The Shad Plank

• GOP eyeing Virginia Sen. Webb as possible health care defector....

  National Republicans are searching the U.S. Senate rolls for Democratic allies, who might vote against a health care reform bill. And over the weekend, the GOP eyes started turning more aggressively toward to Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, a notoriously independent Democrat who has voted with the Republicans recently on a [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 11:54am EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Kaine fires back at GOP with tough letter on budget...

  There’s nothing quite like a sharp partisan shouting match, shrouded ever so slightly under the veil of official letterhead. Gov. Timothy M. Kainewasted little time before firing back at GOP leaders with a letter to a handful of powerful and plugged in GOPers that would probably require a explicit lyrics [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 6:29pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• GOP leaders warn Kaine not to put tax hikes in the state budget...

  The ranking Republicans in the General Assembly have come together to pen a letter to outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine asking that the Democrat not put tax increases in the final state spending plan, due out next week. One of the final important duties of the departing governor is building [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 1:55pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• McDonnell taps Bolling Sledd and Polarek

  Here's the release click below for their bio's. Gov.elect Bob McDonnell announced that Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling will serve in his Cabinet as Virginia’s Chief Jobs Creation Officer. He appointed noted Richmond-area businessman Robert Sledd as Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Finally, he named longtime senior staff member, Janet Polarek,' [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 11:32am EST
  by Kimball Payne

• McDonnell to fillout more top economic advisor posts...

  Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell will take the stage in Richmond in about an hour to continue filling out the vacant seats in his administration. Last week, McDonnell named a handful of longtime state employees to top advisory roles, garnering a significant amount of praise for keeping Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's Secretary [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 10:03am EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Norment wants Tareq Salahi to resign from Virginia Tourism Board....

  Sen. Thomas K. "Tommy" Norment is calling on Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to ask for the resignation of social butterfly Tareq Salahi from the Virginia Tourism Board in the wake of the Salahi and his wife sneaking into the White House dinner last week. The Virginia couple has come under [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 12:19pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Federal Stimulus to bring technology jobs to Eastern Shore...

  Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced Thursday that Northampton County has qualified for $1 million worth of federal stimulus cash to upgrade broadband access along Virginia's Eastern Shore. The project is expected to create 20 technology jobs in Northampton. “Today we are announcing an important project on Virginia’s Eastern Shore that [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 3:35pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• McDonnell taps top advisors - keeps on Kaine's finance guru...

  Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell tapped top administration staffers on Thursday, naming a handful of close advisors including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's finance chief Ric Brown. McDonnell, who handily won the governor's race, is starting to put in place the building blocks for the first Republican administration in Richmond since Gov. Jim [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 12:32pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Partisans predicting 2010 and 2012 in Washington this week...

  National political guru and partisan cheerleaders are sitting down in Washington on Thursday to breakdown the lay of the land as lawmakers across the country prepare for the 2010 midterm elections. Hosted by the University of Virginia and the site POLITICO, the event features some important movers and shakers sounding [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 4:08pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Virginia elections pulled in $50 million....

  When lawmakers and local leaders start howling about looming Virginia budget cuts, voters should remember the mounds of money that went into the November election. According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, Virginia general election candidates raised upwards of $50 million this year with June primary victims [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 1:12pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Gov. Kaine plans smoking ban events...

  With smoking in bars set to be banned when the clock hits midnight, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's office has set up a series of events to commemorate the day Virginia went smoke-free. Kaine will tour a series of bars and restaurants in Charlottesville, Alexandria and Richmond to celebrate the fact [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 3:46pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• The Republican advance comes to Williamsburg this weekend....

  Virginia Republicans are going to extend their victory party and bring the fest to Williamsburg this weekend for the Republican advance. For newcomers and neophytes, the GOP advance is the annual gathering where state Republicans get together for workshops and brainstorming sessions with statewide leaders and political insiders. The partisan [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 12:37pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Speaker Howell releases one paragraph ethics inquiry into Del. Hamilton

  House Speaker William J. Howell released today the results of the House Ethics inquiry into Del. Phil Hamilton's effort to land himself a $40,000 a year job at Old Dominion University while sponsoring the budget amendment that created a $500,000-a-year teaching center at the school. The report is essentially a [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 12:16pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Leading Lawmakers already talking about overtime in Richmond in 2010....

  Lawmakers always start taking about overtime in Richmond. Sometimes folks use it as a threat, suggesting that they could drag their feet on purpose to build pressure. Sometimes, state legislators simply need more time to hash through their differences, especially on state spending. But this year the early overtime warning [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 3:44pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Federal officials search capitol for evidence on Hamilton's ODU job.....

  Del. Phil Hamilton’s resignation from the House of Delegates might have snuffed out a state ethics probe, but it appears that federal investigators continue to dig for information about the once influential lawmaker’s $40,000-a-year job at Old Dominion University. House Clerk Bruce Jamerson told the Washington Post that federal investigators [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 4:29pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• President Obama considering not running for re-election?

  In an interview from China, President Barack Obama talked openly about the idea that he might not run for re-election in 2012. Obama, speaking with CNN on a wide range of topics - including Sarah Palin'snew book, said that he realizes he is already making difficult decisions about the future' [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 3:29pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Michelle Obama visits Virginia elementary school...

  First Lady Michelle Obamatoured an Alexandria elementary school on Tuesday to meet with faculty and student and present the school with an award for a healthier school environment. The event was designed to promote a more active student body to help cut down on childhood obesity, and the school is [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 1:14pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Webb and Warner pen note to FEMA...

  Virginia Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner are pressing federal officials to release disaster aid in the wake of last week’s powerful nor’easter that rocked Hampton Roads. In the letter, dated Nov. 16, Webb and Warner urge the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to speed up the review [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 12:30pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Organizing for America says thank-you to Bobby Scott for health-care vote

  U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, and Organizing for America have scheduled a news conference for 6 p.m. today to give OFA a chance to publicly thank Scott for voting for the health care reform bill that passed last Saturday. Passing along the official gratitude will be Brandyn Keating, OFA's' [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 1:35pm EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• Going to Blogs United conference? Time to register

  The Blogs United conference will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Christopher Newport University's David Student Union. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the humble registration fee of 15 bucks covers breakfast and lunch. This year’s conference features Rep. Rob Wittman, political beat writers Anita [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 9:43am EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• News from The Hill: "The South Has Won"

  I never got a chance to read it yesterday, but The Hill's Bernie Quigley has an interesting and entertaining election analysis that mentions Texas in passing but focuses on Virginia, with discussion of George Allen, Mark Warner, Jim Webb and Mudcat Saunders. It's called "The South Has Won." Democrats will [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 10:03am EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• A challenger for Bobby Scott?

  First the news, or at least the possibility of news, because the attribution is going to take a while: Coby Dillard, who worked on Bob McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign as the outreach person for veterans and African-Americans, may decide to challenge U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, next year. Dillard has [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 3:18pm EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• Breaking down the local results

  Taking a quick peek at the morning results from the Virgina Board of Elections Web site, the unofficial results paint a clear picture of where Bob McDonnell picked up the most votes in Upper Hampton Roads en route to his decisive win in yesterday's election. McDonnell killed Deeds in suburban [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 10:34am EST
  by Peter Frost

• Kaine reacts to Deeds' loss

  Gov. Timothy M. Kaine released a statement last night reacting to the GOP sweep in Virginia and incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine's loss in the New Jersey gubernatorial race. Kaine, the Democratic National Committee chair who will turn over the commonwealth's reins to Republican Bob McDonnell in January, immediately downplayed both [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 9:55am EST
  by Peter Frost

• Wednesday morning quarterback: McDonnell's winning strategy and why Deeds lost

  The analysis of why Republican Bob McDonnell convincingly defeated Democrat Creigh Deeds has begun. Chris Cillizza over at the Washington Post has a few interesting tidbits over on his blog, The Fix. Among the highlights: Suburban voters in Virginia moved to the GOP 55 percent to 44 percent. McDonnell killed [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 8:53am EST
  by Peter Frost

• Hamilton concedes in House race

  Republican Del. Phil Hamilton conceded the House race to Democrat Robin Abbott shortly before 9 p.m. according to Abbott's campaign. Arguably the most powerful lawmaker in Hampton Roads, Hamilton is a well known fundraiser who wielded significant clout in Richmond as a budget negotiator and the ranking Republican on the [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 10:09pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• AP calls Oder over West

  The Associated Press just declared Republican Del. Glenn Oder the winner over Democratic challenger Gary West in the 94th House of Delegates District. According to the State Board of Elections, with 80 percent of the vote counted, Oder had a lead of 68 percent to 32 percent. [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:39pm EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• McDonnell victory speech at 9:30 p.m.

  Republican Bob McDonnell will deliver his victory speech at 9:30 p.m. tonight from Richmond. Again the speech can be viewed by going to McDonnell's campaign website www.bobmcdonnell.com. [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:29pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Republican Governors Association welcomes a new member...

  Here's the full statement from the RGA. “Bob McDonnell’s victory gives Republicans tremendous momentum heading into 2010,” said RGA Chairman Haley Barbour. “Virginia is an important swing state that had been trending blue for twelve years.” “Bob McDonnell proves that when Republicans campaign on solutions to the challenges on voters’ [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:22pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Update on Peninsula House races ...

  91st District -- 54 percent of the vote Republican Del. Tom Gear: 54 percent Independent Gordon Helsel: 23 percent Democrat Sam Eure: 23 percent 93rd District -- 33 percent of the vote Democrat Robin Abbott: 59 percent Republican Del. Phil Hamilton: 41 percent 94th District -- 55 percent of the [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:17pm EST
  by Hugh Lessig

• AP calls it for McDonnell

  Here's the AP report: Republican Bob McDonnell has easily won the Virginia governor's race just a year after the state went overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama and the Democrats. Unofficial results show the former attorney general defeating Creigh (kree) Deeds and returning a Republican to the governor's office for the [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• Latest from the 93rd ....

  Democratic challenger Robin Abbott continues her lead over Republican Del. Phil Hamilton of Newport News. Returns are still early. With 4 of 15 precincts reporting: Abbott: 2,208 Hamilton: 1,336 [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:53pm EST
  by Hugh Lessig

• GOP's top three maintaining huge lead

  Update from the State Board of Elections: With 311 precincts (out of 2,516) reporting: McDonnell 64%, Deeds 36% Bolling 62%, Wagner 38% Cuccinelli 63%, Shannon 37% [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:40pm EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• Early Returns from the 93rd House District Race

  According to the State Board of Elections: Democrat Robin Abbott: 1,161 votes Republican Del. Phil Hamilton, 419 votes That's with only two precincts reporting, and these look like Democratic friendly precincts, so keep watching. [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:39pm EST
  by Hugh Lessig

• Kaine hits Larry King Live tonight and makes the morning rounds on TV....

  Virginia voters who want to get a real clear look at how the White House and national Democrats are reacting to the Virginia governor's race should take down Gov. Timothy M. Kaine schedule over the next 12 hours. Kaine serves as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is also [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:34pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• McDonnell, Bolling take big early lead

  This just in from Associated Press: 35 of 2,516 precincts Robert McDonnell, GOP 23,635 - 67 percent. R. Creigh Deeds, Dem 11,389 - 33 percent. Lieutenant Governor. 36 of 2,516 precincts Bill Bolling, GOP (i) 21,754 - 65 percent. Jody Wagner, Dem 11,671 - 35 percent. Update: According to AP [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:30pm EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• With no Obama on the ticket, Southeastern Community's turnout low

  A year ago in southeastern Newport News, where the population is largely African-American, lines of voters began forming before dawn, snaking around public schools and spilling into parking lots.Some waited for as long as two hours in a cold, steady rain to cast ballots for Barack Obama, who became the [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 5:41pm EST
  by Peter Frost

• Voters and schools compete for space

  Unlike during the 2008 Presidential elections, schools were in session this Election Day, leading to a handful of problems across Hampton Roads voting precincts.Poll workers at two Newport News precincts located inside public schools reported problems accommodating both voters and students today, including an incident where a woman backed her [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 5:13pm EST
  by Peter Frost

• Five things to watch in Virginia election.....

  Politico has five things for political wonks to watch on Election Day in Virginia, and it appears as though the most important thing to be tracking is the clock. With Republican Bob McDonnell's double digit leads over Democrat Creigh Deeds, most pollsters are calling for the race to be over [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 3:51pm EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Turnout heavy in 93rd District

  A steady flow of voters lined up at Newport News precincts included in the 93rd District today, as voters weighed in on the hotly contested race between embattled incumbent Del. Phil Hamilton and political newcomer Robin Abbott.The Watkins Precinct logged more than 700 votes as of 1 p.m., representing about [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 3:40pm EST
  by Peter Frost

• Palin making unrequested robo-calls for McDonnell campaign?

  Strange short item on the Washington Post website this morning about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin recording campaign phone calls for Republican Bob McDonnell. But apparently McDonnell's team had nothing to do with them? From Anita Kumar: Tucker Martin, a spokesman for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, said Palin's calls [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 11:22am EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Consumer Litigation Associates puts another $45,000 into Abbott's campaign..

  Len Bennett's deep pockets shelled out another $45,000 over the weekend for Democrat Robin Abbott's bid to knock of Del. Phil Hamilton. The Hamilton v. Abbott race looks to be coming down to the wire in the district that Hamilton has represented for years, but one that actually breaks pretty [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 11:14am EST
  by Kimball Payne

• Deeds, McDonnell et al have a full final day

  Here's the last-day campaign schedule. Democrat Creigh Deeds is holding four rallies, and will be traveling with Gov. Tim Kaine, LG candidate Jody Wagner and AG candidate Steve Shannon: 8:30 a.m. -- Roanoke Noon -- Charlottesville 2:30 p.m. -- Richmond 7 p.m. -- Alexandria Republican Bob McDonnell will hold three [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 10:00am EST
  by Dave Hendrickson

• GOP rally in Williamsburg Saturday, Dems rally in Hampton on Sunday....

  Republican are rallying in Williamsburg on Saturday near the tail end of a major statewide barnstorming tour. Republicans Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli will all be on hand: 3:45pm Rally at the James City County Victory Office 5251 John Tyler Highway Williamsburg. Meanwhile, Democrats Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 2:39pm EDT
  by Kimball Payne

• Democratic NN mayor Joe Frank pens letter for Del. Phil Hamilton....

  Newport News Mayor Joe Frank has written a letter to city voters in support of Republican Del. Phil Hamilton is his re-election race against Democratic Robin Abbott. Frank, a Democrat, has been backing Hamilton for a long time, but the letter lays out the stakes pretty clearly in the race. [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 2:32pm EDT
  by Kimball Payne

• Barack Obama pens letter to Virginia voters - more than 330,000 of them

  Democrats are trying to make sure that Virginia voters outside of Hampton Roads know that President Barack Obama is behind Creigh Deeds' run for Virginia governor. Obama hit Norfolk this week to stir up some excitement for Deeds campaign against Republican Bob McDonnell and now he's hitting about 330,000 Virginians' [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 2:25pm EDT
  by Kimball Payne

• McDonnell and Deeds launch new campaign ads, send around Obama video

  Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds are rolling out their final campaign ads for the gubernatorial election stressing the positive. Here's McDonnell's ad called Hope: Here's Deeds final ad titled Win: And here's the newest video shooting around the web thanks to Deeds campaign. The Democrats are clearly trying [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 5:21pm EDT
  by Kimball Payne

• Romney won't endorse in New York's 23rd district race....

  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he would not endorse the Republican candidate in the special election to fill New York's 23rd District seat. The statement adds weight to the GOP frenzy surrounding the special election in upstate New York. Republicans across the country are eying NY's 23 [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 3:48pm EDT
  by Kimball Payne

• VCU poll shows McDonnell with 18 point lead

  This just in from Virginia Commonwealth University: In the final days of the gubernatorial campaign, Robert McDonnell holds an 18-point margin over his Democratic opponent, Creigh Deeds, among likely voters in Virginia, according to a new statewide survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University. The Commonwealth Poll finds 54 percent of [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 1:18pm EDT
  by Dave Hendrickson

• McDonnell rallies with Mitt Romney at Virginia Beach oceanfront...

  Sure Democrats brought in the president, but Republican Bob McDonnellis slowly but surely attracting bigtime Republicans to his side during this campaign. This afternoon McDonnell will rally in Virginia Beach with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a one-time presidential contender in 2008, who eventually dropped out of the contest. When [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 10:52am EDT
  by Kimball Payne