Bob McDonnell Campaign Kickoff!!!

Ok, so the weather around our beautiful Commonwealth has been dreary as of late to say the least. It seems that will continue through the weekend. So this Saturday, why not come on down to JR Tucker High School on Parham Rd. in Richmond to see Bob McDonnell kick off his campaign for Governor? It starts at 3 pm. Yours truly will be there along with several other students from VCU and other area colleges. There is a good crowd expected to be there.

Not only will Bob be in Richmond, but he will trekking across the entire state over several days. There's a good chance he's coming somewhere near you.

To find out more, all you have to do is go to:

BobMcDonnell.com will give you the list of all the events Bob McDonnell will be hosting over the next couple of weeks. They have several videos to watch, pictures to view, issues to read and a cool blogsite that features this very blog on its list :-)

It's starting to become a very exciting time in VA politics. So hop on now!

Take Care,

Lee Vogler

VA Jobless Rate Highest In 17 Years: Tim Kaine's Legacy?

Whether it's the 14% that are unemployed in Danville, VA or the 6% in Hampton Roads, the overall unemployment rate for the Commonwealth of Virginia is the highest it has been since 1992. As job loss continues to spread across the state, our current Governor, Tim Kaine, is hard at work. He's putting in countless hours. He's keeping late nights. So what's the problem you ask? The problem is that Kaine is not putting in this time towards helping VA's ailing economy. He's focusing his time almost entirely on being the Chairman of the Democratic Party. He's been a favorite talking head as of late with appearances on CNN and other programs, touting the great work he has done in VA and then goes on the attack against any and all Republicans across the country. You see, this is the new Tim Kaine. He has a job to do. His job is to pummel the GOP into the ground. His job is to promote the rise of the Democratic party. Oh, and in his spare time, he is the Governor of Virginia.

It wasn't too long ago I can remember being a teenager in Danville, and seeing Tim Kaine come down and campaign before his election in 2005. He promised to "bring a new economy" to the Southside area. He promised a job surplus. He promised a lot of things. Where are they now?

Besides signing into law that rediculus anti-smoking law, what has Kaine actually done for Virginia, particularly the Danville region? The answer is simple: NOTHING.

The factory jobs left Southside and the "new" economy has yet to come. The population is declining in the area, unemployment is soaring, and poverty is on the rise. What is Tim Kaine doing?

With all that being said, I get to my main point. Now that we know what the "Tim Kaine Legacy" is all about, why in the world would someone want to continue it? As strange as it seems, that is what all 3 Democrat contenders are promising to do. Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds have all stated that they intend to continue the "Warner/Kaine Legacy." Well, Mark Warner's success can be debated, but Tim Kaine? What legacy do you want to continue? Should we shoot for a national high in unemployment? Is that the goal? Should we restrict personal freedoms even more? Is that the plan? Completely destroy the heritage of this state? Is that the ultimate legacy we want to acheive?

We have a clear choice this November. We can continue to follow the same failed policies that has dragged Virginia down for the past few years, or we can vote for a new direction. We can vote for new ideas. We can vote for proven leadership. We can, and should, vote for Bob McDonnell.

My 200th Post: Bob McDonnell, VCU-UCLA recap and Twitter

Spring is here. It's heating up. So is the VA Governor's race. There is much contraversy surrounding a recent straw poll among Democrats where, apparently, candidate Terry McAuliffe bought almost 75% of the votes he received. I haven't done a ton of research into this, but I have seen several reports of this story. Many Democrats are becoming quite angry with McAuliffe, with regards to a recent ad he is running in which he praises Barack Obama and tries to align himself in that mold. The same Barack Obama that McAuliffe spent much of 2008 blasting from here to Puerto Rico. So what does this tell us about McAuliffe? Well we already know that he will do anything to raise money (wrestle an alligator)and so far it seems that he is willing to do, or say, anything to win as well.

