We will RockDem

First Woman President?

2011-09-21T18:50:00.003-04:00

Elizabeth Warren, President of the United States of America.

Living in a bubble... of Duh!

2011-09-17T15:22:00.004-04:00

I've got a theory, if you can't laugh at yourself...you are stupid, evil, or both. Send it to your Republican friends and report out!

Use the comments section to score the video:
1) That is the funniest thing I have ever seen!
2) Very funny!
3) Am not, am not!
4) Huh?
5) Typical liberal demoCRAP lies!
6) I must be offended, and as soon as I get Rush's opinion I will tell you why!

Debunking the Myths of the Left and Right about Obama...

2011-07-16T20:21:00.000-04:00

Joy Reid, of the Miami Herald does a very good job here in debunking some Obama myths:

Would it have made progressives happy if he had made a vocal, visible show of trying to do those things, and spoken out like a true liberal lion, lambasting Wall Street, calling for the heads of the banks on a platter or even ordering the Treasury Secretary to seize and privatize the big banks, and demanding that gay marriage be made the law of the land without delay? Sure. Would that have helped any of those things pass the Senate? Nope.

Read the article...

That Didn't Take Long!

2011-05-25T12:30:00.004-04:00

In 2010 the Democratic candidate in the New York's 26th Congressional District got just 26 percent of the vote. Even in the very good Democratic year of 2008, the Democratic nominee got just 40.5 percent. Last night Democrat Kathy Hochul won NY 26 with 47% of the vote. Her message: "Republicans have proposed a budget that will end Medicare but keep subsidies for Oil companies and tax breaks for the wealthy, and (her opponent) Jane Corwin supported that".

So did Virginia 6 CD Bob Goodlatte...

This is a CD that has not had a Democratic Representative since Lyndon Johnson was President...

Republicans think they have a mandate for radical rightwing social engineering. They are wrong, very wrong.

GOP Budget - "Rightwing Social Engineering".

2011-05-16T15:14:00.002-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Question for House Republicans like Bob Goodlatte: What makes you think that any private insurer is going to offer affordable health care insurance to 65 year old people once you take away Medicare?

Webb & Warner - Hands Off Medicare!

2011-05-05T18:54:00.002-04:00

Virginia Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner to Eric Cantor: "You're Right, Republicans need to look elsewhere, Americans don't want you to destroy Medicare in order to give tax breaks to millionaires."

I guess the boy needed some reminding...

Getting it Done!

2011-05-02T09:00:00.003-04:00

Leadership on the Budget...

2011-04-17T01:57:00.002-04:00

Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Saxby Chambliss

Provide A Study in Bipartisan Leadership With

"The Gang of Six"

As Mr. Obama and Republican leaders have warred publicly over the budget, this small group of senators has spent four months in dozens of secretive meetings in offices at the Capitol and over dinner at the suburban Virginia home of Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat.
Read More

President Obama’s call on Wednesday for a bipartisan group of lawmakers to craft a compromise deficit-reduction plan by July left lawmakers wondering if he aimed to obliterate or aid an existing bipartisan group already carrying out the same task.

Read More

"Pray for the Gang of Six" - Former Senator Alan Simpson

Read More

The “Gang of Six,” are Democratic Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and Richard Durbinof Illinois and Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia,Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Mike Crapo of Idaho.

Ryan's gift to the President? Interesting...

2011-04-14T10:56:00.001-04:00

"Thanks to Ryan, everything - the ridiculous farm subsidies, the inefficient job-training programs, even the defense budget - is now on the table. Indeed, Ryan has bestowed a remarkable gift upon the President: his radicalism has framed the moderate, financially prudent profile for Obama's coming campaign."
Read the story

The Republican Recovery Plan

2011-04-12T19:55:00.004-04:00

This is it, real simple. Got it?

Courtesy of today's LA Times.

Republicans Want a Shutdown

2011-04-07T22:11:00.003-04:00

Let's be clear:
A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll confirms that Republicans would rather shut down the Federal government than compromise on the Federal budget:

Compromise on the budget - Republicans 38%
Compromise on the budget - Democrats 68%

That's why Boehner and the Republicans can't compromise, his base won't allow him to compromise. Democrats have accepted Boehner's original cut of $33 Billion, now he says it needs to be $40 Billion. That's called "bad faith".

The problem for Republicans? Independents overwhelmingly agree with the Democrats - compromise on the budget. This will not go well for the Republicans.

The "teaparty" affair was fun while it lasted my Republican friends, but nobody likes a crazy hothead ...

Positive News on Employment

2011-04-01T09:16:00.000-04:00

Unemployment Drops with addition of 216,000 Jobs in March

The unemployment rate dipped from 8.9 percent in February to 8.8 percent in March. The rate has fallen a full percentage point over the last four months, the sharpest drop since 1983.

Read the story

A Testament of Our Times...

2011-03-31T21:34:00.000-04:00

The Blind Men and the Elephant
John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a WALL!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho, what have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a SPEAR!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a SNAKE!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he:
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a TREE!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a FAN!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a ROPE!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Anderson Memorial Community Project

2011-03-09T23:59:00.003-05:00

Click on image for more detail.

Please help his family and community honor his memory.

Brian "Bucky" Anderson, was a fine young man who set an example from which we all can learn.

One of patriotism, dedication, fidelity of purpose, hard work, and achievement.

Bucky was born in 1986.

Bucky worked hard to become a state champion wrestler and an all district football player.

Bucky graduated from Broadway High School in 2004.

Bucky was killed in Afghanistan on June 12, 2010.

While delivering supplies to school children.

He was working to improve the lives of a war torn and decimated people.

On behalf of you and me...

C.M. Hess Announces His Campaign for Sheriff of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City

2011-03-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

Ronald Reagan on Labor, Unions and Collective Bargaining

2011-03-06T12:08:00.001-05:00

Wisconsin

2011-03-02T10:08:00.003-05:00

The battle for a living wage and the right to negotiate the terms of your employment is on in Wisconsin. When DID teachers become the enemy?

God Bless a Free Libya

2011-02-25T08:04:00.004-05:00

"Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution."
John Adams, 1818

The people of Libya are in a tough fight with a well armed, wealthy tyrant. This is their hour of trial. Great acts of courage and sacrifice in the service of a free Libya occur beyond our view. But soon we will know of them. If you pray, pray for a free Libya, and the lives of those who struggle for freedom.

Republican Budget Fraud

2011-02-10T13:34:00.002-05:00

This graph depicts the amount of cost cutting proposed by House Republicans on the left. On the right are the cost of tax cuts that House Republicans insisted upon. Any questions?

Charlie Steger is Not Immune

2011-02-03T12:48:00.003-05:00

Legislation that could have suspended three multi-million-dollar wrongful death suits filed against Virginia Tech in the wake of the April 16, 2007, shootings has died in a General Assembly committee. Good, now we will have a full accounting.

Virginia Tech President Charlie Steger and EVP James Hyatt will now stand before the Bar and answer for the their terrible poor judgment on April 16, 2007. Unfortunately Virginia Tech and state taxpayers will likely pay the bill.

This all could have been mitigated if Charlie had done what Virginia Tech teaches all Hokies - take personal responsibility for your actions (or lack of), recognize your failings, accept the consequences, and strive to be better. Charlie is a good guy, but he failed to make the best decision for his students. Service is the highest aspiration of Virginia Tech; all alumni know this as our charter. President Steger is in service to lead and protect his students.

Steger failed to acknowledge that on that cold day in April, he frittered precious time, and ceded good judgment to law enforcement advisers chasing a phantom, while a killer stalked his campus and mailed press releases. He failed in his moment of trial, and there are costs to failure - 32 dead, 25 wounded, countless lives damaged.

It is past time for Charlie Steger to resign. We thank him for his service and wish him well.

More on this story, here, and here.

What is your opinion regarding Marijuana?

2011-01-27T21:01:00.001-05:00

One of the most popular topics asked of President Obama for his youtube.com town hall meeting was regarding Marijuana. What is your opinion?

M.L.King then, and now

2011-01-17T12:35:00.004-05:00

This is the Martin Luther King that most people know, a man and his mission largely seen as history.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

Few realize that on that day on which he was killed he was on his next mission; the Poor People's Campaign. It was why he was in Memphis. He was there to seek better working conditions for the City's working poor - Sanitation workers, guys who pick up the garbage.

With Selma and the voting rights bill one era of our struggle came to a close and a new era came into being. Now our struggle is for genuine equality, which means economic equality. For we know that it isn’t enough to integrate lunch counters. What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn’t earn enough money to buy a hamburger and cup of coffee?

Economic equality for the working poor, including Appalachian Americans, Native Americans. The struggle continues. And Martin Luther King's work, and sacrifice is important today as it was 50 years ago. Economic inequality is as great today as it was then. The struggle continues.

Virginia Tech, now Tucson...

2011-01-15T12:28:00.008-05:00

“It’s offensive to me that some congresspeople are worrying about how to protect themselves, when really it should be about who’s going to protect the citizenry,” (Lori) Haas said. “Who is going to protect me and my daughter? Who is going to protect Christina Taylor Green?”

- Lori Haas, mother of Emily Haas, VT shooting survivor.

It is time to make sure that mentally defective people and felons can not purchase a gun. Virginia Tech Review Panel Chairman, Va.State Police Superintendent Col. Gerald Massengill:

The Tucson shooter was so nutty that his community college threw him out of school. What is less clear is why he was not identified by authorities as a danger to himself or his community. Here is one clue, money:

To fill a $1 billion hole in its 2011 budget, Arizona slashed this year’s budget for mental health services by $36 million — a 37 percent cut. As a result, advocates say 3,800 people who do not qualify for Medicaid are at risk of losing services such as counseling and employment preparation. In addition, more than 12,000 adults and 2,000 children will no longer receive the name-brand medications they take to keep their illnesses in check. Other services such as supportive housing and transportation to doctor’s appointments also will be eliminated.

It is time for all Americans, including those of us who are responsible gun owners, to understand that we need to find and identify mentally ill people, give them the assistance that they need, restrain them if we must, and make certain that they can not purchase weapons.

Ut Prosim.

Republican Reps Violate Constitution

2011-01-07T11:14:00.002-05:00

The Republican majority is off to a flying start. Reps, Jeff Sessions (member of the rules committee :) and Mike Fitzpatrick violated the Constitution just minutes after reading the Constitution, and have thrown the House of Representatives into a mess. All the legislation they voted on in their first day is now invalid. Apparently Fitzpatrick was hosting a fundraiser in the Capitol and too busy to attend to his oath. Sessions was along for the ride. Hosting fundraisers in the Peoples House is a also a violation of House of Representatives Rules. I think this is just a start for these Jackwagons.

From Politico:

It's not exactly a constitutional crisis, but two Republican members-elect missed the swearing-in on the House floor Wednesday and proceeded to participate in the legislative process -- voting, introducing bills, participating in committee hearings and speaking in the chamber -- for more than a day before the mistake was caught. "Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) missed the mass swearing-in ceremony on the House floor Wednesday but proceeded to cast a series of votes," I write for POLITICO. "Fitzpatrick participated in a reading of the Constitution on the House floor Thursday. If he paid attention to the reading of Article 6, he heard these words 'The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.'"

Help Us Support the Troops!

2010-12-20T21:26:00.008-05:00

Please join us as we show support for the brave, selfless young men and women PROUDLY serving the United States in Afghanistan. Help us send them a bit of home while they are so far away.

We are putting together care passages that will be sent to three units stationed overseas in Afghanistan. Your help with this effort will make a great difference!

Think about the little things that you enjoy, and perhaps take for granted, and... let’s be a blessing as best we can to these wonderful young people!

Keep in mind that we also need to raise money for postage and shipping to get our care packages delivered overseas.

If you can help with a small contribution to help cover the shipping costs,
Please make your check to:

Seven Generations PAC
11830 Fort Turley Trail
Linville, VA 22834
Put Operation Show We Care in the memo/for line of your check.

Your help with this effort can make an enormous difference! Remember, many hands make light work.

One more very important part of this operation: Please include a card or message with your donated items letting our young soldiers know that you care and that you appreciate the sacrifices they are making on our behalf.

Let them know what we LOVE and SUPPORT them…

Thank you ever so much for your help!

Click here to join our Facebook event!

For more information, click to send an email to: C.J. Ritchie or Lowell Fulk.

It is a good deal... let me find the credit card

2010-12-11T07:22:00.000-05:00

Governor Bob McDonnell wants to take advantage of low construction costs brought on by the slow economy to jump start road building in the Commonwealth. His transportation plan calls for spending about $4 billion over three years to ease congestion and, as a side benefit, to create much needed jobs. Laudable goals. Road construction has languished in the Commonwealth while congestion has gotten worse. Folks in road building could certainly use the work. With costs, both highway construction and interest rates, at near historic lows now could be the time to get more miles for the dollar.

But... there's always a "but" isn't there... make no mistake about it, the Commonwealth will have to go deeper into hock to pay for the roads. Unfortunately the governor's plan fails to address just how we'd pay back those loans. Delegate Ward Armstrong (D-Henry Co.), House minority leader and a potential gubernatorial candidate, issued a press release saying of the plan,

This is just the latest in a long line of irresponsible and half-baked ideas that fail to address our core problem of generating a long-term sustainable source of funding for our transportation needs...

So where would Governor McDonnell find the dollars? He says some of the money would come from saving and unspent funds of over $1 billion "discovered" in a recent VDOT audit. So, that really doesn't represent much new spending, but rather money that is already in the pipeline for maintenance and other projects. The governor's plan anticipates $700 million from as yet unrealized future surpluses and from privatization of state ABC stores. Perhaps this is his way of pressuring the General Assembly into moving ahead on his plan to sell the liquor business, but legislators are far from being sold on deal, especially in light of a recent report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission questioning administration numbers. According to JLARC, the "profits" would be closer to $300 than the $500 million the governor projected. Plus, while it would be upfront money that could be used for current transportation, the sale would mean a loss of state revenue each and every year in the future.

Beyond that, the governor plans to borrow $2.9 billion in a mix of state-backed and federal-backed bonds. The $1.1 billion federal-backed bonds, it appears, are repaid from future federal transportation grants-in-aid to the Commonwealth. So, we'd have future loss of revenue from the sale of ABC stores, loss of some future federal transportation aid, and future interest payment to service the increased debt. And the Commonwealth already has obligations to repay money to VRS and for other bonds that helped balance previous budgets.

It is irresponsible to spend money without clear plans and a reliable revenue stream for repayment of the debt to be incurred. Future governors and legislators will be forced to choose between core services such as schools and public safety or raise taxes. As Delegate Armstrong noted,

When you don’t pay now, someone has to pay later. Unfortunately the Governor’s lack of leadership on transportation has resulted in a plan that amounts to a back door tax increase on our children.

Perhaps now is the time for the Commonwealth to revamp its gas tax. Start a process of small periodic increases in the current 17.5¢ per gallon state gas tax to raise it to a level consistent with inflation. That rate was set in 1985 and its buying power is closer to 8¢. But, the governor seems dead set against that - he'll just max out another credit card.

Previously posted on Coarse Cracked Corn.

Friends of Bucky Anderson Memorial

2010-11-21T21:05:00.000-05:00

A Facebook Site has been started for those who wish to be supportive of Kenny and Margaret Anderson.
You can visit and become a friend by clicking here.

Here you will find a narrative of what the Anderson's have had to deal with, instead of being left to attempt to heal:

The Truth, by John Skelly

Kenny and Margaret Anderson attended a candlelight service held 3 days following the announcement that their son, Spc. Brian “Bucky” Anderson, had been killed in action in Afghanistan. Clayton Murwin who also attended the candlelight service approached the Andersons to introduce himself. He gave his condolences for their loss and made them a promise that he would memorialize their son’s name and sacrifice so “Bucky” would not be forgotten. Within the week, Kay Kibler, an acquaintance of Clayton Murwin, took Clayton Murwin’s artistic rendering of the monument to the Anderson’s home. It was very clear to all present at that time that the monument was meant to be specifically for “Bucky”. It needs to be made clear that Kenny and Margaret never asked for their son’s name to be memorialized on a monument; however, after viewing Clayton Murwin’s drawing of the monument, they understood that this monument was always intended to be for their son’s sacrifice.
Clayton Murwin and his Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. shortly began raising funds using his artistic rendering and a pencil portrait of Bucky’s military picture. Many local businesses were visited seeking donations for this monument dedicated to the Bucky Anderson Memorial Monument. During the dinner following the funeral, Mr. Murwin approached many mourners’ tables asking them for a donation to the Bucky Anderson Memorial Monument. He also collected money at a car wash fundraiser held at the Exxon station in Timberville in mid-July, seeking donations for the Brian “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument, which his parents attended. During all of these events, Mr. Murwin made it clear to donators that they were giving money to directly fund the Brian “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument. Shortly after the carwash fundraiser, Clayton Murwin announced in the Daily News-Record that all the necessary funds had been raised for the construction of the monument with a substantial surplus. He also stated in the community that the monument would be delivered in time to be dedicated at Broadway High School’s first home football game. During this time, Clayton Murwin was approached by management of the Broadway’s Domino Pizza Franchise to help design a flyer to announce a “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument fund drive to be held two Saturdays after the carwash event. Shortly after the Pizza’s fundraiser, Margaret and Kenny Anderson became concerned with the fundraising techniques employed by Mr. Murwin and his Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc.
I have known Kenny and Margaret Anderson for the past 20+ years. I felt honored by Kenny and Margaret’s request to help them sort through questions that had arisen around the issue of a monument honoring their son’s sacrifice. They were concerned with 4 specific issues and they asked me to address them with Clayton Murwin and his organization.
1). Kenny Anderson, who attended the carwash, observed that no receipts were offered for cash donation.
2) Margaret was contacted by Domino’s Pizzas’ management and told her that their fundraiser had raised $600.00 for the Brian “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument. However, since it was stated in the paper that all of the necessary funds had been raised for the monument, they asked Margaret if she would prefer the cash be given to “Bucky’s” scholarship fund, which greatly excited Kenny and Margaret. Shortly thereafter, Clayton Murwin visited Domino’s Pizza inquiring for the results of the fundraiser. He was told that they collected $600.00 and since the newspaper article had reported that all the monies necessary to build the monument had already been raised, the Anderson’s wanted to donate this $600 to Bucky’s scholarship fund. Mr. Murwin become very upset with the management and demanded that the monies be turned over to his organization. He felt the money was “his” because the Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. logo was used on the bottom of the flyer and also claiming IRS regulations requiring him to collect the money. Domino’s Pizza management team reported that Clayton Murwin made a big scene and disrupted business activities. In the end, Clayton Murwin collected the $600 from Domino’s Pizza. In the meantime, Clayton Murwin has promised to give that money to the Bucky’s Scholarship Fund; however, he has yet to make that contribution.
3) The Anderson’s had heard a rumor that Clayton Murwin was offering donors who gave $500 or more to the Brian “Bucky” Memorial Monument to have their names engraved on the back. The Anderson’s wishes were that this not be done. They felt all donations were of equal value and should not be judged on a monetary scale. These donations were collected from a community who wanted to honor Bucky’s memory -- certainly not to advertise their support.
4) Andy Anderson, Bucky’s brother, had been planning a softball tournament to raise money for Bucky’s Scholarship Fund. Clayton Murwin harassed Andy until the wee hours of the morning by cell phone, insisting that Andy needed his help to raise awareness of this tournament. Andy wanted to do this for his brother and told Clayton Murwin that he did not need his help. Andy stated that he had to turn his cell phone off to stop these calls. At this point, on behalf of Kenny and Margaret Anderson, I began making phone calls and visits to Clayton Murwin and members of Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc.’s board of directors. During these calls and meetings, I asked these questions:
1) Who was keeping the financial statements on the monies collected for the Brian “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument fundraising efforts?
2) Had any of the money been spent?
3) What the specifications of the monument were to be and what was to be engraved on it?
4) Who was commissioned to do the actual construction of the monument and bronze artwork?
5) Was a completed monument to be ready for the first home football game as stated to me by Clayton Murwin? All of the initial calls and visits resulted in the fact that Keith Clark was their record keeper and that the monument was to be completed in time for Broadway High School’s first home football game, provided that the Rockingham County School Board would grant permission to erect the monument on school grounds. Very quickly the responses to my calls and visits turned from being cordial into a defensive posture on their part with answers that became combative.
During the same time that I was asking these questions, another situation developed. Kay Kibler, a member of VFW Post #9660 Ladies Auxiliary, attended a meeting where she presented Clayton Murwin’s artistic rendering of the Bucky Anderson Memorial Monument, the same information that she presented to the Andersons. Her intentions were to secure another donation for the monument. A strong disagreement occurred among the members present. Some members did not think it was fair to represent only Bucky’s service and sacrifice when other BHS soldiers made the same sacrifice. The membership voted not to make a donation to Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. because it was only for a Bucky Anderson Memorial. Due to this stance taken by the VFW Post #9660 Ladies Auxiliary, Kay Kibler and a few other members transferred their membership shortly after this meeting. Kay then makes Clayton Murwin aware of her transfer and why the VFW #9660 Ladies Auxiliary wouldn’t be making a contribution. Clayton Murwin acknowledged Kay’s statement, made sure he had the right VFW Post #9660 and told her that if any donations came from that VFW he would return that contribution with the notation that he was raising money for a Bucky Anderson Memorial.
I met with the Andersons to discuss the results of my meetings, phone calls and conversations with Clayton Murwin and Keith Clark. Besides unsatisfactory answers to simple questions about the monument, the Andersons were now dealing with rumors that the monument was no longer a Bucky Anderson memorial; these rumors greatly upset the Andersons. Their sons’ name and likeness was still being used to raise and collect money for the monument.
Shortly after the Rockingham County School Board resolution, Clayton Murwin began to change and delete information that he had posted on many websites dealing with Buckys’ monument. Why? After prodding from public officials, we were able to obtain a ledger from the beginning of fundraising through the School Board’s resolution. Studying the ledger showed that the actor Brian Krause, a TV actor, who according to news articles donated his time and efforts to help raise money for the monument. Clayton Merwin also told me personally in our first phone conversation that he had personally paid for the airplane ticket for Brain Krause.In actuality, Clayton Murwin used funds already raised from the community for the monument to pay for a 1st Class airplane ticket to fly him to Broadway along with parking fees, food and entertainment expenses totaling over $1,000. At the autograph signing session, Brian Krause claimed that he raised $650 for his autograph signing of which he donated back $500 to the fund. His visit cost the community over $500 of already donated funds given for the monument. With this revelation of the Brian Krause financial disclosures and the fact the monument was not going to be ready for the BHS’s first home football game, the Andersons’ patience and understanding was wearing very thin. With much prodding and pushing, we were able to get the Andersons to sit down with Marsha Garst, Commonwealth Attorney for Rockingham County, Pablo Cuevas, member of the Rockingham Board of Supervisors, Keith Clark, Vice President of the Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. and myself to attempt to sort through the confusion and come to some sort of an agreement. The financial accounting shows that a check had been sent from Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. in the amount of $6,800.00 to a group in Florida called Florida’s Heroes Fallen. At this time, Keith Clark confirmed that the check was in Florida’s Heroes Fallen and that no work had been done on the monument. Keith Clark also said there was no signed contract between the two organization and no drawing as to exact features were to be included on the monument. Marsha Garst, along with the Andersons’ input, drew a rendition of what they believed the monument was to look like. Kenny Anderson made it clear that he wanted an extra cut on the granite block to include the engraving “Freedom Is Not Free”. The Andersons stated that they wanted to pay for this extra work. Bucky’s name, accomplishments and accompanying information was to be on the front. The Anderson’s were in agreement that the emblems of the Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. and Florida’s Heroes Fallen would be displayed on the back. All of the attendees at this meeting were in agreement as to what the monument was to look like and the verbiage to be included. The Andersons were concerned with the fact that there would be shipping costs incurred from Florida. It was agreed at this meeting that Keith Clark would get itemized prices for each part of this work plus any additional shipping. The bronze artwork was something that Kenny Anderson was going to price from a company located in Baltimore, MD. Margaret was going to follow up and get prices from local monument companies and that I would check on the possibilities of bronze plaques as opposed to engraving the monument . Then it was agreed that all parties would convene again in 3 weeks with their information. It would then be determined who was to be commissioned to do the work and what the total expenses would be; a joint announcement would be made at that time. It was agreed by all that no one would talk to the media, Keith Clark agreed and shook every bodies hand. Within approximately a week, a news article was released in the Daily News-Record quoting Clayton Murwin that the bronze and granite monument should arrive in about two weeks but was unsure as to where it was to be placed (this date was not met). Many other statements were made in that article that greatly disturbed and upset the Andersons. Clayton Murwin and the Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. had broken all of their agreements and trust that was gained during the last meeting. At this time, Keith Clark put in his resignation from the organization.    Now we felt that we needed help and advice from legal counsel. It was the Attorneys’ recommendation that we ask for mediation. Clayton Murwin and his group also retained an Attorney and a mediation session was set up for October 19th. On the mediation day, Margaret Anderson found a posting on the website for the Heroes Fallen Studies, Inc. making a statement that the granite portion of the monument had been completed and would be delivered on the 23rd of October. He also stated that the bronze work had been held up due to factory problems and that the site at BHS had been blocked. With this upsetting information, the Andersons entered the mediation session with a lot of emotion and distrust of Clayton Murwin. The session did not go well; however, a few tentative agreements were reached with Clayton Murwin. One of the agreements was that Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. would no longer use the pencil sketch made of Bucky’s military photo in any of their fundraising efforts. In return, Clayton Murwin demanded the Andersons return the plaque (made by Blue Ridge Trophy Shop) that was given to them at the carwash event; which contained the pencil drawing done by Clayton Murwin. Clayton Murwin then provided a hand-drawn sketch of the completed granite portion of the monument with Bucky’s name and pertinent information on the front and on the back a list of sponsors who had given $500.00 in cash or in value of materials or services provided (deemed by Mr. Murwin) towards the project. The first name on this list was TV actor, Brian Krause. The Andersons were distraught with this information and immediately demanded the removal of their sons’ name from the completed monument. Clayton Murwin agreed to cover Buckys’s name with a bronze plaque using donated funds. Kenny and Margaret Anderson removed themselves from the room; thus, ending the session. The next day, I had a conversation with our Attorney and we decided to request, through Clayton Murwins’ attorney, for any picture that showed that the granite portion of the monument did actually exist. Their attorneys’ e-mail response to this request was not only confusing but also very disturbing to all. The Attorneys’ e-mail response is as follows: “It has been done but not shipped. I will be glad to have my client provide a photo upon receipt. Please caution Mr. Skelly against trying to add additional conditions to the agreement, my client compromised a lot. Obviously, if it had not already been finished, the discussions could have proceeded differently last night. Please also remind Mr. Skelly that the Anderson’s son’s name was not originally going to be on the monument, my client added his name at the request of the Andersons but have now been asked to have it covered-up. We need to let the scabs dry and heal and I know you appreciate that, I hope Mr. Skelly can come to appreciate it too.” This was a devastating response to a simple request for a picture to confirm the existence of a monument and was another blow to the Andersons’ healing process. Murwin’s attorney also informed us; the next day; that Bucky’s name had not been done, thus saving donated funds. This was the first time that it became obvious to me that Clayton Murwin and the Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. may have another agenda. Clayton Murwin and his Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. had been trying for over two years to publish what he calls a graphic novel relating the stories of soldiers who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Until recently, he has had limited success in our community raising the funds necessary to publish his first edition. Clayton Murwin has just recently announced on his web page that the first publication will be released this month and ready to go on sale at the cost of $24.99/copy. Clayton Murwin reported the first-run cost of the graphic novel was to be $6,500.00. We all know the quoted cost for the Bucky Anderson monument was to cost $6,800.00 (Coincidence?)    Not only did Clayton Murwin ignore the wishes of Kenny and Margaret Anderson not to have donors listed on the back of the monument, it was claimed that the monument was already completed, including the list of donors on the back. I have spoken with over half of the listed donors. Of these donors, none of them were consulted nor wanted their names on the back of the monument. They all said that they gave money, materials and services specifically for the Spc. Brian “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument. Our community has always had compassion to lend help, effort and money to any good cause; in my opinion Clayton Murwin and his organization took advantage of this and collected money that was designated for a great cause, the Spc. Brian “Bucky” Anderson Memorial Monument and has given us nothing. You truly failed to tap the full resources of this community and instead actually attempted to split the community for your financial gains to benefit the Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. and its goals of publishing a graphic novel. The Andersons have fought long and hard because their sons’ name was used in their community to raise money. They have come to the end of the road with negotiations with Clayton Murwin and his Heroes Fallen Studios, Inc. and even went so far as to explore the possibility of legal action. The Andersons know their community understands the need for them to go back to the process of grieving this first holiday season without their son. They will no longer pursue any questions surrounding the monument nor its’ funding. All they need to get through this holiday season is a pat on the back, a handshake, a hug or a thank-you for their son. Clayton Murwin, your early actions of approaching the Andersons at the candlelight vigil to honor Bucky were not only callous but you short-circuited the communities’ ability to react to the Andersons’ loss. If Clayton Murwin and his organization are truly trying to honor any of Broadway High School’s fallen heroes, you still have a chance. If the monument has not been completed at this time, please cease and desist any actions that would spend funds already raised for any version of the monument. The money raised from this community by your organization could still be a part of the solution. Following the holiday season, the community will come together to sort through the confusion and problems surrounding your efforts. Clayton Murwin and his organization have failed to use the greatest resource that was at their disposal and that was the understanding and compassion of Kenny and Margaret Anderson. Their family now knows the pain and suffering that must be endured by the loss of a family member. They will be the leaders in commemorating and honoring all of BHS fallen heroes.

They know in their hearts that Bucky would have wanted to stand proudly at the school he loved, BHS, along with his fallen comrades in arms.
John Skelly

What Has Obama Done So Far?

2010-11-09T12:31:00.002-05:00

This stuff.

Harrisonburg Mayor Poll

2010-11-05T08:09:00.000-04:00

I Remember

2010-10-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

For those suffering from selective memory loss....

Friends don't let friends vote Republican.

Four Questions for Republican Voters

2010-10-29T20:18:00.003-04:00

Think you are an informed voter? Answer these questions:

1. What was the average monthly private sector job growth in 2008, the final year of the Bush presidency, and what has it been so far in 2010?

2. What was the Federal deficit for the last fiscal year of the Bush presidency, and what was it for the first full fiscal year of the Obama presidency?

3. What was the stock market at on the last day of the Bush presidency? What is it at today?

4. Which party's candidate for speaker will campaign this weekend with a Nazi re-enactor who dressed up in a SS uniform?

(Answers will appear in the comments section)

How will you vote?

2010-10-26T12:05:00.000-04:00

Here in the 6th District of Virginia, there is no Democratic nominee challenging Rep. Bob Goodlatte. The alternatives on the ballot, a Rand Paul style Libertarian and a tea drinking independent, don't cut it with most Democrats. Certainly, area Democrats will be going to the polls to vote on amendments to the Virginia Constitution and, in localities such as Harrisonburg, on city council and school board elections. But, what to do about voting in the 6th District race?

Well, there is a movement encouraging Democrats to vote for the Chair of the 6th District Democratic Committee, Linda Wyatt, for House of Representatives. While nobody expects her to get a large number of votes, those she receives (along with other write-in votes) are a way to express dissatisfaction with the choices presented on the ballot.

How should you vote on the constitutional amendments? Here's what I think...!

Michael Moore: Five Ways The Dems Can Avoid A Catastrophe And Pull Off The Mother Of All Upsets

2010-10-01T13:12:00.001-04:00

The election is one month from tomorrow and, yes, it looks hopeless. November 2nd -- the day the Dems are expected to crash and burn.

Sadly, it's a situation the Democrats have brought upon themselves -- even though the majority of them didn't create the mess we're in. But they've had over a year and a half to start getting the job done to fix it. Instead, they've run scared ever since they took power. To many, the shellacking they're about to receive is one they deserve.

But if you're of a mindset that believes a return to 2001-2008 would be sheer insanity, then you probably agree we've got no choice but to save the Democrats from themselves.

Story

More Southern Christian Stupidity and Intolerance

2010-09-29T18:30:00.002-04:00

Ignorance, Not Islam, Is The Enemy

(RNS) In a single vote, the Texas State Board of Education managed to undermine Christian-Muslim relations, hamper religious literacy and impose ignorance on our kids at a time when they need knowledge to live and work in a competitive and integrated world.

Board members--no foreigners to strange and bizarre decisions--voted to scrub textbooks of anything that smacked of a "pro-Islam" or "anti-Christian" bias. Texas textbooks, by their sheer number, end up setting nationwide standards.

story

Americans Don't Know Much About Religion

2010-09-29T18:26:00.001-04:00

A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.

Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ.

More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish.

Hmmm, smarter people know more than dumb people...what a concept.

story

The South Will Rise Again?

2010-09-29T15:53:00.003-04:00

The Poorest States In The U.S. (PHOTOS)

Check this out, each of the poorest eleven States are located in the uber-conservative, evangelical south which also has the highest rates of obesity, high school drop outs, and teenage pregnancy. What sane person would want to be a part of that? And where is this so called conservative fiscal responsibility?

Story and photos here

GOP Sticks it to the Working Class Again

2010-09-28T13:59:00.001-04:00

GOP, U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Beat Back Bill To Combat Outsourcing

Senate Republicans beat back an effort by Democrats Tuesday to end tax breaks for companies who send jobs offshore only to import products back into the United States. The House has passed a series of similar legislation over the past several weeks, as Democrats work to portray Republicans as in the pocket of Big Business at the expense of workers, the economy, the trade deficit and the budget deficit.

Whole story

VA: Making it Easy for Criminals to Get Guns

2010-09-27T14:41:00.002-04:00

Gun Crime Study: 10 States Sell Half Of Imported Guns Used In Crimes

WASHINGTON — Nearly half of the guns that crossed state lines and were used in crimes in 2009 were sold in just 10 states, according to a report being released Monday by a mayors' group.

Those states accounted for nearly 21,000 guns connected to crimes in other states, said the survey by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an association of more than 500 mayors led by New York's Michael Bloomberg and Boston's Thomas Menino.........Forty-nine percent of those guns were sold in Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California or Arizona.

Whole story

Americans Beat 33 Countries to Win Obesity Prize

2010-09-27T14:05:00.005-04:00

OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), a group of 33 countries “committed to democracy and the market economy,” has just released a major report on obesity.

Its main conclusion? The United States population has the highest percentage of overweight and obesity in the democratic, market-economy world.

Story

Republican Pledge - Here We Go Again!

2010-09-24T15:47:00.003-04:00

Make sure you catch the last couple of minutes - you get to hear the Republican leadership saying the same crap they were saying 10 years ago. They think you're stupid. I'm sure Bob Goodlatte agrees.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Postcards From the Pledge

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Rally to Restore Sanity -vs- March to Keep Fear Alive

2010-09-19T13:55:00.007-04:00

Would you like to attend Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity?

This "...is a rally for the people who've been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) -- not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence... we couldn't. That's sort of the point." ...Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
A Million Moderate March!!!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Rally to Restore Sanity

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Click here and fill out the form to reserve your seat(s) on the bus!

Meanwhile, Steven Colbert is having a counter event

at the same time and location!!!

Click here and fill out the form to reserve your seat(s) on the bus!

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

March to Keep Fear Alive

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

2010 Election

Fox News

Click here and fill out the form to reserve your seat(s) on the bus!

When? Saturday, October 30th 2010 Beginning at 12:00 Noon!
Where? The Mall in Washington D.C.
We would leave the Valley around 8:00am...

Well, let's do so as a team! Join me in working to get as many people from up and down the Valley to build a Carpool Convoy of folks to attend the Rally to Restore Sanity together! We're also working on filling charter buses.

Think how much fun we'll all have, restoring sanity to the national discourse!
Click here to visit our local Facebook Rally page. Let us know that you'd like to join the growing Valley Group!

Click here and fill out the form to reserve your seat(s) on the bus!

Let's take it down a notch, for America!

My thought is to set up central assembly locations where folks can meet and load up for a wonderful day's adventure. There could actually be several up and down the Valley! We could establish one in Staunton, one in Harrisonburg, one in Roanoke, Lexington, Waynesboro, Woodstock etc...

What are your thoughts? Are you in?!!! Do you want to be part of a really cool and fun, and meaningful event?
Would you like to coordinate a group in your area?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you, and to enjoying the day with you!

Sincerely yours,

Lowell Fulk
lowellfulk@activist.com

Click here and fill out the form to reserve your seat(s) on the bus!

Click this link to go to the official Facebook event:

Who Would Jesus Vote For?

2010-09-10T18:34:00.003-04:00

So we were having a conversation today with a minister and Bible scholar. Here's the short version:

Number of times Jesus condemns homosexuality: 0
Number of times Jesus condemns divorce: 4
Number of times Jesus condemns adultery: 9
Number of New Testament verses condemning the rich: 20+
Number of New Testament verses condemning gay marriage: 0

These Christians follow His teachings. Blessings to Pastor Steve Stone of Heartsong Church! He walks the path.

The Campaigner-in-Chief

2010-09-07T15:02:00.002-04:00

Pity the Republican Party, the Campaigner-in-Chief has entered the fray. As Steven Colbert said the other night, "Reality has a Liberal bias".

Valley Democratic Celebration of the American Worker!

