Virgil Goode on the Issues

Virgil Goode is going to address the Constitution Party's National Convention in June, where he is a rumored presidential nominee (don't bet on it). In order to introduce Goode, I guess, several sites are offering his current stances on the issues (here and here). Immigration, naturally if you knew his platform last year, tops his list, and he still scapegoats "anchor babies." He also talks taxes, trade, education, international relations, and that biggie, the North American Union. Read them. It's good times.

What suprises me is that his stances have remained the same. Like, last year's loss had nothing to do with his out-of-touch positions.

Cracks in the Marriage between the Religious Right and Republicanism?

Kathleen Parker has a great op-ed on the disillusionment of a new generation of leaders of the Christian Right to politics. She argues that, in the past, conservative Christians have had to compromise much of their beliefs in order to elect (Republican) candidates, but a new generation of conservatives is tired of that (losing) strategy:

Compromise may be the grease of politics, but it has no place in Christian orthodoxy, ....

Put another way, Christians may have no place in the political fray of dealmaking. That doesn't mean one disengages from political life, but it might mean that the church shouldn't be a branch of the Republican Party. It might mean trading fame and fortune (green rooms and fundraisers) for humility and charity.

This new generation of conservative leaders finds the hyper-involvement in politics ultimately self-defeating, seen in their perceived losses in the culture wars. These leaders believe that getting back to the ministry of Jesus is the best time-proven strategy to change our culture:

For Christians ... the heart of Christianity is in the home, not the halls of Congress or even the courts. And the route to a more moral America is through good works -- service, prayer and education -- not political lobbying.
[...]
"You have the choice between a way that works and brings no credit or money or national attention," says [former vice-president of the Moral Majority, Cal] Thomas. "Or, a way that doesn't work that gets you lots of attention and has little influence on the culture."

One detects a tone of wishful thinking in Parker's editorial, especially in light of her post-election editorial in which she blames the dependence of the GOP on the Christian Right for the presidential loss and the marginalization of their party in the American mainstream. Parker's motivations aside, however, I hope she is correct, as the dissolving of the marriage between conservative religion and conservative politics is a good thing for both religion and politics.

The Washington Monthly, capturing and reinforcing Parker's argument, has this article on the subject.

Quote of the Day

Tucker Watkins, GOP 5th CD Chair and campaign manager for Virgil Goode, on the removal of Jeff Frederick:

"It's an awful thing, but a necessary thing," said Tucker Watkins of Halifax County, the GOP's 5th Congressional District chairman.

(h/t Lowell)

On My Gubernatorial Primary Vote

I have been thinking about how I am going to vote in June's gubernatorial primary for many months, since last summer actually. I've run the gambit of certainty of vote between all three candidates and now have successfully talked myself onto the fence again. This post will allow me to collect my thoughts on the adjudication of my vote, while offering you, voyeuristically, my thought-process:

1. I will vote for a candidate who shows up to try to earn votes in the Southside. I do not want to vote for a candidate who takes the Southside for granted or neglects our voice. There is tradition and history in the Southside, and we deserve respect and dignity too. So a candidate who shows up to earn our votes, represents a candidate who will work for us in office. In this regard, Moran leads the pack, but McAuliffe is climbing. I have run into Moran several times in the Southside and truly appreciate that he appreciates us. Deeds, unfortunately, I have not seen down here.
2. I will vote for a candidate who speaks to Southside issues. Showing up is one thing, understanding our problems is another. Southside has a unique set of problems in Virginia, from the highest unemployment rates to a generational exodus to the highest teen pregnancy rates in Virginia. We could go on and on. In this light, McAuliffe has tailored his campaign message with Southside implications, and I appreciate that. His business plan highlights Southside's role in economic recovery, and McAuliffe was the first, to my knowledge, to speak on uranium mining and pay-day lending.
3. I will vote for a candidate who is running a good campaign organization. With a background in campaigning, I understand that having a good campaign organization strengthens your viability. The best campaign will help set us up for success against McDonnell's campaign. On these terms, I have been very impressed with the McAuliffe campaign's organization, strength, and professionalism. And, Aznew, a Deeds supporter, highlights some of the unfortunate, reactive flailings of the Moran campaign.
4. I will vote for a candidate who helped Tom Perriello out in his congressional campaign, and logically, for the candidate who could best help with Rep. Perriello's re-election bid. Putting a year of blood, sweat, and tears into Tom's campaign, I admit my bias here. To my knowledge, McAuliffe did some fundraising for Tom, but Deeds, by far and away, expended the most political capital to garner and mobilize support for Tom, even when supporting Tom wasn't a cool thing to do.
   