On a side note, I recently attended the Young Professionals St. Patrick's Day celebration where Bob McDonnell mingled and then spoke to the crowd. After talking to Bob several times, I feel more and more each day that he is the right man to lead VA into the next 4 years. He has a calm, collected personality. He is VERY personable when talking to people, and on top of all that: he is VERY smart. I have know doubt that he can get the job done, and when compared to the likes of Terry McAuliffe: it's a no brainer.

I can say this with full certainty: young or old, rich or poor, Democrat or Republican; Bob McDonnell is the candidate for you.

In Twitter News.....

You can follow me on Twitter:
twitter.com/leevogler

Also check out these people:
twitter.com/bobmcdonnell
twiiter.com/secupp
twitter.com/andylevy

VCU vs UCLA

Well, what can I say: we lost. But we went down swinging. Facing the most storied college basketball program in history, VCU never looked overwhelmed and never gave up. Eric Maynor showed the grit and determination that will make him a first round draft pick in the NBA draft. He easily outplayed UCLA star Darren Collison. The combo of Aboya and Shipp for UCLA was too much for the Rams. Larry Sanders got into foul trouble early in the game, and wasn't much of a factor until the 2nd half. The Rams also missed some free throws and had some giveaways that added to their woes. Despite all of this, they were in position to win the game in the final seconds. Down by one, the ball was in Eric Maynor's hands. VCU fans were recalling memories of when he downed Duke 2 years ago in the NCAA tourney in the final seconds of the game. This time, however, it was not meant to be. Maynor tried to drive to the basket but was cut off by Collison, which forced Maynor to take an off balance shot at the buzzer that fell just short of the basket.

Final Score: UCLA 65. VCU 64.

I just want to say that I am VERY proud of the team VCU had this year. They played hard and they made a name for themselves, and from what I hear Lil Wayne is apparently a fan now too.

200th Post

Thanks to EVERYONE who has ever stopped by to read this little blog. I never imagined that I would still be doing this, but I absolutely love it. So here's to the next 200......

Take Care,

Lee vogler

Now The Time Has Come

My friends,

I write this note at a time of great uncertainty. People are uncertain about their jobs. People are uncertain about their homes. People are uncertain about their future and security. People are, quite simply, uncertain. Not just in the Commonwealth, but across this great nation, as well. Our government has failed us on every level. The Federal Government has certainly failed us, and in many cases, our local governments have failed us also.

It is in these times of uncertainty that we, as a society, must pull together and strive for the common good. Our communities, and our country, have seen dark times before. But we, like our predecessors, will find strength in each other and work together to find the solutions we need. It is from the collective strength of the American people that our society will find success. There are some who want you to believe that Government is the solution to our problems. To them, I quote a statement that is more relevant today than the date on which it was given: “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Ronald Reagan’s words have never rang more true.

We need to remind our elected officials that they work for us and not the other way around. Many people within our government have become drunk with power and greed. They have become more concerned with serving special interest groups and corporate fat-cats, as opposed to serving the individual people that have worked hard to make this country what it is today.

Now the time has come for Americans to decide the fate of our country. This truly is, “A Time for Choosing.” We, as Americans, must choose. Will we allow America to continue to decline into despair? Or will we demand more from our government and our leaders? Will we return to the principles and values that have allowed us to thrive for nearly 300 years? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. The ball is in our court. We hold the fate of this country in our hands. Now is not the time to feel helpless or powerless. We are the future of this country, but more importantly, we are the present of this country, as well. What we decide now will determine the livelihood for future generations. We hold the key to this country’s success. Now the question is: What will we do with it?

It is my hope that Americans will decide to pursue a course that promotes individual freedoms and liberties. I believe that all people have a desire to be free and a desire to be represented equally. If elected officials or government bureaucrats stand in the way of these freedoms, then they need to step aside, or be removed. For far too long, politicians have used their position to promote their own agenda, in spite of what is best for the community as a whole. To those people I say, “Step aside.” Now the time has come for a movement that demands accountability; a movement that demands improvement; and a movement that demands success.

The point is simple: We can do better; we should do better; and if we make the right choices starting today; we will do better!

Thank you so much for your time. I hope to hear from some of you and wish the best for all of you. Look to the future, reach for the stars and live a life that is far from ordinary.

Take Care,

Lee Vogler

VCU vs UCLA

Welcome to the dance, VCU!! After an amazing showing in the CAA tournament, culminating in their dominating win over George Mason in the championship game, VCU now finds itself as an 11th seed in the NCAA Tourney. Their first opponent? UCLA. The very same UCLA Bruins that have won a record 11 national titles and appeared in the Final Four, the previous 3 seasons in a row. Talk about an opportunity.

Now I will admit to being a life long fan of the Bruins and have picked them to win it all the past 3 years. Granted, they came up short, but they were impressive nonetheless. This year, however, I am 100% pulling for my Rams. It was incredibly exciting storming the court after the game last week, and beating UCLA in round one of the NCAA tourney would be exhilerating to say the least. It won't be easy though.

UCLA, while not as strong this year, still boasts a talented trio of seniors, including superstar point guard Darren Collison. VCU has their own ultra-talented senior point guard in Eric Maynor. Collison vs Maynor will be a highly watched matchup as both players are predicted to go in the first round of this year's NBA draft. The key for VCU, will be the play of sophomore phenom Larry Sanders. If the 6'10'' giant can smash down dunks and grab rebounds the way he did in the CAA tourney, UCLA will have their hands full. Sanders went off on George Mason, nailing 18 points, 20 rebounds and 7 blocked shots.

Both the Bruins and the Rams feature stifling defenses. They both play a gritty, scrappy style of game and whoever can make the open shots (there won't be many) will likely win the game.

I'm looking foward to this Thursday night showdown in Philly.

My prediction: VCU 61, UCLA 57

Any thoughts?


-Lee Vogler

I Urge Danville, VA City Council Members to REJECT the Pork from Washington

Today, the Senate passed yet another "economic stimulus" bill. A bill that is loaded with over 9000 earmarks. A bill that is about to be signed by the President who pledged to abolish earmarks for good. The list of atrocious pork barrell projects in this bill is long enough to wrap around the city of Danville itself. However, Danville itself is involved with this mess. Yes, it's true.

$95,000 of this monster-sized bill are being appropriated to Danville, VA for the "extension of the River Walk trail." As many of you know, Danville is my home town and where most of my family and friends still live. It is where I plan to return when completing VCU. I know first-hand what the River Walk trail is. It's a very nice area for people to go and enjoy the outdoors. It's a pretty good luxury of the town. However, at a time when unemployment is running rampant, ESPECIALLY in Danville, we need to be focusing on job-creation, NOT longer walking trails. Recently, it was reported that Danville sports the 3rd highest unemployment rise in the entire country. Everyday, we have seen more and more businesses close.

I cannot and will not endorse this type of "economic recovery." As a concerned citizen, I heavily urge the members of Danville's city council to REJECT this money. Sure, we would all love to see the riverwalk extended, but not at the expense of federal taxpayer dollars, and CERTAINLY not at a time when people are looking for jobs more than exercise locations.

If Danville does not reject the funds outright, then council members should request to allocate the money to other areas of need. That $95,000 could be used for things such as road repairs, employment incentives, etc.

Now is the time for Danville's members to show leadership and integrity. I certainly hope they do not fail us this time, as they have done on other occassions recently.

-Lee Vogler

Join the Fight!!

If you have read my blog before and like what you have seen and read, then please join my cause on Facebook. You can follow me there and help me fight against wrongdoing in government and help me turn the city of Danville, VA around.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lee-Vogler/45277983007?ref=ts



You can also follow me on twitter at:

http://twitter.com/leevogler



Thank you and take care.

Lee Vogler

Points for the Week: McDonnell Prepares Campaign Launch, Dems Overblow Rush and Snow turns to Sun

McDonnell Launches Campaign

As the weather begins to heat up (or at least it usually does) so does the intensity of a political campaign. VA's governor's race is no different. Virginians have already been treated to a flurry of ads from Democratic contender Terry McAuliffe, as well as appearances from McAuliffe and his other two Democrat contenders, Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran. Yet, with all this going on, former Attorney General and Republican nominee Bob McDonnell has quietly put together a strong coalition of support that has him ahead in early poll numbers. Those numbers may continue to improve as McDonnell plans to officially launch his campaign on March 28 with a statewide blitz that will have him appearing across the state, unveiling his new ideas to lead Virginia into growth and prosperity.

For more information, please visit:
www.bobmcdonnell.com


In other news....

In cased you missed it (and I'm sure you didn't), Rush Limbaugh gave a spirited speech at the closing of CPAC this past weekend that has drawn strong emotions from all sides. First of all, I was there in person to witness the speech. With that being said, I personally didn't see anything wrong with his speech. Perhaps I need to go back and analyze every word and every body movement the way some Democrats have, to fully understand what he was saying. Personally, I believe Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer who happens to share many of the ideas that we, as Republicans, do. Does that mean he speaks for all of us? No, absolutely not. Does that mean we should cast him aside as nothing more than propaganda? No, we shouldn't. The thing that really gets me is how much of a big deal some people are making this into. I was there. The speech was very exciting. However, I did not think we would still be seeing clips from it and talking about it 5 days later. Especially not in the context that it is being portrayed with. Then again, I guess I should have known better. These are the same people who exhaulted Barack Obama, publicly stoned Sarah Palin, walked over John McCain, and now are trying to knock down Bobby Jindal before he ever even gets a chance. When will Americans learn to think for themselves? Because, God knows, the media is sure doing a heck of a job conditioning people in what to believe.

Wacky Weather....Again

Well my wish came true. I moved to Richmond nearly 2 years ago and have wished for a real snow ever since. I had nearly given up. I just assumed the pollution ate through most of the snow before it hit the ground. I guess I was wrong. Richmond, along with most of VA, was buried in several inches of snow early this week and has yet to see it fully leave until this evening. I loved getting the snow. Monday's classes at VCU were cancelled and I felt like Tuesday's should have been at LEAST delayed, but oh well. College Students were running all around Monroe Park Campus throwing snowballs, making snowmen and just sliding around. I must admit that I was one of them. It felt good. But just as soon as I broke out the gloves and hot chocolate, the weather is warming up again. Today was in the 60s and this weekend is supposed to top 70 degrees. Global Warming? Maybe just global craziness....


Take Care,

Lee Vogler

CPAC: In Review and Barack "Jimmy Carter" Obama

Well fellow bloggers and those of the like, I have had some time to take the entire CPAC experience in now, and here are my thoughts:

First of all, S.E. Cupp (who is pictured with me here) should have her own show on TV. She has been amazing everytime I've seen her on Red Eye and other shows, and her book, "Why You're Wrong About the Right", is absolutely genius. I got to chat with her for a couple of minutes at CPAC and got a signed copy of her book with co-author Brett Joshpe. Both of them were very cool. You can check out S.E's blog here: http://red-secupp.blogspot.com/



And with that, I'll continue my review. Granted I was not there on Thursday, so I missed speeches by Mike Huckabee and others, but my award to best speech goes to Rush Limbaugh, hands down. Admittedly, I have never been his biggest fan, and will not claim to be avidly following his radio program now, but his closing speech at CPAC was nothing short of brilliant. He defined who we are and what we stand for as good as anyone I've heard since Reagan. His speech tore the house down, and I was right there along with it. (In fact, my friends and I started the "RUSH!" chant at the beginning of the speech. Rush's speech is sure to draw fire from the far left as they begin to see a sign of what is to come. The truth is being told. The veil is being lifted. Barack Obama and his liberal allies in the Senate will not be able to run this country into the ground and get away with it. Being at CPAC this year (which was the largest one in it's 35+ year history) I could feel something happening. I could feel a movement beginning. And for those of you who think that Barack Obama has a stronghold on the youth of America, of the roughly 9000 people who attended CPAC this year, over half of them were between the ages of 18 and 25. The future is bright for our party. This is not the end, it's only the beginning. The times are very similar to those of 1977, when Jimmy Carter (Obama's hero) was in office. Carter was elected in the wake of the corruption and failures from the previous Republican administration under Nixon/Ford. Anyone could have won that election and yet, Carter still won by only a marginal amount. Fast foward to last year, when Obama stepped into a cake walk of a situation running against the Bush administration and the negative public perception that followed it. Obama did not run against John McCain, he didn't need to. He ran as the anti-Bush and that is how he won. And even with Bush's approval rating at around 30% at that time, Obama only garnered 53% of the electorate. There were still 56 million people who voted for McCain, or against Obama. However you choose to look at it, it's not that impressive.

