A farewell evening with Lt. Gov. Bill and Jean Ann Bolling

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and his wife, Jean Ann.

Hilton Hotel, Richmond, Virginia

January 9, 2014

Angela Kelly-Wiecek, Hanover County supervisor who holds the Chickahominy District seat that Bill Bolling once represented, talked with Jean Ann Bolling before Thursday's dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Richmond's Short Pump area. The room filled with invited guests who laughed and remembered campaigns and events over the years.

Bill Bolling thanked his wife, his family, his staff, and his many friends who have been there throughout the years. Then he launched into a story about Kristi Way during the 2005 campaign: "We were heading to a fundraiser at Kurt Michael's home...." Ah, yes ... very well remember that fundraiser in Fishersville.

Fellow blogger Brian Schoeneman drove from NoVa to join the 100 guests. He was seated at the lieutenant governor's table along with Linwood Cobb, Kurt Michael, Judi Lynch, and me ... excellent dinner conversationalist on a variety of subjects.

That's not chicken. LOL.

The conversation was entertaining and interesting all night at our table. The Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Judi Lynch, Dr. Kurt Michael....

Always an entertaining speaker, the LG had everyone in the room in stitches telling stories about campaigns, staff members, and events ... and thanked them for their help throughout the years. His Bloggers Days, the pewter Christmas ornaments, remarks at the Republican Advance, handing out his Patrick Henry awards, speaking at numerous events in Commonwealth throughout the years including SWAC Breakfast, and many other contributions will make him remembered as one of the most active lieutenant governors in Virginia history.

Saying this isn't the end, he concluded his remarks with, "Let the games begin!"

Returning to the podium before dessert, the LG was tossing tee shirts to waiting hands at tables causing laughter and cheers.

That shirt went to the outstretched hands of Judi Lynch seated at table number one. Go, Judi!

When he announced there were only two Bolling golf hats left, there was a race by Lynn Martin and Trixie Averill to the table in the back of the room to retrieve the caps, a sight that cracked up the room.

Ibbie Hedrick (seated at table) was with the George W. Bush administration before joining up with the Bill Bolling office as deputy chief of staff and spokeswoman. She worked alongside Denise Burch who was director of constituent services and scheduling, and chief of staff Randy Marcus.

I love food photos.

Staffers, volunteers, friends, colleagues.

The evening provided an opportunity for everyone to break bread together. Thank you to Lieutenant Governor and Mrs. Bolling for the hospitality and fellowship. One chapter closes ... another opens.

As a thank you to Bill Bolling, I printed the "Man in the Arena" remarks by Theodore Roosevelt on card stock with a watermark in the background of a photo I took of the Virginia State Capitol at the 2011 Bill Bolling Bloggers Day, framed it, and passed it along at dinner with my appreciation for his service as "the man in the arena" the past 22 years. Thank you, Bill and Jean Ann Bolling....

See also Day at the Capitol with Lt. Governor Bill Bolling ... the portrait unveiling

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
January 10, 2014

Schoeneman's response to St. John's controversy causes Bearing Drift hits to skyrocket

Controversy certainly can raise readership, as newspapers know all too well. Bearing Drift is reaping some mega-hits from the recent St. John's Church Easter sermon controversy.

In the middle of it, all the outrage over an Easter sermon has me wondering what conservatives are really interested in? Parsing words offered in an Easter Sunday sermon with the President in attendance, or all the other issues that threaten to swamp this country?

Contributor Brian Schoeneman got dragged right into the middle of the story when he began to defend his church, St. John's in Lafayette Square across from the White House, and its rector, Reverend Luis Leon, who had presided over Brian's marriage and baptized his son. Brian had attended Easter services last Sunday and knew what had been said, the context in which it was offered, and he knew it was not in the negative way being portrayed.

Brian wrote:

In his sermon, Luis made reference to “captains of the religious right,” and it was reported in many places that he accused the religious right of wanting to keep blacks in the back of the bus, wanting to keep women in the kitchen, and immigrants on their side of the border.  Conservatives erupted in outrage.

The misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the message began at Breitbart, then spread to the Weekly Standard, Drudge, Fox Nation, and multiple blogs.

By Tuesday afternoon, Brian, who had been all over the internet trying to set the record straight, finally put pen to paper -- er -- fingers to keyboard, and wrote a post in defense of his parish. The rest, as they say, is history. He explained it all in, "What really happened at St. John's Church on Easter Sunday," from his eyewitness point-of-view, and Bearing Drift's hits went through the roof.

By Wednesday, the Episcopal Cafe newsletter had picked up on Brian's defense as well as the Huffington Post which posted their own response that included Brian's words and a link to Bearing Drift. Boom! Hits skyrocketed again. Brian's post has generated tens of thousands of page views from readers all over the country with more than 125 comments left at Bearing Drift.

Which shows he did the right thing. He was reluctant to enter the controversy with a post, preferring to respond at the sites of misinformation, and he has withstood attacks to which he has patiently responded, often needing to repeat the same answer over and over and over.

