New Allen ad and Allen supporter's website

One of the latest ads from the Allen campaign is featured below. Consisting of three United States Naval Academy (USNA) graduates discussing the disrespectful, misogynistic attitudes of James Webb and his effect on their military careers.

Mara Matthes, USNA Class of '82, stated that "Mr. Webb's accusations were a roar and his apology was a whisper."

Kathleen Murray, USNA Class of '84, expressed that "Mr. Webb's recent statements concerning his support of women in the military ring hollow in light of his long history of negative writings concerning women in the armed forces and can only be attributed to his political aspirations. I want to make clear to the voters of Virginia that James Webb is no advocate for women."

Carolyn Slowikowski, USNA Class of '82, stated that "James Webb intentionally used character assassination tactics against the women of the Naval Academy to promote his position that our presence was destroying the Academy and harming the men who trained there. His purposeful slander made us carry the extra burden of defending our honor with the additional requirement that we prove the legitimacy of our presence at the Academy."

For contrast, Webb campaign spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd said, "...These women need to re-examine their priorities."

While I have your attention, let me suggest you also visit this website, http://www.webbagainstwomen.com/

Has The Smear Campaign Gone Too Far For DNC's Comfort?

Via e-mail from a reader who lives and works inside the beltway I have learned that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been growing concerned about the nastiness of the Webb campaign.

I've been told they have been monitoring this campaign, and are not happy with what they have been hearing and reading, primarily from the leftist blogs connected with the Webb campaign.

The two party leaders are currently blaming it on youthful exuberance, and a frustration with recent election losses.

My source says that both Pelosi and Reid have asked Howard Dean to renounce the racist and anti-semitic language and methods employed by Webb's supporters. He has refused to do so, essentially saying he doesn't think it's a problem.

She ends her e-mail by saying that some within the DNC have been monitoring the Webb campaign, concerned that influences from Daily Kos, Democratic Underground, and MoveOn.org may negatively impact the Senate race.

UPDATE:
For a complete compilation of all of the Webb campaign's smear orchestration, go read what Ward Smythe has posted.

UPDATE-UPDATE:
Another (much more in-depth) report of the Reid-Pelosi concerns can be found at The American Spectator.

Muslims for America Endorses Senator George Allen

Thanks to Charles at Two Conservatives. His recent post looks into another endorsement for George Allen's senate bid.

Muslims For America Endorses Senator George Allen - The Senator Allen That We Know

This article by Muhammad Ali Hasan is quite telling;

As an American Muslim activist, I am growing upset over the accusations that Senator George Allen is facing. Granted, the use of the word 'macaca' was completely inappropriate, but I forgive Senator Allen for good reason. I have met Senator Allen personally, our organization has provided advice to his campaign, and I want to confirm it now and for all - Senator Allen is not racist; in fact, he is one of the Senate's most open-minded and unbigoted leaders. Senator Allen has maintained an excellent track record of confronting major issues within the War On Terror, without having to alienate Muslims in order to do it.

Did Ken Shelton Channel Recent North Carolina News?

Was this the inspiration for Shelton's deer head story?

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

More later, I'm at work.

UPDATE:
In a previous post I referenced a charge by Dr. Ken Shelton, a former teammate of George Allen's while both played football at UVA. It seems Dr. Shelton has suddenly remembered an episode that occurred during a hunting trip with George Allen and Billy Lanahan, a wide receiver on the team who is now deceased.

That means the good Doctor now has no one except Allen himself to dispute the story.

Until now.

It seems there was a big story for a few days this past winter in eastern North Carolina about this very subject. Doctor Shelton has a clinic in Hendersonville, just west of Charlotte. He also is an anti-tobacco lobbyist who must obviously spend much time in Raleigh. This story got considerable airtime in the Raleigh market. I would imagine the good Doctor also has a beach house somewhere between Raleigh and Wilmington, this story also got plenty of airtime in the Wilmington area.

That leaves us with the 800 pound gorilla in the room asking, did Dr. Shelton take a local story, a hatred for "big tobacco", and a hatred for the Republican ideals of George Allen, and "interstate" it?

H/T to Captain's Quarters

UPDATE-UPDATE:
I find it interesting that Dr. Shelton has let George Allen get elected numerous times before coming forth with this information. Information he has said he wants to get out because he can't in good conscious allow George Allen to remain in the Senate.

But, he waits until Billy Lanahan is deceased and no longer able to verify or deny his story. He embellishes his claims of racism with a deer head story eerily similar to an episode that occurred in his own state earlier this year. A google search for similar episodes turns up only one other, in Maine in 1976. (Thanks Jim, for the research.)

One other thing, Dr. Shelton claims that this event ocurred right after the movie "The Godfather", with it's infamous horse head scene, came out. That movie was released in March of 1972. Is the good doctor willing to admit that he was deer hunting more than 2 months out of season?

Eye Opener

Proof positive that 42% of Americans are too stupid to be allowed to vote.

Another Democrat(ic) Smear Job

UPDATE:
I'll fix I've fixed those annoying foreign characters that arise from working in MS Word later earlier this evening. For now just read around them, and know that they are quotation marks, apostrophes, or dashes.

It's interesting that, after a week with the spotlight turned on Lowell and Josh at Raising Kaine, the tone from that site seems to have changed. Lowell's posts have suddenly become more focused on policy, and Brian has risen to the top once again for analysis. I wonder if there have been certain mandates handed down from the campaign for the site to "cool down" the rhetoric. It certainly seems so. And if so, it's a good move. Brian is respectable, and I doubt if he can be as nasty as Lowell even if he tried to be.

That said, let's look at Brian's analysis of the Salon article by Michael Scherer. The article in question examines the charge by one former UVA teammate of Allen's that he was a racist in college, regularily using the common racial epithet of the day. This former teammate also charges that Allen used the occasion of a hunting outing to place a severed deer head in the mailbox of a black family in the area.

Brian uses a carefully selected section of the article to portray Allen as a racist. The Salon article itself waits until very late in the piece before you get to this paragraph;

Over the past week, Salon has interviewed 19 former teammates and college friends of Allen from the University of Virginia. In addition to the three who said Allen used the word "nigger," two others who were contacted said they remember being bothered by Allen's displaying the Confederate flag in college, but said they do not remember him acting in an overtly racist manner. Seven others said they did not know Allen well outside the football team, but do not remember Allen demonstrating any racist feelings. A separate seven teammates and friends said they knew Allen well and did not believe he held racist views. "I don't believe he was insensitive," said Paul Ryczek, who played center in Allen's year before joining the Atlanta Falcons. "He had no prejudices, biases or anything else."

After reading that paragraph we now know that some of Allen's teammates are willing to go on record saying he was a racist while in college. But wait, only one is named. And that one has a long history of Democratic activism and Party loyalty.

So we have Dr. Ken Shelton calling Allen a racist. But we also have 16 former teammates who dispute that claim. Salon did not bother to name the other 16 players, but I will name four of them.

George Korte, linebacker on the University of Virginia football team from 1970 through 1973
"Contrary to Ken Shelton, I have kept up with George Allen the past thirty-five years. During this time, I have never known or heard him use racial epithets to describe blacks either in public or private.

"Specific items in the article that are not true are as follows:
1. As stated above, George Allen did not use racial epithets or demonstrate racist attitudes towards blacks in the early 1970s.
2. George came to University of Virginia because his father became the head coach of the Washington Redskins. Instead of continuing his undergraduate education at UCLA, he transferred to be closer to his family. He came to University of Virginia to attend one of the top public Universities in the nation not as the article states “because he wanted to play football in a place where 'blacks knew their place'.
3. Many of the nicknames used to describe the players were not given by George. Mine was Tez. I received this nickname because a coach mispronounced my name as Cortez. This resulted in my nickname given to me from another linebacker. Ken Shelton received his nickname because of his ability as a tight end to magically get open and catch the football not because he shared someone’s last name.
"It appears to me that Kenny Shelton has some deep rooted problems with his self identity and a rather hyper active imagination."

Doug Jones, defensive back on the University of Virginia football team 1971 thru 1974 and roomed with Ken Shelton in his second year
"I was on the University of Virginia football team with George Allen for the 1972 and 1973 seasons. During that time I never heard George Allen use any racially disparaging word nor did I ever witness or hear about him acting in a racially insensitive manner.
"He was a scholar-athlete and a leader. I was proud to be his teammate."

Joe Gieck, the University of Virginia football team trainer for 43 years and a professor in sports medicine; he retired in 2005
"I seem to recall that Ken Shelton got the 'Wizard' nickname for his pass catching ability and before George Allen came to the University of Virginia."

Charlie Hale, center on the University of Virginia football team from 1970 through 1973
"I received an athletic scholarship and attended the University of Virginia from 1972 till 1977. I was a member of the football team and met George Allen in 1972. During my first year the position I played was center and Senator Allen was a quarterback. Neither Senator Allen nor I were on the starting team and our job was to run the opposition offense for our starting defense to prepare for upcoming games. It was during this time we became close personal friends.

"When I was being recruited by UVA, the head coach Don Lawrence, informed me and my family that we would have a new quarterback, it was the son of Coach George Allen who was going to be taking over as head coach of the Washington Redskins. The reason that Senator Allen came to Virginia to play football from UCLA was the fact that he was very close to his father, loved professional football and wanted to be near his family who would be living in Leesburg, Virginia.

"Senator Allen and I were team mates for a period of two years 1972 and 1973 when he finished undergraduate school and then he attended law school also at UVA. We have maintained a close friendship now for 34 years. In the summer of 1976 we spent 6 weeks together driving and camping across the United States to visit his home and family in California. After graduation from law school at UVA the Senator worked in Abingdon, Virginia as a law clerk, and I lived in Grundy, Virginia we continued to see each other and go hunting.

"In 1988 I returned to UVA for a celebration marking 100 years of football at the school. I had been living in the western US since 1978 and we renewed our friendship. He took me home with him that night where I was to meet his wife Susan. Since that time we have remained close personal friends.

"During the 34 years I have known George Allen I have never heard him use racial slurs or derogatory language to describe a person or group of persons.

"Ken Shelton is a close personal friend of mine for the same period of time I have known Senator Allen. Ken was and still remains an amazing athlete, he is one who contained the 'complete package' height, speed, toughness, coupled with an uncanny ability to block, run and catch the football. I lived in the same apartment with him for two years (1973 and 1974) and got to know him very well. I have always known him by the nickname, 'Wizard'. I have always thought the name came from his ability to catch passes (like the day against the Naval Academy when he caught 3 for touchdowns) or his ability to somehow get open in the field. Personally I believe that he was a true 'Wizard' because he always had the ability to sneak out after curfew and never get caught."

Virginia Blog Carnival At Spark It Up!

I'm not sure if it was a coin toss or arm wrestling, but Kilo got the task of putting together the carnival this week. Mash your mouse here to check it out.

I Missed One

I rearranged my "Other Virginia Blogs" blogroll Saturday, (yeah, my life is that interesting), and I meant to add Southwest by Southeast to that list. Actually, I thought I had until I noticed Chad mentioned the new blog by a fellow Southwestern Virginian. He has been added to the right hand column now.

I've been reading this guy for a couple of weeks now, since J.R. introduced me to him. If you haven't checked it out I suggest you do, there's some good stuff going on there.

Jim Webb's Dark Ride, Continued

Recently Flora McDonald produced a video that has stirred emotions all over Virginia. It certainly stirred mine, and I was proud to have given it it's debut showing here on I'm Not Emeril. There were some who had "issues" with the video, and some of those complaints could have been interpreted as valid. Flora has since made a final revision, and once again I'm proud to show it here. I think a perfect introduction for it comes from frequent comment poster JPTERP (I'm guessing, maybe there is a Maryland connection) who said on NLS;

I'm serious about this authorship issue. I'm not an expert in digital editing, but I doubt that lawyers and industry lobbyists without video production skills could have made that on their own.

An amateur could have done that sure, but it wasn't done with typical in the box production software.

Posted by: JPTERP | September 21, 2006 at 12:30 AM

You're right JPTERP, no lawyer or industry lobbyists could have made this video. Regardless of whether they used "in the box" or custom software.

But a mother could. A mother did.

Using freeware software, and a heart, and a love and admiration for her son's contribution toward Iraqi freedom. And an anger that Jim Webb is attempting to re-build a failed political future in the same manner that John Kerry built his 25 years ago. Watch this again and be moved.

Lowell Is Stuck On A Dark Ride

Lowell Feld is imploding. After a whole summer of his lies and spin going relatively unchallenged, this past week has paid its toll on him. He has seen his candidate refer to questions about him as "absurd". Lowell, I've never been referred to as "absurd", could you tell us how it feels to know that the candidate you have so passionately supported is now obviously embarrassed when he is linked to you? But I'm sure Tim Kaine is proud to have lent his name to your site, right? What? You mean he's not?

Lowell has been reduced to posting his wet dreams as "news". Current visitors to that site that I refuse to provide a link to are greeted with the "news" that Dick Wadhams (note to Lowell, et al, there are no parentheses in his name) has been or will be demoted. Lowell claims "sources" that have said that Chris LaCavita told them "off the record" of this development.

Let's ignore the fact for the moment that I'm quite sure my sources are more reliable than anything Lowell posts. Hell, I ain't even sure I believe the time stamps on the posts over there, much less anything contained in the posts. The premise that LaCavita would tell anyone that "off the record" and expect it to go unreported is completely unbelievable. Besides, I have been assured that there is no truth whatsoever in Lowell's latest wet dream. Instead, Lowell's nightmare continues while he is stuck in Jim Webb's dark ride.

Born Quitting?

Jim Webb's campaign, and Jim Webb himself, has said on numerous occasions that he spent 4 years in the Reagan administration. The first 3 years as one of many assistant Secretaries of Defense. The last 10 months was spent as Secretary of the Navy, a promotion in anybody's book.

What Mr. Webb and the campaign staff want to gloss over is his manner of departure from the position as Secretary of the Navy. I could go through all of the history, but in the interest of saving space and time, I'll instead direct you to a contemporaneous account from the Washington Post, (March 7, 1988).

Jim Webb - novelist, lawyer, decorated Vietnam veteran - quit his job as Navy secretary two weeks ago in a fiery barrage of moral outrage and personal frustration.

It was an explosive ending to a short, stormy tenure as the civilian chief of the Navy and Marine Corps. Although his resignation came abruptly, it did not surprise some colleagues who had watched the growing tensions between Webb and his boss, Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci.

You can read the entire article at the A-Team blog.

The Washington Post article also contains this little nugget. While I was aware of the circumstances surrounding his resignation, I learned from this article that he also quit his previous position as well.

Webb, 42, was recommended for the Navy post shortly after he quit the Pentagon job he'd held for three years as assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs.

Since his Marine career ended, Mr. Webb has held two political jobs. Both of which he resigned when he saw he could not get his way. Is this the temperament Virginians expect from their Senator? This Virginian doesn't think so.

I'll end this post with 2 quotes from Jim Webb.

On your (or anyone's) military career;

It [the military] functions not on money but on nonmaterial recognition. Do something good and you receive a good fitness report, an award, a meritorious mast, promotion to higher rank. Do something bad and you are reprimanded, court-martialed, jailed, demoted. You cannot quit your duties if you don't like your job or your boss or the place they're sending you.

And ironically we find that his father's military career ended in an eerily similar manner. In Jim Webb's own words;

During the Vietnam war he [James H. Webb Sr.] served at Air Force Systems command on sensitive satellite link programs and as a legislative affairs officer in the Pentagon, leading him to become a vocal critic of Defense Secretary McNamara's leadership methods and causing him eventually to retire from the Air Force, partially in protest of the manner in which the Vietnam War was being micromanaged by the political process.

Webb Campaign Has Anti-Semitic History

From a Jeff Schapiro story in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch;

In addition to posts on Democratic blogs focusing on Allen's lineage, Wadhams cited Webb's use of a controversial handbill during the primary campaign as evidence of anti-Semitism.

"Anti-Semitic themes run through the Webb campaign," Wadhams said. "I distinctly make that assertion and that charge."

During the Democratic primary, Webb was criticized for a flier featuring a cartoon likeness of his Jewish opponent, Harris Miller, with a large nose and cash spilling from his pockets.

Download the pdf file here.Or click the image to see it get bigger.

Finally Lowell And Josh Get The Recognition They Deserve

Well, Jim Webb has been paying Lowell and Josh for lo these many months. By continuing to keep them on the campaign payroll he signals that he must be very happy with the job they are doing. Finally Chris Matthews gives Jim an opportunity to publically recognize Feld and Chernila, and praise them for the hard work they have put forth on behalf of the Webb campaign...
NOT!

Instead, he is visibly angered at the question and refuses to answer it.
UPDATE:
Welcome NLS readers. While you're here, feel free to browse. If there is anything I can do for you, please ask.

A Few Jim Webb Quotes

Today I'll give you some Jim Webb Quotes, all from the pages of the Wall Street Journal.

ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:
"Affirmative action, which originally sought to repair the state-induced damage to blacks from slavery and its aftermath, has within one generation brought about a permeating state-sponsored racism that is as odious as the Jim Crow laws it sought to countermand."

"A Soviet-style bureaucracy of political commissars now monitors every level of our society to ensure that racial and gender "diversity" matches pre-ordained models, using the awesome powers of government to make certain that white males are not "overrepresented" in education, employment or government contracts."

"He watched the Democratic Party, once a champion of the worker-producer, abandon him in favor of special interests who define their advancement mostly through the extent of his own demise. To him "diversity" is a code word used to exclude him-but seldom better-situated whites no matter the extent of his qualifications and no matter the obstacles he has had to overcome, The Republican Party, to which he swung in the last election, has embraced him on certain social issues, but has yet to support policies that would override the tendency of elites to simply protect their own rather than reverse the travails of affirmative action and the collapse of public education."

ON DEMOCRATIC PARTY SLEAZE:
"It is a pleasurable experience to watch Bill Clinton finally being judged, even by his own party, for the ethical fraudulence that has characterized his entire political career. But allowing Jimmy Carter a free pass on the issue of presidential pardons... ignores both the evidence of history and the trauma that President Carter visited on this country during his earliest days in office."

"Indeed, it could be said that the seeds of Bill Clinton's political arrogance were sown by Jimmy Carter's own hand."

"These acts resonate when one evaluates Bill Clinton's incessantly arrogant presidency, from the endless string of conscious and serious abuses of power to the "conversion" of White House furniture and china on his way out the door. For what we are seeing are the echoes of a pervasive elitism, from people who were taught when young that the laws that applied to their countrymen did not necessarily apply to them."

"Bill and Hillary's misadventures provide an echo of a different time and place, another set of values. Of bright students brought to good schools and becoming convinced, as Ben Stein wrote of his years at Yale Law School with the Clintons, "that we were supermen, floating above history and precedent, the natural rulers of the universe. . . . The law did not apply to us."

"Nor did President Carter's abuse of power end with the pardoning of draft evaders."

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more Jim Webb quotes. While choosing these quotes I've found Jim Webb being openly hostile toward every President since Kennedy except one. That one he openly praised. I'll give you a while to guess which one before I reveal the answer.

Ms. Fox, Why Is It Relevant?

I haven't seen yesterdays debate in it's entirety yet, but Badrose taped it so I expect to see it soon. I know George Allen was there, but from the reaction I've read on various Webb supporter's blogs It's hard to tell if Jim Webb was there or not.

It seems they are much more interested in getting out the news that George Allen may have a Jew or two in his ancestry. That group includes one two Democrat blogger bloggers I thought I could respect. Is Jewish ancestry something to be ashamed of? I don't think so, but the Webb campaign has a history of going in that direction. Just ask Harris Miller. Is Joe Stanley feverishly working with PhotoShop to create another racist flyer similar to the one he created for Webb in the primary?

I have found this clip of the tasteless question. You watch it and judge for yourself.

I have e-mailed Ms. Fox and WUSA management asking just that question. If you would also like to ask Ms. Fox why this is relevant, here is her e-mail address pfox@wusa9.com

Other WUSA Station contacts;
The President & General Manager, Darryll Green dgreen@wusa9.com
News Director, Randal Stanley rstanley@wusa9.com
Vice President Community Relations, Khalim Piankhi kpiankhi@wusa9.com

UPDATE: Statement From George Allen

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator George Allen released the following statement this afternoon:

"Yesterday, I found it especially reprehensible that a reporter would impugn the attitudes of my mother, as Ms. Peggy Fox did in her first question at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Senate debate. My mother and father both taught me to abhor bigotry, and Ms. Fox's suggestion to the contrary was deeply offensive.

"The notion peddled by the Webb campaign that I am somehow embarrassed by my heritage is equally offensive, and also absurd.

"I was raised as a Christian and my mother was raised as a Christian. And I embrace and take great pride in every aspect of my diverse heritage, including my Lumbroso family line's Jewish heritage, which I learned about from a recent magazine article and my mother confirmed.

"On several occasions through the years, I have mentioned publicly that my mother's father was incarcerated by the Nazis. I have never known whether he was persecuted by the Nazis because of his nationality, his religious faith, his role as a community leader, or his part in the anti-Nazi resistance.

"What I do know is that my grandfather's imprisonment by the Nazis had a profound impact on my mother. It was a subject she found painful to discuss and so we almost never discussed it.

"Some may find it odd that I have not probed deeply into the details of my family history, but it's a fact. We in the Allen household were simply taught that what matters is a person's character, integrity, effort, and performance - not race, gender, ethnicity or religion. And so whenever we would ask my mother through the years about our family background on her side, the answer always was, "Who cares about that?"

"My mother has lived a long and full life, and I hope and pray she will enjoy many more years. She deserves respect and she also deserves privacy, especially where painful memories are concerned. I sincerely hope that simple decency will be respected."

No Words Necessary

But I do wonder why this photo does not appear anywhere on Jim Webb's campaign website, not even in the photo gallery.

Virginia Blog Carnival Is Up At Belowthebeltway

Doug has the Carnival posted at Belowthebeltway.

The Weakly Webb Woundup, Brought To You By The B-Team

Welcome to the first Weakly Webb Woundup. Today you will meet the George Allen B-Team. Several Virginia bloggers have decided to gather their favorite posts on the major subjects covered during the past week in the campaign for Virginia's junior Senator seat.

I also want to point out that neither Allen Team is comprised of paid bloggers. We all do this simply because we believe in George Allen and his quest to maintain his seat in the Senate.










I am pleased to have been asked by Chris at STD to compile the inaugural week's submissions to the Weakly Webb Woundup.Since the B-Team was the brainchild of our lovely Flora who dominates the scene at United Conservatives of Virginia, I'll lead off with a video she just completed sometime in the wee hours of this morning. Instead of embedding it here, I'll just link to the YouTube site until Flora gets it posted on her site. Click on the screen capture below to see what an incredible job she's done watch the video here.

You guys know Chris, the T-shirt purveyor who does Spank That Donkey, right? Chris is very fond of the 2nd amendment (aren't we all?) and would like to point out a few differences between the candidates.
Let's begin with Chris questioning Jim Webb's commitment to the 2nd amendment. Here he wonders if Webb will work to reinstate the Clinton era "assault weapons" ban.

He also tells us that even though Webb currently holds a CWP (concealed carry permit). Will Jim Webb support Allen's new bill to allow reciprocity between states on concealed carry permits

And finally, a couple of posts about the very important NRA endorsement. It's sure to go to Allen, but does Webb even want it?

Nickfinity, who can be found mostly at The Jefferson Mammoth, also has some concerns with jim Webb's commitment to the 2nd amendment. Check out his thoughts here, or here.
I'm going to break somewhat from the traditional carnival protocol and link to one of my own pieces. After a full week of reading about Jim Webb's apparent misogyny, I reached back into my Scots-Irish heritage and composed this little limerick to serve as an intro to my post.

In Virginia there's a writer and Marine
Who told us of a horney woman's dream
But when faced with the facts
He has no clue how to act
He may even make the feminists scream

Kilo has this on the same subject, but he didn't write a limerick to go with it. His blog partner One Wise Girl looks at it this way.

Ward, at the appropriately named The Ward View, looks into some of the fairy tales that seem to spring forth with regularity at Raising Kaine. He also has taken a look at the footwear of choice of both George Allen and Jim Webb.

The photo he links to was supposedly taken during the MTP debate yesterday. Even though it was an "under the table shot" that photo could not confirm a rumor I've heard. Was Jim Webb actually sitting on a couple of pillows to conceal his relative lack of stature while seated beside George Allen?

To end this on a humorous note, let's go back to Flora for this amusing look at Jim Webb's problems with making an endorsement and sticking to it.

Thanks for dropping by the Weakly Webb Woundup for this week. Keep an eye on the B-Team sites to see who will be holding the woundup next week.

A Little On Two Upcoming Seasons

I've never written anything here about the second amendment. I've never written just about guns, either. I think in my archives you will find a couple of articles about hunting, though. I love upland bird hunting. There is so much to be said about watching a well trained dog work a field, not to mention the dinner that often results from such a day.

Here in Virginia we are in the midst of a campaign for the Senate. Both candidates on the surface appear to be "gun friendly", one holding NRA endorsements since forever, and the other being an ex-Marine and action fiction writer. For myself I'm going with the one that had the NRA's blessing in the past, and is most likely to have it this time, as opposed to the candidate that will owe much to Senators Schumer, Kerry, and Kennedy for his campaign.


Enough politics for now. Allow me to tell you about my favorite weapon.

Born in Springfield MA, and spending it's working life with the Martinsville City Police Department, I obtained my model 686 357 Magnum upon its retirement. I don't know which officer carried it daily, but he obviously treated it very well. It shows some holster wear, but the trigger work he had done to it is awesome. It has been with me on most of my hunting trips (I think I can hear it whimpering during black powder season when it has to stay at home), both as a camp gun and as a tool for harvesting game. It has several deer to it's credit and one turkey. That does not include, of course, all of the various snakes, foxes, other vermin, and one bat.

About that bat. A friend and I often go frog gigging. A canoe, a very good light, a farm pond, and a long stick with a barbed fork on the end. You get the idea. On those occasions I am loaded with .38 rat shot, a miniature shotgun shell that works in my revolver. On one such trip Joe's dad, Russell, was with us and a bat kept swooping down toward us in the canoe. It wasn't a real threat, just annoying as hell. After one of those dive bombings I muttered something about "shooting that bat out of the sky" if it made another kamakaze run on us like that. Russell, who did not know I was loaded with rat shot came back with a typical "yeah, right. Like you could hit a bat in flight with a 357". Well, just a few minutes later the bat started another series of passes down toward our light and I unholstered that revolver and splashed the bat into the farm pond. To this day Russell thinks I'm the greatest pistolero in Virginia. And no, I will never tell him it wasn't a 145 gr. Winchester Silvertip that did the deed.

Oh yeah, one other thing. It sleeps daily in a readily accessable location, always prepared to defend my little homestead.

Would It Be Sexist Of Me...

to wonder if all women think alike?

Could the "woman vote" be the deciding factor in the coming Senatorial election? If so it may be too early for George Allen to sigh a breath of relief just yet.

Badrose just called me to direct my attention to her take on the debate, one that is remarkably similar to opinion held by Norman's wife.

I'm not prepared to say this is a trend in any sense of the word, and I'm not prepared to say that these two ladies reaction is good or bad for one candidate or the other. But it is rather remarkable that two conservative (I'm obviously assuming in the case of Mrs. Leahy) women, one in Richmond and the other in Martinsville would come away from the debate with such similar thoughts. It makes me wonder if it's more widespread.