Archive for the ‘politics’ Category

Started the evening in Townsend Mass. Where Bill Gunn was holding a town hall after his return from Washington

Standing out for Bill Gunn (r) Ma-01 in Townsend

His fans were already out in force holding signs large and small:

The big sign at the Corner

Some of the younger guys not only took signs but as the event started went back to parade them for motorists returning home via Route 119

All the cool kids are supporting the guy who rides a motercycle

And Bill took the time to meet with some of the voters before things got started:

I once cast a ballot this big

Bill gave me a few minutes telling me a bit about the Beck Rally (he attended), approving of any pro-business moves the administration makes (while stating bluntly they are trying to buy votes at the last minute), He told me his plans for September 11th (Event at Fitchburg State University) and broke some news telling me that John Olver has challenged him to three debates and he has accepted. (I was under the impression that 20 year incumbents generally don’t see the need to have multiple debates with new challengers. Better get Olver off the triage list STAT!)

From there my next stop was the Reading Tea Party where 4 other candidates for Congress spoke:

Keith Lepor ma-09

Keith Lepor never told me he was a combat reporter in Afghanistan who is only alive to challenge Stephen Lynch because his body armor stopped a short that hit him square in the heart:

The difference between a dead combat reporter and a live republican candidate

When I asked him why he never mentioned it during my interview with him last week he answered “You never asked.”

I met two candidates for the republican nomination to face John Tierney in the Mass 6th District first Rob McCarthy

Rob McCarthy (r) 6th district

And secondly Bill Hudak who I first met and Scott Brown’s victory party and who gets a lot of credit for announcing early way before the republican tide started to sweep the land:

Bill Hudak republican candidate ma-06

Either would be a better alternative that Tierney we also met Gerry Dembrowski one of two republicans seeking to retire Ed Markey in the 7th district:

Gerry Dembrowski (r) for ma-7

He emphasized that the current economic woes can be traced to longtime congressmen like Markey who let things get this far. We also had state rep candidate for the 9th Essex district airline pilot Ray Igou:

Ray Igou (r) 9th Essex District


I found him very impressive, we need more like him on the state level.

The Axis of Fedora strikes again!

Of course the big news of the night was the expansion of the axis of fedora.

I’ll get the video up later, big day ahead tomorrow.

Back in Aug of 2009 I ran this chart of Vietnam vets against the war on Google news in a story of how Vietnam vets against the war decided not to back up Cindy Sheehan’s protest against the Obama administration:

Funny how they dropped off the radar in Jan of 2009.

I was reminded of that story when I saw this:

Several factors — war fatigue; a deep, lingering recession; and the presence of a Democratic president they helped elect — have drained the energy from organizations that led the fight against the Iraq war. Some of the most influential anti-war activist groups that once summoned half a million people to march against the Iraq war and the policies of former President George W. Bush are straining to raise the money and attention to fight what they see as Obama’s military entrenchment in Afghanistan.
“We don’t have a very vibrant anti-war movement anymore,” lamented Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink, one of the anti-war movement’s most visible organizations. emphasis mine

Politico seems to be confused by this. If they had been paying attention a year ago they would not be so surprised. Have they given the anti war much attention in print themselves? Or perhaps they might remember this famous line:

If George W. Bush becomes president, the armies of the homeless, hundreds of thousands strong, will once again be used to illustrate the opposition’s arguments about welfare, the economy, and taxation.

George Bush is no longer president, those who oppose him politically who provided finances and manpower and media coverage in an attempt to bring him down will absolutely not do the same with Barack Obama.

BTW I figured I’d update my check of Vietnam Vets against the war on Google News since last year.

Vietnam vets against the war updated graph

A blip, we have a blip! Is it a press release, is it a march, is it a national event, no? What can that one blip be?

This is defiantly NOT the time to get out of politics. Some people feel threatened by the Tea Party movement. While I don’t subscribe too many of their viewpoints, I welcome them to the political fray. Their movement is probably the best thing to happen in politics since the Vietnam Vets against the War staged a million person demonstration in West Potomac Park in March of 1973.

One mention in a side article on the tea party in February. That’s it?

Don’t despair Cindy, Medina, it takes time to create true believers. Come November 2012 I’m sure many on the left who decided that American Military power is not something to protest will suddenly come around. Rest assured that you will have all the support and manpower George Soros and the Democratic party can buy.

Vincent is the man in charge of the Plymouth County GOP straw Poll and we get his perspective at the end of the event.

This was a very successful event, if we keep up the good work success will be a regular experience for the GOP in Mass.

David Plouffe author of The Audacity to Win when asked about the economic state under the Obama administration on Meet the Press today.

If you want to know why democrats are in the state they are in this election this is why.