5. I will vote for a candidate in which I can relate. While the other criteria contain subjective elements, this, obviously, is premised on subjectivity, and this criterion is, admittedly, an X-factor, the unquantifiable feel-good of this list. I think it is important to give voice and ownership to this subjectivity, and, in our voting habits, rightly or wrongly, there is always the coloring of relatability with the candidate. And, this criterion is linked with the first, as a candidate who shows up increases the likelihood that you will like him/her. I have met with and talked with all three candidates, and they are all respectful and thoughtful gentleman, but with this criterion in mind, I have to admit that I am a big fan of Moran.

Echoing Rep. Perriello, we have a great set of candidates in our primary, each offering unique strengths to govern our state. While, perhaps, these criteria won't be weighted equally, the candidate who best fulfills these factors will have earned my vote.

On this race, do you have other criteria? Or in voting in general, do you have factors that, if present, will earn your vote? Thoughts? Constructive criticism?

Roanoke Times Slams McDonnell's Energy Plan

The Roanoke Times has an editorial on Republican gubernatorial aspirant Bob McDonnell's energy plan. His emphasis in off-shore drilling and coal, the editorial says, will not put Virginia on the forefront of the green energy economy:

By necessity, fossil fuels will remain the base source of energy for America's foreseeable future. But McDonnell needs to realize that if Virginia wants to become the energy capital of America, the commonwealth must look to the future of renewable energy. The state simply doesn't have huge reserves of fossil fuels.

And after summarizing the three Democratic candidate's energy platforms, the editorial concludes:

It will take visionary leadership to help the commonwealth focus on renewable energy, conservation and other 21st century approaches to meeting the state's and nation's energy needs.

So far, McDonnell is proposing an energy plan that seems far more suited to the 1950s. Virginia will never be the nation's energy capital with that kind of thinking.

Frederick's Fate

Today the fate of RPV Chair Jeff Frederick was decided. The New York Times had a piece this morning detailing the contentious factionalism heading into this vote. When the smoke lifted, Frederick was removed from office by a 57-18 vote. The saga might not be over, as Frederick vows to re-run for the Chairmanship. You can read some of the background behind today's oustering here.

Would have loved the guy heading the Republican Party forever. Oh well. This was to be expected.

Bracketology - Final Four Edition

Looks like you all have had mixed results in your brackets, from very good to very disappointing. So, who you got tonight? Michigan State or UConn? Villanova or UNC?

A Japanese Unemployment Strategy

Japan is offering $3000 plane tickets to unemployed foreign workers to return home. The offer only applies to several hundred thousand factory-working South Africans of Japanese descent in the country on special visas. The logic:

The government's motivation appears to be three-fold: help the workers get home, ease pressure on the domestic labour market and potentially get thousands of people off the unemployment roll, which stands at 4.4 per cent and has resulted in mass demonstrations, like the one pictured right.

Of course, this generosity comes with strings; those accepting the offer can never return to Japan with a special visa.

Deeds and Moran on Pay-day Lending

The other day, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe stated that he would ban the pay-day and car title lending institutions in Virginia if elected. His primary opponents, Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran, yesterday echoed the sentiment. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Through press secretary Brooke Borkenhagen, Deeds signaled his support for closing the state to cash stores and related lenders.

"When Terry was doing his out-of-state fundraisers, Creigh was in the Senate, working on this issue," Borkenhagen said.

Jesse Ferguson, Moran's spokesman, said: "Brian has been, and continues to be, an opponent of the payday-lending industry."

If their communication director's statements can be understood unequivocally, I am pleased that there is a consensus among the Democratic candidates on this issue.

Introducing Bradley Rees, Republican Candidate for Congress (VA-5)

I want to follow in aznew's footsteps and introduce Dem Bones readers to Bradley Rees, who is currently seeking the Republican nomination to run against Rep. Perriello. I learned about Rees' candidacy a couple days ago, and I want to pass on what information I have.

Rees, 30, has a lively twitter feed; much of my information comes from there. He lives in rural Bedford, and he is married with a son and a daughter. Politically speaking, he is a self-professed Ayn Rand Objectivist Libertarian/conservative, and like aznew, I wonder how he resolves the philosophical tensions therein. Interestingly, today he celebrated Iowa's decision on gay marriage (I think; it was re-tweeted three times). His main issue is the Fair Tax.

