a FUNdraiser for Oleszek with Mark Warner

Seriously, this was an important event for Janet, getting more than 50 people to show up at a fantastic house to schmooze, hear Mark Warner and the candidate, and have a wonderful time.  This was an event that raised a lot of money for Janet in her campaign against Cuccinelli.

Keep reading for more pictures and comments.
Our hosts were Luke and Beth Chung.  He is a software entrepreneur, and they have a custom built house in the midst of some woods with a McLean address  The large windows in the main room give a spectacular view of the woods, and the house was designed to be ecologically and acoustically friendly.  While modern in its design, it is also very "green" which made it an appropriate place for a Democratic fundraiser.

Luke said that this was the first fundraiser they had held, and Mark Warner assured him it would not be the last.

Take a look at some of the attendees:    Judy Feder w/Mark

or how about Fairfax Democratic Chair Ginny Lehner Peters: 

Former Delegate Jim Scott: 

and the candidate herself, Janet, w/11th district chair George Burke: 

and in the background between them is Beth, our hostess, and to her left Warner's political staffer Courtney Dozier

Here's Walter, spouse of the candidate" 

and some people enjoying the fantastic food, around the large square dining room table: 

Mark, with host Luke to his right, addressing the crowd"   was his usual fantastic self.  He described this race as a two-fer - not only would we get a Janet, who was extraordinarily capable, experienced, and who understands the issue in Richmond;  her oppoenet is someone who provides a strong contrast, a point to which he returned later.

Mark went through the achievements of his administration, turning the Gilmore deficit into a surplus improving education to the point where one publication called Virginia the best place for a child to be born (hey, I am a teacher, I pay attention to things like this), having Virginia be called the best governed state in America and the best place to start a business (by Governing Magazine and Forbes, respectively).  Mark talked about how they had had to work to find bipartisan solutions to the issue facing Virginia.  People were willing to set aside their partisan difference to work to solve Virginia's problems.

But there were some in the legislature, including Janet's opponent (whom Warner never named) who a consistent reaction, they would reflexively say no, and ot offer alternatives.  Warner called janet's opponent one of the ringleaders of that group in the Senate. 

Warner also addressed the issue of traffic:

I'm not sure a $3,000 speeding ticket is the answer

Janet of course also spoke, explaining how she decided at first to run for school board, desscribing some times she had worked with our hostess Beth on things like green school buildings.  She said that she wanted to adequately represent a moderate view in Richmond, and that her opponent was "not so moderate about almost everything" which might be a moderate way of describing someone who is very much of an extremist.  She noted that not only would he not work across the aisle, he wouldn't even follow his own party leaders when they were offering to do something sensible.

This is an expensive campaign.  Janet has been outraising her opponent, and then the RNC dumped 75,000 into his coffers to wipe out her advantage.  Janet noted that all of the Democratic candidates for the General Assembly need our financial support, and asked people to "empty their pockets."

It was a positive event, an evening for which I cut out of soccer practice early (actually somewhat changing my attire and cleaning up while in transit:  for once I was glad to encounter traffic jams on the Beltway!).

None of the state senate races in Fairfax is a done deal.  All are eminently winnable.  And our commitment is needed.

Peace.

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