Webb's seat: Washington Post pushes Perriello
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Tom Perriello may even have some leftover campaign signs.PHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO
Lots of names are being bandied about as possible Democratic candidates to run for U.S. Senate following Jim Webb's February 8 announcement that he won't seek a second term.
"Obviously they're going to start knocking on Tim Kaine's door first," says UVA pundit Larry Sabato about the former governor/Democratic National Committee chair. "He has said he will not run–- but he also predicted flatly Jim Webb would run."
Sabato also mentions former congressman Rick Boucher from Abingdon, who served 20 years in the House of Representatives and has a lot of campaign money left over.
But it's Ivy's own Tom Perriello who is picking up a lot of press from the Washington Post.
Says The Fix's Chris Cilliza: "Perriello's base in a GOP-tilting area, coupled with his fundraising ability, close relationship with the White House, and an expectation that he would be well received in the electorally critical northern Virginia suburbs is an intriguing combination of attributes in the eyes of party strategists."
E.J. Dionne also extols Perriello: "If Kaine doesn't run, I like the idea of former U.S. representative Tom Perriello taking a shot. Yes, Perriello lost his seat in south-central Virginia last year. But he held on to far more of his vote than most defeated incumbents–- and it's hard to think of any Democrat who had a tougher district. And Perriello has something important in common with Webb: He's independent-minded with interesting ideas that don't fit easily into anyone's philosophical boxes. In fact, some high-end media outlet should invite Perriello and Webb to debate the meaning of Jacksonian Democracy. They are two politicians who could pull that off. And it might give Webb a start on his next book."
On the Republican side, George Allen has already announced he's running to recapture his old seat, and the possibility of an Allen-Perriello contest would pit two former congressman who have represented Charlottesville–- Allen when it was in the 7th District and Perriello in the 5th–- in a race for the Senate.
"What it's going to come down to in the end is coattails," predicts Sabato. "If Obama wins Virginia again, then a respectable, credible Democrat will win. If Obama loses Virginia, then George Allen is coming back, assuming he wins the primary. And everybody assumes he will."
The presidential race will be the biggest factor for the winner of the Senate seat, believes Sabato, who asks, "How many people are going to vote for Barack Obama and George Allen?"
Updated February 14 with the correct spelling of Abingdon and the correct congressional district Allen represented before Charlottesville was redistricted into the 5th District.
Updated February 15 with remarks from Larry Sabato.
42 comments
Go Tom .Lets see if the righties want to spend millons to defeat you on this run.Oh it wont be the right it,ll be that person" The Chamber Of Commerse" that will spend the Cash!!
Go ahead Tom, run, run, run. We will reject you again because you supported the worse bill ever, the health care bill. It will take us a while to get out of the mess you helped to create in Washington, DC. No need to have you go back and muck things up again.
Good news if Nancy Perriello runs again.....another opportunity to vote against this ObamaCare supporter and make the new Senator Allen a much more likely happening.
Cant wait to see how Senator Macaca will insert foot in mouth. Macaca!
If Perriello wants to be successful, he will need a beard.
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I hope a better choice emerges than Allen or the three dem's that have been mentioned. Too bad Jim Webb is leaving. I didn't agree with Webb's healthcare vote but he supported some other things that were worthwhile and tried to stem the tide of reverse discrimination. It was a priviledge to be represented by a man of such principle. I'll look forward to reading more of his books
A loser is a loser. Run Tom run. You didn't pay attention to your constituents when you held office and I, for one but many other also, will not forget it.
We voted him out once let him run again and we will do it again.
"Washington Post pushes Perriello"
LOL, the Post would push anyone who declares to be a Democrat.
How ironic that the Washington Post is backing Tom for a "run" when the voters just ran him out of Washingon.
Yes: the tea party will save you. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Tommy won't run. Since he isn't currently in office, he won't have taxpayer money to support his campaign appearances, aka "townhall meetings". And the DNC likely won't be willing to throw any more money at him after his prior poor performance.
That being said, I hope he does run. Maybe after he loses again he'll understand that we will never forget how he sold us down the river on Obamacare
Just because you don't agree with everything Perriello did, does not make him a bad person. It was refreshing to have a representative that was thoughtful, informed, and fair. I hope he'll consider running for the senate! We need you, Tom!!
@momto3, name three things he was informed about. Silly people seem to think that just because someone can get up and talk and use jargon he is informed.
Tea partiers=election lasting 4 hours or more. tea-pot temps....
Well look at all these comments, and Charlottesville considers itself liberal? Horsefeathes. A liberal here is to the right of Darth Vader. Good luck posers.
Has anyone ever disclosed how much money Tom got from George Soros last time and how much he is getting now?
I hope he does run, he was a great representative. He's actually a bit less progressive than I would like. He weathered 2 years of massive lies and political stunts (like wanting to be able to physically occupy his office to prevent actual constituent business from getting done.
I voted for you, Tom, as most other Charlottesville residents. ANYONE would be better than George Allen.
Dang Republicans will use any excuse to bash a liberal. Tom hadn't even announced he is running and already he is being taken to the woodshed. I wish I could vote for a man who increased Earned Income Credit, gave amnesty to millions, favored the passage of the Brady Bill...what...no, I'm not bashing a liberal. Just praising a true conservative standard bearer. The one and only, unless Repubs could reincarnate, Ronnie Reagan. And did I mention triple the Federal deficit and back the Taliban. A Great American!
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FWIW...The Post isn't endorsing him (or anyone else) in any way. Cillizza's "fix" column is about what's going on in politics, totally nonpartisan (check his tweets, he just spent the last 3 days reporting on CPAC, handicapping the early returns on Paul, Pawlenty, Romney, etc.). He's all about numbers. His only point is that if Kaine doesn't run, the Dems may look to Periello. That's what the Dems are talking about, and it's Cillizza's job to report it. Dionne is a partisan, but he writes opinion pieces, that's his job. And TP does make some sense from a strategic point of view if you're a Dem and Kaine doesn't want to run. I'm not endorsing him in any way, but absent Kaine, he ain't a bad choice, from their perspective. W/out Kaine, Allen is the prohibitive front-runner.
Senator Allen will do well just as he did as Governor. We've had quite enough of libs like Nancy Perriello who didn't give a rat's rump how the majority of his constituents felt about the now unconstitutional ObamaCare. He just figured we were too stupid to understand the benefits of nationalized health care. At least we were smart enough to pull the lever/push the button for Robert Hurt last November.
Didn’t perrello go back to ny to represent/defend his protégé rangle?
@gipper: "Senator Allen will do well just as he did as Governor. We've had quite enough of libs like Nancy Perriello who didn't give a rat's rump how the majority of his constituents felt about the now unconstitutional ObamaCare. He just figured we were too stupid to understand the benefits of nationalized health care. At least we were smart enough to pull the lever/push the button for Robert Hurt last November."
If you believe the propagandists and think that the recently passed (and completely constitutional) healthcare measure amounts to "nationalized health care," then yes, you ARE too stupid to understand the benefits of nationalized healthcare.
"Senator Allen will do well just as he did as Governor."
That's my fear too.
@bonzo: Actually, a federal judge in Florida disagrees with your expert assessment of Obamacare being "completely constitutional". But why believe him when we can take the word of some guy posting a comment on readthehook.com? As things stand now, it has been declared unconstitutional and any further steps Dear Leader takes to implement that abomination is simply flouting the law. Why does that not surprise me? If you think it's proper to force people to buy insurance, under penalty of law, you would probably go along if Obama and the Dems passed a law declaring every American family has to buy a Chevy Volt from Government Motors. No difference whatsoever.
Down with the government! except when they agree with me!
@not again: Actually, at least two other Federal judges have declared the law to be perfectly constitutional. The final word will assuredly rest with the Supreme Court. Until then, a divided lower judiciary means that the law will proceed. But don't take my word for it. Try reading a middle school civics book. And while you are at it, I encourage you to go ahead and drop the liability insurance coverage on your vehicles (which the Commonwealth of Virginia requires you to have, under penalty of law, if you want license plates) and see how far that gets you.
@bonzo: It's very unfortunate that you apparently cannot comprehend that there's a big difference between requiring auto insurance WHICH PROTECTS OTHERS vs health insurance, which protects yourself (or your loved ones in a family policy). As with Obama's flouting judicial decisions, why does it not surprise that you probably don't see the difference? It clearly does NOT matter that a couple of judges said Obamacare is constitutional and two others said it isn't. In fact, the one in FL said it's totally unconstitutional because there is no severability clause in the legislation. Don't believe the bovine excrement that spews from Gibb's mouth. He's paid to lie and deceive.
He is a twit and George is a twat.
@not again: Ah, so it is not the FACT that insurance is required (as you earlier indicated), it is now the PURPOSE of the required insurance to which you object? And since auto liability insurance protects others, it is just swell for the state to require that everyone have it. And since not having health insurance harms nobody other than the uninsured, there is no reason to mandate it. EXCEPT for the inconvenient fact that everyone sooner or later goes to the doctor or hospital, and uninsured patients cost us all in higher taxes and insurance premiums. Oh but wait! That would mean that requiring health insurance would have a beneficial impact beyond the insured person, and by your reckoning, be therefore worthy of government mandate. But nevermind all that - you keep doing your mental gymnastics until reality fits neatly into your narrow ideological lens.
"In fact, the one in FL said it's totally unconstitutional because there is no severability clause in the legislation."
Here's a tip, one lower court judge who says that a law is constitutional is not outweighed by another lower court judge who says that a law is "really, really, really unconstitutional (by-gum)." In other words, the judge in Florida carries no more clout than the other three. There will be more appeals, along with more rulings upholding the law, and more declaring it unconstituional. Like I said before, this will eventually go to the Supremes. Sorry. Now go pick up that civics book, m'kay?
"Don't believe the bovine excrement that spews from Gibb's mouth. He's paid to lie and deceive."
I think we would all be better served not to believe the bovine excrement that spews from your mouth. At least Gibbs gets paid. You lie and deceive for free.
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@bonzo (you sure that isn't bozo?): As Ronald Reagan once said:"... the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so."
It's unfortunate that even as the disasters that are the Obama administration unfold before our eyes, his supporters continue to bend the truth, deceive, deflect, or, if even that fails, blame everything on George Bush. Enough voters saw through the smoke and mirrors and voted out of office many of the bums (like Perriello) responsible for the mess. More to follow in 2012....count on it.
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I'll try this again. Apparently moderator allows name calling from some but not from others...
@not again: FYI, my initial response was to a Reagan sycophant (much like yourself) using the screen name of "gipper." Hence, the Bonzo moniker....because Reagan was a crummy actor who appeared in a movie with a chimp named Bonzo? Get it? Nevermind. Probably over your head...
But seriously, who's bending, deceiving and deflecting here? I had merely pointed out your profound lack of understanding of the federal judiciary by way of a discussion surrounding the merits of mandatory insurance. And now all of a sudden you're quoting Reagan and accusing me of blaming things on Bush (ahem, YOU mentioned Bush. Not me. Oops...).
As for the midterms, most folks with half a brain realize that the outcome was due entirely to economic circumstances. So go ahead and "count on" the 2012 if you like. We won't say anything about counting chickens before they are hatched.
By the way, did you ever go out and pick up that middle school civics book to help you learn a little something about the judicial process?
I hear they are pushing for Kaine but this was before Mubarak was suddenly unemployed.
Things may have changed.
I'd LOVE to hear Tom Perrillo discuss Jacksonian Democracy. I'm betting that would be the end of his Senate candidacy.
Also, when is Larry Sabato going to be put out to pasture? Didn't he predict a 45 seat change in the House last November?
More local political figures can be seen on Politics Matters, a locally-produced cable show featuring interviews with local political figures by host and producer Jan Paynter. The current episode features an interview with City of Charlottesville mayor Dave Norris: http://bit.ly/polmatters
......off a cliff I hope. Just what we need a 2 time looser lookinmg for as job- perhaps ew shopuld look at his resume..........
couple of failures- law and law maker.............does not a Congressman make.
......off a cliff I hope. Just what we need a 2 time looser lookinmg for as job- perhaps ew shopuld look at his resume..........
couple of failures- law and law maker.............does not a Congressman make.