No set agenda today. Does the weather get any better than this?
104 Thoughts to “Open Thread”
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Blogroll
- 9500Liberty
- Bacons' Rebellion Blogspot
- Bearing Drift
- Blue Virginia
- Citizen Tom
- Counts of Monte Cristo. The
- Derecho, The
- Dixie Pig, The
- My Side of the Fence
- My Star Journey
- NARAL Pro-Choice VA Blog
- New Dominion Project
- Nova Common Sense
- NovaTownHall Blog
- One Libertarians's Point of View by Al Alborn
- Pete Candland's Blog
- Potomac Local
- Prince William Muckraker
- PW Conservation Alliance
- PWC Moms
- PWCPolitics.com
- PWCPolitics.com
- Red NoVA
- Shad Plank, The
- She the People
- State of NoVA, the
- The Jeffersoniad
- Townhall
- VEA Daily Reports
- VivianPaige
- WDGolden.com
- You, Me and the Lamp Post
@Moon-howler
WHAT??????
I am SO NOT voting for him!
Afraid so. It just came in the mail today. I had heard that without knowing which bills.
I believe that both bills were directed at the morning after pill without coming right out and saying so. Remember Bob Marshall’s luv canals. I am sure Lafayette will come along and post the link for us.
#50
MH – Now, THAT does it! He hasn’t changed. Optimist no more.
Go, Deeds, go!!!
You knew I would!!! “chemical love canals for frathouse playboys”. OMG!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6k4RrKNk7s
I think I’ll put another check in the mail for Deeds… McDonnell is beating him in TV advertizing. I encourage you all to do the same.
I’m so sick of seeing the advertisements, and to think we still have a month more of them. I doubt the rest of the Commonwealth is seeing as many as we are here in Northern Va.
Why do you think the rest of the state isn’t being as inundated, Lafayette? Thanks for posting. I hope everyone watches the link Lafayette posted, featuring the delegate from the 13th district. It makes me want to contibute to John Bell.
I could be wrong, MH. I’ve heard several commercials and seen signs of a couple of candidates “being No. VA’s own”. I’ve talked to family memebers in Harrisonburg and Radford, and they said they are not seeing back to back commercials at every commercial break like we are here.
HB 1414, patron Bob Marshall:
This is another reason why these kinds of Taliban tactics should not become public law or policy!!!!
McDonnell claims to be on of Northern VA’s own. I bet he isn’t showing that one outside of this area, for sure.
I thought you meant in general. I would think that the 3 metro areas in VA would be getting hit the hardest since they have the most population.
BET mongul Sheila Johnson made fun of the way Deeds talks. He apparently had some accident as a child that left him with a very slight speech impediment.
Maybe she can take her billions and buy some manners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGJE7NyIk9Q
Well, at least there’s an upside. Deeds as well as McDonnell is not soft on illegal immigration. He voted against allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, and to designate English the official language of the State.
They both fail the manhood test for me but I’ll probably be happier with either’s policies that with Kaine’s.
I agree about the three “metro” areas of the Commonwealth. I’m just sick of hearing/seeing so many ads.
Sheila Johnson needs a class in Social Skills 101. I just saw the clip on the news, and now Deeds ad, and no add for McDonnell behind it. Oops McDonnell ad just came on. Geesh, enough already.
How can someone, supposedly part of the so called “elite”, be so totally without class?
@Rick Bentley
Er, do I dare ask what your manhood test is, Rick?
@Punchak
It makes me think of a Sienfeld episode. Mr. Pitt(Elaine’s boss) is talking with Elaine about Jackie Kennedy having grace. He told Elaine “you either have grace or you don’t”. The same can be said for “class”.
Manhood test :
Not engaging in intimidating behavior to a female reporter after she asks you to clarify something you said that doesn’t make any sense (Deeds fails)
Being able to admit you said the f-word after you said it clearly and sitinctly in a radio interview (McDonnell fails)
Rick, great examples of failure on both candidates’ parts.
I simply don’t care if McDonnell dropped the F bomb or not. When he supposedly said it, it didn’t even make sense to have said it.
And I go back to Deeds, why should it matter over the gender of the reporter? How would you have taken it if he had said, I don’t know how to make it any clearer, young man? That gang of reporters was like a pack of dogs. They kept asking the same thing, hoping for a different outcome. What no one has asked is what news agencies all of them were with. I wouldn’t have blamed Deeds if he had slapped a couple of them. That would have definitely passed my ‘man test.’
Why is it OK for reporters be that stupid? I hope he learned his lesson about getting some distance between him and the press. The same people who continually have criticized the press now have turned on Deeds. How predictable.
You all have inspired me to send a big fact check to McDonald! đ
kelly3406, I’m glad you are sending a check to McDonald instead of NcDonnell (although I didn’t know NcDonald was running for Governor).
Ahhh … good catch. You got me there. That’s at least the second time that I have spelled his name that way.
I imagine “McDonald” or “Cray” will manage to cash those checks no matter what the spelling.
We too have already sent McDonnell a sizable check. Thanks for the inspiration, Moon et al. Blogs are one thing, but money is what really talks.
I am not sure why you were inspired. Was it Sheila Johnson making fun of Creigh Deeds’ slight speech impediment or was it the fact that McDonnell believes pharmacists can deny women birth control pills?
What happens in small towns? What happens when a drug store has one of these conscientious objectors working for them? Can they fire time?
Just trying to understand.
I am so glad everyone realizes that money talks and BS walks. We know that the BIG checks will come from the McDonnell people. Now who says size doesn’t count!
Womenâs rights are historically a new idea. Most of the world hasnât caught up with the United States in this area yet. In much of the middle and Far East and parts of Europe and South America, women are viewed as something lesser in roles ranging from property to second class citizens. The United States has led the world in giving women their rightful place in Society, business, and Government. We have not yet achieved true equity.
Men spend a lot of their time figuring out how to control women. Their efforts range from legislation to control very personal medical decisions about a womanâs pregnancy (the right to chose), business decisions about equal pay for equal work and promotions, moral decisions about a womanâs right to sell whatâs hers (prostitution), religious decisions about a womanâs role in the church (ordination), or military decisions about a womanâs right to fight for her Country.
Women have made advances an all of these areas. These advances are tenuous. Many men, under the guise of religion (whether it be Islam, Christianity, or something else) would like to roll these advances back. I pity women who still operate under the âold modelâ and support these efforts without regard to the women who sacrificed to change things and the impact on their sisters.
Iâm never surprised when someone like McDonnell comes along who would like to roll back the clock. There are many men who would like to put women âback in their rightful placeâ. I am amazed when women actually support McDonnell (or others like him) once his views are exposed. The Virginia Governorâs Mansion is a stepping stone to the White House. In wishing for McDonnell as Governor, women might get âmuch lessâ than they bargained for.
I assure you, men wonât keep McDonnell out of the Governorâs Mansion. Wouldnât it be ironic if Women put him in it?
That’s just my opinion.
Excellent opinion piece, Opinion. Very well put. h/t!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Standing ovation.
Opinion, well said!! Standing ovation here too.
Opinion, you put that well and succinctly. However, I will argue to the death with you that “allowing” a woman to be a prostitute is giving her freedom. No, sir. Considering what I heard from a researcher–that the average prostitute starts in her early teens–and that most prostitutes have been sexually abused and/or have a history of drug abuse…there’s no argument you can give me that will prove prostitution is anything but a form of slavery.
If we want women to be safe and free, then they need to be free from the perception that they are worth their sexuality and little more and the belief that putting themselves in unsafe situations and at the mercy of some horny guy is worth an income.
I would say the exact same thing for male prostitutes.
Prostitution might be one of the oldest professions of humankind, but it is also one that allows people to use each other in ways that can only be described as evil, IMO.
Whoooaaaaa there Pinko. You want to be able to tell women they cannot be prostitutes in places where it is legal? I am reading some sweeping generalizations.
I am not so sure I am willing to jump off that precipice. If we move from the $15 jump in the front seat and ride around the block ‘date’ into the higher end escort services, some of those women are probably quite content with their sexuality being worth quite a bit.
While I might not disagree with you in theory, I think we go out on a limb suggesting that we know what is best for all women.
I think prostitution in general should be illegal. For me, it’s a moral issue. I really believe it compromises us as human beings. If you want to sleep around, then all the power to you. Enjoy and wear a condom. But when you make sleeping around a capitalist venture, you are compromising yourself–and everyone else–in ways that should not be cheapened by our economic system.
Let me try to say this in another way. Because we have capitalism, we assume anything can be sold and if we need money, we should do what it takes to make money. This is a bad assumption to make. Should we argue that pimps have the right to get a cut of their girls’ pay? Don’t pimps have the right to make money? How about selling drugs that can harm people? We’re the first to complain when Big Pharm promotes harmful, legalized drugs. We have Wall Street scum bags who make it at the expense of others. We have sweat shops and we have people saddled with the need to make money. It comes down to how we earn money. Do we want people sacrificing their very selves because they want money, whether they are “happy” or not doing it? Is a 12 year old happy to be a prostitute? How about an addict mom?
This is my moral stance, and truly, if I lived somewhere where they wanted to legalize prostitution, I would be speaking against it. I know it’s not always a popular view and I don’t expect people to agree with me. Then again, I never expect people to agree with me đ
Oh and one more thing while I am engaging in moral outrage–whenever I hear prostitutes getting canned but their johns–especially their big-wig DC johns who don’t care how old these girls are or how they even got into the country–getting arrested but the johns don’t, I just about lose it.
I’m wound. Can you tell?
Posting as Pinko, I am not advocating prostitution. That certainly was not the focus of my post. I am simply saying it is one more personal choice that the State should not interfere in. Government as the annoying habit of caring a bit too much about its citizenâs personal lives; however, their interest appears to be diminishing (for the moment.) IMHO, men and women who opt to enter the sex trade should be free to get a business license and open shop as long as they pay their taxes and follow applicable health codes. If prostitution were one legal job opportunity open to men and women, most of the problems usually cited (human trafficking, disease, unreported abuse, etc, etc, etc.) would be significantly reduced (or perhaps eliminated in some cases). Since sex IS big business, we would certainly benefit from the tax revenue (it might just pay for solving our transportation problem). Perhaps a Junior College course or two on the subject?
Personally, I would rather see our already short-staffed and over-stretched police force pursuing other things like patrolling out neighborhoods to reduce break-ins, investigating violent crimes, etc. That being said, I hope this diversion doesnât take the focus off the larger point I was attempting to make. Rather than argue over the details, I would prefer to discuss the framework: womanâs rights and the risk a McDonnell Governorship poses to those rights.
“That gang of reporters was like a pack of dogs.”
You’ve got to be kidding. They were mild-mannered. The fact that Deeds got flustered does not mean that the reporters were out of line.
“They kept asking the same thing, hoping for a different outcome.”
Hoping for a clear answer. Deeds, like many Democrats through time, tries to use semantic games to obfuscate the fact that he intends to raise some taxes.
@Opinion
Opinion, you and I could go head to head on this all day. I might have to write a dissertation instead of a blog post đ Blogs have limited functions sometimes. This is one of those times, IMO.
No one was advocating prostitution or giving the pimp a cut. Pimps ought to be neutered. There are many sides of prostitution that are sad, shady, and ought to be illegal. However, I refuse to broadbrush all prostitution in such a way, since man walked the earth. It basically is an end result of the law of supply and demand. And Opinion is right. He had different focus.
Rick, you and I must have a different definition of ‘pack of dogs.’ I think asking the same question over and over again is ridiculous. I know the intent of the questioning. It was totally obvious to even the most naive.
Defend away. And I will continue to liken the press to a pack of dogs. And if ‘young lady’ is the worst thing that female reporter is called she should consider herself fortunate.
There is nothing else to say. Republicans and other political enemies are trying to turn it into Deeds’ Macaca moment. I think it might take a little more than that. It is no match for the paper trail on Blueprint Bob.
Oh no, I know, Opinion, you weren’t focusing on prostitution. That word just stuck out because I have very strong feelings on it.
I can’t present my views on it fully here and apologize if I went off a little. It wasn’t anything personal–not that it could be with your screen name! đ
Posting as Pinko, no problem. We are all entitled to our opinion (no pun intended).
Unfortunately, prostitution covers a wide range of economics. There surely is no comparison between a $3000 an hour escort and some poor runaway 13 year old trying to live on the street. And good for Pinko for caring passionately about the poor women (and men) of the world who are most definitely at the mercy of pimps and other people who place profit and greed above human compassion.
Perhaps Pinko’s concern was for the 98% of the prostitutes who have very limited options in their lives and my concern was for broad brushing those who live comfortably from such occupation and who have for eons, down through history. I think Opinion, Pinko, and I are all correct on some level.
Moon-howler, as usual you captured my thoughts exactly. I know Pinko’s heart is in the right place… and respect her compassion regarding this issue. While my post focused on woman’s rights, I am equally passionate about fighting the exploitation of women wherever it occurs.
I would say we are all in agreement when we look at the broad scope of things. Human trafficking and all that it entails as well as slavery still exist in the world today. Women are usually the first to be exploited. And thanks Opinion, for being out there for women who might not always have the wherewithall to defend themselves!
If Bob McDonnell had made the “young lady” comment, it would have been derided as further proof of his misogyny.
If McDonnell were the candidate with the speech impediment, we’d be hearing about how everyone should just lighten up and have a sense of humor.
Legalize and strictly regulate prostitution, and tax it heavily. Win-win. It’s all about women’s choice, right?
We already settled prostitution.
Bob McDonnell would not be hearing it from me nor did I chide him for supposedly dropping the F bomb. Young lady is a common term used by older people in place of their names.
Why would anyone say lighten up if Sheila Johnson made fun of anyone. That just isn’t done. If you do it in private, don’t tell anyone.
She is the one who is classless and tasteless and she hurt her candidate. I don’t blame McDonnell for it and I am sure he was horrified at her insensitivity. On the other hand, there is little he can do publically about it.
It sort of reminds me of a local situtation where a ‘supporter’ has acted totally without class and has hurt his candidate. There really is very little the local candidate can do about it. However, the supporter thinks he is ever so clever bullying women. he has never given thought to how it hurts his candidate or how embarrassed the candidate might be over such actions.
Shame on Sheila J and the ‘Local Supporter’ for discrediting their candidates of choice. Smart people know better.
It’s hard to believe Sheila Johnson would have been attending a Republican fundraiser. It’s my understanding she has been a big Democratic supporter in the past. Something doesn’t compute here.
The candidate you speak of will win easily in November, regardless of his “supporter’s” activities.
Probably equally hard to believe that she donates money to McDonnell. I can’t speak to the woman’s politics.
To say the candidate will win easily in November dismisses everything I just said. That isn’t the point. If the candidate wins easily, why do supporters have to engage in the politics of personal destruction?
I would have had no problem supporting the candidate. I like that individual and feel the candidate has earned my vote. Even though I know the candidate has had nothing to do with the ugliness directed at the opponent…why do I feel yucky voting for the candidate knowing what was done to the opponent?
That is how those supporters hurt their candidates. My family provides 4 votes that can go either way. I am sure we aren’t the only ones. That sure blows the notion that every vote counts.
Losing the Latino Vote
In the Long Run, the GOP Must Be Inclusive
By Michael Gerson
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
By 2030, the Latino share of the vote in America is likely to double. Some Republicans seem to be calculating that this influence can be countered by running up their percentage of support among white voters. But this is not eventually realistic, because non-college-educated whites are declining as a portion of the electorate. And it is disturbing in any case to set the goal of a whiter Republican Party. This approach would not only shrink the party, it would split it. Catholics and evangelicals, who have been central to the Republican coalition, cannot ultimately accept a message of resentment against foreigners. Their faith will not allow it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/06/AR2009100602835.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Republicans are going to continue losing elections if they continue this anti-immigration rhetoric.
“why do I feel yucky voting for the candidate knowing what was done to the opponent?”
I can’t explain your sensitivity. I could understand it if the individual was a representative of said candidate’s campaign–i.e. campaign manager. That could really cause a need for some serious ‘splainin. But, really, this person is just a local blogger expressing personal opinions, and not part of the campaign.
It seems as though there was another rape in the Coverstone area again last night. Channel 5 will be talking more about it at 9am. They say the police are there and distributing flyers this morning with two sketches on them.
Correction not rape two assaults against women. Sorry.
What’s the difference here?
There’s not in my mind really. However, this is a blog and we will have those come along and attack the “minor error”. I’m not up for “battle” today. đ