Christine Romans interviewed me this morning for CNN American Morning. A one-on-one interview running more than five minutes on a national cable network is a generous allotment of time, but it barely skims the surface of the weighty topics at stake. Still, I can’t complain. The interview provides a nice introduction to the “Boomergeddon” book.…

The sleeper story of the season: Gov. Bob McDonnell, staff and senior legislators will be paying calls on rating agencies S&P, Fitch and Moody’s to defend Virginia’s AA rating. According to Chelyen Davis with the Free-Lance Star, McDonnell says he has no reason to believe that the AAA is in jeopardy, but he’s never met…

Gov. Bob McDonnell made a few big promises when he ran for governor. One of those promises, raising more money for transportation, was a bust. Privatizing the state’s ABC stores, collecting royalties from offshore oil drilling and slapping tolls on Interstate highways have crumbled like the asphalt on Interstate 95. But another of his promises,…

The looming insolvency of many states and municipalities is getting more and more attention. CBS’ 60 Minutes highlighted the problem Sunday, and everyone concerned about Virginia public policy needs to watch this video. Needless to say, Virginia is in far better shape than Illinois, New Jersey and California, but it would be foolhardy to think…

One of the enduring controversies in Virginia involves the so-called “Gun Show Loophole”. I say so-called because the term “gun show loophole” generates intense debate and considerable emotion. In fact, this article on the “gun show loophole” was inspired by a Bacon’s Rebellion reader who took exception to a comment I posted about the need…

While Gov. Robert F. McDonnell was attorney general in 2006, he did nothing when informed about serious accusations that eventually led to the conviction and 10-year sentence of John W. Forbes II, a former state finance secretary. The accusations come from a front-page article today in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that details efforts to bring to…

Fellow Baconauts. Ever wonder who Groveton really is? Since he has become a regular blogger here, I have taken up the science of Grovetonology where I ceaselessly search for identifying clues. But his true identity remains a closely-held mystery. My threshold understanding is the following: Groveton is a guy who is some kind of executive…

Ever wonder why white opposition to darker-skinned immigrants seems to be centered in outer suburbs such as Prince William and Stafford counties? An analysis of new Census data provides the answer. The reason, the American Community Survey reports, is that immigrants from Latin America and other places are flocking to small towns and outer suburbs…

“Crestfallen” is the only way to describe the feeling. After ALL THE WORK on AntiPartisan action and AntiPartisanism, and then not get invited to the “No Labels” kick off on Monday at Columbia University!! There is no question about the need to stop Whack a Mole Politics and to stop Tossing Rocks at Empty Pigeonholes…

Conservatives are all thumped up about regarding U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson’s declaring a critical part of Obamacare unconstitutional. But before they break out the champagne, they need to consider a few points: The ruling deals only with that part of the health law that has the federal government requiring that all people buy health…

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli racked up the biggest legal victory of his career yesterday when a federal judge ruled for Virginia in its legal challenge to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Wrote Federal Judge Henry E. Hudson on the provision that would compel Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a…

For months now, I have been harping on the theme that Virginia faces a challenging fiscal future and that we need to start getting our financial affairs in order now. Two more straws in the wind… The combined unfunded liabilities of the Virginia Retirement System and other state-supported pension plans adds up to $17.6 billion,…

Gov. Bob McDonnell has announced a $4 billion transportation plan, most of which would be funded through borrowing. The justification for heaping on new state debt is that building now will prove to be cheaper than building in the future, when construction costs and financing costs rise in tandem with a recovering economy. I can…

…………. Note: AZA held his annual holiday party at his SoHo loft Friday evening. Most of the team was there, MSM had to regret due to his leadership on the Marcellus Shale Hydrofracking. The host asked guests to bring suggestions for refining Observer’s 7 Dec humorous comment posted on “Lies About Federal Workers” concerning “The…