Last week's other loser

Senator Emmett Hanger, I hope you are watching your back. Folks are already taking aim at your political life... and most likely they are your fellow Republicans. Democrats are still in a daze and aren't plotting that far ahead....

Senator Hanger represents the 24th Senate District that includes Augusta County, Greene County, Highland County, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro, plus parts of Albemarle County, Rockbridge County, and Rockingham County. You may recall that right wingers in the GOP worked hard to deny Hanger the party's nomination in 2007. They put up Scott Sayre who Hanger eventually defeated in the primary, but not until deep rifts between party factions were exposed.

Flash forward to the summer of 2009. At Staunton's July 4 parade Senator Hanger had his own float (actually a convertible) that was quite separate from the Republican float. Then later that month came Chris Saxman's surprise announcement that he was withdrawing from the 20th District House of Delegates race. Although there was a very public forum at Buffalo Gap High School, the local GOP chairs privately interviewed candidates and just as privately picked Staunton City Councilman Dickie Bell as their nominee. Bell easily won the election in November.

So, what does all this have to do with Senator Hanger? The bitter feelings from 2007 are still festering among local Republicans. Hanger, who is still popular with many in the GOP (and independent) electorate remains distrusted, even disliked, by his party's right wing. Reports indicate that the GOP chairs' interviews of potential candidates in the 20th District got not only into issues and electability, but also touched on their relationship and loyalty to the Senator. Anyone who was seen as too friendly to Hanger, or not tight enough with the conservative faction, had no chance of being the nominee. Equally important was picking a nominee acceptable to Delegate Saxman.

Looking forward to 2011, most observers assume Senator Hanger will seek renomination by the GOP and another term. But he faces considerable obstacles. Hanger, though he remains popular with many in the community, is largely estranged from the local Republican committees. Delegate Dickie Bell, who owes his nomination to those local chairs and to Chris Saxman will never be a Hanger ally and may well continue what some say was Saxman's behind-the-scenes sabotage of the Senator.

Speaking of Saxman, come January he is free to roam the political landscape. He says he will concentrate on "school choice" issues, but nobody buys that as his last waltz in politics. While some of the rumors swirling around his exit from the House race would, if true, likely end his career in electoral politics; the rumors of his future political aspirations have more credibility. Some say he may challenge Bob Goodlatte, but this bird wonders if his plans might be focused more on 2011.

Added to the toxic mix for Senator Hanger is the rise of the Tea Party activists and their appeal to right wing Republicans and the continuing local involvement of far right groups like the Club for Growth fighting healthcare reform. The nexus of a hostile party leadership and right wing grassroots politics spells danger for a mountain-valley Republican like Hanger. The Senator is well-advised to watch his back, to see who is following, to see who is gaining, to see who is taking aim. Might be a whole flock!

Jeff Frederick is a jerk

Jeff Frederick is chair of the Virginia GOP. Elected about five months ago, Frederick was known as a firebrand. He won with the strong support of the most conservative elements of the state party including many from the Valley - Scott Sayre, Anne Taetzsch, Chris Darden, Jim Crosby, Audrey Berkshire, and others.

Last week, while trying to motivate volunteers, Jeff Frederick threw out lies that are the red meat of hate and racism. A reporter from Time recorded the events:

With so much at stake, and time running short, Frederick did not feel he had the luxury of subtlety. He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary."

The hopped up volunteers responded by repeating more lies

"And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Actually, we do; it's Hawaii.

As Frederick's comments have spread across the national media, the Virginia GOP has become the laughing stock of the nation. Or, more like the leper of the nation.

Newspapers from east to west across the Commonwealth have been critical. From The Roanoke Times:

One might expect that type of dangerous rant to be blasted on talk radio, but it falls far beneath the level of respectability that people expect of their state political leaders. The McCain campaign criticized Frederick's remarks. As for Frederick, he remains unapologetic. His tenure as chairman truly must be scary for Virginia Republicans.

More from The Virginian Pilot:

In the five months since he took over the GOP apparatus, Frederick has shown himself to be desperate for attention. He took a cheap shot at House Speaker Bill Howell, the Assembly's leading Republican, for trying to work with Democrats in drafting a transportation package. A few weeks ago, he made a baseless statement about voting registration irregularities around the commonwealth. All Frederick has accomplished is to show why he should not be taken seriously.

Now is the time for the Virginia Republican Party to fire their chairman. Jeff Frederick is a drain on the party and is diminishing McCain's chances in the state every day he remains as chair. Jeff Frederick is tarnishing all Virginians with his racist and hateful bile. Jeff Frederick is an embarrassment to all who love our democracy.

So, will people like Anne Taetzsch, Chris Saxman, Matt Lohr, Chris Darden, and other prominent Valley Republicans move to oust Frederick? Or, by their continued silence, will they condone his brand of ugly and hate filled politics? 

Shenandoah Valley Omelet

A couple items whipping up the eggs today (actually some of this is a couple days old - rotten eggs?):

The News Leader had a virtual orgasm covering all the gossip and scuttlebutt of the Augusta Republicans. They had reported that Kurt Michael would resign on June 7, but they never followed up to report that he actually did so and what would happen next. Coitus interruptus, for them I guess. The News Virginian did get the story about "Dr. Mikey's" resignation from Lynn Mitchell. Perhaps, Lynn hates The News Leader so much she delivered the scoop to their cross-county rival. At any rate, she has her own gushing orgasm over Kurt on her daily wingnut trivia.

Apparently, the temporary chair of the committee will be Bill Shirley. Bill's a retired teacher and football coach. Mild mannered and polite when compared to Kurt, but every bit as rabid a theocratic right winger. Is he the heir apparent? Or a bad yoke? Will the Hanger/Roller folks turn out the folks to control to the next caucus? Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Will Jim Bailey chair the caucus? NO! Unless he gets a crash course on Robert's Rules of Order. Guess we'll have to sit in the nest a while to see who hatches as the next permanent chair. 

Scott Sayre is the new vice chair of 6th District GOP committee. All of this underscores several points: 

• The old mountain-valley Republicans are a dying breed and have been replaced by the Grover Norquist/Federalist Society reactionaries who have taken over the local committees, the district committee, and the state party. They are scary people if they ever get power, but this rooster thinks this shift is good news for Democrats.
• Emmett Hanger is among the last of those mountain-valley Republicans.
• Sayre will challenge Hanger for the nomination in 2011 or Hanger may consider running as an independent or (cluck) a Democrat.

Harrisonburg independent Carolyn Frank seems to be between a rock and a hard place. The city is trending Democratic and will move to November elections. Because of those changing dynamics, she may be tempted to join the Democratic Party - but many of them seem to be keeping her at arm's length. Or, is she a secret religious-right Republican - she has connections with Greater Hope Ministries and has dabbled in GOP politics? If you live in Harrisonburg, you may want to vote in this poll about the city council candidates.

Sam Rasoul is holding a press conference on health care in Fishersville tomorrow, June 11 at 12:30 PM. Will be interesting to see if he gets media coverage - the local TV and print media has been mostly asleep on the congressional campaign. Yes, it is early and it is hot, but the Daily News-Record, The News Virginian, and The News Leader all seem to be taking a siesta when it comes to covering this race.