Lloyd the Idiot

Posting at Too Conservative

2013-01-01T16:27:00.001-05:00

I'm now posting over at http://www.tooconservative.com/ though I'll cross-post here (below)

Return of Plastic Fetus Guy!

2012-01-23T22:35:00.002-05:00

It sure didn't take long.

Yes, at his very first opportunity, newly minted state senator Dick Black resumed his place as the General Assembly's chief social wingnut. Once again under the insulting guise of protecting the mother's health, Black has offered legislation clearly designed to further intimated and punish women seeking abortions. His latest bill, SB 279, would force a doctor at the time the abortion procedure was scheduled to perform an ultrasound "to more accurately determine gestation age and further protect the health of the mother" and, further, force the doctor to offer the mother to view the ultrasound. Yeah, like the mother's health is bettered by showing her the ultrasound of the fetus she came to abort. What a complete ass.

And for all those Dick Black apologists who, during the campaign, argued Black's plastic fetus fetish was a thing of the past, I ask simply, "Where are you now?"

My Advice to Mitt Romney: Stay Soft

2012-01-22T11:30:00.002-05:00

Guest Post by Angelo Dundee*

Everyone knows that controversy sells papers and air time. And you can’t blame the media. Ultimately, it’s the public’s unquenchable blood thirst for zingers, flubs and controversial sound bites that fuels the 24/7 news cycle.   So what happens when a presidential candidate refuses to play? Well, he’s chastised for being “soft.”

Romney needs to ignore that criticism and keep his eye on the prize. At the end of the day, Romney, or whoever the Republican nominee is, must sway not the extreme elements of the Republican base to win the presidency but, rather, those moderate Americans who voted for Barack Obama.   Romney certainly isn’t going to appeal to that middle if he gets dragged into a gutter fight with his Republican opponents or, for that matter, going too far in establishing his conservative bona fides. Basically, he needs to show himself just conservative enough to win the nomination. And, just as importantly, he needs to show himself to be “presidential.”

For the most part, he’s done just that, avoiding the temptation of revenge by sound bite.   And, so far, it has paid off despite one bad round in South Carolina. Like a boxing match, Romney needs to fight his fight. It may have all the excitement of Ali’s rope-a-dope now, but, like Ali’s, it will prove the winning strategy in the end.

*Not really

Meaningful Government Reform? Color Me Skeptical

2012-01-20T11:31:00.000-05:00

Leesburg Today has coverage of today’s first meeting of the Loudoun Government Reform Commission, charged with, among other things, “seek[ing] out means to more effectively and efficiently perform core county government functions and concentrate on core mission-oriented service.”

Good luck with that. Not to be too much of a downer, but it sounds a lot like the congressional Super Committee, and we know how well that worked out.

I hope someone can prove me wrong, but my prediction is this. The committee will come up with some great recommendations (some pie-in-the-sky and others not) the BOS will consider them, and then, for whatever reason, promptly reject them all but one – something like buying smaller sized Post-Its at an annual savings of $347.11.

Please, please bring me at least one adopted, material change that, at a minimum, offsets the thousands of dollars spent on administering this 13 member commission.

Scalia Rocks!

2012-01-19T16:36:00.002-05:00

When I heard that Justice Antonin Scalia was coming to Tysons, I knew I had to be there. You see, I’ve been a big fan of his for more than 20 years and have written about him many times, but I had never seen him live. So, I got a ticket as soon as they went on sale, and got to the venue early so I’d be among the first in line. When the doors opened, I ran to the front and got a seat right next to the stage.

He didn’t disappoint.

He opened with his biggest hit, “Originalism,” and played it over and over, which was just fine for this audience. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, originalists view the Constitution as a text with fixed definition and scope. Originalists apply the Constitution to changing times by extrapolating the Founders’ original intent and applying it to current events. In other words, the Constitution is what it is, and it is what it always has been. The originalism tune Scalia played today covered everything from the death penalty to abortion to sodomy on the right, to criminal rights on the left. He also sang his familiar refrain that, if you can get enough people together, you can pass a law and create rights not otherwise recognized in the Constitution. Pretty simple way for Americans to address changing times and mores.

While he was also very, very funny, he didn’t pull any punches when discussing his liberal brethren or in chastising them for their judicial activism. Such activism, he said, does a disservice to the very point of any constitution, which is to provide stability and predictability. Indeed, construing the Constitution as a “living” document, pretty much means that the Constitution says whatever you want it to say on any particular day. His candor in rebuking his colleagues in that regard was, to me, the most surprising part of an awesome show.

The only disappointing thing about his performance was that he didn’t play Freebird.

Victory is Mine!

2012-01-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

SEE UPDATE BELOW ORIGINAL POST
For years, I”ve been screaming about the idiotic Republican loyalty oath (see here, here and here as a few examples). FINALLY the state Republican party is getting the message.

Due not to anything I wrote, but, instead, due to adverse national attention arising from the presidential primary process, the RPV voted to do away with the loyalty oath as a condition of voting in the Republican primary. Hallelujah!

Not to be too hyperbolic about it, but the implications of the vote for democracy in Virginia is akin to the effect the opening of the Hungarian borders in 1989 had on communism in eastern Europe. Recall that once the door to freedom was opened, the entire system collapsed. It’s the same thing here with the rule of the local party hacks.

Here’s why. With no loyalty oath, the paranoid among us have no option but to seek party registration in order to keep those fiendish Democrats from selecting the Republican nominee (as if that EVER happened). Sen. Mark Obenshain already has offered a bill in in that regard, and given his run for AG, my guess is that such a bill will pass this time. Party registration, then, eliminates the hyperpartisans” justification for the insular, undemocratic conventions that they’ve controlled, which, in turn, have yielded hyperpartisan candidates. And, since loyalty oaths were also required in firehouse primaries, the only remaining method of selection of the parties’ nominees is a state-run primary. So, in the end, we not only get a more democratic process but we get candidates who are more electable in a general election because they must appeal to a broader base to get the nomination in the first place.

Indeed, the shift to party registration, then inevitably to state-run primaries, will fundamentally change Virginia politics. With state-run primaries, candidates from both parties will be forced more to the middle of their respective parties in order to win the nomination. Thus, the eventual winner likely will be more moderate than in the case today where the nominees often are selected by the party extremists.

Great day for democracy in Virginia; bad day for partisan hacks.

UPDATE 8/18 1:20 pm: RPV Chairman Pat Mullins testifies before the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee in support of party registration! Yes, folks, like I said in the original post, the end of the oath has kicked off a chain of events that ultimately will spell the end of extremist control of the VA Republican party. It’s like the fall of the Berlin Wall, baby!

Final Report Card on the 2007-2011 BOS

2012-01-14T11:32:00.001-05:00

The final report card for the 2007-2011 Loudoun County Board of Supervisors came in yesterday’s mail. There’s just one grade on it: F. Make that F-.

The “report card” is my tax bill, which shows a $1.285 rate. Now, while we all know the “rate” is not the best measure of real estate tax burden, our rate has nonetheless increased 40% over the $0.917 rate in 2007. From the inherited $0.917 rate in 2007, it went to $1.14 in 2008, to $124.5 in 2009 then to $1.30 in 2010.
The actual tax on my house, moreover, has had a trajectory that would make NASA envious. It increased 35% over that same time. 35%!! That includes one year, 2008, when it increased 28%. Epic, epic failure of the BOS to control spending and/or diversify the tax base.

Thankfully, unlike elementary school, this board won’t be repeating the grade.
And let that be a “lesson” for the new board.

What Was Haley Barbour Thinking?

2012-01-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

I simply am shocked by outgoing Mississippi governor Haley Barbour’s decision to set free a whole slate of convicted murderers and rapists. Even if he’s correct in his assumption that they are no threat to society, what about honoring the judicial system and the punishment it meted out? Indeed, in drawing on the teachings of forgiveness in his personal faith as ground for the pardons, Barbour commits a secular mortal sin – putting personal religious beliefs above the rule of law.

A very unfortunate end to an otherwise stellar political career

Whitbeck to Seek 10th House District Chair

2012-01-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

It comes as no surprise that John Whitbeck didn’t let the electronic dust settle on his campaign website. He clearly had been looking for something to run for since he lost to Randy Minchew in the 10th HOD district primary. Most had speculated a run for LCRC chair.

That not looking like such a good idea with Mark Sell firmly entrenched, he managed to find another 10th district seat to run for: the 10th congressional district chairmanship, which Howie Lind is vacating. According to Whitbeck (also known as Whitblack in some circles for his close association to Dick Black), he has Lind’s endorsement. His full announcement is here

Equality Loudoun Goes Off the Rails – Again

2012-01-13T09:35:00.000-05:00

As if they were ever “on” the rails to begin with.

In their latest installment, Equality Loudoun takes issue with the Loudoun County School Board’s vote on its anti-discrimination policy, the comments calling the board members “bigots.” But what really sickens me is how they’re now posting that garbage on PTA Facebook pages. Votes are fair game, but calling school board members bigots when simply following the Attorney General’s legal opinion and doing so on a PTA site is deplorable.

Leave the PTA chatter to bake sales and snow days, and leave the politics out of it.

And They're Off!

2012-01-12T11:36:00.002-05:00

The General Assembly is getting into full swing, including House committee assignments (Senate is still working things out given the 20-20 split). Here are a few highlights with the full list here:

Minchew: Scored two huge appointments for a freshman: Transportation and Courts of Justice.

Comstock: Also appointed to the Transportation committee (good to see we have some strong NoVA legislators there) as well as Commerce & Labor and Science & Technology (great appointments considering her business experience)

Greason: In only his second term, Tag was appointed to the very exclusive Appropriations committee as well as the Education and General Laws committees. Great platform for him.

May: As a senior statesman, he was appointed chairman of the Transportation committee, which especially when combined with additional NoVA delegates Comstock, Minchew and Rust, is great news for northern Virginia.

Rust: Four committee appointments including Transportation, Education, Commerce & Labor and Science & Technology.

Ramadan: Appointed to Science & Technology and Privileges & Elections (how about some party registration, David?)

All in all, Loudoun and NoVA certainly seem to have the best representation it could hope for when it comes to solving our traffic woes.

Good luck with that.

Oh, My, How Times Have Changed

2011-12-15T10:39:00.002-05:00

As the Supreme Court gets ready to decide the constitutionality of Obamacare, I thought it might be helpful to pass on this message from a Democratic president of the last century issued in veto of a bill to assist Texans struggling with failed crops and "consequent distress and destitution."

I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should, I think, be steadfastly resisted, to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that, though the people support the government, the government should not support the people.

The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow-citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.

2011-12-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

As I predicted (as well as welcomed with open arms) just over a year ago, the Republican capture of the House of Representatives has effectively stalled the advance of the socialist policies championed by Mr. Obama and the former Democratic supermajority in Congress. While the Washington Post and other media outlets decry the gridlock, I'm thrilled by it - particularly considering what we had seen in the two years leading up to it. Trillions in new spending, disastrous welfare programs opposed by most Americans, worthless stimulus programs, bankrupt auto and energy bailouts, and stifling over-regulation of financial services to name just a few of nightmares brought upon the American people by an arrogant, unchecked liberal government.

Indeed, with any luck, the next election cycle will allow us to reverse some of the damage done inflicted in the first two years of his administration. Until then, gridlock is our best friend.

Surpise, Surprise, Gridlock Prevails

2011-12-06T10:39:00.006-05:00

As I predicted (as well as welcomed with open arms) just over a year ago, the Republican capture of the House of Representatives has effectively stalled the advance of the socialist policies championed by Mr. Obama and the former Democratic supermajority in Congress. While the Washington Post and other media outlets decry the gridlock, I'm thrilled by it - particularly considering what we had seen in the two years leading up to it. Trillions in new spending, disastrous welfare programs opposed by most Americans, worthless stimulus programs, bankrupt auto and energy bailouts, reckless monetary policy and stifling over-regulation of financial services to name just a few of the nightmares brought upon the American people by an arrogant, unchecked liberal government.

Indeed, with any luck, the next election cycle will allow us to reverse some of the damage inflicted in the first two years of his administration. Until then, gridlock is our best friend.

Senate Dems Need to Just "Get Over It"

2011-12-05T16:31:00.001-05:00

As reported in the Post, The Richmond Times-Dispatch and elsewhere, Senator McEachin filed suit today in Richmond City Circuit Court challenging the authority of the Lieutenant Governor to vote on senate rules.
What those other outlets don't show you, however, is the basis of McEachin's complaint because, if they did, it would show how ridiculous the Dems are acting.

The Dem's case is based on a fatally flawed reading of the the following provision of the Constitution of Virginia

Section 7. Organization of General Assembly.
The House of Delegates shall choose its own Speaker; and, in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor, or when he shall exercise the office of Governor, the Senate shall choose from its own body a president pro tempore. Each house shall select its officers and settle its rules of procedure.
. . .

From any fair reading of it, the LG has, in the event of a tie, the same authority to vote on rules as he would to vote on legislation. The LG, as the president of the senate, is a member of the body for just those purposes. Pretty clear, and just as clearly a lame attempt to save face by whining senate Democrats. As the RPV said, it's time for the senate Democrats to admit defeat and get over it.

Governor Cuccinelli?

2011-12-01T08:54:00.001-05:00

I'll admit that I expected his perceived extremism to be his undoing in his race for attorney general in 2009. And, as much as I'd like to say that his election was really because his opponent ran a poor race, even a poor opponent could not explain his 58-42 margin of victory that exceeded that of the Republicans winning other statewide races. In other words, you have to admit that Ken Cuccinelli, for whatever reason, has some strong statewide appeal.

I'm not a big fan of Cuccinelli per se, but I do want another Republican governor. Provided that he manages to "keep his crazy under control," as between Cuccinelli and Bolling, I believe Cuccinelli would be the more electable candidate in the 2013 race for governor. I'm not saying I necessarily support him, but the fact is he's rolling thunder going into the race.

Time for Virginia to Save the Real Hall of Fame

2011-11-30T15:41:00.002-05:00

I recently toured the Pantheon, the Parisian tribute to great French leaders (yes, I realize that “great French leaders” is a bit of an oxymoron, but stay with me here I'm making a point). It was, despite my distinctively American bias, extremely impressive. Entombed there were Frenchmen who made significant contributions to not just their country, but all humanity - Voltaire, Rousseau, the Curies and Victor Hugo, to name a few.

The tour triggered a childhood memory of my reading about an American Hall of Fame in our old World Book encyclopedia, so, when I returned, I looked it up, using 21^st century Google technology this time. It turns out that the American equivalent to the Pantheon, if you even want to call it an "equivalent," hasn’t been updated since I read about it as a child. Indeed, it now tragically dishonors the 102 great Americans memorialized there. And it's time to do something about it.

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans began in 1900 on the campus of what was then New York University. While initially a success and source of great national pride, the once celebrated portico has fallen into great disrepair. It now sits in a gritty area of the Bronx on the campus of Bronx Community College, NYU having relocated in 1973 and taking with it much of the status that the Hall once had. No one has been elected to the Hall since 1976, the official selection committee apparently having been disbanded. In fact, the organization, to the extent there is one, can’t even afford the busts of the people they’ve already elected. It’s a national disgrace, and meager efforts to refurbish it have been unsuccessful.

Considering the success of, and importance given to, our myriad lesser halls of fame, we can and should offer the memory of our greatest Americans something better than a sparsely frequented portico in the Bronx with rusting busts and crumbling columns. We should house the stories of those great Americans in a building befitting their contributions, and place it where they can inspire the many great Americans yet to come. As it is now, it’s like keeping the portrait of a beloved grandfather in the basement bathroom.

Here’s what I suggest. First, transfer the Hall of Fame to the nation’s capital, preferably on land either adjacent to the home of the greatest American, George Washington, or adjacent to our most hallowed ground, Arlington National Cemetery. A shrine to the achievement of the American spirit would fit perfectly in this area, already so rich in history. As to funding, like other civic memorials, the new Hall of Fame could be funded by a public-private partnership. It could even be funded in conjunction with, or as a part of, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. However, some initial support, financial and emotional, from the state and local government obviously would help get this project off to a great start. As such, I urge Governor McDonnell and the General Assembly to commit to an exploration of this in the upcoming legislative session. We Virginians have always taken the lead on historic preservation. This is another great opportunity to show our leadership in that regard.

In addition to a new facility, the Hall of Fame obviously needs new management and a new management structure. One historian referred to the current state of the committee as a case of “organizational comatosis" but I think that's being generous. As mentioned above, the committee apparently has been disbanded, and the upkeep of the existing facility has fallen to the community college. But even when it was functioning, the committee made some poor decisions on maintenance and even its selections. Grover Cleveland. Really?

This brings me to my final point – the Americans who should be added to the Hall of Fame. Quite a few great Americans are missing from the current list so I’ve taken the liberty of setting forth below some greats whom I believe should be added (some have not been dead for the requisite 25 years, but I’ll put them on the list anyway). Feel free to add yours. It will show just how much we have achieved as a nation and how proud we are of the Americans who have come before us.

Among those on my list:

Dwight Eisenhower

Ronald Reagan

John C. Fremont

Richard E. Byrd, Jr.

Amelia Earhart

Albert Einstein

Robert Oppenheimer

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Henry Ford

John D. Rockefeller

Walt Disney

John Wayne

Earl Warren

Noah Webster

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Know Your Insults

2011-11-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

With all the name calling that goes on in the blogosphere, I thought it would be helpful for commenters to have this handy dandy chart to ensure they use the correct term to capture the thought.

From IQcomparisonsite.com:

IQ Range	Classification
140 and over	Genius or near genius
120-140	Very superior intelligence
110-120	Superior intelligence
90-110	Normal or average intelligence
80-90	Dullness
70-80	Borderline deficiency
Below 70	Definite feeble-mindedness

Mental deficiency used to be more finely classified using the following technical terms that later began to be abused by the rest of society (5):

IQ Range	Classification
70-80	Borderline deficiency
50-69	Moron
20-49	Imbecile
below 20	Idiot

Thus, for an idiot to call someone a moron could be viewed as a compliment.

And no one wants that to happen.

Embarrassment, Thy Name is Eugene Delgaudio

2011-11-23T13:52:00.001-05:00

As much as I bag on other politicos for unbecoming behavior, there is no one, and I mean no one, that even remotely compares to the embarrassment brought upon us all by Eugene Delgaudio. His latest missive, full of ridiculous distortions and outright lies, proves my point.

Under Public Advocates' letterhead, Delgaudio voices his opposition to a federal bill, HR 998, put forward by Democratic lawmakers to outlaw discrimination against homosexual students. Below is the relevant text from the bill and then his email

Frankly, even if he shoveled my driveway, cooked my dinner and wiped my kids' butts, no level of constituent service could justify voting for, much less openly supporting, such an individual.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION; EXCEPTIONS.

(a) In General- No student shall, on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of such individual or of a person with whom the student associates or has associated, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

(b) Harassment- For purposes of this Act, discrimination includes, but is not limited to, harassment of a student on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of such student or of a person with whom the student associates or has associated.

(1) PROHIBITION- No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination, retaliation, or reprisal under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance based on his or her opposition to conduct made unlawful by this Act.

From that text, Delguadio gets this:

You see, the Homosexual Classrooms Act [Delgaudio's naming} contains a laundry list of anti-family provisions that will:

*** Require schools to teach appalling homosexual acts so "homosexual students" don’t feel "singled out" during already explicit sex-ed classes;

*** Spin impressionable students in a whirlwind of sexual confusion and misinformation, even peer pressure to "experiment" with the homosexual "lifestyle;"

*** Exempt homosexual students from punishment for propositioning, harassing, or even sexually assaulting their classmates, as part of their specially-protected right to "freedom of self-expression;"

*** Force private and even religious schools to teach a pro-homosexual curriculum and purge any reference to religion if a student claims it creates a "hostile learning environment" for homosexual students.

And that’s just the beginning of the Homosexual Lobby’s radical agenda.

In fact, it will set them up to ram through their entire perverted vision for a homosexual America.

Where he gets such bizarre statutory readings is simply beyond me.

And to think we have another four years of apologies ahead of us . . .

$3 Raffle Tickets for Dinner With Barry O.

2011-11-22T12:51:00.001-05:00

From the same folks who brought you Bill Clinton's offer of a night a night in the White House's Lincoln bedroom for a contribution of $100,000 is an opportunity to win dinner with the president himself -- all for a meager donation of $3. The offer is below the fold and full rules here

Funny that Clinton comes to mind here, considering the damage he did to the institution of the presidency. This latest raffle is every bit as undignified as Clinton's bed-and-breakfast fiasco, and just plain wrong on so many levels. For one, unlike what he implies in the email below, Obama's offer is not at all about the president breaking bread with the common man. Hell no. It's nothing more than a sick fundraising stunt pimping out the presidency. If he really cared about meeting with the common man, he wouldn't be marketing such a once in lifetime opportunity like it were a game show.

------Original Message------
From: Barack Obama <info@barackobama.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 11:54:17 AM GMT-0500
Subject: You and a guest

A few Thursdays ago, I had dinner with four Americansnamed Ken, Casey, Juanita, and Wendi -- the winners of the campaign's firstDinner with Barack contest.

I loved getting to know each of them.

We're taking names for the next dinner starting now, andthis time I want to add a new feature: If you win, you can bring a guest.

Chip in $3 or more today to be automatically entered towin a spot for you and a guest at the next dinner:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner18

The folks who this election is all about tend to fall underthe radar of the D.C. pundits and traditional news media.

They're people like Juanita, who helped put her threesons through college on a teacher's salary while saving what she could forretirement.

Like Ken, a single dad who stood by his mother as shefought insurance companies while battling two forms of cancer.

They're like Casey, whose three young kids may not yetappreciate what courage it took for their dad to take a chance and start hisown business.

And Wendi, an artist and third-generation teacher whocanvassed, marched, and phone banked in Indiana in 2008, the year her homestate defied the traditional electoral map.

These people weren't just there for themselves -- theywere representing you, this movement, and the folks I go to work for every dayas president.

These dinners are important to me because I want to spendtime whenever I can with the people who sent me here. They're proving wrong theconventional wisdom that says campaigns should cater to Washington lobbyistsand powerful interests. And they're an important reminder that this movement
-- and my presidency -- have never just been about me.

I'm proud that we're choosing to run the kind of campaignwhere a dinner like this isn't just possible, it's a regular thing. And nexttime, I don't just want to meet you -- I want to meet someone else in yourlife.

Donate $3 or more, and start thinking about who you'llinvite to dinner:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner18

Thanks for being part of this,

Barack