With embattled Democrats across America actively disassociating themselves from President Obama, Virginia 5th District Congressman Tom Perriello has been “graced” with an unexpected last-minute executive visit intended to resuscitate his faltering campaign.

The hallmark of two-faced Tom’s re-election bid has been proclaimed “independence” from the President and Speaker Nancy Pelosi—particularly from their nationally toxic progressive agenda. In fact, the first radio commercial of this year’s Perriello campaign sought to dispel the “myth” that Perriello votes in “lock step with ‘Obama’ and ‘Pelosi.’”

Even Democrat City Councilor, Kristin Szakos—a stalwart supporter of both Perriello and Obama—recognized the inherent danger in linking Tom Perriello too closely to Barack Obama, as she suddenly displaced a long-standing “Obama” yard sign from her property before posting a “Perriello for Congress” sign in an adjacent location. (N.B. Szakos’s ceramic Obama sign has returned to its place of honor just in time for the President’s visit.)

Now, the President is coming to town in order to help Tom Perriello? And, after all of the effort by Perriello’s people to distance these two birds of a feather?

With a recent Harris poll showing the President’s approval rating hovering at an historic low of 37%, Obama’s eleventh hour sojourn hardly can be welcome news to the boy Congressman and his panicked handlers.

But, how can you say “no” to the President? Well, you can’t.

And that is precisely the problem for Tom Perriello. Contemplative independent voters who may have bought into Perriello’s “autonomy” song and dance now should realize the fallacy of such a claim. Since the President personally has stumped for two-faced Tom, there is no chance that the congressman could ever refuse a request for support (read: a vote) from President Obama.

Despite months of strategic distancing, Congressman Tom Perriello forevermore will be inexorably and intimately linked with and beholden to President Barack Obama. While this Friday’s Presidential soiree will play well to Charlottesville’s progressive, government consumers, it also will drive the final nail into Tom Perriello’s shovel-ready political coffin.

20 COMMENTS

  1. With a recent Harris poll showing the President’s approval rating hovering at an historic low of 37%

    That cleverly written sentence is misleading. Obama’s rating are not at an historic low, except in regards to his own short history as President. Bush was down to 22% when he left office.

  2. Whether or not the “sentence is cleverly written” is a matter of debate. What isn’t it the fact that Democrats don’t even want the presidents endorsement. See the following:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDzsHrHURCg

    Barry is throwing his own rank and file under the bus, in the name of political expediency. Yet, when it was time for the rank and file to cast a ballot for his marxist/socialist agenda, they were expected to be faithful. So, if we’re unfortunate enough to have Two Faced Turkey Tom for another two years, rest assured that the strings woven by Barry on Friday, will be tightly drawn around TFTT’s testicular fortitude.

  3. I find myself remembering the reasoning given by the Charlottesville Police Department regarding the need to now charge for police officers to conduct funeral escort duty. The stated reason was the fact that the officers were being denied the chance conduct more pressing, and relevant matters. Given that, I would very much like to know who is paying for the time being pur into this visit on Firday, by the county, city and state police? You know that such a visit is not done on a whim. Certainly it has taken a week or more to plan? So who foots the bill? The Whitehouse? The DNC? The Perriello Campaign? If a funeral can cause such an issue for local authorities, I can only imagine how many far more pressing and relevant matters have had to be put on hold for this Firday visit. But hey, it’s in keeping with tradition with the Democratic Party. Slick Willie held up air traffic for how long in L.A., in order to get his hair done? Its in keeping with their character, or rather lack thereof.

  4. But hey, it’s in keeping with tradition with the Democratic Party.

    A President hitting the campaign trial — what will the Democrats foist on us next!?

  5. From Newsplex.com:

    “The Perriello campaign has already committed to paying for all the prep work done on the Pavilion, and has also offered to reimburse the City for any additional expenses related to the visit.

    Regardless of who pays for the event, City officials say they’re getting plenty in return. They expect the visit and rally to be very good for business on the Downtown Mall.”

