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Follow us on TwitterGov. Gilmore, It’s Just a Non-Issue
Published: October 14, 2008
Republican Senate candidate Jim Gilmore e-mailed a news release Sunday evening, claiming his Democratic rival, Mark Warner, had finally ’fessed up to remarks “attacking” Christians, pro-lifers, home schoolers and the NRA.
What typical Gilmore blather.
Think back to May 1994 — when Warner made the remarks in question — and what was happening politically in Virginia: Oliver North was the U.S. Senate candidate, arch-conservative and home-school advocate Mark Farris was running for lieutenant governor, the Christian Coalition was at the height of its power and the NRA was dominating the national gun debate. That’s what Warner was talking about when he said, “One of the things you are going to see is a coalition that is just about completely taken over the Republican Party in this state ... .”
Well, he was exactly right in his assessment of state politics and rather prescient that many Virginians, many conservative Virginians found that coalition threatening.
Give it a rest, Gov. Gilmore; you’re grasping at straws and it’s rather obvious.
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Continuance of post to packer2dogs on 10/18 by oldman66
Tax and spend liberal Democrats cater to those easily influenced by campaign rhetoric. Banter on Health Care has been around since Eleanor Roosevelt; the Clinton’s rode that horse to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for (8) years and came up empty. Obama continues the same, tired old line with several new twists. Everyone will enjoy the same health care as congress members and “redistribute the wealth”. Let’s face facts - the former is cost prohibitive and the latter is new coinage for “the tax man is coming”. In so many words, Obama is a modern day Robbin’ Hood, more tax from those already taxed to give to those that aren’t. With the present inept Congress I have no reason to believe the latter won’t come to pass. I have no desire to become a “ward of the state”.
Finally, so Bryant can’t get anything accomplished because his department is underfunded. Remedy - throw more tax dollars his way. that’s the accepted liberal theory - anytime there’s a problem - spend more taxpayer dollars.
Good Luck in your quest for political office.
packer2dogs: This is my 2nd attempt to address your post @ 9:56 AM on 10/15. For whatever reason/s the 1st didn’t show - so here’s another attempt.
You question the validity of how I define “carpetbagger”. I see no need to rehash the original meaning of the term other than to say it maybe going back to that.
Checking back to ‘42 till present Virginia has had (17) governors; only (4) were not native sons. Let’s just say I’m a traditionalist believing that a native son/daughter is more apt to know and work in favor of constituents than an “outsider”. Webb, Mark Warner and Kaine in my mind serve to prove that. All have been overly blatant in their approach to Virginia’s elected offices. Simply put - I consider them “jerks” that worked a “con” job on voters. The manner in which these individuals have conducted campaigns, what they’ve done in office and damage yet to be seen puts me at odds with their philosophies. Let’s add another to the aforementioned list - Terry McAuliffe - a former Clinton “boot-licker” has indicated plans to enter the next gubernatorial race in Virginia. I extend the same sentiments to him. To end this, I’ll say I’d never vote for an “out-of-stater” exhibiting the pompoused arsed approach as the now (4) named individuals. From an outward appearance one might say - “come on down; Virginia is ours for the taking”. Such is the attitude of Kaine to “deliver” the state to Obama. (A state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since LBJ).
As for you or anyone seeking a state political office the requirements are minimal - make the state your place of abode and all the “major” requirements such as changing vehicle license tags, new driver’s license, establish a physical address - you know all the important events. Very important to get your name on the ballot and if you’ve got a really “good line” you can dupe voters to casts their ballots for you.
Capital punishment I use to illustrate my disdain in particular for the present and former governor and actions they took on the issue. The liberals attempt to get their beliefs legislated into law; never mind what the majority of the populace may favor.
My space is about to run out, see my next post for continuance
packer2dogs, making it impossible to develop or use 131,000 acres of Virginia land for economic development forever is not a good thing. It only sends dollars and jobs and prosperity to other states that could have stayed here. Preston Bryant is a fatherless boy, longing for acceptance, just like Barack Obama. He found his acceptance by pandering to the liberal elites, just like Barack.
oldman?
Oldman: Carpet-bagger has a new meaning? Since when? Did you create it? And, you simply didn’t answer the original question: how long does a person originally from out of Virginia have to live in Virginia to hold political office?
Further, you say that you have no problem with out of state/area college students voting in Virginia if they live here for a short time and attend school because the law allows it. Then you strongly imply the same is not appropriate for someone who runs for or holds a political office despite the fact that this is legal, too. A bit inconsistent, aren’t you? I suggest the same advice you give, “get the law changed” goes for you, too.
What I wonder about is if you totally disagree with the Democratic holders of office and that is where your “carpet bagger” insult comes from. Would you be angry if a Republican from out of state with whose positions you agree held Virginia office?
You also strayed off the subject, on to capital punishment, leaving tax increases. I wonder if you have generalized anger at Democrats and anything a Democrat does provokes.
Preston Bryant, “a little puke?“ Nice insult and incredibly divisive. A Republican working in a bipartisan way trying to solve a problem against a handful of die hard right wing Republicans. Sounds pretty courageous to me even if I don’t agree with his solution. And, of course DNR, the department that Bryant heads has an incredibly small budget which has not been increased in years. Seems to me they’ve efficiently carried out what they can. Did you know that, under Bryant, the state now has an additional 131,000 plus acres under conservation easement, land that cannot be developed and therefore put a drain on local infrastructure costing more tax dollars?
I wonder if you are even interested in another point of view that doesn’t agree with yours. Sad, because it is a reflection of the divided, partisan nature of our country’s politics and, in general, our country.
packer2dogs: As for Webb’s maternity bill - where do you suppose the funding will come from? My bet is tax dollars. In the private sector it’s 2/3’s from the employer and 1/3 from the employee. Tax dollars aren’t even in the equation.
Since when is it criminal to decrease taxes? The tax and spend liberals have done a “brain-wash” job on Virginians having indoctrinated the belief that a tax reduction is not in their best interest. Warner continues to throw out innuendos about the condition of the state budget when he took office - where’s the “beef”? Just prior to leaving office Warner attempted to throw a “monkey-wrench” into the capital punishment argument by having the DNA of one Roger Coleman tested. Coleman had been executed in 1992 for the rape/murder of his sister-in-law. Just yesterday in Ohio a puke was put to death for his part in the torture/rape/murder of (2) college students in 1986. An impromptu poll on internet had 83% of those responding as being in favor of the death penalty. Timmy Kaine is also on record as being anti death penalty.
Both Warner and Kaine put high priority on projects in the NVA and Tidewater areas as compared to needs of rural areas. Not hard to figure that one - more potential votes in the heavier populated areas. Also many residents in those areas are nothing more than transients - moving as the regimes change in D.C. or military duty stations change.
Preston Bryant is a little puke - a Benedict Arnold if you will. Something tells me he got his present job, Secretary of Natural Resources due to his vote for Warner’s tax increase. (The largest in state history I might add).“A Republican of consicious” you state - recent reports from the organization Bryant now heads say no improvements have been made. Indicative that the little “twerp” is in over his head in that capacity.
Definition of “carpetbagger” has changed. Originally applicable to Northerners coming into the South after the Civil War and forming an alliance with freed slaves and whites endorsing Resconstruction under the Republican banner to govern states. Now-a-days the term applies to a politician coming into a state in an effort to promote their political career. One would be hard pressed to argue the point this very thing hasn’t happened with the (3) individuals I mention.
I have no problem with college students voting in a state where they attend school. The law allows it. For those having a problem - get the law changed.
Oops, one note re: oldman’s response. He said Kaine, Warner, and Webb probably lived less than 1/2 their lives in Virginia. I took that originally as exactly 1/2 their lives.
The same still goes, though. Is a third of their lives enough…what constitutes enough to run for office in the state. Does the same go for voting in a state? Is simply changing residency enough to vote? Is so, how is that different from running for office? Both the voter and the candidate for office are impacted by national, state, and local political agendas and laws; both are performing a public service.
Well, seems like oldman is angry enough to curse about my opinion.
Seems to me that Jim Webb’s bill paid maternity leave is pretty normal in the private sector. Doesn’t sound like a tax increase…sounds like treating federal employees fairly.
Mark Warner’s huge tax increase? Well, if I have my facts straight (and, of course, you say I don’t), I believe that he had a huge budgetary shortfall to work with as a result of some problematic tax cuts by the Gilmore administration (car tax?). If I also understand, Warner also cut spending along with the tax increase to balance the budget. Yes, spending then went up as the economny improved. I have no problem with that.
Tim Kaine? Well, he came into office with an improving economy and he did support the boneheaded traffic offense fee. However, if I remember right (and you probably say I don’t), conservatives in the Senate went along with his budget which was blocked repeatedly by a handful of extremely conservative Republicans in the house, the same group who seem to block road infrastructure repairs, the same group who blocked any budget at all during Warner’s administration. That required a Republican of conscious, Preston Bryant, to step forward to resolve the deadlock, damaging his career.
The real question here is the term “carpet-bagger.“ So, according to the comment, if I live 1/2 my life in Virginia, the implication is that I’m a “carpet-bagger” if I run for office. Is that what I’m reading? So, if I’m 50 and I’ve lived in Virginia for 25 years, that’s not good enough to run for office.
If that’s true, do you support college students who routinely only live in a college community environment for 1 to 4 years voting in our Virginia state and local elections?
My goodness.
packer2dogs: Try peddling your BS to someone that’s buying. Most recent out of Webb’s office is a bill for paid maternity leave for federal employees to include those adopting. Really conservative. Warner got the biggest tax increase in state history enacted because of a “mess” Gilmore supposedly left with the state budget. It’s mandated that the state budget be balanced at each year’s end so what’s the problem? This Indiana native also favors abolishing the state’s RIGHT TO WORK LAW. Really conservative. Finally Timmy Kaine - after attempting to raise taxes and hitting a “road-block” at every turn has decided to make cuts in the state budget. User fees on every service offered by the state has increased. An effort was made to increase fees to those Virginians convicted of a traffic offense while allowing out of state motorists to speed on was a might absurd. Those in favor of that one had to eat it; that number included Kaine. I’m guessing all (3) politicians sighted have lived less than 1/2 their lives in the state. I repeat - all are tax and spend liberals using the elected offices of this state to further their own political ambitions. One last thought - the freakin’ “built” up our state roads you mention were predominately in NVA and Tidewater which was Kaine’s election rhetoric in those areas to get elected. Virginia very recently received 300 million from the federal government for roads. This money was returned to the federal government by states not using it. In Virginia where did it go? You know it -NVA. Suggest you check out the facts prior to your next attempt to “snowball” anyone.
Yessir, that Jim Webb, now there is a “tax and spend liberal.“ Boy, an ex-military guy, he is about as conservative as a Democrat can be. Then, there is Mark Warner, an acknowledged fiscal conservative by just about everyone except the Gilmore campaign. Tim Kaine? Yup, just recommended budget cuts of $2.5 billion and really wanted to built up our state roads.
Just how long does one have to reside in Virginia to become a non-carpet bagger. 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? When Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Dole moves to a new state and runs for office within a year, I say that is an ethical problem. When folks live in a state for extended times, calling them a carpet-bagger strikes me as stretching far over the top.
A non-issue from a non-candidate. Appropriate.
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