In the latest from the annals of "Republicans Gone Stupid" comes news that Mick Staton, son-in-law of Dick "Baby Pesticides" Black and a hard-right-winger himself, is planning to skip a January 23 League of Women Voters forum. As we have discussed here several times in recent days, Staton is the Republican nominee for Virginia State Senate in the 33rd District, which comprises part of Leesburg, all of eastern Loudoun County and part of Fairfax County. His Democratic opponent, pictured above with Mark Warner, is Mark Herring, stepson of longtime state Senator Charlie Waddell.Herring's comment about Staton's decision to skip the League of Women Voters' forum was that he would be there regardless, and that Staton was backing out because he was "afraid to debate me because he knows I will expose his poor record on managing growth and the untrue statements he has made about my record."
Sounds like this is going to be a fun couple weeks leading up to the January 31 election.
NRA endorses Deeds
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/092005/09302005/133853
The Gazette Virginian has been in a 100-year battle for supremacy with the News & Record. Both are in the delightful hamlet of South Boston. (SoBo is like a little Charlottesville. Great art museum, great theater, fine dining -- it's definitely going places.) Both newspapers run intensely local stories, both serve the same tiny audience, and run a type of column unseen in most papers in the 40s: social news.
Mrs. John Smith's mother, Mrs. Michael Jones, visited from Hurt for the day last Thursday. They were joined by Mrs. Dean Lane, of Halifax, and enjoyed iced tea and scones.
The front page of the News & Record currently features a group photo of the The Banister River Garden Club. Why? The 23 of them pooled their money to buy two $19 crape myrtles for The Prizery.
I've only visited the office of one of the papers, but I did enjoy it. It's owned by a local family, located downtown, and it's a single room with a handful of computers and typewriters. The editor is also the writer and the publisher.
I'm not insulting these papers -- I think this kind of thing is wonderful. Frankly, it's just what's lacking in town newspapers today. This type of news and operation is the fabric of our community. What are blogs, after all, but tiny operations where the editor is the writer and the publisher, where the minutiae of our lives are celebrated and small communities are examined in great detail?
I describe this to provide some frame of reference for the Gazette Virginian's endorsement of Jerry Kilgore. It's a delightful newspaper. The whole of South Boston knows the entire staff, knows their politics, and knows their mothers. But it ain't the Washington Post or the Richmond Times Dispatch.
Also, the letters to the editor seem to bring out the wackos of all political persuasions. In general, the Sun-Gazette is simply an atrocious paper and an embarrassment to Arlington.
I shot you an email. If you get a moment, I'd love to hear your reply.
-- Conaway
Don't forget the "communist" teachers union that endorsed Terry for re-election. I guess that Terry Kilgore and those 13 other VEA-endorsed Repubs are raging liberals too!
-- Conaway
I know, I wrote the editorials.
Thanks to Waldo for his kind comments about our newspaper. The editor/publisher he refers to in his post is my mother; she runs the South Boston paper, I edit our Mecklenburg paper.
The story of the competition between the Gazette-Virginian and the News & Record is long and involved, but there are two things you can say without provoking too much disagreement: one, there probably aren't but a handful of communities in the country like South Boston that have two newspapers going up against each other head-to-head, and two, between our center-left orientation and the Gazette's conservative, pro-GOP outlook, the citizens of South Boston can always count on getting different perspectives on the news, which is a good thing.
-- Conaway
This is absolutely mind-numbing. Black is desperate folks. I really think he may actually be going down this time.
http://getblackout.blogspot.com/2005/11/hes-like-so-third-grade.html#comments
Kaine has the big mo - - -
Eventually, the Right is going to have to come up with another line than just throwing "liberal" at everyone who's up against you. The bait-and-switch doesn't work and you've beaten that horse (or donkey) into the ground so much so that it doesn't matter to the voters (look at the polls).
Some of your attacks would make true ideological conservatives like Goldwater, Buckley and Russell Kirk shudder. A bloated federal budget, legislating sexual behavior, and taking away local government and neighborhood decisionmaking power seems rather Lefty, almost socialistic, to me. You guys need to stop with the insults and play smarter. Otherwise, you sound like a bunch of whiny liberals.
-- Conaway
http://vaconservative.com/archives/2005/10/02/barbecue-and-politics/#comments
read my last response/comment to "I'm Not Emeril"
"I am against the useage of the dog pound. This encourages dog vagrancy, because some of the dogs there are strays with no owners. We should instead kill all runaway dogs on spot."
You beat me to the punch. Nice job.
The Democrats don't offer a credible alternative. We've got our own set of wackos in our party, and they aren't inspiring anyone...
I think if the Republican Party collapses, you'll see these people become independents. I guess that's something...
The main problem with the Democratic party is that (across our political spectrum) we don't have many REFORM ideas. The best ones come from the center (but they are few and far between).
We mainly stand for more funding for the status quo. And I suppose that's fine - the status quo has made America the strongest country in the world. But we can always improve. A strong REFORM democrat is the only thing that will bring us closer to that 50+1 that we need to win national elections.
This guy shouldn't even be running for reelection!
Oh, and as far as "letting people not work...", did you ever hear of something called CORPORATE WELFARE, throwing millions at ExxonMobil while it rakes in record profits. Now that's the REPUBLICAN Party. The last Democratic President, if I recall correctly, was last seen enacting historic welfare reform. You sure you don't have your parties mixed up?
The more i learn about progressive ideas, the more i like them. Spending $1 billion dollars on the New Orleans levies would have saved us $200 billion. Or Kaine's push for preschool, not enough of us talk much about that one. There is a whitepaper on the headstart program, they have historical data to show that for every $1 they spend on preschoolers saves approximately $17 on reduced crime 20 years later. To compare that, put $1 in a 4%/year CD fund and after 20 years you'll have a whopping $2.10.
I think we'll start seeing progressives offer ideas like these. We should reduce government because there is less of a need for government, not for artificial reasons. It's like government run with the scientific method.
Progressives need to learn how to fight dirty again - it may not be pretty, but it is effective. Just ask James Carville and the Kennedys. Recall the theme of the movie "Primary Colors" - sometimes the ends have to justify the means (politically) if The People are to truly be served best. I'm not advocating breaking the law, but precinct captains, central committee members, senators, pundits and consultants have to fight GOP fire with fire (or fight Hitler w/ Hitler) and use the same dirty tricks if you want to win. In the end, the moral highground is a lonely place, you're still the minority party, and people are left with the conservative hate machine.
And just because it's Republican-lite, doesn't make it evil. A lot of independents are GOP-leaning centrists/moderates, and you need those folks to win. Just ask Chuck Robb, Mark Warner, and John Lewis.
-- Conaway
Progressives need to learn how to fight dirty again - it may not be pretty, but it is effective. Just ask James Carville and the Kennedys. Recall the theme of the movie "Primary Colors" - sometimes the ends have to justify the means (politically) if The People are to truly be served best. I'm not advocating breaking the law, but precinct captains, central committee members, senators, pundits and consultants have to fight GOP fire with fire (or fight Hitler w/ Hitler) and use the same dirty tricks if you want to win. In the end, the moral highground is a lonely place, you're still the minority party, and people are left with the conservative hate machine.
And just because it's Republican-lite, doesn't make it evil. A lot of independents are GOP-leaning centrists/moderates, and you need those folks to win. Just ask Chuck Robb, Mark Warner, and John Lewis.
