Jeb Wilkinson to join McDonnell administration

~Department of Conservation and Recreation Deputy Director ~

It was good news when I read the latest round of appointees for the McDonnell administration and saw Jeb Wilkinson's name. They included the official bio, including the fact he is a Navy veteran, but I know Jeb from working with him.

Jeb came on my radar during the 2004 George W. Bush reelection campaign. We had probably crossed paths before that but that is when he cemented himself and remained.

I was the Bush campaign coordinator for the SWAC area in 2004. Because it was the first presidential election after 9/11, we suspected it would be busy so opened GOP headquarters in August (the SWAC area has notoriously opened their headquarters in September before an election). We were amazed and overwhelmed at the sheer numbers of people who came to HQs looking for Bush signs, bumper stickers, literature -- anything to show they were not for John Kerry and the Democrats.

I met Jeb when ordering Bush materials from Richmond, driving over to pick them up and sitting in Jeb's office talking. He went out of his way to help in anyway he could, providing what I wanted (we didn't have enough materials to get everything we needed) and then some.

It's because of Jeb that I met Ann Coulter when she was in Richmond the weekend after election day in November 2004. She was a fantastic speaker and an overall nice person who posed even in the ladies room while combing her hair when someone asked to get a photo of her. That's patience.

Jeb and I have often crossed paths throughout the years since as he's been involved in politics at one level or another. Gov. McDonnell is getting a good, hard-working man in Jeb Wilkinson.

Official announcement:

Jeb Wilkinson served in the Administration of President George W. Bush at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2006 to 2009 as Chief of Staff to the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) at DOL and as a senior aide to Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

Wilkinson served in the Administration of former Governor James Gilmore as a policy analyst in the Department of Human Resource Management where he authored articles for the state employee newspaper Commonwealth Currents and coordinated the Governors Service Awards program in 2001.

From 1985 to 1990 he served in the United States Navy where he was a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO). He served onboard both USS Farragut (DDG-37) where he was the Gunnery Officer and USS Nassau (LHA-4) where he served as Electronic Warfare Officer and as a Public Affairs Officer.

Congratulations, Jeb!

Ken Cuccinelli Wants to See 'Climate' Data

Virginia Attorney General Requests Michael Mann's Data

Rightside Virginia [click to read] brings further evidence of Cuccinelli's tireless efforts to protect the good people of Virginia from the overreach of the federal government. If the global warming hoax is going to lead to job killing legislation and regulation, isn't it reasonable to ask to see the numbers?

Obviously the ACLU and Democrat James Moran don't think so.


Polar bear populations are increasing.

Yeardley Love death ... domestic violence will always be with us?

George Huguely V and Yeardley Love.

Two weeks ago today the news of Yeardley Love's death shattered the University of Virginia campus and, as further details emerged of the brutal way in which she died, many began to talk about domestic violence and the need to do something about it.

It is easy to wonder how such a beautiful young lady as Ms. Love, 22, could be caught up in a controlling relationship with her former boyfriend, George Huguely V, 22. They were the children of wealthy families ... their lives were not supposed to end like this.

Huguely has been charged with the murder of Ms. Love after she was found by her roommate with her head bashed, reportedly after being beaten against the wall by Huguely. She was found dead by police on her bed face down in a pool of blood. Stories have since revealed Huguely to be a young man full of anger who had previous encounters with police.

Sadly, domestic violence will probably always be with us. Thirty years ago when I was the age of Ms. Love, domestic violence became more public as women stepped out from behind closed doors to find themselves in a community of others suffering the same abuse.

Shelters for battered women and children began setting up throughout the nation. In 1984, Farrah Fawcett starred in a TV movie called "The Burning Bed" about a woman so abused by her husband that she eventually set fire to his bed. Women were educated about men who dominated them and took away their self esteem.

Even the University of Virginia set up a Women's Center to help young women students. Though there is no indication that Yeardley Love sought their help, the website features a memorial to her and a reminder of what they offer. Of particular note is their Red Flag Campaign that was begun in 1996 encouraging young women to recognize signs of physical, emotional, mental abuse, and isolation:

Emotional Abuse
Excessive Jealousy
Isolation
Victim-Blaming
Coercion
Sexual Assault
Stalking (victim)
Stalking (perpetrator)
Healthy Relationship vs. Dating Violence

Dr. Dale Archer, a Fox News commentator, writes that Ms. Love's death is a wake-up call to domestic violence but, as we see, those wake-up calls have been out there. Sometimes those directly involved in the violence are the last to recognize the signs.

As even more details come out about Huguely, the UVA women's lacrosse team moves on even as they remember their fallen teammate, winning the first game in the NCAA tournament that began last weekend. The UVA men's lacrosse team continues defending their #1 status ... students are completing exams as seniors prepare to graduate this Sunday ... and the Class of 2010 will be minus two students as George Huguely continues to sit in a Charlottesville jail and Yeardley Love has been laid to rest by those who loved her.

For sale or rent

During the 2009 gubernatorial campaign, opponents set up the website The Real Bob McDonnell to highlight their disagreements with the Republican candidate.
I guess they didn't pay the bill, because the links go to GoDaddy.com now.
I was looking forward to seeing the GOP all-stars, including Jeff Frederick, one more time.