Open Letter to VA State Senator Louise Lucas

Dear Ms. Lucas:

I heard your comments about the upcoming presidential election and how Mitt Romney is appealing to the racist segment in society that is against President Obama due to his skin color.  Your exact statement was:

“All of the folks who are saying ‘we don’t like Barack Obama,’ they can’t tell you any reason they don’t, because — let me say this first of all, President Barack Obama did not create the situation that has us in this economic mess that we’re in. Everybody knows that this stuff happened under President George Bush, and they’re trying to dump on the president. But those people — intelligent people understand that President Barack Obama did not create this mess, and the mess that was created could not be solved in two or three or four years. Intelligent people understand that.
“But Mitt Romney will go out and try to play to the fringe by saying it’s all Barack Obama’s fault. But intelligent people know better. I listen to MSNBC. I listen to all the media outlets. And you know exactly where the slants and biases are coming from. But right thinking people know that this mess was not created by Barack Obama, and he’s done the very best job that anybody sitting in the White House could’ve done to try to pull us up out of the muck and mire that George W. Bush got us into.”

I can give many reasons that I don't like President Obama and not one of them has to do with his skin color.  I have three years worth of blogging about issues that I care deeply about that again have nothing to do with skin color.

You make these statements without any regard to the people in this country that have real differences of opinion about how policy should be dealt with.  It makes no difference to you the people who I have in my life.  The people who I consider my loved ones, my close friends, the people who I genuinely care about.  You can't be bothered to find those things out before you spew your racial comments.  Comments that are not meant to be the least bit helpful, but to further divide our country.

You see Ms. Lucas, I am willing to concede that there are people who don't like President Obama simply based on skin color.  Why is that you are so unwilling to concede that the vast majority of people who are not happy with the job performance of President Obama have differences in opinion regarding policy?  Could it be that you have nothing left to say and you can't defend the policies?  Because it seems to me that is the most logical explanation.

In your diatribe you even admitted that you couldn't get your own children to see the racism that you seem to think permeates everything and everyone in this country.

Frankly Ms. Lucas I am sick to death of people like you playing the race card.  It has long since reached its limit.  What you have done is make it next to impossible for the people who are truly victims of racism to get a fair hearing.  Your calling everything under the sun racism has done nothing but diminish the word to the point that it has virtually no meaning any longer.

You would like to know what it is that I don't like about President Obama?  Ok, here you go:

1. Obamacare will not reduce healthcare costs in this country.  I will be paying more for insurance than in the past.  I was told I wouldn't lose my health insurance if I was happy with it.  That was a lie, I did lose my insurance.  I am now paying close to 80% more than I was the day Obamacare was signed into law.
2. The Stimulus package did little to actually stimulate the economy.  It was a payoff to democratic constituencies.  The next generation shouldn't be saddled with that debt to make your union buddies happy.
3. Yeah, I have a problem with guns being brought across the border and having two border agents lose their lives.  Why don't you?
4. Eric Holder is a disgrace.  He used his position to further political causes without regard to the law or our constitution.  His refusal to help Arizona with a law that the Supreme Court says is perfectly consitutional is proof of that.
5. President Obama using executive privilege to save Eric Holder's ass is disgraceful and illegal.
6. President Obama has skirted around the legislature in order to pass his so-called Dream Act.  It matters none to him that is an issue that has to be passed into law through congress.

Those are things that simply jumped to the front of my mind.  I could come up with hundreds of others.  My opposition to President Obama has nothing to do with his skin.  It has to do with his policies.  My objection to you is that you are a small-minded idiot that thinks that dividing people will score you cheap political points.

The economy is awful.  The spending is out of control.  We have more people on disability then those living in the City of New York, and record numbers on food stamps.  Unemployment has not been below 8% since the President took office.  We were told if that we spent almost a billion of mostly borrowed dollars we would never reach that point.

We continue to rise the debt limit so that President Obama and his buddies like you continue to spend money we don't have.

You want to come at people who oppose the President with facts, than have at it.  I am willing to debate you on that.  But until that time, please go crawl under a rock.  We don't need to hear from the likes of you of how racist this country is.

