http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/l...

WSLS is reporting that Linwood Duncan has "no recollection" of Jerry Meadors' asking to use the congressional fax machine to promote his film in the Toronto Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Duncan also said "nothing in that office happened without Goode's permission."

From the Perriello campaign:

Goode Owes Taxpayers Explanation for Misuse of Funds

October 31, 2008-Ivy, VA-Rep. Virgil Goode said he intended to "convene a meeting of his Danville staffers to investigate" the possible misuse of taxpayer funds in the promotion of an erotic film. Today, the Daily Progress reported that: "a brochure from Toronto's InsideOut gay and lesbian film festival in 2003 listed the taxpayer-funded fax machine in Goode's congressional office as a contact number for the gay-themed art house film 'Eden's Curve.'"

Rep. Goode's long-time press secretary, Linwood Duncan, resigned from his staff eight days before the election after reports surfaced that he had a speaking role in the film. Jerry Meadors, writer and director of the film and childhood friend of Mr. Duncan, has also left his position as artistic director of the North Theater, which Goode supported with a $150,000 earmark in 2003, around the same time the film was released. Rep. Goode has claimed he had no knowledge of the existence of the film, which was shot in Danville.

"Whether it's an erotic film or a sweetheart deal for MZM, citizens of the fifth district are getting sick and tired of reports of Congressman Goode misusing taxpayer funds," said Jessica Barba, communications director for the Perriello campaign. "The sudden departures of Mr. Duncan and Mr. Meadors from their positions raises even more questions and resembles a disturbing pattern of cronyism and cover-ups. Congressman Goode owes taxpayers an answer about how their dollars were used either in the production or promotion of this film."

Would this have any traction if it were a "straight coming of age movie"?

After seeing the attack ad that Lowell posted of Goode's, I will say that turnabout is fair play.  I still don't think that makes this right.  This is what I hate about politics.  If you are willing to take the Republican approach (really, the Tom Delay-Karl Rove approach) of doing anything to win, is there some point at which you lose sight of who you are and all that you stand for?

I'll just end on a favorite quote by Frederich Nietsche:

Those who fight monsters should take care that they never become one. For when you stand and look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

...but I think misappropriation of funds, if true, is a valid point to bring up in a campaign, regardless of what the misappropriated funds were used for.

If the Perriello campaign were saying that Goode was immoral because he supported a gay film, I would have a problem with that. But so far it seems the campaign hasn't done that (even though I'm sure some individuals will have more of a problem with the sexual aspect than the actual illegal aspect).

The real money in question was an earmark of $150k to a theater rebuild in Danville.  The issue now brought up is the use of his congressional office fax line as a contact number for this film.  In the corporate world, this akin to taking paper from the copy machine or otherwise stealing office supplies (i.e., big deal).  This still raises the question of whether this would be an issue at all if it were something other than a gay film.  But nobody on here seems to want to answer that question or own up to what this is really about.

If you want to hit earmarks, there are bigger fish to fry.  And Goode is third in the state in bringing back money to his district through earmarks.  In fact, he makes no bones about that and he is proud of it.  Is securing $2.4 million for Sperry Marine (a Northrop Grumman affiliate) in Charlottesville a wise use of public funds?  I don't think so; but I doubt that would gain the same sort of attention as a "gay coming of age story."  

I'd be happy at this point if the people who post this would just own the tactic.  If they would just say: "Yes, this is guilt by association.  Yes, this is gay-baiting.  And you know what Goode deserves it because he is (fill in the blank)."  To say that your desire to make this a story is purely over the misuse of a fax line or a $150k earmark to a theater is just bull.  To make it sound like you are taking the high road, when you are rolling around in the mud, is just bull.

As much as it pains me to say it, txsvadem is partially right. Without the gay angle, this story is a molehill.

But I would also add the following. Stories like this do not have legs unless they play into and are representative of a larger truth about a candidate. The larger truth here is that Virgil is not only out of touch with his constituents, but in many ways contemptuous of them.

We have real economic problems in this district that require serious solutions, and a Congressman able and willing to work with the Congress as a whole to work on behalf. Virgil Goode has chosen not to go that path. He has decided for years now that he can play upon the prejudices of some of our fellow citizens to scapegoat immigrants, liberals, New Yorkers, whatever, as responsible for our problems while doing absolutely nothing constructive to help fix them. In furtherance of this strategy, he has chosen to align himself with the most extreme right wing elements in Congress rather than move toward the middle and find common ground for the common good.

In the context of billions and billions of earmarks, even the $150K for the theater doesn't mean much. Hell, for all I know, it was both corrupt and a good idea (the two are not always mutually exclusive). And yes, the use of the Danville fax number on the film is tantamount to making an unauthorized photocopy.

But these issues are beside the point. these issues speak to the larger issue of Goode's contempt for the people he represents, to the issue of his failure to seriously represent their interests in Washington in the belief that he could lie or misdirect their attention away from his own failures.

I have found the implicit gay-baiting involved in this story disturbing, to say the least. Most disturbing, in fact, was that the gay-baiting in this case was not even directed at the elected representative himself, but at a staffer (albeit a very influential one). I find the choice laid before Virgil Goode -- loyalty to a friend, or loyalty to the very hatreds of his constituents that he has cynically helped to develop and exploit over his career, to be on  the one hand manifestly unfair, and on the other, perhaps, fair commeupance for his hypocrisy. In this sense, even if justified, Goode's opponents are engaging in the same sort of cynical exploitation of prejudices, albeit in the service of a better cause, IMHO.

But that's neither here nor there -- I don't think it is up to me or anyone else to be a moral scold, even as I continue to hope for better in our politics.

But the fact is that while this story would go nowhere without the titillation of gay sex attached to it, nor would it resonate with anyone in the absence of it speaking to a larger truth about Virgil Goode that many people, Democratic and Republican, Liberal and Conservative, gay and straight, sense about him and his record as a Congressman.

comes through with the most intelligent comment in the entire discussion of an issue. :)

Though I wasn't really looking for this from you.  I appreciate your honesty.  This was really all I was looking for.

I am curious to see what is coming out of the meeting scheduled with his Danville office.  With all the finger pointing I can't imagine what will come out of that discussion.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall.