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.

Handicapping Tonight's Debate

So John McCain will indeed man up tonight and step into the ring with Barack Obama. 

I believe tonight is Obama's opportunity to lock this thing up. Debating a man like John McCain, with his experience and knowledge, Obama can hit a home run by demonstrating to the millions watching that he has the judgment and intellectual capacity to grasp and confront the issues of our day, even if he hasn't been around Washington as long as McCain. 

For McCain, it will be much more difficult to call tonight a win.  He needs to meet the high expectations placed upon him, and hope that Obama blanks on an answer or commits some sort of gaffe. Should McCain trip or fall on any important questions tonight he will lose, assuming Obama gets through in decent fashion. 

My prediction? McCain comes out hard and does what we expect him to do, but Obama, despite a rough patch or two, demonstrates that he's been well-prepared and exceeds slightly lower expectations to pull out a win. 

The bigger question of course, is will any of it matter? 

Morgan Griffith: "I'm More Christian than You Are"

Yesterday House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith issued the following statement in response to recent guidance from state police superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty. The guidance requests that police Chaplins comply with a recent court ruling and refrain from using direct references to Christianity in their prayers.

"For those of us who understand the importance of religion in American life and value the free expression of religion as one of our essential rights, the Kaine administration’s directive is disappointing and disheartening."

Reading this quote, it is impossible not to wonder if the Sanctimonious Mr. Griffith somehow missed an important lesson on the Ten Commandments, particularly the 7th one.

Letterman > CNN

Kudos to David Letterman for asking the questions of John McCain that "real" journalists won't. 



h/t: Raising Kaine

Jim Gilmore: Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

The Gilmore campaign has offered a clever but sad response to today's poll which shows Gov. Mark Warner leading Gilmore by 30 points in the race to replace John Warner in the U.S. Senate. In a letter to supporters, Gilmore's campaign manager Dick Leggitt writes:

You may have seen or heard of the new Washington Post poll which shows Mark Warner with a 30-point lead - very similar to the Washington Post poll taken almost a year ago. Do not be discouraged or disheartened by the Post's attempt to influence the U.S. Senate election. It is, after all the Washington Post. Their coverage is pro-Democrat, pro-Obama and pro-Mark Warner and voters who have watched the Post's unfair coverage of Republicans including John McCain, Sarah Palin and Jim Gilmore know this.

While the "liberal media" card is certainly nothing new from a Republican campaign, playing that card so fiercely, in the face of such adversity is pretty impressive. Unfortunately for Mr. Leggitt, the Washington Post is not the loyal Democratic shill that he describes. For his next "blame the liberal boogeyman" screed,  perhaps Leggitt should pick a publication that didn't write these things: 

"[REPUBLICAN Tom] Davis's skills in political strategizing are legendary. He has been known to recite election results from decades-old presidential contests and rattle off precinct results in his district with ease. A former Senate page, he has spent years studying Virginia and preparing for a Senate race, nurturing candidates near and far, contributing money and fostering relationships with party leaders in outlying parts of the state."

Theirs [Tom and Jeannemarie Devolites Davis] is a partnership of politics and ambition that formed a decade ago and grew into something more.

He was a powerful congressman. She was a fledgling state candidate with promise. A master politician with a national profile, he took her under his wing and found his life's love.

They both craved the game, and they both sought power. When he moved on to the Senate, she could run for his seat, or perhaps a statewide office in Virginia. Together, they made a life centered around these ambitions.

So it was that when [John] Warner, a Republican, spied Paul Wellstone, a senator from the other side of the aisle, he greeted him so warmly it bordered on a mauling.

"Quite a day, eh, colleague?" Warner said, his handshake evolving, as senatorial shakes are wont to do, into an arm grip, shoulder grip and neck grip.

Warner pulled in tight and whispered: "The hand of Providence reached down and touched us."

Setting aside the Post's romantic, flowing and quite touching prose, today's poll was co-sponsored by ABC News. If they too are part of the vast left-wing media conspiracy, don't you think they would have held back a bit instead of being the first to break the Jeremiah Wright story?

Lastly, back to the Washington Post, the very fact that they posted Dick Leggit's letter today, in full, without following it with "hahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha" is a strong indication that the folks over there make an honest attempt to maintain objectivity, if not a slight right slant. Still, a decent effort by Gilmore and Co. to fire up the base and get out the vote, but it looks like as long as Virginia Dems continue to work as hard as they have, this one is about over folks. 

An Anthem for our Generation

It's hard, and sad to think that "Generation Myspace" will someday be "Generation I Can't Believe I Put that on Myspace."

Thelma Drake Disappoints Again

As this Virginia Pilot editorial points out, Thelma Drake's insistence upon hijacking a debate with her opponent Glenn Nye to question him about his residence status while he was working in Iraq is yet another troubling example of just how little Drake has to offer the people of Virginia.

Rather than admit to her unwavering support for the Bush Administration, or explain to her heavily military constituents why she voted against a bill that would have provided many of them with increased educational benefits, she took every opportunity she could to level nasty, hackish attacks at Nye for declaring a home in Washington D.C. as his primary residence while he was working for the State Department in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is a fairly common practice among those in the armed services.

Drake seems to be going out of her way in this campaign to talk about anything but the issues. I guess I can't blame her, if I'd just spent four years of unmitigated failure in Congress, I would probably want to change the subject as well.

Daily Press: Drake's Shot at Nye's Taxes Fires Blank

George Bush's Legacy

The Daily Show's John Oliver on the legacy of the Bush Administration:

GASP! John McCain Lied!?!?

News from inside the "tank" with the New York Times:

One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month from the end of 2005 through last month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain’s campaign manager, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement.

The disclosure undercuts a statement by Mr. McCain on Sunday night that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had had no involvement with the company for the last several years.

Mr. Davis’s firm received the payments from the company, Freddie Mac, until it was taken over by the government this month along with Fannie Mae, the other big mortgage lender whose deteriorating finances helped precipitate the cascading problems on Wall Street, the people said.

What he meant to say was Rick Davis had no involvement with Freddie Mac, except the part where right up until the government took them over they were paying him $15,000 a month not for any real work, but simply because he had direct access to John McCain. Other than that, no involvement.

Tom Perriello: A New Kind of Campaign

As this ad states, Tom Perriello and his campaign are using 10% of their volunteer capacity to do community service. Using that time to phonebank or knock on doors might be the smarter thing to do politically, but I must say I am touched by the sacrifice they are making to improve the lives of the people in the 5th district. And meanwhile what's Perriello's opponent doing? Oh, right partying with lobbyists on September 11th. Tough choice here.

Chris Rock on Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin

h/t: Jonathan Martin

George Will: In the Tank

Conservative columnist George Will, by the new standards of the McCain campaign, is SO in the tank for Barack Obama:

Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

Will, just like the entire New York Times and Politico's Ben Smith, will now be banished to the list of people whose fair questions or criticisms of a reckless, dishonest and out of touch McCain campaign are now invalidated because they are "in the tank."

Using the new McCain standard, I would formally like to declare that from now on, I will be doing and saying whatever I please, without regard to truth, decency or logic. Furthermore, it should be known that should you point out my awful conduct, I will make no effort to address the validity of your complaint, instead I will simply render your past, present and future critiques invalid by declaring you "in the tank. " God forbid I should actually be held accountable for my words and deeds.

Ambinder on "in the tank."

What's Going on with Thelma Drake?

Watching Thelma Drake's campaign in the VA-2nd, I wondered by she would be running on the same  "drill baby drill" rhetoric that Republicans across the country are using as a Hail Mary to stop what could be an historic beatdown in November. She represents a heavily military district and sits on the Armed Services Committee, it seems odd that she's focusing so much on offshore drilling, especially when some military officials oppose the idea. 

As I was pondering this question, it dawned on me that Rep. Drake's support for drilling may be her idea of a distraction from her vote against Jim Webb's "21st Century G.I. Bill," a bill that was passed and signed over her opposition and will provide assistance to a lot of people in her district. 

I can't imagine the people of the 2nd District were thrilled when Thelma came home and tried to explain that she voted against rewarding their service because she was afraid to buck President Bush, so perhaps this "all drilling all the time" campaign she's running is her way of changing the channel.  

Between now and November I hope her opponent Glenn Nye and VA Beach/Norfolk Democrats do the right thing and put the focus of this race back where it belongs, on Drake's unfettered support of George W. Bush and how she voted to hang her constituents out to dry.

Great Work David Englin

Just a quick hat tip to the good Delegate from Alexandria David Englin, who has been filling my email inbox with a steady flood of invitations to come to his house and work for the 2008 ticket. Despite their own relative comfort in the blue 45th, David and his wife Shayna have consistently opened their home and held volunteer nights for other candidates across the Commonwealth.

The Englins are doing their part, I hope that we will do ours and donate our efforts to getting out every last vote for Barack Obama and Mark Warner. Check the calendar here, or subscribe to the mailing list here.

I do not mean to devalue the efforts that other electeds and activists are making around the Commonwealth, and if you'd like to make them known, there's a comment section.

Dave Albo vs. Thomas Jefferson

Is there a more embarrassing legislator anywhere in the Commonwealth than David Albo (R-Fairfax)?:

• Introduced and got passed the notorious "Abusive Driver Fees," the $1000 speeding tickets that made us the laughing stock of the country
  
• Eloquently explained that his own constituents were abandoning the Republican party because they're all on foodstamps.
  
• Proudly boasted that he's been in Richmond working hard so that people will be afraid to live in Virginia

Now, from that same bumbling joke of a Delegate comes this gem:

Albo (R-Fairfax) agreed that legislators have, on occasion, pushed the bounds of constitutionality but that they are properly representing their constituents. "The problem is that our job is to promote policy, and the Supreme Court's job is to analyze," said Albo, one of a declining number of lawyers in the General Assembly. "I can't be hamstrung to write the wimpiest bill possible to make sure it passes a Supreme Court opinion."

As an example, Albo cited the Partial Birth Infanticide Act of 2003, which bans the controversial medical procedure "intact dilation and extraction," in which the fetus is partially delivered and the skull is crushed to make removal easier. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit overturned the law for the second time in May, saying it was more restrictive than the federal ban on late-term abortion that the U.S. Supreme Court approved last year.

Albo said legislators knew that the law "was in danger of being held unconstitutional" but passed it anyway because "we did what we think is right." The full 4th Circuit, which rarely grants rehearings, will hear arguments Oct. 28. In a recent brief, state attorneys argued that Virginia's law "is substantively identical to the federal statute."

Poor Dave. He would be a far more effective legislator if he weren't so consistently "hamstrung" by Thomas Jefferson's Constitution of Virginia. I don't think there was any question that Dave is FAR out of touch with his own constituents, but did anyone realize that he'd swung so far right that even the CONSTITUTION can't contain this idiot anymore? What a joke.

Stuck in Traffic? Thank Bill Howell

A precipitous drop in revenues due to the current economic crisis means that Virginia will have $125 million less for road maintenance and construction over the next two years, and $739.9 million less over the next 6.

As we face a serious budget shortfall this year, we should remember a time when the anti-tax Republican House leadership stood in the door and insisted upon using the SURPLUS as the source of long term transportation funding in Virginia. Two years later, there is no surplus and thus thanks to Bill Howell and his right-wing caucus, funding for maintenance and construction is SHRINKING. 

 Two years ago Howell and his Rat Pack had the opportunity to work with Governor Kaine and Senate Republicans to pass a statewide transportation package that would be funded and producing results today.  Back then politics came first and as a result we are faced with a far worse scenario in 2008. 

2009 had better be the year when Bill Howell, Morgan Griffith and Kirk Cox come up with a few ideas to get us out of this mess, or 2010 will be the year they find themselves in the minority. 

Don't Forget Those Fundamentals

John McCain is too big a risk in times like these.

Paging Phil Gramm...

Whiners.

The Game of the Year

This Saturday the two most recent Football Championship Series Champions will face off in easily the most anticipated regular season FCS game of the past few years. #1 Appalachian State will face #5 James Madison in what is sure to be an exciting and high-scoring game. Click here for a great preview.

My Prediction:
JMU's running attack, led by senior QB Rodney Landers will face a tougher defense than they saw in last week's victory over UMass, but will still set the tempo. It will be critical for the Dukes to win the time of possession battle and keep Appy's explosive offense, led by QB Armanti Edwards off of the field.

 I predict that JMU will do just that, and the Madison defense will step up to limit the damage just enough for JMU to walk away with a win in in a serious shootout.

Final Score: 

Duuuuuukes: 45
Appy: 38

And finally, just so we all remember who we're dealing with here:

The Right Message from Obama

John McCain doesn't represent change. He is the living image of the status quo. Hit 'em hard. 

The Missing Piece: Witchcraft

Well, it was only a matter of time before this election moved forward into the next car of the Crazy Train. And my friends, the time is now. 

Turns out that Sarah Palin's pastor, the one whose prayers she credits with winning her the Governor's mansion, began his ministry with a literal witch hunt of a Kenyan woman whom he accused of causing several car crashes. The above link has more juicy info on this nutjob than I could ever hope to include in a blog post. Below is video of Sarah Palin discussing the "laying of hands" episode that launched her into the the governorship. 

Another Poll Shows Obama Up

Public Policy Polling puts the race in Virginia at: Obama 48% McCain 46% which is inside the poll's margin of error. This one is a dead heat folks. 

They also polled our nail-biter of a  Senate race: Warner 57% Gilmore 33%

Unsubstantiated, Unsupported Thoughts on Moran-McAuliffe-Deeds

If the rumors that Terry McAuliffe is considering a run for Governor in 2009 are true, his presence in a primary with Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds has to work in Creigh's favor does it not? 

The appeal, as far as I can see it, of a McAuliffe candidacy is his long service to the party as a straight-talking, "northern," progressive, business Democrat.  His voters will live in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax, and unless I'm missing something, connecting with downstate Democrats will be a more significant task. 

In this model, Moran and T-Mac will be left to compete over the same voters while Deeds does well downstate and finds enough moderate Democrats in the Golden Crescent to put him over the top.

I'm sure there are things that I'm not considering, but that's why there's a comment section. 

Tanningbedgate and a Decent Question

The right is flipping out over how anyone would dare question the good Governor of Alaska's right to bake herself once or twice a week on her own personal tanning bed. Health and vanity concerns aside, I for one will not pose any such questions. It's her body, she can do with it as she pleases ( If only she believed similarly, by the way). 

However, for the candidate running as the radical reformer, who over the past few weeks has been caught in lie after lie about her good government credentials, it is not unreasonable to ask whether or not she bought the tanning bed with her own money (which it appears she did) and if the installation and operation of that bed were placed on the government's tab.  

Unless she had a separate power bill for the room in which the tanning bed was located, it seems likely that the cost of operating that monstrosity in the Governor's mansion fell to the people of Alaska, which would be a ridiculously wasteful use of taxpayer money by Sarah "The Reformin' Hockey Barracuda" Palin. 

Then again, perhaps the time she said "thanks but no thanks" on the Bridge to Nowhere, but somehow kept the money has left her with a little extra "tanning cash..."

He's got 7 houses, she's got a TANNING BED down the hall... remember this little episode the next time you think to call Obama an elitist....

BREAKING: JOHN MCCAIN INVENTED THE BLACKBERRY!!!

WHO KNEW!!

Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry.

"He did this," Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters this morning, holding up his BlackBerry. "Telecommunications of the United States is a premier innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce committee so you're looking at the miracle John McCain helped create and that's what he did."

John McCain vs. Reality

John McCain believes, as he said this morning, that the fundamentals of our economy are still strong. Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan? Not so much:



Is complete economic novice John McCain completely out of touch, or is world leading economic expert Alan Greenspan wrong all of the sudden?

We can't afford to elect this guy. We just can't.

Thelma Drake: A History of Intellectual Incuriosity and "Soundbite Republicanism"

The Shad Plank currently features slides used by Thelma Drake to make some point about energy, or something. The document's charming typo's and grammatical errors would be surprising coming from a Congresswoman, if that Congresswoman were anyone but our dear Thelma Drake. For example:

Thelma Drake’s bipartisan energy allows Virginia and other coastal states to decide on whether or not to drill from 25 miles to 50 miles off the coastline. Additionally, 50 miles out to 200 miles would be open for drilling with newer, environmentally sensitive techniques.

That's right. Much like Chuck Norris, Rep. Drake has enough bipartisan energy herself to coax the oil right out of the ground and into the gas tanks of hard-working real Americans like you and me.  That's great, because without her bipartisan energy, no energy relief will come from that proposal for at least 10 years. 

Thelma Drake’s bipartisan bill uses offshore leasing revenues to create a Conservation Reserve, and Environmental Restoration Reserve, and a Renewable Energy Reserve. Additionally, a portion of the revenues are devoted to fund LIHEAP – providing energy assistance to low-income households.

Thelma also plans to combine this "drill baby drill" revenue with the oil profits we've been hauling in from Iraq for the past five years to take everyone in America out for an ice cream cone.

