Saturday, February 27, 2010
Bill Hay now officially Verga campaign
After hiding behind a fig leaf for months, Bill Hay will be soon taking an official position with the Verga campaign as the campaign manager we are told. Verga has been supposedly looking for quite some time and has not been able to find an experienced person nor one with knowledge of the district so he has hired Hay. One would hope Hay will quit posting on his Va's Fifth blog as those comments can no longer be excused by Verga as not a part of his campaign. Bill may know Albemarle, Greene and Charlottesville well but in the rest of the district he is both unknown and will need his GPS to find his way around. Rating of Verga's team actually goes down.
Interesting polls
Just thought it was interesting to look at some different online polls.
The number of voters has gone way down in the first poll over the past few weeks and it is not clear that it is being continued as promised.
Virginia's (so called) Fifth District Watchdog (a paid employee of McPadden)
This one is run by the conservative talk radio channel in Charlottesville. Impressive results for Ferrin.
WCHV- Charlottesville
From WSET-Lynchburg
Run by the TV station in Lynchburg- Impressive for Hurt.
The number of voters has gone way down in the first poll over the past few weeks and it is not clear that it is being continued as promised.
Virginia's (so called) Fifth District Watchdog (a paid employee of McPadden)
Week 4: Who is your dog in this race? (Poll Closed)
Total Votes: 99
This one is run by the conservative talk radio channel in Charlottesville. Impressive results for Ferrin.
WCHV- Charlottesville
| Which candidate has your vote as of right now? (1/15/10) |
| Boyd, Kenneth |
 ( 21% ) |
| Ferrin, Ronald |
| ( 30% ) |
| Hurt, Robert |
| ( 6% ) |
| McKelvey, James |
| ( 6% ) |
| McPadden, Michael |
| ( 19% ) |
| Morton, Feda |
| ( 4% ) |
| Verga, Laurence |
| ( 13% ) |
From WSET-Lynchburg
Run by the TV station in Lynchburg- Impressive for Hurt.
If the 5th District Republican primary were held today, who would you most likely vote for?
TEA Party debate in Lynchburg- Good or bad
I won't be able to get down to the debate tonight so I would really like some opinions from those who can. I will be calling some friends who will be there for information but I think the more opinions the better.
I have heard the questions will be done very differently than in Charlottesville and while I have my opinion about how it will work, I think it's best to see how it actually works out. Please let me know what you think of the format as well as who did the best job of answering the questions.
I have heard the questions will be done very differently than in Charlottesville and while I have my opinion about how it will work, I think it's best to see how it actually works out. Please let me know what you think of the format as well as who did the best job of answering the questions.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Really Scary- Just like Tom Perriello
Not sure why I got this hard to believe link today, but if you want to have an idea of what conservative Christians face from the Obama administration now and why we need to get rid of their lapdog, Tom Perriello, please read this article below. Then go to the site of this organization, Common Dreams, to understand the so called "progressive movement". Look and see if this language doesn't sound a lot like Perriello's drivel.
Published on Friday, February 26, 2010 by McClatchy Newspapers
Obama Aides to Meet with Secular Coalition, Atheists on White House Grounds
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has burnished his Christian credentials, courted Jewish support and preached outreach toward Muslims. On Friday, his administration will host a group that fits none of the above: America's nonbelievers.
The president isn't expected to make an appearance at the meeting with the Secular Coalition for America or to unveil any new policy as a result of it.
Instead, several administration officials will sit down quietly for a morning meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus with about 60 workhorses from the coalition's 10 member groups, including the American Atheists and the Council for Secular Humanism. Tina Tchen, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and representatives from the Justice and Health and Human Services departments will participate.
Coalition leaders are billing their visit as an important meeting between a presidential administration and the "nontheist" community. On the agenda are three policy areas: child medical neglect, military proselytizing and faith-based initiatives.
"We're raising important issues that affect real people's lives," said Sean Faircloth, 49, a former Maine state legislator who's the coalition's executive director.
White House spokesman Shin Inouye downplayed the meeting, saying only that Tchen's office "regularly meets with a wide range of organizations and individuals on a diverse set of issues."
The coalition's board includes such controversy magnets as authors Salman Rushdie ("The Satanic Verses") and Christopher Hitchens ("God Is Not Great"), as well as Michael Newdow, the Sacramento, Calif., doctor who argued against allowing the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance before the Supreme Court, but didn't prevail. South Carolina activist Herb Silverman founded the coalition in 2002. It's had a Washington office and a lobbyist since 2005.
