On the Western Banks of the Shenandoah

I’m not a trained historian, at least in the sense of one current presidential candidate. I do not hold a PhD or even a Masters in the subject. But I do consider myself something of an amateur historian and do possess some historical training and experience, as a former schoolteacher and museum employee. I read quite a bit on a number of historical topics. One particular interest of mine is the Cold War era. I particularly enjoy viewing this through the contemporary media and pop culture of the period.

In the 1980s there were a number of films that considered the after-effects or on-set of a nuclear exchange between the superpowers. Some were primarily focused on the aftermath: Threads and The Day After are two infamous films that look at the toll on society and individuals that would ensue after such an exchange. These films also looked at the conditions that might lead to such an exchange. They tended to have a largely anti-nuclear, left-leaning message.

One film focused more on the lead-up and did so in a fascinating way. The 1984 Canadian produced Countdown to Looking Glass, which originally aired on HBO on October 14th of that year, considers the scenario of an economic collapse leading to Soviet puppet states springing up in the Middle East, particularly Oman. The U.S. sends troops to Saudi Arabia and Oman responds with a blockcade in the Strait of Hormuz. Soviets deploy submarines in the region as shots are exchanged on a variety of fronts. Things come to a head when the Omanis and the US exchange fire, resulting in the loss of an Omani gunboat. A Soviet sub is tracked under the Nimitz, and eventually nukes are exchanged. We’re left with the President and his closest advisors boarding the Looking Glass, an airborne command center and the very real possibility of an all-out strategic nuclear exchange.

What makes the film so compelling is that the events are portrayed through a mock newscast. The producers purposely added dramatic scenes and used compressed time (i.e. several days of events presented over the 1 hour 26 minutes of the film), but the newscast aspect lends a great deal of authenticity and really captures the paranoia and anxiety of the era. They also used real pundits and politicians, such as Eric Sevareid and Senator Eugene McCarthy. It does a fairly good job of staying somewhat neutral while still capturing the immensity of the potential situation.

Also appearing in the film is a young, telegenic Congressman from the state of Georgia. At the time he was a right-wing back-bench bomb thrower who was quickly making a name for himself. A committed Cold Warrior, he makes numerous references to past history and hails Winston Churchill.

You might know him. It’s former Speaker and current GOP Presidential candidate Newton Leroy Gingrich.

It’s been a while since I viewed the film, but I believe Newt appears twice from what I remember He appears at around 6:20 in this clip from the first third:

And at about 6:42 in this clip from the last third:

Newt isn’t exactly a Hollywood star like, say, former Senator Fred Thompson. But he has appeared in a variety of films, mostly documentaries. But in 1995 he did have a cameo appearance in an episode of Murphy Brown. Check out the former Speaker’s full Hollywood credits here.

As an aside, I strongly suggest you check out Countdown to Looking Glass. It may not have the power it once did, but it still pulls up a whole lot of emotions.

In last night’s CNN debate in South Carolina, Mitt Romney made mention that both Newt Gingrich and George Romney, Mitt’s father, were mentioned in The Reagan Diaries and claimed that Newt was mentioned only once and that Reagan thought he had a bad idea. Welp, I happen to have a copy of the Diaries, so here for you to judge for yourself is both the entry on Newt from 1983:

Monday, January 3rd
[Staff and NSC meetings; calls from congressional leadership.]
A tough budget meeting & how to announce the deficits we’ll have–they are horrendous and yet the Dems. in Cong. are saying there is no room for budgett cuts. Met with a group of young Repub. Congressmen. Newt Gingrich has a proposal for freezing the budget at the 1983 level. It’s a tempting idea except that it would cripple our defense program. And if we make an exception on that every special interest group will be asking for the same.

And actually TWO mentions on George Romney in 1984:

Friday, June 22
…..
In the Rose Garden after lunch I met with representatives of the Internation Youth Year Commission. Then a meeting with Sec. Schultz, mainly on the Soviet situation. No break through but further evidence that they aren’t quite sure which way they want to go. George Romney came by, he is heading up a part of our Pvt. Sector Initiative called “Volunteer.” He’s interested in possibly a special medal for outstanding volunteers. I’m rather inclined to think maybe they should be formally included in the presentation of Medals of Freedom. Did a portrait session with mike Evans & then off to  Camp David. Got there in time for a swim.

