Actually it’s a “1944 ’Simple Sabotage Field Manual‘ from the US Strategic Services, explaining how to train people to sabotage their workplace.” (pdf available at the link)

Among the nuggets SWAC operatives seem already to be implementing:

• Make “speeches.” Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of per  sonal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate “patriotic” comments. 

• Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

• Haggle over precise wordings of com munications, minutes, resolutions.

• Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.

We see it in attacks on science with the rejection of evolution, climate change, and non-fossil fuel energy. We see it in attacks on academic institutions and their dreadful “elitists.” And we see it in criticism that Barack Obama can deliver a thoughtful, eloquent speech, but is basically a con-man. 

How long has the anti-intellectual sentiment been a part of America? Quite a while considering Washington Irving created the character Ichabod Crane, as a clumsy, weak and anti-social stereotypical nerd in the 1820’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The nation clearly values athletics over scholarship as the supremacy of sports can attest. And there is always that annoying poll around election time that places an abundance of significance on which candidate voters would rather pal around with.

As Jon Stewart put it recently, I’d rather have a president that is way, way smarter than me. Stewart also responded to Larry King when asked if the nation was ready for a black president by saying that it’s a stupid question, no one asked if we were ready for an moron. 

Being able to communicate, well and clearly, is obviously not something that the right has much interest in according to the people they choose to lead. George Bush has embarrassed us on the national stage too many time to count. “Bushisms” have an exhaustive catalogue, and it grows daily. That’s the result, I suppose, when intelligence is replaced with false bravado and from the gut politics. It seems more important that our commander-in-chief look cool cutting up brush, or sporting a flightsuit, or chest-bumping cadets.

And John McCain? Seriously, watching his latest major speech was like seeing an old man fall slowly down a long, long staircase. Painful. And he’s apparently not much for intelligence either. He has a tough time keeping world leaders straight, knowing the difference between Shia and Sunni, and even though he claims to “hate war“ he thinks it’s pretty funny to joke about it. 

Meanwhile, idiots at Fox ponder a “terrorist fist jab.” Is the host too stupid to figure it out? Perhaps. And if so, who trusts her for actual news? But more likely a base play at likening the Obamas to terrorists. So not only does the “fair and balanced” right react with hostility toward the slightest hint of intelligence, but they treat their faithful base with all the respect of a mentally deficient, “ditto-head” that cannot conjure an independent thought. 

Speaking of the distaste for intelligence…
How many people noticed that Phase II of the Senate’s report on the use of pre-war intel was released this week? After only about 4 years of stonewalling the American people. Low and behold, the administration lied us into a war. Not so much a shocking revelation any longer. What’s more shocking is the tolerance the American people have for such blatant abuse. Yet, it continues daily. Outright manipulation of intelligence to go to war, combined with a press not interested in reporting on this, fosters an ignorant, dispassionate society. “Liberal media” my ass.

Dismissing intelligent discussion and thought as some sort of weakness or threat, the way the right characterizes these qualities, has but one conclusion—our eventual ruin. 

I kinda like this little critter. It randomly displays a silly, off the wall, or downright messed up thing that George W Bush has said. I have it on my igoogle page right above the Colbert Quote of the Day, which I think should be called Colbert-O-Matic (but no one asked me). Now it is camping out in my sidebar, cause I do think it’s kinda funny. Does this make me a bad Republican-wanna-be?

I took this picture on the way to church this morning.

Lest Rudder think I’ve turned into a mean old lady, let me clear some things up–and maybe even say something nice about SWACgirl, Kurt and even STD.

First, Kurt is obviously very talented at organizing and motivating people and those are good qualities for a chairman to have. I agree with Chris Graham when he said, “…Michael was quite effective in the role of party chair, bringing in new muscle in the form of a hearty (if not leaning toward the lightning-rod point of view themselves) group of shock troops that, and you have to give credit where credit is due, know how to organize a local party committee.”

I also agree with Chris’s assessment of Augusta County when he says “To some degree, of course, just about anybody could run the GOP in Augusta County and claim to be good at it. You don’t have to do much more than turn on the voting machines, and you’re going to get 65 percent of the vote, even if your candidate uses a racial slur that ends up on YouTube.” Even after a very nasty primary, and without the help of Chairman Kurt Michael, Hanger still managed to get a little over 75% of the vote in the general election, showing that as long as you win the right to have the R next to your name, the efforts of the ACRC may not matter as much as the committee would like you to think. This is not to say that the committee doesn’t matter. Like it or not Virgina does seem to be turning blue (or at least purple) and it will likely be very important turn out as many conservative votes a possible to offset the liberal pockets.

Two days ago STD said that “politicians love a weak committee.” While I’m not a politician myself, I don’t think this is a well reasoned statement to make. SWACgirl has often listed off all the important things the committee does (wave flags, fund raise, erect signs, set up booths, march in parades) and I can’t imagine that a politician would not want help with these things. A strong committee will be better able to provide these services. I don’t think a weak committee benefits anyone, but the committee does have to be cooperative and amiable and I don’t think that describes the ACRC right now.

Back to Mr. Donkey’s post. (Gumballs, Mr. Donkey! I really do have a hard time following your writing so I hope I haven’t misunderstood you. ) He appears to be wanting to work together with all parts of the party; not just the portion that agrees 100% with him.

… because we face an enemy not from within at the moment, but from outside our little fiefdom. During my last acts as Secretary of the Committee, I tried to make that point clear, but lost the vote on the make up of the committee…. Our committee needs to be opened up to our…. err.. fellow compatriots, for lack of a better term; that has lost a total means for any say whatsoever in the make up of the new committee.

If I rightly understand STD then I agree with him wholeheartedly. There are many issues and many different opinions on those issues within the Republican party. Disagreeing on some of those issues shouldn’t mean that you can’t work together on the others.

Lastly, it isn’t issues that I disagree with SWACgirl on. As I said before it’s the melodrama, fake martyrdom, chest beating and spin that emanates from her blog. To me, all that drama obscures the arguments and hides the real issues. So to say something nice about SWACgirl… I completely appreciate the fact that she home schooled, her patriotism is more than admirable (if you like that kind of thing), and were I running for office she is the type of person I would love to have backing me up. She must be a real self esteem booster. No, I’m not being sarcastic; I really do mean that–and in a good way.

OK, enough of all the kissy huggy stuff. I’ll probably still continue to poke fun at the SWAC bloggers. most of the time I do it with a smile and no personal malice. Happy, Rudder?

“Mom, look! It’s like a computer only you don’t need to plug it in and it make lots of great noise.” ~ Lacey age 10

She bought it.

…created man with the ability to invent air conditioners.

I was saving this for the next time Hillary tried out one of her many fake accents in an attempt to appeal to voters, but it looks like she may not be campaigning much longer. I hope. Well, no, I don’t. I’d love to see her drag this out as long as possible, and cause as much division as she can. Gives the Republican a better chance this fall. This is similar to the quiz Vivian had up a few weeks ago but has more outcomes than just Yankee or Dixie.

What accent do you have?

While SWACgirl has no reservations writing post upon post about how hard Kurt has worked to bring unity and how he is doing what is best for the party she sure seems to have a problem when these statements are challenged. All of a sudden it’s time to move on.

If Kurt is really concerned about the divide in the SWAC Republicans–like he claims– then why would he (and SWACgirl?) exclude such a large portion of the Republican committee. If unity was really the goal, he would have notified them all of the meeting, By placing his select executive committee he now maintains control of the Augusta Party even if he follows through with the resignation. How could the RPV allow something like this to happen and alienate so many established Republicans from the area? These are not the actions of a man who truly wants unity to return.

When I questioned why Kurt has remained chairman despite his pledge to resign on May 31, SWACgirl responded with this:

“Kurt is answering to the Augusta County grassroots and not to you or anyone else. He is doing what is right for the Party.

It is right for the Party to resign Saturday. He explained that in his resignation post. Time to move ahead….”

Hmm… and it was also right for the Party to resign May 31. Next will it be right for the party for him to remain chairman?

And in the event of Kurt’s resignation just how will the new chairman be selected? When Kurt originally announced that he would resign and when he later confirmed it he used phrases like:

” …in accordance with Article IV, Section F of the Augusta County Republican Committee By-laws immediately call a meeting to elect a new Chairman.”

“With my resignation and a fair election of a new chairman next month…”

“To me, the best path for anyone who desires to be Augusta GOP chairman would be to run for the position soon after the state convention,
“The Augusta Republicans will then elect a new Chairman, according to proper process and procedures, very soon thereafter.”

This makes it sound like the August County Republicans will hold an election to choose between those who decide to run for the position. This sounds like a very fair way to fill the void and had Kurt not announced that he would not seek re-election, I would say that it would be perfectly fair for him to try again. So why hasn’t anyone announced their desire to run for the position? The answer may be that there won’t be any such election.

I haven’t seen the precious by-laws, but it was mentioned in a comment on YankeePhil that the newly appointed executive committee will choose the new chairman. This would be the executive committee that Kurt hand picked by excluding many of the dissenting voices from that meeting. Anyone smell a rat?

It doesn’t take too much imagination to conjure up a senerio where Kurt resigns “for the good of the party” and then is re-appointed by the executive committee that he picked out. After all, it’s probably made up of the “grassroots” and that is who he has to please. “Aw, well, if you all insist… for the good of the party, of course.”

