GOP Nominates a Cracked Egg

Virginia Republicans nominated Jim Gilmore to run against Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring John Warner. Gilmore is widely considered to have failed as governor, failed as party chair, and he nearly failed at winning the nomination most assumed was his for the taking. In the end he barely squeaked past Delegate Bob Marshall, who is farther to the right (but more honorable) than Gilmore, by a vote of 5,222 to 5,156. According to reports, attendance at the convention was down and there were many empty seats.

The Virginia GOP has been struggling in recent years, losing the governor's mansion twice in a row, what was considered a safe U.S. Senate seat, the Virginia Senate and seats in the House of Delegates. Nominating Jim Gilmore, widely considered the worst modern governor, has the GOP digging deeper in the litter pile. What's that they say: When you find yourself in a ditch, quit digging. Guess Virginia Republicans haven't learned that yet. Cluck cluck.

Gilmore may do well among 6th District voters who, although gradually breaking away from the Republican mindset, still tilt right. Some of them far right. And we can expect a nasty campaign from the Gilmoron camp. Ana Gamonal, a spokeswoman, said he will come out swinging: "We are going to continue to hammer Mark Warner and smoke him out . . . ."

The convention also chose Jeff Frederick as party chair. A delegate, Frederick boasts few accomplishments other than being a right wing firebrand. Guess that was his appeal. The Virginia GOP continues to drift farther from the mainstream. Watch out flat earth wingnuts, you might fall off.

Mark Warner responded by releasing a new ad with a bipartisan and positive message:

Featured in the ad is Rockingham County Sheriff, Don Farley, who is an independent and strong supporter of Warner. Several other prominent Virginians speak up for Warner's common sense governance, including former GOP Senator John Chichester. What's the old joke: when Chichester retired, the average I.Q. among Republican Senators fell by half.

Maybe I'll lay an egg . . . squawk! . . . but here are early predictions from the hen house for this race:

• Jim Gilmore will engage in a nasty Rovian-style campaign. He'll get nastier as the election approaches. And nastier.
• Republicans will be divided and many understandably unenthusiastic.
• Mark Warner will run a positive and bipartisan campaign.
• Gilmore will carry the 6th District, but by a much smaller margin than Republicans have in recent elections.
• Gilmore will pull down the Goodlatte campaign. Bobby will be cordial, but keep his distance. Sam Rasoul should be very happy today.
• At the end of the day on November 4 the statewide totals will be: Mark Warner 57% and Jim Gilmore 43%. Maybe I'm being too conservative??

That's all from the grist mill for today. Peck. Peck.

Chief Rooster Until June 7

The News Leader reports that the GOP State Central Committee upheld Kurt Michael's election as Augusta chair. Ousted wanna-be chair, Larry Roller vows to fight on, perhaps going to court. He commented "I'm not going to let him steal the election, no matter what." Didn't Michael supporters try that once? I bet the courts stay miles away from this cockfight.

Michael says he'll step down on June 7 when the GOP 6th District Committee meets. What then? Does the district committee anoint someone? Will they call a new mass meeting that will be as poorly run as the last one? Will Larry Roller be chair by default? Will Kurt be convinced to stay on for the good of the party? Will Lynn step up and save swacland? Will Emmett Hanger be left partyless? Inquiring minds want to know!

This next tidbit is purely rumor mill stuff.... what do you think goes on in the chicken house, anyhow? Seems Kurt is chief rooster of the Emerald Hills POA. He crows so much he's run off most of the other chickens, running the POA as his own barnyard. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others? If true, seems to be some foul (or fowl?) parallels between Kurt's worlds.

Cluck.

Scrambled Eggs

A few interesting political odds and ends today -

Janice Lee Allen has, according to the Daily News-Record, gotten the 1,000 signatures and has been approved by the State Board of Elections to be on the November ballot. I'm sure she's clucking about her success! But, getting on the ballot is the easy part.

According to the grist mill, Allen has alienated 6th District Democrats by flirting with them over a possible run and then virtually dropping off the map. After months of silence she announced she'd run as an independent, implying in an email that David Layman had encouraged her do so. Anybody who ever knew David is keenly aware that he would never have encouraged anyone to run for anything unless he/she was a Democrat. So, it is unlikely Allen will find any support among Democrats who recently nominated Sam Rasoul who has already fired up the activist base of the party. According to releases, Sam will be campaigning in Staunton this afternoon and again on June 7.

CCC previously commented on Allen in "New Kid in the Coop" and the analysis stands today. Beyond her hometown of Bridgewater and the Daily News-Record, she'll get scant attention. Unless she has a sugar daddy, fundraising will be tough. My six months out prediction is 3-4%.

Chris Graham, the new chair of the Waynesboro Democratic Committee, has wasted little in setting up a website to keep local Democrats informed. Most local committee websites get little traffic as they tend to simply be online bulletin boards of coming events and rarely take edgy positions. With his background at the Augusta Free Press, Chris will likely create a lively place for online Democrats to meet. Check out the committee's new email address and Waynesboro Democrats Facebook page.

All the pecking for now. 

Take a Gas-X, Bob

On his campaign website blog, Bob Goodlatte posted the following bit of idiocy:

Virginia’s families are feeling the pinch of rising gas prices and recent talk of $4 a gallon prices are of great concern to me. I believe immediate action needs to be taken to address this issue. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have failed to show leadership.

His blog continues with colorful charts and graphs, a YouTube video, and other litter straight from the poultry house.

Well, well, Bob.... sounds like you are trying to make campaign chicken salad out of Republican chicken sh*t. How about laying the blame where it more correctly belongs - on your buddy Bush. When Bush took office in 2001, oil prices averaged about $23/barrel. He then invaded Iraq (with your complete support), saying their oil reserves would pay the cost of war and rebuilding - how did that one work out, Bob? Since then, oil prices have risen, and risen - recently trading at $133/barrel.

This spring the CEO of Exxon-Mobil blamed high oil prices on the weakening dollar, geopolitical uncertainty, and speculation. Three reasons that all may be directly traced to failures of your friends in the Bush administration.

A weak dollar makes foreign travel and imports more expensive (it does make U.S. exports cheaper for foreigners, good for businesses involved in exports and for foreigners traveling here). Since much of our oil is imported, our cut-rate dollar is hitting everybody's wallet. So how is the Bush administration to blame? Huge deficits and an outflow of resources caused by the war is part of the problem. Also, the borrowing necessitated by huge trade imbalances. The situation was exacerbated by the failure of the president to lead. The NY Times stated it concisely:

The only lasting way to fix the imbalances — and reduce that borrowing — is to increase America’s savings. But the administration has steadfastly rejected that responsible approach since it would require rolling back excessive tax cuts and engaging in government-led health care reform to rein in looming crushing costs — both, anathema to President Bush. It would also require revamping the nation’s tax incentives so that they create new savings by typical families, instead of new shelters for the existing wealth of affluent families — another nonstarter for this White House.

Stymied by what it won’t do, the administration has gone for a quicker fix — letting the dollar slide. A weaker dollar helps to ease the nation’s imbalances by making American exports more affordable, thus narrowing the trade deficit.

But to be truly effective, a weaker dollar must be paired with higher domestic savings. Otherwise, the need to borrow from abroad remains large, even as a weakening currency makes dollar-based debt less attractive. That’s the trap the nation is slipping into today. Among other ills, it could lead to a deterioration in American living standards as money flows abroad to pay foreign creditors, leaving less to spend at home on critical needs. Or, it could lead to abrupt spikes in interest rates as American debtors are forced to pay whatever it takes to get the loans they need.

In volatile economic times like now, leadership is crucial — and notably absent with this administration. Officials have made no effort to orchestrate a more coordinated and comprehensive realignment of the world’s currencies, in part, it seems, because the administration is unwilling to have America do its part by saving more.

Geopolitical uncertainty is the hallmark of the Bush/Cheney/McCain/Goodlatte foreign policy. The war in Iraq destabilized an entire region and and the off and on saber rattling and threats toward to Iran are keeping friends and foes alike off balance and confused. Our once cherished influence with the Saudis and others is gone. Rumors of war makes the oil markets jumpy giving rise to more speculation.

Cackling about which, wild and uncontrolled speculation, may be the driving force behind the current escalation of gas prices. With supplies up and demand down something has turned the "law" of supply and demand on its head. According to this article in Business Week (pretty Republican read, I'd say) it is all about "unregulated commodities markets and greed." Or another way of saying it - this is what happens when the fox guards the hen house.

So Bob, before you fling chicken litter at Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats who have only "controlled" Congress for a little over a year, you better look at nearly 8 years of Bush administration policies (supported 99.9% of the time by you) that undermined the U.S. position in the world of politics, economics, and morals.

Questions to Bob on the Democrats controlling Congress: how many obstacles have you and your GOP friends erected to block Democratic initiatives? How many procedural delays will the House minority muster? How many filibusters will Republicans threaten in the Senate? How many bills will the president veto? How many times will you support his veto? Don't blame the Democrats until you look in the mirror.

As The Roanoke Times noted in an editorial "Gasbag Politics,"

Goodlatte has an opportunity during this election season to prove he can rise above the fray. So far, he's off to a disappointing, but predictable, start.

There is a choice for common sense leadership in the 6th District this November. It it time to retire Bob. Take a Gas-X - bloat is the only kind of gas with which you can speak on with authority.

A beautiful late spring day

A few pictures around the house and from our exploration today. All of the flowers are around the homestead. They are stunning and no photo can do them justice.

We encountered this fellow along a gravel road. He was not too happy with me taking pictures and put on quite a show. He'd puff up and spread his feathers whenever I seemed to threaten. And, he was talking turkey whenever I got close.

