by Smitty
This News-4 story from 25 October looks fairly balanced:
For reference, here is the contentious clip:
Now, let’s fisk NBC-4:
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 0:08 “…claims Moran said…” | No, actually, Moran did say that about military service: “What [Republicans] do is that they find candidates – usually stealth candidates – that haven’t been in office, haven’t served or performed any kind of public service. My opponent is typical.” |
| 0:19 “…comments at a community appearance…” | Why the attempt to draw attention away from the audience? Is NBC undaware that the ‘community’ in question was the Arlington County Democratic Committee? This was far more than random folks down at the Alexandria Farmer’s Market, where I have personally been along with Murray to, you know, meet people. Moran’s audience were all insiders. Moran’s audience knew who they, (Republicans) are, and why Murray’s lack of the secret handshake and decoder ring would be detrimental to ACDC’s interests. |
| 0:27 “…instead, his lack of community involvement…” | If Jim Moran would like to issue a fresh statement describing exactly how the dealmaking skills accrued over 20 years in Congress exceed the leadership and managerial skills of a career of public service in the military, such a statement would be both enlightening and nothing whatsoever like what Moran is on record as saying. If Moran attempts to imply that there are other criteria for serving in Congress to be met, those would also be interesting to know. Is a Boston accent one of them, or is Moran’s accent a mere Kennedy-esque affectation? Oh, wait, Moran grew up in Massachusetts, so maybe Murray’s Oklahoma origins aren’t so strange. |
| 0:40 “…seek the seat of Virginia Congressman Jim Moran…” | Speaking of Massachusetts, didn’t we go through this drill in January with “the Kennedy Seat”? VA-8’s seat belongs to all constituents, not merely the occupant, for all that occupant’s body language screams otherwise. |
| 1:20 | Watch the whole video. When you recall the Democrat insider audience, the second half is as devastating as the President’s “bitter clingers“, explored in detail here. |
| 1:46 “…his comments have been distorted” | Is he referring to his record of public service in general, or this incident in particular? One wonders. He means every odious, condescending word and dismissive gesture in that clip, right at face value, judging by every time I’ve seen him personally or on TV. |
| 2:00 “…decided not to be involved…” | Patrick Murray is running for office. Jim Moran is running for office. If running for office is deciding not to be involved, then Moran is confessing extreme detachment on his own part. But will this form of projection find traction with conscious voters? |
| 2:07 “…that’s what I was saying…” | Other that the fact that this is not what he said in the clip, one can find no objection with Moran’s explanation. Are we going to believe Moran, or our lying ears? A fine acting performance, though. Anyone unaware of Moran’s dented wastebasket personality might be taken in by the show of contrition here. |
| 2:28 “…sticking by his statement that Murray isn’t qualified because he hasn’t been active in community issues.” | First, that’s a fresh statement. Second, unless Operation Community Issues is some hush-hush project known only to carefully briefed Democrat voters in VA-8, the statement is nonsensical. Patrick Murray has all of the necessary chops to function effectively in the next Congress. More importantly, he lacks the taint of the PMA scandal and all of the other murky activities clouding Moran’s record. |
| 2:38 “…voted locally for the first time” | The specifics of military residence, I can speak from experience, get into nit-noid detail. Moran’s effort to imply some extra-legal residence requirement is a laughable attempt to distract from the fact that Moran is way past time to retire. And retire Jim Moran we must. |
PATRICK MURRAY for U.S. CONGRESS
Jim Moran: half the charm of the typical Democrat. Will it make up for a campaign office that resembles a morgue?
