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The Nelson County distiller running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination and his firebrand anti-tax, anti-regulation and anti-establishment message found a warm audience with the Lynchburg Tea Party on Thursday evening.

Denver Riggleman, also a former Air Force intelligence officer, related his biography Thursday evening to about 40 people at Lynchburg Public Library, highlighting his path through manual labor, military service and following his wifes dream to build Silverback Distillery in Nelson County.

Riggleman was the last Republican to officially enter the race, although he publically mulled jumping in for several weeks. He faces longtime national GOP strategist Ed Gillespie, state Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, and Prince William County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart.

The other three candidates are better known and are backed by donors with deeper pockets, he said, referring to them as establishment candidates.

Im running against guys, three guys with 70 years of combined political experience, Riggleman said. I have zero. I think that puts me 70 points in front of them.

Riggleman, whose campaign touts itself as a Whiskey Rebellion, recounted specific regulations and taxes he considers cumbersome that are involved in building or operating the distillery.

His political ambitions grew out of wrestling with the beer, wine and restaurant industry starting during the 2016 General Assembly, he said, as well as eminent domain issues involving the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

His speech targeted the intersection of money, influence, law and politics, including the lobbyist community that holds significant sway in Richmond.

The system of fees, taxes and regulations has been built over years, he said.

Just give me an equal playing field. Put me in a cage with these other guys and let me fight. Thats what I want, Riggleman said, referring to his business.

A few people who had not yet decided who they will support in the June 13 Republican primary said after the meeting they like that Riggleman didnt sound like a politician, comparing him to President Donald Trump, who crashed the Republican primary last year.

Theres another Trump in the air, said Shirley Lilly, of Lynchburg. Someone thats outspoken against the establishment, because weve had more than enough; we just need to search for more honesty.

Riggleman did not overtly tout the Trump comparison Thursday. Stewart, a onetime Trump Virginia state campaign co-chairman, has tried to take that mantle himself.

While some Lynchburg Tea Party members had not made up their minds regarding the gubernatorial primary, Edward Olivares, of Monroe, came supporting Gillespie. Although Olivares said he liked Rigglemans personality and message, he left still supporting Gillespie, the purported frontrunner, for practical reasons.

I know Gillespie. Ive met him. I respect him for the work he did when he was chairman for the Republican Party. He did a hell of a good job, so Ill vote him, Olivares said. Hes the only one who has a chance of beating the Democrat.

Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former 5th Congressional District Rep. Tom Perriello are running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

The Lynchburg Tea Party is not endorsing any candidates at this time, according to President Karen Angulo. She has reached out to all Republican gubernatorial candidates but hasnt been able to schedule the other three. Democratic candidates would be welcome, too, she said.

While Rigglemans campaign has found Tea Party groups to be receptive, theyre hoping to build a broader coalition of activists and civic groups, said Riggleman Political Director Josiah Tillett, also a Bedford County planning commissioner.

Were not like a tunnel-vision Tea Party, Tillett said. We have a very, very broad spectrum. We think our coalition can be broader than that because Denvers a free-thinking candidate, and we think well have more of a reach than that.

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Lynchburg Tea Party warms to Riggleman - Lynchburg News and Advance

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A pity party, not a tea party - Tribune-Review

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Unfortunately, instead of recognizing victory and unifying to ensure the best conservative ideas are embraced, certain conservative leaders, particularly from the elitist D.C. segment, have decided to line up a good ol circular firing squad.

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Hours before President Trump took to the stage for his home run speech to the Joint Session of Congress, we heard cheap shots at him about budget rumors since no presidential budget has been submitted yet. Republican Senators were asserting that any budget that included desperately needed cuts to the bloated State Department would be dead on arrival.

They are joined by a group we can only term as Conservative Bubble Boys and Girls. Theyre a small, but vocal group of entrenched politicos who have clung to the conservative label as a way to stay relevant in the D.C. bubble.

Regrettably, they spend far too much of their time finding fault with what other conservatives are doing. Theyve been out of touch for so long, it seems like they dont really know whose team theyre on.

Following President Trumps speech on Tuesday, I released the following statement:

Since 2012, Tea Party Express has hosted the official Tea Party response to the Presidents address. Last night was the first night that our address wasnt necessary. Not because the ideas of limited government and economic growth have fallen out of vogue because they surely havent but because that speech was delivered on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by the President of the United States.

President Trump delivered an eloquent address, where he clearly and deliberately laid out his conservative vision for America. It should now be clear to everyone that the Tea Party movement is more than rallies and protests. We have arrived in D.C., through our elected representatives, to fulfill our mission and finally rein in government.

But instead of covering this milestone for the conservative movement, the Bubble Boys and Girls used it to write the Tea Partys obituary, claiming that we were dead because we somehow embraced a big government agenda void of a conservative vision. Huh?