Christians Creek was serene. We could have waded and enjoyed the quiet for much of the afternoon.

The lush Shenandoah Valley is beautiful.

A few more flower pictures from the homestead.

I type while sitting next to an open window - I can hear the "night sounds" coming from a nearby pond and creek. With the hectic pace of life, I sometimes have to remember to take a moment to smell the roses, to enjoy wildlife, and to catch all the colors of our world.

Local Coverage of the Democratic Convention Disappointing

The News Leader had nothing, zero, zilch about the Democratic Convention's nomination of Sam Rasoul. No real surprise there - mostly they cover the "important" stuff like restaurant health inspections and the songs and last dinners loved by locals. Every now and then The News Leader gets brainlocked on a story and wears everyone out - After Hours and local Republican cock fights are the most recent examples. Sometimes I think this paper is only good for catching the droppings of my feathered brethren. I do like McClosky's cartoons, however. Why he doesn't fly the coop?

I don't often peck around in the The News Virginian, but a quick search of their website showed only one recent article about Sam . . . prior to the convention. The focus was on the new young faces taking over local politics. Sam was only mentioned in passing.

The Daily News-Record doesn't do Sundays, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what coverage they do/don't  have. A website search found nothing within the last month.

The Roanoke Times ran an extensive article that began

Democrat Sam Rasoul, who since last spring has been running for Congress, received the official nomination Saturday to face U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, in the November general election.

Rasoul, who lives in Blue Ridge, was selected by Democrats in the 6th Congressional District during an uncontested nominating convention at Rockbridge County High School.

He will be the first Democrat to challenge Goodlatte, an eight-term incumbent, since Roanoke Mayor-elect David Bowers tried in 1998. Goodlatte has faced independents since then but won easily each time.

Didn't have a chance to check the Lynchburg and other smaller newspapers. However, the online Augusta Free Press has extensive coverage and webcasts. Perhaps that isn't too surprising since the editor, Chris Graham, is the new Democratic chair in Waynesboro and was present at the convention. Chair or not, Graham and the AFP have long held a reputation for covering stories and getting scoops ahead of the Augusta area print media.

Such beautiful weather and here I am pecking around in political litter. Have a great Memorial Day and please take time to remember the reason for this important holiday.

Peck. Peck.

Democrats Nominate Rasoul

Lots of laying mash in the political trough this weekend - Sixth District Democrats did what everyone expected when they formalized the nomination of Sam Rasoul to challenge Bob Goodlatte for House of Representatives. No real surprise there . . . kind of like a good hen laying an egg every day.

Sam accepted the nomination and immediately took on the issues the Republican swiftboaters will likely raise - his age and ethnicity. Make no mistake, he knows he'll be hammered by bigots and Republicans obsessed with holding on to power. But from Sam's remarks, make no mistake that he'll answer every attack. Sam was inspirational while talking about the American Dream - OMG, hope that doesn't mean a "chicken in every pot . . !"

While Sam gave a fine speech, the highlight of the convention was the nominating speech by Bill Bestpitch, First Vice-Chair of the Roanoke City Democratic Committee and former member of the Roanoke City Council. Somehow, Cliff over at Cobalt6 got a digital copy and posted it by 6:00 PM! Line by line and issue by issue, Bill laid out Goodlatte's failings and hammered home the theme that when Sam Rasoul gets to Washington, he'll be working for us. 

Gotta admit, Bob Goodlatte has been feasting on the chicken feed of special interests. Will voters in the Sixth District return a guy who often sides with big agribusiness over the family farm? Will they return a guy who voted against the 21st Century G.I. Bill and valley veterans? Will they return a guy who gets a "F" on education policy and supports the failed "No Child Left Behind?" Every rooster knows incumbents are tough to beat, but Mr. Goodlatte is on the wrong side of so many issues near and dear to valley voters that his rotten eggs are starting to stink. Sam promises to listen, to hear, and to represent the values of the valley in D.C.

The convention also chose  four delegates (and one alternate) to the Democratic National Convention in Denver and a presidential elector. During the downtimes when votes were being tabulated, the convention honored "Most Valuable Democrats" and "Most Valuable Young Democrats" in each locality. Seems there is quite a rise in activism - some of these Dems must get up before the chickens!

David Layman, former chair of the Sixth District Committee, who suffered a heart attack while leading a committee meeting, was also honored. A slideshow of his family and political life accompanied the reading of a resolution commemorating his dedication to his community and the Democratic Party. David's widow and a number of family members were present.

Spotted at the convention was Chris Graham, the new chair of the Waynesboro Democratic Committee. 

That's all from the chicken coop for now. Remember Coarse Cracked Corn is 8% protein, 2.5% fat, and 2.75% fiber. But, that's a hell of a lot healthier than 100% BS at the local wingnut blogs. Peck. Peck.