Importantly, Rees is planning on primarying former Congressman Goode (and other rumored candidates) for the Republican nod to run against Tom. Or has he accepted a position on Goode's staff? That, however, was an April Fools joke, I think. Or is he going to run for a third party? For some clarification, his most recent tweet on the matter suggests he is running for the Republican nod.

His campaign website is SonsofLiberty2k10 and his personal blog is SonofLiberty2k10. His main platforms are to institute the Fair Tax, to commission a 10th Amendment Review Committee to return power to state/local governments, to marginalize and cripple lobbyist influence, and, curiously, to never be a lawyer. His personal bio page begins in sweetness:

For once in your life, you are about to meet a politician who can actually live up to the first 6 letters in the word “candidate.” Prepare to be amazed.

Interestingly his bio page doesn't offer his name or other pertinent biographical information, but he does offer this:

If we are truly ready to embrace “change,” then how about we ditch the status-quo and join up with a true ”maverick” who will give you “straight talk” and “hope.” That’s right, me. The guy with no money to speak of, who has no influence to peddle. The guy who simply wants to help put an end to the cycle of the common man feeling left out of the process. Isn’t it still “we, the people?”

His blog, on the other hand, has the following (anti-Perriello) purpose:

Here I will catalog faithfully the steps (and/or mis-steps) of freshman Congressman Tom S. P. Perriello. If I agree with his stance on a given issue, I will admit it here. If I don’t agree, you can expect to read my take on the issue, and the vote I would have made as your Congressman.

His "One The Issues" page does not (yet) contain any issue statements, and his initial post details his political and Libertarian philosophy.

Also of note, there is a Tax Day Tea Party in Lynchburg on April 15th, and Rees apparently will be a speaker. So will Goode.

If Rees is going to run against Goode, it will, of course, be an uphill battle, made worse if other rumored candidates decide to challenge. In this light, however, I can't help but conclude with aznew's thoughtful sentiment:

[We are] dedicated to electing Progressives, not Ayn Rand Objectivist Libertarian/Conservatives, so we can't endorse you. But in the spirit of pluralism, and with an abiding belief in American Constitutionalism, even if we interpret that differently than do you, we nonetheless salute you for putting yourself out there, caring and participating constructively in the political process. We hope you give Virgil a run for his money.

Cults, Plea Deals, and Resurrection Clauses

Ria Ramkissoon, part of a religious cult, was arrested for starving her son to death. She was charged with Child Abuse Resulting in Death, and she agreed to a plea deal in the death of her son. According to the article, her son, Javon, was labeled a demon for not saying "amen" after meals. (Note to self.)

What is mind-blowing is that the plea agreement contains a "resurrection clause." Basically, if the child is resurrected, the charges against her will be dropped:

Ramkissoon, a member of a group called One Mind Ministries, believes Javon Thompson, her year-old son [sic], will rise again, and as part of her plea agreement, authorities agreed to the clause.

"She certainly recognizes that her omissions caused the death of her son," [Ramikissoon Lawyer Steven] Silverman said. "To this day, she believes it was God's will and he will be resurrected and this will all take care of itself. She realizes if she's wrong, then everyone has to take responsibility ... and if she's wrong, then she's a failure as a mother and the worst thing imaginable has happened. I don't think that, mentally, she's ready to accept that."

The Court quickly defined the terms of resurrection:

In court Monday, it was clarified that the "resurrection clause" would apply only in the case of Javon's actual resurrection -- not a perceived reincarnation, Silverman said.

Her lawyer then discusses precedent and clarifies her mental condition:

"This has never come up in the history of American law, as far as I've seen," Silverman said, adding that the clause was "very important to her."

"On one level, she certainly is competent to stand trial, because she does recognize that as far as her legal entanglements are concerned, this is a grand-slam resolution for her," Silverman said. "On the other hand, she's still brainwashed, she's still delusional as far as the teachings and influence of this cult, and she certainly is going to benefit with professional help and deprogramming."

The loss of a child to religious violence is always tragic and depressing. In terms of this cult's belief systems (read the whole article) and the terms of this plea arrangement, however, I am speechless.

Tangentially speaking, it dawns on me that the "resurrection clause" could be a useful tool for wills and estates, assuming, of course, some post-apocalyptic parousia: I, of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath unto XXX, until my resurrection, ...

