Beware Chicken Littles

Delegate Scott Lingamfelter has a great article in today's Potomac News, which he was kind enough to send to me. I reprint it in full here:

Beware of "Crisis" Rhetoric

Have you noticed how every problem we face in government is a "crisis?" And often the single solution proposed by big-government advocates is - you guessed it -higher taxes.

Already the Governor and his "in-tax-icated" allies in the Senate of Virginia are demanding more of our income as we approach the Special Session on Transportation the last week of September, while ignoring overwhelming public opinion opposing tax-hikes.

People in northern Virginia know instinctively that they are sending more than their fair share of money to Richmond and want this changed.

They understand - even when politicians don't - that they don't pay their local taxes out of one wallet, their state taxes out of another, their federal taxes out of yet one more. People understand they are spending huge amounts on government and are fed up with being asked to shell out more.

In Virginia alone, the state budget has risen from $38 billion in 1996 when then Governor George Allen left office to $74 billion today, that's almost a 100 percent jump in just 10 years.

Think about it. It took 230 years for Virginia's budget to rise to $38 billion, and just 10 years to double. At this rate of budgetary growth, our children will be strapped with incomparable financial burdens that will outstrip their ability to make ends meet.

And yet, both the Governor and the Senate think the solution to our problems is making hard working Moms and Dads pay more. This will be their mantra in the coming Special Session on transportation just as it was when the Senate held the budget process hostage to higher taxes earlier this year.

Unfortunately, their motive to raise taxes is not really to "fix transportation." We had a huge surplus in Richmond this year that approached $2 billion, yet the Senate refused the House plan that would have put $1.2 billion of that money in transportation projects to reduce congestion.

Why? It comes down to this: In the House, we see all the money that goes to Richmond as belonging to the people. As such, it should be available, on a priority basis, to be spent where it will have the best impact for the people. But the Senate likes to segment the General Fund, where most of the surplus resides, for everything except transportation.

They argue - wrongly - that if we don't put the General Fund off limits to transportation, there won't be any money left over for core obligations, like education. This is nonsense.

In the last 10 years, government spending on public education has grown by 46 percent while school enrollment has averaged a mere 10 percent. Yet the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), in its 12th annual Report Card on American Education, found no correlation between spending and learning.

Despite these facts, the Governor and the Senate insist on putting a huge amount of the surplus in education to enhance their argument that the only way to fix transportation was to raise taxes.

Interesting, the recent revelation that former Governor Mark Warner's Secretary of Finance deliberately ignored a major miscalculation (that actually put more in the education budget that is permitted in law) serves to illustrate the point.

In January of this year, the Administration failed to inform the General Assembly that there was an error of $137 million per year in over payments to local schools buried deep in the budget.

Only last month were we informed of this major miscalculation, after the budget was signed. And what is the proposed solution by both the Governor and the Senate? If you guessed they want to reallocate this amount to the "crisis-racked" transportation system-well-you would be wrong. Instead, they are proposing that we sustain the over-payment.

That means $274 million in this biennium will be spent in contravention to parameters in the law. And when you add in the $29 million additional surplus the Governor "found" just before we agreed to the budget in June (and the House set aside for transportation), there could be over $300 million on the table right now for transportation.

A pittance, some would argue. But consider this. The widening of I-95 lanes from the Occoquan Bridge to the Fairfax County Parkway that is currently in the budget and set to begin next year will cost only $74 million, while bringing choke-point relief to over 100,000 commuters every day at a third of the amount of available surplus right now.

Likewise, the Tri-County Parkway under consideration for Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties is estimated at $201 million, again something that could be financed with current surplus.

So when you are treated to "crisis" high-tax rhetoric this September, remember that we have serious transportation problems that require real reform and re-prioritization of what is currently going to Richmond, not higher taxes.

Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31) represents Prince William and Fauquier Counties in the House of Delegates. He serves on the House Finance Committee.

My Father Retires After 43 Years In Business

Been meaning to post on this, but was waiting to hear the final word: my father is officially retired from the business he started ten months before my birth. His local paper, the Logansport (Ind.) Pharos-Tribune did a front-page, above-the-fold Sunday story on his retirement on Sunday, 27 August, reprinted here in full:

Forty-three years Young

Station owner selling out Monday.

By DAVE KITCHELL

Pharos-Triibune staff writer

Gas at an east end Sunoco station is marked down 15 cents lower than it would normally be this weekend, and it is not because of a gas war.

It is because a gas station warrior is retiring.

Joe Young, 73, who has operated a service station at 26th and East Market for 43 1/2 years, has sold the station. Monday will be his final day servicing cars, pumping gas and smiling with a grin as white as his hands are often greasy from working on cars.

After suffering a stroke a year ago and losing 50 percent of his vision, Young says, “It’s time to pick up my marbles.”

Young has sold the station to the owner of four convenience stores. Young’s Sunoco will continue to sell gas, but the full-service pumps will be no longer.

That in itself marks the end of an era. Young’s Sunoco has been continuously operated as a full-service station by one operator longer than any other station in the county.

Since he opened the doors Nov. 16, 1962, Joe says he has no idea how many cars have been serviced or gallons have been pumped, but he has had some notable customers.

Former Sen. Birch Bayh stopped at the station one time to ask for directions. After Joe recognized him and gave him directions, he shook his hand. An Indianapolis 500 race car driver had Joe on his real-life pit crew once when he was in the city for an appearance. Joe fixed his water pump. And he still recalls the doctor who couldn’t diagnose the problem with his engine. Joe did diagnose it. It was out of gas.

For a man who graduated from Logansport High School and received a marketing degree from Indiana University, the station became a passion after he worked for Buick in marketing.

“I was passed over for a promotion that I much deserved,” he said.

“I had the best marketing record for Buick in those days. I took a sales district from 69th to 39th in 19 months. I used to work Saturdays when we were only supposed to work five days a week. They caught up with me when I began reporting expenses on Saturday. Then they said, ‘No, you’re not.’”

Joe was asked to stay and offered a raise, but opted for his own business instead after managing sales in the Philadelphia area.

He brought his work ethic back to Logansport with him.

“We were open seven days a week, most holidays excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.”

At one point, Joe purchased a former DX station on North Third Street, and he and his brother, Jack, operated a Shell Station at 22nd and Market where the Corner Cupboard now stands.

But the place where Joe’s face is most familiar is at the corner four blocks east where he has often spent 80 to 90 hours a week. Sometimes he has had up to three employees.

The job was not always a fun one to have, particularly during the winters of 1963 and 1964.

“I once had a battery blow up in my face over on High Street,” he recalls.

The car owner allowed him inside to wash the battery acid from his eyes and then suggested that Joe was responsible for the battery exploding. The customer ultimately paid for a new battery.

His advice for preventing engine problems during Indiana winters?

“Before cold weather, have the battery load-tested,” he says.

“Make sure the charging system is charging at the specified or factory specs. Most cars of recent origin are fuel-injected. Don’t pump the accelerator each time you start the car. Each time you do that, you will flood the sparkplugs real quick. If you flood them, you’re not going to get them started until their dried, off, removed or replaced. If you park a car outside, don’t park a car heading west or northwest because that’s where the prevailing winds come from.”

His current personal car is a champagne Lincoln Continental, but a bit of him is still a Buick man at heart. He has driven half a dozen Buicks since leaving the company.

Becky Crain, a customer who has frequented his station for years, says there are three words that sum him up: “Dependable, trustworthy, honest.”

“It was a great place to go get gas where you could just walk up and know who you were talking, to. We would take him something for Christmas every year.”

Joe says admitting you are wrong about a car is not a fault.

“I tried to be good at what I did, and believe me, it was not easy,” he said Saturday. “For the most part, I think my batting average was pretty. If I was wrong, I would admit it. I’ve never been too proud to say, ‘Hey, I can’t fix it, but I’d recommend so-and-so.”

Dave Kitchell may be contacted at 722-5000, Ext. 5150, or via e-mail at david.kitchell@pharostribune.com

I would wish him a "Happy Retirement, Dad" here, but I'll just have to settle for looking forward to more frequent visits with his grandsons.

My father still doesn't own a computer. And I'm pretty sure he's never sent nor received an e-mail.

