Straight from a liveblog on the Shad Plank with Mudflap Saunders, we get a peak at what Marky Mark’s strategy for the fall will be and we shouldn’t be surprised…

Mudcat - Gilmore knows he’s got to hit and hit hard. You damned right I see Gilmore getting nasty. I think it’s his nature. Some of the attacks will have absolutely no basis in truth. By Labor Day, he’s going to be telling you guys that Mark was the dude behind the grassy knoll.

This is the basic gameplan that Marky Mark runs on every time:

1. Set up your opponent as being a meaney.

2. When criticized over legitimate policy or faced with some personal embarassment, shrug it off as being your opponent being typically “nasty.”

3. Say that attacks never fed or educated a child or got someone out of a traffic jam and proclaim that you will approach things differently without every giving any details beyond those platitudes.

The most interesting part in Mudflap’s comment is this:

Some of the attacks will have absolutely no basis in truth. [emphasis added]

Obviously, they are expecting that the dirt that drove Marky Mark from the presidential race or something of a lesser degree at least to come out.  Because the attacks that will come WILL have a basis in truth.  That should make everyone in Marky Mark’s camp very, very nervous — especially those who know what all the skeletons are.

JR @ Bearing Drift says it better in three lines than I can do in three posts:

Whether it’s Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, or Jody Wagner — the pattern is obvious: they will say anything to get elected. They will fudge numbers to get their way. And they will spend the treasury into oblivion.

Bravo, JR!

Norm Leahy offered his initial take on the 11th Congressional District race this morning (Tertium Quids), and took particular issue with Larry Sabato:

As too often happens in politics, Larry Sabato is asked for his opinion. Hilarity follows:

“The 11th is socially liberal,” Sabato said. “That’s where the change in the party is occurring. It’s not on the fiscal issues; most residents in the 11th remain fiscally conservative. They have become alienated from the Republican base because of its social conservatism.”

We can blame Hegel for the introduction of alienation into the lexicon, but as for the splits in the GOP, to pin them all on social conservatives is a gross misreading of reality.

While the 11th may, in some sense, remain “fiscally conservative,” one of the great divides in the GOP base developed over fiscal issues. Earmarks? New entitlements? Burgeoning spending? All reasons why fiscal conservatives have pondered going fishing on election day than continuing to support Republican spendthrifts.

I would agree in part with Leahy’s observation, but I think reality actually makes his deeper point (the GOP must return to limited-government policies) even more than how he tells it.  I don’t think “fiscal conservatives” in suburban areas like the 11th CD “have pondered going fishing on election day than continuing to support Republican spendthrifts.”  I would humbly submit that most of them are have done something even more dramatic - vote for Democrats based on social issues.

Economic conservatives (a term I prefer far more than “fiscal conservatives”) are a mixed lot on social issues, and those who are also to the right on social issues have stuck with the Virginia GOP.  However, economic conservatives from suburban and urban areas tend to be more to the left on social issues, but still vote Republican because they (these voters) define themselves on economic issues first.  From 2001 until last month, the Republican Party of Virginia seemed determined to make itself indistinguishable from the Democrats on economic issues (including taxes and spending).  It should come as no surprise that the party suffered the largest consequences in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, where these voters didn’t just stay home - they crossed over to the Democrats because of social issues.

For Republicans, the conclusion is obvious: without a limited-government, low-tax platform, the party is toast.  Fortunately, the RPV seems to have learned its lesson.  The General Assembly Republicans finally kicked the tax-hike habit; the new RPV Chairman sounds determined to make sure there is no turning back; and Leahy himself was impressed with the GOP candidate for the 11th (TQ again):

Fimian spoke at the July TMG meeting and made a strong case for a return to conservative fiscal principles — particularly on entitlement spending . . . Fimian may be more of a fit for the district than the good professor realizes.

It’s been a long time since I could say this, but it looks like Virginia Republicans are finally understanding what they did to themselves over the last seven years, and that is a very good thing.

