McDonnell raised $2.2 million during the past three months, meaning he has about $3.5 million cash on hand. Only Terry McAulliffe raised more than McDonnell at $4.2 million; additionally, though he raised almost $2.0 more, he spent most of that money and now has just $2.5 million cash on hand. Moran raised $800k in the same period with $825k in the bank, while Deeds pulled in just $600k with $1.2 million in the bank (alot by other standards, but c’mon—this is a gubernatorial race in a purple state, people). These numbers, combined with the fact that McDonnell has the highest favorables in the field and bested Deeds and McAuliffe outside of the Margin of Error in a recent Reasearch 2000 poll (sponsored by Daily Kos, no less) show that MCDonnell has all the momentum at this point. However, given their cockiness following last year’s Electoral College and congressional victories, Dems are going to throw everything they have at McDonnell. More on that later….

April 4 – 9 a.m. at First Bank, Strasburg. Benefit: Strasburg precinct, Republican party. Information: 436-3279

Bet you Terry McAuliffe wouldn’t do THAT. This is why Strasburg meets its fundraising goals year after year–hard work and knowing their responsibility to get the job done.

A judge’s order requiring a citizens group to pay attorney fees for four Gloucester County supervisors they tried to remove from office has prompted legislation to prohibit such sanctions in the future.

The 40 members of Gloucester County Citizens for Accountable Representation were stunned last month when the judge who dismissed the petitions ordered them to pay $2,000 each toward the targeted supervisors’ nearly $130,000 in legal fees. The balance will be paid by the county’s taxpayers.

The residents claim they were exercising their constitutional right to petition the government for redress of grievances in seeking the removal of four county board members who were indicted on charges of misusing their office by meeting in secret. The indictment was dismissed, then the petitions.

The article also points out a fact that makes this bill even more important:

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 18 states have recall provisions that allow voters to remove officials from office for purely political reasons — but Virginia is not among them. A recall procedure is essentially a second election demanded by voters before the official’s term ends.

Without a recall election, petitioning is the only means that citizens have to react to wrongdoing by their elected officials. While petitions may be frivolous at times (or be impossible to act upon due to judicial connections), it is a fundamental right, and should be protected as such.

The Farm Team, a political action committee formed to help Democratic women seek elected office, posted a solicitation on a liberal fundraising Web site seeking donations from $25 to $1,000 to attend a series of events Monday in Richmond. The appeal invited people who purchased a ticket to a panel discussion at the Richmond Marriott to a reception at the governor’s mansion.

The invitation was posted on ActBlue, a nationwide clearinghouse for donors who want to direct money to Democratic campaigns and causes. The invitation did not mention Kaine (D) but said his wife, Anne Holton, and Lynda Robb, wife of former governor Charles S. Robb (D), were helping host the event.

“Funds raised through this event support The Farm Team,” the advertisement stated.

Several prominent Virginia politicians, including former attorney general Mary Sue Terry (D), formed the PAC in September. It recently begin doling out donations, including $1,000 last month to Fairfax County Supervisor Sharon S. Bulova(Braddock), the Democratic nominee for board chairman.

Under Virginia law, Kaine is prohibited from raising money for himself or state political committees during the 45-day legislative session, which began Jan. 14. Traditionally, Virginia governors also do not raise money at the governor’s mansion, although no law prohibits it, said David Allen, manager of the Virginia State Board of Elections.

But the possibility that it might appear that Kaine was using the mansion to raise money for Democrats prompted the governor to distance himself from the event.

I would disagree with the Governor’s assertion that it was just the “appearance” of raising funds for Democrats, given that the PAC’s explicit mission is “supporting Democratic women,” but I digress. And while The Washington Post wants you to believe that they were the ones who blew this story open, who was really on it first? Norm Leahy at Tertium Quid. 

Good work Norm! Not only for the victory for good government, but for proving yet again that reporters just HATE having to find their own stories.

Senate Democrats have found an unlikely fundraising weapon: actor Morgan Freeman.

In an e-mailed fundraising pitch to Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee donors today, Freeman wrote that, “when Barack Obama placed a hand on Abraham Lincoln’s bible and was sworn in as America’s 44th president, it was one of the most special moments in my life and the life of our nation.”

Moments like this are always a painful reminder that our starpower consists of Mary Lou Retton and Pat Boone.