Joe Thomas "Blog-cast" Headline Animator

Monday, October 5, 2009

The one time we DIDN'T listen to Thomas Jefferson

C'ville's beloved once warned that the dissolution of slavery without sufficient plans to create educational and social opportunity for the newly freed would lead to mass acrimony and resentment leading to the potential for great discord and violence. Sound like what happened after Lincoln (supposedly a Jeffersonian scholar) did just that? Then the Government-enforced 'fairness' that became know in aggregate as "The Jim Crow Laws" set the fuse that led to the racial discord of the 50's and 60's. Today, Charlottesville City Council will vote to write an apology for the city's complicit role in Virginia's "Mass Resistance" instead of taking tangible steps toward creating true opportunity for the "have nots" in Charlottesville.


Saturday, October 3, 2009

Hipocrisy in media and an ACORN falls in Louisa

In which I actually sound like I defend Bill Clinton (at least as he relates to Dave Letterman), point out how the left beleives that it's OK to be a social deviate if you are talented and then tell the story of a woman who was indicted for voter fraud after being registered to vote "by an organization" in Louisa County despite having her voting rights rescinded by a (previous) felony conviction.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

How we got here.

Joe channels the history of the nanny-state and the Federal 'protection racket.'

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

It's the CONTEXT, not the CONTENT we take issue with.

Before you jump all over my case about my opposition to the President's address to the school kids because I've been calling for someone to finally stand up and admit that it's not the schools' fault our achievement is down, it's the student's responsibility to learn, and that's exactly what the President said. Look carefully into the mirror and honestly answer the following question: If George W. Bush asked kids across the United States to stop their lessons, watch him give them a private address and the write letters about; "how can I help the President" and; "why it's important that we listen to the President and our elected leaders," what would you have said? It's not his place, right. So we agree. Now you may listen....


Wednesday, September 2, 2009

President McCheese's "Lesson Plan"

Like the McDonald's marketing model ("Get the kids and they'll bring the adults.") the President of the United States will be bring his message of socialized medicine (and unicorns?) to the school children of the United States on Tuesday, September 8th, at noon. We've found the list of some extremely frightening lesson planning suggestions (e.g; Why is it important that we listen to the President and other elected officials?) and go throught it 'step-by-goose-step.'






Go here to view the actual list of 'suggested lessons' and find links to Central Virginia School districts.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Nothing ventured...

As we watch the government vilify business owners, when have THEY ever been out on the "suicceed-or-starve" ledge? Adds a whole new meaning to having 'skin-in-the-game.'

Friday, August 28, 2009

Tom hears 'em knockin'

Another full house of Constitutional Conservatives greeted Congressman Perriello at Walton Middle School. Plus; How much does a crowd cost? Bonus: Secret toungue-in-cheek joke in the colors of the Washington Nationals' uniforms.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Lazy governance; 'Where's Tom?; Martyrdom and Phil Hamilton

Or; Master planning run amok; Congressman Perriello's 'Travelling Medicine Show'; The exploitation of Ted Kennedy (with a brilliant Charlottesville metaphor); and a Republican Delegate to the Virginia General Assembly 'lives down' to stereotype (pluswhy a truly Constitutionally conservative government wouldn't have allowed for this aberrant behavior).


Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Err, ahh...

Many moons ago, despite the obvious ideological differences, Joe Thomas and Ted Kennedy came together for an event on Joe's Hyannis radio show. Then; surprise, surprise, the RWSA's dredging feasability study will cost more than TWICE as much to do! (That's before ever sticking a single probe into the silt!) Hear Joe's theory as to why that might be.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Joe holds his own "Town Hall" meeting

The first in a series of "On-Air Town Hall Meetings." This time it's health care reform on the agenda with Dr. Gary Helmbrecht and Cordel Faulk from UVA's Center for Politics.
Part one





Part two





Part three









Monday, August 24, 2009

Q: Oh "Deep Thought," what's our 'sustainable population?

A: 42 (The real story is what "Deep Thought, aka; Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population, did with the taxpayer dollars we gave them to do the calculations.)


"It's a bit nutty." - A. Powers

Once finished getting a legal education at U.Va thanks to the G.I. Bill, Mike Stark has moved on to No-Va to continue promoting his socialist agenda and stopped calling my show to rant. He was back in his collegiate stomping grounds at Congressman Tom Perriello's town hall meeting in Charlotttesville (Which he misidentifies in his blog entry as a "tea party." Wouldn't Tom have been surprised!) and tried to turn the table on me. He wanted to corner me into tripping over my ideology and my healthcare reform plan (The one Eric Cantor, Diana Furghcott-Roth and Grace-Marie Turner said was so brilliant but Tom misunderstood.) but was unsuccessful so therefore claims to have "taken it easy" on me. Before you go read this or watch me brilliantly spar with him on video, I should warn you that several things that his readers said about me are not suitable for younger readers.

"A bag of tea with Joe Thomas"

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Who REALLY cares about 'the poor'?

Today's "blog-cast" - Overheard at lunch with Bob McDonnell the other day; A listener was chastened for going to meet the GOP candidate for Governor of Virginia with the following; "Why do you like HIM? He doesn't care about the poor!" Well, let's look at that....

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Does is sell better as; "Medicare for Everybody"?

Today's 'Blog-cast': Lawrence O'Donnell says 'Obamacare' would've been an easier sell if it had been explained as 'Medicare for Everybody' on "Hardball." Joe discusses below....

Friday, August 14, 2009

C'ville Schools' failing grades and who's job learning is.

VA's school district grades (AYP's) are in and C'ville failed; The difference between opportunity and acheivement; Whose responsiblity education REALLY is; Cynthia Neff misses it, again and as a bonus; Harry Reid calls Conservatives "evil-mongers."

Government efficiency (and other oxymorons)

Today's "blog-cast"; The root of the word 'politcs'; Creigh Deed's proposal to make Virginia's government more efficient by adding more of it, the erroneous presumption that anyone, in Gov't especially, has any influence on someone's "Capital-L" Life and why Jefferson didn't like Cities.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Is the tail trying to get the dog elected?

I've heard this too much, lately; "What's wrong with the Republican Party?" Nothing is wrong with the party nor the ideology of Edmund Burke/Russell Kirk/William F. Buckley. From where I sit, the problem is the same one that corrupts all who seek elected office; a power trip.

This country was not founded on the concept of an elite group of 'leaders.' Though early on, Jefferson saw what possible usurpation could take place and was driven to run for an office he did not want at a time that all he wanted was to go home. He became the first President to cut taxes to reduce the Federal deficit and estranged himself from the man with whom he co-authored the Declaration of Independence. This country was founded on the concepts that still command Virginia's General Assembly; Convene for a limited period of time, speak your piece on behalf of your constituents and then go back to your 'real' job. Now we have "career politicians" who are more concerned with, to paraphrase Mel Brooks, protecting their phony-baloney jobs than they are about representing their communities. Keep in mind, this afflicts both sides but since Conservatism is based on personal freedoms and therefore responsibility, it's a harder sell than the pandering that a career populist tends to employ so this is where we lose it. Well-meaning Republicans listen to their consultants and slowly transorm into pandering populists, therefore crippling their ability to actually defend the Constitution from the true "Populist-Socialists" who view it, at best, as a 'fluid and conceptual document' rather that a concrete set of laws that restrict governmental usurpation of a citizens' God-given rights.

Now, we have rooms full of well-meaning Conservatives arguing over what went wrong and how it can be put to right. Pardon me, but this leaves me with the same feeling as being in a room full of Washington Nationals' ticket agents arguing about how to get the team out of last place. They're not wrong but, at the end of the day, it's the players that are the only ones who can effect the change. We need candidate's who grasp the true meaning of pledging their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to something. We need candidates that understand that, in this commentators view, the key difference between us and them is while Liberals/Socialists say; "Yes WE can," Conservatives/Constitutionalists say "yes YOU can." And can explain the difference.

We are the proverbial cart that is here waiting for a horse. Where are Conservatives to run for Charlottesville's City Council along side Andrew Williams? Are there any others that will join Rodney Thomas in his run for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors? What about the two school boards? Anyone want to run on the promise to bring the two efficiency reports into effect? How about the General Assembly seats? Could there be a conservative challenger for the 57th district in the House or the 25th Senate district to challenge the status quo on the Commonwealth's education, transportation and energy policies? Let's not even get into the 2010 Congressional election! You see, we can argue over breakfast until the cows come home, but with Eric Cantor playing the role of this generation's Gerald Ford, we need to go and find and encourage the next Reagan's, not waste our time beating the "Bush's."

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The pot calling the kettle... a racist

As we approach the one week anniversary of the Jefferson Area T.E.A. Party (and all the others, too) one thing is becoming clear to me; The "Populist/Socialists" profoundly underestimated the fervor of the Constitutionalists. This is exemplified by; The perverse and juvenile attempt to trivialize us by Keith Olbermann (...repeatedly referring to us as participants in some bizarre sexual act...); The embarrassing attempt to call us stupid as exemplified by CNN reporter (I cannot call her a journalist) Susan Roesgan and now by calling us racists as Janeane Garofalo did on Olbermann's cable access show. Notice what is missing here? Defense of the out-of-control spending? No. Defense of socialising a previously free society in the name of being the 'ruling class'? Nope. Defense of an administration the will list their own veterans ahead of illegal immigrants, drug smuggling cartels, jihadists and Somali pirates on their "terrorist watch list"? Uh-uh. (DHS Sec. Napolitano hasn't even said she was wrong. Just that the memo was 'poorly written.') An explanation why the President seems more comfortable with Socialist Dictators like Ortega, Castro and Chavez than he is with American governors like Perry, Sandford and Palin? No. What I DO hear are a lot of people who are desperately trying to hold on until November of 2010 in a desperate attempt re-distract the majority of Americans (60-70% of us are still 'center-right,' politically) who have begun to wake from their group nap and begin to turn the tide in Washington and in their home towns. These people include Chuck Smith, who is running for the House of Representatives from the Virginia Beach area. He's a staunch conservative, Marine, former Navy J.A.G. officer and, oh yes, a black man. An unapologetic one who says that the Conservative message of personal freedom ought to be ringing loudly through the ethnic communities who's residents have, or are the children of people who have, either struggled to flee their impoverished native lands (many lead by the previously mentioned dictators) of overcome our own "Government-program-that-made-things-worse," the Jim Crow Laws. He sees that what is really happening is a new form of slavery, where honest, hard-working people are sold a fable that says that they are incapable of understanding such a complex world and they need to be looked out after by the elite class of modern-day plantation-owners. Is he a racist? We're not against the President because he's BLACK, Janeeane. We're against him because he's RED.

Friday, April 3, 2009

We're all in this... individually

In radio, there is a tradition of posting the following subtle reminder to hosts; "No matter how many listeners you have, they only listen one-at-a-time." What that means is that radio, like voting, is an individual and personal experience. It's with that in mind I paraphrase to remind all of us that will be under the Charlottesville Pavilion on April 15th (3-6p) that; "No matter how many fellow conservatives there are, we are all voting one-at-a-time."

In the name of full disclosure, I am on the committee that is planning the April 15th T.E.A. Party (Taxed-Enough-Already) here in Charlottesville. (Visit the site here) I am hosting it and will be costumed as Thomas Paine (an honor for someone in my business). However, I am concerned, (much in the way a major league manager gets about a rookie pitcher) that we 'use up our best stuff' in these early innings. I was listening to Mark Lorenzoni from the Ragged Mountain Running Shop coach his runners to run at a pace so that mile one takes just as long to complete as mike 10. I think that's sage advice for everyone who is up in arms about the out-of-control socialist course the President and Congress have us on. Remember, as of this writing, the polls open in 220 days and 20 hours or 210 days after the T.E.A. parties are passing to memory. We need to manage our passion so that the same enthusiasm that has driven the 9,000 MORE delegates to represent their communities at the Republican Party of Virginia Convention (4 times as many as last years delegation) is there on November 3rd at the polls. Because as communal as this all is, and as comforting it feels to know that you are not alone in your belief in the Constitution, individual rights and responsibilities, lower taxes and smaller government. When we arrive at the voting booth, you will be standing there alone. One citizen, one vote. "No matter how many conservatives there are, we are all voting one-at-a-time."

