Open Letter To Del. Ward Armstrong And Sen. Roscoe Reynolds

Ward,
I read today your response to the Martinsville Bulletin regarding Mr. Vehrs' comments on his blog.

I also read that you sent a letter to Gov. Kaine requesting the dismissal of Mr. Vehrs.

I must say I am shocked at your Chutzpah. You sir, from the floor of the House of Delegates, delivered a crude sexual joke directed at a member of Virginia's Senate. I'm sure you recall the remark, as well as your follow up statement later that evening. In case you do not, I'll quote it for you; (From the Roanoke Times, no longer available free on-line.)

On the House floor, Armstrong used his imitation of President Clinton to joke about that night's legislative basketball game, saying Devolites Davis would be his team's center and that she was coming over to his place to review the playbook. Later, at a post-game party, Armstrong again spoke about her, saying, "She's no Monica Lewinsky, but she can be taught,"

Your defense at the time, and even during this past campaign, was that it was just a joke, merely an attempt at humor, sophomoric as it may have been. That it may well have been, and I'll accept that.

Today, however, you decide that humor has no place in Virginia's public life, and call for the resignation or firing of a dedicated Virginia employee.

I simply want to know why your standards have changed so.

Next I want to address Sen. Roscoe Reynolds.

Mr. Reynolds,

today's Bulletin quotes you regarding the Will Vehrs kerfuffle;

"If I were him, I would resign. Or if I had the power to fire him, I'd fire him."

I refer you to the above subject, I seem to recall that at the time you supported Mr. Armstrong and called for everyone to accept the remarks as frivolous humor and the subject should be forgotten since Mr. Armstrong had apologized to Ms. Devolites-Davis.

My only comment to you, sir, is that once again you go wishing for power you will never have. You once stated in a letter to me (in which you, a practicing attorney and State Senator, ridiculously claim that a Supreme Court decision applied only to the State of Connecticut and not to the rest of the Country) that "If I had been on the Supreme Court, I would have ruled differently."

Fortunately for the rest of us, you sir, are just as likely to sit on the Supreme Court as you are to be in the position to fire someone of Will Vehrs' caliber.