The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Businessman Paul Hirschbiel formally kicked off his campaign for Congress in the 2nd District on Monday, saying his focus will be on education and jobs.
Hirschbiel will take on U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, a Republican, who in 2010 won the seat to represent the district that includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore, and part of Norfolk and Hampton.
"We're all tired of the endless partisan bickering occurring in Washington today," he said. "The political games that are being played by both parties are unacceptable and they're dangerous given the seriousness of the issues that we face as a nation."
Hirschbiel called himself a "Warner Democrat," after U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, who endorsed him during the ceremony at Tidewater Community College's Virginia Beach campus.
"That's who I am," Hirschbiel said. "Somebody that's fiscally responsible, socially progressive and yet willing to reach across the aisle when it's necessary to move our country forward."
The campaign is the first bid for elected office for Hirschbiel, who is owner of a Beach-based investment and consulting firm, Eden Capital. A Norfolk native, he spent much of his early career in New York City, where he co-founded what is now Cornerstone Equity Investors.
Since moving to Virginia Beach in 1998, he has focused on education and early childhood initiatives.
Hirschbiel said the election fight with Rigell will be competitive and expensive. The two men, who live not far from each other in Virginia Beach, are independently wealthy - Rigell as the owner of car dealerships, and Hirschbiel as an early investor in several companies, including computer-maker Dell.
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A Ham Sandwich
A Ham Sandwich could beat the current occupier-in-chief, and I can't help but believe that there will be an overwhelming vote to oust the deems in congress. They keep crying obstruction, but I think that means "if you don't do things our way you're obstructing". If you're happy with the way things are going, you're high or brain-dead.
A ham sandwich
is much more popular than any of the current Republican presidential candidates.
There is no evidence to support your belief that Obama is sure to lose re-election or that "there will be an overwhelming vote to oust the deems in congress."
Current polls show a close election between President Obama and each of the Republican presidential candidates. Generic Congressional polling shows a slight advantage for Democrats.
http://www.pollingreport.com/wh12gen.htm
http://www.pollingreport.com/cong2012.htm
Competitive race
The DCCC has identified this district among 18 races where they are confident they can oust a Republican incumbent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/democrats-put-va-hopeful-paul-hirschbiel-in-top-tier-of-challengers/2012/01/18/gIQAfiHK8P_blog.html
democrats have become the party of wall st
It used to be the Republicans were branded the Establishment party and back in the day there may have been some truth in that. 2012 things have changed. Democrats have now become the establishment party in a strong way. By almost any measure one can see this. Obama will this year raise more than any other presidental canadate in history $1 Billion dollars for his re-election campaign. That is not chump change or is it coming from the "regular person". Many Obama staff hail from the ranks of Wall St. 29 of 50 richest members of US Congress are Democrats...58%. And now here in Va Beach we have a product of Wall Street running as a canadite for Democrats. My only point is the "traditional" labeling of political parties no longer applies.
Wall Street
President Obama and Congressional Democrats passed the most sweeping Wall Street reform law since the Great Depression, despite the protests of Wall Street Republicans.
YES
Yes, you are correct. Some rich people realize that greed has its limits. Rich Republicans feel that greed and corruptness have no limits.
And...
How are all those "reforms" and "regulations" working out? Wall street is still racking up the big bucks and the taxpayer is still paying the bills for the congressional political graft.
Notice that the President comes to us taxpayers for another 1.2 TRILLION?
Wall street Republicans, Wall street Democrats....WHO CARES? They are all the same....
Q&A
Q. "How are all those 'reforms' and 'regulations' working out?"
A. They are working out just fine, although they just getting started because of obstruction and delays by Congressional Republicans.
For example: Senate Republicans refused to consider any nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for two years.
Another example: the Volcker rule bans banks from making risky bets (proprietary trading) to prevent taxpayers from being on the hook for future bank bailouts. House Republicans want to delay or scrap the rule.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/18/news/economy/congress_volcker_rule/
If you really believe "they are all the same," please stay home on election day.
stay home..ya kidding me right??
I am bringing 20 people with me to send Obama back to Chicago. I guess we will see "what the people" think.
rigell needs to go
But not replaced by this guy. "socially progressive"??? That scares the crap out of me.