Bacon's Rebellion

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has really stepped in it this time. He’s ripped the scab off the old state song controversy. If he had his way, said the Governor, who played the harmonica while a bluegrass band performed the tune at a campaign stop in 2005, Virginia would adopt the old bluegrass gospel anthem, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

“I’m sure my popularity will plummet even further after having waded into that,” he said, as reported by the Washington Times.

If the legislature adopted a proviso that the official version of “Circle” was the one recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, I just might go along.

Del. Chris Saxman has generated a substantial online buzz regarding his Senate candidacy.

And I’d say that candidacy is all but certain. No, it’s not just the hospitality suite at the Republican “Advance” this weekend. Nor is it merely his speaking slot on the official program.

My certainty comes from the answers he gave to questions I posed to him in an interview for a forthcoming Bacon’s Rebellion ezine column. When he announces his candidacy, he will likely have the backing of some “conservative members of the House of Delegates,” whose names will be announced when he launches the campaign. Who is on the list will be interesting, indeed.

But even more so will be the issues on Which Saxman will run:

I will focus on the issues that the citizens of the Commonwealth want me to focus on. For far too long, politicians have gone around telling people what the politicians want to do. I think it is time for the pollsters, consultants to stand down for awhile and let the candidates listen to the people. Then, the eventual winner will be able to represent the people of Virginia TO the federal government instead of representing the federal government to the people. It is an important but necessary distinction. Unless you sit down at the kitchen tables of Virginia and really discuss the issues that impact people on a daily basis, you will always be distant from the reality of their lives. We need politicians to listen for a change so that a change can be made.

It’s an admirable approach. It’s also one that, if memory serves, Jim Webb used during his Senate campaign.

There’s one other thing Saxman says he will do that I find very interesting:

I will honor the spirit of Virginia law and not raise money during the legislative session. I think it is important to uphold that law. That is a tactical disadvantage clearly but I think people want a new day or new direction for the Commonwealth and that will mean campaigning in an entirely different way.

This is, indeed, a novel way of campaigning. It’s risky, to be sure, because Jim Gilmore will be raising money throughout the time the legislature is in session. But another thing we learned from the Allen/Webb race is that money doesn’t matter as much IF one has a steady flow of positive free media. And in taking the approach that he will be addressing the people’s business before his political ambition, Saxman might just be able to diminish the horse race aspect of the contest.

Of course, Chris could still say he’s not running. But given what he’s told me, I think his candidacy is all but certain. And if so, then Virginia Republicans will have a legitimate and compelling alternative at their nominating convention.

Illegal immigrants in the Mid-Atlantic states (Maryland and Virginia) are different from illegals in other states — they tend to be better educated, they make more money, and they’re less likely to have slipped across the border illegally, maintains the Center for Immigration Studies. Summarizes the Washington Post:

The average household income for illegal immigrants is $45,748 nationally. In Maryland, it’s $58,061; in Virginia, $61,112. The findings may reflect the greater overall wealth of the two states: The average household income for native residents is $83,964 in Maryland and $79,524 in Virginia, compared with $66,952 nationwide.

The study suggests that a greater share of illegal immigrants in the Washington region are people who overstayed their entry visas rather than sneaked across the border, says Steven A. Camarota, who wrote the report. “People who overstay are more likely to be foreign students and guest workers who are more educated. People who cross the border illegally tend to be the least educated.”

That conforms with my personal experience. Some of the immigrants that I know personally entered the country legally, overstayed their visas illegally and melted into the population. Some have since obtained green cards. One married a U.S. citizen, thus becoming a U.S. citizen herself. Of course, the individuals I know best are of Brazilian or Caribbean origin. It’s difficult to “sneak across the border” when you arrive by airplane.

You can view the study here.

Using Fed-Ex shipping and ATM machines as examples, Newt Gingrich contrasts “the world that works” with the “world that fails.” This 3:20 minute clip is worth watching. Don’t get sidetracked on his specific example — the federal government’s inability to track down illegal immigrants — of the world that fails. This video is not about illegal immigration. Gingrich is making the larger point that, for all its massive power and resources, government just can’t do many things well.

What are some of the other things that we shouldn’t trust government with? I’d start with education. Government needs to ensure that every American gets an education. But why does government have to be in the business of running schools? Government ensures that people get food to eat by providing food stamps, a form of voucher — not running the grocery stores. Why not use vouchers to ensure that people have sufficient buying power to educate their children?