I’ll be back in April.

Until then, go to JimTedisco.com and support his run on New York’s 20th District.  The special election is March 31!

In case you haven’t heard, we finally have a probable date for the special election in NY-20:

Gov. David Paterson announced Wednesday that the special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand’s move to the U.S. Senate will likely take place Tuesday, March 31.

Paterson, speaking in the ornate Red Room at the Capitol, said he planned to issue a proclamation setting the March election date on Monday, Feb. 23.

Between now and then, Jim Tedisco’s campaign could use as many volunteers as possible.  If you’re in the area, head over to his campaign site to sign up.  You can donate to Tedisco’s campaign here.

The Democrat running for this seat, tax cheat venture capitalist Scott Murphy, is bringing his A-game.  That means the ability to self-fund and ride on now-Sen. Kristen Gillibrand’s coattails (something which may be a little harder now that her former constituents feel betrayed by her).

We need to level the playing field.  Please donate today and help ensure the 20th District returns to Republican hands.

The word on the street is that for now-Sen. Kristen Gillibrand’s seat to be filled, Gov. David Paterson has to call for a special election. Being a dutiful Democrat, he’s avoided doing that for the past 14 days.

Why? Because it’s a red district, and the Republican candidate, Jim Tedisco, is ahead in the polls.

We need to get on this as soon as possible. So while you’re calling you Senator about the porkulus bill, make sure to place a call to Gov. Paterson’s office as well.

His number is 518-474-8390, and you can e-mail him here.

Oh, and in keeping with Democratic Party rules, their nominee is a tax cheat.

You can donate to Jim Tedisco’s campaign here.

Also, be sure to follow Jim Tedisco on Twitter.

You can donate to Chris Christie’s campaign here.

“For the last three years, I’ve had a terrific opportunity to serve as Virginia’s 44th attorney general,” said Mr. McDonnell, the lone Republican running to replace Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat. “But now it’s time for me to fully begin a new challenge in my life.”

[...]

The date allows Mr. McDonnell to continue pushing his legislative agenda in the coming days, but means he will be free from the position’s requirements as the campaign heats up.

The Republican called the attorney general’s position “the best job I’ve ever had” and said he arrived at his decision with a heavy heart. But his resignation follows historical precedent: Every attorney general of either major party who is running for governor has resigned from the position since 1985, McDonnell officials said.

“A campaign for governor demands a full-time candidate,” Mr. McDonnell said. “The office of the attorney general is the commonwealth’s law firm and demands a full-time attorney general.”

This move will give Bob McDonnell a head start on the gubernatorial race while the Democrats fight it out in their primary, an opportunity that Sen. John McCain (who is campaigning for McDonnell next month) largely neglected in his presidential campaign.  It will also allow him one more week of fundraising, as the Attorney General of Virginia cannot receive campaign donations during Virginia’s legislative session.  This will help him keep his fundraising edge against Terry McAuliffe.

Christie plans a two-day, nine-stop campaign rollout, starting with a policy speech Wednesday morning in Newark. Later, he’ll greet voters at diners in Hamilton (Mercer County) and Westville. The candidate plans to pick up endorsements and attend a campaign rally on Thursday.

We’ll have word on those endorsements as they make the news.

I do have one criticism of the Christie campaign, though.  If they want to win, they should put more content on their campaign site.  Gov. Corzine is going to be brutal during this campaign, and Christie will need every advantage.

You can donate to the Christie campaign here.

You can donate to his campaign here.

“Today, we are honoring Bob McDonnell, not for his military service, for which we owe him a great deal of gratitude, but for his exceptional support of fellow Reserve and Guard members as an employer,” Trout said. “Bob McDonnell has gone above and beyond in supporting the employees in his office who are also citizen soldiers; but his support is not just for those service members in his office.”

McDonnell’s devotion to our men and women in uniform serves as a nice contrast to the current occupant of the White House, who is the first President in the 56-year history of the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball unable to find the time to attend.

You can donate to Bob McDonnell here.

While Christie is a moderate Republican, he is the best hope to take back the governorship in bluer-than-blue New Jersey in 2009.  He has made a name for himself in New Jersey during his tenure as U.S. Attorney by using the office to go after corrupt politicians – both Republican and Democrat. 

His web site is here.  However, it has not gone live yet.

McDonnell, who is unopposed for the Republican nomination, raised slightly more than $1.6 million in the second half of last year, according to a report he submitted Thursday to the Virginia State Board of Elections. His campaign spent $589,000.

Terry McAulliffe, who appears to be the strongest Democrat in the race, made national news earlier this week with his fundraising raising report.  It showed that he had raised “almost” one million dollars.  Can we expect CNN to cover McDonnell’s huge haul?  (I’m not holding my breath, either.)

You can donate to Bob McDonnell’s campaign here.

Update: The Newport News Daily Press is reporting that Atty. Gen. McDonnell has $2 million in the bank.

In the race to become the next governor, Brian Moran, a Democrat, broke ranks Tuesday with other candidates by vowing to fight all efforts to allow oil and natural gas drilling off the Virginia coast.

[…]

The two other Democratic contenders, state Sen. Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe, have more nuanced positions than Moran, a former Northern Virginia state legislator.

Naturally the only candidate for Virginia governor standing up for American families hurting from high gas prices is Bob McDonnell.

You can donate to his campaign here.

Kaine said he regards Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the likely GOP nominee, as the favorite because of the state’s “32-year curse.” Kaine was referring to the pattern in which Virginians have followed each presidential election since 1976 by electing a governor of the opposing party.

“I used to think that was a coincidence,” he said, but he now thinks it reflects “buyer’s remorse.” Presidents usually lose seats in the midterm elections, he noted.

Or, perhaps McDonnell will win because he’s right on the issues.  Or because the Democrats seem poised to elect a Clinton hack with no elective experience in Virginia or elsewhere as their candidate.

Whatever the case, I’m glad to know that this back-bencher can see the light.

You can donate to Bob McDonnell’s campaign here.

Many of those helped will be in Northern Virginia, an area that has become increasingly hard for Republicans to win, especially conservative Republicans like Bob McDonnell.

You can donate to Bob McDonnell’s campaign here.

“Spending in Richmond has increased significantly. The budget has doubled over the past ten years. With this downturn in the economy comes the opportunity to look for efficiencies in government, and find the best ways to deliver quality government services at a reduced cost to taxpayers. We did this in The Office of the Attorney General. We cut our budget by nearly 15% over the past year. While we are only one small part of the overall government, this does show that spending can be reduced, without hurting the quality of our services.”

“The Governor has called for some significant reductions in spending. This is the proper course of action to address this shortfall, and I applaud this work. I am disappointed however that the Governor has called for a tax increase. You should not raise taxes in a recession, and you cannot tax your way to prosperity. Another huge increase in the cigarette tax would potentially threaten a Virginia industry at a perilous time, while increasing the tax burden on many Virginia citizens and small businesses when they can least afford it.”

The full statement is at the link.

Unlike the past two governors of Virginia, Bob McDonnell understands that a state can’t tax its way out of recession.  The people of Virginia have had tax-raising governors since 2001.  It’s time for a change.

You can donate to Bob McDonnell’s campaign here.

Chaffetz spent three hours Tuesday in New York taping a segment for television satirist Stephen Colbert that will air sometime after the new year. Colbert’s folks denied a reporter’s request to view the taping, but Chaffetz said it was fun and that Colbert, a faux conservative pundit, is an “exceptionally nice guy.”

“He’s so fun,” Chaffetz said en route back to Washington, noting that he thought his appearance went well. But, “Who knows what they’re going to slice and dice that to look like.”

Even though he’s a liberal, I do like Stephen Colbert.  I’ve heard from a few people that he’s a very nice guy in person and he made me laugh pretty consistantly in “Strangers with Candy.”  I can’t wait to see this episode. 

Rep-elect Chaffetz isn’t giving anything away, except for one word: legwrestling.

Popular Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will visit Richmond on Wednesday to endorse Attorney General Bob McDonnell’s bid for governor, a McDonnell news release said.

[...]

He and McDonnell will hold a press conference Wednesday morning at the Jefferson Hotel, the news release said. It will be followed by a private fundraiser.

I’ll try to get video of the press conference as it becomes available. 

You can donate to Bob McDonnell’s campaign here.

Two of three Democrats likely to vie for governor next year on Tuesday declined to rule out  increasing taxes if the state’s economic problems deepen.

[...]

McDonnell also rejected taxes, saying lawmakers should cut spending. “The worst thing you can do during a recession is try to tax yourself to prosperity,” he said.

Exactly.  The last thing Virginians need is a third tax-raising governor in a row.

You can donate to Bob McDonnell’s campaign here.

Make sure to tune in.