"Too Conservative" Endorses Internet Libel and/or Slander

Or, at least one contributor over there does. Boy! Vince may be young, but he was never this foolish. It seems that the pseudonymous poster "Loudoun Insider" (yeah, I'll bet) has said that he's contributing to Greg Letieqc's legal defense fund against a lawsuit brought by Steve Chapman in response to some of the more outrageous allegations on Greg's website in its prior incarnation.

As I've frequently said, I don't know about the merits or the law of the lawsuit, since I am not Chapman's attorney, nor do I specialize in that area of the law.

What I do know is this: Greg, and his former partner, the pseudonymous BVBL, engaged in a campaign of hate and ridicule against Steve Chapman. Some of their allegations may have been false; if they were, they may be actionable. Of course, most of those allegations have been removed from the Internet, when BVBL him/herself disappeared into the ether. The only reason that Greg is still in the suit is because: (a) he lay down with the dog and has picked up a few fleas in the form of potentially joint and several liability; and (b) unlike BVBL, Greg at least possesses the courage to put his name to his allegations, even if he lacks the judgment/circumspection that one should exercise when doing so.

Greg reports that the suit is going to trial, which tells me --- as a litigator --- that there is a colorable legal claim there, and that all of the Internet sound and fury over "free speech" pretty much signifies nothing. If BVBL's factual statements about Chapman were not provably false, the matter would not go to trial, and would be dismissed on a motion for summary judgment, or its Virginia equivalent. Thus, that the case is going to trial demonstrates that BVBL's statements about Chapman were almost certainly false.

That it is says to me that Greg may well be in a whole heap 'o trouble. It also says that anyone contributing to Greg's legal defense fund is, at this point, endorsing the kind of falsehoods that almost certainly form the basis for the decision that the case will go to trial.

And it may well be that some people may be in for a hearty serving of crow, as follows:

Commonwealth Conservative: Steve Chapman is embarrasing himself
Virginia Virtucon: Blog-a-thon
Not Larry Sabato: Outrage
New Dominion: So Sue Me
Too Conservative: CHAPMAN CAMPAIGN BLAMES BVBL FOR MISSING FILING DEADLINE
Jaded JD: “And they shall know that I am THE LORD, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”
Brian Patton: Bloggers Beware
SLANTblog: Black Velvet Bruce Lee Sue-icide
Virginia Virtucon: BVBL faces Legal Eagles over Chapman allegations
One Man’s Trash: The JD Investigates
Virginia Centrist: Blogger threatened by public official
Craig’s Musings: The lamest candidate excuse ever
Not Larry Sabato: Chapman Lawsuit Continues
Free Republic: Candidate misses filing deadline; Claims blogger distracted him; Files $200K lawsuit
Virginia Virtucon: Black Velvet if you Please

Like I said: I don't know the law or the merits. But what little I do know tells me that bravado is not the appropriate attitude for Greg at this point. As for the rest, we shall see.

Anchorage Girl Proves Government Is Ripping You Off

From the "Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction" file, an Anchorage girl has proven that government rips you off.

Readers should note that this eleven-year-old young lady performed her project for an elementary school class. Obviously, more exposure to government schools is needed to disabuse her of her accurate perceptions of the value of government and the "services" it performs.

Connaughton Resignation Imminent

After much questioning over when he would go (and here, and here), it now appears (per Jim Riley at Virginia Virtucon) that Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Sean Connaughton will be assuming his duties as U.S. Maritime Administrator on Wednesday, 6 September.

I wish him success in his new position.

Present at the Creation... Sort of

Any list of Virginia's premier musical artists would have to include, at or near the top, Williamsburg's Grammy Award-winning Bruce Hornsby. Finally picked up his new retrospective album, Intersections 1985-2005, on Friday, and today's horrendous traffic gave me the opportunity to listen to the first CD in the four CD/one DVD set.

What a great collection! I'm no music critic, but as a long-time fan, this was a very satisfying effort. Almost half of the music is never-released versions of Hornsby favorites.

I've got to confess a special affection for his Disk 1 version of "The Valley Road." A quick read of the accompanying booklet/liner notes reveals that this version was "created at a solo concert in Helsinki, Finland in September 2004 and turned into a band version at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia a few weeks later." The latter show was Homecoming 2004, at which I was present, with the family. What a fantastic show!

For What Is He Waiting?

He, of course, is Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Sean Connaughton. Though confirmed weeks ago by the Senate to his new post as United States Maritime Administrator, Chairman Sean has still, nevertheless, failed to resign his post and start the clock running for a special election to choose his successor. Both parties held nominating conventions on 19 August in anticipation of his resignation. The GOP chose Occoquan District Supervisor Corey Stewart as its standard-bearer. Democrats chose (rather surprisingly) former County Attorney Sharon Pandak.

Well, there have already been two posts on this subject. "Independent" Craig Vitter rightly notes the most important issue: " The concern with the timing of the resignation is an issue because it is one part of a complex equation that determines when a special election will be held to replace Connaughton." He goes on to say something with which I absolutely agree: "Here's what it comes down to: Sean Connaughton, if he plans to take this job, needs to make a move and tell the people that he is stepping aside so that the election can go foward on November 7th. The right thing to do would be to announce the resignation at tomorrow's board meeting."

One question which Vitter seems raise is the possibility that Chairman Sean might not plan to take the job. Such a move would be incredibly stupid. Aside from alienating County Republicans AND Democrats who have acted on the presumption that he would not have accepted the appointment and gone through the confirmation processs had he not intended to "take this job" --- though he would accomplish something that his most ardent supporters have always claimed, and bring them together --- one presumes that he would make powerful Republican enemies nationwide for having done so and then backing out of the position. The suggestion that he might do so --- which I'm not sure Craig intended to make --- is simply silly. Were Chairman Sean to do so, I would have to conclude that he is not as politically savvy as many think him to be.

Democrat Ben Tribbett --- as usual, at his best when he brings an objective analysis to an issue --- has an excellent post which addresses all of the major issues:

If he doesn't resign in the next week- it will be too late to call a special election for his seat on general election day- forcing the special election to be called on its own. There are multiple problems with this.

First, a special election in December will draw significantly less people to the polls compared to the general election in November. No one benefits from limiting participation.

Second, there are costs involved in a special election. Besides the money to program voting machines, pay poll workers and all the normal election costs, there are also the costs of taking up rooms in the many polling places around Prince William County. Since many of the precincts are at schools- if the election is held in the gym, the students won't get P.E. that day, if the election is held in the music room, students won't have music class- etc.

Third, special interests can have a much bigger impact in special elections by spending money to turnout voters. In a general election their money has to be spent on persuasion, which has questionable impact from interest groups, while a special election plays to their strength of mobilizing voters.

Personally, I think some of the attacks on Sean Connaughton's fiscal responsibility in Prince William have been misplaced, but if he doesn't resign this week and allow a special election in November then he will have given his critics another chance to cite unnecessary spending, and that would be a shame.

Ben's last point is one with which I take issue, as any regular reader (both of you) would know. Chairman Sean either needs to resign at tomorrow's Board meeting, or give a damn good explanation for his failure to do so. For if he doesn't, he will end up sticking the taxpayers of Prince William County with another unnecessary bill. And there are many --- yours truly included --- who will unnecessarily be given the opportunity to indulge their wildest speculation as to his motives for doing so, absent a compelling explanation.

Another One Bites the Dust?

The Washington Post had a great article in today's "Close to Home" page of the Outlook section, addressing the possibility that Virginia's Randolph-Macon Women's College will go co-ed. Not to be confused with the experiment in co-education in Ashland, R-MWC is in Lynchburg. It is my sister's alma mater. It has quite a few more distinguished alumnae, including CNN's Candy Crowley ('70), Arkansas Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln ('84), and Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck. I attended and graduated from Hampden-Sydney College, an all-male college just an hour from R-MWC (or, as we affecionately referred to it, "Randie Mac"). Sadly, it appears to be a done deal.

Today's article is by Richard Kurin, father of a current R-MWC student, and notes the dismay among students, alumnae, and faculty students. They suggest that the new iteration of the College --- obviously, the name will have to be changed --- should be "Benedict Arnold College." He notes that "many alums say they will not financially support the college if it enrolls men," which rings true. I have it on good authority that, on that dark day in 1985 when Washington & Lee University (or, as we thereafter called it, "Washington & Leigh University"), three major donors to W & L called and switched their support to H-SC.

I sincerely hope that Randie Mac deviates from this ill-considered course. Single-sex education (both male and female) have an important place in the education firmament. That firmament will be diminished if R-MWC becomes just another small Liberal Arts college in Virginia.

Finish the Job!

Politicians and the blogosphere have been all abuzz over the $137 million error made by Governor Timmy's! budget-writers in Richmond. OK, so Governor Timmy! doesn't deserve all of the credit for the cover-up; apparently the error was discovered by Governor Marky Mark's Funky Bunch before Governor Timmy! took office. It seems that $137 million less is available for distribution to local school districts than budget-writers initially thought.

The most shocking element of this story is reported in the Potomac News:

When it meets Monday, the General Assembly is expected to begin considering legislation that would guarantee that school systems receive what the state promised them in additional aid this year. No budget cuts to other programs would be required.

Doubtless, "budget cuts in other programs" will not "be required" because of the continuing good, ... er dubious news about increasing tax revenues. While the Repubmocrats of the General Assembly have spent ever-increasing tax revenues to buy votes ... er, satisfy "unmet needs," or wants, or whatever, few seem willing to discuss the single most important priority:

Satisfying the promise to end Virginia's ridiculous car tax.

Priceless

Apparently, candidate for the Democrat nomination for U.S. Senate in Maryland (replacing Senator Paul Sarbanes), American University Professor Allan Lichtman, was not allowed to participate in last night's debate, which was between Congressman Ben Cardin and Kweisi Mfume. According to the Baltimore Sun:

Three other Democratic candidates -- American University history professor Allan Lichtman, Montgomery County businessman Josh Rales and former Baltimore County Executive Dennis Rasmussen appeared outside MPT's Owings Mills studio Thursday night to protest their exclusion. With television cameras rolling, Lichtman was arrested by Baltimore County police when he refused to leave a vestibule inside the front doors of the studio. Lichtman's wife, Karyn Strickler, and Gail Dobson, a campaign volunteer, were also arrested, said Bill Toohey, a county police spokesman.

Unfortunately, the Sun failed to mention the best part of the story, which was played this morning on WMAL: Lichtman's wife, in the background, encouraging her husband to "go limp."

I'll resist the urge. Discuss?

Major Preliminary Victory in Fight for Closed Primaries

Ben Tribbett reports favorably on the Fourth Circuit's decision yesterday (.pdf file) to reverse Eastern District of Virginia Judge Henry Hudson's dismissal of a challenge to Virginia's open primary law. The Jaded JD predicted this (four out of six right), and has apparently delayed his impending retirement from the blogosphere to post his comments here, and an analysis of the possible consequences of a favorable decision below here. The reporting by Ben and JD is good; they avoid the pitfall of declaring total victory, as the decision only reverses Judge Hudson's determination that the plaintiffs lacked standing and the dispute was not ripe for decision. The case will now be remanded to Judge Hudson for a decision on the merits.

This is a significant advance for those (like yours truly and the aforementioned young Mr. Tribbett, with whom I am in accord on this issue) who believe that parties should nominate their own candidates without interference from individuals affiliated with other parties. The only surprise to me (and to JD, who predicted otherwise), is that the Fourth Circuit did not proceed to issue a decision on the merits, which appears to be a pure question of law. C'est la vie. Probably just a function of that court's natural conservatism.

A favorable decision on the merits may well provide the impetus for Virginia legislators finally to permit registration by party. At the same time, it may well remove any vestigial authority (more in theory than in practice) for local party organs to discipline their own members, since individuals who stray from the Party path will always be able to point to their "registered [Party]" status, if party registration is enacted. One can hope that the result will be better, more defined choices among candidates, in lieu of the "Repubmocrat" campaigns run by all too many candidates for public office.

Congratulations to State Senator Ken Cuccinelli, who argued the case on behalf of Chairman Larry Miller and his 11th Senatorial District Republican Committee, and former Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat McSweeney, who was on the brief.

Convention/Nomination Thoughts

Owing to a long-planned vacation out of the country (childishness to the contrary notwithstanding, "NoVA Scout" was not with us; I am more particular about the company that I keep), and the dispatch with which the event was planned and occurred, the Youngs missed their first Prince William County Republican Convention in more than a decade. Congratulations to Corey Stewart on a resounding endorsement from his fellow Republicans. I am thankful that our two votes were not necessary to make the difference.

Charles has a brief analysis of the event here. Craig Vitter has a number of analyses of the race over at his eponymous website. Ben Tribbett's comments are now "below the fold," and apparently went there before I got back in the country, so I neither know what he said, nor its quality, though I suspect that his analysis was sound, as usual (excepting the fact that he is in the bag for R2D2), even for a Democrat. Even Vince was magnanimous, though his more peurile and less courageous contributors have been uncharacteristically quiet, save for "NoVA Scout," who offers a discussion which, as one would expect, lends credence to the theory that he is Chairman Sean in its fawning and wailing and gnashing of teeth over his pending departure.

I haven't seen this elsewhere, so it's worth noting here:

The biggest news out of the competing nominating contests is in the fact that nearly twice as many people participated in the GOP nominating contest (411 or 413, depending upon whom you believe) as participated in the Democrat nominating process (211). This dismal showing among County Democrats cannot be attributed solely to the timing of its Convention in the summer vacation season, as Republicans labored under the same handicap. That is, unless the Democrats --- as the party of surrender and appeasement --- can be equated with the cheese-eating surrender monkeys of France, who are notorious for vacationing in August.

The most interesting aspect of the relative reporting is that one finds the Washington Post to have reported this news with less bias than our own local Potomac News. Not unexpected, mind you --- the recent direction of the Pot. News increasingly demonstrates the left-wing biases of its management --- but interesting, nonetheless.

While casting Stewart's resounding victory --- 69% of the Convention vote --- as "a rebuff of the pro-growth policies championed by Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Sean T. Connaughton," the Washington Post reports the fact of the relative numbers relatively closely, mentioning the dismal Democrat numbers before noting the number of GOP delegates attending the Convention. Of course, the same day as the Convention, the Post offered an expectedly fawning editorial (actually on the editorial page!) about Chairman Sean and his imminent departure, virtually ignoring the rate of tax-bill growth and noting his eleventh hour effort to "cap" tax-bill growth at "only" 5.9%. Never mind that, while County population has grown by only 30% during his tenure, County spending has grown by 114%. I guess utter surrender to the desires of a bureaucracy to engage in a spending spree is what the Post means when it dismisses those urging a more measured course as "the zealots in his own Republican Party who couldn't abide his determination to govern pragmatically." No, WaPo, what we couldn't abide was his failure to lead and to take control of County spending.

Of course, the Pot. News took a different tack, burying the relatively dismal showing among County Democrats far within its story. There, one cannot help but notice that, while Keith Walker mentions the 413 (I have no explanation for the difference in the numbers) delegates at the GOP Convention in the same brief paragraph discussing Stewart's speech, one has to read twelve paragraphs farther into the story to learn that only 211 Democrats were delegates to that Convention. And one has to do the math one's self to learn that the GOP is relatively more unified (Stewart received 69% or 70% of the delegate votes) than the Democrats (Pandak received 134 of 211 votes, or 63%) in their choice.

Sadly, given my experience with the Pot. News and the honesty (or lack thereof) of its management, it's probable that Republicans can expect more of the same in the months to come.

Wow

Sometime during my absence, one of those hit-counters (below) --- and obviously the one to which I prefer to pay attention --- went over 50,000 hits.

I'm shocked/humbled. Particularly since it happened during a period when the new content here can best be described by the truism "Move along. There's nothing to see here." Not bad for a one-man operation.

I'm sure there are those who are dismayed. Heh.

More Silliness from the Far Left

Seems like it's been a slow week, but no sooner do I get back from the Great White North than I learn that proponents of the radical homosexual agenda have now concocted one of the sillier arguments that I've heard against the Marshall-Newman Marriage Amendment.

It seems redundant to note that these people --- who advocate equating homosexual promiscuity and sodomy with true marriage --- are shameless.

On Vacation

Well, the Youngs are off to Canada for a weeklong vacation. Light, if any, blogging, since I simply don't know about Internet access. Nevertheless, I will most assuredly check in to learn the results of the first County GOP Convention that I will have missed since about 1992.

Vote Republican! Vote Corey Stewart!