Rep. Perriello Breaks with Dems Over Budget

The vote on the budget came up yesterday, and passed the House 233-196. Some are declaring this another early victory for Obama, and DNC Chair Tim Kaine praised the vote. Looking inside the roll call vote, however, shows that this was clearly a partisan vote; no Republican voted for the budget resolution. House Whip Eric Cantor opined that Democrats were "over-reacting" to the economic crisis with this vote.

Yet, as Appomattox News reports, Rep. Perriello was one of 20 Democrats to break with the party and vote against the budget proposal. Saith Perriello on his vote:

“I approach each vote independently and ask whether it’s the best we can do, and this budget does not meet that test. This budget turns the corner but doesn’t get us to our goal of balancing the budget. While President Bush’s policies caused this year’s record deficit, we must take responsibility for the budget now, and this resolution does not make the difficult decisions that will help us climb out of this economic crisis.

“During the debate on this resolution, we fought successfully for deeper deficit cuts and managed to remove a line-item for yet another bailout. Nevertheless, we can and must do better. We must stop hemorrhaging money to Wall Street now, and start taking responsibility for nearly a decade of train-wreck economics.”

Keira Knightley in Domestic Violence Ad

I'm infatuated with Keira Knightley. I think she is a brilliant actress, and as such, I am happy to see that her starring in an advertisement to raise awareness about Domestic Violence:

The actress filmed a spot about the dangers of domestic violence, in which she gets beaten by a fictional boyfriend who believes she is having an affair.
[...]
Keira said: 'I wanted to take part in this advert for Women's Aid because while domestic violence exists in every section of society we rarely hear about it."

The ad will air later this week in Britain. You can see it here:

Current Southside unemployment rates

Unemployment numbers came out for Virginia for February, and Martinsville unfortunately led Virginia with a 20.2% unemployment rate - Williamsburg held that title in January. As 220 South points out, Martinsville's rate is now higher than when Tultex closed shop. Danville was the only "metropolitan community" in Virginia to have a decrease in their unemployment numbers, from 16.8% down to 13.6%.

Other Southside unemployment numbers: Patrick County (13.3%), Franklin County (9.4%), Henry County (14.6%), Pittslyvania County (11.4%, down from 12.1%), and Halifax County (12.2%).

Last month's numbers are here.

McAuliffe on Pay-day lending

Today gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe offered the third part (of six) of his economic business plan for Virginia. In general, the plan offers McAuliffe's positions on health care, education, and retirement savings. But the very last thing McAuliffe offers is a plan to ban pay-day lenders in the state:

I will also establish a ban on pay-day lending that siphons off the hard-earned wages of too many working Virginians. I applaud the payday lending reforms passed in the 2008 and 2009 sessions by the General Assembly, and as Governor, I will continue this progress. As Governor, I will take the next step by banning all types of predatory lending, like open-end loans and car-title loans. (emphasis original)

I have not decided who I am going to vote for this primary (I have my leanings), but I do like that McAuliffe is offering business plans which positively affect the Southside and, like me, he wants to end the predatory practice of pay-day lenders.

Doh!

My friends at Divinity School called me Serious Drew, and there, I didn't have much of a dating life. Now I know why:

It has long been noted that women love a man who can make them laugh ...

And now scientists believe they know why.

Being funny apparently makes men seem more intelligent, trustworthy - and a better bet for a relationship.

Hahahaha. Doomed.

Michael Vick Post-Jail

I went to Virginia Tech - Go Hokies! - during Michael Vick's collegiate career and was blessed to see him play. True grace in motion. His NFL career was highlighted with potential yet saddled with bursts of mediocrity. With that said, nothing can justify the cruelty to animals for sport. He fell, and Hokies were sickened.

Anyways, Vick is set to get out of jail soon, and according to this article, he is still looking to pursue his NFL career. But immediately following his release, until he is re-instated back into the NFL I presume, Vick will work a construction gig, 40-hours a week, $10 an hour.

Poll: Number of People who believe Obama is a Muslim remains steady

Two months into Pres. Obama's presidency, the number of people who believe he is a Muslim has remained the same according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center. Last October, 12% of Americans believed Obama was a Muslim, and in March, 11%. 35% of Americans do not know Obama's religion (for various reasons). Republicans (17%) and Protestants (19%) were most likely to believe Obama was a Muslim, and for the sake of fair reporting, 7% of Democrats incorrectly identify Obama's religion.

Jacqueline Salmon, of the new God in Government blog, offers this interesting fact on the poll results:

What's interesting is that while most of those oppose him politically, a portion don't hold it against him. They like the guy, they voted for him--and they think he's a Muslim.

Among people who approve of his job performance, seven percent think he's Muslim, says Michael Dimock, a Pew Center associate director. "It's not always a statement of opposition or something that's resonating on the right-wing list servs," said Dimock. "It's something that just happens to be out there."

I am heartened that, among these low-information voters, some of them do not view being a Muslim as a de facto negative thing. It is worth noting, however, that 19% of those who disapprove of his job performance also believe Obama is a Muslim.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Beautiful:

Police say a 19-year-old who tried to rob a liquor store sat down and cried after 76-year-old owner locked him in the store. ... Police said the owner, who was behind the counter, triggered the lock after the man grabbed a bottle of Hennessy cognac and bolted for the door.

The man then allegedly pulled out a handgun and demanded to be released. But the owner said he saw that the gun was a fake, refused to unlock the door and called police.

Police said the suspect threw away the gun, slumped to the floor and was crying when officers arrived to arrest him.

Virginia Foxx, GOP love the phrase "tar baby"

John Cosgriff, because of my deep affection for Rep. Foxx (R-NC 5), passed on this video of Foxx dropping the term "tar baby" when discussing the AIG bonus blockage. Watch away.



After watching this, I was blown away. How could any Congresswoman use such a blatantly racist term? So I did some research on the term. First up, Merriam-Webster online:

Main Entry: tar baby
Function: noun
Etymology: from the tar baby that trapped Brer Rabbit in an Uncle Remus story by Joel Chandler Harris
Date: circa 1910

: something from which it is nearly impossible to extricate oneself (emphasis mine)

While also noting the Brer Rabbit story, wikipedia offers this on the usage of the term:

Although the term's provenance arose in African folklore, some Americans now consider "tar baby" to have negative connotations revolving around pejorative images of African-Americans. Specific reasons why the term developed negative racial aspects are difficult to identify. In recent years, several politicians who have publicly used the term have encountered some controversy, mocking, and censure from African-American civil rights leaders, members of the popular daily media, and other politicians. ...

In an interview, Toni Morrison said the following of its use in her book, in an acting of reclaiming: "Tar Baby is also a name, like [the n-word] that white people call black children, black girls, as I recall…...." (emphasis mine)

While Foxx clearly meant the Merriam-webster definition, this term is so racially loaded that no politician should ever use the term.

A google search on the term, however, highlights that many other GOP leaders have used the term. For example, John McCain and Mitt Romney during the presidential primary:

In response to the question, Mr. McCain said that he was not going to take a position that it was proper “to declare divorces invalid because of someone who feels they weren’t treated fairly in court; we are getting into a tar-baby of enormous proportions and I don’t know how you get out of that.”

When told after the event that the word was viewed by some as a racial epithet, Mr. McCain responded: “I hope that it’s not viewed that way.” A moment later, he apologized. “I don’t think I should have used that word and I was wrong to do it.”

One of Mr. McCain’s rival, Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, apologized last year for using the word in referring to the troubled “Big Dig” highway project in Boston. (emphasis mine)

Or former Virginia Rep. Tom Davis on Obama's illegal immigration stance:

In a 20-page memo on GOP electoral woes, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) repeatedly misspells Barack Obama’s name – it’s one R, congressman, not two -- and then manages to use the racially charged term “tar baby” in a paragraph about Obama and immigration.

“Remember,” Davis writes, “Hispanic voters are a swing group in this election and future elections. John McCain, being from a border state, may be out of sync with many Republicans but he has standing among Hispanics. Barrack Obama has not made the sale to Hispanic voters. Thus, this issue is a tar baby for anyone who touches it, with land mines everywhere.” (emphasis mine)

Finally, Senator Corker also on the AIG bonuses:

“It’s a tar baby,” said Corker (R-Tenn.), a senior member of the Banking Committee. “It’s not going to go away."

If Corker and Foxx use the same term on the same legislation, chances are it was some type of GOP talking point. And while these articles were all on the front page of my google search, I am sure that I could tire of citing examples if I looked into the other pages. With the prevalence of the usage of the term by only one party, I think that it is a reasonable conclusion that this term is a dog whistle to certain (extreme) elements of the GOP party. And because the term is derogatory and pejorative in the public mindset, I cannot come to any other conclusion. I am willing to listen to other possibilities if you have any.