Don`t delay! Don`t linger! - Arlington County Democratic Committee

Vol. 38, No. 10
www.arlingtondemocrats.org
October 2013
Don’t delay! Don’t linger!
Don’t wait! Vote right now!
FOR THIS FALL’S
CAMPAIGN WORK
Check out Page Four
for a list of things
you can do in this
final month of a very
important campaign.
BE SOCIAL!
AND HELP FUND
OUR OPERATIONS
AT THE SAME TIME
Check out Page 10
and the:
Kennedy-King Dinner
Friday, October 25
Golden Gala
Friday, October 4
Music on the Pike
Sat, October 19
Early voting has started and ACDC is encouraging everyone who is eligible—especially senior
citizens—to get out there and vote early at the
county building.
In fact, ACDC has launched a program to telephone senior citizens, urging them to vote early and
arranging rides to the polling place for those who
need such help. The Joint Campaign is looking for
volunteers to help with those calls.
Early voting provides a six-week window in
which Virginians can vote at their own convenience
and avoid the possibility that a family or office
emergency will tie them up November 5 and keep
them from the polls.
It also avoids the worry of being so rushed
November 5 that you forget about the election until
you tune in the late-night news and hear the results!
Early voting—officially called “in-person absentee voting”—is being conducted at the County
Registrar’s office in the county building, Courthouse
Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320.
Voting is held during business hours every
weekday with two Saturdays and two late Thursdays added for those tied up during the weekdays.
The schedule is:
Weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sept. 20 thru Nov. 1
Saturdays, Oct. 26 & Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursdays, Oct. 24 & Oct. 31, until 7 p.m.
Note that there will be no early voting the
Monday before Election Day, when the staff will
be busy setting up the polls.
To vote early, you need only to fill in a simple
form that will take 30 seconds.
You are eligible to vote early if you anticipate
being out of the county for any purpose or for any
length of time at some point on Election Day—even
if you just plan to go to Falls Church for five minutes to shop.
Remember, you now need an ID to vote,
whether you vote early or on Election Day.
If you would like to help to encourage senior
citizens to vote early, why not volunteer for ACDC’s
Senior Absentee Voting Project. ACDC will supply you with a list of seniors—only Democrats—a
script, and details on how and where to vote early
and arrange for rides to and from the polls.
Volunteers can make the calls from home at
their convenience.
To volunteer or get more information, contact
Cragg Hines at (202) 415-1434 or at
cragghines@aol.com.
ACDC first launched this effort in 2008, when
there was a significantly higher turnout rate by senior voters that helped Barack Obama win Virginia.
SANTA — Congressman Jim Moran
normally lets his beard grow out during
the congressional recess each August,
but shaves it off before returning to
town and attending the Labor Day Chili
Cookoff. This year, however, he is
letting it grow out. By Christmas, our
congressman could be rivaling Santa
Claus.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 2
Report from Chairman Mike Lieberman
What’s at stake
We are now a month away from Election Day. The polls show our candidate for
governor, Terry McAuliffe, with a lead over
his opponent beyond the margin of error. Ads
are running on television and lit pieces are
starting to hit Virginia mailboxes. And yet
still, a surprising number of likely voters say
they have not yet made up their minds.
For those of us steeped in political work,
it is almost inconceivable to still be weighing
candidates this late in the game – especially
when the contrasts between candidates are so
stark. Indeed, as I have said before, this election pits our Democratic ticket against one of
the most extreme Republican tickets we have
ever seen in Virginia. So, as you talk to those
undecided voters in this last month, and even
those Democratic voters who don’t always
turn up at the polls, make sure to remind them
what’s at stake this year:
*
Our Democratic ticket believes women
in Virginia should have insurance coverage
for birth control. Their Republican opponents
supported a so-called “fetal personhood”
amendment to the Constitution that could
criminalize certain forms of birth control like
the pill and make in vitro fertilization illegal.
*
Our Democratic ticket led the charge to
oppose invasive and unnecessary medical procedures prior to an abortion. Their Republican opponents have worked to outlaw abortion even in cases of rape or incest, and even
introduced legislation to force women to report any miscarriage to police within 24 hours.
*
Our Democratic ticket supports using
$21 billion in federal funds over seven years
to expand Medicaid coverage to more than
400,000 needy Virginians. Their Republican
opponents would leave this money to other
states and, in doing so, deny thousands of
needy Virginians critical access to health care.
*
Our Democratic ticket supports expanded health care coverage through implementation of the Affordable Care Act
(“Obamacare”). Their Republican opponents
are willing to risk a shut down of the federal
government to oppose this policy.
