We are but one of 50 states but it seems we are getting more than our fair share of negative attention.
The AG seems to feel upstaged by his partner in crime, the honorable Mr. Stewart. He wants to rein in the federal government. He tells the crowd: “There’s no hide the ball with Ken Cuccinelli. What you see is what you get.”
And now for some more fun…..
Holy cow. Why would someone fight health care and then take part in this kind of scene. What century do we live in. I guess what people do on their private time is their business but not when they are representing MY state. I hope the AG is going to the Awakening and Revival as a private citizen. Cindy Jacobs seems to be overly excited as does Lou Engles as he prays for whatever it is he wants? Overthrowing the government? How many people think this is appropriate behaivor?
The fact that at least 9 minutes of an 11 minute segment was about Virginia simply shames me. There is just too much negative publicity. Too much cultural warrior being presented as mainstream. Thank goodness the subject changes to Michigan.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Who is Lou Engle?
The other day someone challenged me about Rachel Maddow being mainstream. Hell, she was just in Parade Magazine. Today Parade, tomorrow, Readers Digest. If Koo…err Cooch is your mainstream, then Maddow much be the rest of the world’s Oprah Winfrey.
Moon,
That was me. I said that considering Maddow as mainstream depends on where you stand in the stream…….I also said that I consider her a hack. So take her criticisms of Virginia with a grain of salt. Any editing will be to make Virginia look bad.
Cargo, how do you see anything making Virginia looking bad? I don’t see it and I watched the whole annoying video. It would be nice to have those few minutes of my life back.
I guess I’ll ask anyone. What in the video makes Virginia look bad?
Let me start by telling you I live in NY now but for many years I was a Virginia resident and I loved it there but my job moved to NY and I still miss the wonderful people I got to know in the Manassas area.That being said, is there anything you folks can do about your AG? Talk to your state representatives or at the very least start a petition and see if Cindy Jacobs can “heal” him while he’s at the meeting.
Sorry Cargo, you are right. I think someone else got me on Maddow also.
Marin, too much attention for right wing things. I know you don’t want to hear that, but you asked.
I think the awakenings thing is just…private. Our AG should not be there in any official capacity. What’s the difference in watching old Lou Engle and that crazed priest and Reverend Wright? I find all of it . I can’t say I find any of it acceptable.
Bear, too funny about Jacobs healing the AG. First we need a diagnosis.
Is anyone bothered by the AG announcing he wants to rein in the USA? Just askin….
Actually, I did not watch that video. I was just commenting on Maddow and her network’s predilection for, shall we say, creative editing….
And of course, the right would never do that…would they? 😉
Actually, I do want to hear it because I don’t know if that’s really accurate.
I’ll assume your talking about 3 things:
1. Declaration for gays
2. Virginia slavery
3. Felons voting
1. The Governor has no control over this. It’s all in the General Assembly. If you want to ‘change’ things; kick your Delegate in the jimmy to make it happen. But, even under a Democratic-held House it hasn’t passed. The Governor is limited by law in what he may and may not do and granting ‘protections’ to gays when the General Assembly hasn’t empowered him is outside of his legal scope.
2. The issue was about tourism and bringing jobs to the Commonwealth. Instead, people chose to make it about politics and instead of bringing in tourist dollars I think I can safely assume we’re probably going to be on track to losing out. I saw no issue with the first procolmation and I think it would take a dingbat for anyone to think that the Governor wants to take us back to Virginian’s slave holding days. Even our AG won’t fight that fight – no one would.
3. Nothing has changed in terms of process from when Kaine or Warner was our executive. That felons have provided on their own accord an essay mearly reflects the fact that without additional information there is a greater chance that the Governor will simply stamp REJECTED on it and that felon is up the creek without any recourse. So, lets assume that you remove the requirement – outstanding – these people will get rejected because others are willing to put in the extra effort to show that they’re worth it? And, that still doesn’t get over the fact that without restoring their gun rights they’re still only 3/5ths of a citizen.
I still don’t see the issue here. The AG is going EXACTLY what I voted him in for.
I’m presently content with what the VA administration is doing for us. Now, my votes for Warner and Webb however.. I feel betrayed. Unless a miracle happens I’d rather vote in a ham sandwich than either of those two.
1. I disagree. The Board of Visitors has been given the right to set policy for their school by the delegate assembly. How come the problem just emerged when the current AG took office?
2. The governor made a mistake and apologized. I would have avoided the entire issue. Lose/lose.
It isn’t an issue you want national attention over.
3. I don’t really care one way or the other. However, it was publicity we didn’t need on the back of the other things. Now all eyes are on Virginia.
2 lawsuits against the US govt isn’t helping the old rep.
Zealots always end up doing this to themselves though. They immediately over-reach and then get tossed out. Maybe this stuff would fly in Mississippi but not in Virginia.
Rachel Maddow is a cheap shot artist. If the Cooch came out in favor of Mom and apple pie, she’d find some way to take a whack at Virginia for having dared to elect Republicans to high office.
Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and a whole bunch of other people I refuse to listen to are cheap shot artists also. At least Maddow doesn’t have to wipe the spittal all that often from her rants.
It boils down to what your world view is, who is gross and disgusting.
Many people feel the current AG is far far right and do not want him representing them. I am one such person. I say that without apology. If he does something I agree with, I will give him credit, however. I have done so once since he took office. What is that they say about broken clocks?
Let Maddow now do a companion piece featuring all the famed political and religious denizens of Cook County, the political power center of Illinois, complete with an overlay of a photo of President Obama. Then put that piece up against the attacks on Virginia. No contest. Game, set , match to Virginia by a long, long shot. Could try that same thing up in New York too, for that matter.
Well, Moon, I don’t really think that all eyes in a country of 300 million plus are utterly riveted on these episodes in Virginia. That’s why Maddow did her piece, no doubt — trying to induce some “riveting” to go along with her detestation of all things conservative. Too bad she doesn’t have the talent of Jon Stewart, who knows how to do it with humor and when to let it go. As a conservative, I cut Jon some slack because he sometimes makes me laugh in spite of myself. Maddow, on the other hand, is a complete turnoff. In my opinion, she is naught but a partisan hack who leaves contrary evidence on the cutting room floor deliberately. Now, I know that those of the opposite persuasion will cite Beck, Hannity, and Limbaugh in defense. No matter. Maddow is still a partisan hack.
As for Illinois vs Virginia, show me where McDonnell or the Cooch spent 20 years sitting in the church of Cindy Jacobs, whoever the heck she is. Rachel would have you believe from her video that our Virginia politicos of the moment are members of the board of elders or something for Cindy’s church.
If Mr. Cucinelli wants the federal government out of Virginia, I say fine, close every military base and federal facility throughout the entire state. Close Norfolk, Quantico, Ft Belvoir and every other federal facility, if he has the balls. I’d like to see how Virginians react.
Actually I read about Ms. jacobs more than one place. Maddow was the only one where I could find video.
Wolverine, I prefer Jon Stewart also. I am avoiding him on the civil war issue though because I didn’t like what he said. I had the blog post read, said I didn’t like it, and other things came along.
Virginia is getting national attention daily however. Some of it is zeroes, some heroes, depending on your point of view.
I like that, Starry. Nothing like biting the government teat that is feeding you.
Maybe they could align Virginia with a foreign country, the way the breakaway Episcopal congregations have done, and take their federal property with them.
Starry, Cindy — best your little hearts — now go back to the dispensary and get your pills. Moon, this contiinuing, recurring, often self-serving, increasingly political and Boring rant of yours against the AG – who won by a landslide so I guess we know who is mainstream here – and against the Chairman is like watching the Ed Show or Jon Stewart. Its funny not serious commentary and the difference is that it will have even less of an impact on the weak.
I am concerned that your selection of topics and introductory comments demonstrate that this is not really a discussion blog nor will any such discussion affect your views, that facts have little impact. I am concerned that you are not processing all the information resulting in poor judgements and conclusions, and we have seen you bite back and threaten folks who critiscize your liberal views. At first I was convinced that this was a manifestation of being and Chicago Mafia Obama Liberal (I tried Bolshevik and you got mad but I still think it fits, but maybe I could temper it with a Trotsky Bolshevik. You are certainly not alone in that and that is why there are those who are concerned that too many in the White House today also fit that discription.
As to Rachel Madcow, well, she knows where her pay is coming from – and who would hire her. She also knows that she has a plateform to advocate her lifestyle. The spin is contrived. The difference between Racheal and a politician is that the politician understands the crowd and the spin. Rachel still thinks of hereself as a reporter. Loong gone.
Moon, in response to #11.
1. Please cite your source information showing that the BoV has the authority to do so. Interesting that both AGs McDonnell and Cuch both said they didn’t while in office. So, this is something new to me.
2. I still don’t see him as making a mistake. He was encouraging tourism – how would that be a mistake?
3. I doubt seriously that the life of a Californian or a Marylander is ‘changed’ with respect to how they see Virginia. Those that look down on the South will always look down on the South. Nothing really has changed. For those with strong feelings on this issue (fanned by the NAACP and Virginia Dem Party) that may have been thinking of vacationing in Virginia – those dollars may have been lost as they’ll simply choose a different destination.
4. If two lawsuits isn’t helping Virginia’s situation do you also lump the 19 other states that are suing? Are they also being looked down upon by the entirety of the nation? Will they lose tourism dollars? Wait.. Even California once they join up?
Why are people so afraid of this lawsuit? For all the talk and bluster (not you, general MSM) of how this lawsuit is a waste of time, waste of money, has no chance of winning, et al. Why is everyone so concerned? Let Cuch tilt at his windmill and lose at every venue to the Supreme Court. I mean, wouldn’t a -D AG candidate for the next election LOVE to use footage of him tilting and failing? It’d be a no-brainer for me to use that issue to show how ineffective he was and how I could ‘help real Virginians with real problems’.
Cuch to me raises a VERY interesting legal question(s). How far can the federal government go? How much control do they have over our body?
I still argue that if they have the ability to make us buy insurance they can ultimatly have control over who may or may not breed and to whom. <– You heard this first from me. 🙂 So, if that makes national news or is discussed by the pundits, remember that!! =)
Starry, to be clear, are you advocating secession?
I am going to save you from your boredom, pwctp.
39% voter turn out is hardly a landslide.
Am I advocating seccession? Of course not. Mr Cucinelli certainly seems to be. If he really wants the federal government our of Virginia, I say fine, then close every military base and federal facility t/o Virginia. He should put his money where his mouth is.
Assuming that you are serious, I believe that Utah is trying to do just that – to a smaller scale. Utah passed two bills authorizing the Governor to use the State’s soverign power of eminent domain to seize federal lands and cede them back to the state for the purpose of economic development -> increasing revenues for local schools.
It’s an interesting case.
I’d like to see how it turns out. Considering how Kelo was decided you never know – this might have a shot.
I know this is off topic, but, did everyone send in their taxes? Just a friendly reminder. Oh and today is also BAG Day.
Now, back your your regularly scheduled conflict…..
I should’ve posted a link for those interested in reading more about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/01/01greenwire-utah-eminent-domain-law-more-than-a-message-bi-25839.html
The AG’s brief (not Cuch!) is also available via PDF for those inclined to read legal arguements.
At least two diagnoses for Cooch. A. Hoof in mouth disease. B. Failure to engage brain before opening mouth. Almost no know cure for either.
@Moon-howler
Marinm, I think people are concerned about the lawsuit because it’s a waste of money. Virginia is going it alone. Cuccinelli is playing taxpayers as a bunch of morons when he says that the cost is $350 in filing fees. Every hour spent pursuing this case means that some attorney(s) isn’t doing his/her normal job.
Daily I see a state which can’t provide decent mid-day public transportation, can’t keep ahead of its potholes, spends less on its students, etc. I’d like to see these problems solved. Actually, I’d like to see localities take more power away fron the state. I’d like for us to have more control over development within our communities and have more of our tax dollars stay here in NoVa to address these problems. I bet Cuccinelli wouldn’t like to see that however. I’m a supporter of the feds and the locals. The state could disappear and I probably wouldn’t give a hoot.
Censored,
The AG is charged with protecting the Commonwealth of Virginia’s laws and charged with the enforcement of them. House Bill 10 passed the Republican dominated House of Delegates and Democratically controlled Senate. It was signed by the Governor. Cuch is mearly enforcing and protecting the law that our own General Assembly passed. For the same legislative body to come back and say it’s a waste of time and money… then why did they pass the law?
Again, if you believe that the Supremecy Clause and the Commerce Clause will trump Virginia – why spend cycles debating how this is a waste of time or money? If the legal scholars are right this should die a quick death at each step, right? And, now that the paperwork has been filed – what work is being done on this? Potentially a small amount especially for a lawfirm with as many as 200 lawyers not counting any contractors pulled in.
I assume you understand the Dillon Rule? If not, check it out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dillon_Rule#Dillon.27s_Rule
You mentioned potholes, public transportation and a host of other things and then said that Cuch wouldn’t like to see that. Do you have proof? Additionally, how does an AG get you better access to public transportation? That’s in the hands of your local county government and vested as well with the General Assembly. Essentially, you are barking up the wrong tree. Check with your local County Supervisors (METRO is a bad idea in PWC, if you live here) or our State Delegates and Senators for responses to your pot hole issues. 🙂
How does one support federal control, which by definition, would be a one size fits all, and still profess to support local control? The state is based on local control. Cuccinelli’s suit is all about LOCAL control. The EPA is overstepping its authority. There is NO scientific evidence to back up the EPA in its quest to declare a gas necessary for life to be a pollutant. It is the AG’s job to protect the sovereignty of the state. Cuccinelli supports more local control.
The problem is that liberals don’t like Cuccinelli’s politics and are suspicious of 10 Amendment arguments. Nothing that he does will be supported by the left. If the intention is “good” then it must be good for us. Well, the EPA’s intention is not good. It is an end run around Congress. If Cap and Tax is not passed, President Obama has stated that he will ask the EPA to implement carbon controls ANYWAY.
@George S. Harris
I agree, George.
@marinm
Utah has always had big issues with immenent domain, public lands, etc.
They have some of the most beautiful lands in the United States.
Too bad the attitude sucks so badly about national parks.
@marinm
A right wing extremist sponsored that bill. And all his buddies jumped on the bandwagon. It was stupid legislation and typical of its human parent. It probably would not pass muster if challenged legally.
Ken K. is off getting faith healed right now. {{{shudder}}} Who needs health care.
I do hope everyone watched far enough to see the faith healer and Engle who apparently wants the USA to fail and is trying to drag the Lord in to it.
@Moon-howler
Would his extremist buddies include: Blevins, Colgan, Hanger, Houck, Hurt, Martin, McDougle, McWaters, Miller, J.C., Newman, Norment, Obenshain, Puckett, Quayle, Reynolds, Ruff, Smith, Stosch, Stuart, Vogel, Wagner, Wampler, Watkins
Me thinks I see a few Democrats in that list……………………………….. Are they now (to use your label) extremists?
To your last part about being challanged legally – isn’t that the point? To let the AG walk the dog on this law and find out in court? I mean, what really is the issue with a Virginian AG defending a Virginian law passed by a Virginian legislature with bi-partisan support?
I’m just confused here. People spout off on how they want bipartisanship and want the parties to work together and House Bill 10 passes with bipartisan support and suddenly it’s a right-wing extremist bill? {singing} One of these things is not like the other..
I can see it right now. SEN. COLGAN – RIGHT WING EXTREMIST!
Wow. I suddenly feel a re-run of Maddow coming on.
Actually, Senator Colgan is very conservative on a couple of issues.
We are talking about HB 10?
Don’t ask me to explain politicians. I can’t. I think it was a right wing extremist move. I don’t care if Obama signed on to it.
Yes, HB10 is the Virginia law that provided our AG with the ability to go after the feds. That the federal HCR mandates individual compliance against HB10 creates an actual controversy where two laws don’t agree with each other and the courts are asked to figure out which law should stand. So, it’s not directly HCR that Cuch is going after but rather defending our HB10 by attacking the individual mandate within HCR. Sure, its symantics but it’s good to know what we’re debating. 🙂
The legal arguement is at http://www.oag.state.va.us/PRESS_RELEASES/Cuccinelli/Comm%20v.%20Sebelius%20-%20Complaint%20filed%20with%20Court%20_323_10.pdf
You gotta love that he puts in a dig at Clinton in the document too. PRICELESS! (For the record, Clinton would sooooo be a guy that I would drink with!)
Oh, the other piece of sweet irony.. That this case may succeed on the merits that Congress couldn’t pass a constitutional law to keep guns out of schools – they had argued that the commerce clause allowed them to do so and the SCOTUS told them to pound sand.
Notice how sooo many rights are entertwined with that of guns? 🙂
Marinm, I’m familiar with Dillon’s Rule. I just don’t happen to think it’s the best way to go. But we’re stuck with it. I kind of view the State as a middleman and I’m not sure we get the most bang for our bucks from it. It takes and gives back disproportionately.
I think we have a misunderstanding about what I said Cuccinellei wouldn’t want to see. I meant that he wouldn’t want to see the localities, particularly NoVa , have more power and a larger share of our tax dollars – at the state’s expense.
What were those lawyers doing before this dust-up with the feds? If they weren’t busy, perhaps we should have fewer of them. And most contractors are not working for free. If they see this landing in the Supreme Court’s lap, they’re going to spend a lot of time on it.
The dust up with the feds means they aren’t doing other things.
I don’t think Virginia will prevail. Just a hunch. But that’s all it is…might as well be playing slot machines.
@Censored bybvbl
Ok, that makes more sense. However, Cuch doesn’t really have a dog in that hunt. The GA effectively determines if we’re a Dillon Rule state or not. They could change it and provide counties full autonomy if they so desired. Legislators from the southern part of Virginia however out number those in the north and so doing so would be an uphill battle.
But, I get where you are coming from. That arguement is actually not too different from traditional conservative arguements of why only tax the rich and why take from the rich and give to the poor? So, maybe you got some conservative in ya? 😉 Gimme time, I can bring you to the dark side. We have better cookies.
The lawyers in the AG’s office? I generally think that govt employees have a thumb up their butts. McDonnell reduced the AG’s office when he was in charge and I don’t think Cuch has increased the size. That they may be under tasked right now is a very definite possibility. And, is no different than any other facility not being fully utilized like a hospital or retail store.
But, when anyone talks about reducing the size of government we’re met with arguements like; but those are jobs, if we cut services people are hurt, et al. So, government continues to increase in size and you have more people doing less work but collecting a public paycheck.
So, if you argue that we should reduce government (15% is a good number for me) across ALL sectors of govt – Censored you have MY vote. Fire cops, firefighters, teachers, lawyers, VDOT workers, etc. No sacred cows.
That felt good saying. My morale just went up +1.
Marin, you are very unfair about government employees. I am no fan of your friend the aG but I would not go so far as to say those in his office have their thumbs up their butts, meaning they are incompetent.
Where people are hurt is when they are hired and fired for political reasons. You want someone coming in your job and threatening you? Probably not.
We need more cops and firefighters, especially in PWC. Where did you get the arbitrary figure 15% from? When they start saying that about your job, will your morale be up? I just see you targeting jobs that most people feel are important.
@Wolverine
I would bet my next paycheck McDonnell didn’t sit in what’s her name’s church. Not so sure about the AG. I don’t like the Rev. Wright connection at all and have said so on many occassions. I don’t know much about that rogue priest. He was removed very briefly and then reinstated by the arch bishop of Chicago.
I don’t like my elected officials doing weird things.
Marinm, we really don’t need to reduce the size of government, money grows on trees (in China) and we can certainly tax the rich more – – I mean look how much Exxon makes in a given year. And you must admit that soon we are going to reach the point where the entitlement class, government employees and the 47 percent that pay no taxes will stop demanding more freebies. They will be fulfilled and we will all live happilly ever after in Obamatopia ! — and I say Obamtopia because it will not still be the USA. Now, I for one think that Exxon should be taxed until profits are eliminated, after all it is too big to fail as a public utility isn’t it. I really do not care about the pensions that that impacts through dividends – cause they are all the reich – er, I mean rich people anyway. You need to understand that until we get there, I must continue to vote myself services I cannot otherwise afford or provide, because that is social justice and social justice (not the rule of law) is Government’s responsibility.
One final thought. We did in fact fight a Civil War over the right of an individual State to succeed from the Union. Its time the red states voted to expell, NY, NJ, Maryland, Illinois and California out of the Union. We have 20 states, only 6 more for a majority – and under Obamatopia that is all we need.
Never said they’re incompetent. Just that because we often over hire that there are times when they sit idle. But, I concede that you can make the same arguement about any service oriented organization (I earlier cited retail and hospitals). Having worked retail, you staff for ‘rushes’ and sometimes do a skeleton crew for other times. With salaried employees you tend to lose that flexibility but have to trust in the judgement of the supervisor or director that he needs all the people he is billeting.
Having worked retail I truly understand how it feels like to have someone in my face telling me how much of a piece of crap I am and that they’re going to talk to my manager and get me fired or to see them tell my manager the same. Happens. People can be bitter and angry – especially if you tell them that they can’t return something that obviously was broken by them. 🙂
Now, going back to the point Censored raised was that the AG’s office is idle or should be working on other tasks. I countered with they COULD be idle – in which case working on the case gives them ‘something’ to do to earn that paycheck (instead of the thumb and butt combo) or that they’re fully utilized but that the case doesn’t need any work right now because it’s already filed and just waiting on it’s court date. You can pick either – they both basically come back with no appreciable difference one way or the other to the taxpayers bottom line.
People are constantly hired and fired for political reasons. Reference NASA’s change of mission from space exploration to climate change research. I’m sure the guys that manufacture parts for the shuttle don’t appreciate it being mothballed to focus on how much ice is being gained or lost on the polar caps.
But, keep in mind positions that accept monies from the public treasury are up for more scrutiny than that of a teller working at 7-11 by virtue of ALL of us being ‘shareholders’ in the commonstock of this state (or country). The minute you allow me to opt out on my taxes I lose my right to speak out against waste at a county/state or federal level.
So, those drawing salaries from the public treasury must accept that on a daily basis there will be people that are opposed to them having a job. It comes with the territory.
Why do we need more police and fire fighters? Why do they get such special treatment? Why are they exempt and teachers not? You can make a case that ‘anyone’ is special but when you sit down and have to do a budget you need to figure out what the priorities are. If the public wants social services they have to accept degraded police services. If they want more police services they have to accept decreased social services. Obviously we can offset that with a tax increase at the risk of having a certain segment of the population leave and sticking less people with more of a taxbill – usually not a smart thing.
I think trash collectors, building inspectors, et al. are important. Doesn’t mean I’ll shed a tear to know that they or public safety workers or a teacher lost a job. If our area can’t support something then maybe we just don’t need it.
I’d love a Ferrari in my garage, a heated pool in my backyard, and a 1:1 replica of Mr. Dale Earnhardt’s #3 in my front yard but wanting and having the means to acquire all those bits of pretty are two very different things.
