Patrick McSweeney Has Lost His Mind

I'm on the Right (big R) wing of the party for sure, but even I have my limits and I've found it.  Patrick McSweeney, a former RVP chairman in the 90s, has sent out and email that proves he has completely lost his f'n mind.  Its an endorsement of Patrick Muldoon for lieutenant govenror, and its both absurd and hilarious at the same time.  I've debated whether to even dignify it with a post or just leave it alone, but I feel I must come to Bill Bolling's defense.  Lets go through it:

 We all know that the Republican Party today has no clear brand. The choice is whether to develop a new one or to rediscover our tradition, but abandoned brand.
          That is not the only choice. The more important choice is whether incumbents and their consultants or the grassroots should decide what our brand should be instead of the grassroots.

I agree with the sentiment, as I've shown in my Jeff Frederick support.  And he's right, we have lost a brand.  But Bill Bolling has never been the problem . . . he was one of the few brave senators during Mark Warner's reign to stand up beginning to end on tax hikes.  Since he's been LG, Bolling has put together a working group for 100 Ideas to help Virginia based on strong conservative ideas . . . and I can attest to that because I was there for two of them.  So while there is plenty of blame to go around (Davis, Chichester, Howell, Potts, Kilgore, even Allen) it does not hold for Bolling.

Patrick is an exceptionally capable, intelligent and hardworking fellow. Born and raised in Southwest Virginia on a family farm, he has earned both an engineering degree and law degree.  In 1996 and 1998, he ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Democrat Rick Boucher in the 9^th District. It also took George Washington and Vance Wilkins three tries each to win their first elections.

So he's lost two elections . . . and then compares Muldoon to GEORGE WASHINGTON!?!?!  Are you kidding me?  I know a lot of conservatives think highly of themselves but this is ridiculous.  And let us not forget that Muldoon hasn't lost two elections, he's lost four, I believe he ran for commonwealth's attorney as well 9th district chairman.  But to actually compare him to George Washington?  Hell, he can't even hold Vance Wilkins jock, Wilkins almost single-handedly built a political party.

During the summer of 2008, this group of elites devised a Call for the 2009 convention that would make it very difficult for any candidates to enter the field who had not already announced. They used the only meeting of the State Central Committee during the 2008 campaigns between May and November to push through the Call. Instead of planning to help our 2008 candidates, the Central Committee devoted almost its entirety of its September 2008 meeting to controversial procedural issues that had nothing to do with the 2008 elections.
          As a result, a great deal of the Party’s energy and focus during the closing weeks of the 2008 campaigns was diverted from the essential tasks of enhancing turnout and promoting our candidates to organizing for the 2009 nomination contests. Lining up petition drives for 2009 candidates, raising money for 2009 candidates and generally speculating about 2009 had never before been allowed to interfere with the immediate challenge of winning the elections only weeks away.

OK.  I also agree that State Central is essentially useless to the party in many ways, and this little move was a tragic.  But if he thinks that State Central had any bearing in the outcome of the 2008 elections, he's crazy.  We had bad candidates up and down the ballot, we had a bad message, a bad brand, and we were facing an unreal campaign operation.  So not sure how any of this was Bill Bolling's fault who was out there for our candidates working harder than probably Muldoon or McSweeney.

What is equally troublesome is that Bill Bolling and others in the elite group do not believe that Bolling should be required to account either for his past actions and positions or for the positions he intends to take during the 2009 campaign if he is nominated. The obvious conclusion is this: Patrick’s opponent and his elite group don’t want a public discussion about what our brand should be. They and only they will decide.

Past actions?  Voting pro-life, fighting the Warner tax increases when so many other Republican senators where diving for cover, using what power he had to back up Republicans in the General Assembly against the Kaine proposals for tax increases over and over, and campaigning for Republican candidates up and down the state for four years - yeah, sounds like a pretty terrible record.  And then there is the nonsense of somehow Bolling doesn't want a public discussion about what our brand should be.  Bolling spent the last three years organizing open public forums through his 100 Ideas for Virginia initiative to solicit through both a website as well as in person.  I was there for two of these, like I said before.  From the beginning, Bolling has been at the forefront of solving issues like education, health care, and transportation by applying conservative solutions.  I was there, trust me.  In fact, there is not one person in leadership of the Republican Party of Virginia that has done more to help our conservative brand than Bill Bolling.

