On USA Today’s blog, Rep. Virgil Goode is repeating his same old defense today. He strongly defends his refusal to display the Koran on the wall of his office, something that not a soul (to my knowledge) has complained about, continues to conflate the election of Rep. Ellison with legal immigration, and again asserts that Muslims are a threat to the United States. I guess he just really wants to keep this story alive. Will do, Rep. Goode.
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No religious test… for Jews and Christians.
Like Christians haven’t already been trying to do that.
Illegal immigration is an important issue for quite a number of reasons (both economic and security). However the reasons being pushed by Virgil Goode, are the wrong ones. Every time he opens his mouth he deals a setback to people who would like to see sane solutions to the issue.
I see that Josh is still as inarticulate as he was at the Martinsville bloggers conference.
“…we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to infiltration by those who want to mold the United States into the image of their religion, rather than working within the Judeo-Christian principles that have made us a beacon for freedom-loving persons around the world.” Virgil Goode
If Virginia’s 5th Congressional Representative, an honors graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, has such a poor understanding of the United States Constitution, what hope can we have for his defenders – you know, the fake lawyers and such?
If Josh has said something that you disagree with, I hope you’ll demonstrate that he’s wrong, rather than attacking him personally.
Let me add a thought to the motivations behind Virgil Goode. Essentially, Virginia politics has passed by Virgil Goode and this appears to be a last-ditch effort to gain some publicity. I don’t doubt that Goode believe this rhetoric he’s spouting, but the be open and honest about it shows a desire to raise his level of visibility, even if it’s by appearing to be an ignorant southern politician.
This isn’t to say we shouldn’t raise his actions against him. Giving him more than 15 minutes of fame does some good and accomplishes his purpose, though not in the way he thought. His method wasn’t well thought out.
Waldo, totally as an aside, go back to the USA Today site you referenced. They’ve turned their whole opinion section into a single blog (I think they’re even running wordpress).
As far as I know, they’re the first newspaper opinion section to do that. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Editorials, columns = blog posts and letters = comments.
A a former USAT minion, you can take my admiration with a grain of salt, but I think it is a smart step.
Hmm, you’re right, David, they have. That’s interesting and, as you point out, logical.
Waldo, you might want to take your camera for a stroll down South 1st Street past Goode’s Cville office. You know, the one with restrained gold foil Garamond lettering on the inside of the window? Someone did a very tasteful gold stencil spray painting outside, just below his name. So subtly done that you might miss it walking past the door. I caught sight of it New Year’s Eve. According to a couple of Downtown regs, the addition has been up for a week.
(Just suggesting cuz I don’t have a camera anymore, and I personally want a picture of it.)
I heard about that a week ago and just assumed it’d be gone by now. I’ll be downtown on Thursday — hopefully I can get a picture then.
Evidently, Virgil is not smart enough, honors law degree notwithstanding, to know when to shut up. Either that, or he has a wish, as Waldo points out, to not let this story die.
His defenders look more silly and out of touch all the time. Frankly, it is the most blatant display of blind following I have seen in a while.
Meanwhile, Virgil still makes the 5th District voters look like fools, something with which I am not satisfied nor am I content to allow to happen again, if I have anything to say about it. I will still work for his defeat, both in terms of censure, and defeat at the ballot box in 2008.
I don’t belong to his racist, xenophobic cabal. I don’t resent only his opinion, I resent him personally.
I felt queasy as I began reading the laudatory comments below Virgil’s article: “You hit the nail on the head!”, “I agree with your concerns…”, “What in heavens name is the matter with liberals/communists in our media…?”. (sigh)
Don’t stop there. After the first three or four comments, the pendulum abruptly and permanently shifts. Of the roughly 150 comments so far, it appears that less than 10% are actually in favor of Goode’s inflammatory bigotry. I hope that his office is being flooded with similar numbers of letters, FAXes, and emails.
Waldo, you’re very informed: what does it take to start a recall petition in Virginia?
Here’s a stray thought. You don’t think Virgil is planning to swap chambers when J. Warner leaves, or perhaps put himself in line for a Republican-ticket vice-presidential picking, do you?
For many years, he’s laid low, hardly even doing any legislation, content to be useful and continually reelected on the civil servant aspects of his job description. At least that’s what it has seemed from the outside looking at his record.
Now, for the first time evah, he’s not only making a media stink, he’s refusing to let it be Lysoled or crack the door so the stench can waft away. There’s got to be a purpose for staying in the national limelight when one has stayed as deliberately, chronically low-profile as Virgil was until this story hit.
Virginia is one of a kind — we don’t have recall elections, but we do have “recall trials.” That comes under §24.2-23:
So you’d have to get 21,208 signatures and a judge who believes that Rep. Goode has shown “incompetence in the performance of duties when that neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office.”
I didn’t disagree with Josh. I don’t have a clue as to what he meant.
That was my point.
…or get Virgil to sell me some Goode weed.
I’ll get to work on it.
Oh, well I think I can help you there, Jerry. Josh was surely referring to the “no religious test” clause of the Constitution, which reads:
Given Rep. Goode’s comments, in which he made clear his distaste for any Muslim serving in public office, Josh presumably meant that Goode seems to believe that there should be no religious test provided that the officeholder is a Jew or a Christian.
Jerry Fuhrman, well-informed as usual.
I wouldn’t be so fast to bring up Martinsville, if I were you, Jerry. As I recall, I managed to hand you your hat in a debate about the ignorance and intolerance of George Allen. Despite my woeful lack of erudition, it seemed to me you got up from the table like you’d been stung by a hornet, or maybe your pants suddenly got too tight. In either case, you did seem to need a beer pretty quickly.
Although you did strike me as remarkably congenial, your abilities as an orator weren’t particularly impressive.
Maybe things would have gotten better with a couple more beers.
While I will likely never achieve the astronomical oratory of a genius like Jerry Fuhrman, I do the best I can as a member of the “Democrat” party.
Typical Josh Chernila.
Thin skinned, never learns.
Instead of seeing that he is being poked at for a little fun, Josh instead inflicts retaliation like a child — as though he thinks that he knows he is the smartest guy around.
Shame. Thin skinned. Relax, Francis
Aww.. man…
I was just kiddin’ too.
Where’s your sense of humor, anonymous blogger guy?
It gets better– oh it gets better.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/03/AR2007010300075.html
Sean
After I read this, I dispatched my boyfriend to Goode’s office (he lives a few blocks off the maa) with his digital camera. He didn’t see anything unusual.
What did the “graffiti” say?!? I’m so curious!!!
Jeanine, The Hook‘s got you covered. :)
Thanks, Waldo.