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Monday, October 31, 2005Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder PlotHistorians in the UK have re-created the 1605 Parliament building, constructed a replica down to the month-old gunpowder Guy Fawkes planned to use, and blew it up. Conclusion? The Gunpowder Plot would have killed King James and everyone inside. If you'd care to know more about the Gunpowder Plot and who Guy Fawkes really is, take a peek at this. Cool history stuff here. Bonfire Night for those unfamiliar with their history is how the British celebrate the capture of Guy Fawkes, whom along with fellow Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up the Parliament building, King James I, and all the lords of England -- even noblemen previously sympathetic to the Catholic cause. Guy was caught inside the cellar of the House of Lords on a tip from (ironically) a fellow conspirator who had second thoughts, and an effigy of Guy is burned in bonfires all over Britain (and elsewhere) on 05 November. Being a Catholic myself, I can't say I approve of the whole thing, but any excuse to light a bonfire is fine by me. j's notes: Kaine by 4 (and why he's wrong)Well, the pundits are calling the shots now, and Kenney the Younger has made his prediction: All polls are showing that the race between Kaine and Kilgore (and that other guy) is more or less a dead heat. But polls are meaningless. What matters is whether or not people turn up to vote the way they say they will.Here's the recent lineup of polls in Virginia, and while the polls here may show Kaine up by 1.2%, I'm going to explain why Kilgore is going to win in four short little letters. GOTV. Kilgore has it, Kaine doesn't. We have a better program under one banner. Kaine has MoveOn.org and a host of other 527 mercenaries. That's why the Democratic senators wanted to see Kaine by five, because they know it just as well as we do. What sinks us? Depends on what goes on in Washington to be honest, and there's not much Kilgore can do about that. One thing is for sure though, the fate of Kilgore lies with conservatives alone. We either pick a fella whom we can work with, or we pick Tim Kaine. If the thought of a $2 billion tax hike guarenteed tickles you, stay home. If not, Kilgore needs your vote on 08 November. In short, unless something tragic happens, conservatives are going to rally 'round the flag (especially after our new SCOTUS nominee seems to be the real deal rather than a moderate squish) and reinforce their Republican majority. The threat of a Kilgore veto is enough to kill any tax hike from the Senate, not to mention the body shot the Dems and the moderate Republicans will take from a Kaine/Potts drubbing. Sunday, October 30, 2005Akers: Charles "The Hammer" MartelInterested in a little history lesson? FLS editor Paul Akers has a great story on the Battle of Tours. Prince Charles to plead Islam's cause to BushI hate condescension: Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Bar, was also at the meeting at St James's Palace. 'His criticism of America was a general one of the Americans not having the appreciation we have for Islam and its culture,' he said.Gee, sounds like a rather generalized criticism to me, utterly disregarding the appreciation some Americans do indeed have for Islam and its culture. One of the many reason our forefathers rebelled against the Mother Country, I think. Saturday, October 29, 2005WHFS is back!Back as 105.7FM. Check it out! Friday, October 28, 2005QandO: The price of wandering off the lefty plantationDisgusting. Chad Dotson gives a roundup of what non-Virginia Democrats are doing to Tim Kaine for removing his ad from the blog that painted Maryland GOP Lt. Governor candidate Michael Steele as Black Sambo (and yes, this is a true item). Some of the posts are just horrible, and it only reinforces what Repbulicans have been saying for years about the so-called safety net and the Democratic Party's approach to minorities. It must be said though; kudos to Tim Kaine for pulling his blogads from that site and enduring the venom of the Deaniacs within his own party. He did the right thing. Thursday, October 27, 2005Harriet Meiers: WITHDRAWING!!!Just caught word. Kudos for covering this blogwise belongs entirely to Cries in the Night, my primary source for all things SCOTUS and Meiers as of late. I look forward to a breakdown by Shipwrecked sometime in the near future. Now Mr. President, keep you word. Give us another Scalia or Thomas! Why Did Kaine Want to Break His Word?So why did Tim Kaine want to break his word? So he could violate a gentleman's agreement between himself and Kilgore and disseminate images from the debates: However, even Kilgore has not seen the ad-- two Republicans say they were part of a focus group on which the ad was tested.And yes, what precisely did "the ad" feature? The footage in the ad reportedly comes from a testy exchange between Kilgore and moderator Tim Russert, as Russert pressed Kilgore to answer whether he would sign legislation outlawing abortion should the Supreme Court return that issue to the states.Yes, the infamous Tim Russert "gotcha" moment. What this proves is three things: (1) Tim Kaine has (or more accurately, his staff have) zero character. (2) Conservatives really are rallying 'round the flag, much to the dismay of Democrats who were counting on them to stay home, and someone's polls are reflecting that. (3) Tim Kaine is doing everything possible to rekindle a split. Bottom line is this: when Jerry Kilgore wins, the message to Dems will ultimately be, despite the differences between moderates and conservatives within the GOP, we are united on one principle at least -- Tim Kaine will not become governor. Monday, October 24, 2005John Goolrick passes away at 70Mr. Goolrick was always handy with a letter or note for those who visited or stopped by. Though he often wrote about his personal thoughts on the comings and goings of state and local politics, I can remember specific instances of other individuals breaking that unwritten code of not sharing those letters with others. Hopefully I can be forgiven my first offense by offering the last paragraph of an e-mail, just to let others know his style and character: Melissa says family doing well. You coming to Mark Cole's event? Hope to see you soon. I write a column Old Dominion Politics that is in a lot of weekly papers each week..will resume it soon. Bacon uses my stuff once in a while. Keep on trucking. You are young and will prevail. I enjoy your blog. Lots of good insights.I stopped by his office after he returned from his first hospital trip. We talked about Patton, my June 2005 race, state politics and its tone and tenor today, and family - particularly my 11 month old daughter Caroline. Mr. Goolrick passed away yesterday at the age of 70. His last article wrote about the lost civility in politics, something which we can all lament and look forward to its return. In a certain way, that article was truly the capstone to a lasting legacy. I certainly hope there is an effort at some point to collect his writings and publish them. They certainly would make a great snapshot of Virginia politics in the 20th century. Mr. Goolrick and I shared a respect for General George Patton, which was always a great talking point. He really was "plugged in" as they say, but also one of the nicest, kindest people you could care to meet. A reporter, consultant, and a good man -- one whose career I would instantly emulate. Funeral arrangements are still being developed. Sunday, October 23, 2005"Ayatollah's of the right wing"I eagerly await the editorial boards of the Roanoake Times, Daily Press, Washington Post, and other left-leaning newspapers' condemnation of DNC Chairman Howard Dean for invoking the images of Muslim fanatics in his criticism of Republicans. Eagerly. Too Conservative: Who's Lying Now? UPDATED x2Democrat Tim Kaine is trying to play up the conservative angst with Jerry Kilgore on taxes. Pretty low if you ask me. UPDATE: Norman over at OMT seems to think that the Virginia Club for Growth needs to be called to the mat for this. My question is whether the VCG knowingly allowed the use of its materials in the piece. If not, then I would fully expect an immediate statement from the VCG explaining what happened and what they intend to do about it.I can't believe for a moment that VGC would do that, regardless of whether or not they would like to see Kilgore explain his position on lowering taxes and reducing the size of government. Let it be known though: there is a faction of the GOP that beleive it's easier to bump off tax-and-spend Democrats than tax-and-spend Republicans, and far easier to criticize the Dems than have moderates constantly bring up Reagan's 11th Commandment - which I personally loathe (did Reagan remember "thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican" in 1976 while running against Ford?). However, there is one salient point all conservatives need to remember: every vote for Kilgore is a vote for Bolling and McDonnell. VGC knows this too. I would be shocked if they explicitly co-operated with the Kaine campaign to put a piece like this out. UPDATE x2: My instinct was indeed proven true. Michael Shear over at the Washington Post dissected this pretty quickly: It's true, confirms the Kaine campaign. They designed this mailing, which is going out to folks across the state, based on an e-mail that the Virginia Club for Growth sent out a few weeks back. In fact, here's the press release on the Club for Growth's own Web site. Everything in the Kaine mailing is based on the Club's own e-mail. But it's sure designed to look as if the Club, not Kaine, sent it out.I wonder what kind of response Kilgore would get if he sent a similarly designed flier to all female Democratic voters in Virginia emphasizing NARAL's lack of fuzzy feelings for Tim Kaine? Bet it wouldn't get the "nice try" treatment Kaine's latest stunt seems to be receiving. Tim PumpKaineCourtesy of Commonwealth Conservative. Awesome. I'm making one! Saturday, October 22, 2005The Back of the Napkin: Now, I Give Up!!!A NOVA Democrat has had enough of Democratic campaign tactics, including sign theft and the usual petty nonsense that most of us have come to tolerate from the radicals working for the left. The pictures say everything that needs to be said. (Courtesy of Chad Dotson). C'mon Hoos!That was a painful game to watch. Greenland icecap thickens despite warmingHeh. And no, I don't buy the idea that it can be attributed to "global warming" per se. W. Sidney ArmstrongSidney Armstrong passed away yesterday at the age of 93. Mr. Armstrong lived in my neighborhood on Littlepage Street. Missy would walk by his place with the kids and every once in awhile would talk with Mr. Armstrong. I had the opportunity to meet him about three years ago, and he was every bit the gentleman people made him to be. Mr. Armstrong, Mrs. Hunter, my own grandmother... it just seems as if the people I knew as the character of Fredericksburg seem to be drifting away one by one. OMT: A sign of trouble
One cardinal rule of political campaigns? Handle volunteers and precinct workers with care. Here is one example of how the Kilgore campaign, it seems, has managed to enrage a supporter and poll worker. And the problem stems from this...an episode I found strange, too.It's not the first instance I've heard, although we're treated much better in the Fredericksburg area. I can tell you the Kilgore campaign has asked committee chairmen to step up their game. I can also tell you that the folks I typically count on to get out the troops are a bit worn out and are still concerned about the conservative credentials of Jerry Kilgore. Surprisingly, it's the Miers nomination that has them the most worried. If Bush didn't keep his promises to conservatives, why will Kilgore? This is a red flag that might be too late to stop. Then again, every vote for Kilgore is a vote for Bolling and McDonnell... It's a mantra you have to repeat - unless the idea of Lt. Gov. Leslie Byrne and Attorney General Creigh Deeds gives you warm fuzzies. Gives me cold chills quite frankly. His Royal HighnessDelegate Mark Cole is facing the same challenger he faced in 2003, a retired Prince William detective by the name of Chuck Feldbush. Feldbush's red signs, which blend nicely with the Russ Potts signs planted along Rt. 17 in Stafford, are sparse but noticable. Most of the time, the FLS takes its jabs when it can. Though I don't really approve (what does it add?), I'm somewhat pleased to see that sometimes, the FLS takes it's pot shots on the basis of equal opportunity: Like former President George H.W. Bush, he [Feldbush] often refers to himself in the first-person plural, as when he discusses campaign strategy.Although we have been known to lapse into first person plural when discussing our viewpoints, we find the aforementioned discourse to be quite humorous. WaPo Takes Cheap Shots on Craddock
Close to midnight, it became clear he wouldn't finish all the notes, so Craddock prepared to call it quits. But not before he wrote a letter to his close friend Josh Lineberger.Perhaps I wouldn't be so indignant if I weren't convinced that most WaPo reporters (the ones I know anyhow) define what journalism should be. This article is a cheap shot beginning to end. No matter, Craddock is going to win the 67th with a race well run. Friday, October 21, 2005criesinthenight: Sooooooooeeeeeey!Ladies and gentlemen, the first Porker Award. SkepticalObservor: You Really Can't Make This Stuff Up!James Young pulverizes the hypocrisy of the folks at Raising Kaine. That's a backbreaker! Thursday, October 20, 2005FLS pontificates on what Catholics should believeNothing in the world makes me want to bang my head against a wall more than sloppy research. Today's FLS decides it would like to clarify not only Catholic teaching on the death penalty, but also a Catholic's obligations while in public office. We'll start with the meat of this morning's article: The emergence of the death penalty as a central issue in the Virginia governor's race raises the question of how the Catholic faith of candidate Tim Kaine might affect his performance in office.Okay, no problems so far. Kaine is entirely culpable for his decisions, and the Church does not force a Catholic to vote a certain way. 'The church teaching is very consistently supportive of all human life, from womb to tomb,' said Steve Neill, editor of the Catholic Virginian newspaper and spokesman for the Diocese of Richmond.That opinion was condemned by Pope Leo XIII in Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae back in 1899. But, beloved son, in this present matter of which we are speaking, there is even a greater danger and a more manifest opposition to Catholic doctrine and discipline in that opinion of the lovers of novelty, according to which they hold such liberty should be allowed in the Church, that her supervision and watchfulness being in some sense lessened, allowance be granted the faithful, each one to follow out more freely the leading of his own mind and the trend of his own proper activity. They are of opinion that such liberty has its counterpart in the newly given civil freedom which is now the right and the foundation of almost every secular state.It sounds rather strong, but in essence Leo XIII is explaining that one's private opinions should not circumvent or take precedence over Catholic teaching, which in truth argues in favor of Kaine's position on the death penalty. However, what it does not allow is a free pass as to whether or not Kaine (or any Catholic) should stand by their convictions as a faithful Catholic. If the Church teaches something, you have an obligation to follow it. Regarding the death penalty, if Catholics believe it is too liberally proscribed, then Catholics have an obligation to curtail it's application -- at no point in time is a Catholic permitted to allow an unjust law to exist. Now the FLS article was very quick to point out the Catechism as a defense of Tim Kaine's views on the death penalty, as well as Pope John Paul II's 1995 encyclical on the topic. However, let me offer a viewpoint from then-Cardinal Ratzinger on the English interpretation of Catechism with regards to the death penalty, as described in an interview with ZENIT: Q: In regard to two topics -- the death penalty and the just war -- is it possible that there will be a certain evolution in their treatment as compared to 1992?Hence the problem. Most American anti-death penalty viewpoints would interpret the Catholic stance on the death penalty in a more restrictive light. Pope Benedict XVI alludes to the defining precept in Catholic social teaching regarding the death penatly, namely that it be applied sparingly in worst case scenarios where the threat to society is either (a) grave, or (b) there are no means available to remove that individual from society. Does that mean Adolf Hitler gets the death penatly? You betcha. Does Tim Kaine agree with that? Heck no. And that's the problem. For most Catholics, Hitler gets the death penalty. So does the BTK killer, Charles Manson, and a handful of murderers and perpetrators of violence who will do greater harm than good if released or allowed to live. The issue is debatable as to where to draw the line. For Kaine, it's erring on the side of the redemptive qualities of the individual, which is noble and good. It's a position I can and do respect. However, for Kaine to turn his back on those principles and say "heck, the law is the law and I'll enforce it" strikes deep at the heart of the culture of life and social justice. It suggests Catholics should stand idle as injustice occurs. It suggests that what is legal - agreed upon by men - trumps what is right. It suggests that Christ was ultimately wrong for coming to us and daring to challenge the Old Law. That's the theological implications of Kaine's position, much like John Kerry's position in 2004. Cardinal Ratzinger, in response to Cardinal McCarrick's inquiry regarding whether a Catholic could be "privately pro-life, yet publically pro-choice" and still receive the Eucharist, proposed the following: Christians have a "grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it"Cardinal Ratzinger - more accurately Pope Benedict XVI - was quoting Pope John Paul's 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae, the very same encyclical the FLS reporter (or the spokesman from the Richmond Diocese) used to twist Kaine's position - personally opposed, yet publically will execute the law - into a licit one. Kaine's position is not Catholic. Kaine either stands by his convictions and his faith, or he turns his back on it and does what is politically convenient. There's a judgment of character to make here folks; one I am not qualified to make. I will say this: Kaine's professed faith and his politics do not match. What to do with it is your call. Wednesday, October 19, 2005Kilo Needs PrayersKilo over at Spark It Up!!! was badly injured in an accident this morning. Please say a prayer for him and his family. Cheney to resign in favor of Condi Rice?Well now, this certainly isn't going to make D.J. McGuire happy. Tuesday, October 18, 2005NLS is...Ben Tribbett. Some of us speculated awhile back, and for the sake of protecting a good source of information did their best to lay down some covering fire. Tribbett ran for the 41st District HOD earlier this year before dropping out. Golden and Marsden are currenty vying for the seat. Just in case you were wondering, NLS has (fairly) called the race as a toss-up. Chomsky named top intellectualA British poll has named Noam Chomsky as the world's leading intellectual: Now an emeritus professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chomsky first became known for his theory of grammar developed at MIT in the 1950s, which held that the ability to form structured language is innate in the human mind.Chomsky is the best example of the philosopher's axiom: "if you can't be right, be prolific." I'm surprised that Richard Rorty or John Milbank weren't mentioned. Chomsky's corpus is essentially finished, and while influential it's certainly nothing as mainstreamed on the order of Derrida's works. Umberto Eco came second, followed by Richard Dawkins (both credible picks) came in third. Vaclav Havel - the former Czech president - came in fourth, which I think is great. Not only is he a great intellectual, he's a noted world political leader. It's a rare to see a truly intelligent person rise to leadership, and Havel definitely impresses. Of course in knocking Chomsky, I have to say that I love his response to the news: Chomsky was unimpressed with the honour, telling The Guardian newspaper that polls were something "I don't pay a lot of attention to," adding that "it was probably padded by some friends of mine."Heh. Great response. Kaine by 2Norman Leahy is offering his thoughts on the new Survey USA poll. Support for Kilgore among Republicans is down, support for Kaine among Democrats is up. Norm has some other insights as well: Interesting, too, that in this poll the survey pool was slightly larger than last time. I have no idea whether that makes any difference in the numbers. It looks like another noticeable drop in Kilgore's numbers comes in the 18-34 age group. I thought last time, when he held a lead here, it was surprising. Now, it seems the members of this cohort were just as surprised and broke more for Kaine (though Kilgore maintains an advantage...still surprising).Chad Dotson over at Commonwealth Conservative has some thoughts as well: I’m a tiny bit surprised by the results, but honestly, this poll just shows what we all have known for a while: this is a close race. In the end, Republicans will break late, as they usually do in Virginia. This poll shows Kaine getting 90-percent of Democrats, but Kilgore only 81-percent of Republicans. The GOP will come home in the end; of that, I feel confident.I'm a bit concerned that Republican base support is floating away, while the death penalty ads have rallied the Dems around their candidate. Which raises the question: did the Kilgore campaign release the death penalty ads too early, so as to give Kaine a chance to respond? I don't think so, and here's why. Kilgore needed to get those ads out so as to establish that Kaine really is a "have your cake and eat it too" candidate. Now that we have Kaine established as such on the death penalty, where is Kaine on taxes, transportation, and other issues the conservative base really cares about? This poll isn't a stalemate; it's the prelude to checkmate. I like it. I Am Not Feeling the Draft: The Case Against Condoleezza Rice for PresidentD.J. McGuire's China e-Lobby has long been on my blog aggregator list, and he has a devastating critique of State Secretary Condi Rice's potential presidential bid: The last week or so has seen a remarkable boomlet for a Presidential candidate who, at present, seems to have no interest in running: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Political Svengali Dick Morris has even gone so far as to support a "draft" campaign to convince Ms. Rice to seek the Presidency: "like it was for Eisenhower in 1952" (National Review Online). Leaving aside some of the creepier extensions of that metaphor - if Rice is Eisenhower, who gets to be Imre Nagy? - Morris' continuing presence on Pundit Row, and the formation of "Americans for Rice," will force Americans, and especially Republicans, to examine the prospect of a Rice candidacy.A great read, especially if one has any concern whatsoever about Communist China and it's implications on U.S. policy in Asia. Monday, October 17, 2005Politics and Science : How their Interplay Results in Public PolicyNow this looks interesting: Politics and Science will convene influential and informed experts to discuss the nexus of interests that compete to create policy and how to ensure that good science leads to good public policy that best serves the needs of the public.Now if I can only convince folks that I need to go to this... Sunday, October 16, 2005Looking at the Virginia Catholic Conference QuestionaireChecking out the Virginia Catholic Conference website and their rankings of the candidates (which you can preview here). I'm sure both sides are going to spin this one rather hard -- Kaine refused to respond to two questions on abortion and the death penalty, and Kilgore broke his long-standing policy of not responding to questionaires, to which I am genuinely shocked. However, there's a lot of meat here that strikes to the heart of the Catholic vote. Firstly, the questionaire covers the broad spectrum of Catholic social teaching and should be understood in that light. Many Dems might take a look at this and argue (unfactually) that because Kaine might have responded to the affirmative on some social justice issues, that Kaine may be the more Catholic vote. Secondly, it's worth going over what constitues "winning" the heart and mind of the Catholic voter. While Catholic social teaching touches on a number of issues, abortion and the sanctity of human life is issue #1. All other issues listed on the questionaire are ultimately a secondary concern, and this has been stressed repeatedly by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI as authentic and magisterial (translation: Catholics are instructed to keep abortion first in their minds when they vote in democratic societies). The only condition where Catholics can set this consideration aside is when there is a more serious and more grave threat to the sanctity of human life than abortion. This is an important distinction to keep in mind, because there will ultimately be some Democrats who will skew any Catholic Social Docrine as ultimately rooted in more Democratic values than Republican ones. Thirdly, keep in mind that Catholic social teaching is that - apart from abortion - is in flux. Pope Leo XIII was the first to bring these issues to light towards the end of the 19th century with the encyclical Rerum Novarum. When you take into account that it's only been 120 years of development in a Church that's been around for 2,000 years, CST is a baby yet! In the end, while issues such as the death penalty, just war, fair labor wages, and education are all encompassed in the respects of the human person, Catholicism by nature doesn't impose or enforce the means, but rather proposes the ends. So for instance, yes everyone wants to see workers paid a fair wage, but Catholic social teaching is silent on the methods used to approach these ends. A debate as to whether or not enforced minimum wage laws or a true free market society is best to encourage a living wage is a legitimate one. In contrast, a debate as to whether or not abortion is a tolerable or intolerable offense is not -- Catholic social teaching is very clear on this matter and it is not debatable. Let's go through the responses, shall we? HUMAN LIFE Kaine opposes prohibiting the use of public funds for research on stem cells derived from human embryos, something clearly contravening the teachings of the Catholic Church. Kaine also opposes the regulation of abortion clinics to get them up-to-standard as other outpatient surgical hospitals are required to be. As for opposing state funding of Planned Parenthood and other non-government organizations that either provide or counsel for abortions, Kaine refuses to answer Three strikes, and all on issues our Catholic faith is explicity clear upon. Then we get to the death penalty... Kaine refused to answer whether or not he would ban the death penalty in Virginia. In contrast, Kilgore opposed limiting the use of the death penalty (suggesting he would expand it's use in the Commonwealth). No real winners here with regards to the questionaire, but Kaine has some explaining to do as to why he refused to answer on an issue he clearly feels so strongly about and defends on the basis of his faith. SOCIAL JUSTICE Affordable Housing. Minimum Wage. Labor Protections. Here is where many of the more liberal (i.e. socialist) mindset play the game of "gotcha" with more conservative or libertarian proponents of CST. This having been said, while the ends are non-debateable, the method of acheiving all three of these ends are legitimately debated in Catholic intellectual circles. Is government enforced socialization really the best way to provide affordable housing? A living wage? Protections for labor? Many argue that government socialization of all three isn't necessarily responsible government, but rather the path to socialism (a path condemned by Leo XIII and Pius X). In contrast, it was Leo XIII who first argued that every head-of-household should be paid enough to support himself and his family, thus a "living wage theory" is applied. Who best enforces this though? The state? Responsible businesses? And under which system do the ends best flourish, those ends being true Christian charity? Reading John Paul II's Centesimus Annus on the 100 year anniversary of Leo XIII's aforementioned encyclical, one can see how JP II approves highly of the autonomy of the individual over the suffocating bureaucracy of the state, specifically because is squashes individual Christain charity and turns it into an impersonal and cold routine. Kaine argues the state should provide protections for all three. Kilgore argues in favor of the free market. No real issues here, but again one of the interesting issues within Catholic social teaching that is still being forged. FAMILIES AND CHILDREN Kaine and Kilgore oppose homosexual marriage and support a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman without exceptions. Both support EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) for low-income workers. Both even support using public busing for non-public school students. However, on two issues, the candidates diverge. Kaine opposes the establishment of a non-public student textbook program to support the purchase of non-religious textbooks for students. Kilgore supports such a measure. Kaine also supports allowing the children of undocumented immigrants to attend state public schools and universities. Kilgore opposes both. CONSCIENCE PROTECTIONS Think RU-486. Both Kaine and Kilgore support the rights of employers to avoid providing coverage for contraceptives. But before the Dems wash their hands (and the Republicans get too giddy), both also oppose legislation that protects pharmacists from being fired if they refuse to fill out prescriptions for contraceptives. *** I sometimes wonder whether or not Kaine is being forced into a box by the Democratic Party. Yes, I know I particularly bash Kaine for undermining his faith for the sake of the pro-abortion Democrats, but some part of me wonders whether or not he does it because he has to. Overall, on the bulk of Catholic social teaching (sans abortion), neither candidate really knocks the ball out of the park. If not for Kilgore's desire to extend the death penalty to crimes which do not involve the "triggerman" (e.g. a drug kingpin who peddles in death but never actually kills), Kilgore would do very well on the sanctity of life. Faithful Catholics can take a great deal of heart with Kilgore's responses. In the end, there are no surprises here, and the disappointments are expected (and mostly from Kaine). But for some reason... and I don't precisely know why... I get the feeling that Kaine wanted to answer this questionaire much differently on the topic of abortion than his Democratic minders demanded. I almost feel bad for Tim Kaine (almost). Stafford County Sun PollTake a moment and vote for Jerry Kilgore in the Stafford County Sun poll. Typically, the Dems are already trying to tip the scales in Kaine's favor. . . Catholic School Cancels "Bacchanalian" PromYou gotta read this: Kenneth M. Hoagland had heard all the stories about prom-night debauchery at his Long Island high school: Students putting down $10,000 to rent a house in the Hamptons for a weekend bash. Pre-prom cocktail parties followed by a trip to the dance in a limo loaded with liquor. Fathers chartering a boat so their kids could go out on a late-night 'booze cruise.'That. Is. Awesome. UVA 26, FSU 21What makes this somewhat bittersweet is that Missy had two tickets to the game, but turned them down because she was too tired to make the trip to Hooville. Friday, October 14, 2005Oktoberfest!
Tomorrow from 2-5pm, the Spotsylvania GOP will be holding our First Annual Oktoberfest at the Blue and Grey Brewing Company in the Bowman Center. $40 gets you all the bratwurst, chili, politics, and other good stuff you can handle (including plenty o' beer and an authentic German band). Come on down and support the committee! BackpedalingKaine continues to reel from the death penalty ads, now arguing that while his name was on the court documents defending the man who killed Stanley Rosenbluth's son, Kaine himself didn't bill a single hour to the case. This morning's FLS has more: Kaine was careful not to accuse Rosenbluth of lying, saying that the man might not have known he wasn't really Sheppard's lawyer, since Kaine's name did appear on court documents.Darned straight he was careful not to accuse Rosenbluth of lying. Why? Because while in the FLS article Kaine argues he spent a mere 48 mintues on the case, the first statements from the Kaine campaign seem to be a bit misleadiing. From the FLS article this morning (10.14.05): "I never met Mark Sheppard. I didn't know Mark Sheppard. I never visited him, I never spoke with him," Kaine said. "I spent 48 minutes advising [Finberg] during the course of two years he spent on this case. It is completely wrong to suggest that it was Tim Kaine that was voluntarily representing Mark Sheppard."To the RTD article two days ago (10.12.05): The Kaine campaign said Kaine's law firm, Mezzulo & McCandlish, was appointed by the court to represent Sheppard in an appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A Kaine spokesman said a young lawyer with the firm was the lead attorney and Kaine helped him. They argued that Sheppard's right to equal protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution had been violated.That leaves more questions than answers. Did Kaine help Sheppard or did he not? Was he not involved in the case as Kaine now claims, or did he help craft the argument that Sheppard's constitutional rights had been violated? Furthermore, if Kaine's personal convictions are so firmly rooted, what precisely did they lead him to do here? Did his convictions sway him to represent Sheppard? Or did they momentarily vacillate, and for what reasons? More critically, what can we expect from Tim Kaine as governor on other issues of import? No word on Kelly Timbrook's testimony from the Kaine campaign. Timbrook's husband, as the second ad goes, was a police officer shot and killed in their Winchester home back in 1999. Virginia "Gentlemen"I gave my wife (a UVA alum) quite a bit of grief over the BC-UVA game last weekend, not so much for the loss as for the conduct of its players. I love UVA, my grandfather went to UVA, and most of my friends went to UVA. Sadly, this isn't the first instance of the image of the Virginia Gentleman being tarnished by UVA football (nor is it the first instance). What ever happened to the old "a gentleman does not lie, cheat, or steal; nor does he associate himself with those who do" ethos? Jefferson was probably doing RPMs in his grave on Saturday... PRC spacecraft orbit 'slips'More importantly, how come I didn't even know the PRC was launching manned flight operations until just this evening? It's amazing what passes for front-page news here in the States as opposed to what passes worldwide. QandO: Mistakes were made...Dale Franks comments on the Miers nomination and Peggy Noonan's critique: An essential White House mistake—really a key and historic one—was in turning on its critics with such idiotic ferocity. "My way or the highway" is getting old. "Please listen to us and try to see it our way or we'll have to kill you," is getting old. Sending Laura Bush out to make her first mistake as first lady, agreeing with Matt Lauer that sexism is probably part of the reason for opposition to Ms. Miers, was embarrassingly inept and only served to dim some of the power of this extraordinary resource.Now the Dems have always been very critical of the Bush administration on this key point - the "my way or the highway" approach to policy making. Students take notice. Sunrise from CassiniProbably not the most dramatic image of the day, but it's still pretty darned cool. TheOldHomePlace: Ameican Catholics First, Roman Catholics Second?Julian Malcolm is a good friend (and a former student of my RCIA classes) who has started a new blog called TheOldHomePlace. He gets it off to a great start by criticizing the cafeteria-style tendency of American Catholics on both the conservative and progressive stripes to pick and choose what we decide makes us Catholic. We need another perspective, we need to become Roman in our thinking. Just goes to point out the glory and the beauty of the truly Catholic Church. Do participants in the American experiment have valuable insights? Absolutely! However, if the leadership in Rome cautions us about capitol punishment, going to war or unbridled capatilism, we ought to listen. Especially with a man like Benedict XVI at the helm.An excellent (and pertinent) point, not to mention his quotation of Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, one of my favorite encyclicals. Read it all. Thursday, October 13, 2005The Kaine-Chichester Tax SchemeCourtesy of OMT and Not Larry Sabato, could there be a potential Kaine-Chichester tax schematic in the works? Apparently, numerous board members were told privately by Tim Kaine that he had met with John Chichester and they had a transportation plan they could not yet share. Kaine figured with the chamber supporting higher taxes for transportation, that would get an endorsement. It actually backlashed, with the special interest group angry that it had not been brought into the discussion on what would happen. Those angry swing votes then turned the endorsement to Jerry Kilgore.A good friend and former Northern Virginian mentioned to me his concern that Kilgore had picked up the Fairfax CoC endorsement, precisely because they were in favor of the 2003 tax hike. This explains some of the reasons behind the endorsement, and frankly it's crazy enough to be true. Still, what price did Kilgore have to pay? My bet is that it has a lot to do with the regional transportation initiatives that Kilgore has been pushing from day one. We'll see... Wednesday, October 12, 2005Inconsistent KaineThe light blogging has been largely due to a race against the seasonal clock so-to-speak (I'll explain after the first frost). But I couldn't help but take notice of the Kaine death penalty flap. Now some of the commentary has run the gambit from obituary to outrage. Sorry Waldo... calling Kilgore "anti-Christian" is not fair play. I'll admit, as a Catholic I can't help but feel some sympathy for Tim Kaine getting beat up on his position on the death penalty. Catholics on the whole don't really believe in the death penalty, and when they do they apply it sparingly. Most Catholics would send Hitler to the chair - I certainly would - and the Catechism is explicitly clear on the matter that the death penalty should be applied in the most extreme cases. Now some folks are beating Kaine up for responding based on his "Roman Catholic" faith rather than his "Christian" faith. Let's be honest, Kaine's convictions don't stem from a nebulous Christian background. They stem from his Catholic background specifically. The real question that needs to be raised in the minds of voters is Kaine's inconsistencies between his faith and his politics. Even on the death penalty, it's certainly not the Catholic position that the death penalty never be applied, though I will readily admit that good Catholics can disagree. The glaring inconsistency in my mind goes back to abortion. I cannot fathom how someone who can hold such strong convictions for the guilty can callously ignore the unborn victims of abortion. Catholic teaching is crystal clear on abortion, and yet the same faith that prevents Kaine from killing Hitler is mystically discarded when it comes to the #1 issue of his liberal