Where Are The Intermeddlers?

Back in 1998, Delegate Bob Marshall made headlines, along with Governor Jim Gilmore, when they tried to intervene to prevent the removal of Hugh Finn's feeding tube, an action sought by his wife. Finn, who was in a persistent vegetative state, was kept alive by a feeding tube, providing him with food and water, but was not subject to any extraordinary measures to maintain his life (no respirator, etc.).

And oh, how the far Left savaged them for interfering with family decisions.

Then, in the last two years, there was the even-more prominent case of Terri Schiavo. Even more politicos, including the United States Congress, tried to intervene on her behalf, when her "husband" --- who had already taken up with another woman and had two children with her --- sought (eventually, successfully) to remove her feeding tube.

And oh, how the far Left, Death Caucus savaged any who dared to speak out against denying her food and water, and interfering with her "husband's" decision to starve her.

Now, there's Abraham Cherrix, a sixteen-year-old boy on Virginia's Eastern Shore with Hodgkin's disease. On Friday, 21 July, an Accomack County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge ruled that Abraham must report to a hospital by this afternoon for testing, evaluation, and treatment as doctors deem necessary. He also found that Abraham's parents are neglectful for risking his health by permitting him to pursue alternative treatment of a sugar-free, organic diate and herbal supplements supervised by a Mexican clinic.

Now, I agree with the judge as to his assessment of the Cherrix's decision. Were I Abraham's parents, and with all due respect to the well-known first-rate qualities and advances of Mexican medicine, I wouldn't treat him according to that clinic's recommendations. In fact, I think Abraham's parents --- like Abraham --- are a little loopy.

But my initial post might have left the impression that I agree with the judge's intereference with the family's decision, which is decidedly not true. I apologize for the confusion.

And while I know my limitations, and that I just can't read everything out there, I am mightily confused by the reaction by the far Left side of the Virginia blogosphere.

The silence from the far Left of the Virginia blogosphere on this judge's interference with the Cherrix family's decisionmaking process --- Doug Mataconis has been all over this story --- is positively deafening.

Or maybe they only support the privacy of family decisionmaking when it involves ending an innocent's life.

Get Your Talking Points Straight

Corey Stewart must be something pretty special, for all of the bile being poured out against him in the Squishy element of the Virginia Blogosphere. However, his opponents haven't quite gotten their talking points straight.

There's one element that seems to doubt my source as to the impending Convention, even though it was gold (and the only thing that made my post a scoop was simply that I posted it more quickly than anyone else; it was based upon an e-mail sent to the County GOP Committee's membership).

And then there are those who are suggesting that the speed with which the Committee is moving is somehow premature. This, of course, is belied by the fact that PWC Dems are doing the same thing, according to one of their bloggers.

And then there's the line that this is some sinister plot to make Corey's nomination a foregone conclusion, somehow "rigging" the process.

I don't know who will win a convention. I do know that it is cheaper to nominate through convention, and saves the taxpayers money. Of course, saving taxpayers money is not high on the list of priorities for Corey's opponents/Chairman Sean's sycophants. I also know that I will be little issue to it, if scheduled for 19 August, as I will be out of the country on that date.

What appears clear is that those who have little say in the County GOP --- because they aren't really Republicans, after all --- are launching a preemptive strike against a guy who might just actually govern like a Republican.

They have good cause to fear it. Proof of the wisdom of geniunely Conservative governance will likely have the same effect upon their ideology that sunlight has on a vampire. And bloodsuckers have good reason to fear sunlight.

John Dean's New Book

Was in BJ's after church this morning, and briefly perused John Dean's new book, Conservatives Without a Conscience.

I haven't read the book, and I certainly won't enrich Dean by purchasing it, even at BJ's price. Vivian Paige is fond of it; Shaun Kenney rightly calls it "silly."

Dean is just the latest in a ... well, rather short line of "conservatives" who have attempted to capitalize on demonizing the GOP and its dominant ideology from an "insider's" view.

But let's remember, after all, that John Dean probably was never really a "Conservative." After all, he was part of the Nixon Administration, an administration "Conservative" only in comparison to the naked socialism advanced by its predecessor and in comparison to Hubert H. Humphrey and George "No Enemies to the Left" McGovern. And let's remember, too, that the guy was part of the corruption of the Nixon Administration. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about his role:

Dean pled guilty to obstruction of justice before Watergate trial judge John Sirica on October 19, 1973. He admitted supervising payments of "hush money" to the Watergate burglars, notably E. Howard Hunt, and revealed the existence of Nixon's enemies list. On August 2, 1974, Sirica handed down a sentence of one to four years in a minimum-security prison. However, when Dean surrendered himself as scheduled on September 3, he was diverted to the custody of U.S. Marshals and kept instead at Fort Holabird (near Baltimore, Maryland) in a special "safe house" holding facility primarily used for witnesses against the Mafia. He spent his days in the offices of the Watergate Special Prosecutor and testifying in the trial of Watergate conspirators Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Robert Mardian, and Kenneth Parkinson, which concluded on January 1, 1975. Dean's lawyer moved to have his sentence reduced, and on January 8, Sirica granted the motion, adjusting Dean's sentence to time served.

If he weren't trashing true "Conservatives," would MSM types like Keith Olbermann be giving him the time of day? Doubtful.

Dean is and seems to have always been, at his heart, little more than a sleazy opportunist. He is certainly a turncoat if, indeed, he ever was really a Conservative.

Membership Insurance Scam

The Washington Post had a great story today about a tactic used by "political groups to inflate their membership rosters -- and their bottom lines -- by taking dues from people with no interest in the groups' politics." It was a fascinating story, starting out as follows:

In 2001, Jennifer B. Chace heard an insurance broker's pitch for a new insurance company.... She jumped at the offer, but first, the broker told her, she would have to sign an application -- already filled out -- that would entitle her to a low group rate.

With that signature, Chace, a Florida dentist in the market for ... insurance, unwittingly joined one of Washington's most prominent ... organizations, ..., she would later testify.

Now, lest you think that this was a story about a public school teachers scammed into joining the National Education Association to enjoy its virtually useless professional liability insurance, it was a story about a tactic "marketing tax-free medical savings accounts" used to boost membership in the conservative Citizens for a Sound Economy (now known as FreedomWatch).

It's really amazing what the WaPo considers scandalous. Although this appears to be a story fed to a reporter by a plaintiffs' lawyer, the Post consistently ignores the scandal of what is legal in its own back yard --- the practice of District and Maryland groups "inflat[ing] their membership rosters -- and their bottom lines -- by taking dues from people with no interest in the groups' politics."

I guess if it's labor unions doing so, well, that's just perfectly fine with the WaPo.

PWC Convention Set?

With the news that Chairman Sean's nomination to a Bush Administration post may be on the fast track to Senate confirmation, I received an e-mail today announcing that the County GOP convention to nominate his successor may well be scheduled for Saturday, 19 August.

It's a pity. The Youngs will be on their summer vacation on that day, and will miss their first County GOP Convention in more than a decade.

Given the summer vacation schedule of many families, one wonders whether it wouldn't be wiser to delay the convention until early September, if possible.

UPDATE: As one might expect, those who hate Conservatives --- or anyone else not on the Chairman Sean, tax-and-spend bandwagon --- are viewing this on the most sinister way possible, at least, sinister as they foolishly measure it. One speculation is that:

If this is indeed the date of the convention than it really can only favor one candidate. That is right, you guessed it, Corey Stewart. It is no secret that Stewart prefers deciding this in a convention and that he and his supporters (including Tom Kopko) would be the ones pushing for such a quick resolution.

Of course, someone who makes such speculation merely demonstrates his singular ignorance as to the provisions of the Party Plan. As the County Committee must approve the date and manner of any nominating process, this is hardly the plan of some Corey cabal to frustrate the will of the County GOP. To the contrary, it's about the leadership that Tom Kopko was elected to exercise.

UPDATE: It's always entertaining to read some comments, especially from those who like to pretend that they know what's going on. Indeed, one reads "NoVA Scout's" comment and wonders if he has ever held a leadership role in any party organization (tending to disprove my suspicion that he is Chairman Sean). Obviously, he is not familiar with the only "rigging" that I have ever witnessed or have been aware of, to-wit: that performed by the Young Republican Federation of Virginia in 1993. As for Craig's assertion that he has "been told that the convention was in the bag should it happen and that a convention would be set up to favor Stewart," this sounds suspiciously like the plaintive whinings of someone who knows that he or she cannot win a fairly-run Convention --- no one has suggested that there has been anything but in PWC --- and simply wants to hobble their opponent. If Craig doesn't choose to reveal his source for this scurrilousness, it should be judged accordingly.

I have no problem revealing my source for this information (probably should have to begin with), but it was simply a general mailing from Chairman Tom Kopko, sent by Secretary Grant Bell. I simply happened to get it out there firstest. Here it is, with irrelevant portions omitted.

July 21, 2006

Dear Friends,

A few updates that I hope you find useful:

1. Pr. Wm. GOP Convention – Aug 19 (tentative): your Vice Chairman, Karen Ulrich, is busy researching location availability for the latest possible date, Saturday, August 19. Mark it on your calendar. Conventions have been the custom as most people feel they are fairest and Karen will have information in hand for our decision, if needed, on the 31^st.
2. Attention BOCS Chairman Candidates! I am accepting suggestions for convention committee members through July 29 at 9pm. Please send me any preferences for the Nominations, Credentials, Rules, and Elections convention committees.

If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to write or call me. Updates are also posted on our website!

Sincerely,

Tom Kopko
Chairman, Pr. Wm. County Republican Committee (PWCGOP.org)

Rank Dishonesty

Was looking over posts as Waldo Jaquith's indispensible vapoliticalblogs.com, and came across a link to the "Commonwealth Coalition," which has the goal of defining deviancy down by defeating this year's constitutional amendment to constitutionalize marriage.

And what should greet me? An honest picture from some Castro Street gay "pride" parade? Two men? Two women? A polygamist family? A man looking lovingly into the eyes of "man's best friend"?

No, instead, the Commwealth Coalition greets us with a late middle-aged couple, a man and a woman. Apparently, the picture changes, but I never came across a single picture honestly portraying the goals of the Marshall/Newman amendment's opponents.

Who do they think they're kidding?

Another Teenager Running TC?

Well, I just got finished responding to some idiocy over at Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality ... er, Too Conservative. If, as I suspect, the author will be embarrassed when his foolishness is challenged, I'm copying his post below:

In a peculiar move best explained by election year posturing, the House of Representatives yesterday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would bar federal courts from reviewing controversies arising from the wording of the Pledge of Allegiance.” (H.R. 2389) To this old, crusty defender of the Constitution, this comes across as a fairly radical assault on the constitutional structure of the Republic, so destructive that it only could be the work of anarchists or (gasp!) liberals. Should Congress be defining by statute which constitutional issues are immune from judicial review? If so, do you have a little list of the constitutional controversies you think the federal courts should be barred from considering? How do you feel about a liberal Congress banning federal courts from reviewing gun control legislation?

Should I be concerned about this kind of nonsense, or do we all know it’s just Showtime? A House vote only gets legislation part-way to law. Do any of you think this should pass the Senate? Surely none of the Old Dominion’s conservative constitutionalists in the Congress participated in this silliness today. (Oops - just checked the Roll Call - not a pretty sight).

Here is the legal brief in response:

NoVA Scout, you call this “a fairly radical assault on the constitutional structure of the Republic, so destructive that it only could be the work of anarchists or (gasp!) liberals.” You then ask “Should Congress be defining by statute which constitutional issues are immune from judicial review?”

Thank you for providing evidence that, as I have long suspected, your self-promoting “credentials” are nothing by empty puffery, particularly in light of your oh-so-jealously guarded anonymity.

Did you even go to law school? If you did, you should get a refund, because I don’t know of a Constitutional Law course or textbook (it appears on page 39 of my edition of Gunther) anywhere that does NOT teach Ex Parte McCardle, 7 Wall. (74 U.S.) 506, 19 L.Ed. 264 (1869), in which the Supreme Court declined to decide the case, noting that its appellate jurisdiction had been removed by Congress, pursuant to its authority under Art. II, sec. 2, of the Constitution, which limits the Supremes’ appellate jurisidiction, “both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.”

It’s right there, in black and white. It’s wonderful that the Congress is exercising one of its clearly-defined powers to limit judicial tyranny. In your vicious and obviously ill-informed criticism, you have demonstrated that you are neither a “crusty defender of the Constitution,” nor a “Conservative,” but rather, a reactionary Liberal (as opposed to “liberal”).

Now, if someone could only remind Congress of those other, clearly-defined LIMITS on its power….

On the other hand, while this surely provides evidence that NoVA Scout is no constitutionalist, and probably not a Conservative, it also demonstrates that, his self-professed "credentials" to the contrary notwithstanding, he may well be not much of an attorney, either.

Given TC's history, maybe he's his own "Amen!" chorus, too.

God? Stem Cells? Guess Which One Liberals Have More Faith In?

Jerry Fuhrman may have put it best:

How is it that people who reject out of hand the whole notion of a deity put such blind faith in something called a stem cell?

Meanwhile, here's what former Virginia Governor Marky Mark had to say about it:

President Bush vetoed legislation yesterday— his first ever use of the presidential veto — that would help to unlock the potential of stem-cell research that could change the lives of millions of Americans with potentially curable diseases.

As with so many Americans, this issue is personal for me. I have a daughter with juvenile diabetes and a mother with Alzheimer’s disease. These are among the host of diseases for which stem cell research could produce a cure.

In the Bush administration, politics has trumped science: on climate change, alternative energy research, and on medical advancement that could save lives. This country needs an administration that believes in science and brings hope to the many Americans and their families suffering from these horrible diseases. Please join me in asking Congress to overturn President Bush's veto. Sign the petition today.

Why does it not surprise me that the guy who cooked the numbers to give the impression that we "needed" a tax increase expresses unqualified faith in stem cell research.

OK, OK, so I changed the link. To something more appropriate, I think.

Life in a Small Town

Checking the headlines in my hometown paper, I learned that the community pool in my hometown celebrated its 30th anniversary today. I have a lot of fond memories of that pool and my teen years in a small town. My Boy Scout troop even worked regularly in the recycling center which contributed to its initial upkeep.

The Official TC Smackdown Post

Our friends over at NovaTownHall proudly boast their designation by Vincent Harris of "Too Conservative" as the "Worst Blog."

Well, it appears that young Vincent may well be a complete and utter fraud. A new pseudonymous blog calling itself "Velvet Elvis" makes quite a few damning claims about Vincent, demonstrating that he may be posting on his own blog under pseudonyms to give a false impression of readership/comments/support for his activities.

I don't know if it's true. I lack the technical skills to have performed such an investigation myself, or even to judge whether the facts alleged are true.

I do know this: Vince misrepresented himself when he started his blog, and I was certainly critical of his actions when he came out of the anonymity closet. And a number of posts after 6 July have disappeared since this revelation (if true) came to light.

While hardly of the same calibre of the Janet Cook fraud suffered by the Washington Post a few years ago --- she had to surrender a Pulitzer won for a fraudulent story about an eight-year-old heroin addict --- Vince has certainly had an impact in Virginia politics (Ben Tribbett once declared him the most influential Virginia teenager since Pocahontas). It would be truly sad if the facts alleged by "Velvet Elvis" are true, and as someone skeptical of all anonymous/pseudonymous Internet activities, I note that these allegations, also, are unaccompanied by someone willing to sign his or her name to them.

I also know this: those of us who condemn/oppose anonymity/pseudonymity will have been given a huge boost if these allegations are true.

UPDATE: Charles has posted his thoughts.

UPDATE 2: Well, Shaun Kenney has the scoop (sorry for the lack of a link). Jim Riley is Velvet Elvis. Whambamthankyouma'am in the comments was correct.

The End of an Experiment

Well, I tried it for a while, and I don't think I like it. I've had a lot of traffic over the last few weeks (thanks to Chad), and I suspect that some people wanted to comment, but couldn't figure out how to do so. After all, even normally discerning people like Republitarian was under the impression that I didn't allow comments.

So I've enabled the normal Blogger comments. You can still comment through Haloscan, but perhaps the most effective and accessible means is the normal way.

Soooo, have at me!

Traitors are Heroes, and Other Democrat Insanity

It seems that prominent Fairfax Democrat Alice Marshall has declared "heroic" a soldier who volunteered, and now is refusing lawful orders.

More Democrat insanity.

College Democrats Campaign

Via Drudge, there is apparently a site up with pictures of a leading candidate for President of the Komsomol ... er, College Democrats in drag.

I wonder if we can expect a lengthy expose from Lowell about the deep meaning of this behavior?

Oh, wait! Perhaps what we can really expect is a post about how we're supposed to accept and support this deviant behavior.

Getting Mental At Raising Kaine

Well, it seems that Lowell Feld over at Raising Kaine has had just a leeeetle too much Kool-Aid. Of course, one learns that alone by noting his numerous links to the misnomered far-Left nitwits ... er, outfit called the Center for Media and Democracy, an outfit which bills itself as
"Countering propaganda by investigating and reporting on behind-the-scenes public relations campaigns by corporations, industries, governments and other powerful institutions," but one which never seems to include labor unions promoting their agendas with forced union dues as among those "other powerful institutions."

In a post of 308 words, Lowell manages only ten actually to identify what he derisively calls the "Orwellian bizarro world" of the National Right to Work Committee (I'm the guy with the beard in the background, and was merely a spectator) Apparently, this is established because the Committee "works toward laws that prohibit 'compulsory unionism.'"

Of course, as a propagandist for the far Left, perhaps Lowell knows from whence he speaks when discussing an "Orwellian bizarro world."

Now, Lowell doesn't bother to give us a single word to explain that "compulsory unionism" phrase further, so I will: it simply means that the Committee wants to prohibit laws and practices by which employees are forced to join or pay dues to a labor union as a condition of getting or keeping a job.

Instead of actually addressing the issue, though, Lowell treats us to his bizarro fantasies of a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (quick: Name the other psychotic who used that phrase in all seriousness?). That goes from minimum wage laws to the political propaganda of the United Auto Workers union.

It's really a pretty pathetic post, and if this is the best that a paid staffer for the Webb campaign can come up with, I'm looking forward to the Allen victory party. Wow! The UAW says something. Must be true!

Let's just make it clear, though. We can conclude that Lowell thinks that an individual should be forced to pay dues to a labor union as a condition of getting and/or keeping a job. Even Chris Matthews (in 2000) was shocked by Ralph Nader's position on that one. Since that is the sole principle for which the Committee works (it defines "single issue"), one can only describe it in derisive terms as holding an "extreme anti-labor position" if one disputes that principle. A principle, BTW, held by a clear majority of union MEMBERS, and 75% of all Americans. I know, I know: it must be a false consciousness that those (like Lowell) in the vanguard of the proletariat have to overcome.

And a personal little shout out to Lowell. Hey, maroon! Paul Weyrich is the President of the Free Congress Foundation, NOT Morton Blackwell. Even the far Left loons whose website to which he links get that one right, as does the Free Congress Foundation's informational website. Of course, Morton Blackwell is Virginia's Republican National Commiteeman and runs the Leadership Institute.

Tip of the hat to Greg Letiecq for bringing Lowell's imbecilic post to my attention.

True American Ally Wins World Cup

I couldn't care less about soccer. I went to one game at RFK, once, when my wife's company scored some free tickets, and understand why the announcers get so excited when a goal is scored: it's an uncommonly boring game.

But I must confess to an undue amount of satisfaction that American ally Italy won soccer's World Cup over those cheese-eating surrender monkeys in France.

It belies the notion that there ain't no justice.

Schaudenfreude Over Ken Lay's Death

Jim Pinkerton had it right on Fox NewsWatch tonight.

Imagine, if you will, the reaction of the far Left if Ann Coulter had suggested delight over the prospect of the prison rape of the likes of Bill Clinton, or Governor Jim Guy Tucker, or Louisiana Congressman Bill Jefferson.

Then compare it to the comments in this Washington Post essay by Henry Allen:

now that he's died of a heart attack in the luxury of his Colorado getaway while awaiting sentencing for his crimes, none of his victims will be able to contemplate that he's locked away in a place that makes the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel look like Hawaii; that he might be spending long nights locked in a cell with a panting tattooed monster named Sumo, a man of strange and constant demands;

Why does this guy still have a job?

Actually, Allen does go on to ask a very good question: "Is it possible that a micron below the surface of our liberal and enlightened beliefs lurks savagery?"

Gee. Ya think?

Actually, Henry, the "surface of [y]our liberal and enlightened beliefs" is nothing more than a fraudulent veneer.

If you don't like it, post your comment here.

An Image from Pennsylvania's Flood

Believe it or not, there's a baseball field underneath all of that water. Decades ago, I played Little League baseball there.

In Need of a Geography Lesson

Came across this story in today's Anchorage Daily News.

Someone needs to let Ms. Holland know that Puerto Rico is part of the United States, and that there are no "Puerto Rican passports."

Mentally Ill Kim as Black Bart?

For movie buffs, one of the classics out there is Mel Brooks' 1974 "Blazing Saddles." It can't be watched on regular TV, since the Gods of PC have decreed that Brooks' scurrilous use of the "n" word --- of course, he's making fun of racism, you maroons --- is impermissible.

One of the great scenes is when the new Sheriff in town, Black Bart (Cleavon Little) gets himself out of a little fix by holding a gun to his own head.

Isn't this a little like Mentally Ill Kim ... er, Kim Jong Il, dictator of North Korea, and his treatment of that nation's long-suffering and now nearly starving populace?

Nice to See Someone Has a Sense of Humor....

Over at Not Larry Sabato, Ben Tribbett has posted a picture that one might initially believe to be PhotoShopped. But no, it appears that this is really the shirt that Fairfax County BOCS Chairman Gerry Connolly was wearing on Independence Day.

While not the fashion maven that Ben obviously is (hey, until my wife took over those duties, my grandmother bought my ties), Ken Cuccinelli has it right: this is a "screaming monstrosity."

Say what you will about Chairman Sean (I certainly have), but he'd never be seen in this:

Tip of the hat to Ben Tribbett, from whom I st... er, borrowed this picture.

Freak Accident?

Per Drudge, I came across a headline declaring that a freak accident left a man obsessed with sex.

I wonder what it was. Birth?

Deleted Post

Well, perhaps Greg thought better of it. Fair 'nuff. If he's a big enough man to withdraw his attack, I'll remove my response in kind. But I'm keepin' the e-mails.

BVBL: Champion of the First Amendment

It's one of life's sad little ironies that Greg Letiecq, who generally seems like a good guy, has managed to associate himself with some rather shady characters, including the anonymous slanderer who originally owned his website, and his frequent "amen chorus," Harry Parrish's 2005 primary campaign manager, Anke W. Cheney.

I've frequently said that I have no idea as to the merits of Steve Chapman's lawsuit against BVBL and Greg. I do know that, if the Defendants prevail, it will be because the First Amendment protects even their scurrilous attacks, and may prove an insuperable burden to Steve's recovery.

Columnist extraordinaire Thomas Sowell once famously observed that the practical definition of a "racist" in today's political world is "a Conservative winning an argument with a Liberal."

Call this Young's Corollary to Sowell's Law: "bickering" is when one Republican raises legitimate, unanswerable criticisms against another, usually squishy, Republican.

And it's certainly ironic that Greg, who is forced to rely so heavily upon the First Amendment in his defense against Chapman's lawsuit, has so little regard for it personally.

UPDATE: Turns out I misspelled Greg's last name with the initial post. A thousand apologies.

UPDATE 2: Well, Greg has a new website, apparently launched shortly after he took down his abortive attack on me Here's what he says about one of the reasons he has switched to WordPress:

This new site will allow anonymous comments as before. I will have more ability to restrict the ability of problem children to access or post, which should reduce the personal infighting and bad behavior that I’ve seen recently.

I guess "problem children," "personal infighting," and "bad behavior" are codewords for people with whom Greg disagrees and/or those who remember the misdeeds of some of his biggest fans and dare to talk about them. One presumes that he does not consider it "personal infighting" or "bad behavior" to attack a candidate for, say, posting on Match.com, or attacking his attorney for performing his professional duties.

As I said above, Greg "generally seems like a good guy," and he's shown some genuine promise since abandoning/being abandoned by the original BVBL persona. It's really too bad that he has evidenced an ability to be so easily influenced by those who are neither very honest, nor very good Conservatives.

UPDATE 3: Well, Greg has blocked my access from my office PC to his site. I guess it won't be too long before he blocks my home access, as well.

What a maroon. And BTW, please disregard all that I've previously said about him seeming like a pretty good guy. I said, in an e-mail that I posted here for a few hours, that Greg should be of good cheer, because I had referenced a website that I had previously considered beneath contempt. I guess respectability was just too much for him to take, at least in more than a small dose.

I guess it's OK to trash me on his website. So much for the theory that Steve Chapman might avoided grief by responding to the attacks against him; it appears that he just would have been deleted, or barred from access. It's so much easier when your enemies are disarmed. Greg takes it a step further though, by insuring that I can't even see the attacks or, worse yet, use his own words against him.

Probably a relatively wise step for a guy who's already managed to get himself sued once.

Hornsby Retrospective Due Out Soon

With a top of the hat to Ben Tribbett, I had occasion to visit Bruce Hornsby's website, and discovered that he has a new retrospective album coming out on 25 July.

There are a few artists whose work I will buy immediately upon seeing it --- Billy Joel; John Grisham; Tom Clancy --- and Virginia's Bruce Hornsby is among them. Happily, he gave a great concert at Hampden-Sydney's homecoming a few years back. Two thousand in attendance on a campus with just over a thousand students.

Lefty politics aside, I can't wait. Wish I could play the piano like him.

24 Things Democrats Apparently Believe Should Be Illegal To Burn

Waldo has posted what he believes to be funny: a list of 24 things that Republicans allegedly think it's OK to burn. I suppose that it's caricature, and that there are some pathetic Dems who actually believe some of his assertions. Soooooo, never one to let a good idea go unemulated....

1. The United Nations flag
   
2. "What We Believe" statements of Unitarian Universalists (if you can find them)
   
3. Tobacco
   
4. Coal
   
5. Oil
   
6. Ted Bundy, and assorted mass murderers
   
7. Crosses, unless they belong to Conservative Christians
   
8. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
   
9. Hillary's Plan for Socialized Medicine
   
10. Photographs of that great Democrat presidential trilogy --- Johnson; Carter; Clinton
    
11. Any feminist tome
    
12. Any socialist tome
    
13. Any communist tome
    
14. Supreme Court decisions which ignore the plain language of the Constitution in favor of "penumbras" and "emanations"
    
15. The U.N. Charter
    
16. Pictures of Karl Marx
    
17. Any Executive Order issued by a Democrat President
    
18. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
    
19. Roe v. Wade
    
20. Richard Nixon's White House tapes
    
21. America's chemical weapons stockpile
    
22. The "Palestinian" flag
    
23. Rainbow flags
    
24. Gaza

And as a special added bonus, here's 24 things Democrats think you should burn:

1. The American flag
2. The Bible
3. The Torah
4. Monica's blue dress
   
5. Hillary's billing records
   
6. Any food with cholesterol
   
7. Teddy Kennedy's bar tab(s)
   
8. Any accurate history text
   
9. President Bush in effigy
10. Anything challenging the theory of evolution
    
11. Christian flags
    
12. Draft cards
    
13. Bras
    
14. United States Constitution
15. Declaration of Independence
16. Marriage laws
    
17. Aborted babies
    
18. Old people who vote Republican (exception for old people who were irresponsible and have no income other than Social Security; they vote Democrat)
    
19. The Contract with America
20. Ronald Reagan's immortal soul (see Ted Rall)
    
21. Deeds (symbol of anachronistic "private property")
    
22. The White House (when inhabited by a Republican)
    
23. Congress (when controlled by Republicans)
    
24. Israel
    

The Tragedy of Floods

If only places as unimportant as amusement parks were the ones hit by floods.

These are some amazing pictures from my favorite childhood amusement park, Knoebel's Grove, just outside Elysburg, Pennsylvania. My children love it, too. I knew it would be flooded, as a lovely little creek runs right through the center of the park.

What's even more amazing is the prediction that it should be mostly open tomorrow, and fully open by Saturday.

Word from Cloud-Cuckoo Land

According to Virginia Centrist, this is the timeline for America's surrender to the radical homosexual agenda©.

Aside from the obvious contradictions (how do most states recognize homo "marriage" when most states are "red states"?), can somebody please tell me what's "centrist" about advocating the perversion of the fundamental building block of human civilization?

Texas Mid-Decade Redistricting Upheld

Per Drudge, the Supremes have upheld the parts of a Texas redistricting plan engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom Delay that are most important to Republican partisans.

This was, of course, the last significant challenge remaining to this plan. To remind the reader, Democrats cried "foul" when turned the tables on them after winning a state legislative majority, and rewriting congressional district boundaries to benefit Republicans. You know: what Democrats have done for decades. 'Cept, in this instance, the Dem boundaries drawn after the 2000 decennial census resulted in a lopsided Democrat majority in the Texas congressional delegation, even thought Republicans were winning a fairly significant majority of all congressional votes cast. Democrats used drastic tactics to prevent a vote; one much publicized effort involved leaving the state to deny a quorum.

Of course, this was one of the bases for the Democrat hate campaign against Tom Delay.

This is good news for Republicans, and decreases significantly the chance that Dems will be able to win a majority of House seats in November.

I Hope This is Just a Sick Joke

It seems that brother Republitarian is on vacation, or has been hacked. If the latter, I hope this doesn't mean we won't be seeing him back soon.

Chairman Sean Receives Presidential Appointment

As reported elsewhere (by Ben Tribbett, and teased by Jim Reilly), PWC BOCS Chairman Sean Connaughton may have been/may be nominated today by President Bush to be the United States Maritime Administrator. It is a post subject to Senate confirmation.

Of course, that Chairman Sean was being considered for the job is perhaps the worst-kept secret in Prince William County. I heard of it at least weeks --- perhaps months --- ago, but was sworn to secrecy (I was told that, if it got out, the nomination could be scuttled), a pledge that I NEVER break absent compelling reasons. And frustrating Chairman Sean's ambitions for what some would doubtless mischaracterize as personal reasons is not a "compelling reason."

While this is doubtless a disappointment to those who failed to see the humor in my suggestion that he be appointed as Transportation Secretary, this is mixed news for PWC taxpayers. On one hand, they will have the opportunity to elect someone other than an entrenched faux fiscal conservative unwilling to challenge the tax-and-spend bureaucracy, and claims to have "lowered taxes" --- actually, merely lowering property tax rates --- while relying upon skyrocketing home values to result in a net increase of the average household's bill by 50-60% or more.

On the other hand, perhaps Chairman Sean recognizes that the housing bubble is becoming flaccid, and that budgets in his remaining term might have to actually raise tax rates or --- Horrors! --- trim spending. Given his pathological inability to do the latter, and his disingenuous history of doing the former while denying doing so (a disease particularly prevalent among his Repubmocrat apologists), there is little doubt as to which option he would choose. Taxpayers may therefore face a double hit: lower property values; and higher tax rates to continue the spending spree.

Of course, the Connaughtonites who credit Chairman Sean for everything, including this morning's sunrise (bad example; I haven't seen the sun for days), will doubtless blame any Republican elected to replace him for a flattening housing market, even though the inflation in housing values was obviously not sustainable.

In any case, congratulations, Chairman Sean!

Now, what about that GOP primary to replace him....

Fairfax County Schools Official Charged In Pennsylvania

Came across this interesting story in the hometown paper.

It seems that Warrenton resident and Fairfax County schools official Steve Wilcox was charged Thursday with stealing nearly $28,000 from the Southern Columbia School District during his tenure.

There were not details about his role in the Fairfax County schools (a search on the FCPS website returned no results), or whether he will suffer any adverse job action because of the pending charges.

Britney Spears Watch

I wish I could be this funny. The boys' sitter must've thought I've gone 'round the bend with my laughter as I read it. I really wish....

It is also best not to wear a denim miniskirt so short that when seated it practically disappears beneath the protuberance of one's pregnant belly, producing an image that is more gynecological than fashionable. Instead of making a statement about the sexiness of impending motherhood, it suggests that the mother-to-be appears to be unfamiliar with the usefulness of a full-length mirror and the term "ho-gear."

Pregnancy cleavage can be a beautiful development, but serving up one's bosom like melons at a picnic is aggressively self-indulgent, enormously distracting and, unless you're auditioning for a spread in Penthouse, unnecessarily vulgar.

The article goes on in the same vein, with equal hilarity, but to quote more of it might start raising copyright issues.

I saw part of this interview, and when I spotted it, it was like train wreck: I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

Connaughton for Transportation Secretary

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, one of the few original members of the President's Cabinet, resigned today.

Please note the time, and that you read it here first (because somebody has to do it). Given all that has been said among one element of the Virginia blogosphere, there is little doubt that the best qualified person for the job is --- you guessed it! --- PWC BOCS Chairman Sean Connaughton.

Why Do They Hide?

An interesting sentence appeared in today's WaPo article on Northern Virginia Republicans:

In Prince William, moderates bruised from primary challenges in the past two elections called a meeting last month to discuss how to distance themselves from the party's right wing.

Who are these "moderates"? Why aren't they identified? Do they feel the need to hide? If so, why? And if they are elected officials like PWC BOCS Chairman Sean Connaughton, aren't they responsible for what is identified as "a widening divide with voters on such issues as traffic and taxes"? After all, they've been raising taxes for years in PWC.

Out of Town and In Trial

Looks like I'm missing all of the fun.

For those who've mentioned "missing" me (with every shot so far, no doubt), I'm in SoCal in a week-long trial. Will return on Saturday, 17 June.

Taking a Dirt Nap

The best news from the War on Terror in a long time is that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian terrorist leader in Iraq, was killed last night.

He is now enjoying his Eternal Reward. However, given his location, his 72 virgins all look like Betty (Goldstein) Friedan.

Update: NoVATownhall has a great bon mot on the subject here. To quote Chad Dotson, "Heh."

Interesting Concept

The dependably far Left moonbats over at Raising Kaine --- specifically, Josh --- have a post up asserting something to the effect that "Gay Marriage is how Republicans say forget about Iraq."

Of course, Iraq is how far Left moonbats say forget about our war against the family and American values.

I Think Not

Well, it seems that our friend young Vince Harris has started a petition as follows: "Steve Chapman & Fasil Gill are suing Black Velvet Bruce Lee and Greg Letiecq.

"Sign this to urge Chapman to STOP THE LAWSUIT!"

He urges people to sign it. Please note the absence of my name. As I've said below, this should be played out in the courtroom, where one side or the other may well be mightily embarrassed by the outcome. Aside from that, why would these people believe that they would have any influence with Chapman? After all, most have proven themselves so very interested in his well-being.

Among the twelve who have as of this writing are James Martin, Ben Tribbett, Anke W. Cheney, and Virginia Centrist. Three of these four surprise me. I was under the impression that they had (and almost always demonstrate) higher standards than the savaging which provoked the lawsuit. As for the fourth, well, let's just say at least this commentator wouldn't be surprised if she were caught up in this lawsuit. After all, she was part of a Parrish campaign which was, at a minimum, complicit in the felony charges filed against Chapman shortly before the 2005 primary, and later dropped. And the savaging that Chapman suffered at the hands of the prior incarnation of the BVBL website had all the earmarks of a well-organized, well-financed opposition research operation.

One can only hope that neither the campaigns of Jackson Miller or Carroll Weimer had any role in it. If the ultimate GOP nominee did, then he will have handed the Democrat nominee a powerful weapon, and will suffer a grave, if not fatal, self-inflicted wound.

UPDATE: Interesting. The link to Vince's post no longer works, and it seems that he has removed the post.

Interview with Steve Baril

Novatownhall has a great interview with former GOP candidate for Attorney General and Hampden-Sydney man (Class of '77) Steve Baril. Worth a read.

A Bad Idea?

Well, as various comments posted around the Virginia blogosphere will tell you, I am reserving judgment on the merits of the lawsuit filed today by former 50th District House of Delegates candidate Steve Chapman against the blog "Black Velvet Bruce Lee" and its contributor and/or former contributor. Let's start with a few basic facts.

1. The fact is, I don't know all of the facts.

2. The fact is, virtually everyone commenting on the matter does not know all of the facts.

3. The fact is, so many of those commenting on the legal merits of the suit are doing so anonymously/pseudonymously, so it is virtually impossible to judge their credentials to do so. Anonymous/pseudonymous commentary is always immediately suspect, because it is impossible to judge the biases and/or training underlying the commentary.

4. The fact is, most of those commenting anonymously/pseudonymously are doing so with such bile and hatred that it is difficult to imagine that they (like the ever present and bilious AWCheney) are not personally invested in the matter, and hide their identities with good cause (i.e., they have much to hide).

5. The fact is, rantings and commentary about the merits of the suit, the identity of Chapman's attorneys, and possible ethical violations, and possible conflicts of interest in the fact that Chapman once served as a Jury Commissioner are so many nonsensical smears, as most of their authors apparently lack the courage of their convictions to take action upon their assertions, especially those made against Chapman's attorneys. Of course, to do so, they would have to reveal their identities (at least to those accused), and put their reputations on the line. It is little more than cowardice. And while I say this with some reservations, as an attorney who does not charge a fee for his services, legal free advice is frequently worth exactly what you pay for it.

With all that having been said, Chapman's actions may well be ill-advised. The burdens placed upon litigants raising his cause of action are, to the best of my recollection from Constitutional Law (taken in college, law school, and taught once), severe. Politically, his action might be disastrous. 'Fact is, Chapman may have made the assessment that he has nothing to lose, and possibly much to gain. Of course, those are assessments best made by those involved, and those who know all of the facts.

Which, as I have said previously, above and elsewhere, excludes virtually everyone commenting in the blogosphere.

This is a battle best fought out in the courts. Suffice it to say, if Chapman's suit succeeds, there will be plenty of people around the blogosphere who will need to decide upon how they want their crow prepared. If it fails, it will be a sad denouement giving succor to those whose best response to the issues Chapman championed in a nearly-successful run against long-time incumbent Harry Parrish --- a campaign which failed perhaps only because Parrish's campaign advocated the filing of felony charges ultimately dismissed --- is "He's a bad guy!"

Both the cowardly BVBL and Greg Letiecq responded to the lawsuit by saying "Bite me." Serious legal advice (i.e., that rendered by those with a stake in the matter other than their own desire to provoke controversy) would likely counsel a more temperate approach. For it is quite possible that Chapman will do precisely that, and that the bite that he takes will be out of the posteriors of those he is suing.

Chapman Out of the Race?

Young Vince is reporting over at Too Conservative that Steve Chapman is out of the race for the 50th District. Some of his commenters suggest that he missed a filing deadline.

If true, this will give aid and comfort to the hatemongers who suggest that Chapman lacks the competence to justify his candidacy. The requirements for filing for office in Virginia are, to the best of my recollection, not onerous.

On the bright side, it will remove the raison d'etre for at least one website that comes to mind.

UPDATE: Well, you read it here first. I said that "it will remove the raison d'etre for at least one website that comes to mind," and --- sure enough --- all of the hatemongering on the aforementioned website has been taken down, and its original owner has disappeared. For as much as he (or she; that site had all the class of the original smear campaign orchestrated by Parrish primary campaign manager Anke W. Cheney and consultant Kenney Klinge) portrayed Chapman as "pathetic," it turns out to have been Black Velvet Bruce Lee who is even more pathetic.

No wonder he (or she) has hidden his (or her) identity.

Chapman Launches Strike

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called plans for a campaign against Italy an attack upon "the soft underbelly of Europe." In what can perhaps best be called an attack upon the descending colon of the Virginia blogosphere, Ben Tribbett reports that Steve Chapman's lawyers have launched a shot across the bow of the hatemongers who have made innuendo and belittlement of Chapman their mission in life, almost as though he has stalkers.

Were I to engage in the dime-store psychology that motivates some commenters, I might conclude that they are indulging their own frustration over Chapman's showing against the Revered Harry Parrish, He Whom They Worship. After all, if someone as contemptible as Steve Chapman gets 45% of the GOP primary vote, doesn't that say as much about Parrish and his performance in office as it does about Chapman?

UPDATE: Another question arises. Bravado to the contrary notwithstanding, the hatemongers are offering considerable detail about all their work and effort in getting dirt on Chapman: multiple FOIA requests; trips to the Court Clerk's office (we can surmise); etc. In short, all the earmarks of a opposition research operation. The question which arises is, On whose behalf? All of this effort demonstrates a either a serious mental disorder (if I went to all that effort to trash Chairman Sean's character, I would be accused of having an "unhealthy fixation"; oh, wait, that accusation has been leveled), or an operation on someone's behalf.

I'd have a lot more respect for Jackson Miller and Carroll Weimer if they'd denounce this behavior.

Does McCain Pay Attention?

While I didn't see or here it myself, my understanding is that John McCain opposes the Federal marriage amendment because it isn't necessary, and it infringes on the rights of the States.

Tell me again why this guy is qualified to be President? To be sure, McCain's got the sophistry down necessary to be a successor to Bill Clinton. Then again, we knew that when he supported "campaign finance reform" allegedly justified by the corrupting influence of money in politics, but refused to identify a single colleague allegedly corrupted by money in politics.

As for the marriage amendment not being necessary, I know he was out of the country for awhile, but surely Roe v. Wade must ring a bell. You know: the decision where the Supremes struck down the laws of fifty states regulating abortion? So either McCain is oblivious to the judicial threat to marriage, or he's simply ignoring it. Either way, his notion is disingenuous.

As for "the rights of the States," they're entitled to their own laws, not their own language. In English, marriage is the union of one man and one woman. That certain state and/or federal judges don't understand that fact is one reason why it's both necessary and appropriate.

Let's Play the WaPo Game

Some of my conservative friends lament the fact that I am a daily reader of Pravda on the Pot... er, the Washington Post. But aside from the "Know thine enemy" theory, and I.F. Stone's famous comment that "What makes The Washington Post a great paper is the fact that you never know on what page you'll find the Page One story," the Post is an endlessly entertaining journal.

Take today's tertiary editorial, for instance. Entitled "Running Against Gays," it bemoans the fact that protecting the institution of marriage from the radical homosexual agenda and the linguistically-challenged is "picking on gays and lesbians." Never mind that the fight was "picked" by partisans for the radical homosexual agenda, or the other factually dubious assertions. I was fascinated by the penultimate sentence, which asks "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting 200 years of constitutional norms?" The editorial then asserts that "The question answer itself."

What a stupid "argument."

But you can play "The WaPo Game," too!

All you need to do is recall a ruling of the imperial Federal (or State) judiciary, and then ask the question.

Let's play together!

Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), finds a heretofore unknown right to abortion on demand in the Constitution. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting 200 years of constitutional norms?" Or for that matter, many more centuries of the Common law?

Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965), strikes down what Justice Potter Stewart (dissenting) calls "an uncommonly silly" law against selling contraceptives to married couples. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting 200 years of constitutional norms?"

Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), strikes down laws criminalizing homosexual (and heterosexual) sodomy. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting 200 years of constitutional norms?" To say nothing of the norms of 5000 years of civilized society.

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), strikes down segregation laws. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting [58] years of constitutional norms (Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896) ("separate but equal" is constitutionally permissible))?" And arguably, nearly 200 years of the constitutional norm of institutionalized racism. (Well, OK, I'll grant you that one).

Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919 (1983), strikes down the "legislative veto," by which one House of the Congress could reverse the actions of an administrative agency. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting 200 years of constitutional norms?" OK, actually, about fifty years of congressional/administrative practice.

McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, 540 U.S. 93 (2003), upholds limits on free speech in the political process. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting 200 years of constitutional norms?"

Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963), striking down organized prayers in the government schools. "What exactly is the problem that requires upsetting [184] years of constitutional norms?"

C'mon! You can play, too!

A "Day of Silence" for a Worthy Cause

Will Vehrs will complete his ten-day suspension without pay for a series of lame jokes at the expense of Martinsville-Henry County tomorrow. I intend to note my dismay at this unjust punishment by eschewing comment and attention to the blogosphere tomorrow, addiction to the contrary notwithstanding.

Keep up the good work, Will.

Literally Decimated

I heard this figure on the radio this morning, but haven't yet found a link:

10% of the population of Mexico resides in the United States. 15% of of Mexico's workforce is in the United States.

These are astounding figures. If accurate, Mexico's population has literally been decimated by illegal immigration.

One has to wonder whether, but for the corruption of Mexico's government, this figure alone would spur greater enforcement efforts by the Mexican government. After all, the Soviets built walls over the bleeding of their workforce to the West.

Outing the Hate Campaigners

Shaun Kenney has a wonderful post about the continuing hate campaign being run against Steve Chapman.

I honestly don't know who I'd support were I voting in that District. I've met Jackson Miller on more than one occasion, and he's an impressive fellow. The fact that he backed out of a blogchat on the main site of the hate campaigners (suggested here) is to his great credit. I've heard good things about Carroll Weimer, though I've never met him.

But these despicable people --- mainly cowards cowering in anonymity --- have given people good cause to vote for Chapman. Sure, he's a Conservative, and he took on Harry Parrish after he surrendered to the Boyish Governor's unnecessary 2004 tax increase. It is doubtful that these people will have much influence on him if he is elected (though they will want to, which may be one reason why most refuse to identify themselves). But the single best reason to support Chapman might just be to pee in the Wheaties of the conservatoids (per R. Emmett Tyrell's description of far-Left "intellectuals," denoting those who falsely resemble real intellectuals).

As I recall thinking at the time, and perhaps even saying, it was rather sad that Harry Parrish was soiled by his association with those who would do anything to keep him in power. I preferred to believe that they did so without his knowledge. But their attack upon Chapman are notable for their vigor and emotion, and have an air of quibbling and spin-control about them.

Perhaps that is one reason why so many of their attacks are, at their core, the roars of cowardly lions, full of sound and fury, launched --- in the main --- by those unwilling to reveal their identities.

The Consummate Politician/You Arrogant Boob

Is Chairman Sean on drugs?

On has to wonder, in light of the comment that Vince has posted, another one of Chairman Sean's answers from his live blogchat of a few days ago.

Do you agree or disagree with Bob FitzSimmonds, Steve Chapman, Tom Kopko, Denny Daugherty, Rick Hendrix, and all them that you are a “tax-raiser”?
why or why not?

—anonymous

I give most of the people you mention enough credit for intelligence to suggest that they do not consider me a “tax-raiser” but find it useful to say so on occasion. If they sincerely believe that, then they have not paid very close attention to my record and my fiscal policies in this County.

I am a fiscal conservative both on the tax and on the budget side. We live in a very fast-changing, fast growing community, one which had not kept up with essential government service obligations in the late 1990’s. I have used conservative fiscal policies to attack these problems. I have aggressively lowered tax rates, hoping that minimizing tax burdens will vitalize the local and regional economy, and I have tried to confine public spending to the core services that local government owes the citizens. I have had strong support for this from other Board members, the countyExecutive and his staff, and the voters. I have no indication that the recipe of tax cuts and fiscal discipline have failed in making Prince William a better place.

Conservatives are wary of debt and are strong on responsible government. I have an obligation to the citizens of this County to manage the county government in a way that provides roads, schools, police and fire protection. These things are horrifically expensive and are not getting cheaper. But just as lowering tax burdens is essential to continued prosperity, good schools, roads and public safety are essential to attracting new business and building a healthy tax base. I am always glad to engage with anyone who wants to talk about how we can make our budgets more efficient, but I am confident that the County’s tax and budget policies reflect the best kind of conservative fiscal policy.

Just as one wonders whether Goebbels believed some of his own BS, one has to wonder the same thing about Chairman Sean, who gives evidence that the pseudonymous NoVA Scout is simply Chairman Sean's way of trashing his critics without accepting responsbility for doing so.

Look at the highlighted portion, and what does it imply? "My critics are either stupid, or liars." Bold talk from a man who --- when he lost a straw poll at his home County GOP Convention --- made wild and false accusations of ballot-stuffing.

Given the arrogance of the highlighted section, though, one has to wonder whether Chairman Sean hasn't been nipping at the Kool-Aid just a little too much.

I'm not sure what's more pathetic: the arrogance of this comment, or the fact that Chairman Sean asserts, and might actually believe, that he has been "lowering tax burdens" on PWC citizens.

Mrs. Connaughton must be the one who pays the tax bill; no one who's actually seen it for the last five years could make that statement with a straight face.

On Anonymity/Pseudonymity

Will Vehrs, who was recently bitten (unfairly, in my estimation) for his blogging activity, has an interesting apologia on anonymity/pseudonymity here.

I wanted to comment, but for some reason, my comment wouldn't register, so I am putting it up here:

Sounds like a massive rationalization to me. But then again, as "The Big Chill" taught us, rationalizations are more important than sex ("... ever go a week without a rationalization?").

Of course, "NoVA Scout" speaks not at all to the issues that I have raised, and that Shaun Kenney has raised about the kind of idiocy that anonymity/pseudonymity permits, such as NoVA Scout's dime-store psychology to dismiss any argument or commentator with whom he disagrees, but whose arguments he can't effectively rebut.

Will, for the same reason that I respect people who post under their own name (they expect to, can, and frequently do take the heat for their opinions, and leave open for the whole world to see the biases and experiences that inform their world view), I can never respect those who do so anonymously/pseudonymously, and therefore hide what may be the more questionable bases for their comments, particularly when their sycophancy for certain politicians (NoVA Scout's for Chairman Sean comes to mind) indicates that they have much to hide.

BTW, Will, how about "Alcibiades"? It was a great name for a cat.

A Little Too Far

And some people think I'm too hard on Chairman Sean.

Is He Finally Listening?

Well, it seems that Chairman Sean might finally be listening to his Republican base (though, of course, with enough cover that it doesn't look like he's caving in to political pressure from those whose nomination he carries). I just received this e-mail from Karen Ulrich, PWC GOP Committee Vice Chairman:

Dear Prince William County Republicans,

Chairman Connaughton announced at the Board of County Supervisors meeting approximately a half hour ago, the Public Hearing on the Proposed Brentswood Development is canceled for this evening.

Apparently, the applicant wants to make substantial changes to their plan, and therefore the application is required to go back before the Planning Commissioners. We will keep you updated.

Thanks,

Karen S. Ulrich

Vice Chairman

Don't get too excited, though. It seems that on Vince Thoms' live blogchat last evening, Chairman Sean still couldn't 'fess up to his irresponsible tax and spending habits. Haru asked

During your tenure as Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, real estate taxes (rate x assessment = Tax) have soared, the B of S seems to spend spend spend, it reminds me of the "conservative" congress and the "conservative" president. Why can’t you control your voracious spending habits?

Chairman Sean's answer was this:

Question #10

Prince William County has lowered its property tax rate by approximately 60 cents per $100 valuation since 2000. It is the largest drop of any jurisdiction in Virginia and possibly in the United States. This reduction occurred even as the county increased its expenditures for transportation, education, and public safety. In fact, these functions now comprise almost 80% of the County’s spending with the amount devoted to transportation increasing dramatically over the next 5 years. These functions are also facing the most dramatic price escalations due higher land and construction costs, with the county estimating the costs of some projects increasing 25% a year!

Virginia is an interesting state; it penalizes successful jurisdictions. The more a community gets wealthy, the less it provides in support for functions such as education. For example, this year Prince William County lost $6 million in state education aid because of the new composite index. Even so, Prince William County now has the lowest average tax burden in Northern Virginia becuase we have kept our spending in check and focused on core functions.

A final thought relates in general to tax policy. All governments tax by percentages. That is, you pay a percentage of the value of property in taxes; the same is true for income or purchases you make. The market determines the value of a property, a good, or a persons income, and the tax you pay is based completely on that value. Governments can change the rate but the market will ultimately determine the tax one pays. The bottom line is whether this manner of taxing is fair or appropriate; I think that is a better question open for dialogue and debate on the local, state and national levels.

—Sean

Another typical Chairman Sean evasion! Still trying to advance the lie that he's cut taxes.

Listening to Chairman Sean talk about his record on taxes is a lot like Whack-a-Mole. And nearly as annoying as Chuck E. Cheese's.

The spin from Chairman Sean's Cult of Personality will be furious, but this is a huge, if interim, victory for Corey Stewart and John Stirrup.

An Interesting Alaska Blog

Just cruising through the blogosphere, and found this interesting site from one of my favorite places on Earth (OK, the U.S.; I've only traveled outside the U.S. to Canada). While I'm still contemplating a post on being in Anchorage during the Iditarod (per Kilo's request), this site shows some reasons why I love Alaska and her people.

A Loss to the Blogosphere

Ben Tribbett (Not Larry Sabato) reports, via Bearing Drift, that Will Vehrs has announced the cessation of his blogging activity upon the end of his suspension from his state employment.

Virginia's blogosphere has not suffered as great a loss since Barnie Day ended his activities last year. Will is a fair-minded guy with a sharp sense of humor that got him into trouble with the terminally humorless and incredibly earnest. It's just too damn bad.

While difficult, I would propose a day of silence/no postings in honor of Will, to occur on the day of his self-imposed exile. He will be missed.

"Too Conservative," or "Too In Bed With Chairman Sean"?

Well, I just got a call from Corey Stewart, who wanted to set the record straight on a story which appeared in today's Potomac News. It is also the subject of a comment posted over at "Too Conservative."

It seems that Vince is upset over what he calls "an incredible display of hypocrisy" by newly-elected Prince William County GOP Chairman Tom Kopko. Why is Vince so upset?

Well, he says that Kopko should be criticized because he:

held a joint press conference with the Prince William Democratic chair and two Democratic candidates for the Prince William Board of Supervisors, Gary Friedman who is running for chairman and Ernie Porta, who was recently elected mayor of Occoquan and has told people he is running for supervisor next year for a long held Republican seat.

Vince goes on to claim that:

The press conference turned into a bashing session against the Republicans in Prince William, Richmond, and Washington. Kopko stood there and reportedly nodded in agreement. An article in today’s Potomac News describes the debacle.

Due to Kopko’s actions, he has now given credibility to these Democratic candidates and energized the Democratic party which has lost most contests in the county until now. This move legitimizes the Democrats.

According to Stewart (who, unlike Vince's source about Kopko "reportedly nod[ding] in agreement," wants to be cited as the source), Kopko's press conference was held separately from that by Bras and Porta. Moreover, contrary to a comment that I made on Vince's site, I have since been reminded that the County Republican Convention adopted --- by a wide margin, though not unanimously --- a resolution calling for rejection of the Brentwood project.

I don't feel particularly strongly about this project, and haven't worked particularly hard to learn about it. Development issues are a strong fault line among conservatives, since the right to develop one's property as one sees fit is certainly a conservative principle, while the conservatives are rightly skeptical of developers who believe that the taxpayers should bear the burden of developing public facilities to support their developments.

However, I am certainly skeptical of Vince's attack on Tom Kopko. Vince made clear early on that he was a fan of ousted GOP Chairman Brian Murphy, and certainly supported his candidacy on his site. Moreover, it is not mere coincidence that I have a link to the right to "Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality": Vince started his site while a paid staffer of Connaughton's abortive candidacy for the GOP nomination for Lt. Governor, and posed as though he were some kind of disinterested/objective observor.

Now, I'm not sure what is "hypocritical" about Tom's behavior, but I certainly have no problem with his actions publicizing a position taken by the County GOP Convention, the ultimate authority of the County GOP. Doing so with prominent Democrats might have been a mistake, though Corey notes that it wasn't with Bras and Porta. And it's difficult to believe that Corey Stewart would be rising to Tom's defense if he were concerned about, as Vince reports, Porta's stated intention to run for Occoquan District Supervisor next year.

So one wonders, is the criticism over at Too Conservative application of an objective criteria to criticize errant behavior, or convenient situational ethics in the service of an ideology/commitment to a politico?

Funny, but I can't remember a single word of criticism by Vince over Chairman Sean's actions in voting with Democrats on the Board to raise PWC property taxes.

Getting Back to Their Roots

It seems that one candidate for Attorney General is getting back to the roots of the Democrat Party.

Naked Ambition on Display?

Courtesy of Jim Riley over at Virginia Virtucon, it appears that the ambitions of certain Delegate wannabes is revealed:

Go to http://weimer4delegate.com/ and you'll currently see:

weimer4delegate.com
Please visit this site later. It is currently under construction.
copyright @2004

Go to http://www.miller4delegate.com/ and you'll currently see:

miller4delegate.com
Please visit this site later. It is currently under construction.
copyright @2004

I'm kinda interested in the copyright dates. 2004!?!?! Looks like Carroll Weimer and Jackson Miller may be possessed of the same reverence-deficiency towards the late Harry Parrish of which so many of Steve Chapman's critics accuse him, and for which so many viciously and childishly attack him. If they were considering a race as far back as 2004 --- which the copyright date would indicate --- it would suggest that they were doing so for the same reason that motivated Chapman's near-successful run in 2005 (45% of the GOP primary vote), i.e., dissatisfaction over Harry's surrender to Governor Marky Mark's unnecessary tax increase.

I wonder how many of those guardians of the memory of The Revered Harry Parrish will launch similar attacks upon Miller and Weimer?

UPDATE: One of the minor bloggers who specializes in smears (either that, or lapdoggery, for preferred candidates) has decided to smear me again, too, ignoring the content of this post (which addresses the odd copyright date), and accuses me of engaging in "some bizarre conspiracy theory." Of course, I am doing and have done no such thing. I don't think it's a particularly big deal if, as Jim Riley noted, the two candidates are using the same web designer, any more than it would be a big deal if they were getting their signs from the same vendor.

What is odd is that the intellectual property which is their website has a 2004 copyright date. It might be nothing. Then again....

UPDATE 2: Andy Harrover clears it up, in a comment that is elevated to text:

I have volunteered, at no cost, to host the websites for both candidates. The copyright date is on the default page assigned by the server. It is meaningless.

If you're interested in the date a domain was registered, you'd be better served by going to netsol.com and looking up the whois record. I expect that you'll find that both sites were registered within the last month.

Thanks for clearing that up, Andy.

Excelsior!

Well, today is my oldest son's birthday. My namesake is ten!

I have seen studies indicating that this is the age when children start to understand sarcasm.

I suspect my sons are somewhat ... precocious in this sense.

A Whole New Meaning to the Term "Throne"

Apropos of nothing, except the fact that I haven't posted for a few days, I had to laugh out loud when I saw this. It gives a whole new meaning to the term "the throne."

Supporters of Progressive Taxation Are Communist Totalitarians

"What?!?!" you say? "Young is off on another of his rants," you think?

Well, I'm just applying what passes for "logic" on the far Left. After all, since Howling Latina says that, since the racist Ku Klux Klan opposes immigration, everyone (or at least, every Republican) who supports immigration reform to stop illegal immigration is a racist, too.

And, of course, she takes the de rigeur cheap shot at George Allen, claiming that his prior embrace of the history of Confederate flag must also be racist.

By the same logic, Democrats who jealously guard "progressive" taxation --- the notion that a higher rate should be paid on income earned over certain levels --- which Marx described in The Communist Manifesto as one of the hallmarks of a Communist state must also be closet Communists.

FLASH: Christians Remain in San Francisco!

Contrary to popular belief, it appears that there are some Christians left in San Francisco, even among San Francisco's Episcopalians.

Sadly, it seems that newly-elected Bishop Mark Handley Andrus suffers from the same embrace ... no, celebration of sin that has infected other parts of his church:

Your vote today remains a vote for inclusion and communion -- of gay and lesbian people in their full lives as single or partnered people, of women, of all ethnic minorities, and all people.

It is the kind of attitude which caused some to observe --- upon the election of an openly homosexual bishop in New Hampshire three years ago --- that Episcopalians can no longer play chess. It seems that they can't tell the bishops from the queen.

Jean-Francois Revel Dies

One of the greatest thinkers of the latter stages of the Cold War has died. Jean-Francois Revel was 82. His Washington Post obituary is here, though it perhaps predictably fails to mention his perhaps most influential book, How Democracies Perish. It was required reading for any Cold Warrior in the 80s.

Revel gave lie to the assertion that there were no Frenchmen left to defend the West. On the other hand, given his demise, one would be hard-pressed to name another.

Second Annual Blog Summit

Thanks to Shaun Kenney, I read about the impending (and second annual) blog summit at UVa's Sorenson Institute.

However, as I am currently scheduled to be conducting a trial in Oxnard, California, and returning to Northern Virginia on Saturday, it appears that I will miss it.

Priceless

This is obviously making it's way around the Internet, but someone only sent it to me a few minutes ago. The text was sent:

This picture is not doctored. Most Syrians struggle to even read Arabic, much less have a clue about English.

So, how do a group of Syrian protest leaders create the most impact with their signs by having the standard "Death To Americans"(etc.) slogans printed in English?

Answer: They simply hire an English-speaking civilian to translate and write their statements into English. Unfortunately, in this case, they were unaware that the "civilian" insurance company employee hired for the job was a retired US Army sergeant!

Bus fare to anti-U.S. Rally - $0.50

Paint and canvas protest signs - $32.00

Asking a retired U.S. Sergeant to translate your anti American Slogans - PRICELESS

Obviously, pictures of this protest rally never made their way through the Arab TV networks, but the results were "Priceless"!

UPDATE: Riley, Not O'Reilly, tells me in comments that Snopes.com has debunked this, and I guess I should have known that it was too good to be true.

The Nature of "Centrism"

There's an interesting discussion and exchange over at "Virginia Centrist" on the nature of centrists/moderates.

Worth a read.

Well, At Least No One Died This Time

It seems as though another Kennedy is in trouble for what may have been drinking and driving.

This time, it's the son of Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Chappaquiddick), Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.).

Hat-tip to Drudge.

Earl Woods --- RIP

Earl Woods, best known as the father of golf phenomenon Tiger Woods, died this morning.

This is news not because of our celebrity culture, but because Earl Woods died having raised a son who is not only, by all accounts, a fine human being, but among the very best in the world at what he does.

Not a bad epitaph. Not a bad legacy, by any measure.

RIP.

HS Teacher Accused of Attempted Murder

First they're banging them, and now one has tried to kill one.

When will the madness cease?

Marion Barry: Race Hustler

As if you didn't already know....

Live-Blogging the Boycott

Well, not exactly.

But I did notice that traffic on I-95 northbound from Dale City between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. was much better today than usual.

If this is the result of the much-talked about boycott, then maybe rounding illegals up and sending them back to their countries of origin is the answer to some of our NoVA traffic woes.