Saturday, October 15, 2005
This Will be the Death of Me...
Well, if you haven't seen Jerry Kilgore's latest ads, you're missing a treat. In one of them, a father laments the loss of his son and daughter in law who were shot to death in a cocaine deal gone bad. Kaine worked as a defense attorney for a total of 48 minutes on the case, and he's being attacked for it.
Whether you like it or not, and no matter how hideous their crimes, defendants in Capital Murder cases deserve legal representation. The lawyers that take their cases are woefully underpaid, and horribly overworked. Most attorneys who represent these defendents consider the work to be pro-bono, the pay is so bad. It's a whole lot more involved than volunteering at the local soup kitchen, or to pick up trash on the side of the road. These attornies have a responsibility to represent their clients in the most effective manner possible. This service should be seen as a positive, and not a negative.
Innocent men have been put on death row. Earl Washington comes to mind, as the most famous case in Virginia. There are still many people who are convinced that Earl Bramblett did not commit the murder for which he was executed.
Capital murder trials are open to the public, yet almost nobody sits and actually watches them. I've been through three, from jury selection to sentencing. Even in the most clear cut case, the burden that a jury feels is extreme. In the most grisly murder in which I've heard evidence, I saw 11 out of 12 jurors bawling as they sentenced a young man to die for his crimes. It was not a decision they took lightly. I must admit, I had serious reservations about the sentence myself, even though this man took no mercy on his victim, stabbing her dozens of times.
Kilgore seems to have no conscience about it, and wants to swing the death penalty around like a bullwhip. There is a time for severe punishment, but this is the ultimate punishment, and should not be handed down lightly. (as a side, note in the debate when Kilgore wished for the death penalty in the Behl case, before there was evidence of a murder in commission of another felony, or even a murder at all.) He's using this emotional and highly complex issue as a simple election tool, and it's far too complex for that.
Plain and simple, these are very effective, biting to the bone ads. Of course, they are highly offensive, and in horrible taste. (I think too much is being made of the Hitler reference)
This is what you get when you have the ad team that created the not-exactly-truthful Swift Boat Ads that changed the face of last year's presidential election. (notice they look exactly like them, same lighting, same music, just different words)
This is the point where this race has gotten uglier than Gary Busey after a three day binge. I feel like I need a shower.
Whether you like it or not, and no matter how hideous their crimes, defendants in Capital Murder cases deserve legal representation. The lawyers that take their cases are woefully underpaid, and horribly overworked. Most attorneys who represent these defendents consider the work to be pro-bono, the pay is so bad. It's a whole lot more involved than volunteering at the local soup kitchen, or to pick up trash on the side of the road. These attornies have a responsibility to represent their clients in the most effective manner possible. This service should be seen as a positive, and not a negative.
Innocent men have been put on death row. Earl Washington comes to mind, as the most famous case in Virginia. There are still many people who are convinced that Earl Bramblett did not commit the murder for which he was executed.
Capital murder trials are open to the public, yet almost nobody sits and actually watches them. I've been through three, from jury selection to sentencing. Even in the most clear cut case, the burden that a jury feels is extreme. In the most grisly murder in which I've heard evidence, I saw 11 out of 12 jurors bawling as they sentenced a young man to die for his crimes. It was not a decision they took lightly. I must admit, I had serious reservations about the sentence myself, even though this man took no mercy on his victim, stabbing her dozens of times.
Kilgore seems to have no conscience about it, and wants to swing the death penalty around like a bullwhip. There is a time for severe punishment, but this is the ultimate punishment, and should not be handed down lightly. (as a side, note in the debate when Kilgore wished for the death penalty in the Behl case, before there was evidence of a murder in commission of another felony, or even a murder at all.) He's using this emotional and highly complex issue as a simple election tool, and it's far too complex for that.
Plain and simple, these are very effective, biting to the bone ads. Of course, they are highly offensive, and in horrible taste. (I think too much is being made of the Hitler reference)
This is what you get when you have the ad team that created the not-exactly-truthful Swift Boat Ads that changed the face of last year's presidential election. (notice they look exactly like them, same lighting, same music, just different words)
This is the point where this race has gotten uglier than Gary Busey after a three day binge. I feel like I need a shower.
Comments:
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The who skew of Republican ads are craft to mislead. Consider the following.
The handsome young man sports a military uniform standing in front of a military helicopter. Next, with the stern look of a former prosecutor we see him standing in a jail surrounded by police officers. The overlying voice of the campaign ad says he is tough on crime and that he is a good family man who will protect us from vicious criminals.
The ad invites you to believe Bob McDonnell is the type of model citizen we would want as Virginia’s next Attorney General. Yet, like the candidate himself, the ad is a slick well-produced showpiece.
In 1996, McDonnell sponsored legislation to make it a serious crime for candidates to make false charges during a campaign. Three years later his campaign manager admitted that McDonnell’s campaign had made false charges against an opponent.[1] That “Do what I say, not what I do†standard is nothing short of hypocrisy. It is not a character trait worthy of any statewide candidate.
Yet, the most damning part of this sad episode is the subsequent downfall of McDonnell’s campaign manager. Was he fired because he told the truth about making false charges during the campaign? Surprisingly the answer is no. The campaign manager, Robin W. Vanderwall, was later caught-up in a Virginia Beach Police Internet sting. He was arrested and subsequently convicted of attempted indecent liberties with children.[2]
My father taught me that men are judged by the company they keep. Does this make Bob McDonnell a child molester? No it doesn’t, however, it does call into question his ability to protect our children from sexual predators when he can’t even keep such people out of the hierarchy of one of his campaigns.
Now then, it would appear that it’s not such a good week when you look below the very thin veneer of a cleverly produced campaign ad.
[1] Roanoke Times, 1/11/96 & Virginia Pilot, 1/14/03
[2] Virginia Pilot, 11/24/03 and 2/8/04 & Richmond Times Dispatch, 1/21/03
The handsome young man sports a military uniform standing in front of a military helicopter. Next, with the stern look of a former prosecutor we see him standing in a jail surrounded by police officers. The overlying voice of the campaign ad says he is tough on crime and that he is a good family man who will protect us from vicious criminals.
The ad invites you to believe Bob McDonnell is the type of model citizen we would want as Virginia’s next Attorney General. Yet, like the candidate himself, the ad is a slick well-produced showpiece.
In 1996, McDonnell sponsored legislation to make it a serious crime for candidates to make false charges during a campaign. Three years later his campaign manager admitted that McDonnell’s campaign had made false charges against an opponent.[1] That “Do what I say, not what I do†standard is nothing short of hypocrisy. It is not a character trait worthy of any statewide candidate.
Yet, the most damning part of this sad episode is the subsequent downfall of McDonnell’s campaign manager. Was he fired because he told the truth about making false charges during the campaign? Surprisingly the answer is no. The campaign manager, Robin W. Vanderwall, was later caught-up in a Virginia Beach Police Internet sting. He was arrested and subsequently convicted of attempted indecent liberties with children.[2]
My father taught me that men are judged by the company they keep. Does this make Bob McDonnell a child molester? No it doesn’t, however, it does call into question his ability to protect our children from sexual predators when he can’t even keep such people out of the hierarchy of one of his campaigns.
Now then, it would appear that it’s not such a good week when you look below the very thin veneer of a cleverly produced campaign ad.
[1] Roanoke Times, 1/11/96 & Virginia Pilot, 1/14/03
[2] Virginia Pilot, 11/24/03 and 2/8/04 & Richmond Times Dispatch, 1/21/03
# posted by 
: 8:36 PM
: 8:36 PM
The whole intent of these Republican ads is mislead. Consider the following:
The handsome young man sports a military uniform standing in front of a military helicopter. Next, with the stern look of a former prosecutor we see him standing in a jail surrounded by police officers. The overlying voice of the campaign ad says he is tough on crime and that he is a good family man who will protect us from vicious criminals.
The ad invites you to believe Bob McDonnell is the type of model citizen we would want as Virginia’s next Attorney General. Yet, like the candidate himself, the ad is a slick well-produced showpiece.
In 1996, McDonnell sponsored legislation to make it a serious crime for candidates to make false charges during a campaign. Three years later his campaign manager admitted that McDonnell’s campaign had made false charges against an opponent.[1] That “Do what I say, not what I do†standard is nothing short of hypocrisy. It is not a character trait worthy of any statewide candidate.
Yet, the most damning part of this sad episode is the subsequent downfall of McDonnell’s campaign manager. Was he fired because he told the truth about making false charges during the campaign? Surprisingly the answer is no. The campaign manager, Robin W. Vanderwall, was later caught-up in a Virginia Beach Police Internet sting. He was arrested and subsequently convicted of attempted indecent liberties with children.[2]
My father taught me that men are judged by the company they keep. Does this make Bob McDonnell a child molester? No it doesn’t, however, it does call into question his ability to protect our children from sexual predators when he can’t even keep such people out of the hierarchy of one of his campaigns.
Now then, it would appear that it’s not such a good week when you look below the very thin veneer of a cleverly produced campaign ad.
[1] Roanoke Times, 1/11/96 & Virginia Pilot, 1/14/03
[2] Virginia Pilot, 11/24/03 and 2/8/04 & Richmond Times Dispatch, 1/21/03
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The handsome young man sports a military uniform standing in front of a military helicopter. Next, with the stern look of a former prosecutor we see him standing in a jail surrounded by police officers. The overlying voice of the campaign ad says he is tough on crime and that he is a good family man who will protect us from vicious criminals.
The ad invites you to believe Bob McDonnell is the type of model citizen we would want as Virginia’s next Attorney General. Yet, like the candidate himself, the ad is a slick well-produced showpiece.
In 1996, McDonnell sponsored legislation to make it a serious crime for candidates to make false charges during a campaign. Three years later his campaign manager admitted that McDonnell’s campaign had made false charges against an opponent.[1] That “Do what I say, not what I do†standard is nothing short of hypocrisy. It is not a character trait worthy of any statewide candidate.
Yet, the most damning part of this sad episode is the subsequent downfall of McDonnell’s campaign manager. Was he fired because he told the truth about making false charges during the campaign? Surprisingly the answer is no. The campaign manager, Robin W. Vanderwall, was later caught-up in a Virginia Beach Police Internet sting. He was arrested and subsequently convicted of attempted indecent liberties with children.[2]
My father taught me that men are judged by the company they keep. Does this make Bob McDonnell a child molester? No it doesn’t, however, it does call into question his ability to protect our children from sexual predators when he can’t even keep such people out of the hierarchy of one of his campaigns.
Now then, it would appear that it’s not such a good week when you look below the very thin veneer of a cleverly produced campaign ad.
[1] Roanoke Times, 1/11/96 & Virginia Pilot, 1/14/03
[2] Virginia Pilot, 11/24/03 and 2/8/04 & Richmond Times Dispatch, 1/21/03
# posted by : 8:39 PM
: 8:39 PM<< Home
