Category: 2008 election

Is The Caroline Progress outsourcing letter writing?

In the January 30th edition of The Caroline Progress, there were two letters in support of Lee Anne Washington (R). The first was from a Howard Yarus of King George. King George is in (obviously) King George County, and is 20.95 miles away from Bowling Green (both the town seat of Caroline County and the location of The Caroline Progress‘s office).

The second letter in support of Lee Anne Washington (R), that was in the January 30th edition, was from Robert Fountain of Montross, Virginia. Robert Fountain is the Chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee and is on First Congressional District Republican Committee. Montross is in Westmoreland County, and is 40.99 miles away from Bowling Green. This same letter also appeared in the February 6th edition of the Northern Neck News, which is owned by Lakeway Publishers, Inc., the same company that owns The Caroline Progress.

Another letter in support of Lee Anne Washington (R), appearing in the February 6th edition, was written by Terry Beatley from Lancaster, Virginia. Lancaster is in (again, obviously) Lancaster County, and is 68.31 miles away from Bowling Green.

The sole letter in support of Albert Pollard (D) appearing in any edition was in the February 6th edition. It was written by Rose West (who, admittedly, is the Secretary of the Caroline County Democratic Committee) who lives in Milford. Milford is 3.75 miles away from Bowling Green.

Yet another letter supporting Lee Anne Washington (R) written by Ron Herring of Heathsville, Virginia appeared in the February 13th edition. Heathsville is in Northumberland County and is 63.85 miles away from Bowling Green.

This is the same paper that in its December 5, 2007, edition printed a letter from the sheriff of Poquoson and York County in support of Rob Wittman (R). Yorktown is 100.57 miles away from Bowling Green!

Does anyone else see a problem with a 4–1 ratio of letters in support of one candidate (and if you include the letter in support of Wittman, a 5–1 ratio for one party)? Especially when the four letters (five, including Wittman’s) are from people not even in Caroline County? Especially times two, when the letters are being published in other newspapers owned by the same company?

It wouldn’t be a problem with using letters from their sister publications if they were done in a fair and balance manner!

Wait a second…I’m expecting them to do their jobs — how foolish of me…

Fear-monger, demagogue Lee Anne Washington responds:

On my “Lee Anne Washington (R) is either completely ignorant, or an outright liar; take your pick.” post:

  1. Lee Anne Washington said,

    I am neither completely ignorant, nor a liar. I simply stated my position on issues that have arisen either via recently proposed legislation or via recent public debate. I am sorry that you expended so much effort to misconstrue and take issue with what is clearly a policy statement. Next time, if you need a clarification, why don’t you just call me?

Yes, the infamous, “that’s not what I said” defense. Sorry to rehash, but here is what she said in a letter to The Free Lane–Star:

I know Virginians cannot tolerate illegal aliens receiving in-state college tuition, driver’s licenses, welfare, and state benefits. I pledge cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Remove these incentives for illegal aliens, and they’ll stop coming.

Anyone with a 12th grade education (even from Caroline County) knows that she is saying that illegal aliens currently receive in-state college tuition and driver’s licenses when they don’t! (For more details on that, see the original post). Otherwise, she wouldn’t be using the present tense of “receive” and the future tense of “remove”, as well as saying “they [wi]ll stop coming”.

Am I the only one that had to take English in high school (or college)?

Further, no legislation has come forward (as she claims) that would affect either in-state college tuition or driver’s licenses. There has been no public debate regarding in-state tuition or driver’s licenses as she claims either. Why should there be? It’s been settled!

Instead of saying, “sorry, I messed up”, instead she has to use the usual “that’s not what I said” defense.

Vote Albert Pollard tomorrow folks.

In Virginia, the elections never stop.

With the Virginia Presidential Primaries over and done with and Barack Obama and John McCain the winners, we can now look forward to the special election for the 99th House of Delegates District (empty since Rob Wittman won the special election for the 1st Congressional District after Jo Ann Davis’s death).

The 99th HOD special election will be on February 19th. The District includes all of King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties. In Caroline County, it includes all of the Bowling Green District and all of the Port Royal Precinct. It also includes a couple dozen people in the Mattaponi District and the Woodford Precinct.

To find out what HOD district you’re in, consult your voter registration card, click here, or contact the Voter Registrar:

Danette Moen
109 County Street
Bowling Green, VA 22427
Phone: 804-633-9083
Fax: 804-633-0362
Email: dhmoen@co.caroline.va.us

But that isn’t the end of the fun in Caroline County. On May 6th there will be town elections in Port Royal and Bowling Green. In Port Royal there will be an election for seven at large town council seats. The mayor will be appointed from within the town council. In Bowling Green there will be an election for seven at large town council seats and the position of mayor.