Anchorage Institution Ending

From Alaska, news of the end of an Anchorage institution, closing after 26 years.

Sadly, though it was just down the street from my hotel, it's one Anchorage attraction that I never managed to see, notwithstanding numerous business trips over the years. Mr. Whitekeys' book was hilarious, nevertheless.

I gotta get a new case in Alaska!

BREAKING NEWS: Webb Raises Son As Racist

Well, well, well.

The Shad Plank and Wonkette provide an interesting insight into Jim Webb's son, with reference to his MySpace weblog.

Since the Webb campaign will doubtless promptly pull down the offending references, and to insure maximum exposure, I reproduce the post here in its entirety:

Foolishness: An equal opportunity offender

Mere days after Sen. George Allen's MacacaGate gaffe comes a bit of nearly-as-embarassing news from the other side: James Webb Jr. -- son of the Democratic Senate candidate -- has a public MySpace Page, and it's not exactly a page from the typical scrub-and-polish smiles we see at campaign stops.

Junior, a member of the 2nd Marine Division, writes: "As the official purchaser of porn in the ‘support this friggin Marine program’. You are not only the provider of pornagraphic paraphenalia, to this individual friggin Marine, but a whole Platoon of friggin Marines, waiting to be supported by someone like you, the General Public. But please, no midget or goat porn."

And, just to keep the week's theme constant, Webb provides some dubiously racist language: "Right above the reel it read “made in china.” ‘Confucious say, cheaply made rod make expensive catch.’ Zebco is made in china now?! Holy crap! This wholesome everyday American product, is now relegated to manufacture by a bunch of people in China, who will probably NEVER even SEE a lake. Let alone fish one."

We'll give the Webb campaign about a half-hour to pull this, so check it out now.

Wonder how Webb's paid nutroots will spin this?

UPDATE: Well, some of my commenters, and a post or two around Web (one "b") have taken me to task for raising this issue. 'Fact is, I don't believe Webb is a racist, or that his son is, either. However, I have begun to wonder about the real purpose of this contrived story on George Allen. I have concluded that it must be because Webb fears stories coming out late in the campaign about his use of common disparaging terms about Southeast Asians during his service in Viet Nam. Anybody who's seen "Platoon" or "Apocalypse Now" could repeat them; I won't here.

Who said Webb doesn't believe in "pre-emption"?

Remember, You Heard It Here First

Rush Limbaugh likes to note that it's difficult to parody the far Left, because every time you think you've illustrated the foolishness of Democrats with the absurd, they go and do what you thought was absurdly beyond the pale.

Remember, you read it here, on Tuesday, first, before 10:00 a.m.:

Perhaps the funniest and most contrived post of all comes from the paid hack at Raising Kaine, who isn't satisfied with George's apology. Of course, nothing short of a complete surrender and withdrawal from the race would satisfy Webb's nutroots contingent.

Don't bother, George. You've made your apology. Unless they're right, and you are a racist and meant it as a racial slur, don't bother to say another word. You'd be wasting your time with people upon whom further efforts would be wasted, and I'm willing to bet that most of the voters in Virginia --- people who are going to or even might vote for you --- recognize that.

Well, from today's Raising Kaine, sure 'nuff: a call for Allen to withdraw from the race.

Not really surprising, though. The only way R2D2 can win is if he doesn't have an opponent. And even then, he should be thankful that "None of the Above" is not an option.

ACLU Succeeds in Weakening National Security

For now, at least.

It seems that a Federal judge in Detroit has been persuaded to enjoin the NSA's wiretapping program targetting terrorists.

At least now the Federal appellate courts will have the chance to demonstrate just how empty the criticisms of the President for this program are.

UPDATE: Steve Minor agrees.

Arrest in JonBenet Murder Case

Well, it seems that an arrest has finally been made in the nearly ten-year-old murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey.

Is anyone else not surprised that the suspect was arrested in Thailand? Does anyone else suspect that he was there on one of those perverse "sex-with-minors tours" that is fodder for Law and Order: Special Victims Unit?

Man Bites Dog Story

And from the old sod, a story about a firehouse .... destroyed by fire!

Maybe Here's the Larger Issue

While there is certainly the issue of why James Webb would want to join a caucus that includes a former leader of the KKK, perhaps there's a better question:

Why is James Webb paying people to smear someone as a racist?

Pandak In For the Dems?

Craig Vitter is reporting that Sharon Pandak will file for the Democrat nomination for the Special Election to be held to replace PWC BOCS Chairman Sean Connaughton, when he takes his post in the Bush Administration. Democrats have a later filing deadline for their Saturday convention, apparently, 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 16 August.

This is a notation, not a comment. I make it a policy to not comment upon the merits/demerits of Democrat nominating processes. I figure they're entitled to pick their own maniacs, and we're entitled to pick ours. That rule, of course, does not apply to comparing the Democrat nominee to the GOP nominee.

'Course, a Democrat contest might just suppress John Gray's turnout at the PWC GOP Convention.

Great Reads

Searching around the blogosphere, I came across a series of movie reviews.

They are by my former --- nearly said "old" --- French professor, Alan Ford Farrell, now a Brigadier and Professor of Modern Languages at VMI. He is a true Renaissance man --- reputed to have learned ancient Greek so he could read Homer in the original --- who is "fierce" in virtually every endeavor. He is legendary among those who had the pleasure of studying with him. In French 201, we read Le Pont de la Riviere Kwai, or, as he put it, Moby Dick Goes to Thailand. Gave one of the most memorable lectures I ever heard, on teaching. "I teach," said Farrell. "But that is a verb which requires an object. I teach men." A nationally syndicated columnist gave a lecture at the same time on campus. It was Farrell's which was filled to overflowing.

I'll read virtually anything he writes, and enthusiastically commend it to your attention, as well.

Spinning the PWC Chairman's Race

Well, it's utterly fascinating to note the nonsense that less-than-sterling Republicans are spinning in an effort to elevate Democrat John Gray to serious candidate for the GOP nomination for PWC BOCS Chairman.

Witness "Mitch Cumstein's" ever evolving assertions. On a post attributed to him at Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality ... er, "Too Conservative," "Mitch" says that:

Based on the numbers I’m hearing, this is going to be a very close race. Despite getting into the game very late, Gray has earned a tremendous amount of support. It will all depend on who shows up on Saturday but, of the approximately 950 delegates, my guess is that John has close to 450 (compared to 500 for Stewart). I don’t know the district-by-district makeup at this point. But I’d say it’s anyone’s ball game.

But in a comment on independent Craig Vitter's website, he says this:

My source (who saw these forms last night) indicated that, based on the names, the split is probably closer to 80-20 in favor of Gray. With wieghted voting, Saturday is going to be very interesting.

Hmmmm. Well, which is it, "Mitch"? Can't get your story straight? Or did you just get your talking points mixed up?

I won't pretend to have seen the filings. Didn't even file myself, as the Youngs will be in Canada on Saturday, on a long-planned family vacation. But a source close to the Stewart Campaign has indicated to me that "Mitch's" first numbers are a lot closer to the truth, though inflating Gray's by a factor of about 30%, and that the only way that Gray can win is if his people show up, and Corey's don't.

Clearly, this is a proxy battle. The Connaughtonites out there fear and loathe Corey Stewart. And it appears that they are attempting to turn out the same people who came to a GOP meeting in May 2004, after Chairman Sean was embarrassed by a loss in a straw poll on the Lieutenant Governor's race conducted by the YRs at an ill-attended County GOP Convention. Then, he attempted to hijack by proxy the County GOP Committee --- something he could have done easily if he'd just bothered to encourage his people to attend the Convention --- by turning out people to vote for inferior officers who would jump on his bandwagon. Among them was at least one --- John Gray --- who just a few months earlier had sought the Democrat nomination for Occoquan District Supervisor. Many paid their $30 membership fee with crisp, fresh new $10 and $20 bills, which many believe to have come from the same fresh bank stack from Chairman Sean's campaign. And most who were elected to Membership --- after the voting --- never bothered to show up again.

Hopefully, that fear is well-grounded. After all, if Corey wins and leads the County conservatively (e.g., by requiring County bureaucrats to write a budget within revenue, rather than allowing them to write budgets with ever-increasing taxes) it would give lie to claims that Chairman Sean is/was a conservative. And that disaster would follow from any other course.

What they fear most --- as "Mitch's" post makes clear --- is a Republican nominee who will actually and successfully pursue fiscally Conservative GOP policies, rather than Chairman Sean's developer-friendly, developer-financed tax-and-spend policies. A BOCS Chairman who puts those policies on the defensive --- as Chairman Sean has consistently refused to do --- would give likely give lie to the notion that County taxpayers are unremittingly supportive of a budget that has increased, under Chairman Sean's tutelage, by 114%, while the County's population has increased by only 30%.

What they fear is a choice, not an echo. That would certainly take the bloom off of Chairman Sean's rose.

UPDATE: Jim has a preliminary Credentials Committee Report up over at Virginia VirtuCon. It seems that old "Mitch" has been telling tales at Craig's site.

Far-Left Silliness

Well, the long knives are out with the race hustlers on the far Left of Virginia's blogosphere (here, here, and here), and even among some relatively sensible people. Of course, the Washington Post has followed the far-Left blogosphere on this one, with predictably contrived outrage. And while Jerry gives an appropriately contemptuous view of the whole contretemps, there are those who regularly give aid and comfort to the enemy doing so yet again. The paid political hack at Raising Kaine has even declared that Senator George Allen said something that "just happens to refer to a monkey and to be a recognized racial slur."

Recognized? By whom? Race hustlers? Tunisians? Once again, Lowell has been dippin' into the Kool-Aid just a wee bit too much if he really believes this. 'Course, who knows what he believes, beyond the paycheck?

Well, I'm convinced. George Allen, who won't even discriminate against people for their perverse sexual behavior --- he has been described by one homosexual publication as having the most fag-friendly [paraphrasing here] office on the Senate side --- is truly a goober and a racist, making judgments about people's skin color. Nevertheless, he's sophisticated enough to use a racial epithet that would only be recognized in obscure corners of the world.

And I also believe in: the Tooth Fairy; that Bill Clinton really didn't have sex with "that woman"; the Easter Bunny; that HillBilly have a real marriage; Santa Claus; that Governor Marky Mark's tax hike was necessary to avert a deficit; that John Gray is a Republican; and that someday I'll collect Social Security.

What I don't understand is how he was supposed to incite a crowd which probably didn't include people from those obscure corners of the world. Or whether the young, mohawk-headed man in question even understood it as a racial epithet.

Perhaps the funniest and most contrived post of all comes from the paid hack at Raising Kaine, who isn't satisfied with George's apology. Of course, nothing short of a complete surrender and withdrawal from the race would satisfy Webb's nutroots contingent.

Don't bother, George. You've made your apology. Unless they're right, and you are a racist and meant it as a racial slur, don't bother to say another word. You'd be wasting your time with people upon whom further efforts would be wasted, and I'm willing to bet that most of the voters in Virginia --- people who are going to or even might vote for you --- recognize that.

UPDATE: Sillier and sillier. Now Ben is claiming that "inside the Beltway" is a racist codeword. One commenter has it right: Ben has officially jumped the shark.

John Gray: Political Chameleon

Once again, from the invaluable Denny Daugherty:

Candidate profile

John S. Gray (D)

Washington Post
June 5, 2003

What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?

"There are several significant issues: (1) Uncontrolled development: 34,000 more houses to be built, with poor planning for roads, schools and other infrastructure to support those houses. (2) Uncontrolled spending: County spending has increased 60 percent in the past four years alone. Its not possible that spending is 'bare bones.' There is fat in this budget. (3) Uncontrolled real estate growth: Even with the tax rate 'reduced' to $1.16, taxes have increased more than 40 percent in the past four years. We need to get development, spending and taxes under control. They aren't now!"

John Gray sounds a lot like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. Heck, it's hardly a secret that I'm no fan of Chairman Sean and his record, but I suppose that I look fair to Connaughtonites compared to Gray's blunderbuss shot.

The Desperation Starts Early

Well, it seems that Democrat Senate candidate Jim Webb and his minions have seen the handwriting on the wall, and are playing the race card early and often. The Washington Post has jumped on the bandwagon, too. The accusation seems to be that Allen referred to the young man in question not as a political flunkie for the Webb campaign, but using an obscure term that refers to a monkey.

This is too rich. It reminds me of the story out of the University of Pennsylvania a few years ago, where Eden Jacobowitz called noisy people outside of his dorm room "water buffaloes," and was accused of racial insensitivity.

That Webb and his media supporters are already desperate enough to trump up this charge is nothing but good news for the Allen campaign. What's really too bad is that Allen's fair-weather friends are already jumping on the band wagon. Or maybe it's good, because it simply reveals them for the opportunistic weak sisters that they really are.

John Gray: Friend of the Taxpayer?

As a member of the Board of the Prince William Taxpayers' Alliance, I receive a number of mailings. Denny Daugherty checked his files, and sent this along this morning:

Washington Post
March 14, 2004
Author: Letters To The Editor

At the March 9 board meeting, Supervisor Corey A. Stewart of Occoquan stunningly asked the board to direct the county staff to prepare the 2005 budget with a real estate tax rate of $1.01 per $100 of assessed value instead of the $1.10 as presented. The $1.10 rate is a reduction from the $1.16 rate used in 2004.
While I have absolutely no problem with the premise of the question, the manner in which it was raised is beyond explanation.
During his campaign, Mr. Stewart pledged to the Taxpayers Alliance not to raise taxes beyond a set formula approximating 6 percent for 2005. Real estate tax revenues are projected to raise by 12.6 percent at the $1.10 rate. The Taxpayers Alliance formula would result in a 2005 tax rate of 99 cents. In short, the Taxpayers Alliance would require a drop from $1.16 to 99 cents, or about $56 million.
Bear in mind that the $56 million cut would be shared with the schools, meaning the county would have to cut spending by $24 million and the schools by $32 million. Obviously, the concern is where those huge cuts are to be made. The alliance states it is up to the county and the schools to identify those cuts, not the alliance. I disagree, but I can live with it.
I have nothing against spending cuts, and if we can identify them, fine. Let's cut. But I do not believe we have $56 million in excess spending in the budget.
Mr. Stewart obviously thinks we have at least $49 million because that's what he proposed to be cut. What galls me is that he did so without any input from his constituents or his Budget Committee, of which I was supposed to be a part. The proposed budget has been out exactly two weeks. His Budget Committee met once. He has never held a town meeting to discuss his constituents' questions. So where did the $1.01 rate come from?
Obviously Mr. Stewart's only concern was to honor his Taxpayers Alliance pledge. Don't his constituents have any say in their taxes?
Please don't tell me this is his fight for lower taxes. The $1.01 rate is arbitrary, capricious and without any merit or basis in fact or numbers. The rate was pulled out of the air and is fictitious.
He could have waited until county staff members gave their presentations of their individual department budgets and then asked them, "Where do you think we could possibly reduce spending in your department?" No, he just picked the $1.01 rate without any concern for his constituents.
And by publicly stating that as a supervisor it is not his responsibility to know the budget in detail, nor is it his responsibility to identify his proposed cuts (that's the staff's job), he has precluded his Budget Committee from doing its job.
Two weeks ago, at the county executive's presentation of the budget, Mr. Stewart was trying to illustrate that the 7-cent countywide fire levy is an additional tax.
It is. No question. So is the gypsy moth fee and the storm water management fee, but that wasn't Mr. Stewart's point. He was trying to show that because Fairfax doesn't have the 7-cent fire levy, our taxes are higher than Fairfax's.
What he didn't know was that Fairfax doesn't have a volunteer fire system, so the 7 cents we pay is really very fair, as it represents just "hard costs" of the volunteers. We don't pay them wages or benefits.
The permanent fire staff accounts for 8 cents of the $1.10 rate being proposed. So getting rid of the 7-cent levy would result in at least an 8-cent increase in the tax rate to cover the new staff necessary to replace the volunteers. Wow! That's tax reduction if I ever saw it!
There is a level of on-the-job training necessary to be a supervisor, but Mr. Stewart is quickly that showing his short 31/2-year residency in Prince William County, and his lack of any substantive community involvement in those years, have not remotely prepared him to be a upervisor.
He needs to consider resigning now, before he does more damage than he already has in these 10 weeks to the political career he really wants. Occoquan citizens not only deserve better; we demand it.
John S. Gray
Lake Ridge

But wait! Isn't this the same John Gray who sent out an announcement last week which was quoted by one blogger as claiming that:

The far-right agenda for real estate taxation has in fact and truth been to vote against the reduction in the tax rate for the last three years. If their votes had prevailed, your real estate tax rate would still be $ 1.36, not the current rate of .76 cents. Think about that for a minute!

It appears that the self-proclaimed Connaughtonite candidate for the Board needs to get his talking points straight. 'Course, it is utterly clear that Gray is Connaughtonite in one way: he'll apparently say whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear in order to get elected.

More Lies from AWCheney

Since sleaze is not a preferred method for GOP political operatives, it appears that Prince William's own AWCheney is making a bid for a career in the media.

I hear Reuters has openings for which she would be well-suited.

Squish Search and Destroy Mission

Well, as one might expect, the anti-Republicans at Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality ... er, "Too Conservative" (for whom, I wonder? Raging Maoists?) are continuing in their efforts to attack anyone who dared to stand up against Chairman Sean's tax-and-spend ways.

Never mind that Chairman Sean ran in 2003 attacking those whom he alleged were in the pockets of developers, such as Republican Mary Hill, and turned around in 2005 and funded his failed campaign for the GOP nomination for Lieutenant Governor with developers (i.e., pro-tax increases) money. Never mind Chairman Sean's own record of tax increases.

Now, however, the pseudonymous cowards over at TC are attacking Corey Stewart because he dares to hold a fundraiser at Tim's Rivershore Restaurant. In his patented belittling style --- one even gets a whiff of his dime-store psychology --- "NoVA Scout" criticizes Corey for holding a fundraiser at "Tim’s Riverhouse in Dumfries."

Of course, "NoVA Scout" reveals in his misnomer just how ill-informed he is; though I've never eaten there, even I know that it's actually "Tim's Rivershore." But "NoVA Scout" reveals in his misrepresentations just how desparate he is to disparage anyone who stands up against higher taxes, as Corey has consistently done.

You see, "NoVA Scout" misrepresents the facts with broad generalizations. Here's what he says:

Tim’s and the County have been locked in a nasty spat over code violations for some time now. The attitude of Tim’s Riverhouse strikes me as defiance of demands for compliance with County building and health codes. If you go to the Tim’s Riverhouse Website, you get a strong flavor of how fervently the owners have seen this as a political issue. Despite the political pressure, the county marched ahead with its enforcement activities. The County’s legal position was upheld this past May when Tim’s owner, Mr. Bauckman, was convicted and given some stiff fines by the court. Mr. Bauckman is appealing those convictions. I’ve heard that County officials still regard Tim’s as being non-compliant with certain site and sanitation requirements.

Now, if you read that, you might get the impression that eating at Tim's might give you a good case of food poisoning. Witness the reference to "sanitation requirements." There is a later reference to "health, safety and building codes," and the general suggestion that Corey Stewart isn't really interested in law enforcement. It is almost reminiscent of far Left imprecations that "children would die" if the GOP Congress were successful in slowing the increases in socialist welfare programs during the Clinton regime.

Of course, a minimal Internet search will tell you otherwise, which is perhaps why "NoVA Scout" doesn't bother with any links. One could, for example, go to Supervisor Maureen Caddigan's website, and find reprinted a column by James Simpson in the Potomac News that discusses the controversy, and reveals that it is only about the safety of the decks at Tim's.

And while I normally don't believe the Post, a Washington Post article on the controversy reveals the truth of the matter:

County officials said they took the action June 9 because the restaurant's owner, Tim Bauckman, rebuilt and expanded the outdoor seating area without proper permission after Hurricane Isabel heavily damaged it. They say Bauckman then refused to cooperate with county officials and went ahead and rebuilt his restaurant his way.

Of course, what makes Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality ... er, "Too Conservative," so charming is that it will predictably parrot whatever Chairman Sean says, even when --- as is frequently his wont --- he misrepresents the facts. Here's what Chairman Sean was quoted (emphasis added) as saying at the time, making the same misrepresentation:

"We have a 1960s-era waterman's hangout that has now turned into a 300-seat open-air restaurant," said board Chairman Sean T. Connaughton (R). "I can tell you very sincerely that the county wants to see Tim's operate and get it legal as soon as possible. The owners just have to start working . . . to make sure the building, site plan, sewer and water and safety issues are addressed."

What this contoversey mainly seems to have been about is the fact that it tends to belie Chairman Sean's claims to have streamlined the bureaucracy to make Prince William County a "business-friendly" location. At least for long-established, un-gentrified businesses.

I'm not going to re-hash the entire controversy here. My point (and I do have one) is that one gets an entirely different understanding of what it was about if one makes the mistake of relying upon the post at TC. But understanding the controversy is, of course, not their point. Denigrating Corey Stewart is.

I almost commented about this over there. But casting pearls before those cowardly swine increasingly appears to be an utter waste of time. After all, in trashing Corey, the author demonstrates his de facto support for Corey's opponent, John Gray.

Of course, John Gray has experience in running for office. He was a candidate for Occoquan District Supervisor in 2003. Oh, yeah. It was for the Democrat nomination.

Webb Hagiography at Huffington Post

The paid hacks at Raising Kaine have a link and an extended quotation from a glowing endorsement of James Webb at Huffington Post.

Wow. One political dilletante/turncoat endorses another. Color me surprised.

Another Function of Cowardice? Or Just Jealousy?

Well, the children over at Too Conservative have decided to initiate a flame war. Nothing surprising here; they belittle me, in their standard attack upon anyone who makes reasonable surmises about the fact that all save Vince (to whom this comment does not apply) cower in anonymity/pseudonymity, and therefore, hide from public view the ability to judge their prejudices accordingly.

It's absolutely incredible to me that some claim to be Republicans and/or Conservatives, and that they should be listened to, even though none has the courage to attach their names and reputations to their sage advice, and frequently attack those who actually lead and either have or continue to put it on the line for their beliefs.

It's a considerable step down from those who publicly pledged their "lives, ... fortunes, ... and sacred Honor" to found this nation, and the many who actually gave them.

Or maybe it's just the fact that at least one person considers them less influential than yours truly.

FLASH! Tax Growth Outpaces Income Growth In PWC

Here's a little news flash for those who are still in denial over the outrageous growth of taxes in PWC: "Real estate property tax growth in ... Prince William [C]ount[y] far outpaced personal income growth from 2000 to 2004." "[I]n Prince William, personal income grew by 13 percent to $35,198, while real estate taxes went up nearly 35 percent."

OK, so it's not news to those who don't subscribe to ... uh ... let us say, a little cult of personality. But perhaps those remaining in denial will, at long last, admit the truth.

But don't count on it.

Webb Campaign Drops Slogan

Well, it seems that the blogosphere is all abuzz over the fact that Democrat Senate candidate James Webb is dropping his "Born Fighting" slogan. I've frequently wondered whether it was merely a ham-handed attempt to boost his book sales.

However, on the principle that no challenger's campaign can be without a good slogan, or even a lame one, I hereby open the floor to a contest to pick the best, most appropriate slogan for the Webb campaign. Here are a few entries:

1. "Born Equivocating"

2. "Born Elsewhere"

3. "Born Quibbling"

Submit your best entries in comments.

I Guess Thieves Have Their Priorities In Order...

From Neal Boortz, the following story demonstrating that no good deed goes unpunished:

NO GOOD DEED .....

I saw a pretty nasty accident last week. It happened about a quarter-mile south of my Peachtree Rd. condo. An old SUV full of some rather hefty women (at least I think they were women) left the road, ran across a lawn, plowed through a fence and then took a nose dive about 20 feet straight down to the entrance of a basement parking garage. From the looks of things everyone went right through the front window. One woman wasn't moving when I got there, but the EMTs determined she was alive and transported her to Grady Hospital. Two days later I'm told she was still in ICU.

Anyway ... why am I telling you this story? After all, stupid people not wearing seat belts get thrown through windshields virtually every day.

Well .. it seems that someone who worked at a nearby apartment building was one of the first on the scene. He called 911 on his cell phone. One of the victims who was not horribly hurt asked to borrow his phone to make a call.

When she got through making the call she put the phone in her pocket and refused to return it. Days later calls were still being made on the phone.

