George Allen co-chairs bipartisan Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced today that former Sens. <b>Blanche Lincoln</b> (D-AR) and <b>George Allen </b>(R-VA) will co-chair the Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative, an effort aimed at examining and highlighting the competitiveness challenges facing manufacturers.<br /><br />The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 12 million men and women, contributes more than $1.8 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for two-thirds of private-sector research and development. NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.<br /><br />Among the first challenges the bipartisan partnership will take on are the impact of unnecessarily burdensome regulations on manufacturers. “Our regulatory system is too often incoherent, unaccountable and in desperate need of reform,” said Allen. “As governor, I witnessed firsthand the impact that regulations can have on a growing economy and small businesses in particular. In Virginia, we took a collaborative approach to protecting public health, ensuring the safety of working men and women and safeguarding the environment without hindering growth. We enacted commonsense policies that eliminated duplicative and complex regulations and embraced smart, innovative ways to achieve shared goals.”<br /><br />“We must continually strive to keep the United States as the best place in the world to manufacture, innovate and attract investment, but all too often, government policies on regulation, litigation, energy and taxes stand in our way,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair Doug Oberhelman. “Senators Allen and Lincoln have a long history of reaching across the aisle to find pro-growth, pro-business solutions, and I look forward to their efforts to help strengthen manufacturing.”<br /><br />“As senator, I heard from manufacturers and small business owners about the impact of inconsistent and uncertain regulatory policy,” said Lincoln. “We can do better as a nation. To unleash the creative spirit of America’s entrepreneurs, we need a commonsense regulatory system that encourages innovation and investment. An American economy with a simple and streamlined regulatory system would be the envy of the world. I look forward to examining ways in which both parties can work together to address this important issue.”<br /><br />Lincoln and Allen will work with the NAM and its members to advance a manufacturing agenda that is focused on real priorities and reforms unnecessary impediments to growth.<br /><br /><i>--Press release from NAM</i>

bipartisan Blanche Lincoln George Allen NAM National Association of Manufacturers George Allen co-chairs bipartisan Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced today that former Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and George Allen (R-VA) will co-chair the Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative, an effort aimed at examining and highlighting the competitive…

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Bolling, Sabato hit Twitter, FB with Va gubernatorial frustrations

Virginia's gubernatorial campaign took another interesting turn on Friday as two powerful political pundits took to social media to express frustration with the candidates and the state of both campaigns.<br /><br />Sinking further into the muck, the past week saw the Cuccinelli campaign accusing McAuliffe of saying something he didn't while news broke that McAuliffe's former GreenTech company has come under SEC scrutiny.<br /><br />It was almost possible to hear the exasperation in University of Virginia Professor Larry Sabato's voice Friday afternoon as he <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=Larry%20Sabato&src=typd">tweeted</a>:<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just re-checked my VA Constitution. Requirements for GOV do NOT include being controversial or seedy.<br />— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) <a href="https://twitter.com/LarrySabato/statuses/363348708491919360">August 2, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Sabato immediately followed that tweet with another referring to Virginia's Lieutenant Governor:<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Bill Bolling goofed big-time. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23VAGOV&src=hash">#VAGOV</a><br />— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) <a href="https://twitter.com/LarrySabato/statuses/363348904915378176">August 2, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Friday night the <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/">Lieutenant Governor</a> himself took to <a href="https://twitter.com/lgbillbolling/status/363473020356005888">Twitter</a> and Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bollingva?hc_location=stream">here</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/billbolling?hc_location=stream">here</a> (he has two FB pages) to express frustration about the current state of Virginia's governor's race. Bill Bolling posted:<br /><blockquote><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[32efj].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42097311}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span data-reactid=".r[32efj].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42097311}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[32efj].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42097311}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]"></span></span></span>I'm very frustrated by the current direction of the gubernatorial campaign. Instead of spending millions of dollars calling each other names, I'd like to see the candidates actually talk about the important issues facing our state. The people of Virginia deserve better than they are getting, and that's a bipartisan criticism.</blockquote>By Saturday morning he had received hundreds of thumbs ups from around the Commonwealth and, presumably, there were many more who did not publicly give their approval but were thinking it.<br /><br />Dozens left comments, some noting that they would be writing in Bill Bolling's name on the November ballot, a recurring theme that has come up in letters to the editor and conversations on the street. This comment from a supporter named Bill echoed those sentiments:<br /><blockquote><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[32efj].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42097311}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span data-reactid=".r[32efj].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42097311}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[32efj].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42097311}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]">I will be writing in Bill Bolling and I have lots of friends here in Goochland that will be doing the same.</span></span></span></blockquote>Another supporter pleaded:<br /><blockquote>Bill, it's not too late. Give us another choice. PLEASE!!!!!</blockquote>Commenter John looked at the election in a different light:<br /><blockquote><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5fr0p].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42098062}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span data-reactid=".r[5fr0p].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42098062}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5fr0p].[1][4][1]{comment10153084183635387_42098062}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]">If this were a job interview for a corporation, I was the hiring manager, and I was down to the two party's respective candidates as my final applicants, I would tell my Human Resource Department to leave the job posted, as I haven't found the right hire.</span></span></span></blockquote>That was the tone of most of the comments as voters expressed concerns, even suggesting Bolling 2017. The naysayers stopped by, too, like James who quipped:<br /><blockquote>It might be helpful if you constructively supported your party's nominee....</blockquote>To which Chris responded:<br /><blockquote>Well, it would have also been nice to have gotten to vote in a primary too, but that didn't happen either.</blockquote>Bottom line: there is definitely dissatisfaction among voters, something picked up on in Sunday's <i>News & Advance</i> editorial, <a href="http://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/editorials/article_be923a3a-fbaf-11e2-b11b-001a4bcf6878.html"><i>Cuccinelli, McAuliffe and the Split in the GOP</i></a>. With that said, we are still three months away from election day 2013.<br /><br />Cross-posted at <a href="http://www.politicalpineapple.com/">Va Political Pineapple</a>

Bill Bolling bipartisan facebook GreenTech Ken Cuccinelli Larry Sabato Lynchburg News and Advance Rt. 58 Terry McAuliffe Virginia gubernatorial race write-in campaign Bolling, Sabato hit Twitter, FB with Va gubernatorial frustrations

Virginia's gubernatorial campaign took another interesting turn on Friday as two powerful political pundits took to social media to express frustration with the candidates and the state of both campaigns.Sinking further into the muck, the past week s…

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