Monday, January 21, 2013
The swearing-in ceremony for the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, Monday in Washington, DC.
History was made Monday in Washington, D.C. for the swearing-in ceremonies for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, for their second terms of office, and supporters traveled near and far to witness the occasion. Patch was at the scene, from sunrise until sunset, at the National Mall. Unofficial crowd estimates said that one million people were on hand for the event. It was a long day for the Obama family, starting out at 8:30 a.m. with a church service across the street from the White House at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square. From there, the first family, the president, first lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia and Sasha returned to the White House. After a coffee with members of Congress, the group …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Reality show star and alleged White House crasher launches gubernatorial campaign website.
Tareq Salahi, the former cast member of The Real Housewives of DC who earned star status when he and then-wife Michaele allegedly crashed a White House state dinner, launched a "Crash the Vote" website Tuesday for his bid for the Virginia governor's mansion. Salahi announced in October he will seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2013. Salahi is not seen as a serious threat, but he is the only contender to go against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli since Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced last week he would not seek the GOP nomination. Salahi said in October he will call his campaign “Crash the Vote,” a reference to the stunt he allegedly pulled in 2009 at the White House dinner for India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Salahi,…
Monday, November 26, 2012
Longtime politico from Mount Vernon tells Richmond Times-Dispatch it's time to get out of politics, after Nov. 6 loss.
A fixture in Virginia politics is hanging up his hat. George Allen, the former governor and U.S. senator who makes his home with his family in Mount Vernon, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch he has "no intention of running for office again." He and wife Susan “put our heart and soul into this campaign,” he told the newspaper. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday he is "disappointed" to hear that Allen has taken himself out of the political arena after losing his Senate race last week to Tim Kaine. It was the second Senate race Allen lost, after losing his seat to Jim Webb in 2006. "Two big losses in a row make it tough for George Allen to try yet again to make a comeback," said Mark Rozell, professor of Public Policy at George Mason …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Warner says he wants to continue his work in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., announced Tuesday that he will not run for governor in 2013, saying that he wants to continue the work he was sent to do in Washington. Warner, in a statement issued shortly after 3 p.m., said Virginians of all political stripes have approached him over the past year to make the bid — which he said he would consider and then make a decision after the November election. "I’ve talked to a lot of Virginians I respect, and I’ve talked about it with my family," Warner said in a statement. "But when I asked Virginians to hire me as their Senator, I made a promise to come to Washington to try to be a problem solver. I have to admit, it’s been tougher than I expected. But I’ve tried to keep at it." Warner's decision…
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Senator tells Associated Press he'll announce decision before Thanksgiving.
Sen. Mark Warner plans to announce before Thanksgiving whether he'll run for governor again, according to the Associated Press. The former governor, a Democrat, served as the Commonwealth's chief executive from 2002 to 2006. Virginia is the only state in the country where a governor cannot succeed himself. Former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe has already thrown his hat in the ring and will face Republicans Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. If Warner walks away from another run for governor, he'll be teaming up in the Senate with the state's soon to be junior senator, Senator-elect Tim Kaine, who served as Warner's lieutenant governor and is himself a former governor of Virginia. In a poll conducted Nov. 8-12 by …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Virginia joins Texas, other states in creating a petition to secede from the United States.
In a move that seems to take the idea of red states and blue states one step further, residents unhappy with the results of the presidential election last week are signing petitions to secede from the union. As of Tuesday, more than 8,000 Virginians were behind a petition (created on Sunday) to secede. The petition is located on the White House Web site. While 24 residents from neighboring Manassas had joined the petition as of 2 p.m. Thursday, no one from Manassas Park had signed. If seceding from the union sounds like something that happened during the Civil War era, you're correct: Virginia seceded from the union April 17, 1861, after the Nov. 6, 1860 election of another president, Abraham Lincoln. Virginia isn't alone. Residents in at …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Manassas-based media company's owner, World Media Enterprises, announced Wednesday it would close the operation at the end of 2012.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Mayor Frank Jones talks about his re-election, the election of a new council member and the departure of a current one.
Patch: What is your reaction to your re-election? Mayor: I am greatly appreciative of the willingness of the citizens of Manassas Park to allow me to continue to serve— I want to thank all who voted for me. We have a lot of work ahead of us, as we move the city forward. I am greatful for the ability to be involved. I am also pleased and proud to represent Manassas Park in events and meetings with our Northern Virginia neighbors. I am proud of our city and want others to have an opportunity to get to know us. Patch: What is your reaction to the defeat of former mayor and current Councilman William "Bill" Treuting? Mayor: I have worked with Bill Treuting for many years, and eight and half years ago succeeded him as mayor. He has always…
Thursday, November 8, 2012
New Virginia senator says first order of business is to work on good solutions to nation's debt.
Tim Kaine (D), Virginia's newly-elected U.S. Senator, says his first order of business will be to lobby for longterm solutions for the country's fiscal situation. Kaine held a press conference in Richmond on Wednesday, one day after he defeated former Virginia governor and senator George Allen (R) in the general election. Kaine, governor of the state from 2006-10, earned 52 percent of the vote to Allen's 48 on Tuesday. Kaine takes over the seat vacated by Sen. Jim Webb (D), who is retiring after one term. Webb defeated Allen in a similarly close Senate race in 2006. “The key for us in public office is to read the message from the electorate,” Kaine told reporters. “They want cooperative government. They are telling us over and over and …
Councilman Keith Miller was re-elected to Manassas Park City Council Tuesday.
Councilman Keith Miller said he intends to spend his next four-year term working to reduce fees and taxes in the city and restoring its general fund balance, among other things. Continued economic growth will be the focus during his third term, just as it has been the focus of everything the council has done thus far, Miller said. "... I will continue to strive to restore our fund balance, reduce rates, fees and taxes in the city. Again, keeping to our mission and vision, I want to ensure Manassas Park is the Northern Virginia community in which to live, work and raise a family," Miller said. Miller, Councilman Bryan Polk and Mayor Frank Jones were all re-elected to their posts this week. They will be joined in January by Councilwoman-…
James Cullum
6:56 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
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