2008.10.12
Discuss Sunday's local commentary
The scoop on Palin
Richardson, of Juneau, Alaska, is a 1981 Virginia Tech graduate and former reporter for WDBJ TV.
When I was a TV reporter in Roanoke, my news director told me that if a story didn't make the 6 o'clock news it never happened. While my days as a reporter are long over, I still feel compelled to give you the Alaska scoop on Sarah Palin before you go to the polls.
Goode politics at its worst
David B. Campbell
Campbell is a journalism teacher in Franklin County.
Rep. Virgil Goode has sunk to a new low.
Goode is running a grainy television ad showing a darkened face of opponent Tom Perriello with full beard.
What is the intent? To portray Perriello as an African-American? A Muslim? Or worse, a black Muslim -- the most egregious of all ethnic backgrounds (insert tone of sarcasm). Regardless, the ad smacks of racism.
Read Sunday's letters here.
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The claim that Goode is trying to show Periello as an Arab is a hoot. The RT had this laughable accusation a few weeks ago. Question: Since when is it a newsflash that campaign ads show opponents in as a darkened grainy image with ominous music, then switch to a sunny smiling picture of their candidate with pleasant music and birds chirping?
It's not Goode's fault that Periello decided not to extend his five-o'clock shadow for a few extra weeks, or that he's not exactly a blond Scandinavian.
This accusation is as goofy as Elizabeth Strother's piece ridiculing Goode for riding in a Hummer at a campaign event. Never mentioned, of course, was that the Hummer was towing a platform carrying at least tem people. (Try doing that with a Yugo.)
Comment by Josh — October 12, 2008 @ 9:39 am
Oh, lookie. Turns out Claire Richardson was the spokesman for former Democrat Alaska governor Tony Knowles, the guy Sarah Palin skunked in the 2006 gubernatorial election. No wonder she talks about the "disgruntled" Alaska officials Sarah left in her wake. LOL.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/082908/loc_324999784.shtml
And we thought she was just a local girl moved to Juneau, nice enough to provide us yokels with her first-hand "Alaska scoop" on everything wrong with Sarah.
What? You mean Ms. Richardson turned out to be a Democrat operative? A hack for Obama? Nothing like full-disclosure, is there?
Comment by Josh — October 12, 2008 @ 10:32 am
Josh - If you think Goode's characterization of Periello was a "hoot", I bet you would love to hear the race-baiting speech that Viral Goode always delivers at the Greene County (Va) Republican barbeque -- it was held just last weekend, were you there ... in Dyke???
And what the heck happened to goode ol' boy (lackey) Bobby May who was sacked by the McCain campaign for writing racist comments that were published in "The Voice". Oh, I know, McCain is too sensitive -- it was a JOKE, he was just being funny, he didn't really mean it (did he?), he's just ... another knot-head paid political operative working to ensure McCain LOSES Virginia.
Comment by doug — October 12, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
Doug,
Actually, I said I thought the Left's characterization of Goode's ad was a hoot. People who try to make it racist are inventing stuff out of thin air.
Comment by Josh — October 12, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
Solutions to the problems we face today require leaders who can lead, motivate and inspire us…leaders who are intelligent and who don’t see the increasingly complex world in simple black and white terms. Perriello’s extensive record of public service accomplishments and commitment to the common good, his collaborative leadership style and ability to work with people with vastly different views, his foreign service credentials and his drive to actually get things done define a new breed of political service that we need desperately. Virgil is the face of the old politics in this area; Tom is the face of the new…a face Virgil is desperatly trying to convince voters is way too scary.
Virgil’s decision to back out of the debate reflects the fact that when people see Tom and Virgil side-by-side, there is very little question that Tom is the better choice to represent us in Congress.
Comment by cue2006 — October 12, 2008 @ 3:41 pm
Cue,
Periello, incredibly, is trying to say Goode is one of those responsible for mortgage mess, then implies Goode was for the bailout. This is an utter lie. The people of the 5th district love Goode, because they know what he is about.
Comment by Josh — October 12, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
Gramm-Bliley-Leach was a major piece of legislation that de-regulated the the financial industry and allowed for consolidation. It is not an unreasonable argument to make that this provided the framework within which the excesses that led to the current meltdown (CDO's, Credit Default Swaps, and other exotic instruments) became popular. Virgil Goode voted for this legislation and therefore bears responsibility for the consequences. I concede that Dems voted for GBLA as well and I hold them equally culpable.
Now, please don't come back to me with the usual conservative reponse citing the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act as the culprit unless you can exlain why that act functioned quite nicely from 1977 until about 2003 or so when the current crisis started to become visible.
Goode voted against the rescue/bailout package both times. Please cite your reference showing Perriello has claimed otherwise.
Comment by cue2006 — October 12, 2008 @ 10:28 pm
Cue,
"Now, please don’t come back to me with the usual conservative reponse citing the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act as the culprit unless you can exlain why that act functioned quite nicely from 1977 until about 2003 or so when the current crisis started to become visible."
That's easy. The Clinton administration changed the rules in the CRA to force banks to make loans to unqualified people.
http://www.homesalesnetwork.com/article/details/213/clinton-administration-changes-of-1995.html
As for Periello's despicable ad, I said he implied Goode helped cause the crisis, and he lumped Goode with Bush, and said Bush have $700 billion in taxpayer money to the "people on Wall Street". He also said Goode was in the pockets of the banking industry by accepting donations. So though Periello never said Goode voted against the bailout, he sure left the impression that was the case.
Comment by Josh — October 14, 2008 @ 10:22 pm