*
Our Democratic ticket supports equal
rights for gay and lesbian Virginians to marry,
adopt children, and be protected from employ-
Jerry Botland
Computer Consulting
Troubleshoot and resolve computer and
computer related problems.
Perform upgrades, set-up wireless routers and print servers.
Transfer old files, address book and emails
from an old computer to a new one.
Phone: (703) 933-0558 — jbotland@msn.com
Published monthly by the
Arlington County Democratic Committee
2050 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200, Arlington VA 22201 (enter at rear)
P.O. Box 7132, Arlington VA 22207
Tel: (703) 528-8588
Fax: (703) 528-2321
http://www.arlingtondemocrats.org
Chair: Mike Lieberman —(703) 408-3940 (h), mikelieberman1@gmail.com
Editor-in-Chief: Warren L. Nelson —(703) 243-7867 (h), warnelson@aol.com
Deputy Editor: Eric Wiener — (703) 524-6899 (h), wiener_eric@yahoo.com
Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the ACDC
unless expressly approved by an appropriate committee resolution
Copyright ©2013, ACDC, All Rights Reserved
ment discrimination. Their Republican opponents support a constitutional ban on gay
marriage. Republican gubernatorial candidate
Ken Cuccinelli even authored a legal opinion
instructing Virginia colleges and universities
not to protect gay and lesbian students from
discrimination, and Republican lieutenant
governor candidate E.W. Jackson called gays
and lesbians “sick people psychologically,
mentally and emotionally.”
*
Our Democratic ticket supports common
sense investment in infrastructure, and helped
usher through legislation last year that will
bring nearly $300 million per year to Northern Virginia for transportation. Their Republican opponents were a roadblock to the transportation bill, and have proposed tax cuts that
would deprive the government of muchneeded funds for infrastructure.
The bottom line is that elections matter
– this year more than most. The contrasts are
stark. And for most of us, the choice is clear.
But in this last month, our job is to reach out
to the others – the undecideds – and remind
them why it is so important that they vote
Democratic. And just as important, we need
to make sure our reliable Democratic voters
actually turn out to vote.
We have a month to make a difference;
a month to determine the direction for our
commonwealth for the years to come; and a
month to remind our voters what’s at stake.
Let’s get out there and make it happen.
State party creating
an Asian Caucus
The state party is about to create an Asian
Caucus to join the Hispanic and AfricanAmerican caucuses in the party.
The caucus is expected to be formally
instituted at the next State Central Committee meeting of the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA).
Arlington’s Dewita Soeharjono is helping to organize a kickoff event for the new
caucus. Anyone interested in joining should
contact her at dewitahs@gmail.com.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 3
Senior Dems
are now
getting their
own event
ain,
Yet ag on
are
Dems
ve!
the mo
And now it’s time for senior Dems to
get their own event.
ACDC is starting a series of luncheons
for senior Democrats. The first will be held
Tuesday, October 8, from noon to 2 p.m. at
Busboys & Poets in Shirlington.
Richard Barton, who was a Democratic candidate for the County Board in 1975
back before the flood when Republicans
sometimes won (and did that year), is heading up the luncheons as a certified senior
Dem.
However, the party leadership has guaranteed that those attending will not be carded
at the door to keep out youngsters.
The guest for this first luncheon will be
Del. Bob Brink, although he does not yet
quite qualify as a senior. The topic will be
the upcoming elections.
The luncheon will have a fixed price.
While that detail had not been nailed down
as of press deadline, it will be on the order of
$20, Barton said.
Anyone interested in attending the luncheon should RSVP to Barton at
rabarton2@verizon.net. If you can’t make
the October 8 luncheon but want to be kept
informed of future luncheons, let Barton
know at that address.
Next Monthly Meeting
All Dems Invited
Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 7:00 p.m.
Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th Street South
(located two blocks east of Glebe Road and
one block east of Walter Reed Drive)
The October meeting will be the last before Election Day. (The following month’s meeting will
come the day after the election.) We will hear
from our four candidates for delegate plus our
candidates for County Board and School Board
with the emphasis on efforts to turn out the maximum vote in Arlington to counter the downstate
counties that will go Republican. We will also
have some volunteer work sessions at the meeting to help with the get-out-the-vote effort.
Montmartre big at auction
To no one’s surprise, a week’s vacation
at an apartment in Montmartre proved to be
the biggest item at this year’s County Board
Auction, finally going under the hammer for
$2,000.
The item provided a full week’s lodging in one of the nicest neighborhoods of
Paris within walking distance of assorted
sites, not to mention lots of sterling restau-
Bumper Sticker
of the Month
rants.
The auction this year brought in a total
of $13,000, which goes to underwrite the
costs of the County Board campaign and this
year’s candidate for re-election, Jay Fisette,
who had just married long time partner Bob
Rosen four days earlier. The newlyweds got
a formal toast and a long round of applause.
Other auction items this year included
Kitchen Crew Catering, wine tasting with
Peter Fallon, a Gettysburg tour with Delegate Alfonso Lopez and a year-round supply of treats from Stephanie Dix Clifford.
But it wasn’t all elbowing for auction
items. Carrie Johnson, sometimes known
as the List Lady for her work documenting
what every Democrat does on campaigns,
gave a fascinating history lesson and tribute
to former County Board members.
The Kitchen Crew, as usual, added to
the evening with its beef brisket, crab cakes
and tiramisu, among other selections.
The auction was held, as for many
years, at the Unitarian Universalist Church,
where the much maligned parking lot has
now been surfaced, although the main driveway was still under construction for auction
night.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 4
Here are
ways to help
campaign
People power is what makes Arlington’s
get-out-the-vote effort so remarkable and the
envy of Democrats around the Commonwealth. And our ticket NEEDS Arlington to
turn out in force if we want to keep Virginia
moving in the proper direction!
Messengers are on doorsteps and in the
mail, early voters are being greeted at the
Courthouse during the week, hundreds of
checks have been written to support our
$4Dems campaign, and volunteers are handing out lit at farmers’ markets.
And every weekend, volunteers are mobilizing at staging locations across Arlington
(listed on www.arlingtondemocrats.org) to
knock on literally thousands of doors. Every
weeknight, they are meeting at McAuliffe HQ
(1601 North Kent Street, Ste 100) or ACDC
HQ (2050 Wilson, Ste 200) to make thousands
of phone calls—all to alert Arlingtonians to
the vital choices they face this November.
Going forward, we will continue to need
your help with all of this – and more – as we
will soon start greeting Metro riders in the
morning and afternoon, putting out candidate
signs on the roads and at polling places, and
making sure that every voter in Arlington
walks into the polls with a Democratic sample
ballot in hand.
So, once again we ask for your help—a
bit of your time and talent to support critical
efforts in the final days. Please come to a staging location to canvass, drop by HQ to phone
bank or e-mail one of the captains listed below to volunteer for specific other activities.
*
Metro
flyering—Max
Burns
(mburns1987@gmail.com)
Poll greeting – Karen Kelly
(karenmaxkelly@gmail.com) or your local
precinct captain
*
Farmer’s markets — Steve Baker
(swbaker12@gmail.com)
*
Candidate sign distribution – Max
Burns (mburns1987@gmail.com)
*
Rides to the polls or Courthouse —
Nancy Pilchen (nancy.pilchen@gmail.com)
*
Help at HQ – Stacey Whyte
(kandswhyte@gmail.com)
* Victory Party – Mary Hynes
(mary.hynes@verizon.net)
There is much work to be done.
Donkey Ears
Listening to the doings
of Arlington’s Dems
as overheard by
Dan Steen and Mädi Green
Question popped: Finance Chair Bree Raum will be getting married next spring
after receiving four simultaneous proposals. The proposals came from Dan
Turton, his twin six-year-old boys and his four-year-old daughter, who all
pitched in to make the winning appeal to Bree. All five of them were at the
beach recently and when they walked back to their beach house Bree saw a
banner draped from the railing saying: “Bree, will you marry us?” Instant
family! To answer the key question, yes, Dan has fully certified Democratic
credentials. He previously work as a legislative liaison for the Obama Administration and before that had years on the Hill working for Dems, including Dick
Gephardt. Right now, the outstanding question is where they will live—on
Capitol Hill, where Dan lives now, or in Arlington, where Bree is arguing the
schools are ideal for the kids.
Knot tied: Last year The Voice told all about how Gordon Simonett, then YD
president, popped the question at the Jefferson Memorial. Gordon and Farah
were married last Saturday as he added Devoted Husband to his credentials.
Only problem is he missed the County Board auction because he got married
that day. And to think he missed bidding on a honeymoon in Paris.
Time to pay: Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy used to be a bench
pressing body builder. That clearly taxed (pun intended) her body quite a bit
and now she suffering wear and tear on the hip joints. She decided to pass up
hip replacement and go for natural stem cell therapy, which is considered
experimental in the U.S. and not covered by insurance. She is now recovering
and reports she is pain free. Based on her experience while temporarily
disabled, she reports that a) the doors on many disabled bathrooms are too
heavy and b) husband Jerry Botland is great nurse.
Early for Thanksgiving: Jill-of-all-trades Marj Signer vacationed in Vermont
recently. Her flight home, however, was delayed when a flock of wild turkeys
descended on the runway just as the plane started take-off. The turkeys were
shooed off and the plane taxied around to make a second try. The important
news, of course, is that Marj made it home in time to deliver two Messenger
routes.
Passages: The sister of Janet Spence, who helps to keep your financial contributions straight in our records, has just passed away after some months in hospice
care. Eleanor Dobson went to law school after her kids grew up and was a
classmate of former Del. Jim Almand. Then she was law partner of State Sen.
Ed Holland until she was appointed to a judgeship.
One to go: Terron Sims reports that he is now in the process of handling edits
for his third novel, “For Hands to Honor.” This is part of a four-volume series
he started in 1997.
On the mend: Former delegate candidate Stephanie Dix Clifford had surgery on
her leg last week to remove a benign tumor from her femur. She is limping but
not complaining. She notes she has health insurance and sick leave and family
and friends (and two cats, Harlee and Winston) to look after her. “It’s not the
worst thing to have to stay in bed for days with a TV and iPad,” she said.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 5
The Cooch Corner—Keeping watch on our AG & the rest of the Extreme Team
Cuccinelli TV ads lacking in details
GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken
Cuccinelli has been running hard and heavy
with television ads that tout himself as the
candidate for jobs and Democratic candidate
Terry McAuliffe as the candidate of self-interest.
A series of TV spots running frequently
in Northern Virginia end with Cuccinelli saying he has a “detailed” plan to bring more
jobs to the commonwealth. But, as The Voice
pointed out last month, that detailed plan
manages to fill all of one page only because
the letterhead consumes one-third of the page
and Cuccinelli used huge margins.
The “detailed” plan comes to a stunning
total of 155 words—actual count, 155 words.
Its main bullet points call for lowering taxes
as the key to creating jobs.
Cuccinelli is also running an attack ad
that focuses on McAuliffe’s stock holding
in Global Crossing, which went belly up
while McAuliffe owned the stock.
The Washington Post says McAuliffe
put $100,000 into the telecommunications
venture and sold some of the shares in 1999,
when the stock hit $60 a share, making a
profit of $8.1 million. The Cuccinelli spot
does not note that McAuliffe held onto other
shares until 2002, by which point they were
priced at 14 cents.
But Cuccinelli ran into trouble over
more than mere facts. It seems that his admaking staff deceived former Global Crossing employees interviewed for the ad.
Mother Jones reported that two former employees said they were told they were being
interviewed for a documentary about Global Crossing. They were not told it was a
campaign spot being filmed.
“If I had known that’s what it was for, I
never would’ve agreed to the interview,” one
said.
The ad argues that McAuliffe profits
from the woes of others, like the Global
Crossing employees who lost their jobs when
the firm failed. “Terry McAuliffe did whatever it took to make himself rich,” the ad
narrator says.
One of the former employees, Deb
Goehring, who worked 16 years for the firm,
told the Virginian-Pilot she was asked about
McAuliffe several times during the taping,
but “I really don’t know anything about
Terry McAuliffe.”
Ken Cuccinelli is faulty on finding fault with his Democratic opponent.
Pot calling kettle black—
Cooch hits McAuliffe fund
raising from out of state
The Ken Cuccinelli campaign has been
complaining vociferously that the Terry
McAuliffe campaign has been getting the
majority of its contributions from out of
state.
And that is correct. Campaign finance
reports show that the McAuliffe campaign has
gotten more than two-thirds of its contributions from out of Virginia.
The Virginia Public Access Project
(VPAP), which tracks campaign financing,
reports that since it has been keeping records
the average gubernatorial campaign has received on average just one-third of its contributions from out of state.
It appears that only two gubernatorial
candidates have ever gotten more than half
their funding from outside Virginia—
McAuliffe and....... uh, Cuccinelli!
Both have gotten in excess of two-thirds
of their funding from beyond Virginia. Is
Cucinnelli the pot calling the kettle black?
Cuccinelli says McAuliffe’s reliance on
out-of-state funding shows he is not in touch
with the state. But that same logic is not applied to Cuccinelli’s reliance on out-of-state
funding.
Because McAuliffe is a nationallyknown Democrat and because Cuccinelli is a
nationally known ideologue, the Virginia campaign has attracted unusual attention this year
in both parties—and unusual contributions
from across the country.
Only Virginia and New Jersey hold gubernatorial elections in the years after a presidential election and the New Jersey race is
considered open-and-shut this year. Even so,
Virginia governor’s races have never previously drawn such attention outside the borders of the commonwealth.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 6
Senator Kaine proves to be capital speller
Senator Tim Kaine beat the press last
month. Specifically, he won a spelling bee
between the media and the pols.
And he didn’t misspell “potato” either.
The spelling bee was held by the National Press Club to mark the 100th anniversary of the one previous Congress vs Press
spelling bee held in 1913 with President
Woodrow Wilson in the audience. Congress
beat the press then, too.
“I’m glad I don’t have to do it again for
100 years,” Kaine told the HuffPost as he
emerged victorious.
He also said, “If every spelling bee had
an open bar, my elementary school years
would have been much better.”
It wasn’t all bad for the media. As many
articles written about the bee in the media
pointed out, the media spelled 38 words correctly while the pols only spelled 36 right.
Warming up to the rhetorical excess that
the spelling bee seemed to demand, Kaine said
he wasn’t there just to represent Capitol Hill
but to “do well for oppressed, poor, male spellers everywhere.”
Kaine’s prize was a big, fat dictionary.
He philosophized about his victory: “It’s
good to have a fallback in my line of work.
You’ve got to have another talent if you’re in
politics. I could lose or something.”
Asked what is the next step he will take
to build on his victory, Kaine said, “You retire from spelling and count on endorsement
contracts to pretty much last you for the rest
of your career.”
The first pol up at the microphone was
Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa. He was given
the word “potato,” which suggested this contest might not be entirely on the level. He
spelled it correctly, by the way.
The Huffington Post’s Howard Fineman
snapped, “That’s completely unfair. That’s
the only word I studied.”
The first contestant to go down in flames
was from the media side. Major Garrett of
CBS News knew he was in trouble and
pleaded, “Will CBS turn off the camera,” before fumbling “vaccination.”
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., was the first
from Congress to be sunk when he could not
spell “shenanigans.” But he didn’t miss a beat.
“I’m Mormon,” he explained. “I’m not supposed to know anything about shenanigans.”
Finally, only Kaine and Politico’s
Rebecca Sinderbrand were left standing.
Sinderbrand bungled “vicissitude,” which
seemed a pity given that she had already correctly spelled “oppugn” and “ochlocracy.”
Look them up in your Funk & Wagnall’s.
Kaine claimed victory by correctly spelling: “nonpareil.”
Congressman Gerry Connolly of Fairfax
County was also a participant. He was dispatched from the stage when his spelled “hydrangea” as “hydranger,”
The evening was kicked off by semi-retired satirist Mark Russell who couldn’t resist skewering Anthony Weiner. (He takes his
dog to the vet. The vet asks if he would like
him neutered. The dog says yes.)
The journalists vowed they would win
at the next such spelling bee. In 2113.
The other losers of 2013 were, from the
media, Ed Henry of Fox News, Kate Nocera
of BuzzFeed, Meredith Shiner of Roll Call,
and Ashley Southall of The New York Times.
From Capitol Hill, they were Sen. Chris
Coons, D-Del., Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.,
Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Ted Deutch, DFla., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.
WINNER — Sen. Tim Kaine hoists the cup he won for winning the Pols
vs. Press centennial spelling bee with “nonpareil.”
Chat with all three statewide
candidates at Favola home
Meet all three of our statewide candidates under one roof—that roof being State
Senator Barbara Favola’s home.
On Thursday, October 17, Favola and
School Board Chair Abby Raphael are sponsoring a Get-Out-The-Vote rally from 6:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Casa Favola, 2319 18th
Street North. That is a block south of Lee
Highway near Veitch Street.
This will be a chance not only to hear
the candidates, but to chat with them as well.
The suggested donation at the door for
this event is $100 to one of the statewide candidates or to the Arlington Joint Campaign
Committee. RSVP by calling (703) 835-4585
and leaving a message,
Center)
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 7
After 30 years, Fisette and Rosen wed
After 30 years living together, County
Board Member Jay Fisette and partner Bob
Rosen have tied the knot.
It was a spur of the moment decision—
if anything can be spur of the moment after
30 years.
They had not been planning a marriage
but then decided to do it on the 30th anniversary of their being partners. That anniversary was September 17. The wedding was
put together in just two weeks. It was a small
event with just 10 guests—their mothers, Jay’s
sister and seven invitees.
Fisette said he and Bob informed their
families of the plan but did not make a big
deal of it. It was the two mothers, Fisette said,
who made the big deal and said, “Whether
you invite us or not, we’re coming.”
The County Board schedule means a
honeymoon will have to wait until a later time.
In a note to colleagues, Fisette said, “It
feels like we’re eloping after 30 years.”
They were married at All Souls Unitarian Church in the District. That makes
it legally valid. The marriage will not be
recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, where a seven-year-old amendment
to the state constitution bars same-sex
marriage.