-- Conaway
There is no business interest in withholding this information, unless teh are colluding with the Kilgoe campaign. If they won't run it themselves, they should release the footage. The public has a right to know how incompetent, dissembling, and superficial the GOP candidate is.
http://www.opcva.com/watchdog/011003.html
VA Attorney General Jerry KILGORE makes three endorsements he should have thought about first…he endorsed a man found guilty of violating the conflict of interest laws, a man who served time in jail for failing to pay taxes, and a man who, according to court records, has a history of domestic violence…
http://www.opcva.com/watchdog/102303b.html
Brave Heart:
You make a compelling case for Kaine to follow his convictions and refuse to execute any prisoners while he is Governor.
Except that Tim Kaine has promised the Virginia Voters that he will execute every prisoner on Death Row, even though he personally thinks signing those orders is an immoral act. Because while he has those beliefs, he’d rather be governor than stick to his principles.
What is worse? A candidate who believes capital punishment is moral and will carry out executions, or a candidate who believes capital punishment is immoral but promises to carry out executions?
In my opinion you can only like the 2nd better if you believe he is lying and will in fact stop executions as governor.
Comment by Charles R. — 10/9/2005 @ 11:43 pm
http://www.truthinjustice.org/anderson.htm
This is how just our justice system is working for the death row inmates. Until you figure out how to get Human frailties, corruption out of the system how can you trust it?
So any logical, clear thinking, informed, American should have doubts about the death penalty and our justice system.
This is from someone with first hand knowledge about abuse of power in Law Enforcement and the Judicial System..
Ask yourself. Is it a conflict of interest to have:
Daddy Frank Hargrove Sr., Delegate for Hanover;
Son Hargrove Jr, Hanover Circuit Court Clerk;
Son-in-law/ convicted druck driver in possession of a gun, Hanover Circuit Judge;
Bill Bolling, Insurance Fraud VP, Senator Hanover.
Hanover strongest Republican county.
Please!
I was particularly pleased to hear Tim, rebutting the tax increase referendum issue, invoke California's broken system — which I've written about twice in these pages.
As an outsider (not up to speed on your micro policy issues — though we have our own highway-widening debate going on locally) I observed two politicians being politicians, one of them very smarmy indeed, the other — Tim, of course — at least making an effort to be honest while still hedging enough to win or placate "swing" voters.
All in all, I have to say that any politician trying to win votes by telling people mostly what he (in this case) thinks they want to hear is never a pretty sight. I think Tim should come right out and say that he continues to oppose the death penalty and will continue to work to try to change the law. That's his belief and he should stick to it. I'm as pro-choice as they come, but if he's "pro-life" because of his Catholic upbringing, I think he should be honest about what he'd do about VA law if Roe is overturned. His stance on each of these issues would cancel each other out for me, and he'd still get my vote.
As far as Tim Kaine is concerned, I think he's made his position on the abortion issue very clear - he is personally opposed to it but also doesn't believe in criminalizing doctors and women. On the death penalty, he reflects his Church's teachings but also would uphold his oath of office. Let's face it, though; these are difficult issues that defy black-and-white answers, as much as right-wing Republicans would like it to be that way.
Your posts reveal, however, that you are just plain stupid and close-minded, in which case there really is no hope for you.
And, were TJ, JM, TP aware of the religious rightwingnuttery running rabid in this country and the fiscal insolvency, they would destroy us all for so soiling and betraying their dream. I have no more time to waste on your dribble and drivel. Grow up, Sir. Or be still. Preferably both.
The VCG likely is not happy with either candidate.
That being said, I think the real question is whether they are angry enough at Kilgore to sit on their hands come election day. Better the devil who has raised your taxes or the devil who might? I think they will choose the latter.
I think there may be some puppies around here that haven't been beaten lately. In case you get tired of throwing your ignorance and ego around.
Would it help you if we all tell you that we think you're a good person? Would you feel better if somebody said, "that's right, James, you're good. There there..."
I hate to say it, but you've really got the "poor me" disease bad. You imagine communist plots and elitists everywhere. Did the head of the High School dems steal your girlfriend or pants you in public?
Dude, I'm sorry for all the pain your adolescence caused you but you pull this kind of namecalling stuff around here again and I'll ban you myself.
Keep the arguments to the topics, dude. Next personal attack and you go buh-bye.
We'll all really miss you.
now. In your sickening attack on my friend Soccer, the only issue that you actually addressed was debts and government spending.
As a representative of the right wing establishment, James, you have no ground to stand on. The budget masters are Democrats (Clinton, Kaine, Warner). The budget busters are radicals like you who have gotten elected as Republicans but honestly have no claim to the honest title (Bush, Kilgore).
Is it so hard to realize that your movement is defunct, james? Sure your kind still hold power, but it'll be painful as the chickens come home to roost to watch it all slip away and to watch the potential for a great American legacy to be swept by corruption, weakness and failure into the junkheap of history where it so richly belongs.
Keep it clean. Participation here is a priviledge, not a right.
Keep it up James. You're winning friends and influencing people wherever you go.
Pretty soon you'll convince every American of the emptiness, spinelessness, and heartlessness of your conservative agenda.
If you were to do your homework and read the Founding Fathers as opposed to Ann Coulter, you would see that Kaine's politics derive directly from Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Thomas Paine.
Are you now claiming that the Founding Fathers were "far-Left"? Most likely George III and other Royalists thought so. I recall that George III thought he didn't have to explain or justify any action he thought worthy. It was those pesky Revolutionaries who dared to think that some accountability was in order.
Kaine is actually a very old-fashioned fellow if you were to take the time to really analyze what he has to say rather than spew knee-jerk Right-wingnut falsehoods.
Try learning something, Mr. Young, it might just do you a world of good.
2009 Ticket
Governor-Creigh Deeds/Leslie Byrne
Lt. Governor-Chap Petersen/Phillip Puckett
Attorney General-Ward Armstrong/Onzlee Ware
Any combination sounds like a winning group to me!
Kilgore is clearly one of the pro-tax Republicans, ala John Chichester.
So if it's not legally required, why would he carry out a death sentence? Because it's political suicide to openly admit to commuting them.
Seems like fair game to me, since that account is just days old, when Kaine has used ones from Kilgore from 1997.
Lowell, admit it, those ads hurt. Badly.
Accurately my ass...
Tim Kaines words:
"God grants life and God should take it away," he said -- except possibly in cases of self-defense. But when pressed, he added that Hitler, among others, might have deserved to be executed: "Of course they may for doing something heinous, they don't deserve to live in civilized society, they may deserve the death penalty."
Tim Kaine IS a crucial part of the "due process" you mention James, by being a publc defender. Of course, it's not like we need them since there have never been ANY people innocent on death row right?
So who would Jesus execute?
Not when Tim Kaine is currently running ads that smear the single-most philanthropic indivudual in Southwest Virginia history - John Gregory.
Here you have a man who has given millions of dollars to charity, and man who formerly ran a drug company that self-reported its own billing mistakes and put money in fund to repay the states it may have overcharged.
Never mind that no other state has charged him with a crime, Kaine paints him as the devil.
But Kilgore is the negative one, right?
Kaine deserves the death penalty ads. It is his own stance that is on the line.
The Kaine ads about John Gregory are all about character assassination of an innocent man who has helped people who need help.
I thought Democrats appreciated that kind of "help your fellow man" behavior.
I guess not.
So much for the 51-percent positive pledge.
Get used to saying it:
"Governor Jerry Kilgore."
Stay focused: Better schools, better roads, better health care. I've contributed to the Kaine campaign, and I hate seeing my money wasted on playing catch-up with Jerry Swiftboat.