  6. I guess common sense really isn’t so common anymore. Why do we need to fuel up Air Force One, for what is in reality, as far as a 747 is concerned, a trip across town? Thats the equivalent of using a tractor and bush hog, to mow a city lot. Secondly, though Barry’s visit may be good for business on the downtown mall, how about the negative impact on all of the businesses along the 29 corridor. I guess they don’t matter. They’re in the conservative county. Well, I suppose thats a few dollars less we county taxpayers will have to pay to the city in revenue sharing. If the Perriello campaign were all they claimed to be in their ads, they would foot ALL expenses needed to provide security for this circus. Lastly, from a the sheer standpoint of security, and the least impact on the community, why not land Marine 1 at PVCC? You would be on that side of town. Have what, maybe 2 miles from PVCC to the mall? Impact far less traffic and far fewer business owners. I mean lets be real. The secret service has already been able to sneak Michelle in to town twice, without all of the unneccessary window dressing. Deeds not words. And yes Ken, I would say the same about Republican leaders as well, however, everytime they have come to town, its been in a helo. Bush didn’t even take AF1 to Blacksburg at the time of the shootings, and that is far enough a way to be practical. So let Perriello foot the entire bill. I’m sure sugar daddy Soros is good for it.

  7. Patriot,
    You make excellent points here. With a noon kickoff set for the Cavaliers and Miami game tomorrow, you know that there will be some arriving in town this evening to stay over night. Getting around to resturant row will be made difficult. Also, many Haloween related activities will no doubt be taking place tonight as well. If Congressman Perriello was indeed “tuned in” to his consitutency, the timing of this event would have been better planned. Just an FYI, googlemaps shows it as 3.1 miles at 9 minutes travel time. Your point is well taken, it would be easier for the Secret Service and the residents, to do it as you said.

  8. Patriot, I don’t the answers to those questions, but neither do you. Neither do you know, from only two trips, of the hundreds that presidents make every year, that an Obama visit typically has a heavier footprint than a Bush one did. Neither do you know whether security concerns play into where Obama arrives and how. Neither do you know whether either president pay or paid attention to travel arrangements. Neither do you know how much of the bill to the city Perriello will pay for.

  9. many Haloween related activities will no doubt be taking place tonight as well.

    So, the argument is that the president should not disrupt Halloween, of all major holidays, and is doing so by showing up two days before it? But you’re right! The Doggie Howl-O-Ween costume party has been postponed a day.

  10. Scribe, I appreciate the shared insight and understanding. I had not even thought about U.Va’s football schedule. Apparently Tom hadn’t either. Ken, I do not claim to know all the answers. As a native of Albemarle County, I can only speak from historical, factual, experience. The two times Reagan came to town, it was by Helo. Once to Monticello, and once to the Rotunda. Obviously, just by the nature of Monticello’s location, that impact was minimal. The second time, aside from Secret Service snipers placed on the rotunda dome, the general population was only slightly impacted. I was employed by a local firm, and working not far from the U. Va grounds, and it was not a huge deal. When Bush came for the naturalization service in July of 08, he came in by helo to the Monticello High School football field, and motored up to Monticello.

    I can only base my judgements upon observable behavior. Given the economy, the loss of wealth in all levels, and particularly the middle class, how does one justify the behavior of Barry and Michelle? Shopping trips to France. Multiple vacations? Luxruoius living while the citizenry is starving. It seems arrogant and ostentatious and simply in poor taste to (1) fuel and fly a 747 into town, (2) Unneccessarily disrupt the lives of citizens trying to get home from work, and lets face it, on a Friday evening headed towards Forrest Lakes and Greene County, you can bet your boots that will be an issue. Out of town guests here to eat dinner before retiring to their hotel rooms and watching the game tomorrow. I have no doubt that Rob will do a complete follow-up, but I am not holding my breath to find out that Perriello really paid all that this is costing. That being said and understood, this is costing taxpayers in an economy that can not afford law enforement overtime. It is costing citizens time and fuel, as they detour around to conduct the business of their lives, and it is costing businessess lost income along the 29 corridor, as they are denied customers form prohibited public highways.

    Were I Tom, and really wanted to show some class, I would simply have had Barry make some recorded commercials and played them in the 5th district. Costs less all the way around, and environmentally, would have made less impact. Thats just me, actually living what I espouse to believe.

  11. “Patriot,” if you cared to show any class yourself you wouldn’t refer to the President of the United States as “Barry.” Class?? With all your unnecessary insults of Perriello and Obama, do you guys really think you behave with any class? No wait, you think you’re upholding Christian values!

  12. Just for consideration, here is what we are looking at for Air Force One:

    General characteristics

    Crew: 26: 2 pilots, flight engineer, navigator,[3] and cabin crew
    Capacity: 76 passengers
    Length: 231 ft 5 in (70.6 m)
    Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in (59.6 m)
    Height: 63 ft 5 in (19.3 m))
    Powerplant: 4× General Electric CF6-80C2B1 turbofans, 56,700 lbf (250 kN) each

    Performance

    Maximum speed: Mach 0.92 (630 mph, 1,015 km/h) at 35,000 ft altitude
    Cruise speed: Mach 0.84
    Range: 6,800 nmi (7,800 mi, 13,000 km)
    Service ceiling: 45,100 ft (13,700 m)

    All of this, just to travel less than 130 miles. Now that is what I call using a sledge hammer to kill a flea. The money required to prep, fuel and fly this thing alone could well help our educational system. Will there be any teachers out there willing to point that out to Barry? Both Charlottesville and ALbemarle County schools could probably be fully funded for the next five years, on what all of this is costing. Boys and girls, how do you spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y!

  13. Patriot, it seems you assume that Perriello planned this and that it’s funded by US tax dollars. Where are you getting this info? Is it possible that it’s planned and paid for by the Democratic Party? I’m not saying I know one way or the other. I just wonder upon what info your assumptions are based since you seem so sure.

  14. Patriot, Bush came in the daylight, which may be one reason why he was able to take the copter. Also, I was at the rally and didn’t hear it, but apparently one newscaster said the plane wasn’t the regular Air Force One at all, but a aircraft. And that’s probably true, since the Cville airport usually handles relatively small planes. And if you care about starving people, then, not to be snarky, but vote Democratic.

    Every presidential visit by necessity disrupts traffic patterns, and if Bush’s visits disrupted less, that’s in part because he appeared in smaller places. It’s ridiculous to suggest that a few commercials would have the same impact as an actual visit. And it’s ridiculous to suggest that if Obama hadn’t visited, Albemarle County Schools would receive more money. Get real, and get fair.

  15. Jennifer,
    The reason I appear so sure, is the manner ion which Chief Tim Longo was unable to answer the question regarding reimbursement, as well as the many times in recorded history, that such reimbursements were not forthcoming, despite the rhetoric otherwise.

    Ken,
    If Navy Seals and Army Delta Units can fly at night with night vision goggles, and drop a hand grenade down a terrorists shorts, I am certain that Marine One could find PVCC at night. It may have been a smaller plane, I did not see it either, but I have seen the 747 SAM 2600 unit doing practice landings and take offs at CHO, so it was easliy presumed that that was what he was in. I care about starving people so much so, that I would vote for a smaller government that allowed more of what the worker earned to remain with the worker, and not be confiscated by the government. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime, unless the taxes on the fish are greater than the intake of fish, then he relies on the government to give a fish back. Lastly, I am real and I am fair. Every event that I have attended over the years, that supports or praises our fighting men, I see an alleged representative of the teachers with signs claiming that ” The money spent on this Blackhawk/Fighter Jet/Carrier, etc, could have been spent on education.” In the spirit of fairness, let the Democratic Party show their committment in deeds, not words.

  16. I have no doubt that the presidential helicopter can fly at night. The question is whether, when the president of the United States is on board, that is the safest aircraft to fly.

    And as you well know (because you guys complain about it), the poor pay little or no federal taxes, but receive services from the federal government voted them not by conservatives but by liberals. Teach a man to fish versus merely giving him a fish . . . sure, in principle I agree, but it is larger, not smaller government, which aids people liable otherwise to actually go hungry.

    Every event that I have attended over the years, that supports or praises our fighting men, I see an alleged representative of the teachers with signs claiming that “The money spent on this Blackhawk/Fighter Jet/Carrier, etc, could have been spent on education.”

    Two dumb complaints does not make a smart one. Could have yes, but the federal government’s budget is not so simple as the family household’s, and even if you cut out presidential campaign travel altogether, the money saved would not go to the schools.

  17. Charitable giving and government taxation are inversely related. When taxation is low, charity is up. a A relevant illustration of this point is history itself. When The Great Depression struck, the federal goverment was significantly small. Yet, no one starved to death. Why? Because back then, people stepped up to the plate. Churches and communities filled the gap. They were able to because there existed no government structure to rely on, and because there was a greater feeling of love and concern for one’s fellow man. It was on the street, at the house next door, it was personal, with no government machine in between. And, no confiscatory taxation, leaving those who had, the ability to assist those who did not. Talk to your local food bank reps, and see how little is comingh in right now. Why? The relationship between high taxes and charitable giving.

    Thank you for agreeing with me. All of these years, cognizant of how extraordinarily complex the federal government is, I could never get the alleged teachers reps to see the very fact that you have recognized. They would still be in want, with no military in place.

Leave a Reply