And on June 1986, there’s a mention that Reagan attended a luncheon for volunteer action group led by George Romney. Note that I only own the abridged edition edited by Douglas Brinkley–the Reagan Library sells the unabridged edition. There’s likely more on Romney there. In this edition, Ron Paul was not mentioned, nor was Rick Santorum, naturally, as Santorum was not elected to Congress until 1990, after the end of Reagan’s term.

I’m not going to go now and track down everything Ronald Reagan ever said about these four, if anything. Just wanted to clarify the historical record to the best of my ability.

Wow.

That was pretty intense.

I’m speaking, of course, of campaign 2009. Many of you who read this blog know that my self-imposed exile from blogging over the last six months. The intensity came not just from the campaign itself (a back and forth affair that, thanks to the amazing job of the McDonnell campaign, low Democratic enthusiasm for their nominee, backlash against the Obama administration, a hungry Republican base and a generally poor effort by the Deeds campaign turned into a nearly 20% blowout for the McBolliNelli team), but also my own personal journey. There were many great experiences, but the general pace of the campaign and a major car accident on September 27th led me to re-examine my life (not just in politics, but overall).

I discovered that full-time political work is just not for me. My own personal shortcomings, the constitution of my body and spirit, and my strengths and weaknesses have led me to the conclusion that I’m not meant for a career in the helter-skelter, knock down drag out world of American politics in the 21st Century. However, what I did rediscover is my deep passion for history that I went astray from and my love of teaching others not just about the world around them but themselves. I won’t go into great detail here, but my personal experiences have led me on a new path. One this blog is a crucial part of. Politics remains a very strong interest of mine, but I discovered that teaching, more than anything else, causes my blood to race, my eyes to widen, a smile to return to my face, and my hands to move with my words. I feel, rightly or wrongly, that modern education could use a role model like me, so that’s where I’m headed.

Longtime readers will know that in the past I have taken a deep interest in local politics. This blog will shift away from that, focusing even more on who we (the GOP) are as a party, as well as the major policy and ideological battles facing our nation today. It will also, however, take more focus on my personal passion for American history. Look for posts on historic preservation, visits to historic sites, and general musings on the state of history in our national dialogue. You can also look for postings on the art of music and pop culture in general.

It will also focus on my new work and passion: Education. I have decided to pursue my teaching license, hopefully at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. In the meantime, I’ll be pursuing passions in writing and picking up opportunities working with education, both with high schoolers and adults. I’ve got a project in particular in the arena of high school debate and forensics that will hopefully come to fruition soon, so expect some blogging on that as well.

I don’t know exactly where all this will take me, but I’m very excited for where my life is headed. I hate to make any declarations about my posting schedule, as I’m also seeking part-time employment, but I’ll endeavor to post at least once a day. One thing that will not be returning: the Big O Show. It was a worthy endeavor, but the interest just did not seem to be there for my verbal (and often stream of consciousness) musings on politics and pop culture, and I was never able to expand beyond, well, just me (probably due to, what I’ll admit, was my own aggressive tone and “peculiar” targets). What you can expect more of: video. My little Flip Camera, although not of the best quality, will get quite a workout, as my videos seemed to be very popular on the trail.

So stay tuned, welcome back, and get ready. Your comments, questions, and encouragements are greatly appreciated.

As a sometimes donor to conservative political candidates and causes, I usually get at least 5 or 6 fundraising appeals per week; sometimes I’ll get two or three on a single day. At this point, not a whole lot surprises me any more—I’ve seen it all: Sending dollar bills to guilt people into sending them back, outlandish language that makes even me blush (To wit: Jerome Corsi’s letter from yesterday warning me that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be the next Senators from DC), and letters from relatively obscure candidates who probably NEED out of state cash to even have a chance. 

However, today’s offerings did bring one eyebrow raising addition to the ever growing stack in my recycling bin: a letter from Jim Gilmore’s “The Patriot’s Committee.” That’s right, that heretofore believed to be moribund fundraising apparatus that helped fund Gilmore’s equally unsuccessful Presidential and Gubernatorial bids over the last two years. It’s no secret that Jim Gilmore left with extremely low approval ratings. However, even as late as 2003 it appeared that Gilmore might have a chance at a comeback. Gilmore’s national security credentials were coming in handy at the time, and he was an outspoken critic of Warner’s fiscal policies. However, his chances for a viable comeback went up in smoke when Warner browbeat the needed Republicans into supporting a historic tax increase. 

