take the 30 seconds needed to fill out the I Support Andrew Hurst and/or Jim Webb and help us. It might not be the same as volunteering or contributing, but it certainly helps us in the same way, one less door to knock, and one less piece of mail to pay for.

Thanks for your time,
Nate de la Piedra

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Another Great Letter to the Editor

2006-09-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

Another great Letter to the Editor from one of our supporters, Jill Franklin from Woodbridge, was published a few days ago by the Potomac News, Voters should attend one of the debates

Since Andrew Hurst's primary victory, Davis appears to feel threatened by the increasing strength of Hurst's appeal and has thus far mailed out two glossy full-color "progress reports" that are obvious campaign pieces. He has even had the audacity to mail them out at taxpayer expense.

Now, as the campaign season gets into full swing, we can all expect to see more and more attempts by the Republican incumbents to buy the election via expensive TV ads, fancy flyers, paid phone banks and automated phone calls, while their opponents depend on the hard work and dedication of their grassroots volunteers and loyal followers. When it comes time to make get-out-the-vote phone calls Allen/Davis can just hire disinterested phone bankers to do their calls for them.

Yet, there is one way in which the campaigns can be equalized. This is through voter attendance at the upcoming debates that are planned in the area. By taking the time to attend a debate, voters can hear both sides of the issues and make an informed choice, not one that is bought and paid for by big money interests. In this regard, I ask voters to mark their calendars for the following upcoming events, and I also encourage the media to publicize them:

At 7:30 p.m., Sept. 19, the Fairfax League of Women Voters and the Federation of Citizens Associations will host a debate at the Fairfax Government Center between the candidates for the 11th Congressional District seat -- Davis, Hurst and Ferdinando Greco.

Then on Oct. 19 at 8 p.m., the Prince William Committee of 100 will host a debate between Hurst and Davis at the Old Hickory Golf Club behind the McCoart Building. Mr. Allen has declined to meet with Mr. Webb at another debate that was to be scheduled by the Committee of 100 here in Prince William County.

I concur ALL voters should attend the debates, I know I'll be forcing my parents and my girlfriends parents to attend.

Be sure to read the full letterVoters should attend one of the debates

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Conservatives say VOTE FOR HURST!!

2006-09-14T00:38:00.000-05:00

Andrea Chamblee has once again written another excellent research diary (man I wish the campaign had More Loot so we could hire her full time). This time she wrote a diary Republicans Should Cut and Run from Congress; even the conservatives say so detailing how even the most staunch conservatives consider Tom Davis a failure of the worst kind.

While Democrat Andy Hurst has been calling on Davis to step down for a year, the most recent edition of the Washington Monthly has seven articles in which the seven prominent conservative authors explain why they're rooting for the home team to lose this year.

The authors are adding their collective voices to that of Newt Gingrich. Earlier this summer, the House Speaker from 1995-1999 listed remarkably similar complaints now being echoed by conservatives all over the country. The Father of the Republican “Contract With America” (and the husband of several wives) stood in a bipartisan crowd and announced some pithy advice for lawmakers who, in the current wave of scandal and personal enrichment on Capitol Hill, have confused the public interest with their personal interests:

All these complaints lead a path to Tom Davis. His signature is the only one on the subpoena of Terry Schiavo, he raked in hundreds of thousands from drug companies and millions from lobbyists and PACs, and he prevents the Government Reform Committee from cracking down on waste, fraud, and lobbyists influence. Even your conservative friends should vote for Andy Hurst.

I highly recommend you take a peek at Republicans Should Cut and Run from Congress; even the conservatives say so but even more importantly suggest you forward that link to your conservative friends.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Bloggers for Field Project

2006-09-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure I wanted to post about this since it's a real netroots movement, and not headed up by the campaign, but it's just too great of an idea not to post.

A bunch of bloggers have set up a Act Blue website Bloggers for Field Project. It is a collective effort of Virginia Progressive bloggers.

This is how Bryan Scraffor of Ambivalent Mumblings describes the project.

An Act Blue site has been set up in order to raise money for the Hurst campaign. Through this site, donors would be able to assist Andy's ability to reach out to voters across District 11. The first $4,000 raised will go towards hiring a field organizer, and the rest of it would be used as the campaign sees fit, with the understanding that it must be used for voter contact, or other field activities. The organizers of this site would also like to have the support of a vast number of bloggers, not just one person in particular.

That's right, even though the campaign isn't directing this movement, we have agreed to allow bloggers and more importantly contributors to dictate how we will be spending thier contributions. And Personally, having spent most of my career in field, I think this is the best way money should be spent, so I'm excited about this project. Both myslef and my girlfriend have given personal money to this project, and I respectfully ask that everyone reading this do as well, even if it's just $11.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Your Turn!

