Over 400 (got an updated number from the campaign) supporters crowded into the Springfield Golf & Country Club tonight to help kickoff Pat Herrity’s campaign to retire Gerry Connolly. The event, which began at 7 and lasted for about two hours, was a great cross section of Herrity supporters – from Delegates Dave Albo (who MCed the event), Barbara Comstock and Jim LeMunyon, to Clerk of the Court John Frey, FCRC Chairman Anthony Bedell, my good friend Samantha Rucker to a wide array of activists and long time supporters from across Fairfax County.
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Dave Albo got the crowd going with a report on the recent General Assembly session, and Pat was introduced by John Frey. Pat’s speech was great and struck a perfect tone, vowing to help undo all the damage “Gerry Pelosi” has done in his short time in Congress. Pat said “I killed Gerry’s pet projects when I got to the Board of Supervisors, and I’ll do the same thing when I get to Washington.”
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I had the pleasure of finally getting to meet our own Lovettsville Lady, along with Spike Williams and his wife, and ran into David Skiles and a number of other frequent TC commenters. I also have to give credit to my seven months pregnant wife KayAnn who managed to stay on her feet for almost an hour and a half shaking hands. She’s a trooper!
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Pat’s campaign has raised over $200,000 in the last six weeks, and he’s positioning himself well in his race against Connolly. Connolly has been a willing enabler of the exceedingly liberal House Democratic caucus and has voted with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time – he’s giving Jim Moran a run for his money for most liberal in Northern Virginia. It’s time we say good bye to Boss Connolly and elect a tried and tested fiscal conservative who knows how to govern to represent the 11th district.
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Mar 16th by Brian S
Initial turnout is a good indicator of final turnout. Tag Greason’s announcement had around 250 folks there….and look how that turned out!
We missed you there, Monk!
O am a busy fellow these days. Spring’s about to blossom, and the people are getting itchy to get stuff done. As is always the case — I take my business very seriously, and all politics comes immediately after the bill paying.
I think 250 may be shortchanging them a bit. I heard some cars turned away because they couldn’t get into the parking lot.
VAB….glad you’re still around. Not good if they wanted a bigger crowd.
First you secure a venue with plenty of room outside.(Although Tag’s announcement was pretty thick inside. We were like Sardines in a can in the venue he chose)
Protest Obama when he visits GMU
details here
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=375783391951&ref=mf
Great to meet you Brian! And your lovely wife is a real trooper! You and KayAnn are going to love being parents and it’s a lucky little guy who is coming into your family.
The number in attendance was closer to 400, with even more who couldn’t get into the parking lot or the room! Even though it was a packed room, it was a great evening.
I got an email from Frank with the updated number – from their headcount the campaign had over 400 folks signing in, most of whom contributed.
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This was the biggest campaign kickoff I seen for anyone in Fairfax short of the governor. It was great.
Pat hit his stride last night. It’s the best I’ve heard from him.
He spoke from the heart, addressed national issues and our values, stirred hearts as well as minds, and set a good tone for his campaign.
We need to see more of the Pat we saw last night. If he keeps this up, Connolly is done.
Pat better have a big fundraising quarter. He is an elected official who has run for three offices in three years. He has a house file and this the time he should be picking the low hanging fruit.
It will be interesting to see who is donating to Pat. What do you bet it is business community moderates committed to raising taxes?
Funny that you estimated 250 from being there Brian…and then changed it to 400+ because that is what the campaign told you to do. So much for not working for Pat.
I’m sure Keith Fimian is a great guy, but…to me this isn’t an especially difficult decision. Herrity’s obviously a better candidate. Both of them are solid on all the issues–there’s just no justification for Fimian’s candidacy. I’m not saying he doesn’t have the right to run–just that I don’t understand why anyone would support him over Herrity.
He had his kick-off at a COUNTRY CLUB! Are you kidding me? What idiot thought that was going to be a good idea?
FYI, I have endorsed Keith and I’m friends with both.