We already see the warning signs that the usurpers are creating an image of faux-conservatism. Just yeaterday (4/2) Congressman Tom Perriello (...by the way, I think the whole saying-his-name-wrong thing is getting old...) voted against the Presidents' "$1 trillion-deficit-a-year" budget. Be assured that your passion has sent a signal up the flag pole warning him that he had better look as 'conservative' as possible before he stands before us for re-election (585 days from now, but who's counting) and since they didn't need his vote, it was OK to give the appearance that he wasn't just going along on Nancy and Harry's wild ride. Forget not that he voted for the recovery and reinvestment act (and it's billions of dollars of spending) without ever reading it. These things are going to start happening more and more frequently as this years' election draw near and even more so next year. The goal; make enough of us give up the fight because 'they've heard us and are changing their ways.' Populist/Socialists (formerly the Democrats) don't know how to do that, they are just willing to wait to enact their elitist agenda. Remember, they are cock-sure that they are superior to you and beholden to care for you as Jefferson did for his slaves on Monticello. You'll live OK, but you have no freedom.

Take heart and let's pace ourselves so that, even though we are only casting one vote at a time it is to make sure we can keep it that way.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Homeward 'bound'

As a member of the media in the United States, I consider it a great honor to take part in Charlottesville's T.E.A. Party on April 15th as Thomas Paine. (learn more by following this link) My fear is that these events, along with the work of the National Center for Constitutional Studies on teaching the principles the founding fathers' used to build our country, (click here to learn about Charlottesville events) could go for naught if we don't encourage those amongst us who believe that "We The People" is still a viable governing philosophy to represent us in our decision-making bodies. If we keep sending people to represent us that cast vote after vote to reduce our freedom and bolster their own authority and influence, no matter the party affiliation they espouse, our efforts will be just more 'sound and fury signifying nothing.' We need to realize that of the seven deadly sins, sloth may be the deadliest one when it comes to freedom. I don't think the average American realizes how little time it really takes to be involved in their local government. A couple of hours here or there to attend a meeting or work session is what it takes. You might hear some amazing things at first, especially if you drop by places like planning commission meetings or other such gatherings of appointees rather that the 'elect-eds.' That will slowly change the more these appointees realize that the citizens are watching their deliberations and, most importantly, sharing what they see in the form of letters to their elected appointors, letters to the newspaper, calling talk radio shows (a personal favorite) and BLOGGING. Once the ones who covet position for authority realize that we won't trade freedom for a peaceful evening of "American Idol," we will need representatives that, quite honestly, don't NEED the job. James Madison wanted 'citizen legislators' who would serve their community in Congress for a while and then go back to their life once their neighbors decide that someone else would represent them better. Last weekend my family and I were celebrating the bicentennial of Thomas Jefferson's return to Charlottesville at the end of his Presidency, I pointed out to my kids that it's important to make note that Mr. Jefferson left that position conspicuously out of his epitaph. He ran for President because he felt that Adams was building too big of a central Federal Government that had allowed it's debt to grow to $80 million (compare that to ANY of the bailout bills!), not because he coveted the position. The American Revolution is unique in the pantheon of such political upheaval because it was lead by the people who HAD THE MOST TO LOSE. These people didn't NEED to do this, they had station and wealth. If anything, they were diminishing their position by creating this free society.

It seems ironic, but I believe that if we spend a little less time there, maybe we can find representatives that, like Jefferson, just want to do what's right and then go home.