The End of the TelePrompTer Joke

George W. Bush reading from a TelePrompTer on the USS Lincoln

President George W. Bush uses a TelePrompTer when he erroneously claimed that the mission was accomplished.

Why no jokes and derisive comments about people like Bush and others that use that device? Because Republicans who make those comments are hypocrites.

Farmville Fishwrap, er… Herald Pretends Bill Osl Still Chair of BOS

The recent article detailing the BOS meeting in Cumberland County was interesting in that almost no one was quoted as saying anything in the article except the former chair, Bill Osl.

Tim Kennell, the current Chair of the BOS was not mentioned at all, nor was District 5 Supervisor Bob Oertel.

Farmville Herald Fishwrap only prints what it wants to anyway, and never anything negative about it’s favorites, like Bill Osl, or Howard Simpson, Buckie Fore or Jonathon Pickett of  Prince Edward County. Bill Osl is just a member of the board now, I think you can cover someone else.

I am still trying to decide whether the newspaper is better as a birdcage liner or as a place for the puppy to pee on.

NOTE: Bill Wall: I did not use any of your precious words from your disgusting newspaper during the making of this article.

TeaBlogger Tries to Say Foreign Corporate Contributions Are Just Like Out-of-State Contributions

Yes, it has happened again. Someone let the stupid out.

At a blog called “Virginia’s Fifth District” (find your own link) the writer has tried to say that out-of-state contributions, which every politician receives, is no different than the foreign corporate donations sought to be shut off by a bill sponsored by Rep. Tom Perriello.

The writer even goes as far as saying that if Tom can receive donations from George Soros, then foreign corporations should be allowed to donate. Except that the writer spent the entire first paragraph explaining how this sort of thing is already illegal. I am sure his knowledge of the law and campaign finance law is substantial, but not as substantial of the legions of lawyers who have already gone over these points made in this article.

Besides, Tom Perriello already does not accept donations from corporate PAC’s.

Behold:

After the amount of foreign money that came into Obama’s Presidential campaign last year I am appalled at the hypocrisy that both the President and our 5th District Congressman are exhibiting. Tom you are supposedly worried about outside influences in national elections but what about all the outside influences that donated to your campaign? Is it really any different when people like George Soros donate money to a Virginia 5th district congressional election? A large percentage of your donations came from people who had absolutely no interest in this area. Tom stop being a hypocrite. The Supreme Court has ruled, we already have a law against foreign donations so stop grand standing and quit trying to subvert free speech.

[my emphasis]

Ah, it’s the ‘money as speech’ argument. How about we just have corporations running for office and knock out all the middlemen? I would dare say you could fill a thimble with what the writer knows about this issue.

As far as the absolutely laughable assertion that Tom Perriello’s campaign accepted donations from out-of-state, so that means corporate foreign money should be allowed?

Pure delusional behavior, like a person that just wants things to be the way they envision them, not thinking or caring about anyone else. Based on propaganda from dubious “news” sources, this person thinks they know what’s going on. Actually, it is quite divorced from reality. It is time this behavior stop, and not be given the credence it is given. You can’t claim simultaneously that the law already takes care of this situation AND that it’s just like donations from Maryland.

One more thing: If you quote a blog that references WorldNutDaily, you will find that it is not credible. And Pamela Gellar? That you would believe someone that held a wildly untrue opinion and doesn’t use facts says a lot about your view and your complaints.

Rep. Tom Perriello Called Anti-Free Speech, Anti-Israel by Teabaggers

I absolutely believe everyone should express themselves. However, even
‘free expression” can contain uber-hyperbolic accusations and insults. Such is the case with some teabagger bloggers in the Fifth Congressional District.

One thing I need to mention first. Just because a person and some of their friends are of the same mind, it does not mean that it equals an overwhelming number, or a majority. Teabaggers like to think that their viewpoint is the only one with merit, so many times the discussions with them degrade into them claiming superiority and them defending the ‘one true way’.

These are not good discussions or blog posts, they are not discussions of the merits of differing viewpoints for the most part.

Reasonable Response is a blog such as what I have described. Recently, articles on this blog have become more and more inflammatory. The one I will feature here is particularly despicable, in that it talks about support/non-support of Israel.

Inflamed Hyperbolic Disease

Even though he claims to be a moderate, Congressman Tom Perriello’s radical left-wing connections are well documented. He’s been linked to the far-left VoteVets.org, MoveOn.org, and other leftist fringe groups. Now comes another one. Perriello, a Democrat, was recently endorsed for re-election by an interest group called “J-Street.” Along with Perriello, another 40 candidates were endorsed by J-Street including such liberal icons as Barney Frank and Charles Rangel.

Try again, Skippy. Vote-Vets is an organization that looks after the needs and problems of veterans of our armed forces. Move-On? Don’t you get tired of vilifying an organization that isn’t going away? It remains a major force in grassroots (the real kind, not Koch Bros./AFP or FreedomWorks) advocacy and organizing in this country. Are you saying there is no such organization for the right wing/teabaggers? Shame, that.

J-Street is endorsed by lots of people. Maybe just nobody you like. They believe in including peace as a possible outcome in negotiations to solve the Palestinian/Israeli impasse. Not just war, not a co-existing state, 2 states. And peace.

J-Street is funded by George Soros, the backer of a number of radical left organizations. And while it bills itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace, it actually is neither. It is so anti-Israel that Israel’s Ambassador to the US refused to attend a J-Street conference because the policies advocated by the organization would seriously harm Israel. In fact, J-Street displays a consistent track record of hostility towards Israel. Yet the group likes Perriello. And when an interest group likes a candidate enough to endorse him before an opponent has even been selected, you can be pretty sure it believes the candidate supports the policies it is promoting.

Wrong again, Sparky.

A venerated publication such as American Conservative has written that George Soros is not presently a contributor to J-Street. He left the organization in order for them to do their work, and so he wouldn’t be the lightening rod focus of people who dislike him.

From Wikipedia:

J Street’s founding Executive Director is Jeremy Ben-Ami, a former domestic policy adviser in the Clinton Administration.[5] Ben-Ami has deep ties to Israel: His grandparents were among the founders of Tel Aviv, his parents were Israelis, his family suffered in the Holocaust, and he has lived in Israel, where he was almost blown up in a Jerusalem terror attack.[6] Ben-Ami has worked for many years with Jewish peace groups, including the Center for Middle East Peace and the Geneva Initiative-North America.[3][15]

The initial support of J Street came from multi-billionaire George Soros, who for a brief time was associated with the organization. Soros pulled out before the initial launch, so as not to negatively affect the group.[16](American Conservative Magazine)

From J-Street website:

J Street represents Americans, primarily but not exclusively Jewish, who support Israel and its desire for security as the Jewish homeland, as well as the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign state of their own – two states living side-by-side in peace and security. We believe ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the best interests of Israel, the United States, the Palestinians, and the region as a whole.

Are you saying that peace is not what we want? That you and your friends want to kill more people, including our own, who go to war over Israel? When are you signing up to serve? In any case, what does participation and endorsement from this group of Tom Perriello jeopardize anything in your life? Should he have the freedom of association, presumably like you do?

Saying Tom Perriello is anti-Israel is stupid. He wants peace in Israel, the hardest and most satisfying possible route, in my opinion, to an end to the violence and death there.

The other blogger I am featuring today asks the burning question, “Does Tom Perriello have a Problem With Free Speech?“

Wow. Quite the opposite. Have you ever called Tom’s office, Bill Hay? Have you gotten answers?

Tom obviously does not agree with this ruling and some may say he has a problem with the first amendment.

Really? “Some” say? Who, Bill? Who says that Tom Perriello has a problem with the First Amendment to the Constitution? These are some nasty allegations.

No facts? Just make up someone who is “some say” and there you have it. No facts, no credibility.

Cumberland County Board Elects New Chair, Vice-Chair

At the recent meeting of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors, the chair changed for the first time in 6 years, since former chair Bill Osl came to the board. (Don’t look for the page to reflect reality. After all, it’s only been over a week.)

After all the messes Osl has gotten the county into (helped ably by Van Petty, a self-identified Democrat) over the last six years, the new chair is Tim Kennel, of District 2. My representative, Elbert Womack of District 4 was elected to the Vice Chair position.

It will be interesting to see in this new year what happens with the county’s problems. They have continued to borrow and spend money like a drunken sailor. They treat the citizens as if they have no need or interest in what goes on, therefore regularly breaking the law concerning open government and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The problems are too numerous to list here. In December, they received a $2m loan from USDA-Rural Development in order to buy the community center. So, in effect, they sold it to themselves in order to raise a quick $2m.

These chickens will begin to come home to roost early this year. I hope the previous chair was not so cynical to just hand over the mess when it got to be too much. The county doesn’t deserve that, and neither do the new leaders of the board.

What Matt Yglesias Said

Jamelle, over at the United States of Jamerica, has hit on something I think is lost in all the hand-wringing and clod-kicking as some look down in shame over the election results in MA earlier this week. In that regard, Matt Yglesias’ article today from Think Progress says what I and a few others are saying.

An objective setback is an objective setback. It can’t be spun away. But the good thing about the availability of these tracking polls is that if we want to know what people think about Barack Obama we can look it up very easily. We don’t need to draw inferences from how Creigh Deeds or Martha Coakley does, we can look it up. Something that I think congressional Democrats haven’t really grasped since November 2008 is the full implications of the fact that Obama polls radically better than either “Congress” or “Congressional Democrats.” They could cooperate, and try to bask a bit in his relative popularity. Or else they can do a lot of screwing around, pulling him into prolonged congressional negotiations and letting some of their unpopularity rub off on him.

Of course, the Congress can make the President look good, but the President can hardly do all the work in making Congressional Democrats (House and Senate) look better. Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen can only pass along some of their ridiculous actions and poor popularity to the President.

Go read the whole article.

Cumberland County Attorney to Leave?

I don’t have independent confirmation about this yet, but I was told earlier tonight (Thursday) that Howard Estes would no longer be the County Attorney in Cumberland County. I was also told there would be an announcement on Friday.

This comes after Mr. Estes negotiated a fixed-price contract in 2009 with the county for over $280,000 per year.

More information as it becomes available.