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Tentative Lobby Day Schedule
Governor Bob McDonnell has already managed to make some really bad decisions. Just days into his governorship, promise breakin’ Bob has managed to ignore transportation, ignore the $2 Billion deficit he created, fail to protect LGBT state employees from discrimination, and renege on his promise to take up bipartisan redistricting. Help make sure that we lend a voice to common sense. Join us as dozens of Young Democrats from across the commonwealth lobby our legislators on February 5th in Richmond. You can also join us at our Lobby Day reception at the VAYD Headquarters in our Capitol city. More details after the jump...

Watch President Obama deliver his first State of the Union tonight. The video will stream live starting at 9:00 PM. Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on the speech!

From our press release...

MARSDEN WINS!

Virginia Young Democrats make over 14,000 voter contacts in critical victory
In-kind organizers, volunteer force critical to victory

Centerville, VA – Delegate Dave Marsden has just won the special election to fill the senate seat vacated by Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli. The district was represented by a Republican in the state senate for 8 years and carried by Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell. The seat is now in Democratic hands. The Virginia Young Democrats (VAYD) contributed two in-kind organizers to the campaign after Delegate Marsden was the only Democrat to file. In the past five-and-a-half weeks, VAYD organizers Trent Armitage and Mary Kate Aylward and scores of VAYD volunteers combined to make well over 14,000 voter contacts in this race. The margin of victory for Senator-elect Marsden was less than 350 votes.

Advocating for issues that affect young voters is one of the main charges of the Virginia Young Democrats. Our issues are not always so different from those of the general population, but our point of view is always unique. Our knowledge of education issues come from current participation in the system. The catastrophic impacts of climate change that we wish to stop in their tracks will come in our lifetimes. While the economy as a whole suffers, workers under age 20 must endure an unemployment rate 16.7% higher than the national average. The decade-long jump in deficit spending amounts to a multi-trillion dollar bill for our generation to pay.

Policymaking is a zero-sum game. The Virginia Young Democrats understand that if we don’t fight for our beliefs, we will lose ground, and a whole generation of progressives will suffer. We invite all like-minded individuals of any age to join us in this process of lobbying for our needs. If you want to help or know of any particular issues that you believe VAYD should support, please contact me – our Vice President for Issue Advocacy – at vp_issues@vayd.org. Thank you, and may you enjoy a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

Cross-posted at Blue Commonwealth.

This winter, the Virginia Young Democrats have hired two organizers to help Democrat Dave Marsden in his race to fill Attorney General-Elect Ken Cuccinelli's open State Senate seat in southern Fairfax County. Mary Kate Aylward, the Virginia Young Democrats 2009 Organizer on the Bouchard campaign this fall, and Trent Armitage, former State Director for the non-profit group My Rural America, have hit almost 6,000 doors and phones since starting December 1st! VAYD - along with some of our America Votes Partners - is participating a big canvass on Saturday the 19th at 10am in Centerville. You should join us! Need convincing? Mary Kate sent along this dispatch:

CANVASS FOR DAVE MARSDEN
THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19th!
10am
5954 CENTREVILLE CREST LANE
CENTERVILLE, VA
RSVP to 37SenateOrganizers@vayd.org, or call 703-462-1420

Below is a note from Mary Kate Aylward, one of our Fall 2009 organizers and one of two VAYD organizers for the Marsden Race.