he strongly, illogically backed a shadily contracted metro proposal that will be an environmental and infrastructural nightmare for the people of Fairfax County, used machine-style tactics to create these party factions, refused to support fellow Fairfax Democrats who have really used the money, blows off unions and fellow electeds, and you "really like Gerry Connolly" and voice confusion when people start to call him out for this crap? hmm..

Sorry, I figured the first attack may as well come from this side :)  

Look, I'm not trying to be a Gerry apologist.  I know he's a profoundly flawed public official.  FFX democrats are deeply divided, Tysons Tunnel is a disaster, he sat on a war chest rather than help out a lot of good FFX dems.  The list goes on and on.

Gerry isn't the progressive I'd like him to be, but he has helped the FFX electorate get used to voting for Demcrats, and wheter he deserves credit for it or not, his district has become the voting breadbasket for the Democratic party of Virginia.

If I wanted a supervisor I agreed with 100% of the time, I'd run myself.

It's right to call Gerry out on all of this stuff, and to keep it in mind during the 2008 election cycle, especially in the VA-11 Dem primary.

Democratic events are routinely held outside of Union hotels- simply becuase there are very few union hotels around. What matters is that Democrats always check to see if the union hotel is available and fits the event. Gerry has done nothing unusual- why don't you ask if Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and the Democratic Party of Virginia still belong to the Democratic Party?

Give me a break- this is just baseless Gerry bashing!

Gerry Connolly?  I'm curious, because every time someone says something critical about him, you seem to get really heated up.

Maybe James Martin is really on Connolly's staff.

nor do I plan to be on Gerry Connolly's- or anyone else for that matter- staff.

In my opinion.  Perhaps he's just as frustrated as I am - knowing that if Ben spent as much time digging up dirt on Republicans as he does on Gerry Connolly we'd have a majority in the House of Delegates now!

Perhaps we should wonder why Ben is so quick to rush to the attack on Connolly - oh wait - we all know why, because the Chairman may have possibly considered contemplating running against Her Holiness Leslie Byrne (don't get me wrong - I'd totally prefer Congresswoman Byrne to Congressman Connolly and I hope Gerry knows his place), who handed Ben a second chance to be a political somebody in blog form.  Woops, did I really type that and then click 'post'...

so much.

n/t

To Connolly, everything is about him.  This explains such behavior as scheduling a supposed "Thank You" party irrespective of other Democratic candidates' schedules and using it as a vehicle to promote himself.  It also explains getting hundreds of  thousands of dollars from developers whose projects he controls regardless of the appearance of impropriety.  And not sharing those spoils with other Democratic candidates when he was involved in the cakewalk that passed for the Chairman's race.

There are many other examples of this but perhaps none so poignant as a funeral I attended for a wonderful lady.  It was heavily attended with many influential members of community there.  Connolly gave a talk that amounted to a standard campaign stump speech.  To him, the funeral wasn't about the woman's life or her grieving family, it was about an opportunity for him to promote his political agenda.

So taken in this context, Connolly doesn't belong to the Democratic Party.  He belongs to the Connolly Party.  Hence his shabby treatment of Democratic candidates like Jim Webb and John Foust.  Hence the irrelevance of unions if they're not direct supporters of his ambitions.  Hence supporting an elevated rail that almost none of his constituents want.  The list goes on and on.

Hiker Joe

You left out a very important and successful candidate Chap.  Thanks to the integrity of the candidate and to the help of RK...Chap's win is a real success story.

Isn't it great not to owe Connolly anything? I bet 99.9% of the developers who cough up $40, 30, 10...thousands of dollars wish they could say the same.

From Sen. Donald McEachin:

I am pleased and proud to announce today that I am endorsing Leslie Byrne for Congress. Not only am I supporting Leslie, but I intend to work hard to ensure her election. Leslie has been a tireless advocate of Democratic principles, consistently, constantly and conscientiously fighting for our values and our concerns. Leslie has spent her entire career fighting for those who are most vulnerable, for working people, for equal opportunities and justice for all, for the young and the elderly, for those who have no one else to fight for them. She is willing to take on long odds, difficult battles, and powerful individuals to ensure that those in need, those who are suffering are protected.

Because of Leslie's willingness to step-up and to do what she thinks is right, we Virginians, all over the state have benefited. Her endorsement made a very significant difference when Jim Webb began his campaign and I know how important her support was to me when I took on my predecessor. She continued her valiant efforts this year to help numerous candidates, including Senator-Elect Chap Petersen.

Now I hope to return a little bit of the efforts that Leslie has demonstrated for Democratic values and principles by supporting and working for her election over the coming months. I ask Democrats to join me in electing Leslie Byrne, one of our own, someone we can always count on to stand up for our values and to do what is right and fair and just.

Gotta respect The Donald!

I don't always like what he does, but remember, Gary Baise was running against him because he was too LIBERAL in Baise's opinion.

I think that's why he keeps winning.  He might not be that good, but he's still better than any of the REpublicans who run against him.

Lots of Gerry-hate on the Boards.

Let's examine some of the common problems with Gerry:

Not a nice guy....Well he does have terrible temper, but most of the time he is a pretty amicable guy. Besides who cares, lots of people on the hill are not nice people...they are not paid to be, they are paid to legislate...

Not Liberal enough: True, more your pro-buisness, free-trade, Clinton dem than your liberal Barbara Boxer type. So its up to one's own political views here.

Corrupt: Are we having this conversation? The man is pro-development (smart gowth, I hate that buzz word) So yes developers like him and give him money. Just the same as Congressman who sit on the Defense Approps committee get money from defense companies.This is how the game works, is it good? No but until canidates all run their campaigns on the public dime and agree to term limits...Its not going to happen (fyi im not for either)

Machine Politics: true gerry does crack the whip, yet he gets county items passed through such tactics. I mean the House and Senate have Majority and Minority whips for the purpose of organizing. Comes with the territory...Kennedy and Illinois in 1960...
 

Gerry Connolly is only interested in Gerry Connolly.  He has no loyalty to the Democratic Party or other Democrats.  He has no loyalty to Democratic Party ideals. He is only loyal to Gerry Connolly.

Connolly not only failed to support Democratic candidates such as Jim Webb, John Foust and Chap Petersen, but he worked against them.  He holds his constituents in disdain and routinely abuses them in public hearings.

You may see fit to overlook these flaws because he gets elected with a "D" next to his name, but I choose not to. I want Democratic office holders to be officials of whom I can be proud.  Gerry Connolly is not such a person.

They are all basically defensive.......giving us this relativistic, c'mon Gerry ain't so bad argument.  To which I say......................
Horsefeathers!

Everyone who tries to defend him by keeping him at arms length, as if they are afraid to be tainted by him.  Well, there is a reason for that.

Like I posted on the string about Leslie winning the RK poll, lets vote for someone.  Leslie has a srtong, positive and consistent record.  Lets go with experience .....my choice in this case.......in Leslie OR fresh face in Denneny.

Lets go dark on discussion of Fairfax's selfish brat till we have chosen a Dem nominee for the 11th cd.

That's choice.

Welcome back Lee. I've missed you.