http://youtu.be/-CDohsX-slo

Virginia's gubernatorial contest is the election to watch in 2013 Not only is it attracting more national media attention on the Democratic and Republican candidates, but the third party candidate, a Libertarian, is turning it into a more competitive campaign for the GOP. Virginia is not such a red and blue state anymore.

Among the more difficult challenges I faced when I was researching “The Wired City” was trying to figure out the influence — and thus the effectiveness — of the New Haven Independent, the nonprofit online-only news site that is the major focus of the book.

There is one group in Washington that believes it is in the best position to bridge the partisan divide hampering many of the decisions in Congress. No Labels is composed of lawmakers and policy leaders of both major political parties.

“A majority of Americans are so upset with all the gridlock that has stopped every sort of action that moves the country forward,” said Nancy Jacobson, a co-founder of No Labels.

The fact that early voting is even a contentious issue in America today tells us a great deal about how poisoned our politics has become; how untethered it often can seem  from sense and sensibility. Of course, more early voting options would offer the American people more convenient and practical ways in which to exercise their franchise. Giving voters more “time, place, and manner choices” when it comes to casting a ballot makes sense as a market-based concept.

The document rolled back many of the big government policies supported by the Republican Party, resulting in a decrease in the power, salaries, and terms of most government officials.

Vice Presidential candidate, who made a name for herself as an advocate of fiscal conservatism, minus the socially restrictive policies that often accompany monetary responsibility.

A full complement of commissioners presided over the Federal Eelection Commission's open meeting on Thursday, marking the first time the regulatory body was fully staffed since Cynthia Bauerly stepped down in February. Lee E.