Dave Poisson, running against Dick Black the 32nd district, had an extraordinary announcement today: Some of the leading associations in the country — including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — will host a fund raising reception for Dave. The release is here.
It’s part of a broader picture. It may well be that national business groups, concerned about the lack of investment in basic infrastructure and the deficit spending of the Bush administration, are looking down the ballot to where the fight for basic services has been driven — the states. No doubt that states are picking up costs that the feds no longer can handle. In Virginia as elsewhere, the battle then is to prevent the state from pushing the costs on to localities.
It may well be, too, given Black’s extreme social agenda [Disclosure], that moderate Republicans, of which I’m sure there is at least a few in the U.S. Chamber, think things are going too far.
Poisson is a businessman and a moderate Democrat. It seems unusual for several national associations to get involved in a state race like this. But maybe there are more Republicans than we can imagine who say enough is enough.
Try Googling some of the names on the host committee.