Contrived Outrage

The family and I have been out of town for two days, visiting friends in Williamsburg, and it seems that I've missed a huge imbroglio.

It's the campaign season, and Prince William BOCS Chairman Corey Stewart has stepped in it. All over the blogosphere and various mainstream journals, the "scandal" is trumpeted. The Daily Fishwrap ... er, "Potomac News," has it here. The Washington Post has a report here.

And the blogoshere is all atwitter, too. Democrat activist Ben Tribbett declares "Corey Stewart Under Investigation" ... by a Democrat Commonwealth's Attorney. He provides "More Details on Corey Stewart Scandal" here. The boys and girls at Ranting Kids ... er, Raising Dough ... er, "Raising Kaine" have at least two posts, one here, and another here. Craig Vitter is likewise perturbed, with not fewer than three posts.

And what are they all atwitter about? It seems that Chairman Corey Stewart used his "Supervisor's Discretionary Fund" --- public funds --- to send out a mailer to County households.

I agree. This is horrendous. That a County Supervisor should be able to use taxpayer funds for whatever he or she chooses, without any responsibility, is a travesty. I've said so for years. Most apparently decide to give it to their favorite charity. I'm somewhat surprised that Corey hasn't tried to do anything about this.

But that, of course, is not what these Democrat partisans are complaining about. That's not why Democrat Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert has launched into his patented strategy of appointing a special prosecutor to attack ... er, "investigate" a political opponent shortly before an election.

They're complaining because Stewart sent out a mailer informing County households about the impending vote on a resolution to deny County "services" --- really, welfare --- to illegal immigrants.

And like cockroaches, they're scurrying when the light is shone on their deficiencies on this issue.

Craig Vitter at least has the honesty to put the text of the mailer up here.

Ben Tribbett is not quite so honest. He declares that Stewart has "used Prince William tax dollars to send out a mailing from the Prince William Republican Party." I usually expect more from Ben.

My expectations are lower for the boys and girls at Ranting Kids ... er, Raising Dough ... er, "Raising Kaine," and I'm never disappointed. They, too, claim that it's "illegal." A later post declares the mailing "clearly political."

Of course, the mailer is and does no such thing. It advocates no position; it was not targeted at GOP households (or any other households, for that matter); it doesn't say whether the recipient should support or oppose the measure. And as far as we can tell, the Prince William County Republican Party had utterly nothing to do with it. It simply informs County households --- all of them --- of an impending vote over a matter of exceeding public importance. Even an individual with the obviously limited intellectual ability of a far-Left Democrat in full partisan fervor should be able to figure it out.

Yet they persist in misrepresenting it. One hopes that Corey has enough sense to use his campaign funds to attack the lies and smears of the far Left.

As well as some RINOs who are violating their oaths to "support all of the Party's nominees for public office in the ensuing election" by attacking him for it.

Interestingly, boys and girls at Ranting Kids ... er, Raising Dough ... er, "Raising Kaine" have a post in the very same post atacking Corey in which a Democrat Party official complains about one of their own (who submitted his resignation from the County Democrat Committee) violating his oath by supporting Corey. One might expect to see a few words about Maureen Caddigan's violation of her oath by supporting Sharon Pandak, but of course, that would be too much like applying an objective standard objectively, and wouldn't serve the Democrat goal of power at any cost.