Monday, March 23, 2009

The Case for Ken Cuccinelli

55%. 60%. And 65%.

Those are the percentage of voters Governor Kaine, President Obama and Senator Warner carried in the 37th state senate district. While this northern Virginia district became one of the most reliably Democratic strongholds Ken Cuccinelli continued to win. Ken won while the other Republican state senators from the region lost. Ken won as the Democrats put him in their crosshairs, time after time after time. Ken won being the most principled, consistent conservative in the state senate.

Ken leads the fight against abortion rights — combining personal compassion with a rigid resolve to defend the unborn.

Ken is a stalwart opponent of tax increases – standing forthrightly against then-Governor Warner’s reckless 2004 plan to raise taxes on hard-working Virginians.

Ken fights every year to protect the property rights of those in the Commonwealth having sponso red and passed legislation protecting personal property from government confiscation.

Ken proudly stands up for 2nd amendment rights, held the line against illegal immigration and pushed for open government reforms that will hold our elected and appointed officials accountable for their actions.

And remember, Ken does all this representing a district that has overwhelmingly supported statewide Democrats – 55%, 60%, 65%. He’s able to do this because he works hard and stands for what he believes, never bending to the leveling winds that have blown away so many of his erstwhile senate colleagues. Ken is committed to knocking on every door, calling every number in winning over thousands of independent and Democratic voters. It’s that commitment, coupled with his conservative record on the issues, which makes Ken the best choice for Attorney General.

I close by relating a narrative that entails everything you need to know about Ken. This is a story that shows Ken fighting for the values and principles that cut to the heart of what it means to be a Republican. The day had finally come for the state senate to take u p its version of the state budget. As the afternoon session opened Ken sprang from his seat and offered an amendment to strip funding for Planned Parenthood. While Ken’s amendment failed – due in part to many of his fellow GOP colleagues voting incorrectly – Ken showed the courage and resolve that has defined his entire political career. Ken ended voting against the final budget, not only because it maintained funding for Planned Parenthood but also because it was riddled with over spending and provided no tax relief for hardworking Virginians. So there you have it in a nutshell, Ken the pro-lifer, Ken the tax-cutter, Ken the principled and tireless fighter holding the line on out of control spending.

Please join me in supporting Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General and let’s take our fight to every corner of Virginia.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

All Jokes Aside....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20322.html

I am really getting a little tired of the jokes about Obama being Jesus.

What scares me though is the fact that you have liberals who are pretending as if they're in on the joke but they really believe the man can save us. It reminds me of Henry Kissinger circa 1973, when he would make the same type of self-deprecating jokes that served to subletly re-inforce the impression that he could walk on water.

I understand it takes a high level of self-confidence to participate in public life but there is a difference between arrogance ad self-confidence. And the line between the two, contrary to popular belief, ain't that thin.

Jeff Frederick

Ideally, members of the RPV state central committee should have come to Chairman Frederick privately and laid out the charges.

Ideally, our statewide candidates would have stayed clear of this mess.

Ideally, if there were inaccuracy, oversights or mistakes RPV leadership should have all worked together in correcting them.

Ideally, if there was no meeting of the minds no action should have been taken until after the November elections.

But, of course, we don’t live in an ideal world and now ten charges threaten to displace not only Chairman Frederick from RPV but Bob McDonnell from the Governor’s Mansion. It would appear as if we have learned to emulate the Democrats in their uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Once again, we find ourselves embroiled in a controversy that threatens to split this party – what are average voters supposed to make of this? When will we learn? Why does this party always take our feuds and internal struggles before the press?

Jeff Frederick should be allowed to defend himself and given the benefit of the doubt on most of the charges leveled against him. If he is guilty of the violation of a law, he should be removed. No state central committee member has publicly, on the record, accused Chairman Frederick of such an act.

But if he is guilty of the violation of party rules he should be reprimanded, the state central committee should keep a closer eye on what he does but he should not be removed.

I am not pro-Frederick nor am I anti-Frederick. I am pro-Republican. I want to see this party reverse its lackluster performances in recent statewide elections. I want to see this party expand its base and reach out to all voters, across the Commonwealth. This mess prevents us from doing that.

The people who elected Chairman Frederick last year, yearn for change in this party. They want to see this party grow and prosper just as much as those who oppose Chairman Frederick. If we are to have the 10,000 delegates to the state convention in May it will come from those voters. Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell need their votes just as badly as they need independents and swing voters. That being said, how energized do you think our base will be in November? How many of Jeff’s supporters will be willing to brave hot August afternoons or cold October evenings going door to door this year? Have we turned off our most loyal backers with this imbroglio? I hope not – for if it has we don’t stand a prayer of a chance of winning in November.

With each passing week, as the charges and counter-charges are leveled, the hopes of leaving the May convention united get dimmer and dimmer. I hope and pray that one day we will realize that we all belong to the same party and work together on expanding its base, reaching out to every community, etc. That won’t be accomplished unless our own base feels welcome in this party.

This party is bigger than Jeff and will survive but the change that Jeff’s election symbolized will have to come eventually. This party cannot continue to operate with a late 1990’s mentality and expect to win. This party will not succeed on the back of the legacy left behind by the Allen governorship. No matter what happens with Jeff, fundamental problems will still exist. This party needs to start addressing them – we need a 21st century game plan.