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The
Blue Dog had his walking shoes ready for the
Buena Vista Labor Day parade march.
The
annual Labor Day parade was organized in the 1960s,
and the parade route extends from downtown Buena
Vista to Glen Maury Park along the Maury River.
I
must admit the thrill of a parade is no longer
there. But I love the sideshows.
Be
serious: Democratic Party gubernatorial
candidate Tim Kaine's volunteers arrived early and
stayed overnight at a makeshift camp before
plastering campaign signs all around Buena Vista.
The 12-tent youthful encampment had enough signs
leftover to start a bonfire - a bonfire of the
campaign vanities.
Sources
say that the Kaine volunteers were also instructed
not to talk with the media.
For
such a mild day, there was plenty of hot air at the
event provided by the Democratic entourage.
For
instance, Kaine had a hot-air balloon with his
campaign banner along with a bazillion campaign
signs on the parade route.
Bazillions
of bazillions of bazillions campaign signs. Another
example of obsessive over marketing by the Kaine
campaign - high-schoolish pranks are thoughts that
come to mind. While Jerry Kilgore used his sign
money for assisting the victims of Hurricane Katrina
in New Orleans.
So,
plenty of kudos to Jerry Kilgore for the New Orleans
disaster donation instead of posting campaign signs
on the Labor Day parade route in Buena Vista. Only
thing missing: Kilgore should have challenged Kaine
and independent Russ Potts to match the
campaign-funded donation. It's never too late.
Hint:
Bill Bolling, Leslie Byrne, Bob McDonnell and Creigh
Deeds need to step up to the plate as well. That's
called leadership. And I vote for leaders.
Unscientific
polling results: The Blue Dog discovered most
Kaine volunteers were not residents of the
Shenandoah Valley or the Commonwealth of
Virginia. O-H-I-O and N-E-W
E-N-G-L-A-N-D, for example.
Do
I smell Howard Dean's machine at work again?
Opposition research, busloads of Deaniacs, training
sessions, media advisors and George Soros-funded
organizations, campaign contributions from outside
the state and Dean's pledge of millions to Kaine...
Oh,
it's the Blue Dog's imagination - Yeaaaaahhhhhh!
Matter
of fact: A majority of Kilgore volunteers hailed
from Northern Virginia, not rural Virginia.
F-A-I-R-F-A-X,
for example.
Off-the-record:
Had a nice conversation with reporters Hugh Lessing
(Daily Press), Chelyen Davis (Free
Lance-Star) and Bob Lewis (Associated
Press) while standing on the parade route
concerning Kaine’s campaign and my then-upcoming
Kilgore blog session.
Oh,
and I might have mentioned the upcoming book, "Adventures
in Warnerland."
Apparently,
the Kaine campaign staff has stepped on more than
the Blue Dog’s front-page paw. Not favorable
reviews - including local newspaper hounds.
Lewis
had a huge laugh when I noted his written criticisms
of the Kaine campaign - but all three journalists
noted the negative aspects of the Kilgore and Kaine
campaign styles.
Lewis
also mentioned sitting in with Kilgore during the
blog session, but that never materialized, according
to Kilgore’s press secretary Tim Murtaugh.
Gubernatorial
staff members: Kilgore staff members Tucker
Martin and Tim Murtaugh need to send the Blue Dog
his secret decoder ring. …
I've
got a stack of Kaine's press release to read - come
on, guys!
By
the way, the upcoming Kilgore campaign commercials
are four stars.
Nice
seeing Kaine’s political advisor, Larry Roberts,
again.
Smile,
Larry, and stick a fork in it. It's done.
Ooh-la-la:
The Blue Dog received a big hug from Miss Virginia USA
2005, Jennifer Pitts - a former Sorensen Institute
classmate. It was great seeing you, again!
Miss
Virginia noted how trim and slim the Blue Dog is. At
48 years old, with graying hair, I'm savoring that
one.
Pitts
also autographed a photograph for the Blue Dog's
Wall of Shame - aka my Blue Dog office wall.
Oh,
yeah, I told my wife about the hug, err ... I meant
to say big hug.
Note
to environmentalists: The Kaine campaign posted
signs on an island in the middle of the Maury River.
Kaine volunteers told the Blue Dog they rented
canoes to move the three large billboard signs to
the island.
Thank
God nobody was hurt during the campaign stunt.
How
unsafe! How juvenile! How absolutely, bizarre, I
must say!
Sidebar
conversations: One with Gov. Mark Warner's spokesperson,
Ellen Qualls, was enlightening as well as frank and
honest.
Qualls
said, "Oh, Steve Sisson, the book guy."
"Adventures
in Warnerland," I replied.
(Cheap
Plug Alert: Order your copy today: www.authorstevensisson.com.)
Qualls
said, "You need to rethink Gov. Warner's
record."
OK,
I'm thinking.
Brooding.
Still
thinking.
Pondering.
Lost
in thought.
Time
for a reality check, and some juicy 15-second Warner
soundbites:
1.
Warner told reporters that he has "no interest
in moving Virginia toward a California-style
referendum government."
2.
Oh yeah, Warner told the reporters he's "a
fiscal conservative."
3.
When questioned about a homemade sign that read
Warner for President, Qualls quipped, "We're
into cheap campaigning."
She
told the Blue Dog, "That was a joke." The
Blue Dog thought, "Life is full of
absurdities."
Enough
thinking. Warner increased taxes despite an emergent
state revenue.
The
conversation with Kaine's press secretary, Delacey
Skinner, was both cordial and productive. The Blue
Dog and Kaine campaign may have brokered a truce.
The
Blue Dog made his goodwill gesture with the removal
of Skinner's photo from his blog. It was only
political satire, Ms. Deaniac Democrat … What's so
funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?
Apparently,
blog portraits and political portrayals.
How snarky was that?
--
September 19, 2005
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