Shaun Kenney Bombs?

From the National ABC story on Democrats filming Republicans in Richmond:

""It's an effort to demonize Republicans," said Shaun Kenney, communications director for the Virginia Republican Party. "It's about targeting and embarrassing Republican delegates," he said."

...

""The concern of a lot of folks, both Democrat and Republican, is that it would be one thing to record votes, but it's another thing to try to catch delegates doing something and use it politically," he said.

Kenney argued a key example is the edited video of Republican delegate Jeffrey M. Frederick.

"Take a look at that one," said Kenney. "This is about shaming or badgering Republicans.""

At Shaun's request:

No, Shaun,  that is not about shaming or badgering Delegate Frederick. That's about showing people what an asshole he is.  Remember- this is the same Delegate who went up and screamed at a high school student last year- then when he found out it was going to be published called that student up and offered to "be his friend".

I think everyone in his district should watch that video and decide if Jeff Frederick is worthy of being in public office. I'm glad Shaun agrees.  And I'm sure DPVA thanks you Shaun for the publicity for their site. 

 

Comments

[Nova Democrat]

Amen to Jeff Frederick being an ass...

We could only wish that every vote was recorded. What are the Republicans so afraid of?

[Not John S. Mosby]

He's pretty much a tool.

Ah yes, Shaun the Jew baiter.

http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2006/05/fallout_from_th.html

"Anonymous is a Woman puts it best when she says:

"The real jew baiters are the ones who pick up on a baseless charge and inflame a community by using it for political fun and profit, which is exactly what you are doing."

If that camera was in the room to record the proceedings, that would be one thing. But it obviously was there for another purpose entirely -- simply to record Delegate Frederick.

The real "asshole" here (nice mouth, ben) is the cameraman. Frederick was entirely within his rights.

We all saw the hate in Shaun's heart on that one.

whatever

[Denis Lemeiux]

As usual, the audacity is breathtaking...Blame the Media!!! Oh I know we were doing something reprehensible, but that's not the point!

Expect lots more of this newspeak and doublethink from the Moulton-Kenney Ministry of Love.

It is painful to see that flyer brought up again, and perhaps even more painful to read what AIAW wrote—considering the good work her husband does.

Fact is, there is wide-spread consensus that the flyer had anti-Semitic tones. I know several Jewish friends, most of whom are on the American Jewish Committee, who refused to contribute or volunteer for Webb after the primary because of that flyer.

Even Marc Fisher had somewhat backed away from his original assertions and wildly over-the-top blog he wrote about the subject. And Mark Plotkin, also from the Washington Post, is on the record in print, in blogs, and in conversations that he thought the flyer was anti-Semitic. This took a few minutes to find, but last September Plotkin readdressed his distaste for the flyer and the perceived goal that the flyer was trying to promote:

Rockville, Md.: Hi Mark, I just wanted to thank you-last week I posed a question about the anti-Semitic cartoons that Jim Webb ran in the primary and you answered, thank you. The local media has completely given a free pass to Webb for this, but have gone after Allen for everything. I don't know what to believe about Allen, but I know that the man he's running against has been equally if not more offensive, and has gotten away with it.

Mark Plotkin: I'm glad you wrote in again this week because I mistakenly took your statement about Marc Fisher's column about the cartoon. You said, I believe, that Fisher didn't feel the cartoon was anti-Semitic, but that's not true. Fisher was with me and had a copy of the cartoon on the politics program with Webb and Miller and actually showed it to Webb and asked him if he didn't think it was anti-Semitic. So that sets the record straight. I repeat that I remember that Webb assumed responsibility for the cartoon but at the same time did not apologize to Miller personally and stated that he didn't think the cartoon was anti-Semitic. It was authorized by his campaign and I thought it surely was anti-Semitic and was distributed only in areas where Jews do not live.

From here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/09/19/DI2006091900945.html

Joe Stanley's flyer was anti-semitic. End of question. I doubt he will get hired for another job again.

[Bobo]

What's the point of this anyway? And who cares?

ha!
joe stanley is already working again anonymous clown

[DukieDem]

The point is holding people accountable for their votes and not allowing them to hide their decisions in the dead of night away from public scrutiny. Anyone who cares about government that is responsible to the people should care.

The real "asshole" here (nice mouth, ben) is the cameraman. Frederick was entirely within his rights.

Posted by: | January 30, 2007 at 10:30 AM

I like Ben's mouth.

Boy, you shore gotta purdy mouf!

[Bubby]

The Republican party has been trading in bullshit for so long that they have begun buying it from themselves. That's what you do when you can't sell it to anyone else. Sad.

[haha]

I love it. It would've been better if they put a tape over the camera. Dems hate when people sink to their standards and play their own game.

[Jason]

Dems want to claim this is about accountability but then get to pick and choose what parts they release with their own commentary? That's playing "gotcha", not providing a public service.

i've been around Jeff alot, but have never heard/seen him scream. seems you're being too gossippy, ben. Also, the real story with this video is: where are all the dems? many are clearly ou of their seats.

Generally speaking, I think the main problem Republicans have with the whole situation is that the Democrats have discovered how to better utilize the blogosphere and, thus, they are better able to communicate with the public.

Until the Republicans grasp the idea of having open communication, here's a little advice for the RPVA: don't do things that would warrant the Democrats putting the video up on their site. It's really quite simple.

How many of you that hate Frederick so much have actually met him and spoken to him for more than a minute? My guess is none of you have, because he's a pretty likable guy. He actually has quite the fan club (his events always attract hundreds), although they are likely not of the blogger variety.

anon 3:48: "communicate with the public" does not equal blogging. I think you're overstating the influence of blogging.

"the public" does not read blogs
internet savvy partisans read blogs

[Poli-Carp]

What did Frederick do wrong in the video? Some kid with a video recorder was trying to mess with him, so he decided to mess back. Big deal.

