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Wright at McCain/Palin Rally - Virginian Pilot

… who needs enemies?

The photo at left shows Norfolk Councilman Randy Wright at a McCain/Palin rally. Sitting next to him is Pam Brown, the president of the Norfolk Republican Party, and, I’m told, one of the co-chairs of his campaign. In the blog post which accompanies the photo, Pilot writer Kerry Dougherty calls him “McAuliffe’s man.” But once McAuliffe lost the primary, Wright supported Republican Bob McDonnell.

From Sunday’s Compass, the Norfolk insert in The Virginian-Pilot:

Wright has been endorsed by every constitutional officer in the city

All of the constitutional officers in Norfolk call themselves Democrats.

Smigiel is a longtime Democrat with wide support in the party, yet Sen. Mark Warner, arguably the state’s most prominent Democrat, will host a fundraising event for Wright in Norfolk on March 19.

Tommy Smigiel has been working on campaigns since he was 15, including those of the current constitutional officers. He was a paid staffer on Mark Warner’s 2001 gubernatorial campaign.

I was about to call out the Norfolk City Democratic Committee for not endorsing one of their own, like the Newport News DC did when they endorsed in the mayoral race there. As it turns out, a close reading of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan (doc) shows that the section which deals with ousting of party members when they support another candidate (Sec. 10.8) only comes into play if the candidate is the party nominee. Most Hampton Roads localities prohibit, by city charter, partisan council elections, the result being that there are never any party nominees. This loophole needs to be closed. The Party Plan should treat endorsees just like nominees.

Yes, Smigiel has wide support in the Party, even if those at the top choose to support someone else. Smigiel has wide support – period – and with our help, will be victorious on May 4.  Help him out.

Now – does that video below make more sense?