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Years
ago, the Blue Dog made light of friends and family
members who sent out their year-end reflections.
Most were pompous, self-indulgent reviews of
domestic exploits and self-serving affirmations of
the 1950s-era nuclear family.
Frankly,
I've never understood the need for such letters.
Maybe I’m just jaded because I know they are only
window dressing for the dysfunctional truth. Nobody
ever begins these family letters, "Something
bad happen to someone you’re related to this
year..." Notwithstanding my reservations, this
year I am distributing an account of the Blue Dog
happenings in the year 2005...
Dubya's
tsunami
Another year has flown by, and
it's time to reflect and genuflect when celebrating
our political diversity in the Commonwealth and the
Clintonesque Global Village. What a year
for natural political disasters!
Beginning with the tsunami death-toll count in the
Indian Ocean basin, where the world's socialist
community blamed President Bush and the U.S.
government for inadequate relief efforts and
monetary assistance for the masses.
Which was followed by Hurricane Katrina in the
Southeast, where the New Orleans mayor blamed
President Bush and the U.S. government for
inadequate relief efforts and monetary assistance
for the masses.
And of course, who could
forget the daily barrage from the liberal media and
Democrats blaming President Bush and the U.S.
government for inadequate
weapons-of-mass-destruction information and a
so-called botched war effort against terrorism in
Iraq.
After 2004 presidential election
victory, Bush has been a marked man in 2005.
After all, Bush once said, "I'm the master of
low expectations."
Err ... how low
can you go, err, in the polls?
Local
yokels
In January, the
Harrisonburg-based Valley Family Forum and local
gays and lesbians pontificated, exasperated and
shadow boxed the Gay-Straight Alliance High School
club issue with the public and media outlets and
later in the year with the 26th District House
candidates du jour.
During the
Gay-Straight Alliance controversy, Valley Forum
president Dean Welty told the Blue Dog,
"Against this background, it is time for us to
speak out, or we will default to those who would
force their immoral agenda on us - they then imply
that anyone who opposes it, and them, is an
unenlightened bigot."
Indeed, Dean!
The conservative Blue Dog commiserates with
you.
In the end, the Valley Forum
supported candidate Matt Lohr, who clubbed the
Democratic opponent, Lowell Fulk, like a baby seal
in the conservative Valley.
"The
Incredible Fulk" campaign is bound to become
local Democratic legend.
April's
illegal-immigration columns brought showers of
either pro or con letters to the editor along with
fan and hate mail to the Dog.
With the
Shenandoah Valley being overrun with illegal
immigrants, the Blue Dog's immigration series was
probably his most popular columns of the year.
In the spring, the rumor mill had Hollywood Democrat
Ben Affleck moving to Albemarle County and trading
his fragile movie career to run for the Virginia
U.S. Senate seat. There was a buzz in the People’s
Republic of Charlottesville.
While
Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger missed his LG petition
filing date with the State Board of Elections and
his fragile day with destiny at the state
polls. Choose your poison - Republican
or Democrat.
Only the party label
changes.
Will somebody call
9-WAAA-WAAAA!
Hot Dog!
Early
in the year, rumors floated around about a huge DNC
contribution windfall earmarked for Tim Kaine's
gubernatorial campaign, which was looking more and
more like the frontrunner in the race.
The Blue Dog not only interviewed, but also played
political naysayer and pundit with the Dem and Pub
lieutenant-governor candidates prior to the spring
primaries.
And who could forget Chap
Petersen, the wonder bread boy with a bow tie?
Apparently, a third of the Democratic voters –
bada bing!
The interviewed candidates
espoused their repetition, misinformation,
repetition, misinformation, repetition,
misinformation, repetition, misinformation and
repetition - until citizens surrendered to voter
apathy!
Yeaaaaahhhhhh!
Liberal Democrat Leslie Byrne and conservative
Republican Bill Bolling provided a few fireworks to
an otherwise dull and issueless election.
Faith-based Kaine, flash-in-the-pan Russ Potts,
negative-campaigner Jerry Kilgore and the
Jamaican-bobsledder candidate George Fitch were
equally toasted, like a StayPuff marshmallow over an
open fire, by the Blue Dog in his blog and
column. Even though Tim "The Choir
Boy" Kaine and his staff were cajoled into
several hostile verbal exchanges and swore not to
blog with the Dog, don't begrudge their victory and
send them the Dog's best wishes.
Interviews abound in 2005 with always quotable and
friendly neighbor Congressman Bob Goodlatte as well
as the local House of Delegates candidates, Lohr and
Fulk, and Del. Chris Saxman and Bruce Elder.
After having my arm twisted by
Bacon's Rebellion
editor Jim Bacon and Virginia pundit Will Vehrs
earlier in the year, the Blue Dog reluctantly joined
the Bacon's Rebellion blog and sincerely has come to
enjoy the blood sport of daily political
blogflogging with the political wannabes of
Virginia.
Blog addiction is becoming
more and more a fact of modern life.
Is
there a cure? Or at least a vaccination for the
blogging?
In July, the Blue Dog launched
his own blog, as I pledged not to cease ranting and
raving a conservative political agenda on the
Internet. Obi-Wan Blue Doggie promised
not to become choked blue - again.
It's
a fact: Political blogs played a significant role
impacting politics and public opinion. However, the
printed American media outlets still overshadow
Internet blogs as the best fake example of freedom
of expression of all times.
That's for
Blue Doggone sure.
In the Virginia
statewide campaign, Kilgore and Potts joined the
Blue Dog blog and interviewed with the Dog Pound - a
trendsetting first for the Commonwealth blogosphere!
For his statewide contributions to the blogosphere
and caustic exploits with campaign 2005, the Blue
Dog blog has been archived by the Library of
Virginia. During the summer months, the
Blue Dog tackled religion and politics without an
agenda and tackled Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and
Democratic Party of Virginia chair Dick Cranwell.
Nevertheless, I became the victim of personal
assaults and regretfully had to censor and restrict
comments along with not allowing anonymous blog
postings. Hey Big Tent FDR Democrats!
It's called political satire - get over
it!
Why am I still a Virginia Democrat? That's
a good question.
If I were a liberal
wiener, I'd have voted for Independent Russ Potts
before voting for the Democratic faith-based
candidate in the statewide election.
Virginia Democrats are becoming dumber and
dumber!
December's colder weather
brought snow and ice storms to our Valley and the
end to Gov. Mollycoddles reign of tax terror on the
Commonwealth along with a slim 300-vote victory for
the GOP's conservative guardian angel Bob McDonnell
over Bath County's finest attorney and statesman,
Creigh Deeds.
Don't slip on the
politically thin ice!
The best is yet to
come ...
As Chief O'Hara whispers to
Commissioner Gordon: "Gov. Mollycoddle is
running for U.S. president - begorrah!"
Run, you little mangy Blue Dog,
run!
--
January 3, 2006
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