Shaun Kenney | Politics and Religion in Virginia's Public Square

Saturday, May 31, 2003

U.S. Strategy Shifts in Iraq Weapons Hunt

Before the war, the United States drew up a list of more than 900 ``suspect sites'' where weapons of mass destruction or evidence of such programs might be found. Military teams have visited more than 200 of those sites without finding any actual weapons.

In response to questions about the credibility of U.S. intelligence, CIA Director George Tenet released a rare statement Friday defending his agency.

``Our role is to call it like we see it - to tell policy-makers what we know, what we don't know, what we think, and what we base it on,'' Tenet said. ``The integrity of our process was maintained throughout and any suggestion to the contrary is simply wrong.''

So we are moving away from the preliminary information and towards a more in depth search for WMD in Iraq.

Of course, peacemongers have been quick to decry the lack of chemical and biological weapons while disregarding the mobile lab discoveries.

But this one is a matter of time, and in the words of Mick Jagger, ti-i-i-ime is on our side (yes it is).

Friday, May 30, 2003

The Geek Test!

My score? A profound 36.68639%, enough to classify me as a Major Geek. Not bad at all!

The Friday Five

Ah yes, the mindless memes that float around the Blogosphere. . .

1. What do you most want to be remembered for? Up to this point? That I was a good dad who loved his rugrats. Lots.

2. What quotation best fits your outlook on life?"Pray to God as if everything were dependent upon Him, but live your life as if everything were dependent upon you." It's a quote from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. That and "L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!"

3. What single achievement are you most proud of in the past year? Hmm. . . I dunno. I wrote a rather lengthy paper demonstrating how Kantian epistemology was refuted by relativity and quantum physics, but it needs polishing before I feel comfortable submitting it. But I think the one thing I am most proud of was attending an interfaith meeting at St. George's Episcopal when Mr. Phelps decided to pay our city a visit.

Mr. Phelps, if you remember, was the individual who came to protest The Laramie Project at Mary Washington College and then proceeded to protest the area churches for being "lukewarm on gays." The meeting was gathered to co-ordinate a response to Phelps and his crew. Rather than creating a response from the churches, I advocated a strategy of non-response or of a terse one-line rejection designed not to give Phelps et al. any ammunition. It worked, no one got sued, and there is no internal debate about homosexuality other than what previously exist. In effect, Phelps failed to acheive his goals, whereas a full-fledged confrontation would have only served Phelps' goals. I felt instrumental in making sure that didn't happen, saving the Church from a bit of scandal and our parishioners from a good deal of grief.

4. What about the past ten years? Oh jeez. . . I was 15 ten years ago, so that's a fairly wide span of life experience in my POV. I could culminate it in terms of my political experience, but I'm not exactly "proud" of all that I've done. It's been one of those things you just do because its the right thing to do and needs to be done. That seems rather sappy, and if you're truly a cynic it sounds 'political', but it's honest.

5. If you were asked to give a child a single piece of advice to guide them through life, what would you say? Be intolerably patient, go to Mass, and pray as often as you can to Christ, because he's just about the only thing that makes sense in this world. If you're Catholic, the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a great centering tool.

ON THE 8% TAX HIKE IN THE CITY

"Shaun!" you ask, "Where's the irrational ranting over the 40% increase in reassessments and the $0.09 tax increase that City Council advertised?!" Well, I simply haven't asked anyone why we are thinking of raising taxes while we have a $2.5mil surplus in Fredericksburg, that's all.

The proposed tax increase gives City Council roughly an additional $1.2mil in tax dollars on top of the surplus, but since I haven't had the opportunity to contact anyone yet, I'll withhold judgment. Who knows? We could be gearing up for a war on Spotsylvania or something. . .

Either way, any tax hike in the City only hurts the two segments of society who can least afford it - fixed income residents and first time homeowners. Whatever investment in the City that Council is prepared to ask of the citizens had damn well better outweigh the costs and have immediate benefits to the taxpayer. More later, I promise.

Larry Sabato on the 28th District Race

UVA political analyst Larry Sabato seems to believe that Chichester will win in the 28th District over Mike Rothfeld. . . that is, unless. . . .

Speaking to the Fredericksburg Rotary Club last night, Sabato, a professor at the University of Virginia, predicted that only low turnout--below 15 percent--will put Chichester in danger of losing his seat in the June 10 primary.

The danger for Chichester lies in Rothfeld's supporters, who can be counted on to show up at the polls.

In comments after his speech, Sabato said Rothfeld's showing in the 2000 Republican primary for the 1st District congressional seat --Rothfeld captured 22 percent of the vote--"means he can deliver the true believers.

A few observations:

(1) The true believers are fired up to show at the polls.
(2) Recent polling data shows that Chichester's support among GOP activists has dropped by half.
(3) Turnout in GOP primaries continues to hover at about 22%. If 15% is the magic number, in an off-year election primary 15% may be generous. Even in the average scenario, Mike still pulls the majority of GOP votes.
(4) Churches and hard-core tax activists are going to turn out to vote, rain or shine. That means no matter how nasty the campaign gets, or how much rain there is outside, conservatives will vote while moderates stay home.

So what happens now? This election (unfortunately) hinges on how many Democrats turn out to vote for Chichester. If they do, then he wins. If they stay home, Rothfeld wins. Only under the freak scenario that the Dems have a candidate in the wings and get the word out to vote for Rothfeld does the Democratic turnout work favorably for conservatives.

Other than that, both campaigns are in the home stretch. This one will pan out on Election Day, and not one day before. Poor Larry just doesn't live here to know any better.

Thursday, May 29, 2003

Up For A Protest, Anyone?

I just watched an episode of South Park this evening. And not just any episode, but the one that was made during the middle of the peacemongering protests in February/March.

It just one of those things that just makes you cringe about Americans today. I mean seriously, how many of the folks that took to the streets in February would turn out today to support their beliefs? The satire comedy that South Park puts on the whole issue just makes the point that more relevant. . . today who really cares about Iraq? We won, they lost, we go home in a few months.

The politics of now. Gotta love it. *sigh*

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

The Reality of Dirty Nukes

This was a great article from WorldNetDaily, in effect stating the difficulties of smuggling a nuclear device into the United States:

Complexity within a plan is not an advantage to a terrorist. Just as in mechanical devices, the fewer the parts – the greater the reliability. Simplicity has the unassailable merit of reducing the number of variables that can go wrong. A covert operation such as the detonation of a "dirty bomb" must be kept simple if it is to succeed, for a failure is far too costly in political and psychological terms.

The smuggling of enough long-lived, radioisotope to present a problem is an unnecessary complexity that will probably be eliminated by any group of planners with IQs better than double-digits.

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

Save Earth. . . From the Environmentalists!

Yes it's objectivist philosophy at root, but I couldn't help but post the link!

http://www.earth4man.com/

There's quite a few papers and a whole bunch of research on this website. Well done.

Monday, May 26, 2003

A 'Modest Proposal' for the Homeless Shelter

Scott Fischer has it right:

For too long, the shelter staff has played by the rules. I have personally looked at the last two sites, and recognized how desperate things had become to consider such horrible locations as an isolated industrial park or ancient ruins on a rugged, steep slope.

In the tradition of Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal," I suggest that the existing shelter be replaced by dozens of mini-shelters located in the homes and businesses of Mayor Bill Beck, the City Council and the spiteful writer from Spotsylvania who wrote in opposition to the mere concept of the shelter, calling it "socialism" ["Keep shelter out of taxpayers' neighborhoods," Feb. 20].

Shelters can be set up in the homes of the people from the neighborhood associations whose voices resonate with venom at public meetings and the rest of the NIMBYs in this town who can only propose other sites, all of them out of sight, out of mind.

Hurrah! I think it's time we start rallying 'round the standard. Fairview has lived with the shelter as a neighbor for years. That other sections of the city such as Darbytown aren't willing to step up to the plate smacks of elitism. Time to finally flex those moral muscles and do the right thing, guys.

Saturday, May 24, 2003

Pictures of Earth. . . from Mars

No one would have believed, in the last years of the 19th century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed that we were being scrutinized as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets. And yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against us.—War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells (1898).

National Geographic has pictures of Earth up, from the Mars Global Surveyor no less.

The Rise and Fall of a Blogger

For those of us who have these little treasures of self-information called weblogs, this was an interesting piece dealing with how one goes about increasing your web traffic. Of course, I simply took my brother's commentary on it and linked there, because what he has to say is *definitely* much more interesting.

Friday, May 23, 2003

The CSS Zen Garden

And here it is. . . your moment of Zen.

Nyet to Rain!

Now this is the coolest thing ever!

PRESIDENT PUTIN has ordered fine weather for the St Petersburg summit and 300th anniversary festivities next week, and it is unlikely to rain on his parade.

Ten aeroplanes will take to the skies, equipped with cloud-seeding agents in an attempt to induce rain away from the city, allowing holidaymakers and visiting heads of state to enjoy dry weather below.

Vladimir Stepanenko, head physicist of St Petersburg’s Geophysics Observatory, said: “Our aim is to empty all clouds of rain before they hit the city borders.” Such practice may strike awe into the heart of every rain-soaked Brit, but Russians take “cloud-bursting” for granted, having enjoyed its benefits over public holidays since Stalin gave the order to research weather control in the 1930s.

Over decades, the observatory in St Petersburg has developed techniques to dispel clouds, divert hailstorms from harvests, arrest avalanches, disperse fogs from airports and bring rain to drought-afflicted regions.

The most reliable form of rain prevention is to induce the clouds to rain before they float over the area under protection. The pilots on board the cloud-bursters will be directed towards rainclouds by meteorologists on the ground. On the orders of geophysicists on board the aircraft, dry ice will be dispensed into the clouds from a mile away. The dry ice is fired in special pyrotechnic capsules that combust once empty. Once injected with dry ice, rain crystalises within the cloud and falls ten or fifteen minutes later.

Senator for Life?

Today's editorial in the Free Lance-Star discusses the legitimacy of questioning Chichester's conservative voting record, particularly on the pro-life issue:

In truth, Mr. Chichester doesn't have a perfect pro-life voting record as gauged by the Virginia Society for Human Life, but it's one that if adopted by all legislatures and courts would make abortion much less common. A VSHL report on key Senate votes between 1978 and 2003 reveals that Mr. Chichester voted for abortion restrictions 90 percent of the time, in 18 out of 20 cases.

However, the society's report shows that never was Mr. Chichester's vote, in the full Senate or committee, a lethal one for pro-life legislation. That is, even had he voted the "right" way in the aforementioned cases, the pro-life measures would have failed. Conversely, in four instances--the 1994 "basic" parental-notification vote and three committee votes (two on parental notification, one on informed consent)--Mr. Chichester's vote was crucial in advancing abortion-trimming bills. In sum, when pro-life Virginia needed John Chichester, he was there.

Senator Chichester is not the antichrist, nor is he the sum of all conservative fears. He isn't a bad politician, and he's a genuinely nice guy.

The problem is that he is not consistent. In 2001 when he was duly informed of a 7-7 split in his committee regarding parental notification concerning abortion, Chichester was missing in action. He failed to show up. This year, Chichester voted to make RU-486 a legal contraceptive, which means that the pill could be covered by insurance agencies in the Commonwealth. Poor form when you are trying to convince the voters of your pro-life credentials.

And what of the tax issue? In the four hundred years of the history of the Commonwealth, we have never had a budget crisis. Except once, when in a Clintonesque maneuver John Chichester put our state government under the gun to prevent a rollback of the car tax. Despite the best efforts of the Governor and the House of Delegates, a Republican Senator prevented us from keeping our promise to Virginia taxpayers. This despite the fact that state expenditures have risen nearly 50% over the past five years. One more example of the people being asked to tighten their belts while government puts on suspenders.

These actions just can't be explained away. Parental notification is a common-sense bill. RU-486, if indeed abortion is a private choice, should not be subsidized with public funds. The rollback of the car tax is a promise the the Republican Party of Virginia is committed towards fullfilling. These three instances of defiance by Senator Chichester may seem noble to the Democrats, but they are bewildering the the GOP rank and file.

Republicans elect officials because they believe in their principles. Not because they believe in them part of the time or even most of the time, but because they share our values and are willing to fight for them; convienent of otherwise.

The recent invitation for *all* voters in the 28th District to vote in the GOP primary only serves to prove the point. Chichester is extending a hand to exactly those who do not support our values, namely to the Democrats whom applauded his vote for RU-486 and his stand against the car tax rollback. How can you expect Republicans to rally behind a statesman who is promoting exactly the wrong values, much less tearing at the fabric that is binding the Republican Party?

Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Science Confirms: Politicians Lie

Naaaaaaww. . . say it ain't so.

Barbour Won't Apologize For Head Start Remark

Well what did he say?!

Last week, Barbour said some Head Start children would be better off "sitting up on a piano bench at a whorehouse" than in their own homes.

Damn. That's just not right, no matter how catchy it might sound.

Campaigning Banned in Stafford County?

You figure this one out. . .

Joshua Morris, treasurer of the Rothfeld for Senate campaign and president of the Mary Washington College Young Republicans, and Herbert Lux Jr., director of Rothfeld's grassroots activity, filed a federal suit in Alexandria last week charging that the county ordinance violates their First Amendment rights to free speech. The ordinance prohibits the placing of handbills on motor vehicles or any other private property without the owner's permission.

It also forbids handing out fliers on the sidewalk in a manner that interferes with pedestrians, and it bars people from entering private property to put handbills there.

The lawsuit names each county supervisor individually, as well as Sheriff Charles Jett, County Attorney Alda White, and Commonwealth's Attorney Daniel Chichester, whose brother, Sen. John Chichester, is Rothfeld's opponent in the GOP primary election on June 10.

Customer Service = Indentured Servitude

My brother Jason is bringing the pain to those who complain. . . about customer service.

Bad customer service is usually a byproduct of a bad business and bad customers. Yes, there are times when the retail worker is just a bad person, but that's rare and just one bad apple in a store full of people who are simply trying to get by on what they can get. Having been there, I bend over backwards for these people. Hell, I can't go into the Borders I used to work at without finding myself straightening up.

So I don't want to hear any bitching about bad customer service. Treat these people with some respect and you'll get it back.

Monday, May 19, 2003

Civilization III: Conquests and Pirates II!

It's like a giant birthday party for me! Only in the fall! Just scroll on down and check out the GOOD NEWS!

E3: Firaxis Announced 2nd Civ3 Expansion!
posted by Thunderfall at 10:11 PM

E3 LogoGreat news! Atari and Firaxis today announced a new Civilization III expansion due this fall!!! The new expansion is titled "Civilization III: Conquests". Details are not available yet but we do know the expansion will feature eight new civilizations, new wonders and entirely new victory conditions. WooHoo!!!

Thanks to malgg for the news tip and PC.IGN for the report!

E3: Pirates II Announced
posted by Thunderfall at 10:10 PM

Atari and Firaxis announced Pirates II at E3 today, as expected. The sequel will adhere to the open model of the first game and will feature a full 3D engine.

"The main reason we decided to bring pirates back to life was because of the game players," Sid explains. "Every time we talked to gamers over 25 years of age, they asked when are we going to do another Pirates!"

The game most likely will be a single player game and is slated for release sometime next year.

Aww yeah!

Goodbye Ari

The Washington Post is reporting that Ari Fleischer is stepping down as White House Press Secretary:

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, the public face of the Bush administration through two wars and a terrorist attack, said Monday he will resign in July to enter the private sector.

"I love this job," Fleischer told reporters at his informal Monday morning briefing. "I believe deeply about President Bush as a man and I believe deeply in his policies, but it's my time to go."

Now here is a man with my infinite respect. You have to hand it to anyone who has served as press secretary, that is one heck of a job!

Sunday, May 18, 2003

More on the Chichester-Rothfeld Race

Just when my faith in journalism was being restored, one article just blows it all away. While I was treated fair enough, the race was protrayed in a very poor light. Supporters of Mike Rothfeld were made to look either as bullied or pushed into position, while opposing GOP chairmen were allowed to snipe away at the evil conservatives trying to upset the balance of power.

"The tax issue is one thing that got me," Kenney said. "[And] not showing up for the vote on parental consent when he knew it was a 7-7 split and it was important to show up. I want to see somebody out there who's actually going to vote for my issues."

The moderates aren't letting the conservatives out-shout them.

Out-shout them? WHO'S SHOUTING?!?! *ahem* Not me. . . but you get the point. We're just angry conservatives going after rational moderates. Ain't it always the way. . .

Journalism like this I just don't understand. Maybe we didn't do a good job of explaining the reasons why we were so upset with Chichester, but it can be summed up in three issues:

(1) Abstaining on parental notificaiton for minors having an abortion
(2) Fighting against the car tax rollback
(3) Not fighting for pro-life and anti-tax issues

It's that simple folks! Look for an opposing viewpoint to be forthcoming shortly. After coming from Mass today, this diatribe coming from the moderates really has me riled up. . .

Friday, May 16, 2003

The Little Comic Book Company that Could

Looks like my brother Jason is going to try to get Wildfire Comics off of the ground. He's been doing fanfic for a long time now, and had a fairly successful website for a few months before giving up on it for lack of inspiration. Now it seems as if he has his second (third?) wind. Very cool.

Passive Smoking Not So Bad After All. . .

Well well well. . . it turns out that second hand smoke isn't as bad for you as previously thought. Not that this is a hurrah for the tobacco companies or anything, but just something against all of the government-sponsored truth police out there trying to convince the world of the dangers of smoking (based on half-truths, but no one is watching right?):

The report is significant because of its scale — studying 120,000 people in California from 1959 to 1998.

More than 35,000 of them were non-smokers living with a smoker.

Those exposed to “environmental smoke” did not suffer significantly higher rates of lung cancer or heart disease, it was claimed.

Researchers said passive smoking could not cause a 30 per cent increased risk of coronary heart disease — the figure generally accepted by experts.

They added: “It seems premature to conclude that environmental tobacco smoke causes death from coronary heart disease and lung cancer.”

The full report will be published in the British Medical Journal.

Remaining 'above the soil'

Here is a great article from the UK Guardian on daily life under the Ba'athist regime:

I remember our physics teacher coming to class one day to say goodbye. He said that he was being moved from his job at the school to be appointed as an ordinary clerk in the municipal authority office opposite. The reason was obvious: he had refused to join the Ba'ath party.

In later years, even this option was not on offer. Everyone who wished to remain "above the soil", in the eloquent words of the Iraqi poet, Sa'adi Yousuf, had to join the Ba'ath party. If you refused, you and your family could expect an uncertain future, and lose your right to remain above the soil.

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Rock, Paper, Scissors Anyone?

We thought you'd enjoy this. . . just be sure to turn the music off as soon as possible, it gets annoying after 15sec.

The Matrix Reloaded. . . to SUCK!

The Slate's David Edelstein didn't appreciate the Matrix sequel:

The original was, above all, an ontological mystery: How could Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) hang suspended in midair? Why did Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) know what Neo, then Thomas Anderson, was up to every second? Why did Anderson's life feel like a dream? The answers came gradually, mind-bendingly, mind-blowingly: an astute mix of everything trendy in postmodern sci-fi (Philip K. Dick and his paranoid visions of the world-as-simulation) and philosophy (Jean Baudrillard's view of the real obscured by materialism and technology), and everything up-to-the-minute in special effects and action. Most important, once Neo took the red pill, unplugged himself, and entered the virtual dojo, each fight developed his sense of who he was and what, within the Matrix, he was capable of doing; each action scene marked an ontological/metaphysical leap forward.

The grim news is that The Matrix Reloaded is as messy and flat-footed as its predecessor is nimble and shapely. It's an ugly, bloated, repetitive movie that builds to a punch line that should have come an hour earlier (at least). Then it ends as it's just beginning: Stay tuned for The Matrix Revolutions, coming in November to 8,000 theaters near you.

I suppose I'll just have to find out myself. But in other news, I did break down and buy the Matrix and Philosophy, just for kicks. That will be great reading just before the movie.

Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Beck's hamstringing ways likely gave candidate pause

You gotta be kidding me! Local resident Douglas Carrer offers his opinion on why the search for the new City Manager took so long:

Maybe there is another reason--the true reason and not just an excuse. Maybe the favorite candidate did his homework and decided he did not wish to be in a work environment that has already run off three outstanding, dedicated public servants--outgoing director of Fredericksburg's Economic Development and Tourism office, Kathy Beard, former City Manager, Marvin Bolinger, and Fredericksburg's chief planner, Jervis Hairston.

Outstanding, dedicated public servants with marketable skills and talents do not desire or need to work in an atmosphere that is headed by a cabal--Bill Beck, Vice Mayor Scott Howson, and Councilman Matt Kelly--which utilizes a paranoid micromanagement leadership style.

I really hate it when people steal my buzzwords. Such as 'hamstring', the word used to describe what Shelton's FOIA lawsuit was all about. At least the 'cabal' thing we've heard before. But "paranoid micromanagement leadership style?" That's new coming from someone other than the usual suspects.

Granted that's not the term I would have used to describe this Council, but you know something, Douglas is right. If anything it shows they take their election to public office seriously.

Douglas. . . buddy, these guys were elected on a platform of good government (Beck and Kelly were anyhow, Howson simply never lost his soul while in public office). Given that, they above all are keenly aware they are endowed with the public trust, and their stewardship on Council is directed towards that end alone - to preserve and protect the public trust. "Paranoid micromanagement" only tells me that they take that stewardship seriously, unlike their predecessors who systematically abused it.

A Star Trek quiz

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and 'Ensign Gomez' beam down to a planet. Which one isn't coming back?

Find this and more at the Top 10 Things I Hate About Star Trek!

U.S. Soldiers to Shoot Looters on Sight

From the New York Times. Now read this article and tell me. . . if this was the only outlet of information we had, do you believe that we are winning or losing Iraq?

Asked what this meant, the official replied, "They are going to start shooting a few looters so that the word gets around" that assaults on property, the hijacking of automobiles and violent crimes will be dealt with using deadly force.

How Iraqis will be informed of the new rules is not clear. American officials in Iraq have access to United States-financed radio stations, which could broadcast the changes.

A tougher approach over all appears to be at the core of Mr. Bremer's mandate from President Bush to save the victory in Iraq from a descent into anarchy, a possibility feared by some Iraqi political leaders if steps are not taken quickly to check violence and lawlessness.

Thank God for FOX News.

Return of the Tridentine Mass?

Maybe even in time for Christmas? That's what Robert Moynihan says:

The new, stricter guidelines for celebrating the liturgy, and the mandate to celebrate the old Latin Mass more widely, even on a weekly basis, in every parish in the world, will be contained in a document to be published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, headed by Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze.

“We expect the document to be published before Christmas,” Arinze told "Inside the Vatican" in an exclusive interview. “We want to respond to the spiritual hunger and sorrow so many of the faithful have expressed to us because of liturgical celebrations that seemed irreverent and unworthy of true adoration of God. You might sum up our document with words that echo the final words of the Mass: ‘The do-it-yourself Mass is ended. Go in peace.’”

Monday, May 12, 2003

Chichester and Pro-Life Activists

Want to know how much trouble Chichester is in with the rank-and-file Republicans in the 28th? Here is an excellent letter from Mary Walsh explaining just that:

Last year in the 2002 session, parental consent remained bottlenecked in the Senate Education and Health Committee, 7-7, while Sen. Chichester, the deciding vote, played hooky. Del. Black hand-delivered a letter to Sen. Chichester on the floor of the Senate urging him to break the tie vote. If the senator did not come, parental-consent legislation would die. Sen. Chichester neither came to break the impasse, nor did he send a proxy.

Virginians need trustworthy conservative leadership they can count on regardless of the election cycle. That, Mr. Speaker, is why it's time to elect Mike Rothfeld.

Mary is right. For as often as I hear from Richmond about the importance of "the Catholic Vote" in Virginia, when folks come out and rail against pro-life activists as "goofballs" as Chichester has done, you have a problem.

As a Catholic, I am invariably pro-life. That belief applies to much more than abortion. It applies to my stance on the environment, taxation on lower-income households, social programs, labor unions, and a host of other issues. That abortion is currently the best vent for the beliefs of 60 million Catholics shouldn't shock anyone. But to describe pro-life efforts as the result of "goofball" politics? No small wonder why Mike Rothfeld is getting all the support he is getting in the 28th.

Saddam In-Country and Incognito. . .

Ahmed Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress seems to believe that Saddam Hussein is still travelling around the country with a detachment of the Iraqi intelligence agency.

Sunday, May 11, 2003

Sam Found for 30th District Delegate

Sorry for the light blogging folks, but I was out in Luray on Friday doing a bit of camping/cabining. Of course, on the way there and on the way back, I had a chance to drive through Culpeper and the legion of Sam Found signs around the town. If you haven't visited it already, go to the Sam Found for Delegate website and donate!

Friday, May 09, 2003

Where's outcry against perfidious Gingrich?

Richard Pasto of Fredericksburg writes in today's FLS:

Why haven't those who opposed the recent antiwar demonstrators (for the damage they have done to troop morale) been equally motivated to vocally oppose ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich's unwarranted diatribe against the State Department, with the subsequent effect on State employees' morale, ["Gingrich has neocons to thank for his nutty Mideast views," May 2]?

I see a double standard here.

What you see is a healthy debate over Syria. The difference between the antiwar activists grasping straws and Gingrich is that the former Speaker isn't the one calling our troops 'terrorists'. Instead of trying to find holes in President Bush's foreign policy, or trying to find the chinks in the armor of the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom, why not be constructive. That's right, just hang up the poster and set your ideology on the back burner for a moment. The War on Terror continues. . .

Success - the bane of liberals and the hope of conservativism. And for the record no, we shouldn't invade Syria and Gingrich has a good point concerning Syria's relationship with Hezbollah.

Market Square Set to Reopen Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the refurbished Market Square--tucked behind the museum on Princess Anne Street--will open for the first time in seven years as part of the commemoration of the 275th anniversary of Fredericksburg's founding.

The daylong Market Square Faire will chronicle periods of the city's history: the Colonial era, Civil War, and the early 1900s, as well as the 1950s and '60s. Activities will include a children's play, dancing and a musical opera clown.

Take a good look when you get a chance. What you shouldn't look at is the price tag. $625,000 to refurbish the Square. I'm not knocking the Square, it looks great. But $625K could have fed a lot of hungry kids, and while the end result looks beautiful, I just don't see what was the matter with the old Square to spend that kind of money on it. Maybe it's just me. . .

Thursday, May 08, 2003

Am I the only one suffering from withdrawal?

So I'm a a news junkie, and the past few months (well let's face it, the past few years) have been nothing but red meat for folks like me. So when we are done bombing Iraq, Wall Street is being punished, any looming recession has been stalled, City Council is getting along, and even Matt Drudge has nothing on the headliner, you know how bad things are.

Private-Public Partnerships for Schools?

Now we're talkin'!

The firm proposes a 30,000- square-foot higher-education wing that would be attached to the 1,800-student high school.

It is partnering with Germanna Community College, Mary Washington College's James Monroe Center and Old Dominion University. The colleges are interested in holding classes at the site, said Doug Dalton, president of English Construction.

The proposal calls for initially offering night classes at the high school, and building the higher-education wing later. This would give college officials more time to gauge public interest and need for college classes. The colleges would lease the classroom space, saving Stafford schools money.

The firm also has partnered with the Rappahannock Area YMCA, which is interested in putting a YMCA on the site and sharing recreational fields with the school system. It also discussed selling a few acres to Dominion Power for a power substation, and about one acre for a private day-care center. That would leave eight to 10 acres of commercial space that could be sold or leased, Dalton said.

REDUNDANCY folks. The first person in local goverment who explained this to me was none other than former Spotsylvania Supervisor Rick Womble in an idea to use playgrounds as parks. Doing so would resolve the unfunded state mandate regarding park land in the counties. This one stands to save local government some $16.7million over 25 years, which isn't much once you break it down, but it is a start.

Wednesday, May 07, 2003

Mark Cole to receive challenge in the 88th District

Resources are limited. So what do the Democrats do? They run someone against the one candidate who won with the highest margin of victory in 2001.

Charles A. Feldbush, a police detective in Prince William County, is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Cole in November's election.

Feldbush lives in North Stafford. He ran, and lost, a 1999 race for sheriff to Charles Jett. Feldbush ran as an independent in that race but said his "philosophies have changed" since then, pushing him toward the Democratic Party.

Great - another Bill Jones. Read on. . .

"I have seen nothing, absolutely nothing, in the way of trying to halt, stop, help the continuing sprawl," Feldbush said. "There appears to be no control by the state. The state doesn't give the locality the tools to handle this all I've seen is a lot of lip service, a lot of talk. I have not seen a lot of action being taken. So my question would be, when does it start? As an elected official, I would certainly make that a priority."

Feldbush said he supports the use of impact fees and proffers to make developers pay for the infrastructure their development creates.

If memory serves me correctly, wasn't one of the first bills that Cole offered in the General Assembly concerning the use of impact fees?

Cole introduced a bill during this past General Assembly session that would have allowed localities to suspend water and sewer connections during a drought, but it failed. Another bill, which would have extended for another year Stafford County's ability to assess road impact fees, also died.

Feldbush said he doesn't feel Cole has done enough to help local governments restrict growth.

Now Feldbush isn't a dummy. But it sounds like someone asked the poor guy to run without really informing him of what was going on. I'm not trying to say Feldbush is just looking for political office - it's admirable that he is running at all - but someone in the Stafford Democratic Party needs to sit this guy down and give Feldbush a survey of the land. How could you run against Mark Cole on growth issues? It's been his focus for crying out loud!

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!

Here is how I matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very High
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Very Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Very Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Very Low
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Low
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Very Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Tuesday, May 06, 2003

At lavish meeting, VACo thumbed its nose at taxpayers

Go git 'em, Judy!

As a former government employee, I had per diem rates which determined where I stayed when on business (which were not resorts). The per diem did not include rates for spouses, and it certainly did not cover luxurious amenities.

The statement by Jimmy Alderman, Carroll County's accounting officer, that, "It's the supervisors' only outing of the year," is insensitive. Most of us taxpayers would like to have such an "outing" once in five years.

These people need to get a grip. They work for the people of these counties, and as such, they should be looking at ways to reduce costs. That $300,000 could have been put to better use in education or other vital community services.

They are supposed to be working for the good of their counties, not taking advantage of their positions to "vacation" at the taxpayers' expense.

Exactly.

Monday, May 05, 2003

All Quiet on the Western Front

It's raining here in Fredericksburg, but not much else going on. I'm sure to find something though!

Sunday, May 04, 2003

Yet Another Instance of MWC 'Inclusion'

Michael Zitz from the Free Lance-Star wrote an excellent - if sadly typical - column on the MWC student body's opinion of their gracious hosts:

Rigel, a member of Giant, the student entertainment committee at MWC, e-mailed me to explain that safety is the reason.

"I am not implying in any way that the people of Fredericksburg would harm anyone on campus, but if tickets were to sell out at the door and if we were forced to turn people away then what you would have is a lot of 'townies' with nothing to do wandering around on a college campus," Rigel wrote. "In any town, in any city, in any suburb, no matter how safe, this is not the wisest of decisions.

"If we had the police staff to escort such a number of citizens off campus, then I'm sure we would do so; however, as that is not the case, we decided to close the concert to the public. This is in no way a commentary on how the college regards the city of Fredericksburg, nor is it some elitist way to shut you out of our activities."

Hmm, I have an idea. . . let's review this statement in the light of which it was intended, replacing the term "townie" with something more controversial, namely by the term which certain members of the MWC community have decided to address my brother who attends that bastion of liberal toleration:

Rigel, a member of Giant, the student entertainment committee at MWC, e-mailed me to explain that safety is the reason.

"I am not implying in any way that the people of Fredericksburg (i.e. sand niggers) would harm anyone on campus, but if tickets were to sell out at the door and if we were forced to turn people (i.e. sand niggers)away then what you would have is a lot of 'townies' (i.e. sand niggers) with nothing to do wandering around on a college campus," Rigel wrote. "In any town, in any city, in any suburb, no matter how safe, this is not the wisest of decisions.

"If we had the police staff to escort such a number of citizens (i.e. sand niggers) off campus, then I'm sure we would do so; however, as that is not the case, we decided to close the concert to the public (i.e. sand niggers). This is in no way a commentary on how the college regards the city of Fredericksburg (i.e. sand niggers), nor is it some elitist way to shut you (i.e. sand niggers) out of our activities."

My apologies to the students of MWC, but Rigel's comments were just veiled commentary on what the student body truly thinks of us 'Frednecks', an epithet specifically created by Mary Washington students to describe their less-than-valued hosts.

More accurately, it is an extension of what the pampered Yankee upper middle class elite think of rank-and-file Virginians. It extends to their feelings about Fredericksburgers, state and local politics, and ideas of education and leftist thought. Fredericksburg is the typical ignorant mainstream, and they are the enlightened ivory tower. We are the Frednecks, they are the youth who will change the world. No small wonder why MWC students have a culture of elitism on campus - it is because they have no pretenses about shedding their own prejudices, only fostering them.

At Catholic University, we have a strong tradition of actually participating in the community, not just in small numbers but in very large active groups. When a street needs to be cleaned, the University turned out to help - not specialized groups. When you went to get a drink, you went to Kitty O'Shea's (now Johhny K's) or Colonel Brooks, and you sat next to Brookland residents, University employees, priests, seminarians, and students. Even graduate students refused to segregate themselves from the community at large.

Sure there were incidents on and off campus from nearby residents. But we understood that they were not the folks we drank with at Brooks or went to church with on Sunday. We never identified our neighbors as Frednecks or some other invented epithet. We were all people, and all were welcome no matter what the event or lecture.

We were homogenous, but certanly not in the way that Mary Washington has earned the title.

And the racious band that was performing? None other than Nickel Creek, a bluegrass band.

Saturday, May 03, 2003

Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles, 1:35pm!

Jonathan and I are going to see the Baltimore game this afternoon at Camden Yard, so the blogging will be kept to a minimum today. Hopefully the clouds will break up for a good game. GO O's!

Friday, May 02, 2003

Quote Sparks Effort To Oust Party Leader

Not that I am interested in rushing to the defense of Demorcratic Party leaders, but read this and tell me whether or not he is getting shaken down unfairly:

Barbara Lett Simmons, the party's national committeewoman and a longtime Neverson detractor, said she is appalled that the head of the [D.C.] city's Democratic Party was quoted in the Washington City Paper as saying he would have voted for the three-fifths compromise, in which slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person for taxation and apportionment purposes when the U.S. Constitution was adopted.

"He has expressed a philosophical position contrary to the Democratic Party," Simmons said. "This is 2003. I don't think we can afford in this upcoming year of trying to reclaim the White House and Congress to have 17th-century-mentality leadership."

Simmons, who has been critical of Neverson since he took over the party three years ago, said Neverson has every right "to think, feel and believe exactly what he expressed." But she said he "can't be my leader, and he can't appropriately represent this Democratic body."

Neverson said he made the comments in an extensive article about his personal life and his political leadership. The article quotes Neverson as saying he would have supported the constitutional clause decreeing that each slave be counted as three-fifths a person because "to produce a republic you have to make sacrifices."

"If it offended anyone, I apologize," Neverson said. "It wasn't meant to say that Norm Neverson supports the three-fifths compromise. It was taken completely out of context. When you don't have all the facts and you don't have all the information, ignorance rules supreme. Get the information."

Neverson, 58, said that he has heard snippets about a resolution being presented against him but that it is not on the Democratic State Committee's agenda for Thursday's meeting. He said people would understand what he was saying if he were given the opportunity to explain it in its historical context. He said he understands the reactions of some members of the Democratic State Committee.

Now it seems to me that this guy was making a comment on the Founding Fathers' rationale behind voting for the Three-Fifths Compromise. Granted I don't agree either, but let's take it from the prospective of abortion. If the stability and outright survival of the United States depended on a compromise between left-wing and right-wing organizations in America on abortion, would the D.C. Democratic Committee vote overwhelmingly in favor of a pro-life position? Nonsense!

For a party that has always asserted that compromise and toleration are the hallmarks of so-called "democracy," they sure are quick to slam their own. Of course, this doesn't seem like this is a case of giving Neverson the benefit of the doubt. Someone has an axe to grind and they are going to pursue whatever course of action they choose.

Thursday, May 01, 2003

The USA Today Political Quiz!

I have been looking for this online for years! Now I have found it!

Where do I score? A measely 28 folks, where 0 is the most liberal and 40 the most conservative. That ranks me right up there with Jack Kemp. Not bad company to keep if I do say so myself, and ironically I used to do quite a bit concerning civic empowerment in America's inner cities with the Empowerment Network. Check 'em out!

Friends of Alum Spring Park Picnic!

Bring a pic-i-nic basket and the family this Saturday for the First Annual Alum Spring Park Picnic. No cost, no fee, no registration.

Best part - DESSERT PROVIDED! If the lure of free food doesn't get you there, then I suppose the trees will have to do. See you all on Saturday!

POPE SKETCHES PROFILE OF POLITICAL RULER ACCORDING TO BIBLE
Meditates on Psalm 100(101) at General Audience

http://www.zenit.org/senglish/send_friend/index.phtml?sid=34758

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2003 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II sketched the profile of an ideal political ruler as presented in the Bible, underlining that his action should be governed by "moral integrity" and "commitment against injustice."

The Pope offered this reflection at today's general audience, which he dedicated to a meditation on Psalm 100(101).

"It is a meditation that paints the portrait of the ideal political ruler, who should model his life on the divine governance of the world: right action stemming from perfect integrity and by an energetic commitment against injustice," the Holy Father told the 20,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

It is "a program of loyalty and justice, which comprises two important moral lines," he said -- namely, "integrity of heart" and rejection of evil.

Among the great moral virtues which make the action of the political ruler "luminous," the Holy Father highlighted "wisdom that helps to understand and judge well; innocence which is purity of heart and of life; and, finally, the integrity of conscience that does not tolerate compromise with evil."

The above implies rejection of slander, arrogance and haughtiness, the Pope said.

Lastly, the biblical Psalm counsels the man of government to surround himself with faithful helpers, "people of integrity," thus rejecting "contact with anyone who practices deceit."

John Paul II concluded by stressing "the primacy of love over the necessary justice," as a guideline for action that God offers to the man of government.

The Pope's meditation is the latest in a series on the Psalm and hymns of the Old Testament. The meditations can be consulted in the "Wednesday's Audience" section of ZENIT's Web page.

Senator George Allen to Appear on the Don Imus Show

From tha (formah) Govnah. . .

I just wanted to let you know that I'll be appearing on "Imus in the Morning," tomorrow, May 1 at 7:25 am. The program airs on several stations around Virginia. I hope you have a chance to tune in. It is an honor to serve you in the United States Senate, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

With warm regards, I remain

Sincerely,
George Allen
___________________________________
The program will air on the following stations:
* Washington, DC (AM 570 - WTNT)
* Richmond, VA (AM 1340 - WHAP; AM 990 - WLEE; AM 1340 - WVNZ )
* Harrisonburg, VA (AM 1300 - WKCY)
* Norfolk-Virginia Beach, VA (AM 850 - WTAR)
* Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA (AM 1240 - WGMN; AM 1260 - WVGM)
* Waynesboro, VA (AM 970 - WKCI)

"Freedom's just another word for taxing all that mooooves. . . "

Because after all, taxes are the price of freedom. I would offer apologies to Janis Joplin, but I have yet to receive an apology for the '60's.

Putin to Blair: We Are Not With You and We Don't Believe You

Ouch. This can't be good.

Mr Blair had been hoping to use his influence to persuade Russia to agree to the Anglo-US demand to lift sanctions on Iraq in return for giving the UN an as yet unspecified "vital role" in the reconstruction of Iraq and its new government.

But Mr Putin said Russia and its partners "believe until clarity is achieved over whether weapons of mass destruction exist in Iraq, sanctions should be kept in place". Almost mocking Mr Blair, he went on: "Where is Saddam? Where are those arsenals of weapons of mass destruction, if indeed they ever existed? Perhaps Saddam is still hiding somewhere in a bunker underground, sitting on cases of weapons of mass destruction and is preparing to blow the whole thing up and bring down the lives of thousands of Iraqi people."

France, Germany and Russia. Plus add to the consideration of the Sino-Russian pact signed years ago. Things are not looking up for the good guys. Just might be time to see how the world economy does without America pouring billions of dollars in world trade to certain nations who can't play by the rules. . . specifically by renegotiating trade agreements with France until we see "regime change" in Paris, namely with the replacement of Chirac. After all, turnabout is fair play, as Putin et al. are so skillfully demonstrating.

JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General?

1) John Brownlee
2) Ken Cuccinelli

View Results

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ShaunKenney.com is one of Virginia's oldest political blogs, focusing on the role of religion and politics in public life. Shaun Kenney, 30, lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia.

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