As Brian noted in his post:

What happened here is illustrative to me as to why we Republicans keep losing elections.  The bitterness, the bile, the hatred that came out because of what people thought Luis said – not what he said, but what they thought he said – was eye-opening.   For too many, politics has stopped being about moving the country forward, but has become a bitter personal fight between two sides who both think the other is pure evil.

I did not like it when the left sensationalized stories about former President George W. Bush. Now I'm watching the right do the same with President Barack Obama.

Brian ended his post by extending an olive branch:

I am proud of my rector and I’m proud of my church.  Don’t believe the nonsense you’ve been reading or seeing in the press about us and about Rev. Leon.  But for those of you who, like Thomas, need to see things with your own eyes, I’d like to invite you to attend services with me.  Any given Sunday, you’ll find us at St. John’s and we’d be happy to have you.

Meanwhile, the hits just keep piling up at Bearing Drift.

Brian Schoeneman: 'Trading competence for ideology'

Imagine if I’d done my search for an electrician the same way we’re looking to hire our next Lieutenant Governor.  First thing, I’d need to know if he were a Cowboys or a Redskins fan because there is no way I’d hire a Cowboys fan.  If he made it that far, I’d make sure he liked Star Trek, and believed the Xbox has better games than the PS3.  If he answered all of those questions right – meaning he agreed with me – then I’d hire him.  So what if he’s not licensed, uninsured and never actually worked as an electrician before – he’s Orioles fan!

And when my lamppost isn’t fixed, it must have been because I forgot to ask him if he listened to country music.  Can’t trust anybody who doesn’t like Johnny Cash.

I know that sounds stupid, because, well, it is.  But that’s exactly how we choose Republican nominees today.

And with that, Bearing Drift colleague Brian Schoeneman drove home a point about how scattered and non-focused candidate searches and elections have become in recent years.

Viable candidates and electeds are often thrown under the bus in a personality-driven atmosphere. Too often those qualified to do the job are slandered and vilified while those who spout catch phrases are embraced. Many who have been around longer than a year or two have the "establishment" banner draped around them by those who were MIA in the trenches for years before they woke up.

As Brian concluded in his post:

So why do we spend so much time asking questions that don’t matter and then hiring the folks who tell us what we want to hear?   Isn’t that exactly the opposite of what we should be doing?

I respect Bill Bolling, Bill Howell, JeanneMarie Davis and Scott Lingamfelter for all they’ve been able to accomplish in and outside public office.  They don’t deserve to be attacked simply because they’ve gotten elected, they’ve governed, or they’ve disagreed with someone on their pet policy or insulted their political idol.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if my electrician is pro-life or anti-tax – it matters if he can fix my lamppost.

I hope voters will pay attention and we can get back to that rationality.

George Allen headlines Brian Scoeneman for Delegate fundraiser

If you are in the area, please consider attending this fundraiser for fellow Bearing Drift contributor Brian Schoeneman who is running for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 37th District. His special guest will be former Governor George Allen who is running for the U.S. Senate.

You are invited to an evening reception in support of

Brian Schoeneman

Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, 37th District

With Special Guest:

The Honorable George Allen

October 18, 2011

6-8pm

At the Home of Wayne & Vickie Hull

5610 Pickwick Rd

 Centreville, VA 20120

Sponsorship Levels:

Host $1000  

 Sponsor $500  

Brian Schoeneman's campaign kickoff for Va House of Delegates (37th House District)

Gov. Bob McDonnell and Brian Schoeneman in the Executive Mansion during Bloggers Day
in February in a photo taken by me.

In February 2011 during Lt. Governor Bill Bolling's Bloggers Day at the Capitol, a tall young man took his place at the long table in the Governor's conference room with about two dozen conservative bloggers from around the Commonwealth. Included in the group were those from Virginia's Bearing Drift blog where he is one of the contributors.

Thoughtful in his responses but not shy in sharing opinions in the blogosphere, it wouldn't be long before this 34-year-old Fairfax Republican made a decision to cross the bridge from blogger to candidate.

Active in the Republican Party, Brian Schoeneman caught the political bug 16 years ago when he interned for a Pennsylvania state legislator. He later served in the George W. Bush administration as special assistant and senior speechwriter to Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao before entering the private sector as legislative and political director for the Seafarers International Union of North America.

Brian is married to KayAnn Panagi Schoeneman and together they have a young son. For a heart-warming read, check out this 2009 Washington Post article about how KayAnn and Brian met in college and eventually reconnected years later to become a couple.

This Saturday, June 3, is the Brian Schoeneman Campaign Kickoff for the 37th District Virginia House of Delegates seat. Everyone is invited to join him at the Old Firestation #3 formerly known as the Firehouse Grill in Fairfax from 3-5:30 p.m.

Brian Schoeneman for Delegate
Old Firestation #3
3988 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

For questions, contact James Basile:
(703) 667-0817
james@brianfordelegate.com

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift