Basically saying yeah, yeah, yeah ....he got caught, but this isn't any big deal...kinda like how Matricardi's eavesdropping and wiretapping weren't a big deal ...

I agree with you. Astounding also is that a local television station in Richmond (NBC12) had Mathews on tape using the "N" word and even then, Kilgore did nothing, said nothing --looked the OTHER WAY !

Turner could make duplicate keys for cell house locks just by _listening_ to how a key turned in it.  He also fashioned a bomb out of the cardboard backing of a legal notepad and a match as well as made a samurai style sword nearly three feet in length from his Mecklenburg cell toilet.

Some VADOC administrators who manage death row acknowledged to me that Turner was a criminal genius.  However, they haven't seen those problems replicated by any other inmate since that time. 

There was fallout at VADOC from the Turner gun incident, but positive steps for public safety were subsequently made by Ron Angelone, the tough as nails VADOC Director (1994-2002).  Today, death row, as well as the Level 4-5-6 security prison facilities in Virginia are quiet, without any outbreaks of violence or shenanigans as carried out by Turner.

This has proven true in many incidents, such as investigations of the Ultron-II stun gun "caused" death of an inmate at Red Onion (later disproven by the autopsy finding of natural causes) or a personnel issue.  Larry Traylor, communications director at VADOC, will tell reporters, "we're not going to comment until our investigation is complete".

So the stance taken by Kilgore (as Secretary of Public Safety) in response to the 1995 investigation of the Willie Lloyd Turner gun incident was quite appropriate.

Kilgore ignored the finding of that investigation and claimed it was a hoax!

That's right, Jerry, anytime anyone has any criticsm of you or how you do business it is either a "hoax" or a "grand conspiracy."

Jerry-man doesn't ever do anything except deny that he did anything.

Folks, we can't really have both Bush and Kilgore at the same time....just sorting through their lies will make us all sick.  These two boys are such high maintainence.

ELECT KAINE.  For the sake of our children and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Kilgore's racism is not at all hidden.  He talked all nicey-nice to Doug Wilder, but then turned around and dissed him.  And, Wilder must be getting old and suffering from early onset Alzheimers or something.  If someone had disrespected Doug so profoundly as a younger man, Doug woulda torn this Kilgore into tiny pieces and used him as fish-bait.

Alas, it is a pity that Doug so despises his fellow Democrats who did not help him as much as he thought they should in his aborted attempt to run for the Senate and for US President, that he is willing to become a step-and-fetch-it for Republicans who want to play games.

Doug usedta be smarter than this.  Why aren't other legislators and citizens outraged by Kilgore's nonchalance when it comes to people of color or people who have disabilities? 

I would be interested in hearing the answers to a few questions concerning the administration of the juvenile justice system in Virginia and about WHY the U.S. Justice Department was called in to investigate. 

Those with good memories, will recall that overcrowding and abuse in the state?s juvenile detention centers could qualify Virginia for a ?Shame of the Nation? award. 

Under Kilgore?s tenure as Director of Public Safety, there were not just simply ALLEGATIONS of child abuse, but CONFIRMED CASES of children being beaten into unconsciousness by guards.

This all came to light in May of 1996, when the Justice Department, after tipped off to routine abuse of children, launched an investigation.

Allen, having been elected on a ?tough on crime? ticket, established harsh new standards for juvenile offenders, putting them in prison for lesser offenses and keeping them in longer.  Kilgore was eager to please and more than ready to lock?em up and throw away the keys.

Overcrowding inevitably got worse, abuse became more common, and the whole system quickly ceased to rehabilitate children, and instead turned them into hardened criminals.

This was a stark contrast to just a decade previously, when Virginia?s juvenile-justice system was considered the model for the nation and the envy of leaders of states across the country. Allen and his Secretary of Public Safety, in an effort to prove themselves to be ?tough guys,? turned that whole system on its head and managed to destroy everything good about the system, making it worse than useless.

Despite the obviousness of the abuse ? the reaction from the Allen administration and Jerry Kilgore was shocking.

Rather than admit fault, express even an iota of shame at the federal government?s need to get involved, they became very defensive. Get this.  Kilgore CLAIMED the whole probe was purely political, and attempted to BLAME it on President Clinton, saying that Clinton was making up stuff (hmmmmm, sound familiar?) to detract from Allen?s juvenile justice overhaul.

As the Virginian-Pilot wrote in an editorial at the time (May 23, 1996):

Much as Virginia would like to handle its own problems, officials should listen carefully to what the Justice Department has to say. This probe should not disintegrate into a federal/state standoff, but should be taken as a chance to assess what?s wrong and move forward.

Lives may be at stake, literally - those of errant juveniles, of the men and women who guard them and of a public that sooner or later will have most of these young people back in its its midst.

Is blaming someone else for a problem considered? ?LEADERSHIP??  Is claiming ignorance of a problem? ?LEADERSHIP??  Is the ability to tell BIGGER AND BIGGER lies to protect your boss? ?LEADERSHIP?? 

How many of the juvenile offenders who were warehoused and subjected to abuse in the Allen/Kilgore administration are now adult offenders contributing to increased crime across the state?  Are these chickens coming home to roost?

Just wondering when Mr. Kilgore will stop whining and blaming other people for his troubles and stand up as a man, ?a man in full,? and take some responsibility?

Are you that ashamed of your candidate's own words? 

When are thinking church-goers going to demand an end to politics from the pulpit?

Hats are important. Especially the future progress of hats.

But alas, there are also alot of VT grads in this county who might be offended by his gratuitous use of the UVA colors! 

One could hope.

It was also refreshing to have an incumbent, virtually unopposed county supervisor on the ballot out there shaking hands at ground zero, thanking everyone for their support.

i'm not saying that it DOES fall within those rules, but i suppose if one wanted to nitpick, it could.

What are the rules for who gets to speak? Is handing out of leaflets allowed?

My guess is that there will be 10 to 100 people who wish to speak for everyone who will be able to. Gov. Kaine cannot be expected to stay up all night listening to us jabber at him.

As for the lame number of seats considered in play in the next Congressional election, this brings us back to the matter of ruthless gerrymandering done by Republican legislators, working with modern computers, which enables sitting legislators to make themselves politically eternal. I say again: take re-districting out of the hands of the legislators and politicians. Give it to professional demographers and/or a non-partisan task force based on the most recent census (the legislature will of course have to give final approval, up or down). Until we do that--- and some states have already moved that way--- we will continue to have outlandish jiggering of district lines resulting in "safe" districts, resulting in turn in extremist politicians and uncontested elections.

Unless we end gerrymandering, the electoral system will continue to be distorted, and democracy will die.