Tom Perriello

Perriello District Office Becomes Site Of Conservative Protest After His Pro-Health Care Bill Vote

Eric Kleefeld | November 10, 2009, 1:04PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), a freshman Democrat from a swing district who voted for the health care bill, is already seeing heated demonstrations back home.

Perriello's Danville office was the site of a protest organized by Americans For Prosperity, along with a counter-demonstration by health care bill supporters. The Danville News reports that the AFPers seriously outnumbered the pro-Perriello crowd: A margin of about 70 on one side, to five or six on the other.

Here's a video from the local ABC affiliate:

Late Update: The pro-Perriello demonstrators, the Virginia Organizing Project, maintain that there were in fact about 80 people on their own side, not the mere five or six that the local paper says. Here's a YouTube video, recorded by VOP volunteer Sho Dianat:

Late Late Update: It has come to our attention that this second video is from a set of demonstrations at Perriello's Charlottesville office, not the Danville office as we'd initially believed. We regret the error.

VA-05

NRCC Ad Attacks Energy Bill -- And Obama

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 9:19AM

The National Republican Congressional Committee has launched this new TV ad going after freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) for his vote on the climate bill -- and attacking President's Obama's statement during the 2008 campaign that electricity rates would "skyrocket" under a cap-and-trade system.

This is the first attack ad from the Republican Party during this cycle that uses President Obama in a negative manner:

"That's right -- 'skyrocket,'" the announcer says. "It'll destroy jobs and cost middle-class families $1,800 a year, every time you turn on a switch. On Tom Perriello's voting with Obama and with Nancy Pelosi over and over."

The following other Democratic members of Congress are on the target list for radio ads, phone calls and Web ads: Rick Boucher (VA); Vic Snyder (AR); Ike Skelton (MO); Baron Hill (IN); Harry Teague (NM); Bruce Braey (IA); Bart Gordon (TN); Betsy Markey (CO); John Boccieri (OH); Zack Space (OH); Alan Grayson (FL); Debbie Halvorson (IL); and Mary Jo Kilroy (OH).

Late Update: DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer gives us this response: "Instead of offering solutions, the Republican Party of No is trying to block progress on creating clean energy jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and getting America running on clean energy. It's no wonder the American people don't trust Republicans when all they offer are false attacks on President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Democrats."

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 13, 2009, 9:00AM

Florida GOP Chairman Defends Steele, Blasts Critics
Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer has sent a letter to RNC members, defending Michael Steele -- and lambasting his critics: "What I find so disturbing is that some Republicans cannot see the absolute necessity of providing unwavering loyalty and support to Chairman Steele as he embarks upon leading the Republican Party into the future."

Steele Hires Chief of Staff For RNC
The RNC announced that Michael Steele has hired Ken McKay, former campaign manager and chief of staff to Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri, to be the new RNC Chief of Staff. One of the criticisms of Steele in the last month and a half is that he has been slow to fill the key staff positions, but he is now starting to make progress on that front.

Obama's Day Ahead: Focusing On The Economy
President Obama is having a closed meeting with Economic Recovery Advisory Board Chairman Paul Volcker at 12 p.m. ET. At 12:45 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks from the Oval Office on the economy. At 1:15 p.m. ET he is meeting with Vice President Biden for lunch.

Biden Promoting Stimulus With Dem Members of Congress -- And Specter
Vice President Biden will be administering the oath of office to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis this morning. At noon, he will head up an event at Union Station to announce funding for Amtrak as part of the stimulus program. Others in attendance include Democratic members of Congress such as Senators John Kerry, Jay Rockefeller, Frank Lautenberg and others -- plus Republican Senator Arlen Specter.

Big Day In Minnesota: Closing Arguments
Closing arguments in the Minnesota election trial are scheduled for today. Each side will have an hour at bat to make their final case to the judges. After that, the judges are expected to spend two to three weeks working on a determination of who has legally won the most votes, and is entitled to the certificate of election -- a decision that is likely to be appealed.

WaPo: U.S. Attorney Situation Remains Unclear
The Washington Post reports that the Obama Administration faces some very complicated choices in appointing new U.S. Attorneys, between the interest of appointing their own people versus the need in some cases to keep current Attorneys in places to pursue pending cases. Perhaps the most controversial example involves Mary Beth Buchanan, a conservative U.S. Attorney from western Pennsylvania who is quite publicly refusing to resign.

Virgil Goode Files Papers For Potential 2010 Comeback Bid
Former Congressman Virgil Goode (R-VA), who was defeated in a huge upset by Democrat Tom Perriello by a margin of 727 votes out of over 315,000 in 2008, has filed papers to run again in 2010. Goode is perhaps best known for denouncing the election of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim member of Congress.