It was great. It had the right mix of people. It had the media folks. It had opinion leaders. It had members. It had key staff. And it had great distilled spirits products, which are the life of all responsible parties.

This year's election is critical, ... It is critical because we stand at a crossroads. The right-wing leaders on the other side want to return us to the days of fiscal irresponsibility. They want to turn back the clock. It is critical that we elect [these candidates] to keep Virginia moving forward.

I honestly don't think people are going to sit there and say, 'We have a problem with HR 451' or whatever.

But right now, we are seeing hundreds of leaders coming together. Many of them are people nobody had ever heard of. This organic organization will outlive any one charismatic figure.

There's a shift happening right now in the district and the region. People want new leaders who are accountable.

That required people to get up from their houses or their desks to go someplace. Now anyone who has a computer, a modem and an Internet service can log into these conferences. It becomes an easier tool for getting the message.