2006-09-13T11:34:00.001-05:00

Now it’s your turn!

People powered politics is this year’s kryptonite for incumbents. People powered means you. These campaigns not only appreciate and use volunteers, but volunteers are in fact the driving force of their organizations. We have already seen two first time candidates defeat incumbents, Ned Lamont and now Jamie Raskin crushed MD State Senate President Pro Tempore Ida Ruben by what appears will be 30 points.

Now it’s Virginia’s turn, Team Hurst, using people powered politics has already won a tough primary forAndrew Hurst but we’re going after the top of the food chain of the corrupt GOP Congress, Mr. Tom “I’m not really a moderate” Davis himself. But we need your help.

In case you haven’t heard, we’re coordinating with the Webb campaign up north in the 11th district so that Jim can focus more on Southern Virginia were he’s able to turn Republicans over to our side. So we need to do double the work now.

Below you will find the info that you need to help us take back the House, one District at a time.

In Prince William County here is a message from one of our organizers.

We will be doing phone banks tonight at the Dale City headquarters between 5-9 tonight, as we do every Monday and Wednesday nights. The Dale City Headquarters is here:

4326 Dale Blvd., Suite 6
Woodbridge, VA 22193
703.730.1409
This is on the second floor in the strip mall next to Pitkin's Hardware right after the intersection with Minneville Rd. And you don't have to show up at 5:00 and stay the full 4 hours, just come when you can and give a couple hours of your time tonight or next week.
We also are going door-to-door on Saturday from 11:00 - 2:00 and Sunday from 11:00 – 3:00 in the Occoquan District. We are meeting at:
Parking lot of Mom's Apple Pies
125 Commerce St.
Occoquan, VA

In Fairfax County

September 16: Volunteer Canvass -- Cherry Run (Springfield)
When: Saturday, September 16th, at 12 PM

Where: Cherry Run Elementary School, 9732 Ironmaster Dr., Burke, VA. Click here for directions.

For more info e-mail mike@hurstforcongress.com or call 703-455-1014 for more information.

September 17: Volunteer Canvass -- Olde Creek (Braddock)
When: Sunday, September 17th, at 12PM

Where: Olde Creek Elementary School, 9524 Old Creek Dr., Fairfax, VA. Click here for directions.

For more info e-mail mike@hurstforcongress.com or call 703-455-1014 for more information.

I will be at the Fairfax County events and hope to see you their as well or helping out in Prince William County.

If you can't make it, you can always CONTRIBUTE to the cause, below explains what your money would go to.

$12 = Sheet of 50 postcard stamps
$25 = One roll of Lapel Stickers
$35 = One Dinner for Volunteers
$50 = Box of Gripcards
$100= Case of Bumper Stickers
$150= Box of Yard Signs
$250= One Piece of Direct Mail to One Precinct

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Diebold Strikes Again

2006-09-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

MAJOR VOTING PROBLEMS REPORTED IN MARYLAND WITH DIEBLOD VOTING MACHINES!

Federal Spending Database + Tom Davis = Smoke Screen

2006-09-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

Some of you might have been following the recent developments towards the creation of a Searchable Government Spending Database. It will be "google" like and be an incredible tool to find pork and corruption in government. As of now, there is no central database of all government spending. The Senate version would include all contracts and grants over $25,000.

However, take a look at this little nugget from the uber-conservative Heritage Foundation.

The House passed a different version of the legislation last June. H.R. 5090, sponsored by Rep. Tom Davis, excluded government contracts from the database, which is a mistake given the nature of earmarks. Normally, when the two chambers pass significantly different legislation, they form a conference committee to reconcile the two bills and resubmit the modified bill to both houses for approval. This process takes quite a bit of time, however, and the session has precious little of that left.

And from the Washington Post

Barring outright opposition to the bill's passage, the best hope for contractors is to promote a weak substitute. Remarkably, Representative Tom Davis (R-Va.), whose district includes such contractors among his most affluent constituents, has given them just the vehicle. Davis introduced a House version of the Coburn Bill, minus the transparency requirement for contractors, leaving only grant-recipient NGOs like Doctors Without Borders in the crosshairs. Representative Davis told the New York Times that "contracts are awarded in a much more competitive environment" and grants "are more susceptible to abuse."

hmmmm, I wonder why Mr. Davis would like to exclude government contracts? We know he just intimidated the Governor of Virginia by Threatening to cut off Federal Funds for a Metro expansion project so one of his campaign donors could keep a no bid contract.

