29 April 2007

An observation

I have noticed an increasing trend in Washington County politics. Active campaigning before the nominating processes are over. Some time ago, candidates waited until after the mass meetings/conventions to start placing yard signs, doing mailings, etc. This was true even if the candidate was unopposed for the nomination. However, this year is different. Several months before the mass meetings, candidate signs are every where in the county. What has changed?

When I ran for the County Board of Supervisors 8 years ago, I entered using the underdog thinking. It was an open seat with the incumbent retiring after many years of service. My thinking was, it was time to throw my hat in. What has changed is that we're seeing many of our long time politicians step down to retire or to run for higher office in the county. In their stead, we're seeing people with substantive experience in the offices of these constitutional offices, Commisioner of Revenue, Circuit Court Clerk, etc. The names aren't as familiar to the public as the incumbents. That has changed the way campaigning works in Washington County.

Triple Threat

CORRECTION: I have been made aware that the debate is scheduled for 3 May, not 5 May. My apologies.

As mentioned in my last post regarding my personal Final Four candidates, one was and is an extreme darkhorse. Everyone loves an underdog. It's the American tradition, we love to root for the little guy. However, another American tradition is that of winning. Americans love a winner. Conservatives are the same way. We love the little guy, and we advocate policies that are beneficial for ALL Americans, not punitive. However, it doesn't matter if you're the greatest and most conservatively sound candidate in the world, if you can't get your message to the voters. Therefore, I reveal to you my Triple Threat slate of candidates that are in contention for my support.

1.) Duncan Hunter - At this point, I have to admit that Mr. Hunter is the frontrunner to gain my support. He's right on the issues and he can communicate his positions effectively and clearly. He's using the internet in a very effective manner. The most important aspect is that as a genuine conservative, he's going to be allowed to participate in the debate on May 5.

2.) Fred Thompson - Even though Mr. Thompson is not a candidate yet, I believe that he will enter the race. I believe that Mr. Thompson will bring a conservative celebrity aspect to the race. However, I must say that if he waits much longer, conservatives with a fire in the belly may end up going to Duncan Hunter.

3.) Jim Gilmore - I have tried to ignore Mr. Gilmore's candidacy. The reasons for this are purely personal and will remain so. However, I must admit that former Governor Gilmore is an attractive candidate to those who remain undecided. As small as this detail is, when I read in an article in a liberal magazine that Mr. Gilmore is best remembered for keeping his word, it stikes a chord.

There you have it friends. My Triple Threat. Sure, it doesn't include the "Big Three" but it includes three genuine conservatives. I would like to mention Mr. Cox again. He is right on the issues. He appears to be principled. However, the MSM and the party establishment will not allow Mr. Cox a seat at the table. I wish Mr. Cox well as he continues his campaign.

I'm speechless

According to the Washington County News, one of my former history professors at Emory and Henry is being held in detention in South Carolina pending burglary charges among others. Dr. Little was always very mild mannered and professional. This strikes me as being totally out of character for Dr. Little and hopefully this issue will be resolved. I'm completely stunned.

28 April 2007

Bastion of Integrity?

Before I begin, I will note for the record I will not link to the mentioned posts because they are posted on the usual suspects, Raising Kaine, VBDems, Richmond Democrat, etc. However I will be remiss if I let the snide name calling go unanswered.

A post at RK quotes Bill Maher (we all know he is SUCH a bastion of integrity) as saying that the place to find people dumb enough to believe Mr. Bush is Regent University Law School. Ok, I will point out that Mr. Robertson has made rather questionable statements in the past. However, where is Maher's law school? Has he trained young men and women to practice law in our great Commonwealth? Has he made the sacrifices to start his own multimedia company? I submit that Mr. Maher has (like many other "celebrities" in Hollywood) taken advantage of the resources of others to capitalize his own career.

If the Attorney General supports Regent, so what? If it is his alma mater, more power to him. If the liberals and Democrats have such a problem with Regent, I suggest they raise the money and start their own... put your money where your mouth is or quit making noise!!!!

25 April 2007

Interview with Tricia Phipps

Readers of Good Sense, here is the interview with Ms. Tricia Phipps, candidate for Circuit Court Clerk of Washington County.

GS: Please tell us why you are running for Circuit Court Clerk in Washington County.

TP: I am running for the office of Circuit Court Clerk because I have 17 years' service in the Clerk's office and am currently serving as Chief Deputy.

GS: What qualifies you to be the Circuit Court Clerk?

TP: I have met many really genuinely good people through my years of service in the Clerk's Office and feel honored to be able to serve in the capacity of interim Clerk. I feel the hands on (and not just field related) experience I have qualifies me to be Clerk of Court. I have been properly trained throughout the years by attending educational sessions taught by the Supreme Court of Virginia's Office of the Executive Secretary's Management Information Systems department. I have also participated in group forums concerning development and upgrades to the Case Management, Financial Management and Records Management systems that are used in our office. I currently am a member of an advisory panel that is aiding in developing a new calendaring software system that is being piloted by the 28th Judicial Circuit.

GS: The previous Clerk has instituted some impressive overhauls within the Clerk's office. What are your plans for improving the Clerk's office?

TP: I will be placing a Deputy Clerk in the records room to aid in assisting the general public. I will be offering secure remote access to land records, which will be required of each Clerk's Office by July 1, 2008, but I plan to offer that access sooner than the required date. I am currently consulting with County officials and the Supreme Court to decide what other technological advances are feasible for the office.

GS: Your campaign literature has stated that while your opponents are running campaigns, you will be running the Clerk's office. When will you be sworn in as the interim clerk?

TP: Kathy Crane, the current Clerk of Court retires on April 30, 2007 and I will be appointed interim Clerk to fill the term vacated by her on May 1, 2007.

GS: You are seeking the Republican nomination for this office. Are you facing any opposition for the GOP nomination?

TP: I am seeking the Republican nomination, the mass meeting will be held on May 24, 2007 and all attending will be required to be registered before 7:00 pm. I currently know of no other individual seeking the Republican nomination for this office.

GS: Two more questions. In your opinion, What are the most important qualities the next Clerk must have?

TP: I am a multitasker, a 'people person' and am not afraid to work hard, with the many and diverse duties of the office of Clerk I feel these are important qualities to possess.

GS: What would you like to say to the citizens of Washington County?

TP: I would like the citizens of the County to know that I plan to be a working Clerk and not merely a figurehead. I would also like to ask each of them to vote for me and the proper experience to get the job done on November 6.

23 April 2007

Mr. Fuhrman does it again...

Jerry has posted another written masterpiece regarding guns and gun control. His logic is impeccable and hoists gun control advocates on their own petard. This post is a very good read and I highly recommend it.

21 April 2007

Jim Gilmore

No, I have no news to report about a fundraiser for Mr. Gilmore, nor do I have any prominent endorsements to announce. However, I have made a decision related to a previous post. Mr. Gilmore replaces Newt Gingrich on my Final Four list to determine the candidate I will support for the GOP nomination in 2008. So, to recap:

1.) John Cox
2.) Fred Thompson
3.) Duncan Hunter
4.) Jim Gilmore

20 April 2007

The Politics of Nothing

We've heard the monikers, the "D0-Nothing" Congress, the "Know-Nothing" Party, etc, etc. Jerry at From On High has this tremendous post regarding guns and gun control in the United States. As many others on the Right in the blogosphere have stated, I would have preferred to have this argument and debate until a week or so from now. For want of a more precise term, I choose to call these arguments talking points. At any rate, Jerry has made an excellent point.

17 April 2007

A First for Good Sense

This blog is about conservative politics in general and the GOP in particular in some instances. Until now I have done very little "journalistic" work on this blog. Most others have succeeded in this niche without my help. However, I have landed an interview with Tricia Phipps, candidate for the GOP nomination for Circuit Court Clerk in Washington County. This is a special opportunity for Good Sense and I am looking forward to Ms. Phipps response. It should be noted for clarity that I have endorsed Ms. Phipps already and this is an unique opportunity for her to spread her campaign into the blogosphere. Of course, I suppose this would have to count as an in-kind contribution since I am a supporter already.

The interview will be up soon!!!

16 April 2007

Shooting at Virginia Tech

Reality has come to Southwest Virginia. As peaceful as our region is, occasionally we do have instances where rage and violence invade our peaceful little setting. God be with the students, faculty, administrators and others at Virginia Tech as this tragedy unfolds.

Intriguing Posts

In process of researching Presidential Candidate John Cox, I came across the gentleman who runs the Blog for Cox website, Adam Graham. His personal website has a series of posts regarding conservative blogging and is a sort of "how to" for those who are interested in starting and even for those who have been blogging for a while. I'll include the most recent post in the category. I'm still in the process of reading the series, but it seems to be worth the effort so far.

15 April 2007

New Addition

Yes, there's a new addition to the sidebar to the right. I've added a banner and link to Fair Tax.org . I support the imposition of a National Sales Tax and the repeal of the income tax and the abolishment of the IRS. I've long held that taxation on income is inherently immoral and punitive.

At any rate, I'm sure some of his supporters would rather lay low (understandably) but Virgil Goode deserves kudos for signing on as a co-sponsor of HR 25 (Fair Tax Act of 2007). Thank you Representative Goode for standing up for Virginians and our rights to keep what we have earned. I appreciate your efforts to this end.

11 April 2007

Final Four... Yes, it is true.

As promised to my friends in the ODBA, here are my four finalists in Charlie's GOP Presidential sweepstakes. This will be a relatively long post, so keep reading please. Keep in mind, these are in no particular order of preference.

1.) Duncan Hunter - My friend Kilo at Spark It Up will be glad to know that Mr. Hunter has made the final four. I cannot ignore what the record plainly states about Mr. Hunter and his service to the country. His support of life issues is well known and Mr. Hunter makes no bones about his support of legislation declaring the personhood of unborn children and a Right to Life Amendment to the Constitution. This stance is in line with my personal beliefs and is consistent with my conservative stance on the issue. Second, his support for an Marriage Protection Amendment is consistent with both my political views and more importantly, with my religious convictions that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Period. In the area of foreign policy, Mr. Hunter believes, as I do, that Israel is more than just a strategic partner in the Middle East. He believes that Israel is our most important ally in the region. Also, I support Mr. Hunter's decision to sponsor legislation seeking a pardon for Agents Compean and Ramos, formerly of the U.S. Border Patrol. These men are American heroes and deserve accolades, not imprisonment.

2.) Fred Thompson - I admited to thinking about a Thompson candidacy while proclaiming support for one of the big three candidates. Fred Thompson is a veteran of legislative wars on Capitol Hill and in the trenches as Minority Counsel for the House Watergate Committee. Senator Thompson is pretty reliable when it comes to support for conservative causes. He has stated he is pro-life, is pro-gun and pro-business. I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Thompson on two occasions while living in Nashville. In both instances, his personal charm and native conservatism shown through. Mr. Thompson has proven to be an effective advocate for smaller government through his tenure as Senate Governmental Affairs Chairman. Senator Thompson has made a lot of friends in Virginia, as he has throughout the United States. I will be continuing my research into positions, votes and speeches he has given.

3.) Newt Gingrich - I will take some flak from fellow evangelicals for including Speaker Gingrich in my Final Four since his revelation about an extramarital affair during the Lewinski saga during the Clinton administration. However, Mr. Gingrich was one of the architects of the Contract with America. This united effort was reminiscent of an emboldened Lady Thatcher in Great Britain taking on the unions in the United Kingdom in the late 70's. The Contract outlined a bold initiative to reign in government spending, control taxes to encourage private capital to invest in American business and to provide tax relief for working Americans. Oh, that the GOP would have stuck to its guns with regard to the Contract. We stood for something back then. We need to stand for those same principles again. We proved they were a winning combination. Mr. Gingrich is included in my Final Four, because he is the closest thing to a conservative intellectual the GOP has. However, I was a bit disappointed with his performance in the so called debate with John Kerry.

4.) John Cox - So, you're saying, who the heck is John Cox? Truthfully, until about a month ago, I didn't know who he was. He is a business leader in Illinois and a former Cook County GOP Chairman. He is an extreme darkhorse, and is almost prohibitively strapped for cash in a campaign that will cost an extraordinary amount of cash. However, in matters principle, cash never trumps character. However, John Cox's website lists several specific issues that are noteworthy to me. First, he calls for the abolishment of the IRS and the income tax and to replace it with a National Sales Tax. This argument takes Steve Forbes pet issue of a "Flat Tax" and makes sense of it. Second, he is pro-life without exception and calls for legislation defining personhood to include unborn children and that recognizes that life begins at conception. Third, he calls for the immediate repeal of No Child Left Behind. Mr. Cox properly recognizes that education is a matter best suited for state and local officials and states that the government school monopoly is the problem, not the solution. He advocates the voucher system for parents to give them greater choice in the childrens education. Last, but certainly not least, Mr. Cox calls for the repeal of the hideous McCain-Feingold free speech restriction, noting that immediate disclosure is the solution.

I have also promised to give you reasons why Mitt Romney is no longer deserving of my support. First, when he states that he is a lifetime hunter and supporter of gun owners, and then backtracks to say he hunted rabbits as a child. I have no problem with a recent convert to hunting or even to gun rights, but be honest and upfront about it. Don't 'frame' yourself to be something you're not. Second, I'm just not convinced that he is firmly within the pro-life camp. I know the lead counsel for the NRLC has endorsed him, but I have doubts when the caveats are thrown out there. Example, pro-life EXCEPT in the cases of rape, incest, yada, yada, yada. A child born from rape or incest has the same right to life as a child who is born into a loving, nuclear family. The third issue is purely personal. In order to be elected Governor as a Republican in a deep blue state such as Massachusetts, one surely must have some appeal to the hard left of the Democrat party. I just question where Mr. Romney was when the battle for the heart and soul of the GOP was being waged.

There you have them, my friends. My Final Four. I have labored in putting together some reports for my personal perusal and have compiled this list that represents (in my view) the best hope conservatives have in the upcoming primary season. I realize that Jim Gilmore is in the race and have considered him equally along with the other candidates (I even reconsidered supporting Mr. Romney.)

Pro-Gun Candidates

For those readers who are pro-gun, and are still undecided (as I am) as to which candidate to support for the GOP nomination, here's a helpful resource. The Gun Owners of America has a page to check out the positions of the various candidates, both GOP and Democrat. I personally believe that the GOA is the most reliable and consistent gun lobby in the nation.

Check it out, see what the GOA has to say on your candidate on 2nd Amendment issues.

Double Standards?

It's politically correct to bulldoze Don Imus for his remarks. It is politically correct for all the liberal special interest groups to "band together" to fight this "dragon". The Mason Conservative has an excellent post up with a counterpoint to all this chest beating by the liberals.

The Duke men's lacrosse team deserves an official apology from the state of North Carolina, the Attorney General's office, AND the mainstream media for indicting, trying and convicting these young men without having ever stepping into a court room. Where is the outrage? Where are the leading 'social justice activists'? Where is the justice for these young men?

I will be honest, I've never watched a minute of Don Imus, and could really care less about his show. I have listened to the remarks he made. Were his remarks insensitive? Yes. Were his remarks crude? Yes. Were his remarks racist? Probably, although just about anything can be warped into a racist comment these days. Should the man be fired? No. Lest we forget, the man was a radio talk host before obtaining the simulcast on MSNBC. Suspend him, reprimand him and then let the man go back to work. (If that's what you want to call what he does.) For the sake of clarity, I do NOT condone what Imus said, and find his remarks in poor taste.

To be sure, the Rutgers women's baseketball team should be very proud of its accomplishment of getting to the Final Four and the outstanding season it had.

05 April 2007

Coach Robinson Dead at 88

A true coaching legend and man of football passed away yesterday. Eddie Robinson is dead at 88. Many remember his love for football, but his players have all spoken about the love he had for his players. Condolences to the Robinson family. I'd like to share on quote from this article:

The real record I have set for over 50 years is the fact that I have had one job and one wife," Robinson said. We couldn't have said it better Coach!!

Washington County Politics

Friends,

If you've driven through any part of Washington County, Virginia in the past few weeks I'm sure you've seen the yard signs popping up. Yes, it's that time again. LOCAL ELECTIONS!!! As I've mentioned before, I love local elections. The candidates have to have good shoe leather and a strong hand shake. I'll be posting more on these elections in the weeks to come.

However, I have decided to make my first endorsement in this campaign. The race for Circuit Court Clerk is shaping up to be the most competitive in years in Washington County. As it stands right now, it is a three way race between Tricia Phipps, who is seeking the Republican nomination, Mark Graham, local Democrat big wheel, and Lisa Andis, an independent. I've decided to support Tricia Phipps. This was more of a difficult decision because I happen to like Mr. Graham, and think he is a talented attorney.

I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Phipps yesterday evening as she was campaigning door-to-door in my neighborhood. She has been working in the Clerk's office for 17 years and is the current Chief Deputy Clerk. She has participated in the mandated training that was implemented by the current Clerk Kathy Crane. Her vital, hands on experience makes her the best candidate in the field. If you live in Washington County, please check out her website at:
http://www.phipps4clerk.com and see for yourself.