At that point, the narrative became all about the trainwreck Gilmore left for Warner. And let’s be honest–even outspoken fiscal conservatives like Norm Leahy will admit the math didn’t add up (though Gilmore is certainly not the only one to blame in that debacle). Still, Gilmore at that point became lashed to the Car Tax and its failure to be eliminated. I supported Gilmore at the 2008 State Convention, mostly out of respect for his fiscal and national security credentials, plus fear that Bob Marshall would be just too right to have a chance. However, I knew that there was never really a chance for Jim to win. 

So here we are. Jim Gilmore is trying one last shot at political relevance, this time by raising money for his PAC to funnel in to state races. He makes it fairly clear that he has no further political ambitions–why, then, keep this going? I can’t think of any part of the state where an appearance by Jim Gilmore would make a significant electoral difference. Perhaps he has some fundraising prowess that I can’t grasp (doubtful). However, it begs the question: Why is Jim Gilmore hanging around? 

He couldn’t be eyeing a certain vacant party office, could he?

A key liberal figure and a key libertarian figure are joining forces on an issue to help American farmers and the economy as a whole. Although I’m not a huge fan of Ron Paul and think Barney Frank deserves all the criticism he’s receiving these days, I’m glad to see them uniting on common-sense legislation that will benefit one of America’s most important industries. From RonPaul.com:

It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, from competing in the global industrial hemp market,” said Representative Ron Paul during his introduction of the bill yesterday before the U.S. House. “Indeed, the founders of our nation, some of whom grew hemp, would surely find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained federal government. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for American farmers and co-sponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act,” concluded Paul.

Eric Steenstra, of Vote Hemp, explains the issue and the opportunities:

“Under the current national drug control policy, industrial hemp can be imported, but it can’t be grown by American farmers,” says Steenstra. “The DEA has taken the Controlled Substances Act’s antiquated definition of marijuana out of context and used it as an excuse to ban industrial hemp farming. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009 will return us to more rational times when the government regulated marijuana, but allowed farmers to continue raising industrial hemp just as they always had.”

…..

U.S. companies that manufacture or sell products made with hemp include Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a California company who manufactures the number-one-selling natural soap, and FlexForm Technologies, an Indiana company whose natural fiber materials are used in over two million cars on the road today. Hemp food manufacturers, such as French Meadow Bakery, Hempzels, Living Harvest, Nature’s Path and Nutiva, now make their products from Canadian hemp. Although hemp now grows wild across the U.S., a vestige of centuries of hemp farming here, the hemp for these products must be imported. Hemp clothing is made around the world by well-known brands such as Patagonia, Bono’s Edun and Giorgio Armani.

At a time when not only small American farms are struggling but millions not in the agricultural industry are losing their jobs, it only makes sense to open up the opportunities for hemp production. The over-zealous and mis-directed “War on Drugs,” led by many who have little knowledge of actual drugs, their effects, and their production (which is all for another post, but important to point out here), has blocked for too long an exciting opportunity for America’s agricultural industry. Call you Congressman and Senator and tell them to support this important legislation.

If you won’t be able to make it to the one in Washington, DC or to the one in Richmond, join your fellow concerned citizens on April 15th at Noon in front of the Old Courthouse in downtown Winchester. Check here in the coming weeks for updates as they become available, as well as this very blog. Organizers are attempting to have Jill Holtzman Vogel headline the event. I can not think of  a more fitting scene for protesting the recent over-reach of government power and responsibility than a courthouse built on the remains of the original built in 1740, when the area was America’s first frontier and self-determination drove the survival of settlers and when this area represented freedom at its purest. Also of note: the building now contains a museum pertaining to the Civil War, which was the cause for the nation’s first income tax. 

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it or not, but if I do expect photos and video.

The newest addition to my over 400 piece collection of political items. 

Socks the Cat answering questions from the press on November 9th, 1994 following the Republican tidal wave in the midterm elections the day before. Socks had advised the DCCC on the use of animals in the Congressional campaigns

Socks the Cat, presidential pet and Democratic political consultant, died in Hollywood, Maryland at the age of 19. Socks had one of the longest tenures of presidential pets, but his term was not without controversy. Following Clinton’s re-election he was demoted to co-First Pet with Buddy the Dog, beginning a rift with the Clintons that Socks would carry to his grave. In 1998 was highly criticized for  scratching Tony Blair.

Socks began life in Little Rock Arkansas as the son of Fluffy and Roscoe on March 21st, 1989. He was the only surviving member of a litter of five, one of which was eaten by Fluffy and the others which met a variety of untimely fates, both canine and vehicular in nature. Roscoe was a poor provider and left the brood after he caught Fluffy with another tomcat. In 1990 Fluffy fell into an open sewer drain and was never seen again. At that point Socks was cast out into the streets of Little Rock, beginning a stretch of bad luck that would continue until Socks met the Clintons the following year. In his 2003 Memoir “My Tail,” Socks recounted that he suffered a serious battle with catnip addiction that continued well into his time in the White House. 

While sleeping off a catnip binge in early 1991 on top of some bags of shredded paper in an alleyway behind Rose Law in Little Rock, the cat was spotted by firm’s security guards. However, they were unable to apprehend the frisky feline. The cat was later found by Chelsea Clinton at the home of her piano teacher. Chelsea took the cat home, beginning a personal and professional relationship with the Clintons that lasted until Socks was exiled from the family in 2001. 

Socks is credited by some Clinton insiders as the inspiration behind the Clinton-Gore campaign’s core strategy  when in mid-1992 Socks pooped on Clinton’s draft paper on economic issues, leading adviser James Carville to exclaim “That’s ‘The Economy,’ stupid!” Following the 1992 campaign Socks followed the Clintons to the White House, but it was there that the relationship began to sour. After his call for a ban on automatic waterers was misinterpreted by the White House policy team, Clinton began to lose popular in many parts of the South when he signed the assault weapons ban in 1994. Following this incident Socks was sent to the DCCC to advise Congressional candidates on the use of animals in their campaigns. One of these candidates was Speaker Tom Foley, who lost his seat during the Republican tidal wave of 1994. After the campaign Socks returned to the White House and never consulted on another Democratic campaign, outside of his owner’s own re-election bid in 1997. 

Some Clinton insiders credit Socks with the expulsion of consultant Dick Morris from the Clinton campaign when, unbeknownst to Morris, Socks hid under the bed during the consultant’s infamous liaison with a hooker. However, increasing tensions behind the scenes led to Sock’s demotion as chief White House pet in 1997, when the Clintons got Buddy the Dog. Socks took to intense week-long catnip binges around the streets of Washington, DC, at the end of which he would often be found in the lap of the Lincoln Memorial. In 1998 his behavior hit rock bottom when he scratched Prime Minister Tony Blair on December 13th, beginning a two-day stand off with the United Kingdom that was only halted with the launch of Operation Desert Fox against Iraq. Socks then spent a week at the Betty Ford Clinic, after which he never struggled with catnip addiction again. 

In 2000 Socks asked to be assigned to Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign but was rejected by the Clintons. This was the first signal of things to come, as in 2001 Socks would not follow the Clintons to New York, leading to a final split between the cat and the First couple. Socks began speaking out against the family and in his 2003 book shared many stories about Clinton’s liaison with Monica Lewinsky. In 2002 after Buddy the dog was suspiciously run over by a power company truck Socks was investigated, but no charges were ever brought. 

Following his time in the White House Socks began expressing increasingly conservative political views. In 2002 during the Little Rock Christmas parade he announced his support for the Invasion of Iraq. In 2004 during a rare public appearance with former White House Secretary Betty Currie Socks announced his intention to vote for George W. Bush in 2004, citing the President’s handling of the war on terror. In 2005 he briefly joined the campaign of Republican Jeanine Pirro in for U.S. Senate against Hillary Clinton but was fired when he ate a page of Pirro’s announcement speech, which led to an embarrassing gaffe where Pirro stumbled over her words for nearly a minute. 