I'll make inquiries.
A. Raising Kaine
B. Jerry Kilgore
C. Timothy Kaine
(Hint... when in doubt, pick C.)
You're shooting blanks again, Lowell. :-)
Please don't take the Kerry route, because this will surely do Tim Kaine's campaign in.
My husband and mother saw it online and they had the same sentiment. Pull off the gloves now.
You have confused "outrage" with "whining."
It costs millions for all the appeals, much more than it costs to keep a prisoner locked up for life.
it's ultimately political and completely arbitratry.
It's never been proven to be a deterrent.
so... why do we have it? simple: revenge.
Is this the America that Washington and Jefferson envisioned?
Isn't it funny that states with the most executions have the highest crime stats?
It's just completely mind boggling.
Tim Kaine has said he'll carry out the law as he is required to do. Nobody comes into office and immediatley decides to break all the laws they dont agree with.
Will people really, really buy this?
"I don't care about that guy's political views. Just please don't make me hear that voice again."
Kaine is in good shape. It's Kilgore who's shitting his pants right now. Kilgore is now, and has been for months, making a complete fucking ass out of himself; and the electorate, at least the ones watching, know it.The ONLY thing Kilgore is hoping for is that his Republican base is oblivious to the campaign and they will vote for him just because he has an 'R' next to his name. Since he's been too afraid to even let his electorate hear him talk, he hasn't been able to reach out them (I would say, at all) like a normal person running for governor would be.
In any other year I would say relying on an 'R' next to your name would be an workable winning strategy for a Virginia Republican. But not this year. Not here. Not with Bush. Not with where gas prices are. Not with the 77% popularity of Warner. Not with all the scandal. And not with Iraq.
No, Kilgore lost all the undecideds a long time ago, and has probably lost a good portion of the republican-lite's who arent that politically minded as well. I guarantee you, most of those non-political types of Virginians are upset with everything Republicans have wrought on our nation, and are self-re-classifying themselves as "independants" right now. The only sure thing Kilgore's got left are the kool-aid gang of hard core Republicans. And too bad for Kilgore, he's going to lose about 10% of those assholes to the other wingnut, Potts.
Kaine will be fine. We'll see another poll or two in this last month showing him ahead. He will fight back in the ads, while still managing to look positive. Kaine will finish strong, and he will win.
"In March of 1999 as Slobodan Milosevic unleashed his army and police on the people of Kosovo, Gen. Wesley Clark, NATO's supreme commander, was given the first military mission of its kind, directing the forces of a 19 nation alliance to end a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing. The stakes were monumental.
"Almost a million people had been driven from their homes solely because of their ethnic and religious background. Success would save lives, strengthen NATO, advance the cause of freedom, democracy and unity in Europe. Failure would leave much of the continent awash in a sea of refugees and end the 20th century on a note of helpless indignation in the face of evil.
"Wes Clark well understood the perils of the Balkans for he had already played a vital role in ending the war in Bosnia and beginning the long process of building a stable, multi-ethnic democracy in that country. He summoned every ounce of his experience and expertise as a strategist, soldier and a statesman to wage our campaign in Kosovo. He prevailed miraculously without the loss of a single combat casualty.
"At the apex of a long and distinguished military career that goes back to his outstanding performance as a cadet at West Point over 30 years ago, he was assigned a challenge many experts thought was mission impossible. Instead, thanks to Gen. Clark, we now can declare it mission accomplished."
-President Bill Clinton, August 9, 2000
"As the friendly force maneuvered through the treacherous region, it was suddenly subjected to an intense small arms fire from a well-concealed insurgent element. Although painfully wounded in the initial volley, Captain Clark immediately directed his men on a counter-assault of the enemy positions. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Captain Clark remained with his unit until the reactionary force arrived and the situation was well-in-hand. His courageous initiative and exemplary professionalism significantly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement. Captain Clark's unquestionable valor in close combat against a hostile force is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army."
-From the Award of the Silver Star, as presented to Capt. Clark after he was wounded in battle in Vietnam, February 26, 1970
"Major Clark is one of the most outstanding officers of his grade in the U.S. Army...an officer of impeccable character with a rare blend of personal qualities and professional attributes which uniquely qualify him as a soldier-scholar. While he has the intellectual grasp of world affairs attained only by the top scholars in the field, he projects soldierly qualities of strength, character, leadership, and above all an unyielding sense of personal responsibility. It is this sense of responsibility which clearly sets him apart from his contemporaries. [He] has the intellectual, moral and physical stamina, coupled with an unrelenting quest for excellence, which insures the completion of every task to near perfection. Major Clark's earnestness, sincerity of purpose and absolute dedication convey a moral force in his work which gives him a significant voice in this headquarters..."
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., July 19, 1978
"Wes Clark has the character and depth to be another Marshall or Eisenhower in time of war."
-Brigadier General William W. Crouch, March 16, 1988
"Professional and moral attributes are impeccable. Strong in all areas. Best leader-thinker in the Army....a great leader who takes care of soldiers and families.... He has it all and has done it better than anyone else."
-General Edwin Burba, Jr., March 20, 1992
"Clark exhibits the best balance of professional ethics of any officer I know. Particularly noteworthy is his demonstrated selfless dedication to his men, his unit, and the Army. He exhibits absolute integrity of word, deed... he establishes and observes scrupulous ethical and moral standards."
-Colonel Lester E. Bennett, June 2, 1980
"Major Clark is the most able White House Fellow I have known during my seven years in Washington...He brought to his work a brilliant mind and rare common sense. He has initiative, style, imagination, moral courage, and integrity-each in extraordinary degree...He has a rare sensitivity to others and a remarkable ability to motivate and lead them....He is totally dedicated to public service as a military officer."
-James T. Lynn, Director, Office of Management and Budget, July 8, 1976
"He is unquestionably one in a million. A professional whose perceptions are correct, whose plans are thorough and complete, whose executions are artistic, and whose success is inevitable....I have never been more impressed with an officer's talent and dedication. He should rank with men like Douglas MacArthur, Maxwell Taylor, Creighton Abrams..."
-Colonel Charles G. Prather IV, June 23, 1977
"Major Clark is the most outstanding Major I have ever seen. Brilliant, innovative, hardworking, and extremely enthusiastic, professional in every respect - I can not praise him too highly....The fact that General Haig selected him for his personal staff is indicative of his caliber. Further, his gracious wife is a distinct asset to him and to the Army."
-Brigadier General Clyde W. Spence Jr., March 7, 1978
I'm anti-abortion AND pro-choice; it's the only sensible stance on the issue. It's NOT a contradiction or a "waffle"!
You really gotta watch these right-wing word-twisters...
If we are to bring death to those who committed crimes are we not equally as guilty.
Two wrongs a right does not make.
No one person muchless a politician can fill the needs of all. Making a big issue of the death penalty is a waste of time IMHO. Credentials, experience, fairness, honesty, integrity and a willingness to serve the people are by far more important. The death penalty is only one issue in a range of many.
By setting one's priorities straight will help clear any misgivings on the death penalty. The death penalty ought not have a place in the 21 Century. Retribution does not ease grief from loss.
For it is in death we learn to live.
To bash a man with that much integrity, who is more a man than ANY of them could ever dream to be is just downright pathetic.
Gen. Clark nowhere denies the application of the death penalty in that transcript, he just identifies it as "a separate issue" from where the trial of Osama Bin Laden should take place!
Here are some direct quotes which are credibly documented from Gen. Clark regarding the application of the death penalty for Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein that clearly contradict the false and dishonest assertions of Jerry Kilgore's campaign:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/12/17/elec04.prez.clark.bush/
Clark: Bush lacks will to find bin Laden
Democrat says he would have had the al Qaeda chief by now
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 Posted: 7:00 PM EST
"If I'd been president, I would have had Osama bin Laden by this time," Clark said at a news conference in Concord, New Hampshire, where he was campaigning for votes in the nation's first primary, January 27.
"I would have followed through on the original sentiment that the president gave us -- Osama bin Laden, dead or alive..."
Clark, who returned this week after testifying at the war crimes trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague, Netherlands, weighed in on the case of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Clark said Saddam should be tried in Iraq, by Iraqis, under standards drawn up by international experts -- with the death penalty as a potential punishment.
"I think that you cannot take the death penalty off the table. ... It has to be there, to be applied to war criminals who've used chemical weapons, to those responsible for genocide," Clark said...
http://www.clark04.com/speeches/021/
Wes Clark's Plan to Bring Saddam Hussein to Justice
Concord, New Hampshire
December 17, 2003
Given the heinous nature of Saddam Hussein's crimes, I firmly believe that the death penalty should be on the table as a possible punishment. I believe that the death penalty should be applied to war criminals, those who've used chemical weapons, and those responsible for genocide. And as I believe the proceedings will show, Saddam is responsible for every single one of these heinous crimes and deserves the ultimate punishment. The question of Saddam Hussein's punishment need not be answered by the international panel of experts. Their job is to determine whether the trial was conducted according to international standards of justice. Having said that, I strongly urge that we seek to make the death penalty available.
This proposal is unprecedented. But the situation we face is unprecedented. I believe this approach will best serve the interests of the Iraqi people, the needs of the region, and the cause of justice...
If Jerry Kilgore cannot be truthful and honest about Gen. Wes Clark in his negative attack ads and if that was his best shot, then how can Jerry Kilgore be trusted as being truthful and honest by the people of Virginia?
Mitch Dworkin
I think they've gotten soft though. Apparently Howell and his boy Kilgore want to give Osama Bin Laden a nice comfortable execution. Lethal injection? A nice quiet peaceful martyr's death?
I for one agree with General Wes Clark. Short of stuffing OBL into a barrel and feeding him through a bung hole for the next 40 years, a dank, dark, Dutch dungeon, sharing bad food with cockroaches and rats seems just the ticket to me. Clark has just the right idea.
Just in case you missed the unabridged Clark quote on Hardball, here it is:
MATTHEWS: But doesn’t life in Holland beat life in a cave?
CLARK: Not in a Dutch prison. Chris, they’re under water, they’re damp, they’re cold, they’re really miserable.
(MSNBC’S ‘Hardball,’ 12/8/03)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3660578/
Wes Clark is NOT against the death penalty. In the campaign, he did say that death row cases should be reviewed in light of new technology, such as DNA analysis.
Nine percent? Clark hardly campaigned in Virginia in the week between the Super Seven on February 3 and the Tennessee-Virginia primaries on February 10. By then, even though Clark had won Oklahoma outright and finished ahead of John Edwards five out of eight times after Iowa, the Kerry momentum was unstoppable and the media had made Edwards the darling.
I'm looking forward to Gov. Kaine's endorsement of Clark in 2008.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Order Roger Coleman's DNA in California to be tested and prove, irrevocably, that the Commonwealth executed an innocent man.
Let's see how hang-them-first-ask-no-questions-later, Smiley-face Kilgore has to say afterwards.
You just showed a data about who supports DP. Yet you're brushing off data that states the DP is ineffective. Did you skip class the day they taught cause and effect in school?
This is something i can't grasp. If something is shown to be ineffective, why would anyone be supportive of it?
Jerry Kilgore’s Three Bald Faced Lies:
1. Kilgore: There’s a standing relationship between Al-qaeda and Hispanic Street Gangs like MS-13. LIE: Refuted by many, including the FBI
2. Kilgore: Governor Gilmore left no Deficit. LIE: In fact the Deficit was over $6BN.
3. Kilgore: Tim Kaine wouldn’t execute Hitler, Pol Pot, etc… LIE: Kaine actually said: “They don’t deserve to live in civilized society. They deserve the death penalty. â€
Now the media can officially begin to refer to Jerry Kilgore as a LIAR.
Then allow me to clear it up for you (even though I explained quite thoroughly above).
It's quite effective in stopping the person executed from committing any more crimes against society. That's what we care deeply about... and that which Tim Kaine obviously doesn't care about at all. He did say that Virginia doesn't need CP to be safe, didn't he?
I don't care which candidate you support, you should be ashamed of attacking the victims. Implicit in your post is that these folks deserved to die. You are sick.
If these kids were black and using crack, radical right wingers wouldn't give a damn who killed them.
Nobody's saying they deserved to die, but who does it serve to let some death penalty activist gloss over the facts of the case.
This is a tragedy, but there are much greater tragedies here, including:
1. The death of rational public discourse in favor of the kind of sleezemongering lies represented by this despicable "Hitler" ad.
2. A former Attorney General attacking a lawyer for doing his duty by facilitating due process under the orders of a Judge.
3. A candidate for Governor attacking his opponent as "untrustworty" because of his Christian faith.
Again, Welcome to the Weimar Republic and Jerry W. Kilgore, the W stands for Weimar Republican.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How likely are the candidates' death penalty ads to sway your vote?
665 responses so far:
Very Likely (15.3%), 102 votes
Somewhat Likely (7.8%), 52 votes
Not Likely (75.5%), 502 votes
Unsure (1.4%), 9 votes
Note: This is an unscientific survey of washingtonpost.com readers.
Welcome to the Wiemar Republic. IP do you consider yourself a Wiemar Republican?
Watch out for more rebuttals.
The rebuttal ad that's running now was in the can 6 months ago. The Kaine campaign is working on a response to this precise attack right now. Watch out Kilgore, Reap the whirlwind.
Those ads do nothing of the sort. I've watched all of them several times, and never do any of them claim to present a monolithic view of murder victims' families. To the contrary, they simply present the personal views of the people in the ads, supported by nothing but factual accounts. You're simply upset because those factual accounts are proving to be extremely damaging to Tim Kaine's chances of becoming governor.
Kaine could have avoided all of this if, when asked whether Hitler deserved the death penalty, he had given an unequivocal answer, instead of dodging the issue and trying to play both sides of it.
Neither Jerry Kilgore nor Scott Howell introduced Hitler into this campaign. Kaine's failure to answer honestly brought the Hitler/death penalty issue into the race. All the spinning in the world won't change that fact.
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How likely are the candidates' death penalty ads to sway your vote?
358 responses so far:
Very Likely (17.0%), 61 votes
Somewhat Likely (7.0%), 25 votes
Not Likely (74.6%), 267 votes
Unsure (1.4%), 5 votes
Note: This is an unscientific survey of washingtonpost.com readers.
Close Window
ABC News/Washington Post Poll. April 21-24, 2005.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?"
Favor - 65%
Oppose - 29%
Unsure - 6%
By the way, you can tell us your real name at any time, or are you ashamed of what you stand for and what you have to say? If so, I don't blame you, because your ideology is a truly nasty one. No wonder Jerry Kilgore and Scott Howell hide in shadows as much as possible...
So if it doesn't actually reduce crime, costs a ton of money in appeals, why bother?
My guess is that Kilgore is a big proponent of the death penalty because it means fewer people that can escape from prison.
Steve -- death penalty opponents love to show statistics that it doesn't reduce crime. BFD. We don't care. Supporters of the CP statute care about the recidivism rate of those who are executed. That's all.
Certain people, by their actions, forfeit the right to live in a law-abiding society. We, as a commonwealth, have decided that is the law. As a CP supporter, I couldn't care less about what CP specifically does to reduce overall crime -- just so long as it prevents THAT PERSON from committing any more.
Life w/o parole doesn't do it. The guards and other inmates shouldn't have to be exposed to people who are otherwise deserving of CP. You're free, of course, to disagree with this. But when you use meaningless statistics to make your case, it rings hollow.
"What do you think should be the penalty for persons convicted of murder: the death penalty, life in prison with no chance of parole, or a long prison sentence with a chance of parole?"
Death Penalty: 39%
Life in Prison: 39%
Long Sentence: 6%
Depends (vol.): 13%
Unsure: 3%
Most voters trust Kaine to keep his word. A recent Washington Posts poll found that 63 percent of Virginians said they trusted Kaine to uphold the law on the death penalty.Kilgore would like to erode that trust. He launched a series of ads that, among other things, falsely accuse Kaine of saying he believed that not even Adolph Hitler deserved the death penalty.
Kilgore based that accusation on an opinion essay in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. But the Kaine campaign refuted that by releasing a transcript of the interview that prompted the column. Kaine was asked if even people like Hitler or Josef Stalin, who were responsible for the deaths of millions of human beings, deserved to be executed.
Kaine said, "They may deserve it. Of course they may, for doing something heinous. They don't deserve to live in civilized society. They deserve the death penalty." http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/36011
Now tell me again where Kaine doesn't support the death penalty for Hitler...
But ads like this confirm what I've thought for a while now; that the GOP is infested with moral cretisn who will stoop to any low to get their way.
That pretty much sums it up for I.Publius and others of his ilk, doesn't it now?
Sheppard, eager to show how vicious he was to his fellow drug dealer Andre Graham, decided to pick a car at random and carjack it as they drove along US 60 in west Richmond in October 1993.
As they passed the Chippenham Parkway, Sheppard decided to pull into the parking lot of the Steak N' Ale restaurant, where 20 year old Sheryl Stack (college student and waitress at the restaurant) and her boyfriend, Edward Martin were talking at 3:30 am after coming back to their cars from a date.
Graham and Sheppard pulled up beside them, got out and rapped guns against the windows of Stack's car. The two thugs ordered Stack and Martin out of the car, told them it was a robbery and forced them to lay face down on the parking lot asphalt. They were promised if they remained there and counted to 100, the two men would drive off in their car, no one would get hurt.
Instead, the two victims soon were shot at point blank range in the head. Stack was fatally wounded, Martin suffered grave bullet wounds that required part of his skull to be removed, blinded him in one eye and permanently damaged his overall functionality. He held Stack's hand and pleaded for her to stay alive as she bled to death before her eyes.
Neither of these kids were on drugs, they were randomly selected for attack by Sheppard and Graham - who destroyed both of their lives with little thought.
Graham was executed for this crime 10 months after Sheppard in 1999, who was put to death for the Rosenbluth murders. Both Sheppard and Graham were dangerous, violent and murderous men and Virginia is better off without them.
Often crime victim survivors aren't prepared or willing to speak out about their ordeal. You never hear the relatives of the sniper victims talking out, for instance. So Stan Rosenbluth, whom I know peripherally, is a different kind of guy, opinionated, but factually based. He's done a lot to help crime victims in this state and was a good choice for this ad.
Stan Rosenbluth is open about the drug aspect of his son and daughter in law's murders. In fact, the drug use was so secretive, he didn't learn about it til the trial. The downfall for Richard and Becky was so fast -- they had only gotten into cocaine (with Graham as their supplier) two or three weeks prior to their deaths. In any event, the manner in which they died qualified under Virginia law as capital murder (as objects were stolen from the home and a second murder was committed).
Jerry Kilgore has served as Attorney General and been involved actively in the prosecution of post-conviction capital appeals. His staff in the capital litigation unit is tough, but they do play by the rules ... to the letter (strict). So it's not as if Jerry is winging it on this issue, though the Hitler reference is a bit much ... Kaine did say something to that effect in front of the Times-Dispatch last month, wholly unaware of how it might be reinterpreted by his opponents.
The case to be tried involved a drug dealer with the possibility of life imprisonment on conviction. When asked by the prosecutor whether she could impose such a punishment, Prejean remarked:
"I oppose life without parole, anyone can change."
--
That's the problem ... she is well known for opposing the death penalty and offers "life" as an alternative with the implication that the individuals will *never* get out, yet in an obscure courtroom proceeding, she lets slip out that she doesn't really believe in that absolute alternative either.
Same thing with Kaine - he opposes the death penalty, fine, but he says he roots it in his deeply held faith and personal convictions. It is hard to believe that he would _disregard_ these seemingly sincere feelings and allow for executions to occur under his watch as Governor. The crux of the problems he is having now is that he justified his opposition to the death penalty on his inner most beliefs and then tried to say he could act oppositely.
Now he's trying to recover by telling Paul Ebert, Comm. Attorney of Prince William County and prosecutor of John Allen Muhammad that he wouldn't block Muhammad's execution should it come up during a Kaine term. Hold on a second, didn't Kaine say that he would use clemency fairly if elected Governor?
Here he is writing off a clemency without being first presented with a petition for review from defense counsel. Upon what other issues might Kaine try to teeter on both sides of the fence rather than sticking to his guns?
--Sam
If Bruce Roemmelt was your delegate, you'd be home right now!
Bruce is such a badass!
How about coming up with something more innovative than BRT and commuter lots?
How about creating jobs near our homes.
Bruce is a bore and he's going to get slaughtered in November.
And having Byrne on the '09 ticket will guarentee a loss in '09. Having Bolling as LG will guarentee that he'll run for Gov. in '09. Which would be amazing for us.
Chris out performed Chuck at the debate. There was also always a knowledge that Gary was going to endorse. He is a sore loser.
Chris also has the Home School endorsement, and the NRA endorsement. Out of all the endorsements flying around that mean nothing, only NRA has people that really get out there on the ground.
Chuck has stated he wants our funds to go to Southside Virginia, these is a travesty as were from NOVA. I am no "extremist" I supported Connaughton in the primary, and am an avid Tom Davis support, but Chris is going to win this. Chuck has no good ground game, and is having to pay his door to door operations.
My Birthday was this week, and Raising Kaine is making it the best ever!
I had thought this may happen. For days I have had the vision of the picture on this very site in my mind. The one of Rove rushing from the courthouse rushing to go see Jerry. If Rove was going then now is the time... Lord knows when he will have to trade his Armani suits for a Government Issued Orange Jumpsuit.
In my opinion, Rove could not hurt Jerry Kilgore more than Jerry Kilgore hurts himself, but that’s just me!
Stop the presses! This the most breaking news ever in a campaign in Virginia.
When are the demons going to learn you don't win elections on endorsements?
Quite typical of the religious right these days.
http://www.opcva.com/watchdog/102303b.html
The Virginia Watchdog has just learned that in addition to Attorney General Jerry Kilgore endorsing all the Republican candidates running for the Hanover Board of Supervisors (see Mechanicsville Local - 10/15/03 edition, page 3) which included Beaverdam?s Bucky Stanley, Cold Harbor?s Elton Wade, and Henry?s Otis Hall, some other big names have now also made endorsements of Hanover?s resident ?jailbird?.
Do they not know of Stanley?s past incarceration and problems with paying his Federal taxes just a mere 12 years ago? Do they think it?s okay to be charged with 9 felony counts for tax evasion, cop a plea and serve time in jail like apparently the Attorney General of this state thinks is okay?
What does this say about the character of the following people - including Hanover?s Sheriff Cook (who by the way has a write in candidate opposing him - Tom Chorinos)???
Apparently no one told them of his past!
Here?s the list of people who have just endorsed Bucky Stanley (read previous story on this site about his past problems):
U.S. Senator John Warner
U.S. Senator George Allen
Congressman Eric Cantor
State Senator Bill Bolling (and he wants to be Lt. Governor in 2005!!!!)
Delegate Frank Hargrove
Delegate Ryan McDougle (former Assist. Commonwealth?s Attorney in Hanover)
Sheriff V. Stuart Cook (guess keeping your nose clean means nothing to him?)
Clerk of Circuit Court Frank Hargrove, Jr. (same one who wants our records/lives on the internet)
Commissioner of the Revenue, Scott Harris (Would he be writing letters about how bad people are if Stanley were a Democrat or Independent? Is this endorsement only because Satnley is running as a Republican?)
The Hanover Conservation Network (whoever this group is?which is amazing because what has Stanley done to ?conserve? anything in this county?he has voted for almost every subdivision put in here!)
I would suggest to all readers not to vote for any of these people again - even if they have no opponent. Don?t give any one of them a vote of confidence? Their values just went down the tubes with this endorsement.
Let?s see if this Wednesday?s Mech Local (Oct. 27th) has any endorsements of other candidates by the same guys?. Stay tuned to The Virginia Watchdog? Tell your friends!
BUT even more baffling is why Attorney General Jerry Kilgore endorsed Otis Hall (R) for Hanover?s Henry District Supervisor - an alleged wife beater?
A check of the files in the Hanover County courthouse records room will reveal details of Hall?s three divorces, but even more concerning is TWO of his ex-wives? allegations of physical abuse by him to the point of needing attention (for one wife), the papers filed at Hanover Clerk?s office say.
In one set of her filings, his now first ex-wife in her pleadings stated that the defendant (Hall) ?beat and severely mistreated? her and that ?on several occasions she had to procure attention by reason of injuries and wounds inflicted by defendant (Hall).? She also stated that she was forced to leave him due to ?mistreatment of her.? She also stated in her filings that Hall ?neglected her and the children, stayed out late at night and on numerous occasions did not come home at all for one or two days? ? and that the defendant (Hall) ?made visits to and kept company with women friends and generally neglected? his wife.
His first mother-in-law testified under oath in depositions that her daughter ? had come home to us with bruises on her where he hit her? she?s just afraid to stay with him?? and ?she had been beaten several times before.? She also testified under oath that Hall ?was supposed to make support payments, but he didn?t take care of his children.?
The wife was granted the divorce in the final decree - and she got custody of the children. Mr. Hall filed a cross bill of complaint that was dismissed.
And why didn?t the Hanover Republican Party know this about their candidate? Didn?t anyone ask him about his past - especially one this colorful with allegations of domestic violence in his past marriages? Personally I don?t think anyone in this county wants an alleged wife beater on the Board! The Judge believed the wife?s allegations and granted her that divorce. He said the wife?s case ?has been fully proven by the evidence?? and that?s just one of his divorces?
And the fact that Hall was not making child support payments until he was threatened with contempt charges is a concern also. He did bring his payments up to date right before he gave up his little girls for adoption to his first wife?s second husband. But maybe in this case his girls were better off in a home without domestic violence. Does the AG condone not paying child support? Apparently - he endorsed this man.
All the papers are public record regarding Hall and they are sickening to read. He denied it in his filings but who wouldn?t deny that kind of behavior! Who could possibly defend his past actions? You can tell a lot about a man in how he treats his wife and kids? and this man didn?t treat his wives very well according to his past wives? filings - and then he gave his own daughters up for adoption! He did file an affidavit about the adoptions but those papers are sealed so we don?t know what he was thinking about when he gave them up.
So does the Attorney General, Jerry Kilgore, condone domestic violence? He has now endorsed a man accused of it by his ex-wives. And since October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, all women in this county and state deserve the answer as to why he - the highest ranking law enforcement official in Virginia - would endorse this man with this past.
Contributions to Hall?s campaign include: Senator Bill Bolling - $250? and the Hanover Republican Party - $200? and Delegate Frank Hargrove - $200 also! What does this say about them? Maybe they should ask for the money back to show they don?t really support a guy with a background/past like his. (Source for contributions: Hanover Registrar -www.hanovervoter.com)
Every woman in this state should be furious for this endorsement by Jerry KIlgore. The citizens of this state should also demand a retraction of his endorsements for Otis L. Hall, Aubrey Stanley, and Tim Ernst?AND every woman in Hanover County?s Henry District should be told of Hall?s past. Maybe Kilgore should have done a background check on Mr. Hall before endorsing him. It doesn?t make any difference when it happened?it just makes a difference that it happened!
And AG Kilgore has not seen fit to respond to my inquiries/questions via his personal secretary, Carol Nixon, and his campaign manager, Ken Hutchinson. (I have an email I wrote to Mr. Hutchinson that I know he read but won?t respond to because I got a ?receipt? that he read it?.and I have the tape of my conversaton with Mrs. Nixon?)
People have a right to know all this before they cast their vote on November 4th. If you don?t believe me, go up to the courthouse and read them yourself. To make an informed decision on who you will vote for as your next Board member, make sure to read all divorce papers (four files) involving Hall?s three ex-wives?
And remember these endorsements by our Attorney General for these three candidates (Stanley, Ernst, and Hall) when you vote for your next Governor of Virginia?
LASTLY, IS VIRGINIA?S ATTORNEY GENERAL MERELY GIVING ?LIP SERVICE? TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUE??? APPARENTLY?
Ladies, tell your friends about this?.
If Virginians know what is in their best interests this year they will all vote down the line with the Democrats. The republicans have failed their own party miserably with the presentation of these three candidates, and if I were a republican I would be pissed.
I was talking to someone, who is a republican yesterday, who called his own ticket a joke, and will be voting democratic this year.
It is a no brainer - Tim Kaine, Leslie Byrne, and Creigh Deeds have what it takes to keep Virginia moving forward.
The republican ticket offers Virginians nothing but corruption, reduced investments in critical services, and rewards for those like, Robin Vandewall, who helped these three get where they are. No thank you!
Really, the choices are easy regardless of party affiliation. Tim Kaine, Leslie Byrne, and Creigh Deeds all the way!
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Of course it's no contest! How could he even get a fair fight against those activist judges!
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. - That's the culture of life we all know and love!
Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his 9 yr old daughter.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano serving a 37-year sentence for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge sentenced to 3 years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. I'm sure he had a good explanation.
Republican racist pedophile and esteemed US Senator Strom Thurmond fathered a chiled with a 15-year old black girl.
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to sexual relations with a juvenile. Praise George!
Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having inappropriate relations with a 13-year-old girl.
Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
..............
there's much much more to this list. send email to poldir@raisingkaine.com for the rest.
his gay-baiting of a woman (Newport News Circuit Judge Verbena Askew) he suspected of being a lesbian
Do you even know the facts of this situation? Askew lied on a questionnaire when she applied for another term as a judge. What kind of "gay-baiting" took place?
Let's see... the guy was McDonnell's campaign manager in 1999. He was convicted of a sex crime five years later. So you're telling me that it's ok to condemn someone due to an associate's FUTURE actions?
Are you kidding me?
Man, if this is all you have to criticize, you're really grasping at straws.
The ad invites you to believe Bob McDonnell is the type of model citizen we would want as Virginia?s next Attorney General. Yet, like the candidate himself, the ad is a slick well-produced showpiece.
In 1996, McDonnell sponsored legislation to make it a serious crime for candidates to make false charges during a campaign. Three years later his campaign manager admitted that McDonnell?s campaign had made false charges against an opponent. That ?Do what I say, not what I do? standard is nothing short of hypocrisy. It is not a character trait worthy of any statewide candidate.
Yet, the most damning part of this sad episode is the subsequent downfall of McDonnell?s campaign manager. Was he fired because he told the truth about making false charges during the campaign? Surprisingly the answer is no. The campaign manager, Robin W. Vanderwall, was later caught-up in a Virginia Beach Police Internet sting. He was arrested and subsequently convicted of attempted indecent liberties with children.
My father taught me that men are judged by the company they keep. Does this make Bob McDonnell a child molester? No it doesn?t, however, it does call into question his ability to protect our children from sexual predators when he can?t even keep such people out of the hierarchy of one of his campaigns.
Now then, it would appear that the candidate is not so hansome when you look below the very thin veneer of a cleverly produced campaign ad.
According to the info above, Mr. Vanderwall was convicted in 2004. He ran McDonnell's campaign five years before.
Are you seriously suggesting that everyone be judged based on what their acquaintances do years in the future? Are you kidding?!?!
If this is what y'all have to rip McDonnell, you're obviously desperate.
Regarding Judge Askew, there was no scrutiny over hers or anyone else's sexual orientation, and it had nothing to do with why she lost her job.
But take a hot soak in the tub and a sedative and get back to us in the morning we'll go from their.
Too much at once can be dangerous to your mental health.
This is the issue that not many people are seeming to grasp. One of the reasons I am a proud Democrat is because WE act better than THEY do. We're supposed to be better, dammit! We shouldn't act like them!
Sigh. Doesn't anyone remember what integrity feels like?
Kennedy is no longer willing to overturn Roe.
Pro-choice: Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter
Anti-abortion: Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, Roberts
That's 4-4. Now add Miers to the anti-abortion group, and I count 5-4 against Roe v. Wade. Please tell me where my reasoning is flawed. Thank you.
If Harriet Miers hadn't been serving lemonade at various Bush Mansions for the last 30 years, she'd never have been picked for this job.
There are plenty of other things to attack McDonnell on. What is reprehensible is the fact that the Democratic Party could stoop to the usual low level of the Republican Party. Was McDonnell there with Vanderwall chatting it up with little boys online? Did McDonnell know that Vanderwall was a disgusting pedophile? Probably not. So where the hell do you people get off politicizing something like this?
What this web site is trying to do is make some sort of weak connection that just isn't there. The idea that McDonnell isn't allowed to mention being tough on child molestors because of Vanderwall's conviction is laughable. That may be the case had McDonnell defended Vanderwall in court. But he didn't.
This whole thing makes you people sound like Rush Limbaugh's ilk. Ready and willing to jump to any conclusion no matter how disgusting it makes you look. You want to know what makes me ashamed Lowell? You. I don't want people like you helping the Democratic cause at all. Because if you release this crap to the public and make that connection, you'll lose points. Big time. I guess you guys are in your own little bubble willing to sacrifice realism for zeal. And thats fine. Just keep it to your damn self.
By the way, the only thing I'm "ashamed" of is that we have supposed "Democrats" like you who turn a blind eye to Republican corruption.
You guys are proud of this? You should be ashamed for this nonsense. You cannot feasibly connect McDonnell with Vanderwall, I don't care if he is his step-brother.
This is the kind of thing that could turn undecides against the attacker. The kind of thing that could turn weak Democrats into Republican supporters.
I hope to god they don't decide to turn this into a mailing like I've heard about.
Additionally, I was a little surprised that McDonnell decided to take a stand on this as Creigh Deeds introduced and the General Assmebly passed both Virginia's Megan's Law and Amber Alert. It is like McDonnell knows Creigh is on target, and is trying to further Creigh's positions. I is all about DEEDS NOT WORDS, and Creigh got the job done, and it appears that McDonnell is buddy's with the sort of people that commit these horrific crimes.
Will McDonnell turn his head to these crimes if committed by his friends as Jerry Kilgore did in the eavedropping case (it was only a few days, but he was not swift to prosecute- some AG)?
But on the other hand, McDonnell has made an issue of his strong stand against pedophiles, even while he "can't remember" engaging (or not) in sodomy.
They both need spanking and bondage discipline. It appears that there are a number of members of the Assembly willing to wield their best chops in the cause of justice. At least while they're between divorces.
Freedom from guilt by association is an important principal of the law. Politics isn't the law, is it?
seo
I think you are talking of those who are too lazy to think.
That is why democrats can be so diverse with our ideas and positions. We are a thinking bunch. We analyze. We form our own opinions. We base our arguments on factual information. In the democratic party we think it is ok to have differing ideas as we respect the opinions of others.
The republican party has indoctrinated people into thinking you are either with us (them) or against us (them again), and people cannot think of anything other than the crap they are feeding them. It is really sad.
Get involved. Make those calls. From here on out, it should be all major ground work focus. Ditch the polls.
I urge all who can to help GOTV, and if you are pressed for time and have cash send all you can to the campaigns to combate the lies hitting our airwaves.
We can and will win this election, but only if all of us are truly dedicated to the win. There are few things that frighten me more than the ticket the republicans have presented winning this election. They are a bad bunch, and are bad for Virginia.
Let's do our part to keep Virginia Moving Forward! Let's elect Tim Kaine, Leslie Byrne, and Creigh Deeds!
Going back to work now!
But the good news for right wingers is that there isn't an election today. Hooray for you!
What Howell will do is try to connect knee-jerk pro-Death Penalty hysteria to the borderline racist immigration stuff they've already done by making a big deal about death penalties for illegal immmigrant gang members convicted of murder.
My prediction is that brownshirted borderline psychopatic ads will hit the airwaves within 48 hours of Fitzgerald's indictments of Rove, Libby et.al. in an attempt to reduce the obvious damage that an Indicted Bush Administration will almost certainly have on the Bush-Cheny Virginia campaign director: Jerry Dubya Kilgore.
any takers?
The ads are necessarily bad. We don't have enough info to know that.
What we need to know is who the people are who are less likely to vote for Kilgore. Are they Kaine voters already? Are they undecided?
The more likely to vote for Kilgore people also need to be looked at. Are they already Kilgore people or are the undecided? If they are undecided here and the less likely are already Kaine voters, then the ads are extremely effective.
Toplines results don't tell you the entire story.
Hmmmmm...now who are Jerry Kilgore's contributors again? (hint: Pat Robertson, Halliburton subsidiary and illegal immigrant employer KBR, Medicaid-defrauding and meth-ingredient-making King Pharamceuticals, etc.)
Of course, I'd vote for a fire hydrant if it ran on the Democrat ticket, so maybe you shouldn't go by me, but still...
A write in vote makes a point that we support whatever the point of the write-in candidate is.
All the AG does is manage the state of Virginia's attorneys. I am tired of the claptrap about all the things that both candidates say they will do.
If elected both Deeds and McDonnell will:
(1) contest unemployment insurance claims
(2) Sue on behalf of the uninsured employers fund
(3) Shut down day care centers not in conformance with the state code
(4) argue about whether someone should or should not be on the state's list of sex offenders.
and other routine activities.
When McDonnell says that he is going to use GPS to monitor released sex offenders, I ask him under what law are you going to be doing this?
Most of the policies that McDonnell and Deeds say they are going to implement are determined by the state legislature. If McDonnell wants to put GPS devices on sex offenders he should stay in the legislature and pass a law to do that.
So:
(1) It is unclear that Deeds is better than McDonnell. One one issue, guns, he is the worst candidate. Doug Wilder has not endorsed him.
(2) If Dems lose votes because of write-ins or non-votes then they will get the idea that nominating severely flawed candidates is a bad idea.
(3) Depending on who you do a write-in vote for, you can make a point. Vote with some of your friends for a write-in candidate who represents an issue that you care about.
It is a waste to vote for McDonnell under these circumstances.
THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.
Where Kaine would not consider repealing one-gun-a-month, Deeds has said he would.
That being said, be aware that Deeds opponent may end up under indictment before election day by the Commonwealths Attorney. At the very least McDonnell is under investigation by the State Board of Elections. It seems that McDonnell has taken in some $2M of unreported campaign contributions.
In Virginia the laws are really quite simple: you can contribute to whomever you like, but that candidate MUST REPORT.
For a guy who wants to be the head of Law Enforcement for Virginia, McDonnell sure seems ignorant or cavalier about our Laws.
Waldo has a nice write up.
If Gov. Wilder doesn't support Creigh Deeds why should I?
One does not need to be a betther Catholic than the Pope, and one does not need to be a better Democrat than Doug Wilder.
Even though he hasn't endorsed Creigh Deeds, that doesn't mean he won't vote for him. I believe Wilder (and many swing voters) will see a moderate democrat is better than a right wing republican any day of the week.
But hey -- if that's the kind of endorsement you guys want for Kaine, I can't complain. I hope news of this one gets a lot of airtime.
PS If you really want to get into peoples' sex lives, why don't we talk about various Virginia and national Republican politicians' philandering and other vices? That would provide endless fun, but I really doubt SCHROCK you want to SCHROCK "go there."
All those Republican so-called-Christian moralists say they're all about protecting marriage, but only when that translates to stopping gay people from having legal commitments to one another. They're all in favor of the government coming in and judging whether your marriage is healthy enough for you to continue to be your spouse's guardian.
Frankly, I don't want these hypocrites judging the quality of my marriage. If I was in a persistent vegetative state, I want my husband to find happiness and maybe even have children of his own. But I also wouldn't want him to abandon me completely if my body was not yet at rest. I didn't choose my parents, I chose my spouse. He is who I want to care for me, regardless of whether he later falls in love with someone else. I think Michael Schiavo is a hero, and I hope his endorsement helps other Virginians realize that we don't want the Kilgores of the world getting the government to interfere in our marriages and private medical decisions.
-- Conaway
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/conservatism.html
Bend your knee and like it!
I have to say it's a very generous gift of the Republican Party to give the Democratic Party "personal liberty and fiscal responsibility". How bizzare.
"Cruel and Hateful"? you betcha
Unfortunately, that all changed in 1980 when the Falwell/Robertson wing took over, along with the Grover Norquist "drown government in a bathtub" crowd, the flat earthers on science and knowledge, the supply siders on economics, and the hyper-nationalists/neo-cons on foreign policy. It's been all downhill since then, which is why I am no longer a Republican - the FORMER party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt!
But when the GOPhers don't have anything to run on, well, they just make stuff up. The KILL-mores are out in force re-enacting SNL's Bizzaro World. It was no honest "mistake" that they spread the disinformation. If we fail to include an apostrophe, or even make a typo,they dog us. If we make an honest mistake, they dog us more. But let them correct any of their false claims... I don't see them doing it. And they claim to be the "accountability" party.
Nope.
Corey: I think it's a bit premature to write off Hillary, but certainly that was an extremely impressive evening for Mark Warner!
"Warner can rake in the bucks. His first fundraiser netted an astonishing $2.5 million. Forget Hillary. Warner will be the candidate to beat. Not saying he's my choice, but he'll be the frontrunner at some point during the 2008 cycle."
There's a good discussion about Warner in the thread now.
Dems don't bail on us now!!! We got the MO!
I just want to know where to send the check!
His message of duty, honor, country, faith, family, courage is well received in many places where 'traditional' Democrats fear to tread.
I hope we see much more of him helping Democrats like Tim Kaine. He's MY choice to lead the ticket in '08.
But I must say if Democrats had cared more about those two races, things might have been otherwise. Too many are willing to ride things out and only jump on the bandwagon at the last minute, when "electability" finally appears doable. Voters so much want to be with a winner many just won't help unless it's a "sure thing." It's gaming pure and simple. But this tactic is a self-fulfilling prophesy. And this use of self-fulfilling prophesy will continue to doom us to partial or full failures as we move forward. The closeness of Leslie and Creigh's races ought to undercut their approach.
I'm delighted that Tim Kaine won. But just how much do we have beyond symbolism without Leslie and Creigh? Boling has already acted like a jerk in his victory statement, suggesting he's going to dog Tim. He'll break ties. And the new AG is unlikely to run his job on behalf of all Virginians. We don't have the two houses of the legislature (big deal -- a few more seats). The courts are generally overwhelmingly wrong-wing. I don't need to say anything about how the wrong-wing owns the entire federal government and has obliterated every aspect of bipartisanship.
Annie: On second thought... LOL
Steve, lay off the "If the Deeds campaign is putting you up to this" stuff. Aside from insulting Lowell and Waldo, as if neither one were able to have any independent political thoughts, and as if the basis for this story weren't right out there in the news, your insinuation is just ridiculous.
At this moment the Deeds campaign is having to prepare both a transition team and a recount plan. Don't you think they're a little bit too busy to be planting stories in blogs?
I look forward to the next several years, in which the full corruption of the national Republican money-laundering machine will be laid out for all to see. Lowell, Waldo: you probably know about the new site that Josh Marshall is preparing (and fundraising for) that will follow that story. That site will depend on local bloggers reporting the connections of R's in their areas to the national apparatus; I'm looking forward to contributions from you both.
But look to the better side, it's almost time for winter and that means snow. Go make yourself a snowman.
Here you go Lowell and friends. Enjoy your studies....
Now we need to keep it (or get it?) in the media and keep repeating it over and over.
JC: I love "Abromokwanzaa," except I can't pronounce it. How about, "Abromokwanzistmukah?"
There are other current tactics that stereotype and demonize those of other faiths. For example, in a chain letter circulating the internet, there's a supposed bet by two young people of faith. One bets they couldnt' find 200 people in America who believe in God. The other bets they can. And the reader is supposed to sign on to "prove" that there are at least 200 people in the entire country who believe. This specific chain letters is propaganda designed to persaude the reader that there's just about no one else who'll sign on. Note that according to Pew Research, at least 90% of Americans do believe in God.)BTW). But note the condescension and offensive ness of the two betters beliving they are among the 200 holiest people in America. This kind of thinking, promoted by some denominations, is designed to spark and "us" against "them" mentality. At the very time when people of all faiths should come together in mutual respect, wedges like this cause the opposite. And somehow I don't think arrogance is part of the spirit of the season, or the day.