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The News and Record in South Boston, VA, picked up on Mike's coffee break last week in a story titled: Deadlock develops on circuit court judgeship. Here's an exceprt:

The 10th Circuit judgeship surfaced this week as an issue in the Democratic race for Lt. Governor, with one of the five contenders for the party's nomination, Mike Signer, calling on the General Assembly to appoint Cunningham.

Signer, an Arlington resident who has served as deputy counselor to Gov. Mark Warner and as a national security consultant, wrote to the chairmen of the House and Senate courts committees to "strongly endorse" Cunningham for the bench, calling him "eminently qualified."

"Friends have told me directly about the quality of his judicial judgment, compassion, temperament, and involvement in his community, and I believe he would be an excellent judge in an appellate capacity." wrote Signer. "Furthermore, his appointment would have significance for Southside Virginia and for Virginia's history. More than a third of the 10th Circuit's residents are African-American, yet the area has never been represented by an African-American judge.

"Particularly in an area that played such a negative role in the darkest chapters in Virginia's history, including the school shutdowns during Massive Resistance, I can think of no more fitting decision to move past the days of 'Old Virginny' and toward the New Dominion," wrote Signer. Wellons, the chief justice of the 10th Judicial Circuit, retired at the end of 2008 after serving on the bench for 25 years.

Read the full article

Today, Mike did a live blog at Lowell Feld's (formerly of Raising Kaine) new blog, Blue Virginia.  Go check it out.

Mike's Coffee Break from about corruption in Richmond has been mentioned several times around the blogosphere today including at:

• Blue Virginia
• Blue Commonwealth
• Virginia Beach Progressives
• Vivian Paige

 Go take a look and join the conversation.

Also, check out PDF files of the flyers Mike mentioned in the video below:

• Scotch and Cigars
• Get in on the Action
• Hamilton
• Bolling Resort Weekend

The Sun-Gazette gives a quick recap of Mike's appearance at the recent Arlington Democratic Committee Meeting.  View the Mike's speech from the evening.

Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Mike Signer worked the hometown crowd at a recent Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting, saying he was proud to be known as a “son of Arlington.”

Signer is one of five announced Democratic candidates running for the lieutenant governor slot. The party will select its nominee in a June 9 primary; the winner will go on to challenge incumbent Republican Bill Bolling.

Signer, the son of veteran local Democratic activist Marj Signer, said any candidate “must answer two questions: Why are you running, and what do you want to do?” He then proceeded to lay out his answers.

Signer said Virginia needs “to be a leader economically and environmentally.”

Signer, an attorney, was deputy counsel to Gov. Warner and was an adviser to the Obama transition team. He then “came home to make a difference.”

The ACDC meeting also featured lieutenant governor contender Jon Bowerbank, who spoke about the need for economic development and job creation, along with needs to improve education and transportation.

Also in the race: Pat Edmondson, Rich Savage and Jody Wagner.

Mike talks about judicial vacancies:

 The Augusta Free Press has a story about Mike up today.  Here are some exceprts:

“I envision the office of lieutenant governor as a public advocate, tackling the systems that are failing ordinary Virginians every day,” said Signer, a former deputy counselor to Mark Warner and senior strategist on Tom Perriello’s improbable 2008 Fifth District congressional upset win." 

...

I’m looking for compelling ideas from the candidates as we meet them and try to decide where they fit best into the primary field. It took most of my conversation with Signer to get one to write about in this column, but the one was worth the wait.

Signer wants to see the state divert some of its federal stimulus monies toward environmental restoration and cleanup a la FDR’s Works Progress Administration, which is of course in many ways the model upon which the Obama administration stimulus has been built in the first place.

“Just as during the WPA, you could employ teens and young adults to do these jobs that need done,” Signer said. “They’d be good jobs, but not the kind of jobs with wages that you’d pay somebody with a family who’s much more entrenched. There are very effective programs that we could do to create jobs for kids coming out of high school or college to make sure that they have a job,” Signer said.

Check out the full article

Check out Mike's appearance yesterday on Inside Scoop on Fairfax television:

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