allies. Yes, there is a disconnect between Kaine's principles and his rhetoric. Hiding behind Catholic faith on the death penalty, then tossing those principles aside on abortion is a hideous distortion of Catholic social justice. There's no reason in the world why Kaine should get a free ride, and Kilgore has every right to raise the question until Kaine affords a reasonable answer. Sunday, October 09, 2005The Big YawnSo I caught tonights debate (via CSPAN of course). Nothing taken, nothing gained. I thought the "negative campaigning" pledge asked by Sabato towards the end was a bit too much -- Kaine answered it "correctly" by taking the pledge, while Kilgore stuck to his guns on why Tim Kaine would be a disaster as governor. That means bringing to light reasons why not to vote for Kaine. Positive campaigning = reasons to vote for a candidate. Negative campaigning = reasons not to vote for a candidate. Nasty campaigning = unethical or "under the belt" charges (that can be positive or negative). I really wish those who condemn so-called negative campaigning would understand that the technical names don't necessarily share the connotations of the words positive and negative. There's positive law and negative law... and negative law (thou shall nots) are far more preferable to positive laws (thou shalls). That doesn't mean negative laws are bad and positive laws are good. Same deal with positive and negative campaigning. It's when you go below the belt or beyond the pale (unsubstantiated, unfair, or misleading information) that deserves condemnation. If you're opponent is a tax-hiker, signs a "no tax pledge", or is one way or another on abortion -- that's fair play. If you helped drive the City of Richmond into the ground, oppose the death penalty, raised taxes on hard working Virginians, and support killing the unborn... I have a right to know that as a voter, don't I? As for the Catholic issue, Tim Kaine simply failed. You can't be Catholic and advocate pro-abortion policies. His waffling on the death penalty certainly lacked the conviction he's claimed to hold on the issue (and yes, good Catholics can disagree on the death penalty -- but not on abortion). I will say that Kaine was very much more polished than Kilgore. What Kaine had to say would certainly rile up the Democratic base in Northern Virginia. Kilgore held his ground, and overall didn't perform in a manner that would alienate potential supporters. A draw, but a big yawner, with no big surprises. Saturday, October 08, 2005Tomorrow's DebateYes, tomorrow night is the great televised debate between Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine. Chad Dotson has a short post on the details. NBC 12 in Richmond will be televising the debate. From the campaign: The debate between Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine is scheduled for 7-8 pm tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 9. It will take place in the studio of NBC-12 here in Richmond and can be seen throughout central Virginia on NBC Channel 12. For those outside the Richmond area, you must check local listings for channels that will air it. Check first your NBC affiliate. CSPAN is also planning to air it, from what I understand, but you will need to check their schedule. I’m told it will be delayed for broadcast in northern Virginia until later in the evening.I'll be tuning into CSPAN so as to avoid all the senseless commenting that will undoubtedly occur before and after the debate. Kilgore is going into this well prepped, and in a controlled format that will clearly lay out whom Kilgore is, whom Kaine isn't, and why this election is extremely important for Virginia Republicans. Looking forward to see how this transpires, and especially how Kilgore handles himself against what will inevitably be attempts to get Kilgore off-target and off-message. That will ultimately be the judge of who wins tomorrow's debate. '60's-style Liberalism is DeadHere is its obituary: Since Kerry's defeat, some Democrats have urged that the party adopt a political strategy more like one pursued by Bush and his senior adviser, Karl Rove -- which emphasized robust turnout of the party base rather than relentless, Clinton-style tending to 'swing voters.'I've argued that 2004 was a realignment year on the order of 1960 and 1932. If the Democrats wise up (and I'm not sure what it would take for them to do that - a convention of sorts?) and take the necessary step to the right that will make them competitive again, that would certainly justify my belief. Whether the "Deaniacs" and other liberals who aren't willing to let go of the 1960s are willing to let this happen is another story altogether. Of course, all of this begs the question as to whether or not such a reformed, centrist Democratic Party would be more appealling to those moderate Republicans and neo-conservatives who have either defected from the Dems over the course of time, or have become to comfortable governing the government the Democrats built. If the Dems take a step to the right, will the GOP be ready to sluff off the moderate, big-government, and arguably socialist wing that gives them their overwhelming majorities? Even if it means losing their majorities and becoming the minority party again? We live in interesting times indeed. Israel's Call to CatholicsFrom the UK Tablet: THE ANNOUNCEMENT last week that the President of Israel, Moshe Katsav, is to visit the Vatican on 17 November has been widely seen as momentous. After almost 2,000 years of enmity, this is another giant step towards lasting reconciliation between Christians and Jews. It is clear already, after Benedict XVI's visit to a synagogue in Cologne on World Youth Day, and his hosting of a visit by senior rabbis on 15 September, that relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism will be a main focus of his papacy.Good news, where I imagine many issues regarding the treatment of Palestinian Christians and Catholic clergy will be addressed. Yes, the issues are sensitive (I'm sure the Israelis have a lengthy list of security and other concerns to approach the Vatican with as well), but this visit is certainly a step in the right direction concerning the custody of the Holy Sites in Israel. NYT: Bush Plan Shows U.S. Is Not Ready for Deadly FluSometimes I wonder whether we just want to see crises in every event. Everyday PhilosophyThis sounds interesting: What is your answer to the following question, "Which books do you consider to be classics in philosophy?" You may say, The Republic or Nicomachean Ethics or Meditations on First Philosophy. The answer can vary greatly from person to person. It would be interesting to find out if anyone would include Mortimer Adler's Ten Philosophical Mistakes. This provocative book, first published in 1985, was Adler's presentation of the errors of modern Western philosophy. He possessed an uncanny ability to explain difficult philosophical concepts in a manner that could be easily understood. This ability and his passion for promoting the relevance and practical significance of philosophy was arguably the reason as to why Time magazine once referred to Mortimer Alder as the "philosopher for everyman."If I were to recommend a good starting philosophy book that wouldn't overwhelm a novice, my pick would be either Zeno and the Tortise by Nicholas Fern, or anything from the Introducing Philosophy series, which includes many other topics beyond philosophy. If I were really ambitious, I'd offer Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy, but sadly I doubt many college or high school prep students would actually read the book. Wednesday, October 05, 2005George Will: Miers is the wrong pickColumnist George Will goes for the gut shot here: It is not important that she be confirmed because there is no evidence that she is among the leading lights of American jurisprudence, or that she possesses talents commensurate with the Supreme Court's tasks. The president's "argument'' for her amounts to: Trust me. There is no reason to, for several reasons.Funny thing is, there's no way to gauge the conversation. Some conservative groups have thrown in the towel, others are adamantly opposing Miers outright. What I would like to see during any Senate confirmation hearing is for Miers to throw out a few punches. Show us you're the Scalia or Thomas we were promised by the president, and let the Dems give us everything they have. At some point, the national discussion about jurisprudence, what it is, and what we want to see from a justice should begin. I don't think we got that from Roberts' nomination. We deserve one with Miers. Tuesday, October 04, 2005Harvey Danger - Little by LittleHarvey Danger releases their first CD in five years. Online. Via Bittorrent. For free. Finally the artists are rebelling against the RIAA. With the ability to burn and send CDs by request for old school users, I wonder how much longer the RIAA dinosaur will survive without adapting? It's the MoustachePretty good advertisement I'd say, and it sure beats that pot-banging racket from Sideshow Potts. UPDATE: Chad Dotson and Jim Bacon like it too. E-mails travel fast! Are the wheels coming off? Hell no.Been busy for the past few days with work, and it just so happens that my truck broke down on my way in. So as I am waiting to see what kind of damage I've done, I figured I'd check in and see how the ol' Virginia blogosphere is treating Jerry Kilgore. Ouch fellas. First we have much criticism of the upcoming debates, followed by much criticism of Kilgore campaign manager Ken Hutchinson, which culminates into despondancy over the direction of conservativism courtesy of OMT and SST. I'll be honest; volunteer efforts in my neck of the woods from dyed-in-the-wool conservative activists has been lackluster at best. We're trying, but we're not motivating folks as well as we should. Some of it has to do with the moderate Republicans getting the support of the establishment (and with the SCOTUS appointments, the discussion as to whether we're getting electing and appointing rock solid conservatives is ongoing), some of it has to do with a worn-out electorate. Some of it has to do with Kilgore's ambiguity on issues such as taxes and abortion, and frankly it has voters worried. It's time to circle the wagons and push. Let me offer some thoughts: 1. Ken Hutchinson is doing a great job. That right. I'll take to the mat anyone who says otherwise. 2. Two reason to work hard for Kilgore: Bolling in '09 and McDonnell in '13. Every vote for Kilgore is a vote for Bolling and McDonnell - two proven conservatives who will lead from the front on conservative issues. For those worried about another potential tax-hike out of the House of Delegates, let me assure you otherwise. Last year, the tax hike passed 53-47, and... 3. In November, the GOP will pick up Craddock, Golden, and Wittman, emasculating the moderates in the House and preventing any potential tax hike. And that's just ticking off the expected wins off the top of my head! Add to it Bill Bolling as Lt. Governor, and the Senate will be under a very watchful eye. Flip the scales though; with Governor Kaine at the helm, all our pickups in the House go for nought, as a tax-hike is sure to come down the pike and give the moderates the vital life-support they need. 4. Warner in '06? Yes, I know he's promised not to run again, but he also promised not to raise my taxes too... which promise do you think is easier to break? Besides, with Governor Kaine cheerleading and sniping from the sidelines, do you really think the Dems won't do everything possible to derail Senator Allen's presidential bid in 2008 with a strong 2006 Senate challenger? 5. Tim Kaine is a pro-tax, pro-gay marriage, gun-grabbing, pro-abortion liberal. Enough about Kilgore's problems. Here you have a guy who's dichotic "personally pro-life yet publically pro-abortion" stance doesn't see the light of day anywhere, much less feel the criticism of the left. His backbone is so weak, even NARAL won't endorse him. Kaine's record as mayor of Richmond was the epitome of failure. His endorsements of homosexual marriage fly in the face of his supposedly Catholic faith. Most egregiously, every voter should immediately question the character of a man who's willing to sell out the principles of his Catholic faith for positions entirely contrary to his own. Enough backbenching. When I ran for House of Delegates this spring in the GOP primary, Kilgore endorsed my opponent. As a conservative, it stung - I'll admit it. But it's over, the reset button gets hit, we get over it, coalesce and push hard for the GOP. That's my stand. There's no reason why others cannot do precisely the same. Conservatives have more to gain by electing Governor Jerry Kilgore, and so much more to lose if we fail. Tim Kaine and his left-wing mercenary 527's are counting on us to be bitter. Disappoint 'em all. Let's get back to work. Monday, October 03, 2005Maury plans soughtI remember being a part of this four years ago when area Catholics proposed building a Catholic high school at the site. Now it appears as if we're at it again, and this time I hope that something - anything - is made of it!
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JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General?1) John Brownlee2) Ken Cuccinelli AboutShaunKenney.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.ContactThe Jeffersoniad
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