Is this for real?

32% off the price of a space shuttle. They are only $28,800,000 each and may include free shipping!

Surging, Shown Graphically

Or cratering, depending on your point of view . . .



Is this predictive of 2010? Time will tell!

Barack Obama Becomes Catholic?

I was perusing headlines on Drudge Report when I saw this item:

OBAMA GOES TO MASS.

So, it's Sunday, and President Obama is going to MASS? Then it dawned on me that the headline was referring to MASSACHUSETTS.

Has this kind of thing ever happened to you?

What Bill Clinton Wanted to Say in Massachusetts

Former President Bill Clinton took time off from helping the people of Haiti by appearing at a rally for Democratic Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidate Martha Coakley. Sure he gave a stump speech, but we think that if he were candid, he would describe Coakley in much the same way he allegedly described Barack Obama. So just imagine Clinton saying this:

"A few years ago, Martha Coakley would have been getting me a cigar!"

Don't let your imaginations run too wild!

For the First Time in 41 Years . . .

. . . I will be living for an extended period of time under a Republican Governor!

In case you don't get the joke, I grew up in Maryland, and moved to Virginia just in time for Mark Warner to be sworn in. Sometimes I thought that I was cursed! With any luck, the curse has been broken.

So yeah, the last Republican Governor under whom I lived (at least as a State resident, even though not one of voting age) was Spiro Agnew. Ugh!

Marsden Money Merry-Go-Round

Recycling Sham

Hat Tip: Riley

According to the Washington Post, Delegate David Marsden is renting a room in the home of some political supporters, the Sewards. The rent is $600 per month. But what are the Sewards doing with their newly found windfall? Just look it up on VPAP. Apparently, Ronald Seward of Burke gave $200 to Marsden’s Senate campaign in December, while his wife Paula gave $100 the same day (December 10, 2009). In addition, Ronald Seward gave Marsden’s Delegate campaign $475 in 2009 in addition to the above.

So for the State Senate campaign alone, half of one month’s rent has been given back to Marsden’s campaign. Quid pro quo? I wonder who is writing the rent checks.

What David Marsden Says in Front of Friendly Audiences

Scenes from a Debate

This past fall, my congregation hosted a debate between David Marsden and Kerry Bolognese for the 41^st House of Delegates seat. The congregation I attend is much more liberal than conservative, politically speaking, though people of all political stripes are always given a gracious welcome. Little did Mr. Marsden know that this blogger was present.

During the debate, the candidates were asked several questions submitted by congregation members. I am not going to recount every question and answer here. However, given Delegate Marsden’s claim to being “moderate,” I think that the highlights of his responses in a recent forum should be shared with the public.

David Marsden attacked the idea of a tax cut. He said that programs such as schools and roads that compete for funding would get hurt. He wants to give better funding to community colleges when the economy recovers. Unlike Kerry Bolognese, Marsden made no commitment to monitoring how money is actually spent.

Marsden insists that as a low tax State, Virginia does not have the money to get work done. The fact that Northern Virginia gets back only 30% of its highway dollars did not seem to bother him. Rather, he said that the 17-cent per gallon gas tax does not buy what it used to (despite the fact that Northern Virginia has a lot more people paying this tax).

As far as public-private partnerships are concerned, David Marsden thinks that the “public” part is just not there. Apparently, Northern Virginia does not have a lot of “shovel-ready” projects. Apparently, extending Metro to Fort Belvoir is a good idea in Marsden’s mind. (Ah, but aren’t we lacking in money?)

Marsden was most interesting when asked about waste that can be eliminated. When Kerry Bolognese recounted the Wilder Commission as well as specific items (and given the short time given for responses, no one can give a complete list), Marsden’s attitude was that it was like finding “$2.98 from couch cushions.” (his words) He thinks that we have reached a limit as far as cost savings are concerned while spending “needs” have been raised.

When asked about what pet project he would want to fund for the 41^st District, Marsden responded that he had introduced three bills to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. These bills could create jobs for watermen. Marsden did not mention how many Chesapeake Bay watermen lived in Burke and Springfield.

On card check issues, when Bolognese noted what a disaster it would be, Marsden insisted that card check was compatible with small businesses. Of course, he gave the usual union line about how we owe having weekends to unions. He claims that he would only apply card check to large employers, though he did not give a specific figure.

When asked about fighting crime and gangs, David Marsden did support prosecution. He also mentioned having gang prevention activities and outlawing pneumatic weapons. Kerry Bolognese pointed out that Marsden opposed HB 1626, which would allow homeowners to protect themselves. Also, on crime issues, Marsden supports closing “loopholes” at gun shows and supports legislation to mandate background checks.

Finally, Marsden was amusing on other energy and environmental issues. He supports environmental initiatives that are “fiscally sound’ (of course), but then he said he supported setting up windmills in an old Ford plant. Marsden came out opposing drilling off the coast of Virginia, giving the excuse that it would interfere with Navy bombing exercises. He must be glad that his opponent in the State Senate race knows a thing or two about the Navy!

In summary, while Marsden has done a lot of admirable work in the juvenile justice field, has a long record of public service, and isn’t as radically pro-abortion as some of his Democratic colleagues, he is still very much out of touch with voters of the 37^th District and rather uncurious about government accountability. You would think someone with the long public service record he claims would understand where to look for cost savings, but perhaps David Marsden has grown comfortable in the fact that government runs on someone else’s money. Perhaps, in front of an audience he perceives as more liberal, he could be more candid about the kind of person he is. Voters of the 37^th District will be well-served by electing Steve Hunt as the next State Senator to get quality representation in Richmond.