Clem's Politics

• Peru-Chile espionage dispute

  Just as the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit was about to convene two weeks ago, Peruvian President Alan Garcia left Singapore and returned to Lima because a Peruvian air force officer was arrested on charges of spying for Chile. See CNN.com. Chile's foreign ministry quickly denied the charges of espionage, [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2009, 8:10pm EST
  

• GOP split in Virginia Beach

  You would think that with the Republican Party currently engaged in a momentous historical struggle to resist a government takeover of our health care system, and thereby uphold liberty, there would be a consensus on what kind of candidate to nominate, especially in a (normally) red state like Virginia. But [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 4:08pm EST
  

• Senate votes on health care

  Just like the House of Representatives did two weeks ago, the U.S. Senate is going to vote on the health care bill on a Saturday night when most Americans are out at the movies or something. Majority Leader Harry Reid thinks he has enough votes in the Senate to pass [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 8:19pm EST
  

• Honduran compromise in peril

  Last week, chances were growing that the prolonged stalemate in Honduras may be broken in the near future. There is a broad consensus that ousted President Manuel Zelaya should be allowed to return to power for the last several weeks of his term, which ends in January. The question is, [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 12:07am EST
  

• Veterans Day 2009

  As President Obama deliberates over whether to send additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan, and as soldiers and families at Fort Hood recover from the murder of 13 of their comrades, the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform, past and present, become clearer. Civilians can never know the full [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 12:07am EST
  

• Constitutional convention?

  As the Democrats proceed to "seize the moment" and ram through the first phase of health care nationalization, some of us are pondering what this bodes for the future of the U.S. Constitution. If they get away with this, what other radical transformations to our nation may be enacted by [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 11:17pm EST
  

• Health care bill fallout

  Now that the House has passed its version, what will become of the health care bill? Will the Stupak amendment, which forbids any money from being spent for abortion services, kill the whole deal? Today's Washington Post indicates that is a real possibility. On the other hand, it could have [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 4:00pm EST
  

• House passes Obamacare bill

  At about 11:05 P.M. cheers erupted from the floor of the House of Representatives when the 218th vote was cast in favor of H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act." After the last few votes were counted it was 220 in favor, including one Republican, and 215 against, [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 12:11am EST
  

• Republicans sweep Virginia races

  It's hard to imagine a more satisfying election result than what we saw last night. All three Republican statewide candidates won by near-landslide proportions, exceeding my conservatively optimistic forecasts by at least ten percentage points. It was the first time that the GOP had swept the three statewide races in [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 2:18pm EST
  

• Scozzafava drops out

  In yet another bizarre twist to the strange race in New York's 23rd Congressional District (see my post on Wednesday), Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava has withdrawn from the race. The Washington Post interpreted this as a victory for the the right wing of the GOP. Today, Scozzafava endorsed the Democratic [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 3:40pm EST
  

• Campaign 2009: home stretch!

  As Election Day 2009 fast approaches, Republicans are still in unusually high spirits. About 200 gathered for a big political rally at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave late this afternoon, and I was there. (It was only three days ago that I went to that very same [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 12:13am EST
  

• McDonnell widens his lead

  With a growing double-digit lead over Creigh Deeds in all the major polls (see Washington Post), I think it's safe to say that Bob McDonnell has this election locked up. But is it really safe to say (out loud) that he has this election locked up? Will all the rosy' [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 1:20am EDT
  

• World War II aircraft show

  Taking advantage of the improved weather conditions, I headed up to the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave today, to see an exhibit of aircraft from World War II. There were two bombers -- a B-17 Flying Fortress and a B-24 Liberator, the only one in the world that [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 12:53am EDT
  

• Health care vs. the Constitution

  My friend and colleague Matthew Poteat wrote a letter that was published in the News Leader today, asserting that the Democrats' proposed health care program would be constitutional. He made some good points, but I felt compelled to respond with a comment: While there are some precedents, such as the' [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 11:59pm EDT
  

• Health care polemics heat up

  As the Senate Finance Committee passed its version of Health care reform this week, lead responsibility for getting the legislation through Congress shifts from Sen. Max Baucus to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Will he somehow be able to craft a coherent, comprehensive package that lives up to everyone's diverse [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 12:22am EDT
  

• Republicans reunite in Verona

  Republicans from all around the Augusta County area gathered in a huge "Republican Reunion and Family Picnic" at the Augusta County Farmer's Market Pavilion in Verona this afternoon. The barbecue meal and catering services were provided courtesy of Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who served as master of ceremonies, introducing the various [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 10:49pm EDT
  

• Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

  This morning's news from Sweden left jaws dropping all across America, and perhaps across the world. The idea that a president who has made such a low priority of foreign policy would receive the Nobel Peace Prize so early in his term, before he had any significant accomplishments, is simply [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 1:27am EDT
  

• Bell and Curren debate on TV

  The two candidates for the Virginia 20th District House of Delegates seat debated last night on WHSV-TV3. (One of the questioners was Cindy Correll from the News Leader, which has a link to a video replay adjacent to that news story.) There were no big dramatic moments or gaffes, and [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 12:33am EDT
  

• Are conservatives "brain dead"?

  In the Outlook section of today's Washington Post, Steven Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute* scrutinizes the contemporary Conservative Movement: "Is Conservatism Brain Dead?" (The title made me think of the 2005 Terri Schiavo tragedy, and the misguided congressional intervention therein.) Money quote: During the glory days of the conservative [...]
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  Posted: October 04, 2009, 11:30pm EDT
  

• McDonnell widens his lead

  According to the latest Rasmussen poll (hat tip to Augusta Free Press), Bob McDonnell has regained a sizeable lead over Creigh Deeds in the Virginia Governor's race: It's now McDonnell 51%, Deeds 42%. That's about what the margin was before the flap over McDonnell's 1989 grad school paper laying out [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 12:39am EDT
  

• Zelaya returns to Honduras

  After nearly three months of a tense standoff, exiled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya returned to his home country yesterday, sneaking across the border and taking refuge in the Brazilian embassy. His return sparked triumphant demonstrations in Tegulcigalpa by his supporters, who chanted (in Spanish), "Yes, we could!" In response, Honduran [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 12:26am EDT
  

• McDonnell and Deeds debate

  From the sound of yesterday's debate in Tysons Corner, Creigh Deeds thinks he is better suited to be governor because of a paper Bob McDonnell wrote 20 years ago. (???) The two candidates really went at it during the hour-long verbal exchange, a sign that the race is heating up. [...]
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  Posted: September 19, 2009, 12:59am EDT
  

• Happy Constitution Day, America!

  Unbeknownst to the vast majority of Americans, and perhaps to many officials in the Obama administration (!), today was the 222nd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. On September 17, 1787, George Washington and 38 other delegates attending the convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution, which then went [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 12:02am EDT
  

• Sneak attack, eight years later

  Most Americans remembered today as the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, typically an occasion for mourning or perhaps expressing outrage at the mass murderers who perpetrated the acts of terrorism. What is often lacking in the memorial ceremonies, however, is the idea of taking some kind of action to [...]
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  Posted: September 12, 2009, 1:17am EDT
  

• Van Jones: isolated incident?

  After a firestorm of criticism from conservatives, Van Jones, President Obama's "green jobs czar," was forced to resign over the weekend. Jones issued two public apologies in recent days, but it was too little too late. In 2004 he had signed a petition charging that the Bush administration had deliberately' [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2009, 3:56pm EDT
  

• Health care fit for a dog

  Radio talk show host (!?) Garrison Keillor, renowned for for his droll wit on A Prairie Home Companion, unwittingly made a good point about health care, in a column that appeared in today's News Leader. It's not on their Web site, but you can read it at chicagotribune.com. Keillor notes [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 12:36am EDT
  

• McDonnell on "family values"

  I was really hoping that the 2009 governor's race in Virginia would maintain a dignified tone, focused on current pressing issues. Unfortunately, it appears that Creigh Deeds has taken a page from Jerry Kilgore's (failed) 2005 campaign and gone negative, harping on irrelevant red herrings. To me, it looks like [...]
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  Posted: September 04, 2009, 12:01am EDT
  

• Mr. Deeds comes to Staunton

  Creigh Deeds paid two visits to downtown Staunton over the past 24 hours. Last night, he held a rally at the Mill Street Grill (see the News Virginian), then he spent the night back home in Bath County, and this morning (Friday), he spoke to a small gathering at the [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 10:58pm EDT
  

• R.I.P. Edward M. Kennedy

  The passing of Teddy Kennedy from the world stage has been a long time coming, and almost everyone made up their mind on him many years ago. As a ferocious, zestful crusader who made helping poor and disadvantaged people his life's mission, he left a mark that will be remembered [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 1:14am EDT
  

• Hysteria over "death panels"

  Like many opponents of "Obamacare," I would not be at all surprised if, assuming the President's plan passes, budgetary constraints may some day put pressure on doctors to withhold treatment from terminally ill elderly patients. In a world of finite resources, it's inevitable. On July 30 I even alluded (albeit [...]
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  Posted: August 23, 2009, 11:33pm EDT
  

• R.I.P. Bob Novak

  The veteran journalist and commentator Robert Novak passed away yesterday after a year-long battle with cancer. He was one of my favorite columnists, and I cited him regularly in my blog over the years. Full coverage of his life and death can be found in the Chicago Sun-Times, where he [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 1:05am EDT
  

• McDonnell comes to Staunton

  I learned about Bob McDonnell's visit to Staunton just in time to be present for the campaign event this morning. McDonnell was joined by Congressman Bob Goodlatte, the new GOP candidate for the 20th District House seat Dickie Bell, and the man he hopes to replace, Delegate Chris Saxman, as [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 5:49pm EDT
  

• Zelaya steps inside Honduras

  Ousted President Manuel Zelaya is keeping up the pressure on the forces that removed him from power one month ago. Last Saturday he took a symbolic step inside Honduran territory. (Ironically, it nearly coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing: "That's one small step for man...") Zelaya [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2009, 12:06pm EDT
  

• More troops to Aghanistan

  The buildup of U.S. forces in Afghanistan has yielded mixed results so far, and there have been the usual (unavoidal) tragic accidents in which innocent civilians get caught in the crossfire. In Operation Khanjar is aimed at Taliban forces in in Helmand province, where they are allied with poppy-growing farmers. [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2009, 11:32am EDT
  

• Health care Armagdeddon

  Rallies in favor of and against President Obama's health care initiative are being held all across Virginia, and all across the nation. The President himself appeared in Bristol to pitch his plan for the many low-income folks who live in that Appalachian region. He didn't exactly get a hero's welcome,' [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2009, 11:00am EDT
  

• Dickie Bell gets GOP nomination

  Seven candidates appeared at the 20th House District Republican candidate forum at Buffalo Gap High School this evening. It was quite a spectacle, with close to 200 people in attendance to hear what each candidate had to say. (Over the weekend, Christopher DeWald announced he was withdrawing from consideration, and [...]
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  Posted: July 28, 2009, 12:00am EDT
  

• Obama changes his tune on cops

  All of us say things we later regret every once in a while, but this has become a recurring problem with President Obama. Last month he did a 180-degree flip-flop on the protests in Iran, and today he reversed himself on the question of whether or not the police in [...]
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  Posted: July 25, 2009, 1:17am EDT
  

• 20th District GOP: 8 is enough!

  In the past few days, even more prospective candidates have come forward seeking the Republican nomination for the 20th District House of Delegates seat being vacated by Chris Saxman. (See June 17.) This morning's News Leader listed eight of them, in fact: Dickie Bell David Karaffa Cliff Fretwell [...]
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  Posted: July 23, 2009, 4:50pm EDT
  

• Virginia is for closures?

  Yesterday marked the end of the line for 18 of the 42 rest areas along Interstate highways in Virginia. (One more, in Manassas, will close this fall.) The rest stops on both sides of I-81 near Mount Sidney in Augusta County are now closed, as is the southbound rest stop [...]
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  Posted: July 23, 2009, 1:10am EDT
  

• Blue Dogs reject Obamacare

  In Our Nation's Capital, the centrist-oriented Blue Dog Democrats have decided not to support the House version of President Obama's health care phased nationalization "reform" bill. Hooray for the Blue Dogs! This shows once again that the center of the political spectrum is where the action is these days. The [...]
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  Posted: July 21, 2009, 6:01pm EDT
  

• Walter Cronkite and "old news"

  All the broadcast tributes about the life and times of Walter Cronkite bring back long-forgotten memories for us baby boomers. For young people today who have grown up with the image-obsessed, celebrity-oriented 24/7 news cycle, anything that happened more than a couple hours ago is "old news." For those people, [...]
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  Posted: July 21, 2009, 1:48am EDT
  

• Saxman ends bid for reelection

  In terms of local politics, this morning's announcement by Del. Chris Saxman that he is withdrawing from the 20th House District race was as much of an "earthquake" as Gov. Sarah Palin's abrupt announcement was in Alaska two weeks ago. The Harrisonburg Daily News Record apparently got the scoop on [...]
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  Posted: July 17, 2009, 6:23pm EDT
  

• Obama's health care hard sell

  On Wednesday, the Senate Health Committee approved a bill that would make health care "universal." * Debate of the provisions was unusually sharp for the Senate, and the 13-10 vote was strictly on party lines. Usually the Senate is more cautious and conservative, but in this case, it is the [...]
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  Posted: July 17, 2009, 1:33am EDT
  

• Can Steele bring blacks to GOP?

  There are any number of reasons to admire Republican National Chairman Michael Steele: He overcame social adversity and skeptical attitudes as he climbed the political ladder and was elected the first African-American lieutenant governor in Maryland's history. He is a forceful, articulate advocate of mainstream conservative principles, exuding sincerity and [...]
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  Posted: July 16, 2009, 12:25am EDT
  

• Zelaya warns of insurrection

  Failing to get anywhere through diplomatic channels thus far, the ousted president of Honduras, Manuel "Mel" Zelaya, declared that his supporters have the right to launch an insurrection to return him to power, and hinted that it could start this weekend. I'm sure there are a lot of "community organizers"' [...]
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  Posted: July 15, 2009, 11:25pm EDT
  

• R.I.P. Bob McNamara

  Robert McNamara, who served as Secretary of Defense under two presidents (1961-1968), and later as president of the World Bank (1968-1981), has passed away at the age of 93. As one of the Kennedy administration's "best and brightest" (in the words of David Halberstam), it was McNamara's cruel fate to [...]
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  Posted: July 10, 2009, 2:20pm EDT
  

• The Palin factor in Virginia

  I was surprised by all the news coverage and editorials in the News Leader about what the ramifications of Sarah Palin's resignation as Alaska governor might be for Virginia politics. If she did indeed quit her job in order to become a full-time campaigner for Republican candidates, that would certainly [...]
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  Posted: July 10, 2009, 1:21pm EDT
  

• Conservative defeat in Mexico

  The National Action Party of President Felipe Calderon suffered a large loss of seats in the Mexican national congress as the result of the midterm elections held on Sunday. Obviously, the economic recession played a large role in the conservative losses, but other factors such as the swine flu outbreak [...]
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  Posted: July 10, 2009, 1:02am EDT
  

• Earthquake in Alaska: Palin quits

  Just when you think the Sarah Palin saga couldn't get any stranger, she shocks us again. The Alaska governor's "stealthy" Friday-before-holiday-weekend announcement that she would be leaving office later this month was obviously calculated to minimize the inevitable notoriety that such a move would cause. For the time being, there' [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2009, 11:36pm EDT
  

• OAS gives Honduras the boot

  The Organization of American States voted to "suspend" Honduras after the de facto leaders (interim president Roberto Micheletti, top judges, and others) refused to comply with foreign demands by reinstating Jose Manuel Zelaya to the presidency. See CNN.com. How ironic, only one month after admitting the ruthless dictatorship of Cuba. [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2009, 8:47pm EDT