When the owner of the phone would call his own number and ask that the phone be returned they would just hang up. The theft of his phone was reported to the police. We'll see if anything happens.

There's some real scum running around out there. Good people die in accidents all the time, but the cretin who stole this cell phone somehow survived. Pity.

One can only hope that the thief is enjoying exquisite pain.

Jumping the Shark at TC

With this post by a pseudonymous Connaughton sycophant, followed by a predictable "amen" chorus of anonymous/pseudonymous posters, and the very public effort of some to discredit the prudent course of the PWC GOP, can there be any doubt left that whomever it is who is left at Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality has jumped the shark?

Phony Claims of Partisan Affiliation

I love political debate. What I despise is people who misrepresent themselves for purposes of lending credibility to their arguments.

So, for instance, there's the "I'm a Republican, but..." crowd, which tries to legitimize its attacks on Republicans or Republican positions by claiming affiliation with the GOP. I am always particularly skeptical of those callers to, for instance, C-SPAN, who make such claims before attacking the GOP. Our own local rag ... er, journal, is guilty of the same kind of misrepresentation, discussed in a letter yesterday by the Secretary of the Prince William County Republican Committee, Grant Bell. Grant rightly took the newspaper to task for its frequent claim that "Nobody likes taxes, but...." practices. This journal, which for a time moved towards being more reflective of its Conservative readership, virtually always preferences its endorsement of the latest tax increase proposal to come along with the claim that it doesn't always support higher taxes. The problem? No one can seem to remember the last time the Potomac News advocated against a proposed tax increase.

Take today's article in the Potomac News regarding yesterday's rally against the Marshall/Newman amendment, which will add the protection of Virginia's Constitution to the continuing assault by the perversion lobby against marriage and the family, provides a fine example of the practice, one which is easily refuted.

Here's the little vignette that caught my eye:

Kreamer's husband, Terry Kreamer, said passage of the amendment would be a step back for Northern Virginia, especially if it were to affect a business's ability to provide domestic partner benefits.

A registered Republican, Terry said that some gays and lesbians might take their business to Washington, D.C., or Maryland.

Now, maybe a more sophisticated reporter would have picked up the fact that Terry was lying through his teeth. Of course, there is no such thing as a "registered Republican" in Virginia. Our General Assembly, in its estimable wisdom, precludes registration by political party, so there are neither "registered Republicans" or "registered Democrats" in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

To be sure, there are ways to measure whether one is a Republican or Democrat. Donations, for instance. The Virginia Public Access Projected (www.vpap.org) list no reported donations by anyone named "Terry Kreamer" to any candidate or cause in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Opensecrets lists a single "Terry Kreamer" of Alexandria as having given money to Don Young, of Alaska.

Then there's whether the individual has ever darkened the door of a Republican event. To my knowledge, no individual named "Terry Kreamer" has ever done so in Prince William County. To be sure, I don't know every individual who has, but if such an individual were a prominent and/or respected Republican, I might know him.

However, an Internet search reveals a single listing (apparently of him and his wife, also identified in the article). They appear in the Bull Run Unitarian Universalist newsletter, and they appear to be active members. Of course, some consider this denomination to be less Christian (indeed, my impression is that it doesn't even pretend to be "Christian") as it is religion for the far Left.

Of course, it's by now a truism that opponents of the Marshall/Newman amendment are misrepresenting the amendment in their craven and disingenuous efforts to defeat it. But it is purely pathetic that they also misrepresent themselves to do so, as well.

UPDATE: An anonymous post in the comments indicates that this individual voted in Virginia's 2000 Presidential primary. This may call into question some of my conclusions, though one primary vote does not, in my never-to-be-humble opinion, a "committed Republican" make. It certainly does not make one a "registered Republican." One would presume that committed Virginia Republicans know that there (sadly) is no such thing in Virginia.

F.T. Rea's Peurile Behavior

Well, it seems that F.T. has now decided that even agreement from a Conservative is something he can't tolerate.

It seems that F.T. has a post discussing the injustice of Art Monk's exclusion from the Hall of Fame.

I agree with his discussion. This is an incredible injustice. So, in the spirit of agreeing where I can, I posted something to the effect of "Finally! A post with which I cannot disagree."

And given F.T.'s childish challenge to the rather simple bio posted here, I said something to the effect of "And no, Monk was NOT one of the Redskins that I represented."

Rather than merely taking it in the charitable tone in which it was intended, F.T. simply deleted it. Cast it down the memory hole. There isn't even a "Post deleted by blog administrator."

To use Waldo's phrase, what a maroon.

Idiocy from the Webb Campaign

Or perhaps I should say, more idiocy.

Attacking Senator George Allen for refusing to vote for a minimum wage increase, the Webb campaign manages to invoke the standard Democrat tactic of class warfare, while at the same time demonstrating its utter ignorance on matters economic:

I am sure the 153,000 hardworking Virginians who haven’t received a raise since 1997 would have appreciated it. But obviously, Allen’s too busy playing political games,” said Webb spokesperson Kristian Denny Todd.

Kristian, here's a little economic reality for you: Anybody who is still being paid minimum wage after nine years on the job, or who is still working at the same minimum wage job after nine years, doesn't deserve a raise.

Of course, with childish antics like this (Webb's own site is still trying to make hay of the fact that Senator Allen's middle name is "Felix"), perhaps Todd's interest in a minimum wage increase is understandable. If he's paying them what they're worth, one can't imagine that Webb is paying them much more than minimum wage.

Takes on Mel Gibson

I haven't commented on this, and I'm not sure I'm doing so now. However, there is an interesting story in today's LA Times on the reactions of his friends. Having had the bitter experience of dealing with alcoholics, I certainly question the notion that "it's the disease speaking."

Mona Charen has an interesting take --- and probably gets a lot closer to the truth, save for her comments about Steven Spielberg's Munich, with which I take some exception --- here, as well.

UPDATE: Having picked up David Horowitz's Anti-Chomsky Reader a few weeks ago, and having just delved into it, it occurs to me that many of the same people who are savaging Mel Gibson for his anti-Semitic rant--- contrary to the man that Jewish friends like Dean Devlin describe --- positively lionize Noam Chomsky, who is a an anti-Semite of biblical proportions and a Holocaust denier, too.

My Stalker is Back!

Well, I came across another website which seems to be dedicated to attacking me. I won't dignify it by linking to it here (why increase his or her site traffic, even to the pathetic extent that I have any?), but suffice it to say that it links to the stalker's site that appeared in April. It claims that I am a bigot because I judge people by their actions, specifically, their perverse sexual behavior.

You know, kind of like recognizing those poor, sad, anonymous/pseudonymous trolls for the cowards that they are.

I must confess that I am a bit disappointed, though. Damn it! The boys over at NoVA Townhall were first on his or her hit list!

To take a page from the far Left playbook that suggests that supporters of traditional marriage (which seems to be the main reason for this individual's fury), what is it about those of us who stand up for reason and values that you find so threatening?

Save Him From His "Supporters"

I came across a fascinating comment over at Ben Tribbett's site, made in the context of Ben's call for nominations for his patented "Weenie of the Week" and the (in my opinion) misnomered "Warner of the Week." Notwithstanding the fact that its author is a coward, i.e., anonymous, it really deserves a response at length, a response which doesn't lend itself well to a mere comment. Here's what this bozo said:

Weenie: Anti-Connaughtonites who spent all their time tearing the man down, but when they saw the chance to grab power became the sweetest singers of his praise. "He is a bad Republican, but Bush should definately appoint him." Give me a break!

Warner: Prince William Democrats. While the GOP has been publicly fighting and tearing itself apart over the Chairmanship, the Dems have been quietly laying in wait ready to pounce on a weakened and divided opponent.

Posted by: | August 04, 2006 at 03:59 PM

This is really funny. Well thought-out criticisms of the policies pursued by a politician --- one can only presume that the author refers to criticisms of Connaughton's tax-and-spend policies, as well as his craven efforts to seize control of the Prince William GOP --- are "tearing the man down." And recognition that, as an admiralty lawyer --- an extremely specialized area of practice --- and as a veteran, he is well-qualified for the post to which he now has been confirmed, makes us "the sweetest singers of his praise." That's not the hypocrisy intimated by the author of the post, but rather, fair assessments of the man's qualifications.