 The new Republican message, we are told, must be that Republicans are better equipped than Democrats to solve people’s everyday problems.
          Please take a moment to reflect on this new message. It necessarily means that ours has become a radically different party. We are no longer committed to encouraging individuals, families, religious organizations, voluntary associations and the free market to solve our problems. We will now look first to government to solve our problems, just as Democrats do. Our new brand is that Republicans can give people better government and maybe just a little bit less government than the Democrats.  No matter how it is dressed up, that means expanding government.
         This new brand is not one that the grassroots of the Party has ever embraced. Why should we blindly accept the brand chosen by Party elites? 
         Bill Bolling has decided that Republicans should either hide or compromise their positions on social issues.   He never consulted the grassroots about that. We want candidates who will unapologetically defend those positions, not act as if they are afraid of them.

Again, I sympathize with what McSweeney is talking about with regards to our message, but Bill Bolling has never run and hide from our conservative bent as a party, you only need to listen to his speech for a couple weeks back at the kickoff.  Its so frustrating because there are leaders in Virginia that deserve a good tongue lashing, but Bolling isn't one of them.  Muldoon and McSweeney are living in some fantasy world were they are projecting their frustrations with some factions in the party on all.  Bill Bolling might be the most conservative guy elected statewide in Virginia in the last twenty years.  Bolling has not ever hid or compromised his positions on social issues.  I have been to many events where Bolling has spoken and openly and honestly on his position on social issues.

Lets go one by one.

The contest for the nomination for Lieutenant Governor offers a clear choice.
·        Patrick will campaign to protect human life from conception to natural death.
·        Bill Bolling has said that Republicans must downplay their traditional positions on social issues in order to win.
·        Patrick wants to return to traditional conservative principles of personal responsibility, community self-help, parental control and reliance on private initiative and enterprise to solve our everyday problems.
·        Bill Bolling has a platform that proposes new legislation to solve the citizens’ everyday problems and has supported intrusive measures such as the human papillomavirus vaccination legislation.
·        Patrick opposes legislation, such as the 2007 transportation statute (H.B. 3202), that provides for the imposition of taxes by unelected bodies, abusive driver fees and billions of tax-backed debt without voter approval.
·        Bolling supported H.B. 3202 in 2007.

• Bill Bolling had a tremendous pro-life record in the state senate, SoCons have never had a problem with him.
• Bill Bolling has openly talked about social issues and social conservatives being an important part of the Republican coalition.  He just believes that we need more than that to win, so we have to talk about other issues in addition to social issues.  He's not hiding, he's expanding our message to expand out base.  Its two different things.
• I answer this one, see above.  Other than that, I'll be repeating myself.
• What legislation?  Any quotes, and numbers?  Bills?  The vaccination legislation is aimed at helping to prevent cervical cancer in women, and one can be against it but its a pretty weak base to build a statewide base.  
• Great.  Another band-wagoner who did not back HB 3202 without actually having to vote on it.
• Bill Bolling did not support HB 3202, he stayed neutral.  I remember because when it went down, the McDonnell-Davis axis criticized him while they were still eyeballing each other for the gov nomination.  Ridiculous.  

This nomination is a waste of time, space, and effort.  I've always looked at Bill Bolling as a conservative leader in Virignia, ever since I first got interested in local politics he's always been the one guy that has stood up the loudest against Mark Warner and the Democrat ascendency in Virginia.  The "grassroots" that McSweeney talks about are really just whiney far-right wingers and Paulistas who bitch and moan all day and night about the Republican Party, but then do almost nothing for the party to help change it in a positive way.  Any person who does not support Bill Bolling cannot call themselves a conservative, they can call themselves "Morons," because in a state party so devoid of actual conservative leadership and so full of do-nothings and compromisers, Bill Bolling has often been a lone wolf in the night.  He deserves to be reelected and he's earned it.  

Comments

[Loudoun Insider]

This shows you how truly wacked-out most of the Frederick Fanatics are. You obviously have more sense than most of them, MC. McSweeney has been backing losers for a long time now, so this is no surprise. Muldoon is a complete waste of time.