In 2008 Socks returned to Democratic politics but not to work for Clinton. Instead he endorsed Barack Obama, saying that as a black and white cat in America he was extremely pleased to see the beginning of racial reconciliation in America. Later in the year Socks was diagnosed with cancer and his public appearances became extremely rare. His final public appearance was to be a speech at the Democratic National Covention, but his speech was bumped when President Carter’s video went long, a final blow to America’s former first feline. 

Socks had one final meeting with the Clintons in December of 2008 when it appeared that he would not recover for his cancer. He congratulated Hillary on her appointment as Secretary of State and made up with Bill, apologizing for any damage he caused during the White House years. Socks was euthanized this morning, attended by Mrs. Currie. 

Socks the Cat’s funeral will be held at the National Cathedral Monday at 11 A.M. Vice-President Biden is expected to attend, as is Secretary of State Clinton. Socks has decided not to have full state honors; rather, his body will lie in state at ASPCA’s national headquarters

*In case you don’t have a funnybone, this is a work of satire. However, I always did think Socks was one good looking cat and my inspiration for getting my mother’s cat Maya when I was at UVA. Socks, you will be missed. 

Most of the attention in foreign policy coverage right now is either on the troop increase in Afghanistan, the tension in Israel, or the situation in Pakistan. However, on Sunday something happened to the South in Venezuela that must be paid attention to. From the AP:

Venezuela’s elections chief says President Hugo Chavez has won a referendum to eliminate term limits, paving the way for him to run again in 2012.

National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena says with 94 percent of the vote counted, 54 percent have backed the president’s proposal. That trend is irreversible.

Firecrackers exploded as pro-Chavez caravans circled the city with horns blaring after the announcement Sunday night. Chavez appeared on the balcony of his presidential palace to sing the national anthem.

 

This is not the first attention that has been paid to the situation in Venezuela. People with far more intimate experiences with the nation reveal more details. From Michael Rowan, a Democratic political consultant who spent 13 years in the South American nation:

Since 2004, Chavez has had the capability to rig the elections. That capability includes control over the voting roll, the electronic voting machines, and the centralized count, none of which has been independently audited in five years (while the roll increased from 10 million to 17 million names); direct or indirect employment of five million jobs; direct threats to fire employees who do not vote for him; using billions of dollars of government funds to buy votes — openly; using, sometimes with plausible deniability, the police, military, and roving gangs to intimidate or murder opposition or media nuisances; and restricting freedom of speech and assembly of the few remaining opposition groups, e.g., gassing the students or denying their permits to march.

Read more…

Adam Sharp, one of the best young minds on the other side of the aisle in the Shenandoah Valley (and a worthy foe), tweeted earlier today about a great tool on VPAP. For the uninitiated, VPAP is wonkesse for the Virginia Public Access Project, a non-profit non-partisan group dedicated to gathering and making public as much information about the General Assembly and state elections as possible. All of this information is available through other resources–however, VPAP makes it incredibly easy to look at all the available information about a Delegate’s electoral history, finances, and lobbyist ties in a single glance. 

So what new tool am I addicted to? Why, a handy floor map for both the House and the Senate that visually highlights a number of facts about various legislators. These include gender, party, age, length of service, region, birth state, and margin of victory. Some notes:

• Women have made better in-roads in the Senate (20%) versus the House (16%)
• The House is significantly younger (53% under 55) than the Senate (42.5%)
• 69% of the House was elected after George Allen left Richmond; 47.5% of the Senate was elected in the intervening years 
• The 540 Area Code is the fourth most represented in the Senate and tied for third in the House; remember, though, that its the geographically largest
• The House has more native Virginians (54%) than the Senate (52%); for all you nativists out there, the “come heres” are in check…..for now. 
• Only 11% of the House had a close (less than 10%) election last time, 20% of the Senate has close ones. 
• On the flip side of the coin, 42.5% of the Senate went uncontested, versus 56% in the House. 

A plethora of interesting information is to be had. One minor quibble–the region breakdown is not by pure geographical region but by area code. Honestly, I don’t consider Fredericksburg part of the Valley by any stretch of the imagination. However, the regions are a matter of debate as it is, and not all parts of a region are created equal (note Adam and I’s debate in a recent thread on ethnic varieties in caucasian voters). 

Outside of that one geeky (and admittedly, regionally envious) quibble, an awesome tool and a great addition to VPAP’s veritable cornucopia of useful political info.