Below The Beltway

For months while the Democratic candidates for Virginia Governor fought it out, Republican nominee Bob McDonnell was sitting pretty. He had no opposition for the GOP nomination, poll after poll showed him leading regardless of which Democrat he was matched up against, and he enjoyed a significant fundraising advantage.
Now that Virginia Democrats have chosen their [...]

Virginia Senator Jim Webb thinks that we should consider reforming marijuana laws as part of an overall reform of criminal justice:
The leader of a congressional effort to reform the criminal justice system said Thursday that all issues — including drug legalization — need to be on the table.
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who has made criminal [...]

So far, the news is looking very good for Virginia Republicans this year:
Republican Bob McDonnell has lengthened his lead on all three Democratic hopefuls in the race to be Virginia’s next governor, but it’s a long way to Election Day.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds the closest race is between McDonnell, [...]

Any hope that the Frederick imbroglio would come to an end now that Jeff Frederick has been removed as RPV Chairman are pretty much out the window:
RICHMOND, April 6 — Ousted Virginia Republican leader Jeffrey M. Frederick said Monday he will probably run for party chairman again in May, setting up another clash with the [...]

In the end, it wasn’t even close:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Republican Party Chairman Jeff Frederick was ousted Saturday after a troubled 10-month tenure capped by devastating losses in last year’s elections.
The state party’s governing central committee voted 57-18 to remove Frederick after key Virginia Republican elected officials and top party leaders called for him [...]

The guys over at Bearing Drift are liveblogging the RPV State Central Committee proceedings down in Richmond today.
Also, Shaun Kenney offers his final thoughts on the case against Jeff Frederick.
H/T: Riley
         

By the end of the day today, the fate of one man, and the entire Republican Party of Virginia, will be clearer:
From the moment Jeffrey M. Frederick plunged into politics, he impressed people as a young Republican in a hurry. Now, Frederick, who was only 32 when he seized the top spot in the Republican [...]

In a truly bizarre twist, the people behind the plot to oust Jeff Fredrick as RPV Chairman have admitted they don’t even know who they want to succeed him:
In the coming weeks, there will undoubtedly be a confrontation between Frederick and his enemies before the State Central Committee. The chairman has made it clear he [...]

One of the Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor is taking some rather unusual legal steps against a Hampton Roads blogger:
Hurling homophobic and racial slurs, an unidentified blogger has launched an Internet attack on lieutenant governor candidate Pat Edmonson.
Campaign officials said the barbs began with e-mails sent in recent weeks and have migrated to an anti-Edmonson [...]

It looks like your property taxes will be going down:
Prince William County homeowners, at ground zero of the local foreclosure crisis, would receive the biggest reduction in property tax bills in the Washington suburbs under a measure approved yesterday.
Most local governments are raising tax rates to offset the effects of the sagging housing market. The [...]