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Politics, open government, and safe streets. And the constant incursion of cycling.

Month: September 2008 Page 10 of 11

8th Congressional District Race: The ACF Candidate Forum

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On September 3, 2008

In Politics, Virginia

For the vanishingly small number of people who wanted to go to the Arlington Civic Federation candidate forum but couldn’t make it*, I’m making my recording of the Congressional candidates available.  Here it is as a podcast (AAC format, with chapter markers showing speakers, questions, candidate urls, etc).  And here it is, as a straight MP3.

Roughly, you can find the introductions of Ron Fisher (Independent Green Candidate), Mark Ellmore (Republican Candidate), and Jim Moran (Incumbent Democrat), at 3:40, and 6:52, and 10:01 respectively.  There were really no fireworks, but I know at least a few of you will be interested to hear Ellmore (at 9:32) tell us that he is in favor of pulling US troops out of Iraq immediately (c.f., uh, everything he said about the subject in the primary).  Closing statements, from Fisher, Moran, and Ellmore, can be found at 38:04, 40:12, and 42:16, respectively.

I also recorded the County Board candidates, and may post that later.  I also started to record the School Board race, but I managed to throw my recorder on the ground about half way through.  Since this election is a mere formality for both of those candidates (boooo), I’ll not bother (except to say that if I ever need a spokesman, I’ll try to hire Libby Garvey.  She’s good.)

*I wonder if that’s a larger group of people than those who didn’t want to go, but made it anyway?

Update: And for sitting there for (at least) two hours taking notes, this is the best coverage that the Arlington Sun Gazette can come up with.  Seriously, it would be more helpful to just send that paper straight to a recycling station.

Update II: Oh, wait, here’s more “reporting” from the Sun Gazette.

Hold Obama/Biden To This Promise: We Will Prosecute Criminals

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On September 3, 2008

In Law, Politics

ABC News notes:

Looking to the future but with one eye on the past, Biden also promised that an Obama-Biden government would go through Bush administration data with “a fine-toothed comb” and pursue criminal charges if necessary.

“If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation,” he said, “they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution – out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no one, no attorney general, no president, no one is above the law.”

This is, perhaps, one of the most important things that an Obama/Biden administration could do for the American people, in the long term.

Sarah Palin: Milking The Government Edition

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On September 3, 2008

In Politics

Just another Palin scandal in the the “more of the same” vein:

Palin fired the whole state Agriculture and Conservation board in July 2007, ostensibly to save a mismanaged state-owned dairy, and replaced it with her usual gang of cronies.

As a result, the dairy lost more money than it had in twenty years.

The dairy, an Alaska icon, closed anyway in two months, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional state money with it.

Millions of dollars in dairy equipment ended up, at a steep discount, in the hands of a local Palin ally, who now runs a remarkably similar operation with the help of a Ted Stevens earmark.

A very well written exploration of the facts can be found here.

Log Cabin Republicans Give Up On Equality, Endorse McCain

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On September 2, 2008

In Politics

It’s gonna take a lot of Ambien for these folks to sleep well at night.

John McCain’s No Hard Questions Policy

By

On September 2, 2008

In Politics

CNN reporting that McCain’s campaign upset that CNN’s Campbell Brown went “too far” in her interview with McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, so now McCain will not be giving an interview to CNN’s Larry King.  And this is what “too far” looks like, I guess.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYiw_y2qDI[/youtube]

Hilarious.  John McCain – Ready to Run Away on Day One.

Palin: I Was For Treason Before I Was Against It

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On September 1, 2008

In Policy, Politics

This is just hilarious.  Apparently, before Palin snagged the mayorality of the metropolis of Wasilla, she was a paid-up member of the Alaska Independence Party.  The primary aim of the Alaska Independence Party is, it seems, secession from the United States and nationhood status for Alaska.  Now, as someone who – as a general rule – believes that if people want to run off and form their own country they ought to be allowed to, I can’t say that I’m personally troubled by this.  But in light of the hypernationalistic bent of the GOP these days, don’t you think it should be an issue?  Or is patriotism just one more principle they’ll jettison in pursuit of victory?

Update: Apparently Palin was *not* a paid up member of the AIP.  That was her husband, see.  But she was still “sharing [their] vision” in 2008.   Ah well.  That’ll teach me to rely on the word of a winger party official.

McCain/Palin Negotiations: On Tape!

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On September 1, 2008

In Politics

Blueweeds has the exclusive.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling: Defending VA’s Reputation for Ass Backwardness

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On September 1, 2008

In Cycling, Policy, Tech, Travel

It seems that Virginia’s Lt. Governor Bill Bolling had placed an order for 150 copies of a vistor’s guide to the Twin Cities for Virginia delegates, but canceled order after finding out that the vistitor’s guide contained a section that highlighted gay and lesbian destinations.

That’s right, the place that produced many fine presidents and giants such as Thomas Jefferson is now subject to the rule of imbeciles and moral midgets that go “eww, gays, icky!”.

Credit to NLS (of which I feel the need to point out that I am not a fan).

Code City: Getting Public Law Out From Behind Private Walls

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On September 1, 2008

In Distribution, Law, Policy

One day I hope to pen a piece that adequately sings the praises of Carl Malamud’s tireless work to make public work available to, you know, the public.  Today he announced the release of Code City, through which the public can now access -  without having to pay the publisher – many of the building safety codes that are incorporated into the laws of most states, counties, and municipalities (see, e.g., the fire code that is part of Virginia law).   Most anyone who has ever tried to access the building code for a project knows what an accomplishment this is.  For those that don’t know, I highly recommend this brilliant little illustrated explanation (just start with the top left photo and keep clicking through to the next photo).

No, Really, the Palin Kid is Pregnant

By

On September 1, 2008

In Politics, Society

This time for real.

Just . . .

sigh.  Good luck to the kid.

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