A True Humanitarian

HUMANITIRIAN FOR GOVERNOR

Tim Kaine spent Friday in Wise at the free clinic there for the local people who are in need. Kaine could have been holding million dollar fundraisers like George W. Bush's buddy Jerry Kilgore has been doing, but he instead chose to spend his time with those who in many cases can't help themselves.

Let me tell you about Wise. Over 12% of the population lives under the poverty line. In addition to that, over 15% of children and over 11% of senior citizensare under the poverty line. Unemployment is high, and health insurance rolls are low. Not a lot of people in the area can afford to go to the doctor or pay for medicine when they're sick. So, once a year, people come from all over the region to Wise for medical care. It's a great thing, which I've seen first hand (went along with some relatives a couple years ago). People will come the day before and sleep in their cars just to get an early shot at getting in. This year was bigger than ever, and is now the biggest event of its kind in the United States. Organizers estimating that over two days, 6,000 people came to the fairgrounds (the town's population is just 3,000 people, so the population doubles for a short time).

Tim Kaine toured the clinic and talked with some of the more than 900 people there at the opening. I'll say this, I can't picture Jerry Kilgore spending time with people at a free clinic.

I'll reiterate my support for Tim Kaine and say that we need to elect this humanitarian Governor.

-Neal

An Advocate For Stem Cell Research

IN 2006 SUPPORT STEM CELL RESEARCH

(Ted Kennedy-One of the last Liberal Lions of the Senate)

Folks, as a Type I Juvenile Diabetic, embryonic stem cell research is very, very important to me. In addition to myself, my father, my mother, and my grandfather all have Type II Diabetes. My grandfather has lost both legs, and is also in the final stage of Alzheimer's. It's too late for him, but it's not too late for the millions of Americans who today suffer from Diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and countless other diseases and disorders which, at least at this point, have no cure. The Republican controlled Senate, with Bill Frist at the helm, is blocking a vote on H.R. 810, which would federally fund the research that is so needed.

At this crucial juncture, we need a man in the U.S. Senate who believes in stem cell research and who believes in the great things it can do. That man is Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Senator Kennedy is running for his eighth full Senate term in 2006, and is a leader, along with the bipartisan group of powerhouse senators, including Senators Hatch, Feinstein, Specter, and Harkin, in the fight to fund stem cell research.

President Bush and his political echo chamber he calls an administration really, really dislikes Ted Kennedy, and would like nothing more than for him to have a difficult re-election. We need to help Senator Kennedy fight off the right-wing attack machine that will surely attack him with the same tired, worn-out, old attacks that have been hurled at him for forty years.

I plan to endorse several candidates on this site, and I've chosen Senator Kennedy to be the first I write about. On the right side of my webpage, you'll see contribution links to different political candidates. Please scroll to Senator Kennedy's name and be generous in your donation to his campaign. America needs him in the U.S. Senate another six years. I strongly endorse his candidacy.

COMING
I'll be writing about Creigh Deeds, Catherine Baker Knoll (shame on you, CBK), the TN Senate race, and Tim Kaine. Also, on August 3rd, Independent Gubernatorial candidate Russ Potts will be in Abingdon (and hopefully, Creigh Deeds might, too), and I'll be making my way up there just to meet him and encourage him to keep pointing out Jerry Kilgore's lunacies.

Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!
-Neal

Nothing Big

No big post tonight. I just got home, I'm tired, and I'm going to bed. But first...

(One of the game's legends--Frank Robinson)

The Nationals lost...again. Frank Robinson is a wonderful manager and deserves to manage a World Series team, but, at the rate they're going, it may have to be 2006. The Nationals lost their second game to the Braves tonight, 4-3. There's always tomorrow!

OH GOD, IT'S THE APOCOLYPSE

(I told them not to mess around with human cloning. They just wouldn't listen...)

I was surfing around the Wikipedia website, when I stumbled on this picture. Once Dr. Phil gets his own Muppet (called "Dr. Feel"), I know things are going down hill.

AFTER OUR COMMERCIAL BREAK...
I promise I'll get to the TN Senate, Deeds v. McDonnell, and other stuff soon.

Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!
-Neal

Beyer Out; Who's In?

WHO WILL IT BE?

(Former Governor Jerry Baliles and Former Congressman L.F. Payne)

According to extremely reliable sources that I spoke with today, former Lt. Governor Don Beyer will not be challenging incumbent Republican Senator George Allen in 2006. According to the source, Beyer is content in the car business, with three Northern Virginia dealerships and one to be opened soon in Winchester. Beyer is, however, reportedly considering a political comeback. He has talked to aides about running for the Senate in 2008, when Senator John Warner may retire, or run for another statwide office in 2009. (FYI: Beyer is not a lawyer, so he is likely considering running again for Lt. Governor.)

So, with Beyer out, who is in? A different source confirmed to me that former Congressman and 1997 Lt. Governor nominee L.F. Payne, is considering mounting a challenge to Allen. Payne is still popular in his former Congressional district, and is a jovial and personable campaigner, who could potentially give Allen a hot contest.

The same source also mentioned former Governor Gerald Baliles as a potential challenger to Allen. But, at 66 in 2006, Baliles may pass on the race unless he see's he can have prolific fundraising success.

More to come on this story...

IN THE WORKS
Deeds v. McDonnell, TN Senate, Catherine Baker Knoll should resign.

-Neal

Lt. Governor and Attorney General

(Top row: Left, Leslie Byrne; Right, Bill Bolling; Bottom row: Left, Creigh Deeds; Right, Bob McDonnell)

The same poll that shows Tim Kaine defeating Jerry Kilgore also polled the Lt. Governor and Attorney General races. The results are as follows:


LT GOVERNOR
Bill Bolling (R) - 37%
Leslie Byrne (D) - 34%
Undecided - 29%


ATTORNEY GENERAL
Creigh Deeds (D) - 35%
Bob McDonnell (R) - 34%
Undecided - 31%

This is great news! Some reports I had read has Leslie Byrne as much as 20% behind Bill Bolling. But the huge undecided vote will be the deciding factor. As I've previously said, these races will be won at county fairs, in Burger Kings, and at high school football games. This is real retail, person-to-person politics.

JUST FOR FUN
I found a link to some kind of personality poll. Of course, I took it, and here's my results. (Justin-Just for "kicks and giggles")

Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion 66% Stability 63% Orderliness 40% Altruism 63% Interdependence 83% Intellectual 36% Mystical 10% Artistic 10% Religious 76% Hedonism 76% Materialism 36% Narcissism 56% Adventurousness 30% Work ethic 30% Self absorbed 43% Conflict seeking 50% Need to dominate 83% Romantic 56% Avoidant 23% Anti-authority 76% Wealth 30% Dependency 56% Change averse 56% Cautiousness 43% Individuality 30% Sexuality 76% Peter pan complex 16% Physical security 76% Physical Fitness 10% Histrionic 50% Paranoia 43% Vanity 23% Hypersensitivity 90% Female cliche 23%

COMING SOON
I'll be going in-depth about the Attorney General's race, and I'll talk about Pennsylvania's Lt. Governor, Catherine Baker Knoll, who, I believe, needs to resign.

I'm out and I'm gone.
-N

What I Believe In

WHAT I BELIEVE IN

I've had some folks ask me, "Neal, if you were in charge, what would you do?" Well, I've given that much thought. I've come up with a real progressive, populist creedo that, if I were in charge, I would push.

Since I have a captive audience (unless you hit the little "X" in the corner), I thought I would post my political priorities here (Same priorities I would follow if I ever ran for an office).

1) Helping The American Farmer: Since the begining of our nation, farmers have been the backbone of this nation. Big, industrial farms are wiping small farms off the map, and we need to help support the farmers. I come from Southwest Virginia, where we grow burley tobacco, corn, and many other crops, and I know how important the family farm is not only for the product the farmer produces, but the pride in the farmer's heart when he runs his hands through the dirt that will help feed his family. Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and FarmAid have done a lot for the farmers, but the government needs to get involved to help the farms stay on their feet.

2) Embryonic Stem Cell Research: I'm a type I juvenile diabetic, and I have been since I was eight years old. My grandfather is 84, and is suffering from alzheimer's disease, as well as the effects of diabetes. And every family in America is similar. We all know someone who is living with a disease that they will be forced to live with the rest of their life, unless significant progress is made. President Bush calls stem cell research "murder," but I would wonder what President Bush calls it when the unused embryos are destroyed after a period of time. Of course, I am concerned with when life begins, but to paraphrase Arlen Specter (cancer patient), I'm much more concerned with when life ends. The government needs to federally fund and encourage this vital, vital research.

3) Support the American Worker: Many republicans speak of unions as if they were evil, evil entities. I say unions are perhaps the best thing to happen to America's bluecollar workers since the industrial revolution. Without unions, powerhungry businesses would be autocratic mini-governments, firing workers for demanding simple human rights like workplace safety, or reasonable hours and pay. In that vein of thought, we need to raise the minimum wage. In my homestate of Virginia, the minimum wage is $5.15 an hour. That is simply unacceptable. According to my calculations, someone who works forty hours a week, and has a two week vacation during the year, will make $10,300 per year. That's not enough to make house payments or apartment rental payments, car payments, buy food, pay for healthcare, and every other expense I didn't mention. We need to raise the minimum wage to at least $6.75.

4) Find A Middle Ground On Abortion: Abortion is the single most divisive issue in America today. There are many who say abortion is a woman's right, and many say it is murder. I take a middle of the road approach. First of all, partial-birth abortion is murder. End of story. On a different note, I do not know when life begins, and I'll admit it. But, according to the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, abortion is legal, and I believe we need to uphold that law. One can't impose their personal beliefs on everyone just because they think they're right. I believe we need to follow Bill Clinton's lead on this issue, when he declared abortions should be "Safe, legal, and rare."

5) Energy Independence: We're living under Saudi Arabia's thumb. End of story. For far too long, we've catered to the Saudis, the Venezualans, and other oil producing countries to give them what they want so they will sell us what we need. We need to find alternative fuel sources. Solar energy, biodiesel, ethanol, wind power, coal, and hydrogen fuel are all excellent possibilites. Our government needs to form commissions (bipartisan--no oil company sellout committees) to study each possibile energy souce we could utilize. As gas prices climb from $2.20 for standard grade (in my area), to $3, $4, or even higher in the coming years, our economy will be crippled. People simply will not be able to afford to go anywhere. Not Wal-Mart, not McDonald's, not Food City. No where. We have to take action now to combat this frightening scenario.

That's my 5-Point Creedo that I believe in, and that I believe the country needs to accomplish in the very near future. Under our current President and Congress, I doubt that any of what I've proposed could be successful at this time. But we have to make moves now to better our country. I'm a God-fearing, nation-loving, patriotic Democrat. I still believe in America. And I know we need to make this country the best it can be.

-Neal.

Strike Up The Band

PARTY TIME

(Tim Kaine, Jerry Kilgore, Russ Potts)

Great news out of the Virginia Governor's race! According to Mason-Dixon Polling, one of the best polling companies around, Tim Kaine has caught up with (and surpassed) Jerry Kilgore!
The new poll goes like this:

Tim Kaine (D) - 39%

Jerry Kilgore (R) - 38%

Russ Potts (I) - 9%

Now, granted, this is no blow-out election right now, Tim Kaine and Russ Potts are definitly the canididates on the move. The last poll I saw had Potts as 4%, so he is obviously taking people from Kilgore. Always good to hear.

Another thing the poll showed, Virginians are less concerned with guns, gay rights, abortion, and the death penalty, issues which Kilgore is using to energize his base (and alienate the swing vote Republicans who are opting instead for Potts). It was revealed that the people are more concerned with bread-and-butter issues that Kaine is making hallmark issues in his race, jobs, education, and transportation.

One cultural issue which is extremely hotbutton in Virginia, however, is gay adoption. Potts supports adoption privilages for gay couples, while Kaine says he would restrict it to single gay people, while Kilgore opposes all gay adoption.

Further, the poll showed that 64% approved of the job Governor Mark Warner was doing (hopefully Warner can give some of his popularity to his chosen successor, Kaine). It also showed that 74% of people said Virginia is on the rigt track.

Well, it appears to me that the tide is turning. Everyone in Virginia who reads this should go to the link on the side of the page and get involved in Tim's campaign and help carry on the success of four years of the Warner-Kaine administration!

COMING SOON

I'll be talking about Creigh Deeds versus Bob McDonnell for attorney general very soon.

Until then,

-N

Don Beyer For Senate

Governor Mark Warner has said several times he will not be challenging incumbent Senator George Allen (R), yet he still outpolls him, usually by a 48%-41% margin. But, with Warner out, who should the Democrats run?

I believe (as do others, apparently; http://www.beyerforsenate.org/) that former Lt. Governor Don Beyer, who for eight years was our state's Lt. Governor, is the man to challenge Allen. Beyer, who lost the 1997 race for Governor to Attorney General Jim Gilmore (R), is currently the owner of the Don Beyer Car Dealership chain, dealing in Volvos, Land Rovers, and Subarus. He is a 1972 magna cum laude graduate of Williams College, with a degree in economics.

(Don Beyer-The man to take down Allen.)

Don Beyer is a moderate/progressive democrat, and he would be an excellent candidate. He was Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential campaign treasurer, so I'm sure the DNC, and now-Chairman Dean will gladly support him with funds for the race.

George Allen is a sort-of likable person to talk to in person, but he is not what Virginia needs in the U.S. Senate. He has become basically a rubber stamp for President Bush, and his speeches on the Senate floor, while folksy, are hateful and stinging, and not representative of the good people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. And to combat a likely 2008 Presidential run, we need to take him out come November 2006. Don Beyer is the man for the job.

PICTURE OF THE DAY
Now, let me say I'm a protestant, but I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the late Pope John Paul II. The Pope was a very intelligent man; See the picture below for complete verification.

COMING SOON
I'm going to talk about the race for Attorney General of Virginia, as well as the race for Senate across the stateline, in my birthstate of Tennessee.
-N

Obama In The Old Dominion

BARACK OBAMA ENDORSES TIM KAINE
Last night (July 20th), Illinois Senator Barack Obama endorsed and campaigned for Lt. Governor Tim Kaine in his bid to be elected our Governor, at an event in Arlington. I honestly don't know much about the event, but when I do I'll post all about it. For now, here's a couple of pictures.

(Senator Barack Obama and our next Governor, Tim Kaine)

(The Warner-Kaine Administation; America's Best Management Team)

Hero Of The Hills

It's finally here! The last featured candidate for President in 2008, my very own governor, Mark Warner!

CANDIDATE NUMBER SIX: MARK WARNER

(Virginia Governor Mark Warner--Our 44th President?)

FULL NAME: Mark Robert Warner
CURRENT OFFICE: Governor of Virginia
BIRTHPLACE: Indianapolis, Indiana
AGE: 50
RELIGION: Presbyterian
EDUCATION: George Washington University, Bachelor's in law; Harvard University, Master's in law
PREV. EXPERIENCE: U.S. Senate candidate, 1996; Senate staffer in the office of U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), 1981.
CURRENT ANALYSIS: Mark Warner was elected Virginia's 69th governor in 2001, defeating Attorney General Mark Earley. Warner campaigned as a moderate, fiscally conservative democrat, and garnered a record number of "good ole' boy" votes, by not only sponsoring a NASCAR race car in the Martinsville, Virginia race, but having his own bluegrass band travel with him, singing a song titled "Warner." But before his election as governor, Warner has run for U.S. Senate in 1996 against incumbent Senator John W. Warner (no relation), losing by a surprisingly close margin, and actually won in Southwest Virginia. Warner has been incredibly successful in the business world. He used his knowledge of federal telecommunication laws to begin in the 1980's investing in fledgling high-tech companies. Warner later became managing director of Columbia Capital Corporation, and in that capacity, he co-founded Capital Cellular Corporation, as well as cell phone giant Nextel in 1987. As Governor, Warner has astronomical approval ratings (65% at last check). His term as governor has been dominated by battling Virginia's massive debt, which he inherited from the last governor, Jim Gilmore. He refused in 2002 to raise the sales tax, but in 2004 he worked with moderate republicans to raise the cigarette tax--the largest tax increase in Virginia since the 1980's. Under Warner's guidance, state revenue increased from 19 billion in FY2002 to 30 billion in FY2005. He has also recently been involved in a major push to increase the rate of high school graduation in Virginia. He is considered low-key and not one to stir partisan sentiments unless he has to.
P2008 ANALYSIS: Mark Warner is a moderate on both social and fiscal issues, but has little foreign policy experience. Even though he is to the right of many democrats, and has little national security experience, he begins the 2008 race as one of the three or four top tier candidates for the nomination, and here's why: He has extensive business experience, a Southern base (and a homestate with 13 electoral votes), huge fundraising connections with high-tech companies in the Silicon Valley, and he has a record of working with Virginia's black community to accomplish their goals. Warner has made trips to Iowa, Arizona, South Carolina, and other important primary states. He has also hired Melissa Dixon, one of Al Gore's 2000 campaign officials. But the first hudle Warner needs to jump is proving his election formula of 2001 is lasting. If Lt. Governor Tim Kaine (D), who was swept into office in 2001 over former Ambassador Jay Katzen, is elected Governor in the november 2005 election, Warner's "political capital" will increase substantially.
Go to http://www.draftmarkwarner.com/ to see what his supporters are doing at this early stage for him.

ROVE ARRESTED!

(Turd Blossom goes to jail.)

Gotcha! Not really, just today's funny picture. But can't we wish out loud?

COMING SOON

Look for a post tomorrow about Tim Kaine's big fundraiser tonight with Senator Barack Obama in Arlington.