Back to the Carter analogy. Carter ran this country into the ground during his tenure by destroying our oil market, promoting weak foreign policy, making inflation rampant, expanding government with failed and wasteful programs and showing no leadership. As the frustration grew, conservatives and many others began to see that America could never survive under this "leadership." They turned to proven ideas and someone who could lead this country and make it strong once more. They turned to Ronald Reagan, and thus the Reagan Revolution was born. And today I see that beginning to happen all over again. Conservatives have already had enough of Obama, who has already proposed more spending in his month in office, than ALL of the years this country has existed COMBINED! Beyond them, however, we see other Americans already showing displeasure with the way Obama has totally mismanaged this economic situation by promoting that godawful Spending/Stimulus bill. Never in this world's history, has a country spent it's way out of a recession the way that Obama plans to do it. It has failed everytime, yet Obama is destined to repeat this failure. He is spending money that doesn't belong to him and it does not belong to you and I. He is spending money that has not even been earned yet. He is spending our children and grandchildren's money. He is leaving them with a debt that may never be repayed.

And Iraq. What happened to his promises on Iraq? During his campaign he said that he would get all troops out of Iraq immediately. Now he says that there could be as many as 50,000 troops still in Iraq until 2012. What? That doesn't quite add up does it? On top of that, he plans to double the troop amount in Afghanistan, while still leaving that many troops in Iraq. How is he going to achieve this? As I said many times last year, Barack Obama does not, nor apparently will he ever, understand foreign policy. Unfortunately, his naivety may cost the lives of thousands of Americans. He is closing GITMO, and removing our missile defense system. He is promising to "reach out" to the leaders of places like Iran, while at the same time talking tough to places that have been our allies, such as Pakistan. He is displaying weakness to the countries that wish to harm us, and recklessness to the countries we need on our side. Sound familiar to you?

All last year we heard Obama stating that no longer would America indulge in the "politics of fear." He heavily criticized President Bush for supposedly using scare tactics to get Americans to go along with his foreign policy. Doesn't it seem to you like Obama is now the one using scare tactics to get Americans to go along with his economic policies? How many times have we heard him use the words "crisis" and "disaster" in the past few weeks? He continually compares today's economy to that of the Great Depression. Once again, Obama knows nothing about history. First of all, this situation is nowhere near as severe as that one was. Second, this is not even the worst recession since then. Ronald Reagan inherited a terrible recession economy in the early 80s. You know who left him that recession? You guessed it: Jimmy Carter. Did Reagan put together a $800 billion spending bill to help the economy? No, he lowered taxes on Americans and allowed them to stimulate the economy. He allowed businesses to blossom and grow. He limited restrictions and encouraged growth and prosperity. He did not hammer us with talk of gloom and disaster, but he told us that we would recover and we would thrive once more. And thrive we did. We saw an economic boom like no other for many years, and continued to see the effects of Reaganomics well into Clinton's first term. But Obama does not understand this. Instead of following the example of the solution, he is destined to follow the example of the problem and the man who he most resembles: Jimmy Carter.

I will give a more CPAC exclusive post later this week with several photos and my thoughts on Mitt Romney's speech and much more. Until then...

Take Care.

Lee Vogler