Just after my inaugural post below, I was invited by Alice Marshall to contribute to her blog, GOTV (gotv.blogspot.com). Alice and I agree about the importance of Chap Petersen's victory this November. I'll primarily blog about that race at GOTV. When I do dare to branch out from that there, I'll try to stick to politics as Alice mostly does and as the noble GOTV name befits.
I hope to tie this year's Virginia GOP to the rapidly crumbling national GOP.
I hope to enlist this year's resurgent national Dems in the effort to elect this year's Virginia Dems.
Next year, as I shift focus to the national races, I'll turn the tables, hopefully strictly positively following massive Dem victories in VA this year.
Loyal Dems, be forewarned; I'm not beholden to any candidate or party. It just so happens that I know of no GOP candidate for whom I'd vote, and I don't expect that to change any time soon. I will try to be as constructive as I can with my criticism of Dems. Without buying into the reprehensible GOP meme that 9/11 changed everything, I realize the importance of making the most of our two party, winner take all, system; so, I'll stay away from rehashing history, like the impact of Nader in 2000. I'll especially avoid such unpleasantness at GOTV.
Good ends never justify bad means. Today's GOP does not act as if it believes in that principle. To its credit, today's GOP has acted as if it will abide by the clear, un-stealable, will of the people. If the margins are big enough and the stakes are small enough, the GOP will accept defeat.
The first campaign I ever actually volunteered for was Dave Marsden's 2005 race for the VA House of Delegates. I told Dave before I signed up that he was far from my ideal candidate, but his opponent was a cookie-cutter version of a young unprincipled GOP ideologue. I could not sit by and let such a person be my representative. Dave won big (almost 60%!). It's a good feeling to realize one is in the mainstream of one's district. As a freshman Delegate, Dave and I have disagreed, sometimes uncomfortably publicly, but he truly listens and explains his positions. Unless and until someone closer to my views challenges him, that's all a constituent could ask for. And even the GOP may have gotten the message that we we're comfortable with Dave for another two years, because they have yet to announce a challenger for this November.
My VA Senate district is obviously larger and likely more diverse than my VA House of Delegates district. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis is the incumbent, not an inexperienced novice. She also doesn't act like a rabid ideologue like Michael Golden. She also has a lot of campaign money at her disposal (too much of it derived from her husband's office and position in the national GOP leadership - I'll probably post a lot on this later, both here and at GOTV but for more details see the blogwork of Andrea Chamblee and another blogger at tomdavistruth.com). On the other hand, Chap Petersen is an experienced office holder with proven popularity, and he just concluded a very impressive first quarter fundraising period. It should also be noted that in 2003 with a big money advantage against a much less well known opponent, Jeannemarie's victory margin wasn't all that impressive.
Chap ought to be regarded by independents as an acceptable alternative to Jeannemarie. His fundraising ability and how he uses that money will help in that regard. If the clamor for change we saw nationally last year can carry over to this year's VA elections, that will also help Chap.
TURNOUT IS THE KEY!
Citizens can be very unhappy with the status quo, but if they don't think their votes will make a difference, they won't bother. I'm going to do all I can to argue that replacing Jeannemarie with Chap will make a huge difference. I'm going to continue to advocate that national Dems, VA Dems, and Chap himself push that message loudly, proudly, and often.
If the voters of my VA Senate district turn out in great numbers and give a big margin to Chap, we may even see Jeannemarie and Tom retire from public life, and you won't have to read my ramblings at next year's blog, vote[challenger to be named]dumptom.blogspot.com. That's got to be a pretty good incentive in itself, no?
¶ 12:45 PM(1) comments
Friday, April 13, 2007
An anonymous commenter two posts ago disputed that UMW's student newspaper, The Bullet, reported on a 2006 DUI in NJ for a William Frawley. I know and trust the person who told me otherwise.
In any event, I've read some nice things about UMW's Frawley, and I really don't have any reason to think that his troubles are really going to lead to cancelling Gingrich's appearance. Moreover, that end, however glorious, would not justify the means of picking on a possible drinking problem or otherwise violating someone's privacy, especially when the person thankfully appears to have only hurt himself. I wonder if Newt ever had these twinges of conscience when he was throwing rhetorical bombs back in the day?
I can't blog during the work day anyway, and I'm not at my best at 6am.
Between whatever additional information comes out today and any Friday night energy and lack of other plans, I may be back on this topic.
Thanks to a couple of you-know-who-you-ares for being the devil and angel on my shoulders throughout this.
A brief time out from Frawley and Gingrich (see below posts for more).
It's been reported that Sen. John Warner raised only $500 (not a typo - five hundred dollars!) in the first quarter of '07.
If Warner retires, Tom Davis is going to aim for that seat. If the national Dems want to make a serious play for VA's electoral votes in '08, they should do all they can to help Chap Petersen defeat Jeannemarie Devolites Davis this year. An '07 victory for VA Dems, particularly if they gain a majority in the State Senate, could lead to Dem takeovers of Davis's U.S. House seat and Warner's U.S. Senate seat. Dems and the self-proclaimed elite (I'm talking to you Wash Post) should see these opportunities as too valuable to again waste dithering about how the Davises are good and moderate people. Of course, I don't think they're either, but they've been coasting on that bs for too long.
Chap in '07.
Mark Warner for U.S. Senate in '08.
Brian Moran for VA Governor in '09.
You all can fight about who gets Tom Davis's House seat. I think Andy Hurst deserves another shot.
¶ 8:03 PM(0) comments
O.K, we've officially entered WTF territory.
Now, I hear that UMW's student newspaper, The Bullet, is reporting that a William Frawley was arrested for a DUI in New Jersey (UMW's William Frawley's hometown?) last year. If this isn't the world's biggest coincidence, UMW must have known this, possibly before even hiring Frawley as President. If so, it casts doubt on UMW's statements today about Frawley's recent behavior being "out of character." I've also heard that the e-mails sent around campus are still not giving all the details that have been reported by the Free-Lance Star.
UMW should not lie. UMW should not shield its own community from the truth. UMW can do this while still respecting Frawley's right to privacy. UMW should not compound the damage by trying to cover up bad decisions. The community deserves a full accounting.
Before Tuesday, did UMW know about a DUI arrest of Frawley in New Jersey in 2006?
When it said that Frawley left Fairfax Hospital against medical advice yesterday, did UMW really know this to be true?
Why did UMW censor its communications to the UMW community?
Did UMW consider other options than putting Frawley on paid leave?
If UMW decides to be open about all these questions, I encourage answers to my own obsession:
Who picked Gingrich to be this year's commmencement speaker?
How much is Gingrich being paid?
UMW must have known the controversial nature of the selection; why does the official announcement read like Gingrich's own bio with nothing but glowing words about Gingrich?
Does UMW care about what its decisions and public accountings thereof signify to its students and the community at large about UMW's honesty and intellectual integrity?
And, finally, assuming my wish doesn't come true, and Gingrich actually does appear, if I cover my ears, close my eyes, and stick out my tongue during Gingrich's speech, will UMW kick me out of my daughter's graduation ceremony?
¶ 7:23 PM(2) comments
The Free-Lance Star has reported that in addition to yesterday's DUI charge against Frawley (see earlier posts), the incident that sent Frawley to Fairfax Hospital until yesterday morning was a car accident where he was driving and ended up upside down. He's been charged with DUI for that incident, too. UMW has put Frawley on paid leave.
For what it's worth, I've sent a tip to wonkette.com about all this, adding the stuff about Gingrich.
I know I'm biased and there are probably plenty of decent, even if ignorant or naive, people who may have chosen a big name like Gingrich. And I know if an exorbitant fee really were paid to Gingrich, some opponent at UMW would have publicized it.
Nevertheless, UMW's acting leadership has a tremendous opportunity to exploit Frawley's problems by undoing Frawley's poor decision to book Gingrich for commencement.
¶ 6:12 PM(1) comments
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
I just sent the following to Inova Fairfax Hospital's press person, Che Parker (che.parker@inova.com). I encourage real reporters to follow up.
The Free-Lance Star has reported that this afternoon the President of the University of Mary Washington, William Frawley, was arrested and charged with DUI and refusing to take a Breathalyzer. In an e-mail message sent around UMW's campus, it is asserted that Mr. Frawley earlier today left Inova Fairfax Hospital against medical advice. It seems possible that Mr. Frawley was allowed to leave Inova Fairfax Hospital and drive when he was in no condition to do so. I think the community would benefit from a statement on this from Inova Fairfax Hospital to the media.
¶ 7:19 PM(2) comments
The President of UMW was arrested this afternoon and charged with DUI and refusing to take a Breathalyzer according to a report in The Free-Lance Star. An e-mail message sent around UMW's campus only referred to police "involvement" and mentioned President Frawley's leaving Fairfax Hospital against medical advice. It seems by the Free-Lance Star report, and definitely not the UMW e-mail message referred to above, that he might be out on $1,500 bond after being charged in front of a magistrate for two misdemeanors.
Perhaps the Free-Lance Star will follow up on its reporting, in particular, asking Fairfax Hospital for its side of the story.
If it turns out that President Frawley is at least partly responsible for deciding to drive while impaired, his judgment and fitness to serve as President should be examined. Pending such an examination, someone else should act as President. That person should examine all recent decisions made by President Frawley.
If there's some reason to think that the decisions to pick Newt Gingrich to be this year's commencement speaker and, if it's true, pay an exorbitant fee to Gingrich were made by someone with impaired judgment, serious consideration should be given to revoking those decisions.
¶ 6:32 PM(1) comments
Monday, April 09, 2007
There's a rumor out there that the University of Mary Washington is paying Newt Gingrich $500,000 to speak at commencement next month. Maybe someone with better investigative abilities than I can come closer to the truth.
¶ 6:04 PM(0) comments
Saturday, April 07, 2007
I've decided that the best way to protest the commencement address by Newt Gingrich at the University of Mary Washington on May 12 at which my wonderful daughter and fellow blogger (http://blogs.elsweb.org/amanda) Amanda will be getting her bachelor's degree is to treat the man as the joke he is. Please join me.
I haven't been able to put my finger on my depression about politics lately. It had to be more than the still sorry state of Dems in my part of the country. After all, I knew what I was getting into when I moved here. I didn't choose my country. I can't say it better than Atrios:
Republicans in general and the presidential candidate especially will have to run against George Bush in '08 if they want to have any chance of actually winning control.
It's also obvious that fealty to dear leader is still an extraordinarily important thing to the 30 percenters.
It's also probable that our blessed media, who spent '00 demanding that Al Gore run away from Bill Clinton due to his hideous 65% approval ratings, will be unlikely to do that to the Republican candidate in '08.
¶ 8:32 AM(0) comments