Drumroll, Please

SUPREME COURT

(John G. Roberts - Supreme Court material?)

Tonight, President Bush announced that he is nominating DC Circuit Court Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., to the Supreme Court.
In his selection, Bush has chosen someone with a very small paper trail that Democrats will scrutinize heavily, but likely won't find anything. All I know about him is this:
1-He was born in 1955 in Buffalo, New York.
2-He graduated from Harvard.
3-He clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 1985.
4-He's a rock solid conservative.


None of these things should disqualify him from Supreme Court service. I'll be honest and say I don't have any real idea about his views on Roe v. Wade, seeing as how he once argued in a legal case it should be overturned, and later said it was the law and should be left alone. He does seem like a fairly likable guy, and he does seem to have the proper temperment to be a Justice of the highest court in America. I'll reserve final judgement on whether I will support his nomination until I know some more facts about him, however.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

This pretty much speaks for itself.

BILL CLINTON 2.0
Well, Bush and John Roberts have thrown me off track for my schedule to post my Mark Warner profile. I expect to have it posted tomorrow or the day after.
-N

And The Winner Is...

BUSH CHOICE

Tonight at 9pm, eastern time, President Bush will make his "Supreme Announcement" (Fox News' words...not mine...) as to whom he will nominate to replace longtime moderate Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who announced her retirement on July 1st. According to CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, etc., the president will nominate 5th Cicuit COurt Judge Edith Brown Clement, 57, as his choice, but nobody really knows.
I'm not sure if Judge Clement is who he really will select. As regular reades will see, I've named several who I believe are excellent choices, but I honestly doubt it will be any of them. Let me name off some of the names I've heard today:
1-Edith Brown Clement (5th Circuit)
2-John Roberts (DC Circuit)
3-Michael Luttig (4th Circuit)
4-Edith Jones (5th Circuit)
5-Larry Thompson (General Counsel of PepsiCo.)
6-Diane Sykes (7th Circuit)
7-Emilio Garza (5th Circuit)
An insider Republican Senator (unnamed, but probably Chuck Grassley of Iowa, judging on the wording of the entire quote) said the administration didn't want to pick someone who could be portrayed as an "angry white man."
I'll keep an eye on this story, and later tonight, I'll comment on who Bush picked and give my views on him or her.

DEVELOPING

CNN Headline News announced at 6:33pm that Edith Clement will NOT be the nominee to the Supreme Court. More to come...

FAMILY
My grandfather is coming home tonight, after a long stay in the hospital. Thank's to everyone who prayed for him, and even though he's home, he's not out of the woods yet. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts.

-N

So, The Truth Finally Comes Out...

PICTURE OF THE DAY
This picture basically says it all. If only Ohio and/or Florida had done the same thing back in November.

COMING SOON TO A BLOG NEAR YOU

I'm not posting a big entry tonight, as I'm tired. But look for a profile of Gov. Mark Warner in the near future, and I'll talk about House of Delegates races in this are very soon also.

Night.

-N

Finally...The Supreme Court

SUPREME COURT

(left to right: Cornyn, Wilkinson, Gonzales, Kozinski)

Okay, I'm finally getting around to writing about the people I believe would be acceptable Justices of the Supreme Court. Keep in mind that there are countless moderate/liberal judges I would like to see on the court, but we're talking about who Bush may appoint that wouldn't be as bad as some other possibilities. So I've picked four, and I'll talk about them a little bit...

Hey, I've got a fun idea! Let's go in alphabetic order! (Okay, maybe not fun...but easy for me...)

JOHN CORNYN: Senator John Cornyn, aged 53, of Texas is a conservative, make no mistake about it. In the Senate he has been a Bush rubber-stamp, but on the highest court, it could be different. Cornyn was elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1990, and again in 1996. He was elected Attorney General in 1998, and now, since his 2002 election to the Senate, sit on the Judiciary Committee. On the court, Cornyn was a moderate. He regularly clashed with the conservative leaders on the court, with one notable example being 1995, when Cornyn wrote the majority opinion upholding Texas's "Robin Hood Law," where rich school districts have to share their money with poor districts. Texas Republicans have tried to overturn it ever since. On another note, a Senator nominee would make a confirmation easier, as the Senate is the world's most exclusive "Gentlemens' Club."

ALBERTO GONZALES: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, age 49, is a moderate with a record to prove it. While on the Texas Supreme Court, he supported abortion rights and affirmative action, two issues Conservatives traditionally are against. If the president nominated Gonzales, he would be attacked from both sides; Conservatives would say he's too moderate on the aforementioned issues. Liberals would pounce on the Abu Ghraib scandal in which it is believed Gonzalesplayed a major role. But when people ask for someone in the mold of Sandra Day O'Connor, they seem to be speaking of Gonzales. If he is nominated, it will be a true test not only of Bush's dwindling "political capital," but also if Bill Frist can keep a big, rowdy bunch of Republicans all in lockstep.

ALEX KOZINSKI: Judge Alex Kozinski, 55 years old, from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, is quite a character. When writing opinions, he makes them read like novels--interesting and comedic at times. He has been featured in publications such as Slate Magazine, The New Yorker, The New Republic, and The National Review. He is a rabid questioner, which can sometimes take lawyers off guard (always a good thing). He is also a libertarian, moderate on issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and so forth. He is an avid 2nd amendement supporter, so that would keep Conservatives happy. But the question remains if he is too charismatic and too much of a character for the Supreme Court.

J. HARVIE WILKINSON, III: Judge Harvie Wilkinson, 61, from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, is likely the most conservative choice on my list. I don't agree with him very much at all. But he's such a likable guy. Like his mentor, Justice Lewis F. Powell, he is friendly and courteous from the bench. He does have a strong civil rights record, as he was the Number 2 official in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Department from 1982-1983. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 1970, in Virginia, so his party affiliation is definitly not in question. But, even though I don't agree with him, he is a Commonsense Conservative (unlike the president), and he is extremely intelligent. While Bush may shy away from him because of his age, he would be a reasonable choice for the court.

So, there we have it, ladies and gentlemen. Sure, there's no one on the same calibur as Thurgood Marshall or William O. Douglas, heck, not even Byron White. But they're all extremely qualified, and, barring some revelations I don't know about, would be acceptable Supreme Court Justices.

BILL CLINTON 2.0
I'll have my final article about the furutre of Democratic presidential nominees very soon. The subject: Governor Mark Warner.

Until then.
-N

The Duck Has Claws

DUCK WITH CLAWS?

(from left: Tim Kaine, Jerry "The Duck" Kilgore, Russ Potts)

In today's "ultra top-secret" debate for Virginia Governor, held at 10:30 a.m. in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, Jerry "the Duck" Kilgore, the GOP's nominee, showed he can be mean. He called the city of Richmond, of which Tim Kaine was Mayor, "a cesspool of corruption." He agreed with his campaign's allegations that Tim Kaine and his supporters were "enemies of faith, family, and freedom," and that Kaine will "take away your right to worship freely," and so forth. COME ON!!! It seems to me that Kilgore is attacking Tim Kaine because Kaine is a Catholic. This isn't what I would call responsible on Jerry Kilgore's part. Kaine's response was initially, "So much for positive campaigning," and said he would try to "stay on the high ground."

Jerry Kilgore was highly rehearsed, repeating his little catchphrases "Let me be clear," and "always have, always will," so often and in the same tone that even his supporters started giggling at him. Come on, Jerry...

Of course since it was some kind of secret, I didn't attend, but I'm going on what someone I know who did attend told me, so I can't tell you who won.

In other debate news, Tim Kaine and Russell Potts have both agreed to a meet the candidates forum in September in Gate City (Jerry Kilgore's hometown, mind you), but Kilgore turned it down, saying it was a trick to make his brother look bad. (!) For clarification, Jerry Kilgore's twin brother, Terry Kilgore, is a Republican State Delegate who faces very stiff opposition this year from Democratic candidate Rex McCarty. I just can't understand Jerry Kilgore's reasoning sometimes (okay, actually most of the time I can't).

SUPREME COURT
Yeah, okay, so I can't seem to ever get to the Supreme Court. I will eventually...

Can A Farmer From Montana Be President?

Can a Montana farmer be President? Well, a Texas cowboy can, so...Why not? Here's the fifth in my series of "Bill Clinton 2.0" candidates, Brian Schweitzer.

CANDIDATE NUMBER FIVE: BRIAN SCHWEITZER

FULL NAME: BRIAN ADAM SCHWEITZER
CURRENT OFFICE: Governor of Montana
BIRTHPLACE: Havre, Montana
AGE: 49
RELIGION: Protestant
EDUCATION: Colorado State University, Bachelor's in Agronomy; Montana State University, Master's in Soil Science.
PREV. EXPERIENCE: U.S. Senate Candidate, 2000.
CURRENT ANALYSIS: Brian Schweitzer was elected in 2004 to replace outgoing republican Governor Judy Martz. He defeated Secretary of State Bob Brown by a vote of 51%-47%. Since taking office, Governor Schweitzer has made prescription drugs, agriculture (Schweitzer is a former farmer), and fighting the Montana wildfires his hallmark issues. In 2000, Schweitzer, than a member of a USDA Board in Montana, ran for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Senator Conrad Burns. Although he lost, Schweitzer lost by an unusually close margin, 50%-46%.
P2008 ANALYSIS: Brian Schweitzer is a maverick. Can't think of someone else labeled "maverick" to compare him to? On the GOP side, think of Senator John McCain; on the Democratic side, think of the late Senator Paul D. Wellstone. Mavericks sell very well in presidential races, and Schweitzer would be no exception. Schweitzer could buy into Howard Dean's 2004 race, since he is a poulist and seems to be an excellent fundraiser. He could also go over well with rural voters, since he has a folksy demeanor to him (remeniscent of Bill Clinton), and could energize the base, since he's pro-choice. Although he has made very little indication, he does have supporters already. Go to http://schweitzerforpresident.blogspot.com/ and see what his supporters say.

PICTURE OF THE DAY
Okay, this is a complete random picture, but I love it.

Sorry we didn't get to the Supreme Court tonight, but I'll try to get to it along with my Jerry Kilgore rant. Goodnight.

Some More Moderates

Okay, continuing my "Bill Clinton 2.0" series...

CANDIDATE NUMBER FOUR: BILL RICHARDSON

FULL NAME: William Blaine Richardson
CURRENT OFFICE: Governor of New Mexico
BIRTHPLACE: Pasadena, California
AGE: 57
RELIGION: Roman Catholic
EDUCATION: Tufts University, Bachelor's in Political Science, Master's in Law.
PREV. EXPERIENCE: U.S. Representative, New Mexico-3rd District, 1983-1997; U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, 1997; U.S. Secretary of Energy, 1998-2001.
CURRENT ANALYSIS: Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, was strongly considered by Sen. John Kerry as his 2004 Vice Presidential nominee. Richardson debunked the rumors on cabel news shows on a regular basis, but always ducked the question concerning whether he would be a candidate for president in 2008. At the DNC Convention in Boston, Richardson served as the convention chairman, doing an excellent job of orchestrating a sometimes chaotic meeting. Before his election as Governor, Richardson served in Bill Clinton's cabinet as Energy Secretary, and he is primarily remembered in that capacity as the man who investigated Wen Ho Lee for possibly stealing information. Richardson has a long record in foreign affairs, as the U.S.'s Ambassador to the UN (John Bolton doesn't even compare), and during his 14 years in Congress, he made numerous international trips.
P2008 ANALYSIS: Bill Richardson could be the spolier to Hillary Clinton's anointing. If he can come up with a strong foreign policy message and a very progressive domestic policy message, he will take away from Hillary's supposed base of support. If he won the nomination, and is elected President, Richardson would be both the first non-white president (he's Hispanic), but also the first president in many, many years (possibly since pre-Van Buren) whose parents are not both Americans (His mother is from Mexico City {where he was raised}, but his father is from Boston, Massachusetts). Richardson has made trips to New Hampshire, and reportedly went over like a lead balloon. He will need to get people to see he is likable and smart, and get over the lack of name I.D. Richardson is one to watch.

NOTE
This is my first of hopefully 3 posts tonight. The next one will focus on Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, and the final of the night will be about the Supreme Court. Tomorrow look for a big, Democrat rant about Jerry Kilgore.

Time For Karl To Go

(Bush and Rove--Pinky and the Brain)

Karl Rove has broken the law, and threatened our national security. He released the name of a CIA undercover agent because her husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, said the Bush administration had falsified information about WMD leading up to the Iraq War. Folks, this is not a matter of partisan politics, this is a matter of common sense. You don't release CIA agents' names. Repeat, you DON'T RELEASE CIA AGENTS' NAMES! President Bush says he has full support for Rove and won't comment on it. Maybe he can comment when they lead Rove off in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs....

VIRGINIA NEWS
(Lt. Governor Tim Kaine)


Big news! A new Rassmussen poll (a Republican polling company), has GOP candidate for Governor, Jerry Kilgore's lead shrinking from 10% to 6%. The polls are:

Jerry Kilgore 47%

Tim Kaine 41%

Russ Potts 4%

Well, hey, we can't complain. Kaine is making progress, and I do believe he will win in November.

FAMILY
Thanks to everyone who's been praying for my Papaw. He's not out of the hospital yet, but he appears to be improving significantly. Everyone please continue to keep him in your prayers, as he is not out of the woods yet.

NEXT TIME
I'll be talking about the candidates for the Supreme Court I believe would make good, responsible justices. I'll also be continuing my "Bill Clinton 2.0" series (see, you thought I had forgotten about it). Until then.
-N

Little Post 50

I'm taking a temporary hiatus from writing for about 3 or 4 days--my grandfather is 84 years old, has Alzheimer's Disease, has lost both his legs, and is in the hospital. He's in terrible shape, and I'm taking a couple days off to be at the hospital. Hopefully, if all goes well, he may be home in 3 or 4 days. Pray for him, please.

Until we meet again my friends.

-N

Republicans I Can Deal With

Some talk had been recently made about the fact that I am a partisan democrat. Well, let me say, yes I am. But, I'm a moderate progressive democrat, and I'm willing to deal with moderate and common-sense republicans. I thought I would discuss which GOPers that I like, and that I think are the voices of moderate/conservatives who are disenchanted with the knee-jerk conservatism of the Bush/Cheney/DeLay et al administation;

ONE: Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)

I can definitly get along with Lincoln Chafee; Chafee is moderate and most issues (and likely should be a Democrat, but, you know, family tradition...). Chafee even spoke out against GW Bush before the 2004 election, and said he would cast a write-in ballot for former President George H.W. Bush. I can say with some certainty that if the Democrats take the majority in the Senate in 2006 and Chafee is re-elected (two major if's), Chafee will switch parties and either be a Democrat or an Independent.

TWO: Former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)

Okay, granted, Ben Nighthose Campbell is retired, and he was once a Democrat Senator, but I truly admire him for his bravery on his political beliefs, and I especially like his handling of American Indian issues. Before his 2005 retirement, Campbell was leading the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in investigations into charges that some were taking advantage of indian tribes by stealing money from them. I'll be frank and say I don't like Senator Ken Salazar very much (but consider the alternative, Pete Coors), and I would probably have rather seen Campbell run for re-election in 2004. But I can't argue with a Democrat pickup.

For the sake of time, I'll just briefly mention the others;

(But now for the sake of time I need to eat...I'll amend this post later and elaborate.)

-N

John Edwards

Continuing with my "Bill Clinton 2.0" series of profiles of Democrats I think would be electable, here's my profile of former NC Senator John Edwards:


FULL NAME: Johnny Reid Edwards
CURRENT OFFICE: None
BIRTHPLACE: Seneca, South Carolina
AGE: 52
RELIGION: Baptist
EDUCATION: Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Bachelor's in Textile Technology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, law degree.
PREV. EXPERIENCE: U.S. Senator, North Carolina, 1999-2005; Presidential Candidate, 2004; Vice Presidential nominee, 2004
CURRENT ANALYSIS: John Edwards, a successful trial lawyer for 20 years, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1999, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Lauch Faircloth. He distinguished himself soon after his election by helping manage Bill Clinton's impeachement hearings in the Senate, charged with the deposition of witnesses Monica Lewinsky and Vernon Jordan. Later, Edwards fought against the formal charges on the Senate floor. In 2000, Edwards was on Al Gore's final short list of potential Vice Presidential picks (along with John Kerry and Joe Lieberman), but was not picked. After Gore's loss, he soon began running for President himself, stylizing a populist message of prosperity for all, not just the wealthy. While he was unsuccessful in his quest for nomination, the nominee, Senator John kerry, chose him to be his Vice Presidential runningmate. The Kerry-Edwards ticket went down in defeat, but made an excellent showing, leading many to talk of an Edwards `08 race. Senator Edwards is currently teaching at UNC-Chapel Hill and making appearances in primary states such as New Hampshire.
P2008 ANALYSIS: John Edwards is one of the most likable politicians in America. Period. He is an excellent campaigner with a populist message. In all reality, if not for September 11, 2001, John Edwards could have been President today. But now he has a chance in 2008. Edwards will need to get an extremely early start, since, as a former officeholder, he doesn't have the bully pulpit that others have. Edwards is already going to New Hampshire and Iowa, and must continue to do so. Edwards can tout his experience from 2004 and his seat on the Intelligence Committe during his race, and if he focuses on real kitchen table issues (Jobs, Social Security, poverty), he could be swept into office by a good margin. To close, John Edwards is an extremely elecatble Democrat, but he will need to get moving soon to accomplish his presidential ambitions. His current website is http://www.oneamericacommittee.com/ which conveniently uses his same P2004 layout.

