Laughing through the Pain and Embarrassment
This editorial in today’s Virginian-Pilot (“A modest to-do list for the AG” by Daryl Lease) made me spit out my sip of coffee.
Archive for the ‘Republicans’ Category
Who’s on the HR Tea Party’s Secret “Political Operative” List?
Bwaaaaa! I stumbled across this page looking for a website for School Board candidate Carray Banks. They had nothing on Carray, but I wonder who’s on this secret “Political Operative” list???
Political Operatives (12 Articles) – Political operator in either party or organizations outside of party structure. Registration Required!
I laugh, but perhaps I should instead be a little sad. The days of fearmongering aren’t over yet. Why are these people so anxious to return to the days of yore, some even reminiscent of the McCarthy era.
But then with articles such as this, can they ever be taken seriously? Back to laughing! Bwaaaaa!!!
Re-Districting in Virginia Beach
UPDATE: Vivian has the schedule of redistricting public hearings posted, which includes one Sept. 22, 7pm, at Roper Performing Arts Center, Tidewater Community College in Norfolk.
When voters go to the polls in November 2011 will they be showing up at new, redrawn districts? What will those districts look like?
I’ll be curious to see if or how the 90th, 21st, 84th, and 81st might get re-drawn. According to NLS, overflow from Beach house districts would be pushed into Algie Howell’s district, thus “de-Democrating” the 21st, Bobby Mathieson’s old district. They could also push certain blue-trending precincts in Sal Iaquinto’s district into the 90th district.
The Beach gets redder. Oh joy…
The 2nd congressional district is too small while Forbes’ 4th district is too big. Look for red Chesapeake to be added to the 2nd is my prediction.
The 2nd congressional district gets redder. Oh joy…
We’re moving back to the 1950’s. Is there anything Democrats can do to stop this or at least to minimize the punishment?
VB’s GOP GA Delegation No Shows at McDonnell Town Hall
I attended Gov. McDonnell’s Town Hall meeting at ODU on Monday night. This meeting was all about McDonnell pushing his agenda which I assume is supported by all his minions in the General Assembly. Yet few of his foot soldiers could bother showing up.
Democrats outnumbered Republicans at this meeting 3-2. Showing up were Sen. Ralph Northam, Del. Lynwood Lewis, and Del. Paula Miller for the Dems, and Del. Chris Stolle and Del. Glen Oder for the Repugs. Where was Iaquinto, Purkey, Tata, Knight, Villanueva?
McDonnell’s “Reform” Agenda: Town Hall Meeting Tonight!
Judging by the emails filling my In Box, conservatives want to dominate the Governor’s town hall meetings so they can claim broad popular support for, and no opposition to, McDonnell’s conservative agenda. “Reform state government” and “build a strong jobs-friendly environment” mean eliminating regulations and programs to protect the environment, granting businesses the right to rip off and even threaten the health and safety of consumers while denying them recourse in the courts, and slashing funding for public education and programs that serve Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens.
We can’t let this happen. The Governor needs to hear that his right wing chums are not the voice of the people of Virginia.
Be there TONIGHT (Monday Aug. 9), 7:00-8:30 at Old Dominion University’s Webb Center, Webb University Center, 4201 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk.
GOPper Primary Day in Virginia – Open Thread
Writes the RTD: “About 1,000 polling places will be open today when Virginians go to the polls to nominate five Republican congressional candidates.”
“A total of 19 candidates are running in the five districts. Seven are seeking the GOP nod in the 5th District and six in the 2nd District.
Nonparty candidates, who run as independents, must file their candidacy by the end of today.
The general election is Nov. 2. Currently, Virginia has six Democratic congressmen and five Republicans.”
Bearing Drift did some last minute Rigell bashing – outing him as “desperate” with a last minute infusion of $75,000 of his own money into his campaign. But it looks like that blog post got pulled. (Eyes rolling…)
An LTE in today’s Pilot endorses both Councilman Bill “the Bigot” DeSteph and Scott Taylor, praising both with the same brush. Ouch for Scott Taylor! (Eyes rolling…)
Mizusawa in a TV ad says “”As a combat tested conservative, I will… [blah, blah, blah]” WTF is that supposed to mean? A Facebook friends responds… “He is conservative in combat?” (Eyes rolling…)
And I love David Campbell’s comment on the Pilot write up on today’s primary… “How long will it be after the primary before the Hampton Roads Tea Party and the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance reverse themselves and embrace Rigell?” I think that’ll depend on how much Loyola collects. If it’s close, it may enrage them and they drop out. I’ve been told that Teabaggers make up 40% of the 2nd district GOP. I suspect half of that 40% will half-heartedly switch to Rigell while the other half either stays home or switches to Kenny Golden or Glenn Nye.
If Loyola wins, we’re in trouble! So go Rigell! I’m not voting though. Are you?
Must See Video for Jeff McWaters
State Senator Jeff McWaters in an email blast said “It is understandable that accidents do happen; however we must be more prepared in the future for such disasters. Americans must learn from what happened, creating new science to improve our current drilling technology for future oil discovery.”
Um… no…
Like Rachel Maddow points out the only technology that has improved is our capacities to drill deeper and in deeper water. Mention “drilling” and “technology” in the same sentence and me and a majority of the United States citizenry will personally beat you down. We call “bull shit” to all the “oh technology is the answer” con artists.
We need to break our addiction to dirty fossil fuels and be smart about our investments in energy. President Obama gets it! He announced today that it’s time to roll back “billions of dollars in tax breaks” for oil companies and use the money for clean energy research and development. Amen!
Democratic Crossover Voting in the 2nd
Bearing Drift announced its endorsement of Bert Mizusawa as the Rethuglican nominee in the 2nd district. Interesting…
My voting record is as clean and pure as Christmas snow. I have never nor ever will vote in a Republican primary. But I do understand the rationale for Democratic crossover voting. You vote for the candidate that the Democratic candidate (in this case Rep. Glenn Nye) would have an easier go at beating.
Scott Rigell is the GOPper chosen son and has more money than God. But he’s built in the same creepy right-wing mold as Bob McDonnell. Will voters make the same mistake twice?
Rigell is tapped into the same network of voters that allowed Jeff McWaters to shellack his opponents. In low turnout primaries, this hard-core righty-tighty group will crawl over broken glass to vote for the annointed one. And had this been a closed primary, Rigell would win by a landslide.
But it’s an open primary on Tuesday, June 8. All registered voters can cast a ballot by showing up at their usual polling places anytime between 6am and 7pm. It’ll be Democratic crossover voters that upset poor Rigell’s apple cart. Ha!
Should Rigell prevail, all that $ will go into his extreme makeover. Independents fell for it last year. Did electing Bob McDonnell teach them any lessons?
Now, if Mizusawa muster a win this Tuesday, he has several huge obstacles to overcome in order to beat Glenn Nye. Number 1 of which is the fact that his wife and children live, work and play in Fairfax County.
With Mizusawa the general election race becomes almost 100% about military issues and campaigns centered around military voters. Advantage goes to Nye who seems to think 100% of his constituents care about nothing else than military issues.
So, if I were voting on June 8th, I’d vote for Mizusawa. How about the rest of you VB Democrats?
If Mizusawa vs. Nye, Then Levandoski vs. Van Hollen
Jay Ford at Alt Daily has been interviewing Repug candidates for the 2nd district. Check out his interview with Bert Mizusawa here.
Now I know this is a military town and family life carries extenuating circumstances but this strikes me as wrong… Mizusawa’s family lives in Fairfax. He obviously maintains a second home and feels rooted here as he grew up in Hampton Roads.
Sophie’s Next Paycheck?
Here’s the conversation had on the way to school with my daughter whose first paychecks in life came from Young Democrats for America in 2008 and Mathieson for Delegate in 2009:
Sophie: “A lot of the kids at school [First Colonial HS] are getting paid to work for this guy Rigell.”
Me: “You know he’s a right-winger Republican, right?”