The couple got a rousing round of applause four days after exchanging vows from
fellow Democrats at the County Board auction that will help fund Jay’s re-election campaign this year.
Fisette was first elected to the County
Board in 1997 and was then the only acknowledged gay office holder in the commonwealth.
Rosen is a clinical psychologist and is
the founder and CEO of Healthy Companies
International, based in Arlington.
In his note to colleagues, Fisette said,
“The world is changing. If you would have
asked us 15 years ago if we would ever have
the opportunity to get married, we would have
said, ‘Not in our lifetimes.’ Well, we now
expect that marriage equality will actually
arrive in the Commonwealth of Virginia in
the next five years.”
Fisette told the Patch that being married
after 30 years together is different—and it’s
not. “We’ve been in our house since 1987 in
Ashton Heights. It’s hard to think we’d feel
that much different doing our yard work or
taking out the trash. On the other hand, I’d
say that 10 times a day I reach down and think
I lost my ring, because we moved it from the
right hand to the left.”
But he says the supportive messages that
have flooded in provide “a little bit of glow.
It’s a nice feeling.”
Even though Virginia doesn’t recognize
the marriage, it does make a practical differ-
ence. They can now file federal taxes jointly.
At death, the surviving spouse will no longer
face the inheritance tax imposed on nonspouses.
TYING THE KNOT — Jay Fisette (left) and Bob Rosen are seen after
their wedding at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C.
Gods again blessed
Messenger Day
$4Dems contributions
now are flooding in
Messenger Day was great fall weather
for delivering the Democratic Messenger
door-to-door—if you got an early start.
Saturday, September 21, was cool and
comfortable until mid-afternoon, when the
rain started—and continued. Many folks
waited until Sunday, when it was cool and
clear and another fine day for hiking around
the neighborhood putting Messengers on the
doorsteps of every house in the county.
The county was covered by 438 wellshod deliverers covering mapped-out routes
to 65,000 homes in the county.
But there are also lots of locked hi-rises.
The next step is mailing the Messengers into
those residences.
The annual Dollars for Democrats
($4Dems) solicitation mailing went into the
mail September 6 and contributions have been
flooding back ever since.
The preparation for the mailing was finished up at the last monthly meeting, September 4.
A total of 62 volunteers applied stamps
and return address labels—self-adhesive, no
licking required—to the 8,500 solicitation envelopes in one of the biggest mass volunteer
efforts of the campaign season.
$4Dems is an annual solicitation effort
to reach the widest possible number of small
donors and maximize the size of the donor
base for the county party.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 8
As Virginia voters get to know Cuccinelli
better, they like him even less, poll shows
The latest Quinnipiac poll shows Terry
McAuliffe holding a slight 3-point lead over
Ken Cuccinelli but finds a surprising 7 percent of Virginians prepared to vote for Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis.
The poll also shows that as more and
more voters pay attention to the election, they
like Cuccinelli less and less.
His
unfavorability rating rose by a quarter in just
one month with a majority—yes, a MAJORITY—of voters now rating him unfavorably.
As for Libertarian Sarvis, his support
isn’t coming from Republicans or Democrats.
Only 3 percent of Republicans and 2 percent
of Democrats are supporting him. (More
Republicans and Democrats are supporting
the other party’s nominee than Sarvis.)
It is independents who are turning to
Sarvis—14 percent of them.
Quinnipiac says that probably reflects the
fact that voters are not wildly enthusiastic about
either major party candidate and many are
therefore looking elsewhere. However, history
shows that many who support a third party
candidate before Election Day think twice
when they step into the polling place and realize voting for a third party candidate means
throwing their votes away. Eight years ago,
former State Senator Russ Potts, running as an
independent, drew only 2 percent of the vote.
But with most of Sarvis’ supporters being independents, it is anyone’s guess how
they will break on Election Day.
This was the first of Quinnipiac’s
monthly polls to put Sarvis into its poll questions.
Quinnipiac shows Virginia voters basically neutral on McAuliffe while strongly
negative to Cuccinelli. Asking whether voters felt favorably or unfavorably toward the
candidates, McAuliffe polled a 38-38 tie. But
Cuccinelli was 17 points in the hole with 51
percent of voters viewing him unfavorably
and only 34 percent viewing him favorably.
And look at the accompanying table to
see how two candidates’ ratings have shifted
from August to September as more voters
have climbed off the fence and reached conclusions about the two men.
This shows that as voters feel they are
getting to know Cuccinelli better, they don’t
like what they are seeing. Between the August and September polls, Cucinneli’s unfavorable percentage jumped 10 points while
his favorable rating fell 1 point. For
McAuliffe, his favorables were up 4 points
and his unfavorables up 5 points, a virtual
wash.
