Looks like we need to work on tolerance & civility in party leaders:
Virginia state senator's 'Deliverance' comment riles gun-rights supporters
A Bristol Virginia man sparked a statewide political reaction after he said he heard the state Senate’s majority leader insult rural gun owners while standing in a public elevator. "He turns to his companion and says, ‘You can tell we’re debating a gun bill today. Half the cast of "Deliverance" is in town,’ " said John Pierce, a local gun-rights activist who was in Richmond to lobby the General Assembly against a bill to close the so-called gun-show loophole. "I was absolutely floored. ... I think what you’re seeing is bigotry aimed at rural voters and the issues that they tend to support," Pierce said. . . . Late Thursday, the Republican Party of Virginia issued a news release asking Saslaw to explain who exactly he was insulting. http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news/education.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2008-01-25-0006.html
Dueling Banjos
Hundreds of activists on both sides of the gun control debate crammed into the General Assembly's office building Monday to lobby for or against measures addressing the issue . . . . John Pierce, cofounder of Open Carry.org, said he and other activists got into the same elevator as Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) at one point on Monday. According to Pierce, Saslaw said "I see we're debating a gun bill. Half of the cast of 'Deliverance' is in town," a reference to the 1972 movie about a group of friends who survive a canoe trip in rural Georgia. In an interview today, Saslaw didn't deny he made the remark. But he added, "How do they know I was referring to them and not the other side? I never said anything other than we must be debating the gun bill. I never said which side. Some of those people must have one hell of an inferiority complex." http://blog.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2008/01/was_the_cast_of_deliverance_in.html
That’s Just Dick
. . . Saslaw said this: “I see we’re debating a gun bill today. Half the cast of Deliverance is in town!” Nothing like insulting all of rural Virginia or, for that matter, all of rural America. Additionally, Senator Saslaw attempted to disrupt another VCDL official who was testifying at the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. This is nothing new for him, though. During the last few years he has berated Family Foundation witnesses at committee hearings in violation of senate protocol and said such idiocies as “property rights are not in the constitution,” among many other outrageous and ill-informed statements. All this as minority leader. Now he’s majority leader. Hang on for the next four years, folks. If a conservative stereotyped a group in public, that office holder would face a firestorm. But in liberal elitist circles, there is nothing wrong with it and, most likely, nothing will be done, no apologies given. Especially in this case, it’s just Dick being Dick. http://www.familyfoundationblog.com
VA-ALERT: Senator Saslaw steps in it again!
Democratic Senator Saslaw just can't help himself. Rather than contritely apologizing to gun owners, Saslaw is obsessed with striking out at us. In the following Washington Post blog, Saslaw doesn't deny making the "Deliverance" statement, but asks how gun owners know it was referring to them. How about because it was obvious to anyone with more than a kindergarten education, Senator? You support every anti-gun bill that comes your way and we are to believe you are disparaging the anti-gunners? But even if you were referring to the anti-gunners, as a Senator you should have more decorum than to make such an offensive statement about ANY group, even the anti-gunners. Adding insult to injury, Saslaw said this about gun owners who might think that his "Deliverance" comments were aimed at them: "some people must have one hell of an inferiority complex." From the frying pan into the fire. Swift move, Senator. [VCDL.org List Serve, Jan. 25, 2008, archived at http://www.vcdl.org]
WRVA Radio Interview (Jan, 24, 2008)
http://www.opencarry.org/audio/012408-WRVA.mp3
Saslaw Drops his pants again
Instead of interviewing with a Virginia News Service concerning his insulting remark on Monday, Senator Saslaw ran back to mama and spoke to the Washington Post. He is one of THOSE people you know. WRVA asked for an interview yesterday. http://news.oldva.org/?p=87
Quote of the Day. But First, Cue the Banjos http://www.vapoliticalblogs.com/2008/01/25/quote-of-the-day-but-first-cue-the-banjos
Bristol, Va. man sparks controversy over state senator’s ‘Deliverance’ remark about gun owners
http://timesnews.net/blogs/fenley/?p=2994