Archive for the ‘Virginia Politics’ Category

Purkey

VIRGINIA BEACH (August 16, 2010) – - On Saturday, in a display of candor (and stupidity?) senior Virginia Beach Del. Bob Purkey acknowledged what many conservative Republicans and others have been saying all along:

There is no difference between Republicans and Democrats.  They are all peas in the same political pod.  That’s why government is corrupt, inefficient, and doesn’t work for the benefit of the people.

Purkey, long described as arrogant, hot-tempered, self-important, told the GOP weekly breakfast that a dollar is a dollar:  Not Republican dollars.  Not Democrat dollars.  Just a bottom-line political dollar$$$.

The wrong message for the intelligent young minds of 2 tables of students from Princess Anne High School who were attending.

While admitting no credibility as a Republican and admitting he plays political footsie, financed, and even voted for Democrats, just to ‘get along,’ Purkey did score points for candor.

But no points for valor or integrity or honor.  Some say it is senility catching up. That while he made a little speech supporting GOP contributions, support, and compromise with Democrats at the expense of integrity and morale values of the party, he simply displayed the falsehoods he’s wrapped himself in over the decades as a Republican.

Rigell

He fell on his sword trying to defend GOP 2nd District Congressional candidate Scott Rigell who donated $1,000 to Obama, said he was impressed by Obama’s rhetoric, his campaign language, and to keep Queen Hillary Clinton from getting the Democrat nomination.  Rigell has also supported other lesser, state level Democrats.

Purkey said people in business and politics have to do that for their survival – not the people’s survival.

For the most part Rigell’s contribution to Obama and other Democrats had been off the radar screen.  If Purkey thought he was the ‘Lone Ranger’ helping Rigell out by stepping out front on this issue again, he was terribly wrong.

This is the last thing the Rigell campaign wanted brought back to the forefront, where staunch, conservative core Republicans have already abandoned him and middle of the roaders in the party are having second thoughts.

Independent Congressional Candidate Kenny Golden was head of the Virginia Beach GOP before resigning to run for Congress, first as a Republican.

When he determined the GOP national machine was covertly backing Rigell to the detriment of the other 8 in the GOP primary race, Golden dropped out as a Republican candidate and filed as an independent, refusing to be part of the GOP’s candidate fodder for appearance sake.

At neighborhood affairs and ‘town halls,’ Golden is attracting more and more supporters with his plain talking message directed at  conservatives, disgruntled Republicans and Democrats.

So far neither Rigell nor the incumbent, Democrat Rep. Glenn Nye are giving him any help.  Rigell claiming Golden is a fleeting ‘outside candidate’ who doesn’t deserve recognition by being elevated to a debate platform, has refused to debate Nye if Golden is included.

Nye is using the opposite argument to avoid confrontation with Rigell and Golden by saying he won’t participate in a debate unless GOLDEN IS INCLUDED.

Using these tactics to dodge debate among major party candidates sets both of them up as weaklings, cowards who would both be ‘demolished,’ as some say, if there was a 3-way debate with Golden in the middle.

Nye is hoping to win on his ‘conservative’ Democrat record – voting for most GOP-approved issues, except the election of Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker.

Rigell has hitched his campaign wagon behind the GOP national professional machinery, great monied ad campaign, and staying below the public radar by not engaging in any potentially dangerous confrontation situation.

A 3-way debate is scheduled Aug. 19 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Princess Anne High Auditorium, sponsored by the Citizens Advisory Committee for the 3rd Police Precinct.  No evidence anyone except Golden will show.

The Virginia Beach Taxpayer Alliance, which has traditionally hosted candidate forums in congressional races is also planning for a joint event.  Any candidate who doesn’t show will be represented by name tag and empty chair.

Questions will be addressed to the empty chairs and answers will be ‘candidate so-and-so refused to answer.’

We are still a long way from the November election.

VIRGINIA BEACH – - Bill Fleming, self-employed and in the Democrat Party, is facing the biggest uphill battle of his career:  An run for the 8th District Senate seat against Jeffrey McWaters,  elected last weekend as the GOP standard bearer.

Fleming has only until January 12 to marshal a campaign against overwhelming odds of money and organization.  McWaters is still officially reporting about $165,000 in campaign funds received in his campaign against fellow GOPer, Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson.

However, insiders have speculated that when the final tally is in, it would run $500,000 to $800,000 from his special interest friends among a political machine that Mayor Will Sessoms’ hardcore of supporters are trying to build around him.

In an appearance before the Saturday Democrat breakfast of about 65 – 23 Princess Anne High School students, Fleming admitted his entry was a last minute move as he denied being ‘extreme,’ but admitted being an otherwise conservative candidate. Read the rest of this entry »

Like the ole country song, “…the girls all get prettier at closing time,…” it seems that GOP politicians all get dumber at election time.

Bob McDonnell

As the liberal establishment get their panties in a bunch over GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell’s current predicament involving an old thesis he wrote in the 1980s espousing strong conservative values, the candidate has spent 2 days tripping over his own shoe strings working on damage control.

Bob has not been noted for his street smarts or political intellect.

He violated Moe Rowe’s No. 1 campaign axiom.

Back in the early ‘90s 2nd District Rep. Owen Pickett had problems. He was best known for being anti-media. Media unfriendly. He was a good legislator, having served years in the General Assembly before going to Congress. But the media was the enemy. And he had a stupid, paranoid chief of staff who was terrified of the media. She didn’t know how to handle media relations so she kept Pickett secluded, unavailable for the most part.
Read the rest of this entry »

VIRGINIA BEACH – - It should come as no surprise, no fluke, that pollster Frank Luntz found that the public is “mad as hell and they ain’t gonna take it anymore.”

That statement isn’t just his summary, its the wording and feelings of those he has talked to across the nation about the state of our government at all levels.

Today’s headline shortchanging the nation’s seniors by withholding a cost of living adjustment for Social Security recipients for the next 2 years is only going to exacerbate the contempt the age-challenged population has for government.

We predict this story will grow big legs before the furor ends.

Then we have the local story of veteran Peninsula GOP Del. Phil Hamilton padding his own pocket with a quid pro quo job by passing special interest legislation for Old Dominion University and billing the taxpayers $500,000 for the cost. Read the rest of this entry »

Del. Phil Hamilton

First he said that his legislation to fund a new $500,000 start up program at Old Dominion University was done well before he got a $40,000/year part time job with the school. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know how many times or ways we have to say this: Tidewater’s traffic problems aren’t caused by lack of funding or lack of new taxes. They are caused by human incompetency.

Every single problem – and recent ones were massive – were caused by ineptness of Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), its shiftless, untrained, unsupervised, disloyal management and employees.

VDOT out and out LIED about the most recent problem Wednesday night during which an abnormal rainfall caused closure of the Downtown Tunnel? First blaming it on debris washed down by the heavy rains, but later admitting one of the pump to keep it clear wasn’t even hooked up. No amount of new taxes or funding would have done anything to have changed that outcome. Read the rest of this entry »

VIRGINIA BEACH (June 7, 2009) -- - X-Marine JAG officer Chuck Smith, seeking the GOP nomination for the 2nd Congressional District seat, told supporters  Friday afternoon:

• The GOP has had problems with infighting that helped make it its own worst enemy.
• Must now unite as one party.
• Return to conservative party principles.

He opposed the stimulus bail out plans and said he’d continue to do so. But despite his high hopes and genuine conservative credentials, Smith has a hard row to hoe.

Other candidates, who have or are capable of raising much more money, include Freedom Ford owner Scott Rigell and Kenny Golden, chairman of the Virginia Beach Republican Party.  Others, yet unnamed are flocking to join in.

Read the rest of this entry »

GOP State Senator Wannabe

Probably, as GOP has-beens and wanna-bees jockey to get in or out of positions early on to challenge Democrat incumbent Glenn Nye, who to date has run a fairly flawless 1st term, and line up for other state offices.

Nye defeated 2-term GOP incumbent Thelma Drake – as much a part of general voter discontent with the GOP, from the local to the national level, than an indictment of her performance.

Some local Republicans were less than satisfied with the way she handled her two term –  constituent relationship and office management.

Read the rest of this entry »

James Carville

VIRGINIA BEACH (April 29, 2009) – - It just struck me as ironic and a little bit funny.

Today I got 2 emails at the same time. One spamming for ‘free’ Viagra (probably Pfizer doesn’t know about this), and one from Democrat consultant James Carville, the bald-headed possum-lookin Louisiana dude who’s hustling support from Slick Willie’s buddy Terry McAuliffe, trying to buy the Democrat nomination for governor of VA.

With all the people getting screwed somebody needs the free Viagra more than me.

VIRGINIA BEACH (April 28, 2009) – - If Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms practices the same lack of ethics and integrity in dealing with customers at his TowneBank as he does in dealing with citizens of Virginia Beach, we don’t want to deal with him.

What’s the real story behind his letting his PR campaign lackey take the fall for illegal activity?

Sessoms was grossly stupid in hiring a company that he didn’t control, or he turned his head the other way to have credible deniability. Either case, he’s just as guilty.

VNS’ editor has been a participant in some of the highest profile and successfully run campaigns in Tidewater and Tennessee. Never in his long career has he ever seen anything resembling this lack of accountability and ethical lapses. Read the rest of this entry »