State & Local Politics

“… you know … I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky #$@& goin' down in the city.”*

From Friday's news, here's the latest on South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R):

*Apologies to Paul Pena and to the Steve Miller Band.

Historian Frank Owsley said that the two most representative figures in the Colonial period were Hamilton and Jefferson. But I can’t think of anyone today who represents America better than New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy. The New England team logical and decision-based, the Indianapolis team a heart-driven, consistent and persistent model of “quiet strength.” Heart won over head late last Sunday night in a game that is still talked about up here, which may have turned the tide for the season. Or longer.

Speaking of self-esteem issues, only an overweight career buffoon who proudly and conspicuously talks like a duck to display his endemic contempt for the world west of Boston would say that some of the people at the rally “appeared to have been the losers in the 'Are you smarter than Michele Bachmann?’ contest.”

Thinking we are really smart is part of the curse of being a non-Yankee in New England. Time has long passed us by, even the real Yankees. But also for us immigrants and outlanders who likewise wear the regimental tie although we bought it at Quincy Market. We have not been important since 1865. New York, the Empire State, conquered us when it conquered the South.

One key fact explains the present that has come to us in Tuesday’s election: A deeply conservative Republican explaining himself without apology has won the Old Dominion by 18 percent. Virginia is bright red. It will be this way in Texas, too, where the conservative, Rick Perry, is ahead of the moderate, Kay Bailey Hutchison, by 12 percent.

In the fall and winter of 1998, I had the brief chance to work for Haley Barbour at his firm, Barbour, Griffith and Rogers (before Speaker-elect Denny Hastert asked me to return to Capitol Hill and serve as his spokesman).

Haley was the hardest-working, smartest, most capable person I have ever worked with.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) filled up a large room with gay activists at New York’s LGBT Community Center yesterday for a 45-minute town hall meeting that touched on many issues important to the community. Questions ranged from gay persecution in Iraq to repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Although she has been a vocal supporter of LGBT rights since her January appointment, this was the first time she faced an entirely gay audience for open questions. She did quite well.

In highly contested elections, candidates are rarely asked questions that pertain to their personal lives, as their political agendas command all the attention. It is in this regard that Kathy Kemper stands apart. Kemper not only gets answers to the most pertinent of issues, but also explores the candidate's tastes and preferences. This is Part II of a series.
 
Q. Horrible traffic conditions have plagued Northern Virginia for many years now. Several different steps have been taken to fix this problem, with no real advances. As governor, what innovative new approaches will you take to repair one of Virginia's biggest weaknesses?
 
Sen. Creigh Deeds (D): We all largely agree about what we need to do to fix our transportation infrastructure. Where my opponent and I disagree is on the best approach to actually get it done.

In highly contested elections, candidates are rarely asked questions that pertain to their personal lives, as their political agendas command all attention. It is in this regard that Kathy Kemper stands apart. Kemper not only gets answers to the most pertinent of issues, but also explores the candidates’ tastes and preferences. This is Part 1 of a series.

Q: UVA is ranked as one of the best public universities in the United States, and the world. This is in part due to the high tuition paid by out-of-state students. Recently, however, Virginia has been trying to pass new legislation that would severely limit the amount of accepted out-of-state applicants. What would you do as governor to ensure that a sufficient amount of Virginians still attend the university, without compromising the necessary funding?

Upon further review, it seems that Chicago never really had a chance when it came to grabbing the Olympics in 2016. All of Michelle Obama’s tears, all of President Obama’s words, all of Mayor Daley’s earnestness, none of that really mattered.

And it seems that just about everybody knew the fix was in except for us.

Anyone who has had the experience, as I had, of wandering in the vicinity during the Tet Offensive would have by now fully gotten that Yogi Berra feeling of déjà vu all over again. The generals, the men in suits, so fully self-assured and autonomous; the top political leadership, oh-so-coy and reassuring. But they have no clue as to where they are going and how they will get there. There is one difference between this and Vietnam. Jim Webb, the Democratic Virginia senator who served heroically in Vietnam, said recently that he saw positive exit possibilities in Vietnam. He sees none in Afghanistan.