Bob McDonnell

Richmond, Virginia

Politico reports that Virginia governor Bob McDonnell would be "very interested" in the Republican vice presidential slot:

With solid poll ratings as a swing state governor, McDonnell is already drawing attention as a possible GOP vice-presidential prospect in 2012. And in an extended interview in his office here, the Virginia governor expressed interest in the number two spot on the national ticket.

Virginia governor Bob McDonnell sat down with Byron York this morning to discuss "the country’s budgetary battle – one that reflects the local lessons learned in Virginia – and an examination of the tough choices that lie ahead." The event was hosted by e21 and the Manhattan Institute. Here's video of the event: 

Virginia governor Bob McDonnell will sit down for a conversation with Byron York tomorrow at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The event is being hosted by e21 and the Manhattan Institute. Here are the details: 

The Washington Post reports on Virginia governor Bob McDonnell's plan to privatize the state's liquor stores:

My native Virginia does extremely well in the latest Forbes rankings of the nation's wealthiest counties. As the Washington Examiner points out, 12 of Forbes's 25 most prosperous counties are in the Washington Metro area. Who says public service doesn't pay?

Joking aside, the transformation of the DC area over the last several decades is absolutely stunning. As recently as the beginning of the Reagan presidency, outer Fairfax County, where I grew up, was a relative backwater. Now the growth stretches west beyond Loudoun County (the wealthiest county in the nation) and south beyond Prince William County (fourteenth on the Forbes list) and even Stafford County (number twelve). Some people --they may be insane -- commute to work in D.C. from as far away as beautiful Charlottesville. And there's no end in sight. Some folks in Fairfax County want to incorporate the million-person entity as one big city. One day in the future, it will make little sense to distinguish between the Washington metro area and the Richmond metro area. They will have fused.

This is great news, both in practice and symbolically. The new governor of Virginia aimed to save $40,000 from his transition budget, but managed to save the taxpayers $80,000 through a system of scrimping that taxpayers will no doubt appreciate during these tough times:

The grungy office space, used supplies and limited freshening of the official gubernatorial quarters paid off...

As the Obama administration pulls the plug on hosting KSM's trial in Manhattan, Virginia governor Bob McDonnell makes clear he doesn't want the trial to be moved to his state. Jennifer Rubin gets this statement from the McDonnell's spokesman:

The governor is adamantly opposed to that trial taking place in Virginia. He has been unequivocal in his opposition to any trials of Guantanamo Bay detainees taking place in the Commonwealth. He will continue to make his strong opposition clear, and will work with Virginia’s congressional delegation to prevent any Guantanamo Bay detainees from setting foot in Virginia.

It increasingly looks like the best idea is to try KSM et al. in a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay.

Last night Virginia governor Bob McDonnell delivered the GOP response to President Obama's State of the Union address. It was the third time in five years that a Virginian delivered the response to a State of the Union--clearly Virginia is an electoral battleground! You can read a transcript of McDonnell's speech here, in case Obama put you to sleep before McDonnell appeared on television.

It's one of the hallmarks of recent promising Republican campaigns to take an Obamaesque approach to attacking opponents.