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Phil's Rodokanakis' Latest Column (email from Ken Hutcheson, Kilgore's campaign manager)
Ken Hutcheson | 11/15/05 | Ken Hutcheson

Posted on 11/15/2005 6:46:25 PM PST by BCR #226

From: Ken Hutcheson [mailto:ken@jerrykilgore.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 2:25 PM To: president@virginiaclubforgrowth.org; phil@philr.us Cc: PJost@Chandler.bz; lholmes@chandler.bz Subject: Phil's Rodokanakis' Latest Column

November 15, 2005

Phil

I read with great amusement your latest "column" on Bacon's Rebellion. Simply put, you are a spineless, gutless coward who is as stupid as he is petty. Do you really think anyone of any relative significance in VA cares what you write? I mean let's face it, you are the epitome of an armchair quarterback with an opinion (which are like a**holes-everyone's got one). Really, what makes you think anyone cares about your opinion in particular?

Where do I begin, there is just too much good stuff to discuss. First, let' s take a moment to ponder your "organization" that bestows upon you the fancy title of President. The Virginia Club for Growth-sounds like an impressive organization, but aside from the email list you conveniently ended up with from me after the Allen Campaign in 2000, who are your members? How many dues paying members are there in VA? Just exactly how many people voted you in as President of the VCOG? Did anyone else run for the position? Can you point to me anything that your organization does other than opine on public policy matters? Can you point to me any meaningful accomplishments of the VCOG? And why do the respected National Club for Growth leaders look down on you and think you and the VA Chapter are a joke?

Ok, now let's review your impressive resume that makes you qualified to judge people like Jerry and me. Name one campaign you have ever managed. Name one race you have ever officially consulted on. In fact, name one race where any candidate paid you for your advice and/or work? Oh wait, I don't recall any, but to be honest, you have never made an impact or had a significant role in Virginia politics, so I might not know off the top of my head. But, I typically don't pay much attention to the bottom feeders who look for scraps and constantly 2nd guess those who have a seat at the table. If you aren't happy in your mediocre job and career, why not whip up the courage to come do what I do on a yearly basis instead of hiding behind a computer keyboard or better yet, run for public office. You have all the answers, surely you could win any race you ran for based upon your principles and then certainly do a better job than the guys who have the guts to put their name on the ballots and stand for election.

Ok, so we have established that you are the "President" of a big email list once owned by me and the Allen campaign and have no real qualifications to offer up competent criticism to anyone out there. Speaking of criticism, let's take a look at your "expert analysis" of things. You claim in a nutshell that we had no principles and that folks like Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell did. Ok, fair enough, but then please explain to me why your expert logic does not apply to Dick Black, Brad Marrs, Chris Craddock and Michael Golden? They were all principled candidates to a fault who also lost. Now why on earth would they have lost if they like Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell ran on principles?

I am sure your cowardly and lazy answer will be that they got swallowed up in the wave caused by the Kilgore defeat. Surely principled candidates such as these would overcome a Kilgore loss at the top of the ticket, especially if Bolling and McDonnell were able to. If that is your misguided belief, so be it, but let me fill you in on a little secret: No one really cares what you think. I am man enough to take the blame for the loss of this campaign though it had nothing to do with the reasons you so intuitively articulated. That said, you were correct in assuming I will be fine moving forward. I have worked my tail off for the last 11 years in this party and will continue to do so, very successfully I might add. My peers and friends are the only ones whose judgment of me matters and I suspect you are in an obscure minority who believe the drivel you write.

Wayne Ozmore, the GOP's 4th District C.D. Chair and a friend of mine recently sent me a famous Teddy Roosevelt quote (see below-the last line describes you perfectly) that I believe to be very appropriate and fitting for people like you. You see, it's people like Wayne and myself who actually get out there and roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty and work the long hours for the cause while folks like yourself and plenty of others like to sit back and type away on your computers and BLOGS, but in reality, each of you is kind of sad and pathetic in your own right. When you build up the same grit under your fingernails that guys like Wayne Ozmore and myself have, come back and we'll talk, but in the meantime, why don't you spare everyone your uninformed and laughable babble and try and earn a shred of credibility so that you don't remain the laughing stock of Virginia.

Bottom line Phil is this: If you were half the man Jerry Kilgore is, you might actually be respected and admired, but you aren't worthy to even stand in his shadow and you know it.

Sincerely,

Ken Hutcheson

P.S. Ignoring you and other nutjobs like Paul Jost was perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of this campaign. We may have lost in the end, but we did so with our dignity and pride intact and our principles firmly in place and by not selling out to you and your merry band of misfits, I am very much at peace with myself.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where

the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the

arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who

comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who

does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends

himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and

who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with

those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: clubforgrowth; kenhutcheson
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This is an email that was forwarded to me this evening. Similar emails were sent from Ken to other conservative groups prior to the election. No wonder Kilgore lost as badly as he did.

The article referenced in the email can be found here:

http://pac.virginiaclubforgrowth.org/news/102205PRcommentary.htm

1 posted on 11/15/2005 6:46:27 PM PST by BCR #226
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To: gieriscm; Joe Brower; Corin Stormhands; Gabz; Ligeia; archy

ping


2 posted on 11/15/2005 6:48:06 PM PST by BCR #226
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To: BCR #226

Hrm, this doesn't look good. What're the odds that the Post is going to take this and run with it as a wedge to divide us conservatives against each other?


3 posted on 11/15/2005 7:26:22 PM PST by detsaoT (run bsd)
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To: BCR #226; Stellar Dendrite
The Virginia Club for Growth-sounds like an impressive organization, but aside from the email list you conveniently ended up with from me after the Allen Campaign in 2000, who are your members?

Sincerely,
Ken Hutcheson

P.S. Ignoring you and other nutjobs like Paul Jost was perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of this campaign. We may have lost in the end, but we did so with our dignity and pride intact and our principles firmly in place and by not selling out to you and your merry band of misfits, I am very much at peace with myself.

What Principles, you F-ing RINO Morons?!

Gee, sounds like the mating call of a RINO...

THIS is why Conservatives are sitting out!

This is why the "Big Tent/Big Gulp" (R) Party MUST go the way of the Whigs!

This is why we do NOT need the RINO/Country Club/Rockefellerites!

This is why Reagan won, and the (R)'s FORCED Poppy Bush on him!

Serfs, throw down your Party memberships...time to put Principles ABOVE Party!

If we can't have Term Limits...let's VOTE them out term Limit style!

4 posted on 11/15/2005 7:33:13 PM PST by Itzlzha ("The avalanche has already started...it is too late for the pebbles to vote")
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To: BCR #226

No wonder this guy lost. He had some bad mouthed adolescent running his campaign. This is awful language. I would not have voted for him either. He also alienated the pro-gun group in VA. Not a smart thing to do.


5 posted on 11/15/2005 7:44:37 PM PST by therut
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To: BCR #226

What the.........????????

It's late, I dealt with the local school board tonight and need to get sleep - I'll check back on this in the morning.


6 posted on 11/15/2005 7:47:07 PM PST by Gabz
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To: BCR #226

If this is factual, and I have no reason to believe it is not, then Ken Hutcheson should be run out of the state. I will gladly lead the charge.

I will make a couple of calls tomorrow to verify this.


7 posted on 11/15/2005 8:54:40 PM PST by Corin Stormhands
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To: Corin Stormhands

I am now convinced that Hutcheson is a Democrat mole. He was sending out emails with similar tone & language to conservatives in the weeks before the election. We're d*mned lucky that he didn't bring Bolling and McDonnell down as well.


8 posted on 11/16/2005 4:09:39 AM PST by gieriscm
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To: Itzlzha
RINOs are ticked off at being challenged by pro-growth conservatives. So much for the 11th GOP Commandment.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

9 posted on 11/16/2005 4:12:24 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: BCR #226

P.S. Ignoring you and other nutjobs like Paul Jost was perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of this campaign. We may have lost in the end, but we did so with our dignity and pride intact and our principles firmly in place and by not selling out to you and your merry band of misfits, I am very much at peace with myself.
I have been in and around campaign war rooms for twenty years. The one thing that losers always seem to have in common is their ability to "wax poetically". They can all write such great snarling "I'm a tough guy and you're not" E mails. These guys also seem to run races that "refuse to sell-out". Yet when the dust settles the truth more often than not is that they were wrong on the issues that real Republicans care about. Kilgore ran a bad race. As early as late Sept. a friend in Va. called me to say the literature Kilgore was handing out was terrible and ineffective.