What you are saying is that President Obama is perfect and deserves no criticism.  That is simply ridiculous. Had President Obama been a white man you would be the first in line to bring torches and pitchforks to The White House demanding an answer of what is going to be done for the 14% unemployment rate for blacks.  But you are the one who is showing your racist stripes by refusing to address this issue.  You are the one that can't criticize a black man.  That is what is racist.  You give him a pass and treat him differently because he is black.  I simply treat him as bad president whose policies are failing.  You should try it sometime.  It is quite liberating.

Quote of the Day - VA State Delegate Bob Marshall Edition

"TSA was created 4 out-of-work urologists."

Today at the first of 3 debates for the GOP nomination for the Virginia senate race.

See Bloggers Do Make a Difference - FCRC Will Be Giving Free Tickets to GOP Debate

Yesterday I wrote about the local republican party here in Fairfax County, Virginia and the upcoming GOP debates for the open senate seat.  You can read that here, in case you missed it.  


The general gist of the post was that even though I received an email by the chairman of the party stating that the tickets for the upcoming debate in Northern Virginia would be free, the Fairfax County Republican Committee was requesting you volunteer for two hours in order to get your free tickets.  My point was that it was deceptive and wrong to handle it in this fashion.  


I not only blogged about it, but I also used my social networking connections to spread the word about this.  I emailed the Chairman.  I contacted larger blogs too.  Around noon time the head of the FCRC called my friend Phil to let him know that I would be getting my ticket without being forced into doing volunteer work.  


Great for me, but what about the rest of the people in NOVA?  This was never about me getting a ticket, this was about allowing the voters access to the candidates so they can make up their own minds who they are going to vote for.  


For those who don't live in this area you may not be aware of the background.  George Allen is our former governor and senator.  He was the one that made that now infamous Mecacca comment six years ago, which played a part in him losing his re-election bid to the senate.  For some in the tea party and grassroots movement George Allen represents all that is wrong with the republican party.  He is conservative in many ways, but he also did some big government and fiscally irresponsible things during his tenure in the senate.  He is considered by some to be part of the good ol' boys club of the republican leadership that is more interested in power than in conservatism.  They are looking for to elect another of the three candidates who are running.  


They feel very strongly that FCRC is in the tank for the Allen campaign.  Many feel that they were also in the tank for Romney.  While I do know that many are Romney supporters, I can't say for certain that they are "in the tank" for any candidate.  I can't get into the head of another person.  I just can tell you how other grassroots supporters are feeling and discussing with me among others.  


The post got enough of a response that emails and phone calls were flying this morning and this afternoon.  The bottom line is this.  All tickets will be free for everyone without any strings attached.  All you need to do is go pick them up at the FCRC headquarters in Fairfax.  


This is the best solution for everyone.  There are people who are not able to volunteer for the party as they are putting their efforts towards one of the candidates.  There are also people who may be elderly or handicapped, and can't make it to the Fairfax office for two hours.  


This debate is for the voters, not for the party to use as some tool to force get people to volunteer for a few hours.  This came down from on high.  I am not sure exactly how high up in the party it went, but high enough that FCRC has backed down and tickets are available on a first come first served basis.  


For other bloggers out there, the lesson here is that no matter how small your readership may be, if they are willing to put actions to your words, you have accomplished something.  I want to say a special thank you to Smitty over at The Other McCain for helping get the word out on this.  


I am looking forward to hearing what the Bishop has to say in the debates.  Check out his website.  He is a good man and I think would make an awesome Senator.  


Can I just say that Smitty and I ROCK!!!!  


Thanks to the party for getting the message that it is about the voters, not the party.  We deserve the chance to hear the candidates in their own words so we can decide for ourselves who will represent us in November.  

And The Republican Party Wonders Why They Can't Make Traction in Fairfax County, Virginia

As many know, there is an open senate seat in Virginia due to the retirement of Sen. Jim Webb.  The GOP has four candidates running in the primary.  There will be a series of debates before the primary.  One such debate is in Northern Virginia.  For those who may not be aware, Northern Virginia is progressive central.  The reason that many here are unhappy with Obama is because he has not been left enough.  As you can imagine the republican party has a hard time gaining ground in this atmosphere.  

This race is said not to be all that competitive, George Allen is expected to win the primary handily.  But, the "experts" have been wrong before.  I like George Allen, but there are few other interesting candidates as well.  So I was really looking forward to hearing the debate before making up my mind who I was going to support in the primary.  


As some may know, I no longer can drive for health reasons.  So I have to take the bus to get anywhere during the day.  For those who have never had the pleasure of taking mass transit, the buses don't exactly run the most direct route.  You can go all over kingdom come to get to your final destination.  The bus I needed to take to the Fairfax County Republican Committee office is one such bus.  It is maybe 10 miles, but it takes more than hour to get there.  I then have to walk about a quarter mile to get to the office.  


Today is the day that the tickets are supposed to be available.  Here is a portion of the email that I received, you can read the entire email here:

The third debate will be held on Friday May 25^th at 6:30pm at the Fairview Park Marriott located at 3111 Fairview Park Drive – Falls Church, Virginia.  Free tickets to the Northern Virginia debate will be available beginning on April 20^th at the Fairfax and Loudoun GOP Victory Centers.

I take two hours out of my day to get to the office to pick up my "free" tickets.  When I get there I am told that I have to volunteer for two hours.  Hmm, here is the definition of free from dictionary.com:

Idioms 44.for free, Informal . without charge: The tailor mended my jacket for free.

 Now, is it just me, or is asking someone to perform two hours of "volunteer" work a form of payment?  So lets go back to dictionary.com and find out what volunteer means:

vol·un·teer

noun1.a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for aservice or undertaking 2. a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

yeah, I think it is a form of payment.  Which means that the tickets are not free.  So I said to the women at the office today that I thought the are free.  She said they are.  Really?  How so?  She then tells me that the email from the Chairman said that volunteer work would be required to get the "free" tickets.  Uh, no it doesn't.  


So I wasted well over two hours of my time and have no tickets to the debate.  When I got back home I sent  the following email to the Chairman:

I am writing to tell you how deceptive the FCRC is.  The below email says that the tickets for the debate are free.  I no longer drive for health reasons, so it took me two hours round trip to get to the office today to pick up my "free" tickets.  Come to find out according to them free means that I have to do two hours of volunteer work.  I even inquired on why the email said that the tickets are free, she said they are free.  How exactly is something free if you are required to work for two hours?  I was told that your email said that they were looking for volunteer help in exchange for the "free" tickets.  Unless I am missing something the below email says nothing about volunteering.  

I have given money and volunteered in the past.  No more.  The RPV will never get another dime or one bit of help from me again.  This is why you can't make traction in Fairfax County.  No one wants to deal with people who are purposely deceptive.  

There is no way for me to get to the office in Loudon County to get my so-called "free" tickets.  So I guess I won't be going to the debate.  But I can guarantee you what I will be doing moving forward for the RPV is a big fat zero.  Never again will I do work for them.  I will not phone bank nor will I give money.  It is not like I was some huge donor by any stretch of the imagination, but every dollar helps when you fighting an uphill battle in a county such as this one.  


Thanks for nothing FCRC.  Lets go back to dictionary.com one final time:

de·cep·tive
adjective1.apt or tending to deceive: The enemy's peaceful overtures maybe deceptive.2.perceptually misleading: It looks like a curved line, but it'sdeceptive.

   [dih-sep-tiv]  Show IPA


Yeah, I would say that about covers it.   


This isn't so much that I am not willing to do volunteer work.  I have done plenty.  I can list plenty of examples of work that I have done.  Matter of fact I was at the FCRC's office not all that long ago doing data entry work for the delegate conventions that are coming up.  This is about principle.  If you are going to send out an email saying that the tickets are free, they should actually be free.  


Linked at The Other McCain.  Thanks, Smitty (Who by the way is a member of the FCRC)

Updates on Virginia GOP Senate Debates - Dates, Locations, and Ticket Info

Want to unsubscribe? Click this link.

Pat Mullins, Chairman 

Friends-

A few days after our successful 2011 elections I announced that RPV would be hosting a series of U.S. Senate Republican debates this spring to allow all Virginians to hear directly from our terrific candidates.

I am happy to announce that the dates, times, and locations for those debates have been finalized and I want to invite you to attend.

