The Virginian-Pilot
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Ed Maulbeck had a unique message last week as he sought to persuade the Virginia Beach Republican Women's Club to send him to Congress.
"The scary thing is that I almost feel like I have more in common right now with the Tea Party than I do the Republican Party," Maulbeck told the luncheon audience at the Princess Anne Country Club. "The Republican Party is still all about the money. They're really only working with one candidate down here - the one with the most money."
That one candidate - watching just a few feet away - is Scott Rigell, who ignored the gibe. Instead, he told the people in the sunlit hall that he's a "constitutional conservative" who believes the federal government is dominated by Democrats who are leading the country down the wrong road.
On that point, Rigell and Maulbeck agree, as did the four other men in suits who stood beside them. But agreement isn't what these six political candidates need.
The six, all military veterans with varying levels of business experience, are trying to stand out from one another as they compete for the Republican Party nomination in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. The winner of the GOP's June 8 primary will take on U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, a Democrat who is in his first two-year term.
The district is considered one of the most competitive in the country. It covers Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and parts of Norfolk and Hampton.
In forums last week, the six offered similar views on many issues but also tried to signal their own qualities.
"I'm running for Congress because I feel compelled to do something about the direction of this country," said Scott Taylor, a real estate broker and small-business owner who was an unsuccessful candidate for Virginia Beach mayor in 2008. "Like all of you, I am sick and tired of the back-room deals."
Most railed against the federal stimulus spending, with some suggesting that as soon as they were elected they would seek to stop the flow of stimulus dollars.
Some promised to push for even more far-reaching changes.
Ben Loyola, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and owner of an engineering firm, said he wants to freeze all federal hiring immediately and abolish the federal tax code in favor of a flat tax.
Federal tax laws are "breaking our country's back," he said.
The candidates agreed that among the most crucial issues facing Hampton Roads is the Navy's plan to move an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Mayport, Fla., which would cause the loss of 6,000 jobs and $425 million in annual income.
Even on that issue, they strived to show differences.
"These are all nice guys, but they're just now waking up to the carrier issue," said Kenny Golden, a retired Navy officer and longtime Republican Party leader. "Five months ago at a blogger's conference, I said this is one of our biggest issues."
Bert Mizusawa, a brigadier general in the Army Reserve and owner of a security consulting business, said it's crucial the district's congressman understand that the region is "the most military district in the nation."
"I would continue to fight the carrier issue, and I would get on the right committees to bring more defense dollars to the district," Mizusawa said.
What was left unspoken, except for Maulbeck's comment, is one clear distinction in the race: the lopsided campaign bank accounts and the political support that has come with it.
Rigell, who made a fortune as founder and owner of Freedom Automotive, had more than $500,000 in campaign cash on Dec. 31 - the most recent report available. That is more than the other five candidates combined. He has been a full-time candidate since last summer and beefed up his treasury by matching donations dollar for dollar with his own money.
Rigell said he's not concerned about criticisms such as Maulbeck's.
"No, it doesn't bother me," he said with a laugh. "Because if they had it, I don't think they would be saying it."
Nye has raised substantial campaign funds, Rigell said. The incumbent reported having $850,000 on Dec. 31.
"I do not want to concede any of the advantage the freshman incumbent might have," Rigell said.
Rigell has built strong ties through his own political donations and involvement in past campaigns, including Gov. Bob McDonnell's previous successful bids for attorney general and the General Assembly.
In the past dozen years, Rigell has donated more than $230,000 to candidates, according to Federal Election Commission reports and the Virginia Public Access Project.
Most have been to Republican office-seekers - with one noticeable exception. In March 2008, during the Democratic presidential primary, he gave $1,000 to then-candidate Barack Obama.
"I had never at any point wanted Barack Obama to be president. It was to stop Hillary Clinton," Rigell said. He made the donation less than a week after Clinton won presidential primaries in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island on March 3, 2008. "She had a lot of momentum," he said.
Rigell supported Republican Mitt Romney early in the GOP presidential primaries and later gave the party's nominee, John McCain, the maximum $2,000 donation in May 2008.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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Logically
Since Nye obviously intends to vote his conscience, (a good thing) instead of blindly following party lines he needs to switch his affiliation to Independent. This would at least indicate honesty.
GO RIGELL GO!
Let's see Scott Rigell has created hundreds of jobs, has met a payroll, balanced a budget, been involved in the Republican Party for years, is close friends with Bob McDonnell, and will say "NO" to Nancy Pelosi. Sounds like a winner to me, and if anyone wants to see how Scott was treated at the Tea Party event, head over to his facebook page and watch the video for yourself!
What will it take to put you in this car?
A willing suspension of disbelief.
Oh for God sake!.
Come on Virginia! for God Sake! You have sat there and watched McDonnell the Pat Robertson sycophant take ever under the table deal imaginable.Now you want to put his Fat Cat Pat Robertson phony car salesman into the Virginia political system? The same guy that used his wife's Daddy money to get into the business? What do you want, the whole country lead by Pat Robertson greedy puppets?
secret handshake
Is it your contention that anyone who is conservative must go to Pat Robertson and beg permission to run for a political office. Is that borderline fear of the impossible?
just a wink will do,
maybe a nod.
They are all beholden to their corporate masters, D or R
"The Republican Party is still all about the money. They're really only working with one candidate down here - the one with the most money."
That's why I'm an independent now.
The movement that is grass roots and concerned about our fiscal disaster on the federal, state, and local levels might shake the process up this fall.
The big boys in the corporate suites are taking notice. The're not sacred though. They have more money than all of us several times over and can still buy what they want or need in an official or party.
The ONLY instrument that is effective against the corporate money is your VOTE. That's all you have. Of course you don't pick the candidates, the parties beholden to their contributors do. You just confirm what has already been picked.
A couple of weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal was an article about Scott and some other national Republicans who have a shot because of the swing district. His name was the only one mentioned in the article in this race. Nobody else locally exists.
Hopefully you're getting the bigger picture now and where you fit it.
hmmm
Seems to me it wasn't republicans locked behind closed doors with insurance executives and drug companies making sweetheart deals.
Seems to me it is democrats who only want you to have two options, government controlled insurance choices or employer controlled insurance choices.
Seems to me it was democrats behind closed doors trying to 500 billion out of medicare to cover illegal aliens and people who make choices to not purchase health care insurance.
Seems to me it is democrats willing to pay insurance companies for 6 years before one dime of coverage is are paid to anyone.
November
Congressman Nye seems like a nice enough fellow and has voted the right way on cap and trade and health care. However, all his opponent will have to do is say that Nye will vote for Pelosi for speaker and he won't. Nye was swept in under the Democratic wave in 2008, he will be taken out by the Republican wave this year. The Dems have cooked their gooses with the leadership they have selected.
"Constitutional Conservatives"
"Progressive Candidate" It’s a buzzword for a left-wing fanatic. That's all we need is someone else to spread the wealth. I'm tired of paying for the "LAZY" people. You know the ones that have been on welfare for generations.