We need to recognize that we all have budgets (including government) and have to live within our means.
Back on topic; there is nothing in this thread that points out the AG is doing anything wrong whatsoever. I can accept disagreement with him. That’s entirely a persons right. But, aside from “I think he’s wasting time” or “I think he’s a retard” where is the substansive arguement against what he’s doing… I just don’t see it.
Wrong, as in illegal, probably not.l Wrong as in I feel there are better choices out there, yes. I think it takes a nerve to fight health care and show up at a faith healers convention, but that’s just me. He and I have different values which probably explains my dislike of him holding such a high office where he is visible to the rest of the nation.
As for first responders, most are over worked and under paid. I hope your house never catches fire or that you need to be scraped up off the road. I want plenty of those dudes around.
I have never known public employees to have a lot of time to waste. I expect you have never served at local, state or federal level. Otherwise you would know that they have almost no down time.
Moon, just where in that prayer did Engle call for the “overthrow of the government” as claimed by Maddow in her intro to the video? It seems to me that he was praying for Divine intervention specifically in the debate and vote on the health care reform bill. Virtually every prayer in a crisis or perceived crisis is a call for God to intervene in the hearts of men, which is exactly what Engle was calling for. Once again, Maddow throws in a deliberately false lead-in. That woman is far over the top. Virtually everything she does is ad hominem these days. She has begun to out-Olbermann Olbermann. Whether one agrees with Engle’s actions or not, I think we all ought to insist on hearing the factual truth from commentators, as well as their opinions. In my view, that applies to all of them across the spectrum. Personally, when I hear any commentator lead off with falsehoods (as opposed to contrary opinions on an issue), that commentator soon loses me as part of his audience.
I think in another segment that she showed in 2009…but not swearing to it. I was taking her word for it.
Moon — Cuccinelli is a congregant at St. Andrews Catholic Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus. I would opine that he doesn’t spend much time attending services in a Protestant evangelical church devoted to faith healing. Of course, virtually every Catholic church bulletin contains a list of the congregation’s sick and asks parishioners to pray to God for their recovery. That’s also “faith healing.” Only the style is different. So, I guess those who joke about the Cooch being involved in “faith healing” would be right in a sense. He is called upon to engage in it at every Mass.
I thought I had read that somewhere. Not sure where he fits in with the events at Liberty U.
George — I think you are being a bit unfair in singling out the Cooch. It seems to me that those diseases are very common in almost all politicians of any stripe, including Obama himself. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if you have to get some kind of medical certification in that regard just to qualify for the job.
Moon — Funny thing is that you seem to be more down on old Rev. Wright than I am. Make no mistake, Like you, I think he is way out there beyond the pale. But, all in all, his church (or it was), and he gets (or got) to call the shots. Even the fact that Obama sat in the pews there for 20 years and was married by Rev. Wright doesn’t really bother me a whole lot. For me Obama is the here and now. His policies and his actions (with a couple of key exceptions in Afghanistan and the war against “man-made disasters” or whatever the PC term is now) are the objects of my concern and the targets in the battle leading up to November 2010 and November 2012.
As for politicians putting in an appearance at a convention of “faith healers”? Well, they are voters too and, like almost any clergyman, they do have a certain amount of persuasive influence on other voters in their congregations. No different, really, than a Democrat attending a conference of self-proclaimed “progressives.” Politics are politics. You go to the ideological base for political support. I personally look at it all as the way in which the political game is normally played.
O.K., let’s back up here and go at Rachel Maddow again. I should have done more research before I started blabbing here.
(1) Cindy Jacobs’ evangelism and faith healing operations are located in Texas, so exit any jokes about McDonnell and Cuccinelli just from a pure geographic standpoint. She is one of those out on the evangelical extreme, claiming she can exorcise just about everything but the kitchen sink out of you. She is on the road alot — the U.S., South America, Australia, Indonesia.
(2) The 15-16 April “Awakening 2010” event in Lynchburg (another scheduled for May in Fredericksburg, I believe) is NOT a “faith healers conference.” Sorry, Rachel. It is a meeting of activist evangelicals who believe strongly in religious revival, somewhat like that old early 20th-century preacher Billy Sunday. (Hence, the historical reference to the Great Awakening in colonial America in the 1730’s, which, incidentally, freed Virginians from the theocratic stranglehood of the British Anglican church and established religious freedom in our state. James Madison himself served as defense lawyer for some of the Baptist preachers in that fight during a later period of the “Awakening.”) In any case, the people coming to Lynchburg do not carry guns. They carry Bibles and song books. Their weapons of choice are prayer, preaching, and inspiration —looks like some of that “Old Time Religion” in a modern context. They believe America has lost its moral compass. They especially believe that evangelism has to be addressed to our contemporary youth, who have gotten away from their religious roots. That’s it, folks. You can untwist those knickers now. There will be no Knights Templar armed with AK-47’s riding up US 29 or I-95 to retake Washington from the “infidels”” and “unbelievers.” Maybe just some preachers and lay evangelists, whom you are free to ignore as you will. I’m sure many here will not like the views of these people on contemporary morality issues; but, what the hey, does anyone think they can fix bayonets and drive them out of the political polity? Given a certain similarity of morality views between these people and the Catholic Church, I guess the next on the target list would have to be the Catholic Council of Bishops. In any case, if you do not like these people applying their own pressure to the political realm, it’s up to YOU to get the votes to oppose them. They DO have the First Amendment on their side.
(3) As far as I can see, the Cooch is not scheduled to lay hands on somebody in Lynchburg in order to cure a disease. He is simply appearing in a panel discussion to explain why he thinks the states should not be forced to accept many of the items in the Federal health care reform package. That’s about it. Oh, there is another interesting panel. It includes Moshe Ya’lon, the Vice Prime Minister of Israel, and other high-level Israeli officials who are going to discuss the current state of relations between the U.S. and Israel — sort of like a college symposium for evangelicals on Middle Eastern affairs. A lot of other prominent evangelical revivalists to speak and provide religious music, including Engle, whose bio statement for the conference includes nothing remotely about overthrowing the government of the U.S. He seems to want to pray government officials into finding their personal road to Damascus.
In fairness to Rachel, I am who call it a faith healing convention. I did it not Rachel I am not after McDonnell particularly. He has made mistakes but not horrible mistakes. Nothing he would make again. I think he has gotten a little too much heat even. However, it all adds up and that is my concern. Too much negative VA attention nationwide.
The AG does not get to be a recipient of my generousity, however. I don’t like his politics or his attitutude. I have not accused him of devouring children…however.
Jon Stewart has not tickled my fancy lately. He has done a lot with the Catholic Chuirch scandal. I think that subject is just a little too raw to put up. Why am I cutting them slack? Mainly because people got the idea that we were anti catholic. and that simply is not the case.
The Church is going to have to fix some problems and I am not sure they can without chaning a few fundamentals. Given the infalliblitiy of the Pope, that will not be easy.
@cargosquid
Sure there is no reason to watch a show to just instinctively know that it has no useful information in it. You should try to watch, she puts truth against “wing-nut” declarations and you might accidentally learn something.
@Bear
I’ve watched it. And then, when I research what she says, I find that her “truths” are not. She cherry picks and edits everything to put a bad light on everything conservative. Instead of investigating them, she insults them. She’s a hack. She’s trying to be another Olberman. I would rather watch Chris Mathews. At least he attempts to be a journalist. I even liked him in his earlier years, but, then his left wing bias just started getting annoying.
I find the same thing about Hannity. He is another cherry picker. I think it just depends on which sounds less offensive to one’s own years.
I think Hannity sounds like a mad dog. O’Reilly occassionally gets it right. He is also a journalist most of the time.
I don’t happen to watch Hannity either. I find him boring.