"Despite what we hear from Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin, we're in a stage in history where millions upon millions of Americans share a secular perspective on American public policy," Faircloth said. "We think the real 'silent majority,' if you will, is the Americans who say, 'Enough of this religious and even theocratic nature to American policy.' "
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found in a 2008 survey before Obama's election that a majority of Americans, 52 percent to 45 percent, think that churches should stay out of politics. That sentiment had changed from three election cycles back, 1996, when 54 percent favored churches expressing political views.
Still, nearly three-fourths of Americans told Pew in December 2009 that they attend religious services each year. Americans also told Pew that month that the Republican Party seems friendlier toward religion than Democrats do, but that Obama seems friendlier toward religion than most Democrats are.
The coalition doesn't embrace all the Obama administration's stances, but members think that they have more of a kindred spirit in the president than in his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Obama once taught constitutional law. His late mother was spiritual but agnostic. His inaugural address is credited as the first by a U.S. president to include explicit recognition of "nonbelievers" as part of the fabric of the nation.
Coalition members plan to use Friday's meeting to advocate closing federal loopholes in the law that governs medical neglect. They say that officials in any state should be able to remove sick children who need medical treatment from homes in which parents believe in faith healing as easily as they could intervene on behalf of other children.
Liz Heywood, of Ithaca, N.Y., said she was 13 when she contracted a bone infection that her Christian Scientist parents wouldn't seek medical attention to treat. She experienced permanent damage, and three years ago, at 45, had the leg amputated above the knee.
Heywood planned to fly to Washington to participate in the coalition meeting until fresh snow left her stuck in New York. She'll participate by speaker phone.
"I fell through the cracks at every turn," Heywood said of her experience as a sick teen in a faith-healing home. "I am hoping I can make a difference with my story."
Other coalition activists have concerns about proselytizing in the military and a rise in the military's evangelical culture. They want the Department of Defense to give protected-class status to nonbelievers, as it does to members of minority religions.
On faith-based initiatives, the coalition differs from the president in opposing taxpayer funding of all faith-based groups. Obama has emphasized that faith-based groups that receive government money for charitable work shouldn't proselytize or discriminate on the basis of religion. Faircloth said the president should formalize that position through an executive order.
The president isn't expected to make an appearance at the meeting with the Secular Coalition for America or to unveil any new policy as a result of it.
Instead, several administration officials will sit down quietly for a morning meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus with about 60 workhorses from the coalition's 10 member groups, including the American Atheists and the Council for Secular Humanism. Tina Tchen, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and representatives from the Justice and Health and Human Services departments will participate.
Coalition leaders are billing their visit as an important meeting between a presidential administration and the "nontheist" community. On the agenda are three policy areas: child medical neglect, military proselytizing and faith-based initiatives.
"We're raising important issues that affect real people's lives," said Sean Faircloth, 49, a former Maine state legislator who's the coalition's executive director.
White House spokesman Shin Inouye downplayed the meeting, saying only that Tchen's office "regularly meets with a wide range of organizations and individuals on a diverse set of issues."
The coalition's board includes such controversy magnets as authors Salman Rushdie ("The Satanic Verses") and Christopher Hitchens ("God Is Not Great"), as well as Michael Newdow, the Sacramento, Calif., doctor who argued against allowing the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance before the Supreme Court, but didn't prevail. South Carolina activist Herb Silverman founded the coalition in 2002. It's had a Washington office and a lobbyist since 2005.
"Despite what we hear from Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin, we're in a stage in history where millions upon millions of Americans share a secular perspective on American public policy," Faircloth said. "We think the real 'silent majority,' if you will, is the Americans who say, 'Enough of this religious and even theocratic nature to American policy.' "
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found in a 2008 survey before Obama's election that a majority of Americans, 52 percent to 45 percent, think that churches should stay out of politics. That sentiment had changed from three election cycles back, 1996, when 54 percent favored churches expressing political views.
Still, nearly three-fourths of Americans told Pew in December 2009 that they attend religious services each year. Americans also told Pew that month that the Republican Party seems friendlier toward religion than Democrats do, but that Obama seems friendlier toward religion than most Democrats are.
The coalition doesn't embrace all the Obama administration's stances, but members think that they have more of a kindred spirit in the president than in his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Obama once taught constitutional law. His late mother was spiritual but agnostic. His inaugural address is credited as the first by a U.S. president to include explicit recognition of "nonbelievers" as part of the fabric of the nation.
Coalition members plan to use Friday's meeting to advocate closing federal loopholes in the law that governs medical neglect. They say that officials in any state should be able to remove sick children who need medical treatment from homes in which parents believe in faith healing as easily as they could intervene on behalf of other children.
Liz Heywood, of Ithaca, N.Y., said she was 13 when she contracted a bone infection that her Christian Scientist parents wouldn't seek medical attention to treat. She experienced permanent damage, and three years ago, at 45, had the leg amputated above the knee.
Heywood planned to fly to Washington to participate in the coalition meeting until fresh snow left her stuck in New York. She'll participate by speaker phone.
"I fell through the cracks at every turn," Heywood said of her experience as a sick teen in a faith-healing home. "I am hoping I can make a difference with my story."
Other coalition activists have concerns about proselytizing in the military and a rise in the military's evangelical culture. They want the Department of Defense to give protected-class status to nonbelievers, as it does to members of minority religions.
On faith-based initiatives, the coalition differs from the president in opposing taxpayer funding of all faith-based groups. Obama has emphasized that faith-based groups that receive government money for charitable work shouldn't proselytize or discriminate on the basis of religion. Faircloth said the president should formalize that position through an executive order.
© 2010 McClatchy Newspapers
5th District Fridays- Interesting comments again
Again today Joe Thomas did a great job of talking to all of the candidates. We listened and had some surprises actually.
Worst comment of the day. Close to a tie so that both need to be looked at but one showed some very bad understanding of how the health care system really works and the other just showed insensibility.
Stupidest comment of the week (2) Feda Morton "Redistribute the two hundred billion dollar tax break for employer based health care." Does she understand that this is given to companies to assist them in paying for the health care of their hard working employees ? Does she want to make it harder than ever for struggling businesses to pay for the health insurance for their employees. Your idea would do nothing but add more people to the list of uninsured. You just lost every voter in the 5th whose company helps them pay for insurance.
Jim McKelvey in his support for one candidate over another for district chair. First he just cost himself the support of everyone who might support the other candidate. Secondly, he wants to tell the grassroots what they should be doing. He wants to rule from the top down.
Don't understand what they will need remarks- McPadden, McKelvey, we won't need the Republican's in the district since we have our own teams. Republican's will have to get together.
If either were to win the primary, that attitude would almost guarantee that the volunteers who have worked for campaign after campaign would shun them.
And Mr. McKelvey, what does your campaign sloganeering have to do with the district chairman ?
Best Comment- Ken Boyd on the new district chair. I know both of the gentlemen............. Continued with good sense afterward.
Worst comment of the day. Close to a tie so that both need to be looked at but one showed some very bad understanding of how the health care system really works and the other just showed insensibility.
Stupidest comment of the week (2) Feda Morton "Redistribute the two hundred billion dollar tax break for employer based health care." Does she understand that this is given to companies to assist them in paying for the health care of their hard working employees ? Does she want to make it harder than ever for struggling businesses to pay for the health insurance for their employees. Your idea would do nothing but add more people to the list of uninsured. You just lost every voter in the 5th whose company helps them pay for insurance.
Jim McKelvey in his support for one candidate over another for district chair. First he just cost himself the support of everyone who might support the other candidate. Secondly, he wants to tell the grassroots what they should be doing. He wants to rule from the top down.
Don't understand what they will need remarks- McPadden, McKelvey, we won't need the Republican's in the district since we have our own teams. Republican's will have to get together.
If either were to win the primary, that attitude would almost guarantee that the volunteers who have worked for campaign after campaign would shun them.
And Mr. McKelvey, what does your campaign sloganeering have to do with the district chairman ?
Best Comment- Ken Boyd on the new district chair. I know both of the gentlemen............. Continued with good sense afterward.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Generic Ballot looking better
As we know, the 5th is a targeted district for the national Democrats this year. We will be seeing more 527 money because of Perriello's close relationship with George Soros and others. The good news is that the generic ballot is turning our way. According to Rasmussen the generic Republican now leads the generic Democrat by nine points. We cannot depend on this to stay this way and lose our focus. We all know that Tom is very slick and will do his best to deny he is a national Democrat. He was playing right out of their playbook issued by the DCCC recently when he started talking about social security. We can expect nothing but more of the same.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Democrats target the 5th
In an email sent to Organizing For America members all over the country, top level Democrats made clear they will come to the help of Tom Perriello often from now to November. Targeting one Senate seat and one House seat they made clear they will support Perriello because he has supported Obama. Those who try to say that Tom is going to be easy to beat are just wrong. The candidates need to stop attacking one another now and start thinking seriously about the fall.
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