[novamiddleman]

re: blogs matter

On the whole I still agree that blogs don't really have much of an impact

but look how many times things are popping up in the MSM that are being hyped up by blogs

Macaca killed Allen
this latest story is anther example

The real key is using the blog to influence the MSM

With this story nothing is stopping Republicans from recording and posting videos

I think I have already said enough :P

[NotHildaBarg]

It's funny that every post about Frederick always has lots of comments about what a douche he is. And then always the anonymous quote from Jeff talking about what a good guy he is. But then everyone totally loses interest in him, even in his own entry!

jeff f., if you're reading this, congratulations on attaining some well-deserved nationwide scorn and ridicule. now go back to hiding your votes from the people who elected you.

[Joe Budzinski]

What are you talking about, Ben? They cameraman was there to be an asshole; Frederick is perfectly within his rights to try and make the guy's life difficult.

What's amazing are the geniuses who thought it worth their time to produce this video and expect viewsers to share their outrage. Sending people to stand in front of this putz makes me like Frederick more than I already did.

Shaun would have acquitted himself better, however, if he'd said something more like this:

"These loser Democrats send in their stooges to try and catch embarassing footage, and are actually stupid enough to believe it's an outrage when Jeff blocks their view. What narcissistic idiots, eh?"

This crap coming out of Kenney's mouth is one of the reasons I resigned from the local, state, and national republican party a few years ago.

I cannot possibly be a part of any organization that will excuse EVERYTHING every moron does just because he's a "party guy."

Jeff behaved like a childish little pr**k. He did NOT behave like our representative. And it is simply INEXCUSABLE that the party came to his defense. If the party can't condemn this kind of pathetic behavior, then it should just shut the hell up. But to CONDONE it, to EXCUSE it???

Ohhhh, the democrats are out to get us.... It's not fair...... whine, whine, whine. How about you behave like a friggin' adult when you are in a committee hearing? Everybody in that room is watching what you do. Why are you afraid of a camera? Behave like a statesman and you've nothing to fear.

These kind of pathetic apologists do not deserve support. I wonder how people like Kenney sleep at night? There has got to be something terribly askew in one's personality to be able to legitimately defend this type of behavior. God, it's like Kenney is the republican incarnation of Carville.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Poli Carp, you confound me.

You claim in many posts to really just be a regular guy who really just wishes that both major parties would stop the BS and do what's "best" for the people.

Then, when a delegate is clearly caught being a completely unprofessional jackass in the middle of a committee meeting, paying no or little attention to the matters that are being debated, you shrug it off as him simply "messing back" and not a big deal. Sorry, it is a big deal when legislators want to conceal their behavior in OUR chambers. It is a big deal when legislators so clearly don't take the honor and seriousness of the position bestowed upon them by the voters that they'd not prioritize paying attention to a committee meeting over "messing around" with people who are simply attempting to shed some light on the process that is SUPPOSED to serve the very people you purport to be interested in helping.

Your nonchalance about this kind of behavior is inconsistent with your claims of concern for "the people".

This type of denigration of the honor given Jeff Frederick by the people of his district deserves to be recognized for what it is.

Sad and reprehensible.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

If I were elected to a delegate position I would be embarassed to be Jeff Frederick's colleague.

These people are supposed to be working for US. WE OWN that chamber, and the business that happens in it is OURS. Not the lobbyists', not the legislators'. OURS.

Shame on any elected official who doesn't treat the office they hold with the respect and seriousness it deserves. This is part of the problem with our government today---a lack of respect for our venerated institutions.

I know I'm a little nostalgic and/or overstated on this, but I really get upset when elected officials don't seem to understand the honor and privelege they've been afforded.

[Poli-Carp]

Well, thank you, Doug in MV. I'm flattered to have confounded you. But seriously, let's cut through the BS. You only care about "shed[ding] some light on the process" because Republicans are in the majority. And Frederick isn't denying that camera-wielding hack any right to observe the proceeding and write about it, or even to record audio. He's messing with some guy who's aiming video camera straight into his face, not at the entire committee or any of the people testifying before it. So before you cry foul that Frederick is denying someone the right to cover the committee hearing, take into account that he wasn't even covering the hearing; the guy was pestering Frederick. And you wonder why good people don't run anymore? Stop chasing people around with camera.

[Poli-Carp]

Oh, and talk about nostalgia, I remember when you could tape-record committee meetings all day, but it didn't matter. All the decisions were made in Dickie Cranwell's office, without any cameras. I think things are just a smidge more open now, donchathink?

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Well Poli:

1) Thank you for impugning my intentions. I don't give a damn who is in the majority---EVERY matter of the VA General Assembly and EVERY meeting and vote should not only be recorded and televised, but widely available in a variety of mediums. They're not. My stand for that access and openness has NOTHING to do with my party affiliation. If you claim otherwise, you are mistaken.

2) The Democratic Committee that I belong to is actually quite participatory and democratic, and we are consulted on decisions of the committee. FCDC, a step higher, doesn't have quite that track record lately, but it is improving. The legislative committees are definitely NOT any more open now than they were, and the caucus meetings are most of the time still entirely closed.

Iknowwhachithink, but thanks.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

One more thing, Ol' Poli.

Watch that video again. I would dispute your claim--in fact, the camera was NEVER in his face until the part where the camera man realized what was going on and zoomed in on him. The camera in most of the video is focused on the entire panel, and Adam Ebbin is the most visible delegate for most of the video.

Give me a break, this is NOT the camera man harassing Del. Frederick--quite the other way around.

But then, those who would intentionally impugn others' intentions so readily would also be very likely to intentially mischaracterize something so obviously incidental.

But keep living in your fantasy land, Poli.