Sophie: “So I suppose you won’t let me work for him, right?”
I told her it was up to her if she wanted to work for him. I also explained that he’s paying now, but it’s all in run up to a primary that ends June 8. Both camps (Repug and Dem) will again be paying kids in run up to the general in November, and that she could probably get a paying gig with Glenn Nye starting after Labor Day.
Sophie: “But I could make some $ now if I worked for Rigell.”
Me: “Is that what’s it about for you… making $ even if it’s in support of somebody who is terrible and terribly wrong?”
Sophie: “Yeah.”
So we’ll see. This should be an interesting test for my daughter’s God-given (and mother-nurtured) left leanings.
Teabaggers Rag on Rigell
Here’s the Facebook message from the Hampton Roads Tea Party:
Hi Everyone-
We’ve been getting a bunch letters asking what the Hampton Roads Tea Party is doing about the primary election June 8. We have been meeting with and observing the candidates since mid-January. As time has gone on, the candidates have indeed differentiated themselves.
One candidate in particular, the GOP pick Scott Rigell we felt that we had to bring to your attention. Read below our “Scott Rigell Facts”. There is NO hearsay in any of them. They have all been validated. Rigell is still defending them.
****************************************************
Scott Rigell Facts:
Scott Rigell is in the GOP –backed candidate for the 2nd Congressional District Primary race. His endorsements include Governor Bob McDonnell, Minority Whip Eric Cantor, and Former Massachusetts Govenor Mitt Romney. He is a pro-life social conservative. He’s a business man, not a lawyer. Sounds good so far, right?
There’s just a couple of problems:
Rigell, who promotes himself as a fiscally conservative Republican gave $1,000 o Barack Obama’s primary presidential campaign. (Source: Federal Elections Commission). Why did a “conservative” give money to such an extreme left wing candidate? In Rigell’s own words: “The thought of another Clinton in the White House was worse than Barack Obama”. And later, “…I was moved by his
rhetoric….”
As of Sunday May 16, 2010 (on his Facebook “Likes” page) – Rigell still stands by his “reasons”.
Does that sound like a fiscal, or even a socially conservative Republican?
But wait! There’s more!
DoD Confirms What Joe Bouchard’s Been Saying All Along
And Bob McDonnell is still nonetheless in denial.
Writes the Virginian-Pilot: “Rep. Jim Moran, an opponent of offshore drilling, wrote a letter Tuesday to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, urging him to back off on his push for offshore drilling. ‘I trust you would agree that the presence of the Department of Defense in the Commonwealth is of greater benefit than anything that could be derived from offshore drilling,’ Moran wrote.”
No Oil & Gas Activity area concerns:
- Live ordnance release and impact:
–Air-surface missile/bomb
- Preservation of sensitive undersea & surface operations
- Combined Shipboard Systems Qualification Trials
- Developmental, Operational and Follow-on Testing and Evaluation
Give it up Bob!
Republican Styled Tit for Tat
Tit is Gov. Bob McDonnell. Tat is Scott Rigell. Tat gives over $98,000 in campaign contributions. Tit gives Tat his endorsement. Tat spat. Tit Shit.
Would Frank Wagner Sink This Low in VA?
Not to give him any ideas… “Polluters have had enough of law clinics“.
The Clunker that is Scott Rigell
The wealthy Freedom Ford car salesman in the race for the Republican nod for the pleasure of taking on Rep. Glenn Nye has more to sell than just used cars. He’s all say one thing, do another.
From USA Today “Dealers-turned-candidates run into trouble”:
Scott Rigell, who is running for a House district that includes Virginia Beach, criticized Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a January speech for “reckless bailouts and an out-of-control federal debt.” But records show he sold 138 cars under Cash for Clunkers last year.
“It’s the hypocrisy of it,” said Ben Loyola, a Republican challenging Rigell in the primary. “You can’t say you’re against these programs, bailouts, and yet benefit wholeheartedly from them.”
FYI… it’s an open GOP primary on Tues., June 8. Crossover voting permitted!
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