The poll was taken September 9-15.
The poll found that voters are now tuning into the gubernatorial election, as tends
to happen after Labor Day. The proportion
of voters who say they don’t know enough
about either McAuliffe or Cuccinelli to have
an opinion fell by a third in the month between the two latest polls.
But voters are still not tuned into the
races for lieutenant governor and attorney
general. More than three-quarters of voters
say they do not know enough about any of
those four candidates to express a favorable
or unfavorable opinion. So, Quinnipiac isn’t
asking who people will vote for yet.
The key behind McAuliffe’s lead con-
tinues to be a startling gender gap. Cuccinelli
leads among men by 7 points. But McAuliffe
leads among women by a huge 14 percent
margin.
Sarvis squeezes
himself into debate
Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis was
not invited to the televised gubernatorial debate last week—but he got there nonetheless.
Sarvis bought time for his first television spot during the debate. So, when the
cameras turned away from the two major party
candidates, viewers saw Sarvis offering himself as an alternative to Cucinneli’s “narrowminded social agenda and McAuliffe’s
“cronyism ... where government picks winners and losers.”
Democratic Values in Action
Cereal doesn’t grow on trees
After a somnolent spring, cereal
contributions to Democratic Values in
Action (DVA) are now picking up.
But there is still some distance to
make up.
At the end of September, with 75
percent of the year expired, DVA had
collected 156 boxes of cereal, which
is 45 percent of the way toward the
2013 goal of 350.
To make the goal will require a
military-style surge in the final three
months of the year.
Cereal boxes may be brought to
any ACDC or YD monthly meeting.
350
If you forgot to pick up a box while
juggling your shopping list the last
time you were at the supermarket, you
can drop some cash in the DVA jar and
ACDC’s shoppers will get the boxes.
The cereal is provided to the Arlington Food Assistance Center
(AFAC), which says cereal is nutri156 tious, easily stored and requires no
prep, making it one of the best foods
for those in need.
DVA now has 320 likes on
Facebook. Sign on and add to the total. You can also follow DVA on Twitter @DemValues.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 9
Signs of the election come marching in
Next weekend you will suddenly see
hundreds of campaign signs appearing in
medial strips all over the county. They don’t
spring up from some mysterious bulbs planted
there.
No, it is the result of work by sign elves
who will deploy them in a massive effort the
morning of Saturday, October 5.
An Arlington ordnance allows signs to
go up on medial strips for the 31 days before
an election. The signs are allowed on public
property only in medial strips.
The idea is to confine the signs mainly
to more densely trafficked routes, hence the
limitation to medial strips, and keep them
from proliferating in neighborhoods, as happens in some localities.
Candidates are also limited to two signs
in each segment of medial strip, most of which
are one block long.
The signs help to alert the public to an
oncoming election, while the restrictions in
time, number and place avoid the clutter often seen elsewhere.
Sign elves are being eagerly recruited—
especially sign elves with pickup trucks that
can hold lots of signs. The sign elves are usually deployed in pairs, one to drive and the
other—usually the younger one—to jump out
and deftly stick the sign down in the medial
strip.
Those interested in applying for a coveted position as a sign elf should contact Max
Burns at mburns1987@gmail.com.
ACDC approves
resolution against
housing question
on Nov. ballot
ACDC approved a resolution at its September meeting opposing the referendum
question on the ballot this November on forming a Housing Authority in the county.
The resolution noted that the voters were
asked in 2008 to approve a Housing Authority and opposed it two-to-one then.
The resolution described the referendum
as a “distraction” since it will do nothing to
increase funding for affordable housing.
It notes that Arlington is already creating and preserving more affordable housing
per thousand citizens than any other county
in Northern Virginia and that such units now
cover 15 percent of the entire rental apartment
stock in the county.
The full text of the resolution may be
viewed on the ACDC website at
www.ArlingtonDemocrats.org.
ACDC Voice, October, 2013, Page 10
Lewis to keynote Kennedy-King Dinner
Civil rights leader and Congressman
John Lewis of Georgia will be the featured
speaker at this month’s annual Kennedy-King
Dinner.
Lewis is the last surviving speaker from
the March on Washington held 50 years ago
and just celebrated in August.
Lewis, now 73, was one of the “Big Six”
leaders in the civil rights movement and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC), playing a key role in the
struggle to end segregation.
He is a member of the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives and
has served in the whip organization since
shortly after his first election to Congress in
1986.
Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama, the
third son of sharecroppers. While a college
student in Nashville, he attended non-violence
workshops and became a dedicated adherent
to the discipline and philosophy of non-violence.
He said, “I remember as a young child
with some of my brothers and sisters and first
cousins going down to the public library trying to get library cards, trying to check some
books out, and we were told by the librarian
that the library was for whites only and not
for ‘coloreds.’”
During a childhood visit to Buffalo,
Lewis for the first time saw unsegregated
water fountains and black men and white men
working together. He then began to believe
the dream of equality was more than just a
dream.
This year’s Kennedy-King Dinner will
be held, as in many previous years, at the
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center at 5000 Seminary Road.
To be held Friday, October 25, the reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with the dinner at
7:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person, and
$90 for seniors and YDs.
Tickets may be procured on the web
from https://secure.actblue.com/page/
kennedyking2013.
The other speakers at the dinner will be
both Northern Virginia congressmen, Jim
Moran and Gerry Connolly.
The annual Kennedy-King Dinner is a
statewide Democratic event sponsored by the
8th District Democratic Committee.
JOHN LEWIS
. . . as SNCC chairman
. . . as congressman
Golden Gala moves to rooftop this year
The ACDC Golden Gala takes on a new
look this year as it moves from inside to a
rooftop.
It will still feature “heavy hors
d’oeuvres,” a veritable banquet feast of
munchies prepared by the Kitchen Crew with
lots of beer and wines to wash it all down.
Usually, the Golden Gala sprawls all
over the ground floor of someone’s large
house. But in a change this year, it will be a
Rooftop Golden Gala held under the stars atop
1400 Crystal Drive. That’s just a short walk
from the Crystal City Metro, if you don’t want
to scout out parking.
The Golden Gala will be held Friday, October 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Special guests at the Golden Gala will
be Dorothy McAuliffe, Pam Northam and
Laura Herring, the wives of our three statewide candidates.
If you have already bought a Gold Card,
entry to the Golden Gala is included. If you
don’t have a Gold Card, you can pay $100 at
the door.
The third item you get with the Gold
Card is admission to a new item this year, Live
Music on the Pike, which is a Saturday afternoon of live music at P. Brennan’s on Columbia Pike.
This event will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
Saturday, October 19, at 2910 Columbia Pike,
which is at the intersection with South Walter
Reed Drive.
If you don’t have a Gold Card, the price
of admission is just $35.
There is lots of street parking in the area,
and it’s on Metrobus lines
16G and 16H.
These are the final
two Gold Card
events. The
first was the
Chili Cookoff
on Labor Day.
ACDC Voice, October 2013, Page 11
Let’s hear it for those pie-eating, chilijudging, cupcake decorating at Cookoff
Del. Lopez speaking
at 2nd Sat, Breakfast
Delegate Alfonso Lopez will be the featured speaker at the Second Saturday Breakfast this month. The breakfast will start at
8:30 a.m., October 12, at the usual dining spot,
Busboys & Poets in Shirlington. After getting fired up by Alfonso and powered up by
breakfast, let Kip Malinosky dispatch you on
a neighborhood canvass right after the breakfast.
WOLFING IT DOWN — A number of valiant Democrats volunteered
to do their all for the party in the all-holds barred pie-eating contest
(above) at the Chili Cookoff on Labor Day. Below, Sen. Mark Warner
(left) gave plaudits to the eventual winner, Ben Tribbett with the cherrydolloped proboscis.
Photos courtesy Sun-Gazette
Sen. Mark Warner stopped by the
ACDC Chili Cookoff on Labor Day to
check out how a half-dozen calorie-challenge Arlington Democrats would do in the
annual pie-eating contest.
They all did quite well, although since
the rules do not allow the use of hands (or
forks), all contestants came out of the contest unrecognizably with pie contents smearing their cheeks and hanging from their eyelashes.
The proclaimed winner was identified
as Ben Tribbett, editor of the Not Larry
Sabato website.
But the pie-eating did not eclipse the
chili eating, wherein county Dems weigh
the merits, demerits and heft of chilies great
and small. There were a total of 18 candidates this year.
One winner is decided by a panel of
judges, called the Electoral College, and another by the popular vote of all those stuffing themselves on various chilies.
And just as in the 2000 presidential
election, the two went in different directions
this year at the Chili-Cookoff. Rep. Jim
Moran’s “Animal Lovers Chili,” i.e., vegetarian, created by former precinct captain
and current Moran campaign manager Peg
Willingham, scored a victory in the Electoral College vote. But Del. Patrick Hope
won the popular vote while attorney Betsey
Wildhack took second place and School
Board Member Noah Simon came in third.
Meanwhile, further down the ticket, the
cupcake decorating contest was won by
Aaron Lopez, the son of Del. Alfonso
Lopez.