While the rest of the country has run away screaming, Thelma Drake stands squarely George W. Bush-land, sipping her glass of Kool Aid. While she, Eric Cantor and her Republican colleagues moan and wail in poorly written, typo-laden White House talking points, we can only hope that the Democrats will work hard to pass an energy plan without them that will actually bring Americans some relief, move us away from petroleum (foreign and domestic) and help us fight global warming.

Read Thelma's Trainwreck Presentation

Finally!

Barack Obama finally stands up and calls a spade (dishonest liar) a spade (dishonest liar).



John McCain's disgusting, dishonest and at times ridiculous campaign tactics are just one reason why the man is unfit to be President, and this ad explains why. We deserve more than McPalin have to offer.

JMU Football Rolls Past UMass, Bring on App St.!

James Madison University put up an impressive 52-38 victory over #4 ranked University of Massachusetts in JMU's Colonial Athletic Association opener in Harrisonburg.  Senior QB Rodney Landers ran for 206 yards, breaking his own record for rushing yards in a game by a QB. 

Next week brings Division I-AA rival Appalachian State to town for the most anticipated regular season game of the season.  Your JMU Duke will be live on the scene  to take in the sights and scenes of this enormous game. Kickoff is at 7:00PM on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on CN8. 

Getting in on the Ground

Today's Survey USA poll puts Obama up by 4 (50%-46%) in Virginia, a welcome number given how Obama's numbers have slid in state polls around the country in the past few days. 

All polls should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is encouraging to see the race in Virginia so close, especially since this year's Democratic ballot is full of candidates who have a proven ability to find their voters and bring them to the polls. The Obama and Warner campaigns, in partnership with the DPVA's coordinated campaign, have amassed a field organization the likes of which we have never seen in Virginia.

The massive voter registration and identification effort that Democrats have been running all summer will pay serious dividends come November, especially if the the race here comes down the stretch neck and neck. When all other things are equal, the candidate with the strongest turnout machine is the favorite, and at this point it is hard to imagine John McCain and Jim Gilmore building anything close to the ground game that Democrats currently have in place.

With just 49 days left, Virginia Democrats must keep their foot on the gas and fight the McCain-Palin lies and smears at the doors and on the phones. Volunteer here!

Obama Staffers Do Les Miserables...

Awkwaaaaaard...

"I have had a strong and a long relationship on national security, I've been involved in every national crisis that this nation has faced since Beirut, I understand the issues, I understand and appreciate the enormity of the challenge we face from radical Islamic extremism. I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time," - Senator John McCain, October, 2007.

h/t: Andrew Sullivan

Can't Resist

John McCain gets Rickrolled... brilliant. 



Someone explain to him what "The Youtube" is and then have him watch it on the "picture box."

Farewell Delegate Terrie Suit

Wednesday brought the sad news that Delegate Terrie Suit (R-Virginia Beach) will step down on October 12 to take a lobbyist job at Richmond firm Williams Mullen.  Delegate Suit has proven over her 8 years that she is a steadfast champion of the House Republican "business first" agenda  and a staunch opponent of leftist boondoggles like education and civil rights. 

I would like to extend my sympathy to the good Delegate, life from here will not be easy. I hope she can bear the loss of her General Assembly salary and the new burden of having to take a year off before she can exploit her relationships with former colleagues to bring taxpayer money to your clients.  

But on the bright side being a lobbyist means you can personally cash in on your devotion to the interests of developers and the Chamber of Commerce, rather than having to spend it on the ugly business of campaigning.  And of course, the tiresome work of pretending to represent your actual constituents will now be a job for someone else. 

Here's hoping that Speaker Bill Howell and Delegates Morgan Griffith, Jeff Frederick, and Kirk Cox, among others, consider a similar career move. 

The Bush Doctri-Huh?

Deer, meet headlights. 



Her strategy: If you don't know what you're talking about, say whatever you're saying way louder. What a joke.  

But it's not her fault, who could expect her to understand the doctrine that has fundamentally defined the last 6+ years of this nation's history. She's a hockey mom, it's not like she's running for Vice President or anything...

The McPalin Event of FAIL

Some of those in attendance at yesterdays event:

• Former U.S. Senator and Governor George Allen (MACACA FAIL)
  
• Former Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore (WHOLE POLITICAL CAREER FAIL)
  
• Attorney General Bob McDonnell (SODOMY RECOLLECTION FAIL)
  
• Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (GUBERNATORIAL FAIL)
  
• Congressman Tom Davis (APPEASING THE WING-NUTS/SAVING WIFE'S CAREER FAIL)
  
• 11th District Congressional Candidate Keith Fimian (MAINSTREAM AMERICAN VALUES FAIL)
  
• 8th District Congressional Candidate Mark Ellmore (SACRIFICIAL LAMB FAIL)
  
• Del. Dave Albo (ABUSER FEES FAIL)
  
• Del. Tom Rust (SLIGHTLY LESS FAMOUS FOR SAME ABUSER FEES FAIL)
  

The VA GOP's Best and Brightest folks. 

h/t Crystal Clear Conservative

Matt Damon: New Obama Communications Director?

Does the Obama campaign envy the clarity of this guy's message this morning? 



It's gametime folks, and this year the facts are on our side. Let's take them out.

We Deserve Better

The faux outrage over Barack Obama's "lipstick on a pig" comment is evidence of the dire state of our political discourse. Heaven forbid an American politician use a well-worn cliche in a public venue.  No one with two brain cell to rub together believes that Obama meant to disparage Sarah Palin or anyone else with that column, yet the chattering class is abuzz with the insinuation. 

Barack Obama's biggest liability in this race is his insistence on holding an adult conversation with an American media and public that has proven itself to be disgustingly immature. 

Virgil's Kidding Right?

At best, dry, dry, dry humor from Virginia's most embarrassing public figure. At worst, a lobbyist fundraiser on the Anniversary of September 11th...

------ Forwarded Message
From: Laura Kilgore Bell
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:16:08 -0400
To: Laura Kilgore Bell
Subject: Will you join Congressman Virgil Goode?

We hope you will help Virgil with his re-election campaign. Will you join us on Sept. 11th?
You are cordially invited to a luncheon honoring

Congressman Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (VA-05)
Committee on Appropriations

Thursday, September 11
12:30 PM

101 Constitution Avenue, Suite 600 West
Washington, DC

Contribution Levels are attached.

For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Laura Bell at 703.xxx.xxxx or xxxxx@comcast.net
Virgil Goode for Congress
P.O. Box 3591
Alexandria, VA 22302
703.575.9723 phone
703.575.9724 fax

Bold additions mine

h/t Tom Perriello

Obama Headed to Lebanon, VA

Barack Obama's commitment to campaigning in unfriendly territory like SWVA is a refreshing part of his candidacy.  Lebanon is likely to be McCain country through and through, but I am encouraged to see Obama walk into areas like this and make his case, that economically distressed coal towns can see jobs come back and conditions improved, if we have the right leadership in Washington (and Richmond for that matter). 

For now however, as discussed in the article below, Jerry "I have no duty to you Mr. Lieutenant Governor" Kilgore and Chris "Even more ambitious than Sarah Palin" Saxman seem content with playing the old culture warrior card in response to Obama's visit, rather than get off of their asses and serve their constituents.

 

RTD: Rural Virginia town goes high-tech, draws Obama 

Tim Kaine: Ready to Lead

Governor Kaine's been robbed! Somehow, we all forgot that running the National Guard for two years in a tiny, backward state was national security experience enough to be Vice President. Thankfully the McCain-Palin campaign stepped in explained this to us:

If we had only known that Kaine's three years running the National Guard of a real state qualified him to become Commander-in-Chief in a time of crisis, perhaps Obama would have made a different choice.

What a freaking joke these people are.

Jeff Frederick: Teen Idol and GOP Savior

Who knew? All of the problems the GOP is having with young voters can be solved with one look into the dreamy, slightly creepy eyes of Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Jeff Frederick and they will be lured back to the flock, smiling, ready to lay down their reproductive, marriage and civil rights in return for a tax rebate and a semi-automatic weapon. At least that's how his scheduler Kathy Royce sees it: 

"Too many people think we are just old white guys," said Kathy Royce, a scheduler for Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, the fact that Frederick is 32 -- unusually young for a party chairman -- should help dispel that image, she said.

He is actually quite hot:

Back in the Game

We shut down this little blog nearly a year ago due to a desperate lack of time to keep it up. The time situation is still pretty dire, it pales in comparison to the state of our nation. Thus these pages will soon be filled once more with the fairly (barely?) coherent thoughts of a young lifelong Virginian who believes that his Commonwealth deserves more than it's leaders are providing at present. Stay tuned.