This would explain why no one has been running for the position and why a man the claims to want unity would be so excluding. If it is good for the party for him to resign then I don’t think it could possibly be good for the party for him to be re-appointed. But then I don’t live in SWAC; things operate differently there.

Despite all the SWACy hype and all the pledges, I will believe Kurt’s good intentions when a new chairman has been installed after a fair election where Kurt hasn’t picked out the voters. Since I have been aware of him, Kurt’s actions haven’t matched up with his words.

Krehbiel has come up with a possibility that is, perhaps, even more frightening.

“Dr. Michael, however, feels he should step aside to help bring about unity in the Party because all the olive branches he has offered to Emmett Hanger since June 2007 has been rebuffed.”~ Lynn Mitchell, June 3 2008

And just what olive branches would those be?

• Signing a letter that stated the intention of a committee he isn’t a part of to give a $3k donation that never materialized to Senator Hanger.
• Neglecting to maintain a Republican Headquarters during last year’s election.
• Skipping out on organizing a booth at the Augusta County Fair.
• Not putting together a float for the Staunton parade.
• Ditto for the Stuarts Draft parade

Oh, I know, it must have been all the fund raisers he held for Senator Hanger and all the ads he made endorsing him and urging people to vote for Senator Hanger-the real republican. Or maybe not.

I know I must be missing something… surely Kurt isn’t just relying on a few statements saying he supported the Senator when his actions don’t match up.

Why is Kurt still the chairman? Surely he can’t have forgotten his promise to resign upon adjournment of the Republican State Convention. All bolding is mine throughout the post.

“I will carry on with my responsibilities as Unit Chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee until after the state convention on May 31st to ensure this process is done fairly and properly. Upon adjournment of the Republican State Convention, and in a gesture of good will, I will step down as Unit Chairman…” ~ Kurt Michael, April 18 2008

Now Mr. Michael has declared that he will step down almost a week later than he previously said he would at a June 7 District meeting. And don’t try to tell me that “after the state convention on May 31st” and “Upon adjournment” mean a week later. It means (and he meant) right after the convention.

Upon- preposition- immediately or very soon after, At a prescribed point in time, used to indicate that one event is followed immediately by another event

If you doubt Kurt’s understanding of his statement all you have to do is read his statement issued almost a month later.

“As I stated publicly on April 18, I will be stepping down as Augusta GOP Chairman after the Virginia State Republican Convention at the end of this month.” ~ Kurt Michael, May 11 2008

Even SWACgirl understood his stated intentions.

Augusta County Republican Chairman Kurt Michael pulled a Bill Bolling Friday evening and announced he is stepping aside as leader of the county Republicans effective May 31 in the interest in healing the Party as we go into an extremely important election year. ~SWACgirl April 19 2008

I have thought that his resignation was a way for him to gracefully exit a position that he knew in his heart was not fairly his, but now that the RPV affirmed him rather than fixing the problem, he doesn’t need the out and might argue that he should keep the position.

He has reneged on resigning at the end of last month after the convention, so we really have no reason to expect him to follow through with a resignation on the 7th or his promise not to seek re-election.

Kurt, it’s past time to go. I’m sure some people will miss you very much; even I might miss you a little. After all, you have supplied the blogosphere with a plethora of material and quite a few giggles, but when it is all said and done I will join you in hoping your successor will secede in healing the divide that occurred in the local party under your watch.

“If upheld, the California ruling will send shock waves nationwide,” says Richard Kahlenberg, the author of a number of books on education. He says the case “pits those who believe parental rights are paramount against those who place a premium on well-educated citizens.”

That has got to be either one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard or one of the most intentionally misleading ones. Probably both; making it an intentionally misleading ignorant statement. I plan on boycotting all his books as a result. And just for good measure I also plan on boycotting the state of California.

A majority of home school families home school because they put a premium on raising well-educated citizens. And it’s working. Home schoolers consistently outscore public school children on standardized tests and are doing very well at the various “bees”. Their SAT and ACT scores also surpass those of government schooled children.

I’d say Mr. Kahlenberg has it backwards. The situation in California pits those who believe the government is paramount against those who place a premium on well-educated citizens.

Update: Graph illustrating the difference in test scores between home school students and public school students when broken down by race. I forgot to say on the graph that these are math scores only. So now you know

Numbers are taken from a study by Dr. Brian Ray titled Strengths of Their Own. The information I used can be found here. And Dr. Ray’s book is available here. I just ordered one and look forward to reading it.

White and minority students scored close to equally when home schooled but there is a huge differnce in the public school scores between these two groups. When comparing apples to apples (as hoobie rightly suggested) I believe there is a pretty strong case to be made that home schoolers do average higher test scores than public schoolers.