Virginia Foxx Makes The Daily Show

You have to work hard to rise in foolishness sufficient to warrant inclusion on Jon Stewart's Daily Show (and they didn't even use Foxx's giant poster stunt and her judicious evaluation of Roger Clemens' body). You can watch the segment that Foxx became a part of here (Foxx appears around about 6 mins. in). (If that link doesn't work, you can always go here and click on "Roger Doger.")

As Stewart says, Congress (meaning the Republican members of this committee) "found a way to turn a steroid hearing into a partisan affair."

According to Stewart, Roger Clemens looked like a liar. According to our own eyes, Foxx looked like a national laughing-stock and a toady.

ADDENDUM
It's getting durn hard to stay up with all the negative national attention Madam Foxx has gotten from her Roger Clemens moment, but here's another round-up of some comment we missed yesterday.

This writer mentions that Foxx met with Clemens privately the day before the hearing. We knew about the meeting, that it was obviously a chance for her to rehearse her grandstanding with the object of her affection, but we had not been able to find a net source (other than a photograph of Clemens in the House Office Bldg. hallway, on his way to Foxx's office).

Madam Foxx Pitches Low

If Sen. Bill Frist could diagnose Terri Schiavo's medical condition by looking at a videotape of her, then why can't Rep. Virginia Foxx authoritatively declare Roger Clemens steroid-free, by looking at photographs?

In one bizarre moment, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who said Congress was wasting its time with the hearing, had an aide display portraits of Clemens at various stages of his career. As the portraits towered over her, she said she saw no physical evidence he had gotten bigger during the years. [Charlotte Observer, today]

And when exactly did the defense of Roger Clemens become such a partisan prize for Republicans?

ADDENDUM
Progressive Pulse has more, including an hilarious picture of Madam Foxx and her visual aids.

ADDITIONAL ADDENDUM
Sports Illustrated blogger Tom Verducci adds more than his 2 cents on why Virginia Foxx is a credit to her party and a huge embarrassment to the 5th Dist. of N.C.:

2:15 PM ET
Poster Child
Virginia Foxx (R-NC) made it clear that she would rather not be at the hearings, that Congress shouldn't be involved in baseball matters. "I think we've been playing gotcha games and I don't agree with that," Foxx said. Then Foxx proceeded to prove beyond a doubt that she truly didn't belong there. She showed a poster of Clemens in four different photographs for four different teams (Boston, New York, Toronto, Houston), the exact dates of which she had no idea. "You appear to me to be about the same size," she said. "It doesn't appear to me that your size has changed much." Great. Now Foxx can tell us whether players are using PEDs just on body type in photographs. It's exactly that kind of sloppy eyeball detective work that we should have left behind a decade ago.

Marsha Walpole for School Board

The first candidate (that we know of) for the Watauga County Board of Education has stepped forward. Marsha Walpole and her husband Matt are rare-book dealers who used to run Row by Row Bookshop in downtown Boone. She released this statement this afternoon:

Today I am announcing my candidacy and filing for a seat on the Watauga Board of Education.

We have a good school system in Watauga County, and with the new high school currently being built we have a good foundation for our future. But there is still work to be done to prepare our children for a 21st century economy. We can not rest until we have unlocked the potential of every child in the Watauga County School system.

BACKGROUND
I am married to Matthew Walpole, and we have one son, Chandler, who has been a student in Watauga County since second grade. I have a BS in Botany and have completed the Effective Teacher Training course that some North Carolina counties require for substitute, returning and lateral entry teachers. I was a member of the Cove Creek Elementary PTSO for 3 years, and I have volunteered for almost 3 years with Friends of Watauga. I have had the privilege of working with the children of Watauga County as a Cub Scout and Girl Scout Leader. I also volunteer with Gardens for Humanity.

PLATFORM
- Although our drop-out rate in Watauga County is much better than the state average, I believe that we can come up with innovative plans to assure that all our children graduate from high school.

- With many of our fine teachers nearing retirement age, I feel that we need to be proactive in recruiting and retaining good teachers in our county. The cost of living in our county is high, and we need to make sure that young teachers are able to live here.

- I want to improve school climate so that every child is in an environment conducive to learning.

- I want to explore ways that the board can be more efficient and effective.

- I want to cultivate new partnerships with business and community groups to enhance educational opportunities.

- I want to expand communication efforts to raise community awareness and parental involvement.

- Working with county and town elected officials, I want to develop a long-range vision for the future that captures the passion of everyone in our school system.

Steep-Slope Controversy in Jackson County

Shades of Boone's municipal elections last fall, when the local unregulated development boosters threw pots of money at defeating the town council over steep-slope regs ... which is to say that down in Jackson County, the county commissioners who passed county-wide steep-slope rules last year are being targeted for defeat by "the real estate and development lobby," which, according to the Smoky Mountain News, "spent the winter seeking out candidates to run who support their view."

This will be worth watching. Look for tons of money to be spent (in order that tons of money can be made, eventually, if the regs are overturned). It's all about the money, honey.

McCrory Gets Himself a High-Dollar Strategist

Charlotte Mayor & Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory has hired Jack Hawke, late of the Civitas Institute and a major operative for right-wing candidates, to remake him as a conservative in the Republican primary May 6th. Jack Hawke also helped Virginia Foxx in 2004, remaking her as a human facsimile.

It was bound to happen. McCrory couldn't win the primary running as himself, a moderate Republican big-city mayor with visions of public transportation.

Call it The Romney Syndrome. And look for Mittens McCrory to become Pat the Fire-Breather.

Flip This (Old) House: McHenry Decides McCain Is Just Fine

Thanks to Pat Go Bye Bye for highlighting this brief bit of fame for 10th Dist. Congressman Patrick McHenry:

VIRGINIA BEACH, Feb. 11 -- At a private meeting of conservatives in the House of Representatives last month, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (N.C.) ridiculed Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), asking why his fellow right-wing activists "shouldn't be physically ill at the prospects of a President McCain."

On Monday, McHenry -- apparently feeling fine -- joined the chorus of voices calling for conservatives to unify around McCain as the likely Republican nominee, and he accused former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee of waging a pointless nomination battle because he is "in there for himself."

The $64,000 Question: will Madam Virginia Foxx also get religion fast? Smart money sez ... YES!

New NC Poll: Clinton Sucking Wind at 40%

SurveyUSA election poll of 2,000 NC voters ... Obama 50% to Clinton's 40%. Obama seems to benefit most from John Edwards' withdrawal.

McCrory Comes Out for Statewide Land-Use Planning

Say good night, Mayor McCrory.

You said the "I" word ... "integration" ... specifically, you talked about the integration of long-range land-use planning and long-term transportation needs (meaning, highway corridors primarily).

Some of the most sensible talk we've heard from a candidate in either major party. Which means, Mayor McCrory, you're waaay too intellectual to be governor of North Carolina. Your goose is cooked.

That's what The Meck Deck says. Those John Locke clones just hate -- hate with a passion -- anything that smacks of PLANNING.

Obama Cancels

"Scheduling conflict" kept Obama out of John Edwards' kitchen last night. But he'll get to Chapel Hill soon, to be sure.

Edwards campaign manager, David Bonior, is urging his former boss not to endorse anyone: "His issues are really important, and if I were him, I would keep pressure on both of them [Clinton and Obama] to address the issues he really cares about. And the best way to do that is to stay uncommitted."