As a wise movie cop once said, "A man's got to know his limitations." Those who have suffered under the tax-and-spend policies of Connaughton are well-positioned to criticize those policies. They are not personal criticisms (Connaughton has so isolated himself from Conservatives that few of us know him personally); they are policy criticisms.

As for the assertion that Prince William Democrats have been "quietly laying in wait ready to pounce on a weakened and divided opponent," well, perhaps. Far more likely that the long, slow, lingering death of the Prince William Democrat party is reflected in the fact that the only vigorous intellectual debate over policy is occurring not between the two parties, but within the GOP.

F.T. Rea --- Moonbat Redux

F.T. Rea really hates it when someone turns the tables on him, and identifies his tactics and uses them on him. Of course, he fails to substantiate his claim that the President called Iraq an "imminent threat," but never mind that. Now he just attacks me, among others:

One angry defender of Bush’s Iraqi war policy writes on his blog: “...When F.T. [Rea] is called out for his lies, he engages in ... more lies!”
By “lies” the defender means that I disagree with his version of the run-up to the war in Iraq. This lathered up Bush defender claims the administration never ever said there was an imminent threat being posed by Iraq’s huge stores of weapons of mass destruction.
To suggest otherwise hurts Bush, so it simply makes one a liar.
****
Sadly, the lack of civility and lack of common decency illustrated above aren’t all that unusual today. It seems screaming insults at opponents has become acceptable in many circles. And, you know what -- none of this childish behavior has anything to do with making the world a better place.
None of it is really about candidates, or ideas, or the future. No. It has to do with self-promotion and meanness. It’s about brats being brats.
Perhaps when the heat weave passes, some of this will go away like bad air. But I'm not holding my breath.

A few pertinent points: (1) Nothing in my post "defend[s] ... Bush’s Iraqi war policy"; it merely notes that opponents based at least one element of their argument on a misrepresentation; (2) my comments do not illustrate a "lack of civility and lack of common decency," unless you count among those virtues the practice of couching in euphemism base and intentional misrepresentations of fact; and (3) it is amazing that someone who chooses to call the President of the United States and his Administration liars is now accusing someone else of "childish behavior."

Now, at least one thing F.T. gets right: "By 'lies' [I] mean[] that [F.T.] disagree[s] with [my] version of the run-up to the war in Iraq," to-wit, I "claim[] the administration never ever said there was an imminent threat being posed by Iraq’s huge stores of weapons of mass destruction." Now, reading that, you might conclude that the debate was about a matter of opinion, e.g., the merits and demerits of a policy of preemption, which is an eminently debatable point.

But this isn't about opinion; its about the fact that F.T.'s allegation that the President and his Administration advanced the notion that Iraq constituted an "imminent threat" is an utter, absolute falsehood. It's fact, and notwithstanding numerous opportunities to do so, F.T. persists in his failure to offer a countervailing fact. I can only conclude that he knows that there are none, since there would doubtless be numerous sources on the far Left happy to substantiate such an occurrence, had it ever occurred. In short, F.T. clearly indicate that he has suspended any pretense of relying upon evidence, instead preferring to rely upon a far Left urban legend. And since I assume that he is smart enough to know the difference, I can only conclude that he is engaging in an intentional mispresentation of fact, i.e., a "lie."

F.T.'s arrogance would be astounding, if it were not so pathetically unjustified in his inability to actually address the issue.

And BTW, I suppose that F.T. will try to dismiss the above as ad hominem argument. That would be incorrect. Ad hominem is like Mark Levin referring to Hillary Clinton as "Her Thighness" (a pretty funny line, truth be told). It's dismissing someone who demonstrates that you have been lying a "brat," or accusing them of "self-promotion and meanness." The above addresses F.T.'s misrepresentations of fact, and identifying a knowing falsehood and calling attention to its purveyor is hardly an ad hominem argument.

But --- getting back to the silly suggestion by F.T. that the President was involved in "Newspeak" and Orwellianism --- dismissing my argument as mere ad hominem would be so much easier than F.T. admitting that his attacks on me, like the major premise of his attack upon the President, are "designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." Orwell, George, Politics and the English Language (1946).

UPDATE: F.T. has childish decided to delete my comments. Here's one that I have since posted, but as I expect it to be deleted, I'll reproduce it here:

You see, there you go again, F.T. You claim to not use the term "liar" lightly, implying that I do. In fact, I don't. I use it when it fits, and it manifestly fits when applied by those who set themselves up as authorities, make elaborate claims of presidential prevarication, and then fail to make their case. As you do. "Liar"? Absolutely.

And once again, you misrepresent the disagreement. It is not about politics. It is about the facts upon which you purport to premise your politics. Since one of those facts is so demonstrably false, it is difficult to imagine how you expect to have a civil conversation with those of us who are conversant with the facts.

Of course, with your childish decision to simply delete my posts, it is utterly clearly that you simply want to purvey your bilious myths, free of the bother of those who want to bring facts to the conversation.

Another far Left champion of free speech, and vigorous debate!

F.T. also offers some interesting comments about what he expect of lawyers, simply seeking to denigrate me. Of course, what he really seems to expect is that I will roll over and play dead for him.

Illegal Convention?

Riley's been all over this, and it appears that Chairman Sean's nomination to a post in the Bush Administration will be receiving the prompt attention it deserves (he seems well-qualified for the post).

Those in the blogosphere and elsewhere who have been screaming and hollering about an "illegal convention" --- some for self-serving political reasons and/or out of a desire to weaken a Conservative candidate --- should be preparing themselves for a hearty serving of crow.

New Kid in the Block

Well, it seems that there's a new organization out there, called "The Virginia Way."

I'm a little sick to death of those who appeal to objective criteria --- criteria they abandon when they become inconvenient --- to attack their political foes. Of course, one searches the website in vain for reference to any living individual willing to associate themselves with this group. One can only wonder whether their argument would be denigrated by their association with it, i.e., perhaps it is a front group for homosexual activists.

And, of course, Madison, Jefferson, and Monroe --- like John Adams in Massachusetts, whose state Constitution was used to justify gay "marriage" --- were well-known supporters of homosexual sodomy.

Remember When Flying Was Fun?

Via Drudge, another story on the joys of modern air travel.

A Reason to Celebrate

Well, according to at least one wise soul, I am now Virginia's eleventh most influential blogger, having risen in Republitarian's estimation from sixteenth. Either that, or the field has simply been thinned. I note that young Vince has dropped on the list significantly. 'Course, that could just be a function of his current location as a college student in Texas.

Nevertheless, never one to let a kindness go unrecognized, I offer my thanks to Republitarian.

Now, if I could only break the top ten!

Texas Air National Guard Jets Used to Help Oil Companies!

At least, that's what the environmentalist wackos at this website --- brought to my attention by Jim Riley over at Virtucon --- seem to think.

This is one of the more severe cases of Bush Derangement Syndrome I've ever seen. I wonder if it's just a goof?

Excessive Heat Warning

According to the Style section of the Washington Post, the prediction for 101-degree heat in the Washington area for today is "Satan-in-a-Speedo hot."

I don't know about you, but this alone renders the 2000, Brenda Frazier remake of Bedazzled, with Elizabeth Hurley as Satan, superior to the 1967, Dudley Moore version, with Peter Cook as Beelzebub (though Raquel Welch was appropriately cast as Lust in the earlier version).

UPDATE: This might be a wonderful opportunity for a PhotoShop illustration, but: (a) I can't find a photo of Peter Cook; (b) I'm not competent to use it; and (c) the aesthetic horror would be unfit for viewing.

The OWW Reappears

After an all-too-brief, yet merciful, silence, one of those involved in attacking a young candidate with criminal charges reappears over at Sean Connaughton's Cult of Personality. And only when greeted with response in kind does "NoVA Scout" notice that the thread has "degenerated."

I LOVE a good double-standard!

The Marriage Amendment

The ever-entertainingly insane Alice Marshall thinks supporters of Virginia's Marriage Amendment (which it's opponents call the Marshall-Newman Amendment, in the apparently ill-informed belief that they have successfully demonized Delegate Bob Marshall in the eyes of most Virginians) should reprint its text in full. No problem:

That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.

Now, anybody who's not a homosexual activist or an anonymous/pseudonymous coward (this means you, "NoVA Scout"), why don't you explain why you are so threatened by this?