July 2010

I heard a hilarious story from a trusted source who was an immediate eyewitness to the sad scene described below while I was on my recent blog hiatus.  My memory was jogged by this article in the LTM describing the two public meetings Andrea McGimsey held this week on the proposed Chesapeake Bay protection regulations.

At a previous public meeting held at Claude Moore Rec Center several months ago, she was asking the ladies at the front desk about security because she was so worried that her meeting would descend into a violent melee.  They told her the best they could do for her would be to call the Sheriff’s Department if there was a problem.  To which she replied “OK if I come running down the hall screaming, be ready to call them!”  Although the meeting was somewhat contentious at times, there were no pitchforks or bodily harm involved.

Anyone go to the meetings this week, and how many deputies were there?  McGimsey and Miller in particular seem to be petrified of their constituents.  How soon will it be before Supervisors start demanding personal protection details here in Loudoun???

The new Loudoun Indie (formerly the Independent, now owned by the Loudoun Times Mirror) put out an article on the Loudoun blogosphere today, wondering where it has gone.  As I stated for the article, it’s still here, but this is the proverbial calm before the storm - summertime and the living is easy, and it’s not exactly a scorching political scene at the moment.

The NovaTownHall gang holds down the far right, while the new lib aggregate blog struggles to make itself relevant  (like with Air America, liberal media is just boring as hell).  I find msyelf firmly to the right of center, and definitely in between the two extremes usually exhibited by those sites.  As I’ve said numerous times (much to some pursists’ disbelief) I am actually very conservative on most issues, but realize that pragmatism and some moderation is necessary to get elected (especially in a swing electorate like Loudoun’s) and to govern effectively.  Unfortunately the LCRC seems to be heading right off the cliff again following a “we may lose but at least we’ll be pure” course of action.

There are some other indepedent Loudoun-centric sites dealing with politics, most notably Hooda Thunk, Bulletproof Monk, and Lloyd the Idiot (links in the blogroll to the right).  I was not aware that Martin Casey, former Loudoun Easterner editor, had started a Loudoun specific blog, Life in Loudoun County (note to Martin – no need to sign your name when you show up as the author below the post!).  It looks good so far and deserves more attention.

I do think things will heat up significantly as the big 2011 local elections approach.  Like it or not, the dirty inner workings of both parties will be exposed as they jockey for position.  I want to keep it as clean (although the language here may get a bit salty!) as possible, and nothing disinfects like sunlight.  Stay tuned, I said I was taking some summer blog vacation time, but I’ve had a few juicy stories come my way that I’ll be dribbling out over the next week.  Never a dull moment in Loudoun!

So I say I’m taking some time off from blogging, but a couple days in the office and a couple interesting developments suck me right back in (hopefully temporarily, then back to summer vacation!).

Lloyd makes an interesting observation about Dick Black and his FaceBook page and something on that page just jumped up and slapped me across the face.  Dick Black likes Mel Gibson!  As stated in the title, this really doesn’t surprise me.  Here’s some of Mel’s latest thoughts on women and blacks (don’t listen if you’re sensitive to foul language – I’m looking at you Willie!).  If only these damn women would stay at home and wear burkas we wouldn’t have these kinds of problems in our society!

Ken Cuccinelli gets a huge weight off his neck by deciding to donate the tainted $55,000 Bobby Tompson/US Navy Vets Association donation to real veterans charities (press release below the fold).  I still think the timeline of those donations and various regulatory changes stinks, but this is a good move, even if delayed.

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The new Loudoun Indie is doing a story on Loudoun blogs that I was interviewed for. Some seem to think that the Loudoun blogosphere is dead, but it’s just in hibernation, in the calm before the storm. It’s summertime and the living is easy (or just very busy for me) and there isn’t too much going on right now in local politics. The local political machines will be in somewhat of a holding pattern while redistricting sorts itself out. Things will start to heat up in the fall and I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to say.

As a member of the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, I am deeply concerned about the various proposals being offered in the United States Senate, which is attempting to address the issue of climate change.

The utility based “cap and trade” legislation or other legislation being offered that hinders utility companies ability to produce energy, would have a devastating impact on Virginia families and businesses that rely on affordable coal-based energy.  Small and large businesses across Virginia rely on affordable electricity to keep operating costs low.  For example, The American Power Act introduce by Senator Kerry and Senator Lieberman would drastically increase energy bills for Virginia families and industry, increase unemployment, and the fact remains that many of these bills do little to actually address the supposed goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A federal climate change policy that recognizes the unbreakable link between economic growth and prosperity, energy security and environmental objectives must be the cornerstone of the ongoing debate in the Senate over the next several days.

Congress can and should work to achieve a meaningful energy policy that encourages the continued funding, research demonstration and deployment of carbon capture and storage and other clean coal technologies.  Additionally, any federal policy enacted by Congress should promote energy independence and security for Virginia, as well as America, by fully utilizing our most abundant energy resource – coal.

Without careful consideration of the consequences these changes could have a very damaging effect on our current economic situation here in Virginia and across the Country.

Delegate Tim Hugo
R-Centreville

OK, I’ll admit it.  At times I’m quite amused by Breitbart sticking it to the lefties, sort of like a modern day Lee Atwater. My amusement notwithstanding, this doesn’t make him any less of an asshole, he just happens to be our asshole, if you know what I mean.

 
This time he’s gone too far, and it really isn’t amusing at all. By now most of you have heard the tale of one Shirley Sherrod, who up until yesterday was USDA’s Georgia Director of Rural Development. Breitbart did a little hatchet job on Ms. Sherrod earlier in the week, which resulted in her forced resignation of yesterday. Breitbart posted a highly edited video clip in which Sherrod is giving a speech at an NAACP banquet and relates a story where she recounts an instance where she may have discriminated against a white farmer. Basically, it’s (well deserved) hit piece on the NAACP (more on the well deserved part later). Here’s the language that caused the uproar:
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By Mason Conservative about the state of the Washington Post and their disdain for Governor McDonnell.

Not much has changed!  Consider this the latest Loudoun open thread.

Why was there ever an issue?