Ken Reid: - Early Nominee for 2011 Turkey of the Year?

Is it just me or is there something odd in Leesburg district supervisor candidate Ken Reid's most recent campaign email:
 

Reform School Board Candidates Win LCRC Endorsements

The Loudoun County Republican Committee last night endorsed an excellent team of reform-minded candidates for School Board.

These candidates deserve your support -- in particular, my Leesburg friends Tom Reed and Bill Fox.

I am working closely with Tom and Bill on their campaigns, and Chairman Scott York is supporting them, too (See picture to the LEFT). Please support them by supporting me. A PayPal link is attached.

(emphasis added)

Huh?  I think that if I were inclined to support them I might, well, contribute to them directly and cut out the middle man.  Thanks, anyway, Ken.

But wait, it goes on.  Now, you get to help him celebrate his company's anniversary by, what else, contributing to his campaign. 

Sept. 24 fundraiser to celebrate 20th anniversary of my business and salute Loudoun entrepreneurs

Sept. 25 marks the 20th anniversary of promoting my first newsletter and "going off on my own." Today, my company Washington Information Source Co., enjoys a great reputation among executives in the pharma and life sciences industries, seeking information on how to comply with FDA and European Union regulations. Please mark your calendars for a Sept. 24 fundraiser/anniversary celebration, focusing on Loudoun's Entrepreneurs and what policies we can change in the County to achieve a better business climate. Sponsors will get their businesses promoted to about 3,300 Loudoun County residents, all potential customers. Ideal sponsors are those who sell goods or services within Loudoun. We also will have a special speaker who started a foundation from scratch and made a real mark on this community. Please call if you would like to be a sponsor and allow me to help promote your business. 703 779 8777, or email, kreid@FDAINFO.com The time of the fundraiser/celebration will be Sat. Sept. 24 from 6-8 pm. Please check out the WIS home page, at http://www.FDAINFO.com

With this bizarre, egocentric email, his Delgaudio-esque oafishness at last night's LCRC meeting and his past poorly disguised support of Sheriff Steve Simpson, Ken becomes my first nominee for TC Turkey of the Year.  That's not to say there won't be more nominees (it is only August, after all), but he certainly is an early front runner for the coveted title - and likely to gain ground on the competition as the campaign season progresses.

P.S. For those that may think I'm being too harsh on a fellow Republican during campaign season, allow me to offer this simple bit of advice to candidates that will go along way in helping them avoid embarrassment in the blogs and elsewhere:

 Don't be stupid.

That's Going to Leave a Mark

From Yahoo!'s most-read stories this morning

Obama's Legacy: A Failed Recovery & Double-Dip Recession

A Chicken in Every Spirit Pot

As the Democratic nominee for Dulles District supervisor, Larry Roeder touts his “ability to build innovative solutions.”   In the day job, he builds and sells something else: “spirit pots” which are, in his own words, “special containers for the ashes and soul of the departed.  Many people use these for pets, others for people.”  Yes, that’s right, just like one from the Steve Martin/Lilly Tomlin movie All of Me.   Can I get one in magenta?  There’s a dead fly on my window sill that I’d like to remember properly.           

                    

One other thing from the day job.  He emphasizes his international experience with the State Department.  These days, that experience is used to increase international attention on animal welfare as a means of reducing the effects of climate change.  Sounds about as rational as any other climate change analysis I’ve seen.

Come November, he'll need one of those spirit pots for his political career.

Perhaps a Different Headline, Governor?

"Virginia Welcomes Gang Conference"


When I first read this, I pictured Crips, Bloods and MS13 wearing fezzes and drinking cheap scotch.

The Unsung Unopposed

Delegates Joe May, Tom Rust and Tag Greason are now officially guaranteed reelection. Not only did they not draw a Republican opponent in a primary contest, but no Democrat would run against them either. While unopposed races generally draw, at best, a ho-hum from both the press and the electorate, these guys deserve a closer look.


One could attribute the absence of a Democratic challenger to many things – favorable redistricting, the power of incumbency, and a slightly right-of-center electorate to name a few. However, there’s a lot more to it than that. Often, a challenger will take on an incumbent, even if he doesn't have a chance of winning, just to make a point. And these districts are not so heavily Republican that a good Democrat could never win. No, the real reason these gentlemen did not draw challengers from either party is that they have qualities that truly transcend party lines. They are respected, reasonable men who seek to build reasoned consensus instead of political fiefdoms. They are not demagogues. They are not opportunists. And while they are, obviously, politicians, they are, in the truest sense, citizen legislators who clearly seek to do the right thing for their constituents.

What’s particularly amazing is Tag. He’s a first term delegate who took the seat from a Democrat who had held it for two terms. To not draw any opponent after just one term says a lot for his reputation on both sides of the aisle.

They all should be applauded for continuing to do the things that make them great citizen legislators.

Wednesday Morning Quarterback

The most important thing about this primary election is that Loudoun GOPer would owe me 12 beers by my count had she had enough courage to put her beer where her operative hack mouth is. She didn't and now she must live with my gloating and further commentary.  Allow me to expand.

Minchew. It may have been by only 87 votes, but a win is a win. Whitbeck showed surprisingly well. The beauty here is that because Minchew is well-respected, even in Democratic circles, he’s a lock for Richmond.


Ramadan. He spent a lot of money to beat someone whom  he would have/should have beaten like a red headed step child. If he’s going to win in November, he needs (a) someone who knows the capitalization rules to proofread his campaign literature; (b) a more traditional campaign approach; and (c) a solid explanation for his position on the Ground Zero mosque. As someone else pointed out earlier, Chase missed that lay up in favor of the stupid three point attempt at branding him a terrorist. A more measured approach would have been more problematic for Ramadan, and I’d expect the Dem candidate will not let it slide.

Black.  One word – FitzSimmond. Or is that two? At any rate, I did not expect him to draw that well, and he certainly played the role of spoiler. And it’s unfortunate. Stirrup would have given the Republicans a sure win in November. Black, however, gives the Dems something to rally against. Probably still won’t be enough in that heavy R district to give the win to the Ds.

Favola. In the “nobody cares but me and seven other Loudoun precincts” category, Favola demolished her opponent. This is bad news for Caren Merrick as, apparently, Favola is not as unpopular as Not Larry Sabato would have you believe. While Merrick already is working the Loudoun precincts hard, neither Dem candidate had a single sign this side of Fairfax County line. Favola obviously doesn’t give a damn about Loudoun, and, frankly, I wouldn’t either if I were her. It’s a small percentage of the electorate and very few Dems anyway. Hope for a Merrick Miracle!

I Guarantee They've Never Been There

CNN Money editors name Manassas Park one of their best places to live.

I think I've seen this vehicle somewhere before . . .

Yes, that’s it.  It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .