Steven Latimer

Where has July gone? I feel like it was June only yesterday.

And for that matter, where has summer gone?

And by extention - where has 2008 gone?

On June 26, I reported on the congressional campaign of Susan Bitter Smith, who is the aunt of my friend and VCU alumna Angela Bitter. (See Bitter's Barnstorm)

Apparently, Bitter Smith has rolled out her first television ad, which can be viewed on YouTube here, or on the main page of Susan Bitter Smith's website, www.bittersmith.com

What a heart-warming, personable ad! I think Bitter Smith would make a fantastic Congresswoman!

Contributor Steve Rossie of the Family Foundation reports on VCU's summer reading selection, Kenji Yoshino's Covering, at his blog post here. Rossie's post is worth reading.

(VCU's summer reading program applies only to incoming freshmen. Because it was instituted in 2006 - after I arrived at VCU - it does not apply to me. Last summer, incoming students were required to read Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, a dyed-in-the-wool socialist.)

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with gay people writing books. Let me also say that I usually take what the Family Foundation says with a grain of salt. But Rossie has a very valid point.

If summer reading is to be required, there should be multiple options. That way, everyone can read something that applies to them!

I am withholding judgement on Yoshino's book until I read it; however, I sense that it will be an unfair, merciless attack on conservative ideals.

Once I read Yoshino's book, I will write a review on it.

I just returned from an open house hosted by the
Republican Party of Virginia.


The goal of the meet and greet was to meet party chair Jeff Frederick and RPV's new Executive Director, Allison Coccia. The open house was held at party headquarters at the Obenshain Center in Richmond.


Much to my surprise, there were no speeches. This was probably a good thing since political speeches tend to be repetitious. It was mostly a come-and-go crowd which was so large at times it was impossible to move about without bumping shoulders with someone.


I could go into detail about all the people I met, but the most interesting one was the conversation I had with RPV summer intern and VCU student Jon White. We spoke mostly of politics and VCU-related issues. Jon is a senior mass communications major and was in charge of signing people in to the open house.

Last night, Richmond-based bands The Norman Rockwells and Roslyn performed to an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 100 at Alley Katz in downtown Richmond.


The event was a benefit to Latin American drug lords - I mean - hungry Honderan children!

It was surely a red-letter day for both bands: it was the debut for the Rockwells' new drummer, Chris Pittman. It was also the debut for the nascent Roslyn - consisting of Brooks Cullum and Pedro Aida.

The Norman Rockwells went first, and played their repertoire. I took video of their two signature songs:

First, the Rockwells played their harrowing song, "Where We Sleep"

This was followed by the Rockwells' melodic, saccharine "Sweet Northern Saints," seen below:

Soon enough, Roslyn took the stage and the Rockwells bid adieu. The crowd immediately reached a fever pitch, surging toward the stage to see their debut.

The following are pictures of Roslyn:

On stage: Brooks Cullum (l), Pedro Aida (r)

Congrats to Roslyn for their debut!

Today while randomly surfing the Internet, I encountered fellow VCU student and friend Nate Waggoner's blog, specifically his July 10 post in which he writes about his July 8 encounter with me.

It's an interesting read.

Nate's transcript of our conversation is markedly accurate; either he was recording our conversation -- unbeknownst to me -- or he just has a really good memory.

Nate is referencing the Tuesday Morning Group Coalition, which I blogged about here.

Let's hope that Nate's reference to the cigarette he was smoking was not an example of literary foreshadowing!

I have just uploaded video into YouTube of the pre-rally festivities (for lack of a better description). Enjoy!

I spent most of the day in Washington, D.C. for the Revolution March. The following is a very rough summary of events. Enjoy!

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to the chorus of my three alarm clocks (I have two conventional alarm clocks, and my cell phone also has an alarm feature. Yeah, I know. I'm a heavy sleeper.) I obviously didn't want to miss anything! I then showered, and put on a set of clean clothes -- a pair of khaki shorts and my green polo shirt, which turned out to be a bad, bad idea (read on and you'll find out why).

Then at 6:50 a.m. I went outside, where I met VCU student and fellow Ron Paul supporter Aaron Jaek, who got a ride with me to the march. After stopping at Hardee's for a bite to eat in the form of a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, we then hopped on Interstate 95, which we drove to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station in Fairfax. (On the way up, we were passed by a station wagon full on Ron Paul people -- presumably going to the rally as well -- who honked and waved at us, observing my car's Ron Paul for President bumper sticker. Aaron was napping at the time, so only I returned their waves.)

We arrived at Franconia-Springfield at about 8:40 a.m. While waiting for the train to come, I bumped into Petey, a friend I made when I attended the going-away party for Paul Jost in May.

Above: Petey (l) and me (r)

Metro was teeming with Ron Paul people from Franconia-Springfield -- the terminus of the Blue Line -- all the way to Smithsonian. After we got off, we walked toward the Washington Monument, where the march was to begin. Thousands gathered just northeast of the monument, holding signs, and in general, just being happy and passionate about freedom.

Flags, props, and signage helped reflect the event's libertarian sentiment.

No doubt the event featured some fringe elements who have found Ron Paul to be a way of explaining their frustrations. Perhaps the most annoying group are the folks who think that 9/11 was an "inside job." I respect their opinions and analysis, but this just sounds silly.

For the most part, those who marched along Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues are normal people who are frustrated by excessive government -- and dumb government. The IRS and Federal Reserve were favored targets, here.

The march ended on Capitol Hill, where the crowd heard from a host of speakers, culminating with Ron Paul.



And now, the stupid story:

The day was very sunny with few clouds, and the temperature was a steamy 90 degrees. Long story short, libertarians are generally not the most formal people, and as such, many people removed their shirts to deal with the temperature. Noticing that my green polo shirt began to get sweaty, I removed it. (And now you will find out why wearing my polo shirt to the march and rally was a bad, bad idea.)

Since it was very hot, it seemed to me that shedding a heavy layer would work. Not so. Even though I applied sunblock and popped my collar when I was wearing my shirt, I got burnt to a crisp. As of this writing, I am as red as a lobster. I should have worn a t-shirt, which I could have comfortably kept on. Oh, well.

Afterward, Aaron and I had dinner at Union Station with my friends Rick Sincere and GMU student Richard Morrison, who were in town for the day. Following dinner, Aaron and I metroed back to Franconia-Springfield, and drove back to Richmond.

Above: my friends Lauren Sanders, Vladimir Rudenko, Conor Murphy

NOTE: All the pictures I took can be found at this public link.

So exclaimed Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Bill Bolling to a crowd of about 95 Richmond Republicans Thursday evening at the private residence of Kristin and Steve DeLuca in Northside.


I attended this event following the official opening of John McCain's Richmond campaign office, which I have written about here.


To the right is the Richmond GOP's official postcard I received in the mail inviting me to the event. The reverse side of the card promotes the event, declaring:

It's a new day for Richmond Republican Committee, and we're kicking off the Summer season with great food, great beverages, and a rip-roaring speech by a great American.

Presumably that great American is Bill Bolling. But first, Cortland Putbrese, the chairman of the Richmond GOP took the stage (actually, it was more like a deck) and got things started. He welcomed everyone, and then promptly introduced Roxane Gilmore, to speak in place of her husband, Jim Gilmore.

Mrs. Gilmore stated that those who are prematurely writing off Gilmore's campaign are not justified in doing so; Mrs. Gilmore said that Jim Gilmore has traveled 1400 miles throughout Virginia and distributed 10,000 pieces of literature and that his ideas are resonating with normal people.

Mrs. Gilmore is referring to the Gilmore campaign's Working Families Tour -- whose June 10 kickoff I blogged about. The Gilmore campaign featured my first-hand account of the event on their website here.




After Gilmore finished speaking, she turned the microphone over to the special guest for the evening, Bill Bolling. Bolling began by thanking Steve and Kristin DeLuca for being gracious enough to host this event. He then recognized Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick, who was at the event with this wife Amy, and baby girl.




Bolling then recognized Delegate Bill Janis and City Councilman Bruce Tyler, who were in attendance as well. Bolling then recalled how when he was growing up in small towns in Southwest Virginia -- like Cedar Bluff (population: 1085) -- he would have never imagined that one day he would do something that only 39 people have ever done: be Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

Above: Bill Bolling

Bolling's speech then turned serious. "This is not a game," he said, referring to the November election. On energy policy, Bolling suggested that "it is time that we declare a declaration of energy independence." Finally, the LG exclaimed that, "there are some potentates of pessimism out there!"

But perhaps the most interesting part of the evening was the pleasant exchange I had with pro-FairTax activist Josie Linen (née Toth) of Richmond. Noting the FairTax t-shirt she was wearing, I decided to strike up a conversation. It turns out that she professes a variety of libertarian ideals, as do I -- such as opposition to the federal government's War on Drugs.

Upon telling her that my name is Steven, she revealed to me that her brother was named Stephen, and was killed when the Israelis attacked the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, there are a host of conspiracy theories regarding the event. But indeed, according to Home of the Heroes, Stephen Spencer Toth of the US Navy was killed in action, for which he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

As I left the party, I observed a very interesting coincidence: as I was preparing to drive off, I saw that Josie must have parked her car in front of mine. I snapped a picture of her memorializing bumper sticker (I have redacted the licence plate here.)

Below: People enjoying themselves, taking in the scenery

Earlier this evening, I attended two political events: first, I attended the grand opening of John McCain's Richmond campaign office and -- to a lesser degree -- Republican nerve center.





Right before the speeches officially began, I had the pleasure of briefly conversing with VCU student Lee Vogler, who I blogged about on June 23. We couldn't talk long, since the speeches began in the midst of our conversation.

First, a Vietnam veteran who knows John McCain personally got the party started when he testified to McCain's character that he observed in combat.

From left to right: Bob McDonnell, Roxane Gilmore, Jeff Frederick, Jerry Kilgore. At podium: Vietnam veteran.

Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick then spoke, and suggested that everyone in the crowd of 110 people identify 10 undecided voters, and encourage them to vote for John McCain and Jim Gilmore.

Frederick experienced a small slip of the tongue when he mentioned how important it is that Eric Cantor and Steve Forbes are re-elected to Congress. Of course, he was referring to Randy Forbes, whose Congressional district includes much of Chesterfield County. Supporters of Steve Forbes' 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns must have been pleased to hear Frederick's exhortation to the party faithful, however.

Former first lady of Virginia Roxane Gilmore then spoke in place of her husband and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore, who was not able to attend this function. Mrs. Gilmore criticized the naysayers who seem to be prematurely writing off this election.

Then former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore spoke on behalf of John McCain; Kilgore is a Virginia co-chair for McCain. Kilgore stressed the need for greater American energy independence, and assailed Obama's reluctance to explore for more oil and natural gas here in our own country. Kilgore said that on the subject of high energy prices, Barack Obama's attitude is, "just get used to it."

Perhaps Bill Bolling had the best laugh of the evening -- noting that the room was unusually stuffy and hot due to the A/C not being on (which was somewhat abated by several fans), Bolling asked, "This is a rather ridiculous question, but -- are you fired up?!"

Bob McDonnell rounded out the speakers and addressed a slew of issues. On energy, McDonnell remarked, "We need to drill here. We need to drill now - so we can pay less at the pump!"

A common theme that all six speakers stressed was Obama and Mark Warner are too liberal, and that McCain and Gilmore both have solid experience, whereas Obama and Warner should be perceived as too "risky."

Delegate Jimmie Massie (l) talks to someone following the event

Happy people milling about afterwards, trying to not be too uncomfortable by the noticeable lack of air conditioning

This morning I attended the July coalition meeting of the Tuesday Morning Group, a project of host John Taylor's Virginia-centric Tertium Quids, a dynamic free-market public interest organization that seeks to enact a variety of meaningful, limited government reforms in Virginia.

Here's a rough synopsis of what took place:

First, John Taylor observed that because of a variety of factors, attendance at this month's coalition meeting would not be as high as usual -- indeed, only about 40 souls crowded into a meeting room in the Bull and Bear Club in downtown Richmond. Taylor took note that blogger Jim Bowden -- who was scheduled to speak to the coalition on why HB 6055 is bad -- was unable to join us due to a family emergency, but has agreed to present to the coalition at a future date. Presumably Morton Blackwell was planning to attend, but he had to go to the memorial service of former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, who died last week. Finally, Taylor took note that some regulars are on vacation. Taylor exclaimed:

We're going to have to cancel all vacations until the revolution's over!

Secondly, Taylor reported that when he spoke with newly minted Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick, Frederick said that he did not anticipate that Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw's bill to increase the gas tax would be supported. Taylor then assailed HB 6055, describing it as "3202 - part deux" -- a reference to last year's unpopular HB 3202, parts of which were unanimously declared unconstitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court. According to Taylor, HB 3202 allowed regional transportation authorities to levy taxes, whereas HB 6055 would allow municipalities to increase taxes. Taylor finished by referring to Republicans who support tax increases as "weak sisters."

Then Taylor turned it over to Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. Pratt applauded the U.S. Supreme Court in the recent D.C. vs. Heller, which ruled that Washington D.C.'s ban on handguns violated the Second Amendment. Pratt predicts that those living in cities will benefit the most from the court's decision (since this seems to be where gun control is the strictest) and that the goal now is to get rid of licensing requirements -- in many jurisdictions, residents must obtain a license from their local government just to own a gun in their own home and that the local bureaucrats can capriciously deny requests.

Next, Norm Leahy trumpeted TQ's two new podcasts and announced that in a matter of weeks, Tertium Quids will be starting a weekly online radio show and that John Taylor has been selected to screen calls. (!)

Brian Gottstein of Tertium Quids said that the podcasts are frank, and provide useful information that you won't hear anywhere else.

Krystal Slivinksi rounded out the TQ bunch by giving a briefing on budget transparency in Virginia. She said that she has been meeting with legislators and that several Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed interest in pushing for greater budget transparency.

Delegate Sam Nixon predicted that the General Assembly's special session will end on July 9.

Finally, Keith Fimian gave an overview of his candidacy for the congressional seat being vacated by Tom Davis in Northern Virginia and told us what he's all about. I was very impressed by his maturity, public speaking skills, and clarity of thought. Fimian spoke passionately about his business background, economic views, and desire for energy independence. I think he'd make a fantastic Congressman!

The August meeting of the coalition is scheduled for August 12.

I am always easily amused by different peoples' attitudes towards cell phone usage, especially the texting feature.
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Because -- you see -- I have always thought that telephones exist to relay sound over a distance. Hence telephone.
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Not everyone feels that way. Some people primarily use their telephones to send text messages, even though that's what email is for.
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Don't accidentally misread me -- there is nothing wrong with an occasional text if it is needed. For example, if it is impractical or impossible to talk on the phone, or if someone is in a bind, texting can be a great tool. Holiday or seasonal text greetings are nice, too, provided they be festive. But frequently texting has been used so much it has become banal.
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This blog post is not designed nor intended to harangue any one specific person; however, in the last two days, I have received 13 texts from three different people. One was a festive Independence Day greeting, which is fine by me -- but the bulk of the other 12 were probably not necessary when that person could just call.
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(As an aside, with standard text messaging fees, all these texts wasted a good buck or two. That's roughly the price of a double cheeseburger -- albeit at McDonald's.)
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The gentleman on the right gets it. So should we.

Pun intended.