Campaign Kick-Off for Tom Herbert, VA-72nd (Henrico) HoD

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Saturday July 28, 2007 · 5:49 PM PDT

2007/07/28 · 17:49

This one is for all the central Virginia kids.

This Monday July 30, Tom Herbert will be holding a kick-off event for his run against uber-conservative Jimmie Massie in the race for state delegate in the 72nd District. The event will take place at 6:00 PM at Godwin High School in the West End of Henrico. (Specific address: 2101 Pump Rd., Richmond, VA) The selection of a high school is no accident; Herbert's campaign is specifically highlighting his support for public education against Republican privatization schemes.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. The staff is hoping to draw a lot of media attention, and we want to make sure the Democrats are well-represented in this historically conservative district.

bherring2

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Thursday July 05, 2007 · 12:11 PM PDT

2007/07/05 · 12:11

I've been doing a lot of reading recently into Greek political thought, and that pretty much begins and ends with Plato and his student Aristotle. They shared much in their ideas, but Aristotle differed from Plato widely, seeing him as too radical and seeking a conservative middle course.

Plato's grand ideal for society involved what he deemed to be three radical changes, or "waves," which would institute a perfect government in Athens and cure the social ills he had grown up with. These three changes, in increasing levels of difficulty were women's involvement in politics (but only if they're qualified), communal structure of society abandoning the traditional nuclear family, and the philosopher-king, the highest of thinkers ruling society. Aristotle had deep problems with each one, considering them impracticable based on what he saw as "natural" or "observable."

So how does this relate to America? Well, it's no question that a lot has changed since then and America is certainly no Greece. But I think we can see parallels between the thinking of Democrats, representing the ideals of Plato, and Republicans, countering with the supposed "common sense" arguments of Aristotle.

bherring2

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Tuesday June 26, 2007 · 5:39 PM PDT

2007/06/26 · 17:39

Cross-posted at my site, Brad's Brain

Privatization is the sanitized version of what Republicans, and some Democrats, view as a saving grace for America. Because of their hatred of government, they axe social programs and farm out a great deal of what used to be overseen centrally. They do this far more often than you even realize, and they want to do it more. They funnel your tax money to these private companies, which in return pay little to no taxes back and are free to regulate themselves. Which they don't do.

But, hey, that's the free market, right? Companies are looking out for profit, and thus they'll be more efficient than government. Or so goes the argument. But let's take a step back here, a big step, about 1500 years and look at a prior attempt at free market ideology.

bherring2

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Friday October 27, 2006 · 9:09 AM PDT

2006/10/27 · 09:09

Cross-posted from Brad's Brain.

In Virginia's 7th Congressional district, where I live, Eric Cantor is our representative. He is a rising star in the Republican party, having been named Chief Deputy Majority Whip after only one term in Congress. He has been rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating his typically Republican aversion to civil rights and 0% by the League of Conservation Voters, demonstrating he has done nothing positive for the environment. 0% from NARAL. Voted in lockstep with every failed pet project that the Bush administration has put before Congress. And, as the only Jewish Republican in the House, he has stood in forceful support of Bush's unquestioning backing of all things Israel and its concomitant hatred of all things Muslim.

Enter Jim Nachman. Read More

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Campaign Kick-Off for Tom Herbert, VA-72nd (Henrico) HoD

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