Yesterday, the U.S. House passed H.R. 5235, the “Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act.”  According to the bill, which now heads to the Senate:

The Commission shall–

(1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities as the Commission considers fitting and proper to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth;

(2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, State, and local governmental agencies, as well as civic groups to carry out activities to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth;

(3) develop activities that may be carried out by the Federal Government to determine whether the activities are fitting and proper to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth; and

(4) submit to the President and Congress reports pursuant to section 7.

President Reagan’s 100th Birthday will be celebrated on Feb. 6, 2011.

H.R.6571 : To prohibit smoking near executive, legislative, and judicial branch buildings and entryways.
Sponsor: Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] (introduced 7/22/200      Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Transportation and Infrastructure; House Administration; House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 7/22/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Now, I think that smoking is a dirty, disgusting habit and don’t want myself or my family exposed to the crap that other people are exhaling or be subjected to the smoke and fumes that spew forth as they casually hold their cigarettes. That said, people should have the right to suck on their cancer sticks in places where they will not infringe upon the rights of others to breath clean, fresh air. This bill goes entirely too far.

Barry Obama auditioning for the role of Smoker In Chief

“[E]xecutive, legislative, and judicial branch”? Those are the ONLY branches of government and every government building or agency falls under one of them. So, this bill can only be interpreted to being a federal government-wide ban on smoking “near” any federal building and entryway to such a building.  I get what this congressman is going after — the gaggle of federal employees who congregate just outside the front door of their building to take smoke breaks.  But so long as they are not in a confined space where others are forced to breath in their smoke, then I don’t have a problem with them.

Last week’s U.S. Senate committee hearing on Fat Kids is being continued today:

  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee
on Children and Families, to continue hearings to examine childhood
obesity, focusing on declining health of America’s next generation
(Part II), 2:30 p.m., SD-430.

Meanwhile, we hear that the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow on the FIT Kids Act — with star witness Richard Simmons.

And while he still has his loud helium balloon-like voice and big hair, unfortunately, Simmons is hinting he won’t be wearing his signature short shorts and tank top at the hearing.

You can’t make this stuff up (although sometimes I wish it all were)…

       Now, who would have guessed that there was no American Flag on Barack Obama’s 757?   Now, the American Flag has been replaced with Barack’s famous O!   I am curious if Barack’s campaign buys “carbon offsets” to account for all of their pollution?!?!?

     A few minutes ago, CNN played a clip of Obama saying this about his plan for Iraq: “I’m going to call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and give them a new mission, and that is to bring the war in Iraq to a close. We are going to get out.”

    Huh, does Barack not understand anything when it comes to running the United States? Evidently not, and hopefully, America will stop him in his tracks come Election Day.
Problem: the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not have operational authority over the military . . .

read more | digg story

       Yesterday, a certain colleague, The Old Right, hid my car keys at the end of the work day causing me to spend 30 minutes in a frenzy looking for my escape from the office.  

       After I found my keys, which were hidden in a new colleague’s desk, I got my revenge.  The Old Right got a visit from the Post-It Fairy.    See the evidence below and have a good laugh:

Yeah, I am pretty good at office pranks!

Black Velvet Bruce Li brings our attention to another victim of our porous border, and then makes a very interesting point:

As of July 1st, a new law requires that all jails in Virginia start checking the immigration status of all persons they detain.  How many localities are actually complying with this law isn’t known, but no locality in Virginia seems to be talking about how they intend to comply with this law, much less announcing that they are.

That got me wondering: Is the Rappahannock Regional Jail doing this?  Do we know if this applies to whatever holding cells local counties have?  If so, are local sheriff’s offices actually doing this?

If you have any answers, dear readers, please put them in the comments.  Thanks.

Cross-posted to Rappahannock Red

Black Velvet Bruce Li brings our attention to another victim of our porous border, and then makes a very interesting point:

As of July 1st, a new law requires that all jails in Virginia start checking the immigration status of all persons they detain.  How many localities are actually complying with this law isn’t known, but no locality in Virginia seems to be talking about how they intend to comply with this law, much less announcing that they are.

That got me wondering: Is the Rappahannock Regional Jail doing this?  Do we know if this applies to whatever holding cells local counties have?  If so, are local sheriff’s offices actually doing this?

If you have any answers, dear readers, please put them in the comments.  Thanks.

Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal