Happy Thanksgiving from LynnRMitchell.com

By Lynn R. Mitchell

 

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." -- Charles Dickens

The writers at LynnRMitchell.com -- Daniel Cortez, David Karaffa, Kurt Michael, and myself -- extend Thanksgiving greetings with gratitude to our readers for helping us become a successful statewide voice in the Virginia conservative blogosphere. We wish you a joyful day with family and friends as America pauses to give thanks for the blessings we all enjoy. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Do we throw the word 'impeachment' around too much?

The word of the day around the Virginia blogosphere is "impeachment." As in, "Attorney General Mark Herring isn't doing his job in upholding the Virginia Constitution so he should be impeached."

Currently there's an effort underfoot to impeach the President of the United States. In everything from local offices to state and federal, the word "impeach" seems to come up more and more often. So are we throwing it around too much to the point that it loses its effectiveness? Should it be used as a threat when a political party loses an election? If a candidate cannot reach beyond his echo chamber and win, his party has no seat at the table.

Elections matter.

Announcing VPOD: 'Virginia Politics On Demand -- Conservative Reason for the Commonwealth'

 [Originally posted on May 14, 2013]

There's a new source for conservative commentary and political analysis in Virginia. Up and going for only three weeks, it is already making inroads into the conservative political blogosphere.

Some of Virginia’s best writers, broadcasters, and humorists -- and all keen conservative political observers – have launched “Virginia Politics On Demand,” a new Web site for information and commentary.

The site offers insightful analysis and original information to the Virginia political conversation.

"Many political web sites focus on advocacy, and there's a need for that, but our goal is to be more analytical and original," said J.R. Hoeft, the publisher of VPOD. "We want to help Virginians understand why something is happening, not why we want something to happen; and, we want to provide unique information, not something you can read somewhere else."

In addition to politics, the site will provide perspective on history, economics, society and culture, and how they affect today's political landscape. Two opinion leaders will also offer their thoughts on major topic, but from different conservative perspectives, and the audience will have the opportunity to vote as to which policy position they support.

The contributors to VPOD include conservatives from every corner of the Commonwealth and have decades of political and media experience. Additionally, VPOD welcomes radio personality Steve Batton and cartoonist Kurt Michael who each offer their unique talents to the line up. In addition to Hoeft, Batton, and Michael, are Alton Foley, Jason Johnson, Wayne Ozmore, Andrew Schwartz, Scott Hirons, Tim Donner, Stephen Spiker, Jason Miyares, Rick Sincere, Steve Thomas, Mike Thomas, and Lynn Mitchell.

Besides the web site, VPOD can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to keep up with all the latest by subscribing to our free newsletter for alerts and regular updates. Interested parties can also subscribe to a free newsletter for alerts and regular updates.

- VPOD -

Mr. Kenney goes to Washington

Congressman Robert Hurt (R-VA 5th) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA 7th) talked about current issues during a meeting Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Congressman Hurt, Brian Schoeneman (Bearing Drift) and Rick Sincere (Bearing Drift).

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had many protesters for and against ObamaCare.

Scenes from the U.S. Capitol....

Photos by Jason Kenney
27 March 2012

Photos 2: Rick Perry lunch in Richmond

Don't let Norm Leahy fool you ... he and Jason Kenney are among the best in the Virginia blogosphere. They were part of the Bearing Drift crew covering Wednesday's Rick Perry lunch in Richmond.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
14 September 2011

It wasn't the same without you here....

Fishersville Mike went dark for a couple of days this week and SWAC wasn't the same without him. He's back online today and it's great to have him and his commentary back in the neighborhood. Welcome back, Mike ... you were missed.

Bearing Drift's e-zine for June 2010

More good reading from JR and the crew at Bearing Drift as their June issue of their "Politics on Demand" E-Zine hits your inbox. Check it out.

Ditto

Tom White at Virginia Right! posts congratulations to Project Virginia's Ford O'Connell and Steve Pearson. I first met them at last May's Republican Party of Virginia covention in Richmond, and Ford was a panelist for the New Media panel discussion at the RPV Advance in Williamsburg in December. Congrats to them both!

Monday wrap around

Fishersville Mike had his weekly Sunday roundup with links to interesting articles around the blogosphere ... thanks for the link, Mike!

Yankee Phil has weighed in on the bruhaha in Harrisonburg for the JMU students' Springfest that normally has 1-2,000 participants ... but swelled to 8,000 this year. Hey, folks ... it was a l-o-n-g winter! Seriously, Phil has video with a warning about language and stupidity.

Bob at The Journey has the latest issue of THYME Magazine ... Citizen Journalism with a better flavor.

Tom White has his daily News Hound roundup at Virginia Right! Thanks for the links, Tom! Also surf his site for photos from the Powhatan Tea Party over the weekend, and his tweeking the nose of Lowell Feld.

Norm at Tertium Quids raps me on the knuckles for frivilous blogging when there are more serious things to consider. Well, not me specifically but I felt the sting. Sorry, Norm ... I was caught up in the spring sunshine and had paused to smell the flowers....

Concrete Bob at United Conservatives of Virginia reveals that Barbara Boxer's Democrat seat in California has dropped from "likely Democrat" to "leans Democrat." Good news, indeed.

Check out Blog Net News/Virginia for all the latest in the Virginia blogosphere.

No Sheeples Here has a tribute to Dixie Carter, perhaps best known as Julia Sugarbaker from Designing Women, who passed away at age 70 of cancer. Our condolences to her husband, Hal Holbrook ... both were rare Republicans in Hollywood.

A friend who attended the Republican Southern Leadership Conference raved over Mike Pence's speech on Saturday so when I saw Pat at ... and So It Goes In Shreveport posted the video, I had to link. She calls it a barnburner speech. Not the exact words of my friend but that succinctly sums it up!

And speaking of barnburners, Liberty News Online has actor Jon Voight's letter to Obama that he read on Mike Huckabee's TV show over the weekend. There has been much discussion about Huckabee's response.

Much more out there ... no time to chase it down right now.

Bearing Drift ... the magazine

Don't know where he found the time but JR Hoeft has put together a Bearing Drift Magazine with help from his friends, and the first issue is out featuring an in-depth interview with Gov. Bob McDonnell, contributing articles from bloggers Brian Kirwin, Georgie Gale, and Krystle Weeks, and snark from Ward Smythe. Great stuff which just illustrates even more the vast array of talent available in the Virginia blogosphere. Congratulations to JR and crew!

I made Pat's roundup!

Every Sunday Fishersville Mike does a blogger roundup of interesting posts and it's fun to see which stories he finds interesting.

Phil does a Sunday BNN ranking update of conservative blogs around the Commonwealth.

Saturday Pat did a roundup over at her blog, And so it goes in Shreveport, and I made the list! Thanks, Pat ... you made my day. For those who are sick of winter, check out her post on spring in Shreveport ... her daffodils are about to bloom! I think Mike is envious because the ground here in the Shenandoah Valley is still covered with snow.

Lots going on in the conservative blogosphere....

Fishersville Mike ... moving up in the rankings

Yesterday fellow SWAC blogger Fishersville Mike was #1399 in the Technorati rankings.

That was better than Virginia Virtucon (1515), Bearing Drift (1531), or SWAC Girl (1574). He's regularly in the Top 5 for BlogNetNews/Virginia.

So how's he doing that?

Mike has blogging friends in high places.

If you've not read his blog, it's funny, informative, a quick read ... and he communicates daily with national bloggers such as The Other McCain, No Sheeples Here!, The TrogloPundit, Pundit & Pundette, and And So it Goes in Shreveport.

So far he's kind of flying beneath the Virginia conservative blogosphere radar ... but he's out there. So congratulations to Mike for being #1399 on Technorati and beating us all. Glad to blog with you in the SWAC Corps.

Virginia Virtucon & Bearing Drift ... conservative blogging leaders

Jim Riley is has done a little research of his own into Technorati rankings which change on a daily basis, and discovered the new leader yesterday was his own Virginia Virtucon followed by Bearing Drift. Congrats for their conservative blogging leadership. My hat's off to them both and to all the conservative bloggers who are dedicated to disseminating the conservative message.

SWAC Girl on a new adventure

Dr. Seuss once wrote, "Oh, the places you'll go...." I find myself off on a new adventure.

I have accepted Jim Riley's invitation at Virginia Virtucon to join his merry band of bloggers which will lead me in a different direction and able to expand my horizons. I thank Jim for the opportunity and I thank the other VV bloggers for allowing me to play in their sandbox.

My home will still be at SWAC Girl with crosspostings at VV and we'll see where this adventure leads.

Update: I'm thankful to fellow SWAC blogger Fishersville Mike for his kind words.

Around the SWAC blogosphere

There's still lots of snow on the ground at my house, Christmas decorations are twinkling on these cold winter nights, the forecast calls for a possibility of more of the white stuff on New Year's, and the SWAC bloggers are still turning out the news with some interesting reads.

David writes over at Augusta Conservative that Augusta County is searching for a new director of community development to replace the retiring Dale Cobb ...

... Second Amendment protector Jason at Augusta Water Cooler posts a video about guns ... Fishersville Mike reminds us of The Pina Colada Song ...

... owner Bob at The Journey is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a design artist at his Kirchman Studio in Staunton ... and Yankee Phil has a variety of posts including his Christmas trip to visit familiar stomping grounds.

We're ready for 2010....

2009 Republican Advance is this weekend in Williamsburg

The Grand Illumination ... Busch Garden's Christmas Town ... and the Republican Advance will make it a busy weekend in Williamsburg this weekend. We have much to celebrate even as we roll up our sleeves preparing to get to work for the future.

Friday night's reception honoring the Virginia GOP Congressional delegation will feature Governor George Allen. Saturday's breakfast will feature Virginia's former First Lady Susan Allen along with Mike Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association. Saturday's luncheon features Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Atty. General-elect Ken Cuccinelli with a keynote address by Governor-elect Bob McDonnell. Saturday night's banquet will feature a keynote address by Congressman Eric Cantor.

Hospitality suites will be held Friday and Saurday nights, and I received a hospitality suite invitation today from state Sen. Mark Obenshain.

The RPV New Media Committee has five workshops planned on Saturday and will have bloggers covering the event throughout the weekend.

I will be blogging the event as well as moderating a new media workshop. It should be a fun-filled weekend, and I'm looking forward to catching up with fellow bloggers from around the state.

Happy Birthday, Krystle!

Birthday greetings to fellow blogger Krystle over at Crystal Clear Conservative. She is a hard-working blogger, conservative, and fun to be around as we cross paths at Republican events throughout the year.

Krystle participated with Bloggers Row at the RPV Convention in May but I especially remember her at last year's RPV Advance sitting in the back of the ballroom at the Homestead during the attorney general debate. Since no bloggers row had been set up, four of us improvised around a table with water pitchers and glasses ... Shaun and Jason Kenney, Krystle, and myself. Krystle balanced her laptop on her lap as she live-blogged the event while fellow bloggers Chuck Young from the Virginian Federalist and Alton Foley listened to the candidates.

Here's hoping it's the best birthday you've ever had ... and for many more. Happy Birthday, Krystle!