Ron Paul ignores voters, plans to steal convention…

From Brian R. Gentry of the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Committee:

Fellow patriots, this battle is far from being over. In fact, it has just begun. Last night was nothing more than a “beauty pageant.” Getting delegates is what counts.

Yes, of course, If I only receive 22,673 votes out of 474,610 (4.77%) votes, I would call it a “beauty pageant” as well.

It’s amazing that he’s candid about how he feels about Republican voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Over the next couple of months local Republican Unit Committees around the state will hold “canvasses” or “mass meetings” in order to elect delegates to attend the Republican National Convention in September.

Each CD in Virginia is made up of various Republican Unit Committees. These committees will elect delegates to attend the district convention. At the district convention the delegates will select three delegates and three alternates to attend the September Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

We need to get as many Ron Paul supporters as we can to attend the Unit Committe [sic] meetings and vote for themselves and other Ron Paul supporters so they can attend the district convention — where we will then vote on our three Ron Paul supporters that paid the money to be a delegate to the national convention.

This is our chance to TAKE OVER the Republican Party in Virginia and return it to its core values and strict adherence to the Constitution.

Too bad this moron doesn’t seem to realize that these delegates from Virginia have to vote for the winner of the primary (John McCain) on the first ballot. And you can be pretty sure there isn’t going to be another ballot after that.

Beltway Tuesday

My loyal readers may be wondering who I’ll be voting for today (probably not, but it inflates my ego to think so):

John McCain.

Last year (or week) McCain was the last person that I would be supporting. However, anyone is better than the criminal pardoning Huck Finn (Mike Huckabee). How many murderers and rapists can you pardon and still be a legitimate candidate?

I’m not even going to get into the neo-Nazi newsletters publishing, 9/11 conspiracist pandering Herr Doktor Paul (Ron Paul).

I must say that I appreciate Obama’s down-to-earthness and his decision not to be a complete slime-ball like his opponent. Put me in the group of people that say if Obama gets the nomination, he’ll stomp whoever the Republican nominee is in the general election. However, I disagree with Obama’s position on various policies.

McCain has been right on the war in Iraq (including the surge). McCain has also annoyed a lot of Republicans (including Ted Stevens [and his Bridge to Nowhere]) with his attempts to cut down on the pork in Congress. For more on McCain check on The right-wing liberal’s posts:

Comparing John McCain and Mike Huckabee

Comparing John McCain and George W. Bush

Regardless, go out and vote for the candidate that you support. And remember the first rule of elections: Vote early, vote often.

UPDATE: I was the 15th voter overall (8th Republican) in the Port Royal precinct at 7:00 am. As I was leaving, the 16th voter (8th Democratic) was coming in. There were only 787 registered voters in the Port Royal precinct in 2005 (sorry, can’t find more recent numbers), so we will see if the turnout is as high as the media has been hyping.

I would love to do some live blogging of the results tonight, but that won’t be possible since I’ll be at the Board of Supervisors meeting from 6:00 pm ’til who-knows-when.

Lee Anne Washington (R) is either completely ignorant, or an outright liar; take your pick.

From Lee Anne Washington’s letter to The Free Lance-Star:

I know Virginians cannot tolerate illegal aliens receiving in-state college tuition, driver’s licenses, welfare, and state benefits. I pledge cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Remove these incentives for illegal aliens, and they’ll stop coming.

[…]

Like Rob Wittman, I’ll base my policy decisions on scientific evidence, not emotion and questionable anecdotes.

Repeat after me: ILLEGAL ALIENS DO NOT RECEIVE IN-STATE TUITION.

My proof?

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Bill to bar illegals at colleges advances:

All state public colleges and universities — even those with policies that do not prohibit enrolling undocumented students — charge out-of-state tuition to those students in accordance with state and federal law.

RT-D: Immigration bills advance:

Some schools say they do not admit undocumented students but do not verify legal residency status if the student claims to be a U.S. citizen on the application and pays out-of-state tuition.

RT-D: Education restrictions advance:

The [illegal] students may attend public K-12 schools and currently can attend several state colleges as long as they pay out-of-state tuition, which can be double or nearly triple the cost of in-state tuition.

RT-D: Colleges’ admittance of illegals opposed:

Undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition, which can be double and nearly triple the cost of in-state tuition.

[…]

As with other state schools, students would have to supply documentation of legal residence to be considered for in-state tuition or any kind of state or federal aid.

And finally, check out the hoops that you have to jump through to get in-state tuition (p. 3).

Second, repeat after me: ILLEGAL ALIENS DO NOT RECEIVE DRIVER’S LICENSES.

From the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles: Acceptable Documents:

To apply for a driver’s license, learner’s permit, commercial driver’s license (CDL), or CDL instruction permit you must bring two identification documents, one proof of legal presence, one proof of Virginia residency, and proof of your complete social security number (if you have been issued one). Anyone applying for a CDL or CDL instruction permit is required to provide a social security number. To apply for a photo identification (ID) card you must bring two identification documents, one proof of legal presence and one proof of Virginia residency.

[…]

All documents will be subject to verification, which may delay the issuance of your license, learner’s permit or photo identification card.

As for welfare benefits, from The Washington Post: Illegal Immigrants in Md. and Va. Out-Earn U.S. Peers, Study Says:

Randy Capps, a researcher at the nonpartisan Urban Institute who studies welfare use by immigrants and their children, said illegal immigrant families appear to be largely limiting themselves to programs such as subsidized school lunches and Medicaid. Regarding the program most commonly associated with welfare — cash assistance to needy families — fewer than 1 percent of illegal-immigrant households nationwide and in Maryland and Virginia use the benefit, compared with 3 percent of native households in Virginia, 5 percent of native households in Maryland and 5 percent nationwide.

It is completely reprehensible and unbecoming of anyone running for elected office to be so completely ignorant (or to lie) about the laws that they will be making.

She claims that she will “base [her] policy decisions on scientific evidence, not emotion and questionable anecdotes”, instead she decides to not tell the truth to people in the 99th District.

It’s not often that a candidate makes me vote against them, but Lee Anne Washington has just succeeded in accomplishing that.

Bill Clinton to appear at University of Mary Washington Monday

UPDATE #3: Post with video links here.

Details at Fred2Blue: Bill Clinton in Fredericksburg

UPDATE #1: Hillary Clinton’s Press Release: Join President Bill Clinton for a “Solutions for America” Town Hall in Fredericksburg!:

When

Monday, February 11, 2008 at 12:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Where

University of Mary Washington – Great Hall, The Woodard Center
1301 College Ave
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
General Area:

Description

Join President Bill Clinton for a “Solutions for America” Town Hall in Abingdon! Hillary Clinton has spent the past 35 years fighting for American families and she has real solutions to tackle the tough issues we’re facing. Join President Clinton in Abingdon to learn more about Hillary’s lifetime record of results.

Host

Virginia For Hillary

LOL, looks like Hillary Clinton needs to fix her template press release since Abingdon is in Washington County, Virginia (southwestern Virginia).

UPDATE #2: The Clinton campaign has since updated their press release on their website and now says Fredericksburg instead of Abingdon.

Eric Cantor (R-7th CD) has a challenger.

Fred2Blue: Hartke Running Against Cantor in the 7th

Raising Kaine: We Have a Candidate Against Eric Cantor

Analysis: Anita Hartke is going to have a hard time in a run against Eric Cantor. The 7th Congressional District went 61.05% for Bush in 2004, 56.71% for Allen in 2006, and 56.59% for the Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage.

She’s going to have to do more than “galvanize Democrats early through an energetic campaign” if she hopes to win.

“You can’t handle the truth!”

From The Daily Press‘s blog The Shad Plank: Payday lending in the … U.S. Senate:

After state lawmakers in the House of Delegates agreed on new restrictions for the controversial industry, Republican Jim Gilmore issued a press release to praise the plan. Gilmore noted that his opponent in the Senate race — frontrunning Democrat Mark R. Warner — signed into law the 2002 legislation that paved the way for an expansion of payday loans.

“Mark Warner’s decision to adopt this policy was wrong and ultimately the people of Virginia have rejected it,” Gilmore said.

Asked for comment, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall pointed out that the 2002 legislation came to then-Gov. Warner with “with a veto-proof mega-majority.” Warner tried to amend the bill to track the implementation of the new legislation, but that was also rejected.

So, Jim, how’s that car tax elimination going?

Didn’t spending grow more under you than it did when Warner was Governor?

Christ, if Gilmore gets the Republican nomination, it’s going to be a blow-out for Warner.

Has Gilmore been so out of it during his aborted run for President, that he hasn’t been paying attention to what’s going on in Virginia?

Here’s hoping that Delegate Bob Marshall gets the nomination for the Republican Party at the convention on May 31st.