Tim Kaine has replaced his previous attack ad with a a tougher one, using quotes from the editorial boards who have universally condemned Kilgore for his nasty little ad. It’s better than the old one, but I don’t know that it does him much more good. Seems to me the man just needs to change the topic and get off the defensive. Of course, the Kaine campaign has the benefit of polling, unlike me — I can only hope their current tack is based on some solid research.
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Question: Could the illegal eavesdropping by Republicans on a conference call between Democrats be considered a heinous enough crime to warrant the death penalty?
How about the way TOP GOP officials ADMITTED GUILT and CRIMINAL WRONGDOING and then turned around and sued its former insurance company claiming that
Union Insurance Co. of Lincoln, Neb., breached its contract by not covering the $750,000 the state party paid last December to 33 Virginia Democrats who sued over eavesdropping by a pair of top Republican officials on Democratic conference calls discussing redistricting.
IN A MIND-BOGGLING DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND HIP-DEEP HYPOCRISY, the GOP lawsuit also seeks $200,000 for lawyers’ bills from RPV’s nine-month legal battle with Democratic legislators, who claimed the March 2002 eavesdropping violated their privacy rights.
COULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A HEINOUS ENOUGH CRIME TO WARRANT THE DEATH PENALTY? The GOP paid its settlement money to 31 state legislators and two high-level Democratic Party staffers 10 months ago but has paid only a part of the $200,000 owed in legal fees, according to a Norfolk lawyer representing the Republican Party.
A Richmond lawyer representing the insurance company, argued that Edmund A. Matricardi III, former state GOP executive director, and Gary R. Thomson, former state GOP chairman, were not rogue actors in the eavesdropping as he said the party had once claimed.
“Everything they did was for the benefit of the RPV,” contends the Insurance Company’s lawyer. “The chairman of the Republican Party is as close to a Russian Czar as you can get” in terms of power at the top of the organization, he argued. “Matricardi was the executive director of the [party]. He was not somebody who worked in a phone bank.”
THE JUDGE EVEN SAID AT ONE POINT: “I don’t think Mr. Matricardi was listening in for his own personal consumption.”
THE FACT THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF VIRGINIA thinks that their insurance company should have to pay out on a claim that came about because HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS (Yes, Jerry, I am talking about you!) KNOWINGLY BROKE THE LAW, SHOCKS THE SENSIBILITIES.
BUT, WHAT IS ESPECIALLY GALLING IS THE GOP’s ATTEMPT TO SOAK THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND AVOID RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIONS.
Before Election Day, I ask that Jerry Kilgore come clean and explain to Virginia voters why he said nothing about this criminal wrongdoing and why he has sought to have his deposition in this matter sealed.
Why Jerry? COVER-UPS. Secrets and lies. Debates in West Virginia. Plays fast and loose with the facts….OUTRIGHT BOLD-FACED LIES…these are NOT the qualities I seek in a Governor.
Don’t we deserve a leader we can trust? Kaine may not have hired a flashy outfit to make his commercials, and Kaine may not be willing to go as low as you have in exploiting other people’s grief, but one thing is for sure: Kaine is a solid guy who knows the difference between right and wrong.
AND THAT, Mr. Attorney General, is more than anyone can say about you.
As a response, it’s a little better. At least he doesn’t say right up front that he’s opposed to the death penalty, as he did in the first response ad. I thought that he blew the first ad largely by saying that up front; I doubt anyone watching would remember anything after that.
However, this one starts with Stanley Rosenbluth, the father of the person murdered by Kaine’s client. Using Kilgore’s image in the rest of the ad is fair game, but Kaine runs the risk of being seen as attacking the victim by using his actual image.
It IS a better ad, though. But you’re correct, Waldo: Kaine needs to quit talking about it and change the subject. With barely more than three weeks until Election Day, Kaine is toast if he stays on the defensive. He may be finished anyway.
Actually, I learned this afternoon that the GOP’s attempt to sue their insurance company in order to make the company pay the fines and settlement caused by the electronic eavesdropping was tossed out of court Friday.
The fact that the GOP had the gall to try to force their insurance company to pay off on a claim that involved Criminal wrongdoing IS A WORTHWHILE TOPIC FOR KAINE TO HAMMER ON, especially when his opponent is the man who was supposed to be the attorney general.
I’m just tired of Republicans being held to a LOWER level of decency than Democrats.
I’m tired of Democrats taking the “high road.” If Kaine doesn’t get on the offensive right away, we’re in trouble. I never thought I’d hear myself say this but goddammit – FIGHT BACK! There’s plenty of material to use. What are we waiting for? I feel like I’m reliving August 2004 with the Kerry campaign and the swift boat ads. Why don’t Democrats ever learn? Stop with the NUANCE! Next think you know, Hillary Clinton will be our candidate in 2008. What was it G. Allen said about shoving their soft teeth down their whiny throats??? When are we gonna learn to BITE??? SHEESH!
and p.s. I don’t think your average citizen, who is barely paying attention to this race anyway, gives a damn what the editorial board of the Washington Post or any other paper has to say about Kilgore’s ads. I don’t think those ads are an effective come-back. Once again we’re acting like the smart kid in class bringing the teacher an apple. Just this one time, why can’t we be the jerk in the back throwing spitballs????
Lou — You are speaking my mind and that of many other Democrats as well. Kaine has suffered attack after attack on his record as Mayor of Richmond…..Kilgore’s record as George Allen’s Secretary of Public Safety is pitiful, it is worse than pitiful! It is an embarrrassing saga of escape after escape coupled with a dizzying display of “it ain’t my fault.”
Well, Jerry, I don’t vote for people who tell me that it isn’t “their fault.”
I vote for people who can step up and say, “This is what we must do to fix this problem. Once we fix the problem, we can fix the blame. But, FIRST, we must fix the problem.”
What I want to hear now is just how Kaine intends to deliver a righteous ass- whoopin’ to this whiney, effeminate fool whose favorite television program is “Gilligan’s Island” and who cannot be trusted to tell the truth about anything.
For starters, I’d like to know just what did Karl Rove do for the Virginia Republican Party and just HOW WELL DOES KILGORE REALLY KNOW THIS GUY?
I noticed in today’s paper that Rove ducked out of the breakfast yesterday…
I guess I’m really frustrated that religious belief has become such an issue in this campaign. And that agenda was set by our own Tim Kaine! Maybe it was an over-reaction to last years election but it felt wrong to me from the very beginning. I guess I’m just a heathen. I don’t care what particular religion my elected leaders subscribe to as long as they keep their preaching to themselves and approach the job of governing with common sense, compassion and tolerance.
In any case, you don’t get an opportunity to do that if you don’t win on Election Day.
Lou, Gotta tell ya….my gut says the real issue here isn’t the death penalty, it is the arrogance of the the Rightwing Cult that has taken over the Republican party. When it comes to obeying the law. And, it isn’t the mainstream Republicans, it is these rightwing-nutters, who probably still think on some level that Nixon got a bad deal. The Republicans haven’t been telling lies like this since Viet Nam.
Honestly, has the Democratic Party ever gone all out to FOOL THE ENTIRE NATION..HOW MANY SOLDIERS HAVE DIED?..Where Are those Weapons of Mass Destruction? Halliburton? Where is Osama Bin Laden anyway? Katrina…..How much money has Bush made on oil? How about Condi Rice? She has profitted BIG-TIME, too.
C’mon Folks….Here’s THE QUESTION:
You want to know what the “Weapons of Mass Destruction” that the RIGHTwing Republican Party Fears the Most REALLY Are?
THE ANSWER: AMERICAN BACKBONES!
Real Democrats and Real Republicans alike — When are you gonna find your damn backbones? AND WHEN …..
ARE YA GONNA GET THOSE BACKBONES IN MOTION?
The way Virginia goes on Nov. 2 will determine the way the nation goes. It is up to us.
SoccerMom – I’m with you on all of that. Where’s the outrage?
What’s happening in Virginia on Nov. 2, SoccerMom?
Oh, Chad …thank you.
I was jumping straight to the celebration! You know that SoccerMom and all the other SoccerMommies out here wouldn’t miss our chance to vote on NOVEMBER 1 for Tim Kaine.
P.s. What do you make of a bunch of Republicans trying to scam their insurance company into paying the fines and legal bills for a clearly criminal activity? Federal Judge Dennis Donhal sure wasn’t impressed. Neither was I.
ROFLMAO!! Be sure to get out there early on Nov. 1 — I’d hate for you to miss your chance to vote for Candidate Kaine.
Here’s my question about the whole Hitler thing. I’ve seen the ad several times over the weekend on local TV. If it’s so inaccurate and inflammatory, why is it still running? Why haven’t TV stations pulled it? Has the Kaine campaign asked them to?
MEA CULPA … Chalk that up to being so READY ALREADY TO HAVE THIS OVER!
WISHFUL THINKING AND ALL THAT…..
Publius…..the Founding Fathers are ROFL concerning your earlier suggested agreement with Scalia that that all governmental powers are orgained by God . . . Next thing I know, you’re going to be talking outta one side of your mouth like the former Mr. Attorney General who SEALED HIS DEPOSITION in the EAVESDROPPING CASE MATRICARDI ET.AL. matter.
What WERE the Republicans thinking? And if you can trust folks with Severely RIGHTWINGNUT political beliefs and RELIGIOUS BELIEFS to do their dusties, then what is your problem with trusting that Kaine can do his duty equally as well?
duties
So I take it from your response that you chose not to educate yourself by reading the Declaration of Independence. That’s too bad.
Declaration of Independence says we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights….DOES NOT SAY THAT OUR CREATOR ENDOWED THE GOVERNMENT…..Far from it….
Hey Pub….what did Jerry Know and WHen Did HE Know IT Re: EAVESDROPPING CASE?
Wjy has he Sealed his deposition?
WHAT IS HE HIDING?