The first debate will be held on Saturday April 28^th at 3:00pm at the Sheraton Roanoke Hotel and Convention Center located at 2801 Hershberger Road – Roanoke, Virginia.  The debate is open to the public and seating is on a first come, first serve basis.  Doors will open at 2:15pm.

The second debate will be held on Friday May 11^th at 6:30pm at the Cavalier Hotel located at 4201 Atlantic Avenue – Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Free tickets to the Virginia Beach debate will be available beginning on April 20^th at the Virginia Beach Victory Center. You must have a ticket to attend.

The third debate will be held on Friday May 25^th at 6:30pm at the Fairview Park Marriott located at 3111 Fairview Park Drive – Falls Church, Virginia.  Free tickets to the Northern Virginia debate will be available beginning on April 20^th at the Fairfax and Loudoun GOP Victory Centers.You must have a ticket to attend.This debate will also feature questions submitted through Facebook from people all across Virginia. You can begin posting questions on Monday, April 16th at www.Facebook.com/VirginiaGOP.  You will be able to vote on a specific question to be asked at the debate beginning on May 14th atwww.RPV.org/2012Debates.

I hope you will consider attending one of these debates and hearing directly from our Republican Senate candidates.  For more information about the debates, please visit www.RPV.org/2012Debates.

Sincerely,

Get Out The Vote

Today is election day in Virginia.  The GOP needs to get two seats to tie and three seats to have the majority in the senate.  The House of Delegates is highly likely to stay in the hands of the GOP.  


A few things that Gov. McDonnell can get done with a GOP Senate:


Tighter restrictions on abortions
Cut state funding to Planned Parenthood
Close our ABC stores and allow people to open private liquor stores.  
Allow more off shore drilling


Those are just a few of the things on the agenda.  But you need to do your part and GET OUT THE VOTE.


Here is a link to find your polling place.


https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/PublicSite/Public/FT2/PublicPollingPlace.aspx


I am for a day of work at a local precinct and then a election party.   

To Tito - While You Came Up Short You Are Still a Winner to Me

To my friend Tito:



When the polls closed and the votes were counted they said you did not win. But, that is not what happened tonight. While you will not be moving onto the general election in November for a chance to serve in the Virginia State Senate, you were a winner tonight.


You were a winner because you were willing to go through the rigors of a campaign in order to serve. You were a winner because you and your wife Debbie used your own resources in part to fund that campaign. You were a winner because when other people told you that you couldn't, you did it anyway. You stood up to say "I am willing to serve" to make Virginia a better place to live. You stood up and said you were willing to be a citizen legislator, not to enrich yourself, but to serve others. You stood up. That is so much more than many others are willing to do; myself included.


I know that some things in this campaign has left you and Debbie a little frustrated. I also know that you learned some lessons on who can and cannot be trusted. But, you made some new friends. You also introduced all of us who worked on your campaign to some great people, who are just as dedicated as you are.


And to Kristen, you worked so hard on this campaign. You will go far in helping good solid conservatives getting elected to office. That I know for sure.


The numbers didn't go your way, but you a winner to me.


I was proud to make phone calls and go door knocking in Senate district 36 for you. To introduce Northern Virginians to "Tito the Builder", a good and principled man. I will be there if you decide to run again. You just tell me when and where and I will show up.


Like you said tonight, the campaign is over, and we put it behind us - it is now time to turn our attention to turning the Virginia Senate Red.


Debbie, Tito and Kristen - Friday night dinner is on me.   Now go and get some sleep!!!!

Virginia Primary Day Almost Upon Us - Those Last Minute Donations Sure Are Interesting

The primaries in The Commonwealth of Virginia will be held tomorrow. One race that I am keeping a close eye on is Tito Munoz against Jeffrey Frederick. They are squaring off to see who will face long time State Senator Toddy Puller.



Tito received a donation from an unusual place, Mr. Christian Josi. Mr. Josi is Jeff Frederick's former financial chairman. It wasn't all that long ago that Josi was calling Mr. Frederick "a conservative rock star". Could this be part of the reason that Mr. Josi has decided to back Tito for the senate seat? I am not sure we will ever quite know for sure. But it sure is interesting that a former staff member no longer is supporting him.