[novamiddleman]

If you believe something 100% you will never stop. These people will never be satisfied. They are a huge distraction

Chris serious question in Fairfax County only don't you think we need to downplay social issues and propose government solutions to common problems. Across the state it might be different but in Fairfax don't you think thats what you have to do to win.

[Chris]

I think if someone is pro-life and its important to them they shouldn't be shy about saying so, but they have to understand the views of the people who live here too.

On balance I think your right, we need to apply real conservative solutions to local issues . . . something that Pat Herrity has taken the lead on. And I don't always believe government solutions end up being real solutions, we have to know when to get out of the way. Fairfax County is wasting a lot of money on programs that mean well, and are hard to vote against because you look like a bad guy, but nonetheless don't work. A perfect example is all the housing the county has bought up. Great cause, plenty of reasons to do it, but government is incapable of doing it right.

I believe that government should be there to empower and back up the citizens as they life their lives and solve their problems.

But yes . . . I would not reccomond a politician run soley on social issues, but if its what they believe they should be free to say it.

[Phantom08]

What really gets me is that Muldoon is not even in the same league as Bob Marshall much less Vance Wilkins. This isn't 2008 redux.

McSweeney and company are not backing anything closely resembling a real candidate for a statewide office.

Muldoon's resume and campaign would be insufficient and embarrassing for a challenge to a sitting Delegate much less a lieutenant governor who sacrificed his own ambition in order to prevent a bloodletting in our party.

I can't wait till the convention next month when we can put this charade behind us. I will be toasting that day. How about you?

[Britt Howard]

Nice post. I agree with almost all of your observations.

I am a big fan of Bill Bolling. He has been a constant positive force for conservatism. Different issues take priority as the political landscape changes. For me, priorities revolve around fiscal issues and ever expanding government. Not only is Bolling a social conservative but, he is definitely there for us fiscal conservatives. We could only wish more Republican officials were like Bolling.

I also agree with many of McSweeny's statements about brand. Perhaps, he took Bolling's words out of context or perhaps Bolling could have chosen his words better(solving our everyday problems). Bolling is NOT a big govt. type. His record speaks to that.

Ok, I'm not a Paulista. Although, with the exception of foriegn policy, on many issues Ron Paul is absolutely correct. You can't go wrong with limited taxation and smaller government. However, I know many a Paulista in and out of the RPV. I never hear them bad mouth Bolling. I'm not clear as to your comments there. They like other Republicans, do raise money for RPV candidates.

[GOP4Ever]

Novamiddleman - I live in Fairfax County and am very active at the grassroots level. By the way, I am a social conservative. I agree that this is the approach that we need if we are going to win elections locally. Ask John Cook.

Just because we aren't trumpeting pro-life, heterosexual marriages, gun rights every two seconds doesn't mean that we have abandoned our principles. It just means that we will be effective if actually can win elections and get folks into office to draft the laws that will make Virginia red again.

Here's a fact: Unemployment rates are high in Virginia. Guess what - No one (especially in NOVA) cares about abortion, gun rights, heterosexual marriages. THE VOTERS want to find jobs and keep their homes from being foreclosed. I strongly approve of the McDonnell/Bolling strategy to win this election

--- BOB's4JOBS

[Norberto]

The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting. That's pride f*cking with you. F*ck pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps.
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[Name]

The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting. That's pride f*cking with you. F*ck pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps.
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[GMo]

More posts about Muldoon, it's just ridiculous. Bolling has been one of the very few constant leaders in our party for a long time. He's never compromised his values or his conservatism. Bolling has been a great leader, and Muldoon has been a perennial loser. I just don't see any reason why Muldoon should be taken seriously.

[novamiddleman]

GOP4Ever We propably worked together and don't even know it. Were you part of the late night blitz through Kings Park on election eve?

Social conservatives are an important part of the coalition. Its a perfect opening into the hispanic and african american communities on those issues.

Its a question of what you emphasize and the fact that there is noone that you will agree with 100% of the time.

It is about jobs. On the D side TMac is dangerous. He is already treating it like a general election by campaigning on the jobs issue as well.

[Chris]

I agree. McAuliffe is really dangerous because he campaigns so hard and he can bring in so much money to get his message out.

[Conservative in Arlington]

I hate a lot of respect for McSweeney but this is just ridiculous. I bet if you asked him a year ago if Bolling was a conservative he would have said yes. Now suddenly he's not.

[NoVA Scout]

I've always felt Bolling was absolutely the classic example of the kind of candidate we need to get away from. A person of no particular accomplishment whose only career is politics, a product of the General Assembly (a resume item that, in my view, is largely a disqualifier for higher office), no military experience (not an absolute requirement, but indicative of some exposure to the serious side of life in the United States), and more or less a compendium of slogans wrapped in a stump speech designed to razzle the uninformed and undiscerning. Other than that, he's OK. Bolling has been completely harmless as LG (the job is so inconsequential that doing good or ill would be impossible for almost anyone), has paid his dues, always goes to the back of the line, almost before being asked, when there's clearly a better or stronger candidate around and might as well be given a second shot. This Muldoon thing is symptomatic of how some folks in the party keep trying to hook up the slogans for their own purposes and essentially to out-Bolling Bolling.

BB is always very alert to the trend lines and knows he has to reinvent himself this year to survive (remember how much difficulty he had beating Leslie Byrne, of all people). McDonnell has a similar problem. Bolling can't run solely for the entertainment of the redmeat crowd, both because there aren't enough votes there and because it would undermine McDonnell's new moderate image, an image that is being painstakingly burnished and hopefully will hold up. Bolling is hoping to draft on McDonnell this time around so he can't get too out of phase. When he's uncomfortable in this new role, he just stays quiet (watch him in the Frederick kerfuffle - if ever there was a guy trying to slide along the back wall of the saloon during a chair-throwing brawl, he's the one. I don't blame him either).

The Muldoon thing is pointless. Opportunism wrapped in buzzwords. Leave Bill alone unless you have someone who can provide some real substance.

[Lady Moderate]

I am a fan of Bill Bolling because he actually has DONE something while holding the second banana position as Lt. Gov. He is the candidate I feel best about. He's a match with me on most issues, and on the others, I can forgive our differences.

Most Lt. Gov.'s don't seem to even try to do anything. At least Bolling got around Virginia, did the legwork, talked to the people, and was a good PR man to drum up his 100 Ideas and his health initiatives.

I don't see the point in anyone running against him, other than to divide the party even more. But I suppose that is the other guy's right. I just wish we did not have this additional distraction.

[Steven Osborne]

I have never understood why Bill Bolling is the one being targeted. He has a solid record on the social issues, and had he run for governor, McDonnell would have had serious competition for social conservative delegates. As a social conservative I am a proud supporter of the McDonnell-Bolling ticket.

[Isaac]

The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting. That's pride f*cking with you. F*ck pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps.
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[Tim Boyer]

I have known McSweeney for many years, and those of attacking him without considering the depth and accuracy of what he has to say, do so at your own intellectual peril.
Let's start with a misconception to correct;
Pat NEVER supported JFred from day one.
I challenge any of you geniuses to find one quote from him supporting Frederick at any time as a candidate for RPV Chairman.

Pat believes elected officials should not serve as chairman of RPV and unlike Bolling he does not say one thing publicly and do another privately.

Now you all are having your fun calling him a wacko, and slavishly licking Bolling's coal miner boots, but if you would bother to open your minds to what McSweeney actually says, and do a little research, you would find truth to everything he says.
Bolling HAS been talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

For instance, I guess you are all in favor of government taking your daughters, and forcing three shots into their private areas for an HPV vaccine without your permission at 12 years of age??

Well, Bolling is, and you can see all the research I have done on that issue at my blog.
HB 2035, to be exact.
Yeah, I know the Family Foundation gives him a 100% rating.
Of course!!
We all know how that works........or do I assume that you all are aware of things you may not be.

The Family Research Council, however is bothered by this mandatory vaccine far more than it apparently bothers the FF.

I won't belabor you with any more facts, since I know they will not even begin to move you from dogged positions of worship, but open your minds, and do some digging and you would find reason to trust McSweeney's assessment of this situation.

Last year at this time, some of you were busy criticizing him for supporting Bob Marshall and calling Bob the long shot pipe dream.

Too bad you all are so in love with Bill that you think he is above political re-positioning.

Read my blog article regarding Bill and HPV, then try to argue.