2010-09-01T22:25:00.003-04:00

Join Valley Democrats on September 12!

Fellowship with several hundred of your best friends in the Valley!

Sunday, September 12 --- The JMU Grand Ballroom

5:30pm Cash Bar --- Silent Auction

6:15pm Dinner and Program

Entertainment: Glick and Phillips

Speakers

Mayor of Harrisonburg --- Kai Degner

House Minority Leader --- Delegate Ward Armstrong

Former Democratic National Committee Chair --- Terry McAuliffe

Click here to download invitation

JMU Festival and Conference Center

1301 Carrier Drive

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Click here for directions

For information call

Deb Fitzgerald at 540-434-8900

or click here to email Deb

Click here to download invitation

Prominent Climate Change Denier is Now a Climate Change Believer

2010-08-31T10:26:00.004-04:00

The world's most high-profile climate change sceptic is to declare that global warming is "undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today" and "a challenge humanity must confront", in an apparent U-turn that will give a huge boost to the embattled environmental lobby.

Bjørn Lomborg, the self-styled "sceptical environmentalist" once compared to Adolf Hitler by the UN's climate chief, is famous for attacking climate scientists, campaigners, the media and others for exaggerating the rate of global warming and its effects on humans, and the costly waste of policies to stop the problem.

But in a new book to be published next month, Lomborg will call for tens of billions of dollars a year to be invested in tackling climate change. "Investing $100bn annually would mean that we could essentially resolve the climate change problem by the end of this century," the book concludes.

The whole story

Glenn Beck's rally was the Waterworld of white self-pity.

2010-08-31T10:21:00.003-04:00

White Fright

One crucial element of the American subconscious is about to become salient and explicit and highly volatile. It is the realization that white America is within thinkable distance of a moment when it will no longer be the majority. This awareness already exists in places like New York and Texas and California, and there have even been projections of the time(s) at which it will occur and when different nonwhite populations will collectively outnumber the former white majority. But it also exerts a strong subliminal effect in states like Alaska that have an overwhelming white preponderance.

the whole story

A Blow for Cuccinelli, a Win for VA Taxpayers

2010-08-30T15:20:00.001-04:00

Judge quashes Cuccinelli subpoena of U-Va. records

An Albemarle County Circuit Court judge has set aside a subpoena issued by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the University of Virginia seeking documents related to the work of climate scientist and former university professor Michael Mann.

Judge Paul M. Peatross Jr. ruled that Cuccinelli can investigate whether fraud has occurred in university grants, as the attorney general had contended, but ruled that Cuccinelli's subpoena failed to state a "reason to believe" that Mann had committed fraud.

The ruling is a major blow for Cuccinelli, a global warming skeptic who had maintained that he was investigating whether Mann committed fraud in seeking government money for research that showed that the earth has experienced a rapid, recent warming. Mann, now at Penn State University, worked at U-Va. until 2005.

The whole story

"9/11 Christian" cult to Build a Church need Ground Zero

2010-08-30T15:16:00.001-04:00

So, what if, in addition to the Park51 interfaith cultural center and basketball courts that are not at Ground Zero, we had a bigoted kook-church for people who believe Islam is a "religion of 'hate and death'" that's also not at Ground Zero? Then, everything would be even-Steven, right? Well, good news, then, from the Salon War Room:

A bigoted pastor who has assailed gays and Muslims is launching the "9-11 Christian Center at Ground Zero" a mere two blocks from the World Trade Center site this Sunday but so far the project hasn't drawn a peep of protest from those who are outraged by the "ground zero mosque."

Pastor Bill Keller of Florida said today he will begin preaching this Sunday at the Marriott at 85 West Street (see proximity to ground zero here). A weekly service is planned at the hotel until the $8 million 9/11 Christian Center finds a permanent space. (Fundraising is going well, Keller told Salon today.)

Ken Plum: Sizing down government in VA

2010-08-25T17:57:00.001-04:00

Recently I received an automated “robo” survey call on my home telephone from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. After a brief explanation that Gov. Bob McDonnell was seeking to reduce the size of state government, the recording of Lt. Gov. Bolling posed the first question: Do you agree with Gov. McDonnell that the size of state government should be reduced?

My answer choices were either “yes” or “no.” I like the question; it is one I could debate either side at length. I replied “no.” That clearly was not the answer the surveyors wanted to hear, for after asking my gender – for whatever reason that mattered – the call ended. If I had responded yes, the follow-up questions would probably have picked at the agencies of state government to see where I would agree to reductions. Given the complexities of state government and its many functions, I wonder how informed the responses were to the questions.

Budget cutting with the economic recession has reduced the size of state government. Currently there are nearly 54,000 positions authorized for Virginia government to be paid for by tax revenue. The unit of government with the most tax-paid employees is public safety with just over 18,000 employees. That number includes the 14,421 prison guards and others who operate the adult and juvenile prisons and correctional facilities. That number also includes nearly 2,500 state police.

The next highest number of tax-paid state employees is in higher education with 17,597 employees who staff our colleges and universities. Public school teachers and administrators are local and not state employees. The third highest category of general fund state employees is in health and human services with nearly 9,000 employees who run the state mental health hospitals and mental retardation facilities. These three services constitute 80 percent of state government employees. The remaining units of government employ fewer than a thousand taxpayer-paid employees each.

There is a total of 61,000 additional state employees who work in programs that through fees or contracts pay for themselves including 35,000 in higher education alone. Eliminating these positions also eliminates the source of revenue that supports them with no net gain to the budget. In the instance of the Alcoholic Beverage Control system, eliminating the 1,078 positions in the agency would eliminate the nearly $150 million in annual revenue provided to local government from the profits of the ABC system.

For those who got the same robo telephone survey as I did and who voted in favor of reducing state government, please let me know where you would make the reductions beyond the belt-tightening done recently with the economic recession. Send your suggestions to me at kenplum@aol.com, and if feasible I will lead the effort to reduce government in those areas. I hope there is agreement that we need our prison guards, state police, college professors, and support personnel, as well as our mental health workers.

Ken Plum serves in the Virginia House of Delegates.

So Much for Being "Fair and Balanced."

2010-08-25T17:11:00.002-04:00

Fox News Rejects Ad Highlighting Its $1 Million GOP Donation, Admits News Corp Opposes 'Democratic Candidates'

Mediate's Colby Hall has a new report today raising the question of whether progressive media watchdog group Media Matters was "serious" about putting up the funds to run an ad on Fox News about News Corp's $1 million donation to the Republican Governors Association (RGA), pointing to the fact that Media Matters refused to edit its ad to meet Fox News' exact requests. But in an interview with the Huffington Post, Vice President of Research and Communications for Media Matters for America Ari Rabin-Havt disputed these accounts.

The whole story

John Boehner's Economic Plan Would Increase Deficit By $3.781 Trillion, Think Tank Finds

2010-08-25T17:04:00.000-04:00

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was short on specifics during his much-touted economic address in Cleveland this week,promising to offer a more detailed plan as the election approached.

But the Ohio Republican did outline some ideas about how President Obama could restructure both his White House staff and the economy. And in a subsequent report analyzing his suggestions -- which included the firing of top economic advisers -- the progressive think tank NDN estimates that the plans could exacerbate the deficit by roughly $3.7 trillion over the next ten years.

The whole story

2010-08-23T21:04:00.000-04:00

Republican nominee Robert Hurt has a hole in his jobs platform on free trade.

“Robert Hurt is a typical politician who remains so out of touch with the experience of working families that he doesn’t even realize the devastating effects free-trade agreements have had on the Fifth District. Now he’s even pledging to continue supporting these bad trade deals and protecting corporations that ship good American jobs overseas,”said Jessica Barba, spokeswoman for the Tom Perriello campaign.

The jobs issue would seem to be a voting issue in the Fifth, where several local economies have unemployment rates beyond 10 percent.

The Perriello camp is pushing back at Hurt on jobs, criticizing the state senator on his ambiguity on extending NAFTA-style agreements to cover more foreign markets and his opposition to legislation that rewards corporations for shipping jobs overseas.

“If Sen. Hurt weren’t so busy standing up for companies that outsource jobs, maybe he’d realize free-trade agreements are bad for Southside Virginia,” Barba said.

David Toscano: The privatization of ABC in VA

2010-08-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

During campaign season, voters frequently hear the statement, “government ought to be run like a business.” How many businesses do you know would be willing to eliminate a profit center that realizes some $118 million per year in net revenue and another $120 million in taxes for a price that is speculative and which may come with some undesired consequences? Well, that is exactly what the Commonwealth is considering doing if it embraces Gov. McDonnell’s proposal to privatize the ABC stores.

While the precise proposal has not yet been outlined, the general principle is for Virginia, one of only 18 states that now run liquor operations, to sell or license the ABC retail operations to the private sector in exchange for cash up front. Estimates of the revenue from the sale range from $150 million to $500 million. That one-time influx of money would be dedicated to transportation, a critical need in the Commonwealth.

While I agree with many others that the liquor business is not a core service of government, we should recognize that the Commonwealth’s ownership of liquor operations has brought needed revenue into the General Fund, some of which goes directly to mental health, retardation, and substance abuse funding by statute.

The Virginia ABC presently operates 332 stores and employs 2,680 people. In Fiscal Year 2009, it deposited $248 million in profits, excise and sales tax into the General Fund, the Commonwealth’s primary funding source for public safety, education, and healthcare. It is not at all clear what will happen to this revenue stream in any privatization. Without raising the excise tax on liquor sales, it is very possible that the amount of money that the General Fund presently receives will be much less after privatization. Some argue that the only way to replace the lost monies is by increasing the number of stores and/or concentrating liquor sales into big box outlets like Costco and Walmart. In the end, then, any privatization proposal, independent of the ideological assertion that the private sector is the better outlet for this business, must be considered by comparing the risk of losing consistent General Fund revenue after the ABC sale against the benefit of receiving an undetermined amount of money for the sale of the operation that would go into transportation.

Ronald Reagan Ranks in Top Ten of Most Overrated People in History

2010-08-23T14:17:00.001-04:00

He was always a popular President, but he has since been recast (mainly by conservative historians) as a great one as well. Yes, you can easily place him on that pedestal. You would merely need to ignore the Iran-Contra scandal, the huge budget deficits, his environment ignorance, his do-nothing reaction to the looming AIDS epidemic, his courting of Saddam Hussein, and numerous other blunders. “Reagan was truly a great president whose achievement rivals that of Franklin Roosevelt,” wrote conservative author Dinesh D’Souza, in his 1997 reappraisal where he credited Reagan for everything from the strong Clinton economy (go figure) to world peace (while somehow forgetting to mention Iran-Contra anywhere in the book).

the whole story

GOP, Beck Aid Radical Extremists

2010-08-23T14:11:00.002-04:00

Some counterterrorism experts say the anti-Muslim sentiment that has saturated the airwaves and blogs in the debate over plans for an Islamic center near ground zero in Lower Manhattan is playing into the hands of extremists by bolstering their claims that the United States is hostile to Islam.

Evan F. Kohlmann, who tracks militant Web sites at the security consulting firm Flashpoint Global Partners, said supporters of Al Qaeda have seized on the controversy "with glee." On radical Web forums, he said, the dispute over the Islamic center, which would include space for worship, is lumped together with fringe developments like a Florida pastor's call for making Sept. 11 "Burn a Koran Day."

"It's seen as proof of what Awlaki and others have been saying, that the U.S. is hypocritical and that most Americans are enemies of Islam," Mr. Kohlmann said. He called the anti-Islam statements spawned by the dispute "disturbing and sad" and said they were feeding anti-American sentiment that could provoke violence.

The whole story

Evangelist leads 'disinformation campaign' on Obama

2010-08-23T10:25:00.004-04:00

Rev. Franklin Graham is leading a "disinformation campaign" against President Obama by attacking Obama's Christian faith and distorting Islam's theology, says a leading religion professor.

After CNN's John King gave Graham a full news cycle to raise a lifted eyebrow at President Obama's Christian profession of faith, Stephen Prothero, religion professor at Boston University, came on King's show Friday night to undercut Graham and question why CNN would ask an evangelist known to slur Islam, to speculate on its theology.

The whole story

GOP Candidate Exploits 9/11 Victims for Campaign Purposes

2010-08-19T14:24:00.003-04:00

GOP Senate candidate yanks video showing smoldering 9/11 site
This one is ugly.

GOP Senate candidate Roy Blunt's campaign has pulled down a Web video displaying the smoldering remains of the 9/11 attacks alongside audio of his Democratic opponent saying the location of the Islamic center should be up to New Yorkers to decide.

And now the Dem, Robin Carnahan, is going on the offensive over the issue, demanding that Blunt apologize to the families of 9/11 victims for exploiting the tragedy for political gain.

The Carnahan campaign claims it pulled the video off of Blunt's campaign Web site late yesterday, and a local blogger has now put the video on You Tube:

The whole story

Proposition 23, Anti-Environment 'California Jobs Initiative', Is Funded By Big Polluters In Texas And The Midwest

2010-08-19T13:53:00.001-04:00

Proposition 23, the so-called "California Jobs Initiative" threatening to suspend some of California's unprecedented clean air and renewable energy legislation, is raking in millions of dollars from Texas oil companies and special interest groups in the Midwest that stand to profit from rolled-back environmental regulation.

The initiative, which is to be voted on in California's upcoming November elections, aims to suspend clean air and energy laws...........

The whole story

Sharon Angle and the Extremism of Christian Reconstructionists

2010-08-19T12:53:00.002-04:00

Sharron Angle, the Republican challenger to Majority Leader Harry Reid's Nevada Senate seat, has also emerged this election season to challenge Sarah Palin's throne as the conservative leader most likely to say baffling things in public.

In discussing religion, Angle often edges into the prophetic. When she was confronted about her unwillingness to support exceptions to an abortion ban even in the case of rape and incest, she said straightforwardly, "God has a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives." She objects to laws that prevent pastors from endorsing candidates from the pulpit. Most interestingly, she claimed that entitlement programs of all sorts violate "the First Commandment," and in case her point wasn't clear, she elaborated in biblical talk: "We have become a country entrenched in idolatry, and that idolatry is the dependency upon our government. We're supposed to depend upon God for our protection and our provision and for our daily bread, not for our government."

The whole Story

Return of the BP Cover-Up

2010-08-19T11:08:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, the federal government claimed that three-quarters of the oil in the Gulf had magically disappeared. But as reported Wednesday, the federal government has so far refused to provide congressional investigators and the media with the numbers to support that claim. Now, it looks like the official report, with all the data and substantiating material, won't be released for months.

The whole story

Visions of Virginia's Tomorrow

2010-08-15T10:25:00.001-04:00

Visions of Virginia's Tomorrow

Starring:

Bob McDonnell and Mark Obenshain

Also appearing:

Todd Gilbert, Steve Landes, and newcomer Tony Wilt

Possible surprise performances by Richard "Dickie" Bell and Emmett Hanger

Sustainable Energy Today!

2010-08-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

The Living Planet City is a virtual city, but real communities in Canada and around the world are already using similar systems. In these communities, citizens are gaining a whole new understanding of energy, and actively engaging in the fight against climate change. They are lowering greenhouse gas emissions and securing a local, renewable energy supply, all while reducing their energy bills and creating good, green jobs.

Click on the image!

Fox Biz News for Dummies

2010-08-12T20:32:00.001-04:00

GOP plan to extend tax cuts for rich adds $36 billion to deficit, panel finds

2010-08-12T14:18:00.000-04:00

A Republican plan to extend tax cuts for the rich would add more than $36 billion to the federal deficit next year -- and transfer the bulk of that cash into the pockets of the nation's millionaires, according to a congressional analysis released Wednesday.

New data from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation show that households earning more than $1 million a year would reap nearly $31 billion in tax breaks under the GOP plan in 2011, for an average tax cut per household of about $100,000.

Whole story

Deficits 101 - Economics for Republicans

2010-08-12T11:15:00.002-04:00

You too can understand the poverty of economic vision offered up by the Republican Party. Watch this video of Republicans talking about the nation's financial state. And for our rightwing friends, who don't read, and like their information delivered on the Tee Vee, it's perfect. If you can't sit still for 7 minutes, here's the short version:

FAREED ZAKARIA (8/1/2010): You see, George Bush's massive tax cuts are the single largest chunk of our structural budget deficit. ... Were the tax cuts to expire, the budget deficit would instantly shrink by about 30%, or more than $300 billion dollars.

Enjoy!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Deductible Me

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

U.S. blackouts skyrocket as system allowed to age...

2010-08-11T06:10:00.000-04:00

Experts on the nation's electricity system point to a frighteningly steep increase in non-disaster-related outages affecting at least 50,000 consumers.
During the past two decades, such blackouts have increased 124 percent -- up from 41 blackouts between 1991 and 1995, to 92 between 2001 and 2005, according to research at the University of Minnesota.

In the most recently analyzed data available, utilities reported 36 such outages in 2006 alone.
"It's hard to imagine how anyone could believe that -- in the United States -- we should learn to cope with blackouts," said University of Minnesota Professor Massoud Amin, a leading expert on the U.S. electricity grid.

Read the article

Drawbacks exist to privatizing alcohol sales...

2010-08-11T00:09:00.000-04:00

Virginians consume approximately the national average of beer and wine. Conversely, they consume approximately 20 percent less liquor per capita than the national average. That is due to less availability, no advertising, strict enforcement of ABC laws and aggressive promotion of moderation by Virginia ABC. Due in large part to this lower consumption, Virginians suffer less from alcoholism, DUI, sclerosis, fetal alcohol syndrome and underage consumption, among other health and public safety problems. In general, Virginia is in the lowest percentiles in the U.S. for these undesirable occurrences.

Read the article

What to do in Afghanistan?

2010-08-09T19:45:00.000-04:00

7 Ways Republicans Want to Alter the Constitution They Claim to Hold Sacred

2010-08-06T12:46:00.000-04:00

Since President Obama took office, Republicans have shrouded their agenda of opposition by wrapping it in the flag and the Constitution. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) even went so far as to label her radical anti-government views “constitutional conservatism.” Yet, for all of their constitutional pablum, the GOP’s agenda is nothing less than a direct assault on America’s founding document. Time and time again, Republicans have called for basic constitutional freedoms and fundamental aspects of our constitutional government to be repealed either by amendment or by activist judges:

Story

First Punish The Unemployed, Then Declare War On The Employed

2010-08-06T12:37:00.001-04:00

Over the past few months, Congressional Republicans and skittish Democrats who've lingered too long at the Deficit Panic Kool-Aid Stand have made life extraordinarily difficult for the most vulnerable members of society -- the nation's unemployed.

Rather than extend unemployment benefits so that the millions of Americans who are out therebusting their humps to find the needle-in-a-haystack that is a job of any kind, they've demanded that those benefits be offset, essentially punishing the unemployed for the deficits they giddily ran up for years.

Story

Why Do Red States Have the Worst "Family Values"?

2010-08-03T10:44:00.002-04:00

The "red family system" preaches early marriage and traditional gender roles -- a model no longer suited to our post-industrial economy. No wonder "red families" are falling apart.

Why are conservative “values voters” who consider themselves “pro-family” more likely to divorce, and have higher teenage pregnancy rates, than their liberal counterparts?

Story

Republicans Have Crippled The Economy

2010-08-01T16:52:00.001-04:00

Four Deformations of the Apocalypse

IF there were such a thing as Chapter 11 for politicians, the Republican push to extend the unaffordable Bush tax cuts would amount to a bankruptcy filing. The nation’s public debt — if honestly reckoned to include municipal bonds and the $7 trillion of new deficits baked into the cake through 2015 — will soon reach $18 trillion. That’s a Greece-scale 120 percent of gross domestic product, and fairly screams out for austerity and sacrifice. It is therefore unseemly for the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, to insist that the nation’s wealthiest taxpayers be spared even a three-percentage-point rate increase.

A brief history of selfish greed and irresponsible politics...

Five myths about the Bush tax cuts

2010-08-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

The tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003, known as the Bush tax cuts, are set to expire Dec. 31, and the fight over what to do is increasingly heated. Should the tax cuts expire, as some Democrats have said? Should they be extended, as most Republicans maintain? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between, as the Obama administration, led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, has argued in recent weeks?

story

GOP Opposes Federal Fracking Regs Regardless of Whether EPA Finds Poisoning

2010-07-30T15:09:00.001-04:00

As natural gas exploration expands throughout our energy-starved nation -- from the West and now into the South and Northeast -- many folks living in drilling country are rightfully expressing concern that their groundwater may be susceptible to pollution from the fracking fluids that are central to drilling operations. These are very legitimate fears, as HBO's critically acclaimed documentary Gaslandso graphically shows. And yet, to date, the Republican Party has expressed a rather callous "drill first, never ask questions later" attitude -- callous, even for the GOP.

During the Bush years, Republicans managed to legislate an exemption for fracking fluid into the Clean Water Act. Then, Republicans in Congress blocked the proposed FRAC Act, which wouldn't even ban fracking fluid -- it would simply require drilling companies to disclose what's in the fluids they are pumping into the earth near critical groundwater supplies. And now, in perhaps the most extreme step yet, Republicans here in Colorado (a state with one of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world) are demanding the Environmental Protection Agency never regulate fracking,regardless of whether or not the agency discovers that fracking is poisoning people.

As the Colorado Independent reports, you just can't make this up:

story

More "Christian" Hatred

2010-07-30T14:20:00.002-04:00

Pastor Hosting ‘International Burn A Quran Day’: ‘We Have Nothing Against Muslims’

On September 11, 2010, the extremist evangelical Dove World Church — whose pastor, Terry Jones, has written a book called “Islam Is Of The Devil” — plans to host “International Burn A Quran Day,” when it will burn Muslims’ sacred text and encourage others across the world to do so as well. Churchmember Wayne Sapp has even posted an instructional video that explains how and why to burn the Islamic text.

CNN host Rick Sanchez invited Jones on his show yesterday to ask him about the inflammatory action. When Sanchez pressed Jones about why he would try to anger the world’s Muslims by burning their sacred text, the evangelical pastor replied, “Well, for one thing, to us, the book is not sacred,” provoking laughter from the CNN host.

Jones later went on to explain, “What we are also doing by the burning of the Quran, we’re saying stop, stop to Islam, stop to Islamic law, stop to brutality. We have nothing against Muslims, they are welcome in our country.” When Sanchez asked him how he would feel if Muslims burned the Bible, Jones admitted he wouldn’t like it but emphasized that it was his “right” to burn the Islamic text because “we live in America”:

interview

The 2010 "Republican Plan" - Angry and Wrong Ain't a Plan

2010-07-28T15:13:00.007-04:00

As I listen for some sign that the Republican Party has a plan, any plan, to fix America's problems, I'm struck by their notion that giving wealthy people a tax cut isn't going to do anymore for unemployed, or underemployed people now than it did when George Bush was President and pushed through his great unfunded tax cuts. And when Republicans voted against extending unemployment benefits when times are so tough, it was WRONG. Who are these guys working for? We need jobs, and a living wage.

So here you go, the "Republican Plan" - you buying?

Out-of-touch, angry and still wrong isn't a plan boys!

Reducing Debt and Deficit - What Leadership Looks Like

2010-07-21T06:28:00.001-04:00

By George Pace

THE PRINCIPLE OF fiscal responsibility has been lost in the past decade, as evidenced by our national debt increasing from $5.7 trillion, 56 percent of Gross National Product, in 2000 to an estimated $13.5 trillion, or almost 90 percent of GNP in 2010. Furthermore, the current administration forecasts that by 2020 the national debt will exceed $22 trillion, or more than 100 percent of GNP! Said another way, interest expense on our national debt will exceed $1 trillion a year by the end of the next decade, unless we demand that our elected officials rediscover the principle of fiscal responsibility.

We need to limit the federal national debt to no more than 60 percent of GNP, which would mean our national debt would have to be reduced by $5 trillion to $6 trillion in the next decade. This will be a daunting task, requiring targeted tax increases and significant spending reductions. My recommendations follow:

5 Republicans Under Investigation for Ethics Violations

2010-07-15T09:58:00.002-04:00

Fund-Raising Before House Vote Is Focus of Ethics Inquiry

Tom Price, R-GA

John Campbell, R-CA

Jeb Hensarling, R-TX

Christopher Lee, R-NY

Frank Lucas, R-OK

story

NAACP to Teaparty: Clean Up Your Act!

2010-07-14T10:37:00.003-04:00

About time...

“We take no issue with the Tea Party movement. We believe in freedom of assembly and people raising their voices in a democracy. What we take issue with is the Tea Party’s continued tolerance for bigotry and bigoted statements. The time has come for them to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and make clear there is no place for racism & anti-Semitism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry in their movement,”

By-the-way, I know this guy, he works for me, he's a spoiled, self entitled child, he's a racist. This picture was taken at the Teaparty protest on the Mall last year. His sign says: "...Stand Idle While Some Kenyan Tries To Destroy America. I Don't Think So. Homey Don't Play Dat". I'm working on him, but honestly, he may be gone...

Extremist Christians Aim to Create Armed Militias Against "Godless" Federal Government

2010-07-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

Christian Reconstructionists believe civil government should be reformed according to the dictates of biblical law. Some advocate for followers to take up arms.

The Christian Taliban. Same theocentric arrogance and violence, just a different God.

story

Absurdity as Governmental Philosophy?

2010-07-13T01:13:00.000-04:00

The party of something for nothing speaks with authority.
But... Mind bending absurdity rings through the delivery.

"You should never have to offset tax cuts." ????
WTF?
Only if you care nothing about debt and deficit.

Perriello for Jobs

2010-07-11T12:23:00.000-04:00

Please visit

http://www.perrielloforcongress.com

Yet Another Good Southern Baptist

2010-07-09T20:40:00.003-04:00

Jonathan Wilkins, Baptist Tabernacle Minister, Files Lawsuit To Overturn Georgia Church Gun Ban

ATLANTA — A minister in Georgia is challenging the state's ban on guns in churches after the U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a decision supporting Americans' right to keep and bear arms.

The Rev. Jonathan Wilkins accuses state officials of violating his First Amendment freedom of religion right and his Second Amendment right to bear arms. Wilkins' attorney John Monroe said Friday that the minister wants to carry a gun to church for protection considering church shootings over the years.

Wilkins is a minister at the Baptist Tabernacle in Thomaston in central Georgia. The lawsuit is being filed on his behalf as well as a handful of gun rights advocates.

So this is what Christianity has become? What's next, sanctioning IEDs? Suicide Bombing? These extremists are just the christian version of Al Quaeda. No wonder rational people are leaving this religion in droves.

Study Shows that the Biggest Defaulters on Mortgages are the Rich

2010-07-09T13:00:00.002-04:00

Contrary to the immigrant bashers and class warfare elitists on the right and their echo chamber, it is not the poor or immigrant working class who are defaulting the most on their mortgages, it is the rich.

In fact, more than one in seven homeowners with loans in excess of a million dollars are seriously delinquent. By contrast, homeowners with less lavish housing are much more likely to keep writing checks to their lender. About one in 12 mortgages below the million-dollar mark is delinquent.

story

GOP Rep SLAMS his own Party

2010-07-09T12:52:00.001-04:00

GOP Rep. Inglis: Republicans Are “Preying on Fears,” Spreading Messages With Hate Radio

This post originally appeared on Think Progress.

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC), who lost recently in his primary run-off for the Republican nomination to keep his seat in Congress, is speaking out about the influence of hate radio and right-wing fear mongering in the Republican Party. In an interviewwith the AP, Inglis called out reactionaries like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck for spreading “demagoguery” and hatred in society:

– Noting that Palin had spread the “death panel” smear, Inglis said, “there were no death panels in the bill…and to encourage that kind of fear is just the lowest form of political leadership.”
– Inglis slammed GOP leaders for following hate radio talkers, rather than leading on principle: “I think we have a lot of leaders that are following those (television and talk radio) personalities and not leading [...] What it takes to lead is to say, ‘You know, that’s just not right.”
more

It is Time to Tax Churches

2010-07-07T15:37:00.008-04:00

Considering the radical, anti-Christ like, evangelical, politicized and agenda oriented, fundamentalists that organized religion has evolved into, it is time that they lose their "charity" status. They have become selfish entities like corporations, and like every other business, they should be required to pay their fair share of taxes. Churches, synagogues, and meeting houses have been given a free ride for far too long. They have essentially become corporations.

Like McDonalds and Burger King, they put forth HUGE efforts to brainwash the public into buying their "product." And like McDonalds and BK, organized religions spend millions of dollars co-opting governments at all levels to push their selfish agendas and receive favoritism in all forms including lax oversight, loose regulation, favorable laws, and tax breaks. And also like Mickey Ds and BK, organized religion uses these tactics to benefit those at the top, often to the detriment of the health and welfare of the general public.

Considering the fact that communities all around the state face dramatic budget cuts and painful decisions, and considering the fact that Harrisonburg and Rockingham County have about 100 Churches, Synagogues and Meeting Houses, alone, I think that it time that these mini-corporations step up to the plate and truly serve their community. They should be required to help pay for the social services that they receive, and should no longer be allowed to take advantage of taxpayers.

Reshaping Sprawl for a Sustainable Life...

2010-07-05T07:39:00.000-04:00

Food for thought for our local governments and communities...

Dying malls rehabilitated, dead "big box" stores re-inhabited, parking lots transformed into thriving wetlands.

Learning from the past to Improve Tomorrow...

2010-07-05T07:24:00.000-04:00

Second Re-Posting of a popular and important article and concept.

What Our Grandparents Can Teach Us
About Saving the World

Half the vegetables produced in 1943 in the United States,
were grown in Victory Gardens...

The World War II home front was the most important and broadly participatory green experiment in U.S. history. Is it a model we should use today?

"With the participation of the Boy Scouts, trade unions, and settlement houses, thousands of ugly, trash-strewn vacant lots in major industrial cities were turned into neighborhood gardens that gave tenement kids the pride of being self-sufficient urban farmers. In Chicago, 400,000 schoolchildren enlisted in the "Clean Up for Victory" campaign, which salvaged scrap for industry and cleared lots for gardens."

Click here for the story

Then come back and talk about it. We've got some thinking to do on this issue...

As Oil Industry Fights a Tax, It Reaps Billions From Subsidies

2010-07-03T22:41:00.002-04:00

When the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform set off the worst oil spill at sea in American history, it was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. Registering there allowed the rig’s owner to significantly reduce its American taxes.

The owner, Transocean, moved its corporate headquarters from Houston to the Cayman Islands in 1999 and then to Switzerland in 2008, maneuvers that also helped it avoid taxes.

At the same time, BP was reaping sizable tax benefits from leasing the rig. According to a letter sent in June to the Senate Finance Committee, the company used a tax break for the oil industry to write off 70 percent of the rent for Deepwater Horizon — a deduction of more than $225,000 a day since the lease began.According to the most recent study by the Congressional Budget Office, released in 2005, capital investments like oil field leases and drilling equipment are taxed at an effective rate of 9 percent, significantly lower than the overall rate of 25 percent for businesses in general and lower than virtually any other industry.

And for many small and midsize oil companies, the tax on capital investments is so low that it is more than eliminated by various credits. These companies’ returns on those investments are often higher after taxes than before.

the rest of the story

Jesus quotes John McCain

2010-07-02T22:18:00.001-04:00

Jesus quotes Bill O'Reilly

2010-07-02T22:16:00.000-04:00

Jesus Quotes Barbara Bush

2010-07-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

More Than 30% Of The South Is Obese

2010-07-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

Ironically these idiots are the first to scream NO to universal healthcare and also the first to whine when they lose their expensive, inadequate employer funded health care.

Sorry folks but there is a direct correlation between lack of education, intensity of faith, poverty, teen pregnancy, obesity and southerness. Another ironic point, southerners LOVE to scream about the evils of social programs, yet they are the biggest recipients of them. Talk about biting the hand that feeds them!

No worries though, I'm sure your God has a plan right?

Listen All Y'all, It's a Republican Sabotage

2010-06-30T21:32:00.002-04:00

The Republicans are willing to let one out of every ten of your friends go broke in the name of foiling the president and reclaiming control over the government (which they say they hate). Think about that.

Tuesday morning on CNBC, the spazzy white guys in lower Manhattan were debating how the administration and Congress can best repair the economy, and mainly the jobless numbers. At one point, Rick Santelli, the hyperkinetic shoutcaster and instigator of the tea party movement, began to flail around, waving his arms above his head while yelling, "Stop spending! Stop spending! Stop spending!"

And contrary to accusations from one of the other spazzy white panelists, Santelli insisted he wasn't calling for more tax cuts. Just a freeze in government spending. Somehow.

Fine. Show us another time in American history when a spending freeze -- and a spending freeze alone -- jump-started an economic recovery following a deep recession and high unemployment. Show us. Where in the world is Santelli getting this?

The GOP plan to destroy the economic recovery

Jesus quotes Glenn Beck

2010-06-30T18:55:00.001-04:00

Jesus quotes Ann Coulter

2010-06-30T18:44:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby

2010-06-29T20:06:00.002-04:00

Alabama closes in on Mississippi as most obese state

Hmm, southern bible belt.... that also happens to have the highest poverty rates, highest teen pregnancy, and lowest graduation rates. What a shocker!

Oil Spill Media Access: 'Down Here, Many Cops Do Literally Work For BP'

2010-06-29T19:58:00.002-04:00

As you are hopefully well aware, BP has been doing its level best to interfere with reporters in the Gulf Coast region to keep them from reporting on what's actually going on down there as clean-up efforts continue.
BP has been striving to keep reporters away from affected areas, put the kibosh on i mages of the destruction done to area wildlife, hassle loca l reporters and run off area activists. It has also gone as far as dispatching its own PR staff to masquerade as journalists and report the happy side of this epic disaster.

Story..

4th of July Parade on the 3rd

2010-06-29T19:44:00.003-04:00

Come downtown and show your support for Democrats and the Democratic party this year at the July 4th parade in downtown Harrisonburg. Line-up is 4:15PM Saturday July 3 behind the city municipal building; the parade begins at 5PM sharp and usually last something under an hour.

It's been a tough year. Locally, we've seen a hard-fought special election in June, and nationally, difficult times. Two city council seats are open this year, and the party has nominated candidates - Sal and Joe- who deserve your support during a year when Republican headwinds are likely to be strong.

Some feel powerless and angry about the vast forces that control our lives and over which we seem to have only fitful control - from oil spills, to high unemployment, from big government to big business. So let's take an hour during this celebration of the birth of our country to support this president and the leaders of our party, from the local to the national level, in the face of what all of us are confronting and what we've accomplished so far. So many really difficult changes that we can be proud of: the stimulus (still working); the Lilly Ledbetter Act and equal pay for equal work; the health insurance reform (a real start on a deep and vexing problem); torture has ended, lawful military detentions and renditions continue only when necessary. We've even seen an end to the HIV travel ban, and the legislative end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, with a buy-in from the top brass.

Hard work, all. We deserve to celebrate. And we can show our continued support to those who have done the heavy lifting at the local, state and national level. Come join us!

Newspapers Retract 'Climategate' Claims

2010-06-28T00:31:00.000-04:00

A lie can get halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its boots on, as Mark Twain said (or “before the truth gets a chance to put its pants on,” in Winston Churchill’s version), and nowhere has that been more true than in "climategate." In that highly orchestrated, manufactured scandal, e-mails hacked from computers at the University of East Anglia’s climate-research group were spread around the Web by activists who deny that human activity is altering the world’s climate in a dangerous way, and spun so as to suggest that the scientists had been lying, cheating, and generally cooking the books.

But not only did British investigators clear the East Anglia scientist at the center of it all, Phil Jones, of scientific impropriety and dishonesty in April, an investigation at Penn State cleared PSU climatologist Michael Mann of “falsifying or suppressing data, intending to delete or conceal e-mails and information, and misusing privileged or confidential information” in February. In perhaps the biggest backpedaling, The Sunday Times of London, which led the media pack in charging that IPCC reports were full of egregious (and probably intentional) errors, retracted its central claim—namely, that the IPCC statement that up to 40 percent of the Amazonian rainforest could be vulnerable to climate change was “unsubstantiated.” The Times also admitted that it had totally twisted the remarks of one forest expert to make it sound as if he agreed that the IPCC had screwed up, when he said no such thing.

Read the story

Which is closest to your beliefs regarding possession and use of Marijuana?
	Marijuana possession and use should remain illegal with tough penalties.
	Marijuana possession and use should be decriminalized.
	Marijuana possession and use should be legal but under state regulation and sale like distilled spirits.
	There should be no legal constraints regarding marijuana.
	Allowances should be made for the medical prescription and use of marijuana, but it should still be a controlled substance and not for recreation.

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Your choice for Mayor of Harrisonburg? (listed alphabetically)
	Baugh, Richard - Current Vice Mayor - Democrat
	Byrd, Ted - Councilman (Re-elected) - Republican
	Chenault, Charles - Councilman Elect - Independent
	Degner, Kai - Current Mayor - Democrat
	Wiens, David - Councilman - Democrat

Free polls from Pollhost.com

What do you think the United States should do regarding Afghanistan?
	Bring the troops home as quickly as is possible and cut our losses.
	Stay on the offensive and defeat the Taliban.
	Take the war to Pakistan if they don't cooperate.
	Invade Iran.
	Ask the United Nations to take over the situation.

Free polls from Pollhost.com