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

Monday, June 30, 2003

MIND GAMES!!!

Oh yeah! Go here now!

http://www.mindgames.com/

Dennis Miller Emerges as New Voice for Bush Re-Election

That's right, Dennis Miller! And the news comes from a none-too-pleased Reuters:

Miller, who was an analyst on ABC's "Monday Night Football, had an HBO comedy show and does commentary for Fox News, adds a celebrity touch to Bush's re-election campaign, much like actor Bruce Willis did in 1992 when Bush's father ran for re-election.

Bush remained offstage until after Miller's often caustic comic performance during the fund-raiser that drew in $3.5 million, most of it in $2,000 checks from 1,600 people.

For instance, he took aim at West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, a Democratic elder statesmen who has questioned the Iraq war and its chaotic aftermath.

This isn't to say that everyone is appreciating his humor:

Even some in the crowd of Republican loyalists booed when Miller said of Byrd: "I think he must be burning the cross at both ends."

Responding to the boos, Miller said: "Well, he was in the (Ku Klux) Klan. Boo me, but he was in the Klan."

HAHAHAHAHA! Burning the cross. . . at both ends! Thatch's funnay schtuff! WOO!

Two Dead in Samurai Attack in Irvine

Sad, but not as sad as the poor writing skills:

The two people killed were dead when police arrived.

As opposed to the two people killed that were still alive? C'mon. . .

Virgins Meet in Sin City

Okay, sure they met in Las Vegas handing out cards, but this is the number that got me:

Many supporters cite increases in sexually transmitted diseases as reason enough to wait until marriage. Studies show that in the United States there are about 45 million cases of herpes, 20 million cases of human papillomavirus (HPV) and 900,000 people living with AIDS.

So with a population of 275 million and change, you mean to tell me that almost 20% of all Americans have herpes?! Ewww. . .

Calif. Near Financial Disaster

Car tax, schmar tax. By the time we wake up Monday morning, the State of California may go broke. Of course, leave it to the Dems to point the finger elsewhere:

Democrats see other motives. Some are accusing GOP lawmakers of deliberately dragging their feet on the budget in the hope that will hurt Davis politically and strengthen the recall campaign.

"It's hard to take Republicans seriously when they say they want a real solution to this budget crisis at the same time some of them are openly backing the recall," said Roger Salazar, a political adviser to Davis. "They are putting important state programs at risk just out of pure political spite."

Democrats have retreated recently from some tax proposals but are insisting on a half-cent sales tax increase. Several dozen Democratic legislators even barnstormed Republican districts around the state last week to plead for support but got mostly hostile receptions.

Davis, who left the state this weekend to attend his mother's 80th birthday celebration in New York, is still expressing optimism that a budget deal can be reached soon, if not by tonight's constitutional deadline.

"I am doing everything I can to encourage, cajole, persuade, guilt-trip and all the things you do to try to make this happen," he told reporters last week.

California's $38 billion deficit is larger than the entire annual budget of any other state except New York. It represents about one-third of the state's annual spending.

$38 BILLION DOLLARS?!?! What Third World country wouldn't dream of a budget like that?! Arrgh! How much more money do California Dems want for cryin' out loud!

Sunday, June 29, 2003

Ecclesia in Europa

The Vatican released its response to growing concerns that Christianity will not be mentioned in the new EU consitution, entitled the Church in Europe and released as a post-synodal apostolic exhortation this past Saturday:

The Synod experience, lived with evangelical discernment, also led to a growing awareness of the unity that, without denying the differences derived from historical situations and events, links the various parts of Europe. It is a unity which, rooted in a common Christian inspiration, is capable of reconciling diverse cultural traditions and which demands, at the level of both society and Church, a constant growth in mutual knowledge open to an increased sharing of individual values.

Throughout the Synod, a powerful impulse towards hope gradually became evident. While taking seriously the analyses of the complexity characterizing the Continent, the Synod Fathers saw that possibly the most urgent matter Europe faces, in both East and West, is a growing need for hope, a hope which will enable us to give meaning to life and history and to continue on our way together. All the reflections of the Synod were geared towards responding to this need, taking as their starting-point the mystery of Christ and the Trinity. The Synod wished to set forth once more the figure of Jesus, alive in his Church, who reveals God as Love, a communion of the three divine Persons.

Poems and Lyrics?

It seems fashionable to post lyrics on websites today, especially among the 18+ crowd (of which I still can't seem to shake thanks to my fit in the latter portion of the 18-25 demographic). Since I absolutely despise those who hide behind dreams rather than take risks, I'll post a favorite.

Just a little advice for those with ears to hear:

Guster - Two Points For Honesty

If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time
You've dreamed a thousand dreams, none seem to stick in your mind
Two points for honesty
It must make you sad to know that nobody cares at all

I want to be where I've never been before
I want to be there and then I'd understand
Know I'm right and do it right, could I get to be like that
I'll know what I don't know with nothin more to gain

Will I get better or stay the same
I find I always move too slowly
Can't lift a finger, can't change my mind
I never knew till someone told me that...

If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time
You've dreamed a thousand dreams, none seem to stick in your mind
Two points for honesty
It must make you sad to know that nobody cares at all

And all the people who've seen it all before
And all the people who really understand
Know they're right, and have done it right, could I get to be like that
I'll know what I don't know, it's harder everyday

Can't lift a finger, can't hurt a fly
I've found I always move too slowly
One things for certain, I'm insecure
I never knew till someone told me that...

If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time
You've dreamed a thousand dreams, none seem to stick in your mind
Two points for honesty
It must make you sad to know that nobody cares at all

Nobody cares at all
They never care at all

Buy the Guster CD Lost and Gone Forever. The song So Long is a great introduction to this one. They play well together.

"I hope the film has the power to evangelize."

Mel Gibson on his upcoming movie The Passion, in front of a bunch of evangelicals nonetheless:

Wearing a gray shirt and black slacks, Gibson appeared on stage at New Life Church before the screening to address an audience of more than 800 ministers gathered for the Life Giving Leadership Conference, an annual event.

He was candid in relating how events more than a decade ago led him to become a more committed Christian.

“I’ve been pastor at New Life Church for 18 years, and I don’t remember anyone displaying a fear of God on our platform the way Mel did today,” Haggard said.

A Catholic, Gibson attended Mass every morning during shooting because “we had to be squeaky clean just working on this,” he said.

“It was a strange mixture of the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, along with this incredible ease,” Gibson said. “Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set converting to Christianity.”

When Haggard thanked Gibson for making the film, Gibson said, “I was afraid not to.”

I don't know what is more fascinating. Gibson's demeanor, or the fact that if this had been a Catholic conference Mel would have been shooed out of the room. Such is my confidence in today's American Catholic progressives.

"It's over, it's over. . .

Former Ba'athist aide Sayf al-Din Fulayyih Hassan Taha al-Rawi has revealed that Saddam and his sons are alive:

The Times said that through these intermediaries, Hassan had described a dramatic moment when now-toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein warned his sons they must accept defeat and go their separate ways.

"It's over. It's over," Saddam is said to have told Uday and Qusay Hussein as they drove through the streets of Baghdad on April 11, two days after the city was captured by US forces.

The Times said that according to Hassan, Saddam's younger son, Qusay, sobbed and pleaded to be allowed to go into hiding with his father. But Saddam replied: "Splitting up gives us a better chance of survival".

Hassan claimed he has had no contact with any of the three since, but believed that Saddam has stayed on in Iraq.

Hassan also reportedly disclosed that Saddam, Qusay and Uday had a narrow escape when they gathered secretly at Hassans house in Mansour, a wealthy residential district of Baghdad on April 7 as the war reached its climax.

Hee hee. . . Qusay sobbed. I just feel a Hans und Franz joke coming on. Girly man. . .

Saturday, June 28, 2003

"Nothing Against Homosexuals" Comment Was Fabricated

Much ado is being made over Justice Scalia's dissenting opinion in Lawrence v. Texas. What a hateful statement to make, and CNN and the Associated Press picked up on it without delay.

The problem is that Justice Scalia was taken out of context. Let's compare what the New York Times said about Scalia's comments:

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the dissent and took the unusual step of reading it aloud from the bench this morning, saying "the court has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda," while adding that he personally has "nothing against homosexuals."

With what was actually said:

Let me be clear that I have nothing against homosexuals, or any other group, promoting their agenda through normal democratic means. Social perceptions of sexual and other morality change over time, and every group has the right to persuade its fellow citizens that its view of such matters is the best. That homosexuals have achieved some success in that enterprise is attested to by the fact that Texas is one of the few remaining States that criminalize private, consensual homosexual acts. But persuading one's fellow citizens is one thing, and imposing one's views in absence of democratic majority will is something else. I would no more require a State to criminalize homosexual acts--or, for that matter, display any moral disapprobation of them--than I would forbid it to do so. What Texas has chosen to do is well within the range of traditional democratic action, and its hand should not be stayed through the invention of a brand-new "constitutional right" by a Court that is impatient of democratic change. It is indeed true that "later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress," ante, at 18; and when that happens, later generations can repeal those laws. But it is the premise of our system that those judgments are to be made by the people, and not imposed by a governing caste that knows best.

Just as I commented some days ago, the battle over homosexuality is being taken out of the public square ("normal democratic means") and into the courts. It is one more instance of judicial activism gone too far for political purposes:

One of the most revealing statements in today's opinion is the Court's grim warning that the criminalization of homosexual conduct is "an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres." Ante, at 14. It is clear from this that the Court has taken sides in the culture war, departing from its role of assuring, as neutral observer, that the democratic rules of engagement are observed. Many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children's schools, or as boarders in their home. They view this as protecting themselves and their families from a lifestyle that they believe to be immoral and destructive. The Court views it as "discrimination" which it is the function of our judgments to deter. So imbued is the Court with the law profession's anti-anti-homosexual culture, that it is seemingly unaware that the attitudes of that culture are not obviously "mainstream"; that in most States what the Court calls "discrimination" against those who engage in homosexual acts is perfectly legal; that proposals to ban such "discrimination" under Title VII have repeatedly been rejected by Congress, see Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1994, S. 2238, 103d Cong., 2d Sess. (1994); Civil Rights Amendments, H. R. 5452, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. (1975); that in some cases such "discrimination" is mandated by federal statute, see 10 U. S. C. §654(b)(1) (mandating discharge from the armed forces of any service member who engages in or intends to engage in homosexual acts); and that in some cases such "discrimination" is a constitutional right, see Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, 530 U. S. 640 (2000).

That's what Scalia has a problem with. But hey, it seems as if sticking it to conservatives for political gain is the order of the day.

Scroll down today's Best of the Web for more on the Dowdification of Justice Scalia.

Friday, June 27, 2003

Connors: Let the Mudslinging Begin!

Here's a gem of a letter, courtesy of the recently appointed Spotsylvania Supervisor Hap Connors. Let's analyze this in pieces, shall we?

Claude Dunn's candidacy for the Chancellor District seat on the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors gives voters a clear choice this fall. I look forward to an honest conversation with him about the issues that the voters of our district want us to address.

You're darn straight this race does. Hap Connors is the kind of liberal that makes liberal cringe. Dunn is the kind of conservative that makes you proud to be a conservative. Lots of fireworks here, and it is generally expected to be the most watched of all the races in Spotsylvania. So I am sure that the "honest conversation" should be interesting, yes?

Let me first say that both Mr. Dunn and I have an abiding faith in God, so that is not an issue that divides us. One issue that does divide us, however, is growth. After talking with many voters in the district, it is evident that they are fed up with the haphazard growth that's eating away at their quality of life. To get a better handle on growth policies in the county, the majority of those voters believed that a good start was to defeat the Town of Chancellorsville rezoning proposal.

God aside, growth does divide the two candidates. However, the difference between the two candidates is that Dunn stands squarely with responsible property ownership, while Hap stands with government intrusion and regulations. The God comment bothers me a bit. Why bring that up? I'm sure that will expose itself further down the campaign trail.

That project was symbolic in so many ways--it summed up the voters' views on growth. The bottom line is that, by his own admission, Mr. Dunn supported it; however, I did not. I can't say why Mr. Dunn supported the Town of Chancellorsville, but my opposition to it was based on the weak business case for it and the majority of Chancellor voters who opposed it.

Here we go. Nasty shot #1.

Town concepts are good, Mr. Connors. The only reason why Chancellorsville failed was that it was being planned on top of a battlefield. Without that standard to rally around, Chancellorsville was a reality. Other town concepts such as Chancellorsville (e.g. the new town near New Post) are the future of smart growth development.

The other difference between us is education. It has been reported that Mr. Dunn has stated in Republican party meetings that he believes it is "unconstitutional" to fund public education. I disagree, and voted this year to fully fund our public schools, in which I happen to have three children enrolled.

Nasty shot #2.

Public education is failing our children. If there is to be an honest conversation about the issues that face Spotsylvanians, vouchers and charter schools must be at the top of that list. Public school funding is strangling our budget, and Hap knows that. But rather than offer solutions, they would rather raise our taxes to subsidize a school system desperately in need of rejuvenation. Where are the calls for block scheduling? Where are the calls for charter schools, a proposal that even D.C. Democratic Mayor Anthony Williams supports?

But no. . . no solutions from Connors, nor is there even a faint concern for the students plodding along through a failing school system. Just another opportunity to stick it to Claude Dunn.

Although we differ on these important issues, I believe Mr. Dunn is a decent man, and I look forward to a good campaign.

Sure ya do.

However, I also know that some of the same folks who helped sling mud at Sen. John Chichester, R-Stafford, in the Republican primary will be helping Mr. Dunn.

Nasty shot #3! Way to extend that olive branch and then whack him with it!

Those sordid tactics were strongly rejected by voters, and I don't believe they will serve any positive purpose in this race.

And yet Hap just employed them to validate his candidacy. Tsk, tsk, Mr. Connors. Virginia politics are made of sterner stuff.

And the gaff? After slamming Claude by attacking him as a pro-growth, anti-education, zealot? Brace yourself?

Therefore, I am asking Mr. Dunn to join me in committing to a clean-campaign pledge so that we can fully and honestly debate, at a higher level of discourse, the issues of most concern to Chancellor voters. They deserve no less from us.

*groan*Hap, how stupid do you think Spotsylvania voters are?

This is the same kind of misleading rhetoric that drives people away from politics, and the same kind of politicking that you criticized. Do you really believe that Chancellor voters aren't going to pick up on the doublespeak?

This method of attacking your opponent while seeming positive - called a "positive/negative" among political consultants - is just one more form of negative campaigning. Apparently, Connors is pefectly willing to be Rothfeld's counterwieght for Spotsylvania Democrats. Chancellor voters are smarter than you, Hap.

If you really want an honest conversation, start running an honest campaign.

Thursday, June 26, 2003

More on Comical Ail

Former Iraqi Information Minister al-Shaaf granted an interview with Al Arabiya TV just moments ago:

In the interview, Sahaf defends his press briefings during the conflict. Sahaf, who was not on the U.S. "most wanted" list, gained his unflattering nickname for proclaiming the defeat of U.S. forces even as they moved into Baghdad and for his habit of handling loaded weapons during news conferences.

"The information I received from the governorates was more precise and comprehensive than the information I got from the Baghdad area," an Abu Dhabi spokesman quoted Sahaf as saying. "I was sincere in everything I said, even just before the fall of Baghdad international airport."

The figure of Sahaf has spawned a mini industry in the West, spawning T-shirts, mugs, dolls and videos, and a raft of Web sites poking fun at his rhetorical style.

They say that al-Shaaf looked a little worse for wear. At least his stomach is not roasting in hell.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Gay Sex Ban

That's right. Sodomy laws goodbye.

Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer agreed with Kennedy in full. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor agreed with the outcome of the case but not all of Kennedy's rationale.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.

"The court has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda," Scalia wrote for the three. He took the unusual step of reading his dissent from the bench.

"The court has taken sides in the culture war," Scalia said, adding that he has "nothing against homosexuals."

Wow. And to think that this overshadows the Georgia v. Ashcroft ruling:

In a 5-4 ruling, the justices said lower courts reviewing redistricting cases should consider all factors and not focus solely on whether minorities can elect a minority candidate.

The ruling only affects states that are subject to the 1965 Voting Rights Act because of past discrimination. The act discourages dilution of minority voting strength.

Virginia being one of the states affected by the Voting Rights Act, this is significant. Folks in Fredericksburg will remember the big to-do over the City redistricting and the gerrymandering of Ward 4. This one has more ramifications than Lawrence v. Texas, to be sure.

'Comical Ali' Held, Then Released by U.S. -Arab TV

At first, I told myself this was unbelieveable. But on second thought, what a way to humiliate a guy. In the scheme of things, he wasn't even important enough to arrest.

Former Iraqi information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, who earned the nickname "Comical Ali" during the Iraq war, handed himself in to U.S. forces but was released after questioning, an Arab TV station said on Thursday.

Al-Arabiya TV said in a statement it would air an interview with Al-Sahaf at 3 p.m. EDT on Friday.

"Sahaf said he handed himself over to the American forces and the Americans interrogated him, then they released him," the channel said, showing pictures of a gray-haired Sahaf during the interview.

Al-Sahaf, who gained his unflattering nickname for proclaiming the defeat of U.S. forces even as they moved into Baghdad and his habit of fingering loaded weapons during news conferences, was not on the U.S. "most wanted" list.

U.S.: Banned arms evidence in Iraq

OOPS! So much for the whining of the anti-Bush crowd.

SWAMI SEZ: You watch. This won't put a wet blanket on the anti-Bush folks. First it was the war and what a bloodbath it would be for all sides. It wasn't. Then it was the lack of information regarding WMD and their whereabouts. Now former Ba'athists are coming out of the woodwork just like we were told they would. Next it will be the lack of administration in Iraq. Guess what's going to happen there. . .

I would like for just one anti-Bush peacemonger to come forward and say at this stage exactly what they would like to see come out of Iraq and on what form of timetable. It's easy to lob bombs and rail against the Administration, but when things go according to plan the peacemongers have to have something to say for themselves. Not that accountability means anything to Clinton supporters, but it's worth a shot.

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

HIS STOMACH WILL ROAST IN A DIRTY BAGHDAD CELL!

U.S. soldiers captured the former Iraqi Information Minster.

So Where The Heck Have Ya Been?

Where have I been lately? Well, my father was in town with the family from Missouri, so I took a brief hiatus from the real world for about three days or so. Now that he is leaving tomorrow afternoon, everyone is back in the pool.

Sunday, June 22, 2003

Most Folks Would Have Pegged Me at 45+!

My Inner Age
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Saturday, June 21, 2003

Girl's lemonade stand back in business

Entrepreneurship at its best:

Media from all over the United States have swarmed to now-famous Avigayil Wardein — a brown-haired, 6-year-old who just lost two front baby teeth.

Naples police busted Avigayil on June 13 for selling lemonade without a city permit. The story filtered through the news wires and quickly became a topic on CNN, MSNBC and Fox news networks, as well as the "Today" show and "Inside Edition."

It was only nine days ago that Avigayil was known to passers-by as the cute girl who sells plastic cups of lemonade for 50 cents in front of her Old Naples house. Today, she's known as the Naples lemonade gal who has the whole country rooting for her and her ambitious little lemonade stand.

It turns out not many folks knew someone needs a city permit to operate a lemonade stand. Even Naples Mayor Bonnie MacKenzie bought lemonade from the small setup before Avigayil was forced to close it.

"I've been a customer of hers more than once," MacKenzie said. "That means I've aided and abetted. You know what, I'm not one bit sorry. It's good lemonade."

On June 13, Naples police responded to a complaint from an anonymous neighbor who grumbled about the permit-less lemonade stand on the corner of Sixth Street and 11th Avenue South.

Friday, June 20, 2003

FOX Envy and the Liberal Establishment

In the Wall Street Journal's Best of the Web, there is a rather lengthy post concerning Algore (one word) and his attempts to create a liberal cable television news channel. While the article points out the obvious liberal media outlets that already exist, it points to a larger phenomena that the Dems just haven't grasped yet:

Yes, there are those who deny that the "mainstream" media are liberal, or even assert they tilt to the right--a laughable claim by our lights, but if there's an underserved market for unabashedly left-wing news and commentary, we can hardly begrudge Gore or other entrepreneurs from trying to meet it. We just doubt that such a market exists.

In the late 1980s we worked briefly for the Heritage Foundation, the Washington think tank best known for its aggressive marketing of conservative ideas. In those days we read lots of news articles about folks who hoped to establish a liberal counterpart to the Heritage Foundation. The other week we were in Washington and dropped in on Heritage, where a friend in the PR department told us that nothing's changed: Liberals are still trying to figure out the secret of Heritage's success and imitate it. Why haven't they been able to do it?

Here's why: Heritage was founded in the early 1970s, when liberalism reigned so supreme in American politics that the Democrats had dominated Capitol Hill almost continuously for 40 years. Like Fox News Channel today, Heritage owed its vitality in large part to its role as an alternative to the establishment. Liberal Democrats today, by contrast, still have an establishmentarian mindset, and one can't really blame them: Although the Republicans now hold the White House and both houses of Congress, the Dems are within striking distance of recapturing at least the Senate, and the GOP hasn't won a decisive victory in a presidential election since 1988. One good election, and the Democrats would be back in power, where they feel they rightfully belong. On the other hand, if the Republicans are en route to becoming America's undisputed majority party, it'll take a lot for Democrats accept their minority status--at the very least, a loss in the 2008 presidential election.

As a consequence of this uncertainty about their future, today's Democrats are intellectually stagnant. They are the conservative party--not in the ideological sense, but in the sense of being opposed to change: Leave Social Security alone. Don't cut taxes (but don't raise them either). Roe v. Wade is sacrosanct, and anyone who questions it is unqualified for the federal bench. Affirmative action? Defend it, don't end it. And on foreign policy, the top liberal priority is the maintenance of Cold War-era institutions and alliances. Only on a few fringe issues (gay rights comes to mind) can liberals and Democrats be said to have any sort of agenda other than the preservation of the status quo.

Damn skippy.

Hussein Is Probably Alive in Iraq, U.S. Experts Say

U.S. intelligence officals now seem to be leaning towards the possibility that Saddam Hussein is still alive and hiding in Iraq:

The officials said the recently obtained intelligence had re-intensified the search for Mr. Hussein along with his sons, Uday and Qusay. The search is being led by Task Force 20, a secret military organization that includes members of the Army's highly specialized Delta Force and of the Navy's elite counterterrorism squads, with support from the Central Intelligence Agency.

If this is true, then this might be better than if we had killed him in the March 20th or April 07th attacks. A public apprehension of the Ace of Spades would be a PR coup, and the capture of the most volatile WMD in Iraq and a forthcoming public trial in an Iraqi court would be outstanding.

Thursday, June 19, 2003

Kerry: "Bush Misled Every One of Us"

So this is the way that the Democrats are going to run the 2004 presidential election? Senator Kerry has decided to "drink the Kool-Aid" and go for the jugular. . .

''I will not let him off the hook throughout this campaign with respect to America's credibility and credibility to me because if he lied he lied to me personally,'' he said.

Kerry fielded several questions about Iraq from a small group of anti-war Democrats after he addressed about 250 people in a downtown Lebanon park.

Kerry supported the war and said Wednesday, ''I'm glad Saddam Hussein is gone.'' But the Massachusetts senator has criticized the president's diplomatic efforts. He that concern Wednesday saying Bush had alienated U.S. allies in the runup to war.

Sure John. . . we believe you. It almost seems as if there is a race between Dean and Kerry to see who looks more like a demagouge. For the moment, Kerry is winning. C'mon Dean, raise the stakes a little!

Ah, I love seeing the Dems eat themselves alive like this. Does anyone really believe that the American public is going to side with the anti-war crowd now? No bloodbath, no bogging down, no evidence of intelligence faults, just success after success. What ever happened to "it's the economy, stupid?"

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Canada to Allow Same Sex Marriages

Wow, I'm surprised. Not that I should be surprised seeing as this is coming from Canada, but I really thought that the same sex marriage movement lost steam.

But alas, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien submitted a bill allowing for exactly that. The bill has only to go through the Canadian Supreme Court in order to be enacted into law.

Two problems with this. First, same sex marriages become entitled to marriage tax credits and programs intended for families, and so in a socialized tax environment you are giving money intended for small kids to folks who aren't going to have kids (presumably).

Moreso in Canada than in the United States, this inevitably puts a drain on the pool of tax dollars devoted towards helping disadvantaged children. Taxes go up, and there now becomes a problem of tax credits for families going towards those who do not and probably will not have children.

Secondly, why institutionalize gay marriages de jure? Sounds like a silly question at first, but there is a reason why gay activists want this - to legitimize and mainstream by law what they have been unable to do in the churches.

In short, it is a roundabout way to legitimize gay marriages by law rather than by theology, which in the back of my Catholic mind says that they have lost the argument in the public square and are taking the argument to the courtroom. Mainstream Christianity simply isn't buying into the rhetoric and is sticking very close to traditional Christian principles.

Marriage is a sacrament, not a law. The fact that gay activists have taken the battle for legitimacy outside the bounds of theology illustrates how weak their argument is within mainstream Protestant and Catholic circles.

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Claude Dunn for Supervisor!

In Spotsylvania this year, all of the consitutional offices and supervisor seats are up for re-election, as well as the state legislature offices (most importantly the 17th Senate). Out of these local races, the Dunn-Connors race is the race to keep your eye on for its potential to get contentuous quick.

"I got tired of supporting people I couldn't support 100 percent," said Dunn, 62, who is challenging incumbent Hap Connors for the Chancellor District seat on the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors.

Hap Connors is the type of liberal that makes liberals cringe, and he is no push-over. He was the Executive Director of the South Carolina Democratic Party in the early 90's (until he was removed for calling the sitting Republican governor a 'fascist'), and he was the Maryland campaign co-ordinator for the Clinton-Gore campaign in '96. In short, while this guy is well trained, well spoken, absolutely out of step with Spotsylvania values.

The problem for Hap is that he lives in a district that is overwhelmingly Republican. Claude Dunn has lived here for years, is well known, well liked, respected, and above all else in this district a Republican. Claude is a guy that is very vocal about the effect his faith has on his judgement, and he isn't going to hide it just because he is in the public square - an admirable thing.

Hap is going to have to do more than just rest on the laurels of Chancellorsville, because while the project went down thanks to the anti-sprawl groups he has hitched his wagon to, towns are basically good in nature in terms of anti-sprawl initiatives.

What do I expect out of this race? Given Hap's background and the 3:1 odds in the Chancellor district in favor of the GOP, it could get nasty and negative very quickly. Hap's a smart guy though, so it won't be your old style, stick-it-to-em type of negative campaigning, it'll be that sugary positive/negative crap. Jokes, innuendo, all based on facts, and in short just trying to get Claude to say something overtly faith-oriented in order to hang him with it for the rest of the campaign.

Unfortunately for Hap, Claude is a smart guy too. While other candidates may shy away, Claude is the type of guy who looks forward to someone challenging him on the issues. Christians in public office? Why would Hap be against that! Vouchers? Show us a cheaper alternative! Privitization? Why not privatize the dog catcher and see how it works!

If Hap is serious about combating sprawl, Claude has all of the untried answers. And that is why this race is going to be the focal point for the Spotsylvania races. If it gets real nasty (as it has every potential to be), it could effect the 17th District race, and that could spell disaster if it gets bad. Watch this race!

Diocese of Pheonix Bishop O'Brien Arrested

Bishop Thomas O'Brien has been charged with an involvement in a hit-and-run on a pedestrian. Of course, the Arizona Republic can't help but get in a few jibes:

The prelate's new turmoil, nearly biblical in scope, may put Arizona's Catholic leadership in limbo as it rocks a diocese that has endured months of tortured scrutiny about deviant priests who were allowed to prey on children.

Disgusting. What does this have to do with pederasts? Nothing of course, but the anti-Catholics in the press still can't waste a moment to stick it to the Church or her leaders.

Monday, June 16, 2003

What is it worth to avoid the commute?

The FLS had an article this morning concerning a survey on commuters, specifically concentrating on whether or not commuters would be willing to give up pay in order to work closer to home.

The survey can be taken here. One thing I hope comes out clear for the survey: TELECOMMUTING!

Friday, June 13, 2003

Invitation to crash GOP primary set editorial 'low'

More fallout from the 28th District GOP primary. This time, Ralph Lawton who chairs the Spotsy GOP give his thoughts on the Free Lance-Star's editorial encouraging all to vote in the Republican primary:

The writer of the editorial joined state Sen. John Chichester, R-Stafford, in inviting voters of all political parties to pile on in the Republican primary, knowing full well that is nothing more than cheating. What a terrible example for our youth to see--blatant dishonesty promoted in the editorial pages. Is your proposal legal? Yes. Is it morally right? No!

The Republicans should decide which Republican to nominate, and the Democrats should decide whom their nominee should be. All Americans with a sense of fair play and decency should be offended by the editorial's words.

Ralph is of course right. Republicans should decide their own nominee, and Democrats should do the same. Would it have held any effect on the 28th District race? Who knows? But the point is made all the same.

It's Time

Time to make the trip to the 'undisclosed location' for my buddy's bachelor party. Where to, you might ask? Well, that would be giving away the secret now wouldn't it. Some know too much information already. . . but don't worry Cori, we'll keep him out of trouble. *poke*

Thursday, June 12, 2003

Journalist David Brinkley Dies at 82

David Brinkley died this morning as a result from complcations from a fall.

Former President Bush called him "the elder statesman of broadcast journalism," but Brinkley spoke of himself in less grandiose terms.

"Most of my life," he said in a 1992 interview, "I've simply been a reporter covering things, and writing and talking about it."

Considering that "This Week with David Brinkley" could largely be considered the first of the Sunday morning talk shows, the man was truly a pioneer in his field.

Sibling Rivalry!

Jason and I are disagreeing about the impact of Tuesday's primary elections. On his comments yesterday he decided to celebrate Chichester's primary victory as a rejection of conservative values. But was that what the election was about?

Needless to say, Jay didn't appreciate my criticism of his "Go, Chichester" line:

First problem is taking a line from someone who's opinion you questioned the very foundation of and using it as representative of an entire group. That's like Tate declaring his loss by only 100 votes was a referendum when he had less than half of a small portion of the district's population. But if you want to grasp for straws...

The election wasn't just a rejection of negative campaigns but of the very people who run them. It was a rejection of bids by the far right faction to oust the more moderates within the Republican party. It was a reminder that the GOP is supposed to be a big tent.

Is that so? Well, this morning's Free Lance-Star gave the run of the pundits this morning. Guess who they agreed with?

"I don't see it as being a strong philosophical message," said Gary Thomson, executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia.

Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, himself a member of the party's conservative wing and a former client of Mike Rothfeld, Chichester's opponent, agreed. "I'm not sure that there's any message, other than the voters who showed up seemed to be satisfied with the status quo."

"Voters were rejecting the negative campaigning. A lot of that backfired," said House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford.

And as for Democrats taking courage from Tuesday's elections. . .

The primary results have another beneficiary beyond the senators, Farnsworth said.

"Even though his name wasn't on the ballot, [Gov.] Mark Warner was one of the big winners on Tuesday night," he said. "The Republican Party in the Senate is going to keep a very moderate-Republican-dominated chamber. Warner would have had a much harder time with his agenda if the Republicans in the Senate looked like the Republicans in the House."

It feels so good to be so right sometimes. But hey, sometimes all you can do is spell it out.

Wednesday, June 11, 2003

Fallout?

And so the battle for the hearts and minds of the 28th Virginia Senate district is over, and decidedly in Chichester's favor.

So what does this mean, particularly for "conservative Christians" that were the target of the Free Lance-Star editorial last week? As expected, the GOP moderates will capitalize on the victory as more than a repudiation of "negative politics" and extend it to a defeat of the conservative movement altogether.

Don't think that will occur? Take this gem of a line for instance:

With 61 of 63 precincts reporting, John Chichester has kicked some ass and forgotten names in his primary romp over 'challenger' Mike Rothfeld. Damn right. I'm sorry, Rothfeld fights dirty and Chichester is a good guy. Oh, drats, he doesn't toe the conservative line 100% of the time. You know what? GOOD! I want someone who actually thinks for himself and understands that there's a real world outside of ideals. emphasis added

Go, Chichester.

This is the problem.

Chichester's absence on parental notification is not going to be one more instance of a politician going MIA when the cards are down, but as statesmanship. Voting to make RU-486 a legal contraceptive is no longer antithecal to pro-life values, it's compassion. Rejecting the Republican promise to rollback the car tax while state expenditures rise 50% over five years is no longer irresponsible, it's construed as "fiscal responsibility."

That's not leadership. That's dodging issues that are important to Virginians.

Yes yes, the election is over, and any gripes about Chichester's voting record have been settled by the sword so to speak. But this election had nothing to do with a rejection of conservative values. People were turning out to reject negative campaigning and support their old friend.

Truth be told, Rothfeld actually ran a very clean campaign. The PACs that were involved certainly didn't, and one can always raise an eyebrow. But the reality is that a canidate has a very limited amount of influence he can exert on independent PACs and what they print. Unfortunately it all gets rolled together. Mike Rothfeld is a good guy and I am proud to support him.

The moderates are going to take from this election whatever they choose to take, and since it will be the wrong lessons conservatives can take hope. "Conservative Christians" did not lose yesterday. It was Chichester's entrenchment and the stigma of negative campaigning that won. If anything can be learned, it is the potency of negative politics in both how they are used and how it can be turned against you.

Rothfeld's challenge to Chichester was perfectly legitimate. The reasons were clear, our values remained strong. Criticize the style if you wish, but the substance of the argument remains.

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

The 28th District Race

As I am writing this, it is 6:50pm on Tuesday evening. I like most other fanatics are carefully watching the State Board of Elections website results.

Gut instinct? Turnout was low across the Northern Neck, so the "doomsday scenario" for Chichester where independents and Democrats would stay at home possibly came true.

However, there were a few precinct captains for Rothfeld who sent word that they had seen few supporters and to get the GOTV (get-out-the-vote) machine started early. Seeing as most Rothfeld supporters work in up north, hopefully this evening's turnout will tell the tale of the tape. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Rothfeld is taking Fauquier County 58% to 42%. Needless to say, that is unexpected! This could be close!

UPDATE x2: Of course, one's idea of 'close' takes a beating when Stafford County goes to the incumbent 4,843 to 2,116 with 22 of 23 precincts reporting.

UPDATE x3: Chichester 69%, Rothfeld 30%. Jost loses as well by similar margins. Wow. . . Dems and independents aside, the numbers speak for themselves. More later.

Monday, June 09, 2003

The Blunt, the Dope, the Chronic, the Jaba, the Leaf, the Tree. . . is there any others?

No, it's not Ali G, it's from a source on youth ministry of all places!

Weird stuff. . . old, but weird (or should I say whack).

Mediation Between Normal People. . . and Geeks

A pleasant place to be.

You are 35% geek

You are a geek liaison, which means you go both ways. You can hang out with normal people or you can hang out with geeks which means you often have geeks as friends and/or have a job where you have to mediate between geeks and normal people. This is an important role and one of which you should be proud. In fact, you can make a good deal of money as a translator.

Normal: Tell our geek we need him to work this weekend.

You [to Geek]: We need more than that, Scotty. You'll have to stay until you can squeeze more outta them engines!

Geek [to You]: I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain, but we need more dilithium crystals!

You [to Normal]: He wants to know if he gets overtime.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

Saturday, June 07, 2003

Putting the Smackdown on Heresy Since 1981!

Just who are these wonderful people? Why, it's the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that's who! The Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club is a webpage dedicated to the ongoing smackdown. Maybe we should point him towards Cardinal Kaspar and the Pontifical Commission, eh?

Thursday, June 05, 2003

Pastor of the Church of the Nativity to Speak at St. Mary Catholic Church

Rev. Amjad Sabbara will speak at St.Mary Catholic Church at 7:30pm on the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This promises to be a great talk, and something that will definitely challenge past ideas of the condition of Palestinian Christians and the state of Israel. Come and visit!

Star Spangled Ice Cream

The conservative alternative to Ben and Jerry's? This company advertises such flavors as I Hate the French Vanilla, Iraqi Road, Smaller Governmint, and Nutty Environmentalist. Buy some for Dad this Father's Day.

Wednesday, June 04, 2003

FLS Backs Chichester

In an unprecedented half-page editorial, the Free Lance-Star came down on both the side of the incumbent John Chichester but also against the negative campaigning tactics of Mike Rothfeld:

The campaign to unseat state Sen. John Chichester, R-Stafford, by the boosters of his primary opponent, Mike Rothfeld, has been one long, shrill vilification of a serious public man who--agree or not with his politics--carries an earned reputation for devoted service and good character. The Chichester way is not one of venom. When in 1985 his handlers urged him to "go negative" in his race for lieutenant governor against Democrat Douglas Wilder, who had vulnerabilities, Mr. Chichester kept his punches up, losing with 48 percent of the vote. Yet forgiving anytime soon the orchestrated slurs of the current campaign would require that Mr. Chichester's name be preceded not by "Sen." but by "St." His supporters are roused for a warpath that stretches beyond Election Day.

This paragraph means much more than what it says, because as the rest of the editorial implies, the real enemy of good politics isn't negative tactics, it is inflexible dogmatism from Christian conservatives:

in their zeal to make a better society, conservative Christians can be tempted by expediency. As the great Christian apologist C.S. Lewis wrote, "[W]ickedness, when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way."

Was Lewis ever right. The publisher of the after-church sodomy indictment is American Renewal, "the legislative action arm of Family Research Council." Thoughtful believers on a mission to convince a skeptical public of the truth of their positions are undercut when those acting under their flag spurn fair play and turn the cannons of ruthless rhetoric on decent public servants. Christian soldiers? These are Christian terrorists. Believers who link themselves with these ends-oriented wretches soil the causes they champion and the faith they profess.

Is he right? Well of course he is. But there's more:

Several area political leaders who accept the label "Christian conservative" are thoroughly honorable women and men. They should amend their policy regarding primary endorsements, break their silence, and join House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, in disavowing the Rothfeld campaign's methods and urging Mr. Chichester's re-election. There may be a higher imperative to do this than secular politics.

Is that so? Here the problem with the argument, and especially from a Catholic point of view. The Republican Party is supposed to be a party of principle, right? When it comes to those principles, there can be no compromise. We are either pro-life, or we are not. We are either anti-tax, or we are not. There is no middle ground, only a responsible execution of these goals.

The problem is that the principles are being confused with the tactics. Set the negative tactics aside. Of course, it becomes politically convenient to weigh down the conservative Christian argument with Rothfeld's tactics, but there shouldn't be a joining of the hip here. The principles should not waver, and those who are supporting Rothfeld on those principles shouldn't be given an "either-or" proposition in terms of their honor or reputation.

Of course, the most humorous part waits until the end:

A crushing Chichester win on June 10, in a primary open to voters of every party, would tell all the slick-jowled opinion-manipulators inside the Beltway that their direct-mail attacks and church-lot sleazesheets are--in a true community--a waste of suckers' money. "The Irish," groused Freud, "are the only people who don't benefit from psychoanalysis." Let the Fredericksburg area be likewise exceptional in resisting poisonous propaganda. Never let our streets become mean streets.

GO IRISH! By and large I agreed with this editorial, and I am very content to hunker down until 11 June. Until then, I do intend to stand by my Catholic principles and work towards them accordingly.

Public life demands men and women of principle. Just because there are those who would use that principle as cover shouldn't be a slight to those who live those principles as they were intended. I for one will stand by my principles and vote accordingly, no matter what the election.

Tuesday, June 03, 2003

You Decide. . .

Folks, I don't know which is the bigger news. That Central Intelligence is reportedly concerned about al-Qaeda's ability to make use of WMD, or the new format of the website at the Washington Times.

See, they stole my color. . . I'm a trendsetter!

Why the Fixation on the James Monroe HS Tract?

Now why would Fredericskburg want to keep building here when we have a golden opportunity to do something great with this tract?

Fredericksburg's next high school probably will be built next door to its current one.

The city's School Site Search/Selection Committee has narrowed its list of possibilities to two locations, including the James Monroe tract.

"We consider that property our first choice," committee member Kerry John told her fellow School Board members last night.

No no no no no. . . sell the JM tract to Mary Washington College, get the proffers from the folks at Idlewild for two new schools, use the proceeds from the sale to build a new high school, and rent the old JM as 4th through 6th grade school for 20 years. By then, the city should have plenty of money to build a better elementary/primary school.

Monday, June 02, 2003

A Day at the Franciscan Monastery!

After dropping off my mother at National Airport this afternoon, I took a trip up to Catholic University and visited the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land. Very cool place.

Sunday, June 01, 2003

"We are going to assemble the evidence and present it properly"

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is signalling that Coalition forces do have evidence of Iraqi WMD:

"Those people who are sitting there saying 'Oh it is all going to be proved to be a great big fib got out by the security services, there will be no weapons of mass destruction', just wait and have a little patience," he said.

"I certainly do know some of the stuff that has already been accumulated...which is not yet public but what we are going to do is assemble that evidence and present it properly."

MTV Awards. . .

Not that I watched it, but this just couldn't escape my eye. . .

After the virtual performance award went to Gollum, actor Andy Serkis _ who voiced the character and performed the movements for its computer animation _ appeared on screen to thank the filmmaker and special effects crew for their work in bringing the monster to life.

Then, the emaciated Gollum clamored over to snatch the trophy from Serkis' hands.

"You're a liar and a thief," Gollum hissed. "It's mine!"

Gollum went on to deliver an expletive-filled tirade against the filmmakers, actors, MTV and audience, while Serkis stood by looking embarrassed.

That Gollum, always causing trouble. . .

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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