Mediaboss Marketing

Kevin Sullivan, a former political coordinator for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is the Democratic nominee to run for Del. Joseph D. Morrisseys seat in the Jan. 13 special election. He will face Republican candidate Matt Walton, an engineering teacher at Glen Allen High School.

Less than 24 hours before Tuesdays nomination deadline in the 74th House District, Democrats picked Sullivan in a firehouse primary Monday evening a process that has sparked a controversy for its exclusiveness.

Held at two locations, in Henrico County and Charles City County, the primary was open only to about 100 party members in good standing but not to the general public, according to the rules posted Friday by the Democratic Party of Virginia. Of those eligible to vote, only a few more than 40 showed up.

Sullivan defeated two Democratic opponents Floyd Miles, who served as the 74th District delegate from 2002 to 2006; and Lamont Bagby, a Henrico County School Board member. In the final round of voting, Sullivan defeated Bagby 24-16.

Morrissey announced last week that he would resign his House seat Jan. 13 following a misdemeanor conviction on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He initially said he was seeking to run again in the special election, but he announced Saturday that he would not seek the Democratic nomination in what he called a sham process.

David Lambert, CEO of Lambert Optical and son of the late state Sen. Benjamin J. Lambert III., also decided to withdraw his bid Saturday.

I wouldnt say (the nomination process) was a sham, but it wasnt done in a way that was operable for anyone to get in it, Lambert said Monday, adding that it was also not set up for the people in the district to have a voice for who they want to pick.

But Lambert said he has not changed his plans to run in the June 2015 primary.

Republicans and some Democrats including Paul Goldman, Morrisseys law partner and a former chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia have criticized the nomination process, alleging it was designed to shut out the public.

Goldman had unsuccessfully worked on a last-minute lawsuit to stop the primary. He had also advised Morrissey not to seek the Democratic nomination. Morrissey is now considering a bid as an independent candidate.

See the rest here:
Democrats pick Sullivan as nominee for Morrissey's seat

Since long before the time Hillary Clinton wrote that "it takes a village," she has been advocating a belief that we, as a country, are all in this together. That, just like in your own family, our American family takes care of each other. In your family you take care of your aging parents. Period. In our American family, we take care of all of our parents, through strong policies like Social Security and Medicaid.

In your family, you raise and protect your children. In our American family, we believe that every child should have access to a quality education and a safe home, whether we gave birth to her or not.

I'm not talking about sentimental gush or bleeding-heart softness. I'm talking about fierce duty and loyalty to family. I'm talking about powerful protection of family members.

Read MoreWe need more babies! Seriously, this is a problem

In your family, you lend your brother a hand if he gets laid off. You don't cut him off; you help him. In our American family, we make sure that all of our brothers and sisters are given a bridge to something better through unemployment insurance, if they find themselves without income.

That's what we do. That's who we are. As we say in the faith community, that's whose we are.

Yes, we believe that people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. But we also know this truth: many children were not issued boots upon arrival. These are all our children. We are a family. And in a family, no one gets left behind.

And you know what? It turns out that when we believe that way, and act upon that belief, our economy does better too. If our children are better educated, our brothers and sisters make a better living, and our parents are taken care of, we will all be better off.

Read More$125K teacher salary? Works at this school: Study

This is exactly what Hillary Clinton has dedicated her life to what she calls "the basic bargain of America," that "no matter who you are or where you come from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll have the opportunity to build a good life for yourself and your family." This is the same opportunity that young middle-class Hillary Rodham had, and the opportunity that she wants for everyone in the American family.

See the rest here:
The message Democrats need to hit for 2016

Local and State News

In South Carolina, state Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined with 16 other states in a lawsuit aimed at overturning Obamas executive action.

Amid the continued rancor where the debate often centers on border security, deportation and accusations of amnesty one angle of the debate not often heard is how comprehensive reform could have a positive impact on U.S. businesses.

However, there is an advocacy group in South Carolina composed of various business interests that is urging congressional and other leaders to address the nations broken immigration system.

There are a number of voices a number of organizations and groups of industries in South Carolina that have, for years, been calling for immigration reform, says Shell Suber, spokesman for the Partnership for a New American Economy. The tourism industry and the agricultural industry are two large industries that have been beating this drum for years. They have been joined in the last couple of years by chambers of commerce and a broader range of tourism [entities].

Suber says many in the tourism and agriculture industries would like to see immigration laws molded in such a way that would enable them to more easily staff their heavily seasonal businesses.

In agriculture, you have the harvest, Suber says. There are farmers here in South Carolina who have a terribly difficult time navigating the current broken immigration system. By the time they can verify the identity of [foreign-born] workers and they need hundreds of workers for several weeks the season is over.

In pushing for immigration reform, the Partnership for a New American Economy has also emphasized the spending power of Hispanics and sought to reform tourist visa laws.

According to a report released by the partnership, U.S.- and foreign-born Hispanics in 2013 had an estimated after-tax income of more than $605 billion, which is equivalent to about one out of every $10 of disposable income held in the United States.

As for tourist visas, tourism officials in the state say they would like to make it easier for citizens from certain nations to travel to South Carolina. On Dec. 15, Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, and John Durst, president of the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, called specifically for the expansion of the U.S. visa waiver program to include countries such as Brazil, Hong Kong, Turkey, Israel, South Africa and Poland.

Read the rest here:
Pro-Business Group Wants Immigration Reform

TIME Politics Congress The 7 Biggest Things That Didnt Happen in D.C. in 2014 The U.S. Capitol stands surrounded by fog in Washington, D.C., March 20, 2014. Andrew HarrerBloomberg/Getty Images No immigration reform. No Supreme Court fight. No shutdown.

Lets face it: 2014 was no 2008. As far as politics goes, this year wont go down in American history as one of the more notable ones.

But sometimes its the things that didnt happen that are more interesting. And some very big things didnt happen this year, even though pundits and commentators once thought they might.

Heres a look at the seven biggest things that didnt happen in Washington in 2014.

The House never passed an immigration reform bill.

What might have happened: In June of 2013, the Senate passed a bipartisan overhaul of the nations immigration laws. The House could have voted on that bill or passed its own version.

Who thought it would happen: Some Republicans. Many party leaders thought Republicans needed to put the immigration issue behind them in order to win the White House in 2016.

Why it didnt happen: House Republicans sat the issue out. Speaker John Boehner never brought the Senate bill to the House floor or offered an alternative.

Could it happen next year? Not likely. When President Obama deferred deportation for millions on his own in November, Boehner argued that he had poisoned the well.

There was no big Supreme Court nomination fight.

Follow this link:
The 7 Biggest Things That Didnt Happen in D.C. in 2014

Without The First Amendment (B3 -- Tyler S., Cael A., Clinton M.)

By: cgmsbmcgurk

Read the original:
Without The First Amendment (B3 -- Tyler S., Cael A., & Clinton M.) - Video