Here's the important info:Governor Tim Kaine will attend a special reception for The Honorable A. Donald McEachin, member of the House of Delegates for the 74th District. The reception will be held at the Science Museum of Virginia on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 from 5:00-7:00 pm.The Science Museum of Virginia is located at 2500 West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia.
For more information, or to RSVP for this event, you can call Sonya Bowman at 804-288-3381 or e-mail Sonya at sbowman@mceachingee.com.
UPDATE: If you can, try to help promote this issue on Daily Kos. Thanks.
Now follow me below the fold for some juicy bits on why this is so important...
I don't know if any of you have wandered over to The Richmond Democrat lately, but JC Wilmore is doing a great job reporting on what looks like Benny Lambert's impending doom. There is an in-depth report on The Richmond City Democratic Committee meeting held last night, and things do not sound good. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there, but here are some highlights:
There were several issues to be discussed, but attention turned immediately to the issue of what to do about Benny Lambert. The committee's chairman, Jim Nachman, reported that he had sent a brief letter to Senator Lambert informing him that in openly supporting George Allen during the general election on November 7, 2006, Lambert had violated the rules of the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Richmond City Democratic Committee. Nachman asked that Lambert appear before the committee and explain his actions.And THIS is rich...According to Nachman, Lambert replied that he was unable to appear at last night's meeting due to a prior commitment--a claim that was greeted with the roll of eyes and shrug of shoulders--but that he wanted to appear before the committee in January.
* Lambert claimed that he didn't understand that what he did violated the rules of the Democratic Party of Virginia and that he didn't realize that he might face discipline as a result.WOW. I'm a speechless, which is entirely out of character for me.
* Lambert claimed that his endorsement was the result of a "deal" he had cut with Allen to obtain funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities ("HBCU"). Lambert complained that the General Assembly was all too ready to fund schools like UVA and Virginia Tech, but not HBCU.
* Foreshadowing a possible legal argument that he may make, Lambert claimed that the Democratic Party of Virginia's rule against publicly opposing a Democratic candidate in a contested race is "unconstitutional."
* Lambert also opined that the DPV should be thanking him for uniting the party (against Lambert and Allen).
Additionally, we see that the Richmond Free Press (and yes; I picked up my free copy this morning on my mighty brisk walk to work) has picked up on the upcoming battle between the stellar and amazing Del. Don McEachin and "dead in the water, soon to be out of a job" Benji Lambert, and they have some GREAT quotes from Lambert himself:
"It's a free country. He can do what he wants," Sen. Lambert said Tuesday when he was informed of Delegate McEachin's plans. Such a contest, if it materializes, would be the first since Sen. Lambert won the 9th District Senate seat in 1986, when then-Sen. L. Douglas Wilder went on to be elected lieutenant governor."I am going to run for re-election, and I am going to run as a Democrat. I want to stay with the party," said the 69-year-old optometrist, who helps write the state budget as the second-ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee.
"It will be up to the people to decide," said the senator, who continues to defend his support for the defeated Sen. Allen by citing an unfulfilled Allen promise to gain millions of dollars in funding for histroically black colleges and universities.
Senator Lambert seems to be in complete denial: both about the moral ground he stands upon when he continues to defend his support of George Allen and in his assumption that he will be allowed to retain his membership within the Democratic Party.Damns. Seriously. Not lookin' good for Mr. Lambert, huh?
Finally, because Mr. Lambert didn't show up to the meeting last evening, people felt free to speak their minds and get it all out in the air. Here are some of the main points made by citizens and elected officials of the city of Richmond:
The excuse that Senator Lambert most often cites when justifying his support for George Allen--funding for HBCU's--is without merit. In six years in the U.S. Senate George Allen never delivered on his promise to obtain additional funding for HBCU's.WELL. I think we can all agree that the Honorable A. Donald McEachin deserves a great deal of our thanks for helping Senator-elect Jim Webb (D-VA) win the election. And thanking him is the LEAST we can do, pholks. I think we should all make sure we actively help Mr. Lambert find a new job. And by "find a new job", I mean "lose present job to the Honorable A. Donald McEachin."George Allen isn't any ordinary Republican: he once gloried in boasting that he would push Democrats' "soft teeth down their whiny throats." It's not like Benny Lambert endorsed a moderate centrist like Lincoln Chaffee: George Allen is the mortal enemy of Democrats everywhere.
This was not an "ordinary" election. The War in Iraq, the Supreme Court, and control of the Senate hinged on Webb's challenge to Allen. If Lambert's betrayal had succeeded in achieving its goals then Bush would have been able to use the Senate to block the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, Bush would have been able to continue to appoint right-wing activists to the judiciary, Donald Rumsfeld might have been able to hang on to his post as Secretary of Defense, John Bolton might have succeeded in gaining confirmation as ambassador to the United Nations. Had Lambert succeeded, the consequences would have echoed through History.
What do you think? Who's with me?
TURNCOAT
I guess he forgot he's a Democrat.
Also, FWIW, I did subscribe to the Richmond Free Press but haven't received a copy yet. They said it takes several weeks.
Those of us who worked in the Richmond Office could not put into words how helpful Delegate McEachin was during the general. He deserves our full support.
If you are as grateful as I for what he did for Jim Webb and for Democrats across this state and this country, then part with a little $$ now for Donald. Have a "Thank You Donald McEachin House Party" and remind people of his courage and steadfastness. He deserves to be thanked by all of us.
Oh, and as for Lambert's belief that his free speech rights might be infringed by holding the DPV rules against endorsing a non-Democratic against him, I wonder if the recent decision by Fed. Judge Claude Hilton against open primaries in Virginia might contain some analysis and precedent which would strengthen the DPV's position.
Further, unless Lambert can demonstrate that the rules were changed after fact in order to specifically punish him, he cannot even claim a civil violation. In fact, the Democratic party might be able to claim that since he violated the terms of his party membership and endorsement he is no longer entitled to use their label of Democrat.
Methinks it is not a discussion he really wants to have in public.
Further, unless Lambert can demonstrate that the rules were changed after fact in order to specifically punish him, he cannot even claim a civil violation. In fact, the Democratic party might be able to claim that since he violated the terms of his party membership and endorsement he is no longer entitled to use their label of Democrat.
Methinks it is not a discussion he really wants to have in public.
BRING IT ON!