SUPREME COURT
Rumor has it that William Rehnquist has in fact resigned, but it isn't being announced yet as a sign of honor for the Chief Justice. We'll keep an eye on this one.

Supreme Court

Will Sandra Day O'Connor be the only Justice to leave the supreme court? Rumors were flying this morning that Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 80 and ailing from thyroid cancer, would announce his retirement. Rehnquist was coy with reporters outside his house. When the reporters asked him as he got into his car if he would be resigning, he replied, "For me to know and you to find out," with a grin on his face. When it became late afternoon and no Rehnquist resignation came, speculation turned to the court's oldest member, 85 year old John Paul Stevens. Stevens was appointed 30 years ago by Gerald Ford (a Republican), and is the court's leading liberal. It's my guess the only two ways JPS will leave is (A) a Democrat president is elected in 2008, or (B) he's carried out. It soon surfaced that Stevens had hired clerks through the 2007 session, and those rumors were quelled. The media, not wanting the day to be a total wash, began questioning if 72 year old Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has sat on the court for 12 years, is in excellent health (not quiet as good as the indestructable John Paul Stevens, apparently), and had made no moves as if she were going to resign. At the end of the day, no one resigned, and Republicans continue to salivate at the idea of: (1) Elevating Antonin Scalia to Chief Justice, (2) solidify 2 Republican seats with diehard conservatives, and, (3) replace two leading liberals. It's my hope that Stevens, Ginsburg, Souter, and Breyer will remain until at least 2009, in the hopes that we have a Democrat in the White House.

Note: (photo from left: John Paul Stevens, William Rehnquist, Ruth Bader Ginsburg)

I'll be continuing my "Bill Clinton 2.0" feature either tomorrow or later tonight.
-N

Bill Clinton 2.0

This evening I'm continuing the series of potential democrat uniter candidates, what I like to call "Bill Clinton 2.0". So, here is the second profile;

CANDIDATE NUMBER TWO: WES CLARK


FULL NAME: Wesley Kanne Clark
CURRENT OFFICE: None
BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, Illinois
AGE: 61
RELIGION: Presbyterian (Born half-Jewish, raised Baptist, converted to Catholicism when he married, but is now Presbyterian)
EDUCATION: West Point Military Acadamy (1st in his class), Oxford University Rhodes Scholar
PREV. EXPERIENCE: U.S. Army, 1966-2000; Vietnam War Veteran (Silver Star, Two Bronze Stars, Purple Heart); Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1994-1996; Commander-In-Chief, U.S. Southern Command; NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Commander-In-Chief of U.S. European Command, 1997-2000; 4 Star General.
CURRENT ANALYSIS: While he's never held political office, Wes Clark is a national contender. He directed President Clinton's successful 1995 war in Kosovo, and was NATO's military commander for 3 years. He ran in 2004 for President, and while he only won the Oklahoma primary, and placed third in Tennessee, he was a prolific fundraiser, raising $11,000,000 in the last quarter of 2003. He dropped out of the race in February of 2004, and was on Kerry's shortlist of VP possibilities, and had John Kerry won the election, Clark would have been a likely choice for either Secretary of Defense, Veterans' Affairs, or Homeland Security. Since the election, Clark has been an analyist for Fox News, to keep his profile up.
P2008 ANALYSIS: Wes Clark needs to stake out defined stances on abortion and the Iraqi War. He already had stances on the 2nd amendement (pro), environmental restrictions (pro), and unions (for). He was seen as a Clinton-proxy candidate in 2004, and with Hillary Clinton likely running in 2008, Clark will have to get his own base of support from Clintonites who may not be enthused about Hil. Clark could go toe-to-toe with Republicans like John McCain, since his military record is as long as McCain's. He could fight in the south against southerners like Frist and Allen because he claims Arkansas as his home state and is a former General. In closing, Wes Clark can be president if he can get a motivated grassroots base and start raising money early as a "Not Hillary" candidate.

God Bless England

GOD BLESS GREAT BRITAIN
I chose this title because of the terrorist attack that London suffered today. At least 37 killed, 700 wounded, and the death toll will likely rise. It is believed that perhaps this is the doing of a branch of Al Qaeda or a similar terrorist group. Prime Minister Blair has shown resolve, along with his other G8 members, that they will bring the culprits to justice. I hope that PM Blair will handle this as well as President Bush did in the days after 9/11, but not pull something like Bush did with Iraq. Everyone's prayers are with the UK.

(The above picture came from Sen. John Kerry's website, http://www.johnkerry.com/ )

BILL CLINTON 2.0
Who will be the next Bill Clinton? That is a question which preoccupies many Democrats. Will it be John Edwards? Mark Warner? Who? Well, this will become an ongoing project where I will critique all of the Democrats whom I believe could be the next Democrat to unite the nation.

CANDIDATE NUMBER ONE: PHIL BREDESEN


I chose to begin with Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen simply because his name starts with a "B," and I'm going to try to keep it in order.
FULL NAME: Philip Norman Bredesen
CURRENT OFFICE: Governor of Tennessee
BIRTHPLACE: Shortsville, New York
AGE: 61
RELIGION: Methodist
EDUCATION: Harvard University, Bachelor's in Physics
PREV. EXPERIENCE: Nashville Mayor, 1991-1999
CURRENT ANALYSIS: Phil Bredesen was first elected in 2002 over GOP Congressman Van Hilleary. Since then, he has built a reputation as a moderate Democrat and as someone who can handle crisis well. In his first year, he led Tennessee, famous for its fiscal disarray, through the mess without raising taxes, or cutting education funding. In his second year, he expanded pre-Kindergarten programs, reformed Tennessee's workers compensation prgram, and launched a war on the illegal drug methamphetamine, rampant in Northeast Tennessee. His most famous move thus far has been his reigning in of the state's financially troubled public health system, TennCare. He maintained the healthcare for children while cutting some adults who didn't meet the new stricter standards.
P2008 ANALYSIS: Phil Bredesen is pro-2nd amendment, against partial birth abortion and gay marriage, and an avid supporter of both businesses and labor unions. If he enetered the Presidential race, he could focus on the fiscal mess in Washington, DC, and the huge budget defecit and national debt. If a conservative GOPer like Allen or Frist was nominated, they couldn't attack him on his gun stance or abortion stance, two wedge issues Republicans love to use. In closing, I certainly believe Phil Bredesen is a viable candidate, and as a Southern Moderate Governor, he could bring states into play that haven't been in play for over a decade. Please go to his 2002 campaign website for more information, and continue to check it, seeing as how he will eventually put up his 2006 re-election site. http://bredesen.faithsite.com/

That's all for now. The next several posting on this subject will be on General Wesley Clark, Senator John Edwards, Governor Bill Richardson, and Governor Mark Warner.
-N

Don't Ignore Us

DON'T IGNORE US
I'm writing today about my home, Southwest Virginia. Tim Kaine, our candidate for Governor, has made a couple trips down here (Big Stone Gap, Castlewood, Bristol, et al) and he really energizes the party when he comes, but Leslie Byrne and Creigh Deeds haven't been down this way.

Now, granted, Leslie Byrne will be a hard sell in this region, but she can't just forfit it right now, four months before the election. Bill Bolling is already labeling her a liberal, and that won't help her down here. But, if she labels herself "progressive," it will definitly help. People here are socially conservative but economically progressive. If she campaigned about her economic plans, her transportation stance, her support of the environment, and her strong support of the unions, she can have a shot. In Bill Bolling's mailings, he talks about her union support and pro-environmental stance like it's something bad. Unbelievable. That would never sell with coal miners who need unions to avoid the autocratic "company towns" of old, and allow them to keep a wage that keeps up with the rest of the nation's workers. I would call for Leslie Byrne to begin making trips to the mountains of Southwest Virginia (and be seen with Rick Boucher in the coal fields as often as humanly possible).

Creigh Deeds, on the other hand, is a moderate. And most of the stances I've found on his website common sense ideas one would hear in some McDonald's in Lebanon from the farmers' wives and beauty shop employees. State Senator Deeds wants to use GPS tracking to keep an eye on Sex offenders. Great idea! The recent stories of Jessica Lunsford, Shasta and Dylan Groene, and others have really enraged folks around here who would be ready to rally behind tracking sex offenders.

Jerry Kilgore thinks he had this area wrapped up, but he has another think coming. If the Democratic ticket focuses resources here, and picks up counties like Russell, Dickenson, Wise, Buchanan, and others, combined with the traditional Democrat strongholds, they should have enough to win.

That's why I would like to see Tim Kaine, Leslie Byrne, and Creigh Deeds appear at a "unity rally," with perhaps the likes of Mark Warner and Rick Boucher.

SUPREME COURT
President Bush is defending his Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales against attacks from the right that say he's too moderate. If he nominates Gonzales, he will get attacked from both sides. He will likely be too conservative for democrats, too liberal for republicans. Kind of a rock-and-a-hard-place situation. I would like to see Bush nominate someone like Judge Alex Kozinski from the 9th Circuit as an acceptable choice. He's a civil libertarian, charismatic, and likely moderate across the board. We'll see what happens.

More to come.
-N

Happy Independence Day!

Happy July 4th Everybody! Quick news...

-Major talk that President Bush is preparing to appoint his Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, to the Supreme Court as Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement. Tisk tisk. I can remember during his AG confirmation hearings, Senator Schumer specifically asked if he would be AG just for a while until he could be appointed to the Supreme Court. Gonzales' response: "No, sir."

-Jerry Kilgore is at 49%, Tim Kaine is at 39%, Russell Potts is at 5%; It's time to go into panic mode. Go to http://www.kaine2005.org/ and get involved immediatly.

-News that Karl Rove may have been the anonymous source that leaked a CIA operative's name to Robert Novak, endangering her life and national security. In 2003 when the story broke, Scott McClellan said that it was nobody in the White House, and that whoever the culprit was should be fired and prosecuted. Let's see the White House squirm out of this one. (FYI: Karl Rove was fired from President George H.W. Bush's 1992 re-election campaign for leaking information to Robert Novak.)

And So Begins A Battle Royale

Today, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced she will resign from the high court to take care of her ailing husband. This creates a vacancy that frankly I wasn't expecting. Everyone looked for Chief Justice Rehnquist to resign, but the swing vote moderate O'Connor resigned, which by the way will probably put off Rehnquist's resignation for at least 8-10 months.
Justice O'Connor is consistently the swing vote, creating many 5-4 decisions on social issues. She has voted to uphold Roe v. Wade and other reproductive rights, and recently wrote the dissenting opinion in the Emminent Domain case the court ruled on.
Let me go into my "Pretend President" mode, and say that if I were Bush (thank God I'm not), I would appoint a moderate just like O'Connor. But, knowing Bush....
Well, let me list the potential nominees:
1-Judge Samuel Alito (NJ)
2-Judge Danny Julian Boggs (KY)
3-Judge Janice Rogers Brown (CA)
4-Senator John Cornyn (TX)
5-Judge Frank Easterbrook (IL)
6-Miguel Estrada (NY)
7-Judge Emilio Garza (TX)
8-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (TX)
9-Senator Orrin Hatch (UT)
10-Judge Edith Jones (TX)
11-Judge Alex Kozinski (CA)
12-Senator Jon Kyl (AZ)
13-Judge Michael Luttig (VA)
14-Judge Michael McConnell (KY)
15-Theodore Olson (IL)
16-Judge Richard Posner (IL)
17-Judge John Roberts (DC)
18-Larry Thompson (GA)
19-Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson (VA)

Now, my top choices, out of this group, would be Kozinski, Wilkinson, Thompson, or Hatch. Kozinski is a libertarian, Wilkinson is extremely bright and a great questioner, Thompson is extremely qualified, and Hatch is likable and smart.
Unfortunatley, the President may pick someone ridiculous like Janice Rogers Brown, Miguel Estrada, or Alberto Gonzales.
More to come.
-N