Who is Gordon Klingenschmitt? Part 1

Cross-Posted at: Enough is Enough Virginia
Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty's direction to police chaplains to stick to non-sectarian prayer when acting in a governmental capacity has created quite a storm across our state. The news even led House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith and Delegate Charles Carrico to release statements attacking Governor Kaine for the actions of his Police Superintendent.

It is ridiculous enough that in a time of economic distress and war our elected officials would attempt to distract us with a non-issue, but simply Google the name of the man who is driving this issue and you will find that we have reached a whole new level of absurdity.

Gordon Klingenschmitt, who was convicted by a Navy court-martial in 2006, is the former Navy Chaplain whose cries were among the first on this issue, and continue to be the loudest and most vitriolic. In a press release, Mr. Klingenschmitt created the "Attack Governor Kaine Bandwagon" upon which Delegates Griffith and Carrico now sit, calling the deeply religious Governor Kaine a "persecutor" and implying that the former missionary campaigned on his faith only to abandon it once elected Governor.

This issue is near and dear to Klingenschmitt, who faced the court-martial for disobeying a direct order and wearing his service uniform at a religious protest in front of the White House. Klingenschmitt was protesting the Navy's non-sectarian prayer policy.

In his trial, Klingenschmitt's boss, Capt. Norman Holcomb, head chaplain at Norfolk Naval Station where Klingenschmitt was stationed, described him as:

...untruthful, unethical, insubordinate, contemptuous of authority... and a totally frustrating independent operator.

Klingenschmitt's defense did not call a single witness on the last day of his trial. Why? This article explains:

Commenting on why his attorneys called no witnesses in his defense Wednesday, Klingenschmitt said he reached that decision after hearing God's voice three times the previous evening.

"In the trial of Jesus Christ, he never opened his mouth in his own defense," the chaplain said

How did this man get the attention of the media, several elected officials and a number of church organizations? I'm not sure, but I do know this story gets better... Stay tuned for "Who is Gordon Klingenschmitt? Part 2."

Headed to a New Home!

This morning I decided to take my blog in a new direction, and also to switch from Blogger to WordPress.

The new blog is called Enough is Enough VA, and it will focus on those in power in Virginia who go out of their way to block progress. For a few days I will be posting here and there, but after that all the action will be happening at www.enoughisenoughva.wordpress.com

There's a post up now, go check it out!

Take Her off the Ticket

The Huffington Post reports the existence of a yet un-aired clip in which Sarah "Eagleton" Palin fails to come up with a single Supreme Court case except Roe v. Wade during her interview with Katie Couric.

That's all, just the one. In the entire history of the Supreme Court, the only case interesting or important enough to grab Sarah Palin's attention long enough to remember it by name is Roe v. Wade.

At least she remembered Roe v. Wade, which turns out to be the only Supreme Court case her party cares about anyway.

Death by 1,000 Gimmicks

Is John McCain running a Presidential campaign entirely on a series of gimmicks? For your consideration:

• The Drill Baby Drill Gimmick
• The Britney Spears Gimmick
• The Sarah Palin Gimmick
• The "Suspending My Campaign to Save the World" Gimmick

Every one of these stunts is aimed exclusively at hoodwinking American voters just long enough to vote for the guy, only to find out on election day he ran a campaign completely devoid of any sort of ideas. Does anyone really think the John McCain of 2000 would pull half of these stunts? Insert "Straight Talk Express" derailment metaphor here...

What a joke.

Okay, What Now?

House rejects bailout plan

Dan Quayle 2008

The "Palin Standard?"

All she has to do in her debate with Democratic Sen. Joe Biden is to put in a credible performance and not make any gaffes.

A win for Sarah Palin is proving that you're not quite as disengaged and intellectually unprepared to do the job as everyone thought.

Ugh.

Go Kent Nye!

Vivian Paige posted a letter from 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate Glenn Nye's brother Kent slapping back at Congresswoman Thelma Drake for her vicious, baseless attacks on Glenn and Kent over their residency status while they were working overseas with the State Department. The full letter is here, money quote below, however this entire post is basically just an excuse to post the picture you see here. Bad. Ass. 

While America’s working families gather around their kitchen tables to assess how our nation’s economic crisis will effect them, Thelma Drake is preoccupied with attacking me over where I kept my socks while I was serving my nation in Iraq.

Earlier this week, Thelma Drake falsely and personally attacked my brother Glenn and me. Her accusations were completely baseless, and an in-depth investigation by the Virginian-Pilot proved them to be nothing but empty, scurrilous attacks.