The Weekly Standard published the piece RIP, Tea Party: 2009-2017, and claimed, The anti-establishment movement embraces big government. Why? Because they claim the President did not outline specific budget cuts, but only talked about spending priorities. Thus, they concludebefore a single piece of legislation is introducedthat he is a big government conservative.

Then, a senior editor at National Review asserted, Maybe Im crazy, but Id bet that if President Obama (or a President Jeb Bush) had made a similar speech with similar spending commitments and no explanation of how to pay for them, the Tea Party Express would have mustered enough objections to respond.

Yes, the National Review writer is right. We had no confidence that Barack Obama was going to rein in the size and cost of government; we would have proudly stood with Jeb Bush if he had a Trump-like cabinet. We would have given a lot of room to a President who had appointed Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, or Scott Pruitt to the EPA or Tom Price to head up HHS.

Furthermore, both authors oddly marginalized the Presidents pro-growth agenda, which includes historic tax cuts, massive regulatory reform, and bold education changes that will affect millions of children across the nation. And that doesnt even touch the Administrations unequivocal commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare. These are major conservative prioritiesand priorities that have defined the Tea Party movementbut the Bubble Boys and Girls wont let facts get in the way of an opportunity to bash the President.

Admittedly, there are plenty of details to work through as the Administration and Congress prepare to honor the promises they made to voters. And none of us are under any illusion that well be happy with 100 percent of every decision made. If the President or Congress deviates from the will of the voters, we should call them outI know that Tea Party Express will.

However, instead of impulsively attacking President Trump and fellow conservatives, lets try to keep our powder dry and wait for there to be a fight. Maybe that way we will be ready and united to actually win some of the impending battles and deliver the best solutions for conservatives.

Taylor Budowich is the executive director of Tea Party Express, the nations largest Tea Party political action committee.

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Tea Party Express Executive Director: Conservative Bubble Boys Risk Squandering an Historic Opportunity - Breitbart News

Washington Times

Dirty dealings over coal fuel desperation, nationalist tensions in Ukraine Washington Times Maria Ivanovna receives humanitarian aid from the charitable foundation of Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, whose vast wealth is founded on the industrial output of Donetsk coal-rich region. The foundation said this month that its work in the ... Is Trump throwing Ukraine to the Kremlin sharks?The Hill (blog) Ukraine wants and needs Western support, but will that help end the conflict?OpenCanada Biggest Ukraine investor alarmed over coal blockadeYahoo7 News Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news -Kyiv Post all 9 news articles »

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Dirty dealings over coal fuel desperation, nationalist tensions in Ukraine - Washington Times

NORMAN, Okla. Volodymyr Dubovyk, a professor at Odesa National University in Ukraine, talked about the Ukrainian situation on Wednesday at the University of Oklahoma.

Almost three years after the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation on March 18, 2014, Dubovyk said the situation in Ukraine is disastrous, and the war is still ongoing in the Donbass.

Dubovyk said Ukraine still depends on financial help from the U.S. and the European Union. However, improvement has been made to reform the Ukrainian government and reduce corruption even if it is going slower than expected.

We need to continue to push the government to do the right thing, Dubovyk said, adding pressure from the Ukrainians and also the European Union (EU) doesnt give a lot of choices to the Ukrainian government. Dubovyk added the EU also provides assistance in helping to reform the country, even if he believes the EU doesnt seem to be interested in integrating Ukraine into the EU.

Contrary to the Orange Revolution that didnt provide the expected results with the election of Viktor Yushchenko, Dubovyk believes this time Ukrainians are much more engaged in the political life of the country. He noted also that since the movement of 2014, more than 10,000 have been killed especially with the Russian invasion, motivating even more Ukrainians to not let this revolution be another failure.

Besides financial help from the EU, Dubovyk said it is possible for Ukraine to become part of the visa-free regime with the EU in the next six months.

Then, speaking of NATO, Dubovyk believes the integration of Ukraine into the transatlantic organization is not for tomorrow, especially as the conflict with Russia is still ongoing. But since the conflict with Russia, the Ukrainians are more tempted to join NATO.

A large amount of people are convinced that indeed Ukraine needs to be part of a bigger military alliance such as NATO, Dubovyk said, noting the role of the U.S. in Ukraine since the Russian invasion has been limited, trying to not provoke a proxy war with Russia.

However, since President Trumps election, Dubovyk said the U.S. position toward Ukraine is not clear adding, We are hoping it will evolve in the right direction.

Further, Dubovyk said even if the Russian propaganda is well present in Ukraine through Russian media, Ukrainian Russian speakers are more aware of the real situation and less inclined to listen to Russian TVs than Russian people.

People are starting to make their own opinions, Dubovyk said.

Dubovyk was invited by the University of Oklahoma European Union Center.

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Conflict in Ukraine still ongoing, specialist says - Red Dirt Report