I too like both candidates, but I like Pat more and I know he’s a better candidate. He’s already won races in the 11th district! He’ll win this one too, and that will be the last we see of Gerry ”Pelosi’s best friend” Connelly.
Over four hundred? And your updated source is the campaign itself? Good to know your articles are an objective source of information. Also illustrative of your absurd advocacy at the expense of FACTS is that delagates who you imply endorsed Herrity have to get on here and correct you. (See LeMunyon)
For some reason I have a feeling I will see your name listed as an itemized expense on Herrity’s next FEC report.
If you are inspired by Pat Herrity, you were probably inspired by your highschool gym teacher.
GO FIMIAN!
Joe, I’ve never claimed to be objective in this race. I’ve already endorsed Pat Herrity. I never said that Jim LeMunyon endorsed Herrity. I simply called him a “Herrity supporter” and noted he was in attendance yesterday. I think we all support Pat, even if not everyone is endorsing him for Congress. He is, after all, a sitting elected Republican in Fairfax.
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And, no, I am not being paid by the Herrity campaign, nor is my company.
First, again, I’m not working for Pat. But I do find it interesting that Frank, Joe S. and Anon are all posting from the same IP address.
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Second, I was not counting heads – it looked like 250 to me, but the campaign has the actual head count and wanted me to know. They didn’t ask me to update the story, I chose to do that because I wanted it to be accurate.
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Third, having it at the Country Club was a good idea, as there needed to be a pretty big room to hold everyone. Not going to find rooms that size with enough parking (and there was actually not enough parking) just anywhere.
It’s interesting that in 6 weeks Herrity managed to raise almost as much money as Fimian raised in an entire quarter (12 weeks). So, the money advantage for Fimian is gone, the name ID advantage for Fimian never existed, and no one really gives a sh$@ about the insider drivel that the Fimianites keep screaming. I’m putting my money on this being a blow out for Herrity.
“He had his kick-off at a COUNTRY CLUB! Are you kidding me? What idiot thought that was going to be a good idea?”
David A.
on March 17th, 2010
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David, please try to keep up. You are several lame talking points behind. Check your emails from the Fimian campaign for fresher material.
Brian, I’m sure the three guys posting from the same IP address are just roommates or something. It couldn’t be coordinated spam comments from a campaign or anything like that.
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You are such a cynic.
Only one person that is a front-page contributor on this blog is being paid by an 11th District candidate, and they’ve already identified themselves as such.
Fimian could have had my support, right up until the day he stomped all over Pat’s announcement. That was tacky — screamed sore loser to me, and I’ll pull for Pat like a mule now.
Connelly just lost his office. These folks are his constituents, and he is supposed to be representing them. Onstead he calls the police on them. One of the ladies in that video has lived in his district for 15 years.
Brian S,
Posting from the same IP address under several different names is just amusing…watching you pontificate and argue with each bs post. I can just picture you sitting behind your computer crapping your pants with each comment. When Pat loses what will you do with yourself all day? But I’ve been caught…Brian is smarter than I suspected. TC Readers…I am signing off…until I resurface again from a new IP address to mess with Brian.
Yes, Anon your motivation is to mess with Brian.
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Right.
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This is hardly the only blog on which extremely juvenile comments by Fimian supporters seem to be coordinated. Which really annoys me because I would like to see Fimian win the nomination.
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The endless flow of coordinated stupid comments about puppet masters and venues for kickoff events makes it appear as if the bulk of Fimian supporters are not yet old enough to vote. Combined with the ill thought out and bitter way the Fimian campaign acted on the day of Herrity’s announcement a good impression is not being made.
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You idiots aren’t helping.
I’ve been blogging long enough that I have long since passed any point where a single comment (or even three from the same people under different names) elicits more than a slight chuckle from me. I’ve been blogging here far longer than Pat Herrity has been running for Congress. I’m sure I’ll have plenty more to do.
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If you want to post as fifteen different people, feel free. I don’t care what your opinion is, you’re welcome to it.