If you want to know what else Tom Davis is hiding, or why he is excluding Government Contracts, e-mail his campaign info@tomdavis.org or you can e-mail his campaign manager Nick Mead at nick@tomdavis.org

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Video Archive

2006-09-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

I ran across a DNC video (below) that asks the right question, is the Bush administration really concerned about finding Osama Bin Laden, or is it just another way to scare voters before a tough election.

Perhaps the best video tribute I have seen comes from Perservando too moving to describe in words, if you only watch one of these videos, please watch this one.

I wanted to post that video, but also give you a few videos of Andrew Hurst in case you haven't had a chance to see them.

Below is the Video of Andrew Hurst speaking at the Labor Day Kickoff Rally

Below is the video of Andrew Hurst calling on Tom Davis to resign as Chairman of the Government Reform Committee.

Hope you all enjoy watching these selections as much as I did.

Nate de la Piedra is the Online Outreach Coordinator for the Andrew Hurst for Congress 2006 Campaign. The ideas expressed herein belong to Nate de la Piedra and do not necessarily represent those of Andrew Hurst, his advisors, staff, or "The Campaign".

Virginia Blogger Makes a Difference!

2006-09-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

You might have read Tom Davis Website Deceives the Public posted on Ambivalent Mumblings and cross posted on RaisingKaine.
In Case you missed it, here is a "nugget" from the diary.

After I discovered that the Washington Post hadn’t declared itself a member of “The Davis Team” for this election, I began to wonder how accurate the other “supporters” were. It turns out that not a single one of the organizations on Davis’s list of team members has declared itself a member of “The Davis Team” for the 2006 election cycle. (This is according to his website, which I accessed on the morning of September 10, 2006)

Well, it is now 11:27PM on Sunday September 10, 2006 and there is Only ONE listed group supporting Tom Davis. It is The National Federation of Independent Business.

Congratulations are in order to Bryan J. Scrafford and his blog Ambivalent Mumblings for bringing this to our attention, and forcing Tom Davis to come clean. Glad to see the Davis camp is at least reading progressive blogs and wanted to snip this one in the bud before it blew to a full scandal.

Welcome to the New Hurst 2006 Blog

2006-09-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

Hello Readers,

This is the first post to the Hurst 2006 Blog. As the New Online Outreach Coordinator for the Hurst 2006 campaign I have decided to start up a blog dedicated to the VA-11 race. I have started this blog realizing that we are only about 8 weeks out, and might not have enough time to build a readership big enough to justify it's existence. However, I will be updating this blog regularly (multiple times a day) with information pertinent to the Hurst-Davis (VA-11) Congressional race, Webb-Allen (VA) US Senate Race and other national issues. I hope that this new blog will be a one-stop source to all bloggers interested in writing about Northern Virginia Politics.

The first item I want to highlight is an excellent letter to the editor written by the publisher of demnan's quest blog. While the Post decided not to print this letter, I thought it was very well written and wanted to share if with you, among some choice readings...

The 11th District has a viable alternative to Tom Davis. Andrew Hurst is running as a Democrat for Congress. Andrew Hurst has a history as community political activist, smart lawyer and defender of the innocents involved in the Whitewater scandals. Andrew Hurst has some pragmatic ideas on how to deal with everything from the Iraq war to Government Reform. If you want to throw out the old corrupt government of the past and usher in something different, I suggest you take a look at Andrew Hurst. At least you won’t have to worry about who owns Andrew Hurst. His campaign is b uilt from grassroots organization and the work of volunteers, not PAC money.
So the next time you’re driving down Route 123 or some other local road snarled in traffic, just count all the Tom Davis signs you read, and wonder who bought them. Then maybe you’ll vote and contribute to Andrew Hurst.

emphasis mine

Another great story, The Fisch Fry documenting Tom Davis's involvement in intimidating Governor Kaine by threatening to cut off Federal Funds from the Metro extension project if he went with the tunnel option. What is of note here, is that with the tunnel option dead, the Bechtel Corporation will continue to manage the project. It is important to note that Bechtel has given the maximum of $5,000 to Tom Davis this year, and has a running total of $11,000 from the firm and $20,000 from a former executive according to www.opensecrets.org.

Finally, of course to note, is Andrea Chamblee (best opposition research I've seen so far on blogs) diary that you most likely have read already. It was front paged on Raising Kaine and "diary rescued" on DailyKos, Tom Davis has ties to Abramoff's and the K Street Project though super-lobbyist Dan Mattoon. But the research was so great, I just had to include it here.

Please never hesitate to write me at ndelapiedra[at]yahoo[dot]com, with suggestions, tips, compliments or complaints.

-Nate de la Piedra