10 posted on 11/16/2005 6:00:29 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Everything points to it so why not call them the Whigs?)
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To: jmaroneps37

Apparently, you, friend, and your friend are not qualified to opine that Kilgore ran a bad race. You are not even the President of a crummy little sham organization such as the Virginia Club for Growth.

When you get some crendentials, then you are allowed to speak what your eyes see.

/sarc


11 posted on 11/16/2005 6:30:53 AM PST by wouldntbprudent
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To: gieriscm; BCR #226; EDINVA; iceskater; xyz123; Mudboy Slim; Corin Stormhands; jla; ...
Okay, I've done some digging around. Apparently this is authentic. I have two basic problems with it:

1) Hutcheson for writing it. And for apparently he and other campaign staff sending out similar emails to other groups. If this is the way they think a campaign should be run, and they aren't run out of town, we're doomed to lose for a long time.

2) I also have a problem with the Virginia Club for Growth publishing this. And I stand by my earlier comments with regard to single-issue interest groups.

The bottom line?

Both sides need to grow up. We need to work out our differences and learn to present a united front.

The left does this all the time. It's easier for them because they have no principles. It's harder for us to let go of the things we believe in. What we have to learn is that, while it may not be the result we want, we work for the best result of available options.

The Virginia GOP advance is next month. I can't go (and haven't in years). But I intend to make several contacts ahead of time (I suggest you do the same with any GOP leadership you know personally) and let them know that they need to be in the business of putting an end to this stupidity.

If they don't, they can stop calling me.

12 posted on 11/16/2005 6:36:15 AM PST by Corin Stormhands
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To: BCR #226

That pretty much settles it.

The clue level on the Kilgore campaign was awful: the "Hitler" ad was proof of that alone... ANY Net user knows better than to invoke Godwin's Law, i.e. invoke Hitler or the Nazis and you pretty much automatically lose the argument. For a political "pro" to not know better was inexcuseable. . .

No WONDER Kaine won big in NoVa. . . .


13 posted on 11/16/2005 6:54:53 AM PST by Salgak (Acme Lasers presents: The Energizer Border: I dare you to try and cross it. . .)
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To: Corin Stormhands

Is Hutcheson really such a whiny baby? He worked on the Allen campaign, no? I can't imagine George Allen putting up with this kind of adolescent temper tantrum.

The stupid party is back in full force, huh?


14 posted on 11/16/2005 7:15:08 AM PST by iceskater ("Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." - Kipling)
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To: Corin Stormhands
The Virginia Club for Growth-sounds like an impressive organization, but aside from the email list you conveniently ended up with from me after the Allen Campaign in 2000, who are your members?

Real estate developers?
I have nothing against developers in general – they do serve a purpose. I do have a problem with the development at any cost type of people. I also have a problem with politicians who claim that without growth (development) an area will die.
15 posted on 11/16/2005 7:27:14 AM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: iceskater
I have a hard time believing George Allen or Jerry Kilgore would tolerate this.

As much as I've griped about the VCDL, Club for Growth, etc. this really crosses the line...several times...

16 posted on 11/16/2005 7:27:23 AM PST by Corin Stormhands
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To: Corin Stormhands

I agree... and here is the big problem that I have now... Ken Hutcheson is making claims that he is now part of the Allen campaign in some capacity until his "spot" is secured there.

I would very much like Allen to see that email... which by the way was not sent by Phil Rodokanakis to me. I received it from about half a dozen other people who got it from various sources.

If Allen takes Hutcheson as a manager on his campaign, I fear he's lost before the fight has even begun. I'll be calling Sen. Allen soon on this.

Mike


17 posted on 11/16/2005 8:55:03 AM PST by BCR #226
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To: BCR #226

I ~think~ Hutcheson is referring to Allen's 2000 Senate campaign. IIRC he was a part of the campaign staff.

Regardless of who released the email, I think both of these guys need to sit down in a room and slug out their differences. From what I understand (from someone who knows) this is not new to this campaign, but has been building for several years.

But, it's why we're losing elections.


18 posted on 11/16/2005 9:01:22 AM PST by Corin Stormhands
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To: Corin Stormhands

Me too Corin


19 posted on 11/16/2005 9:03:05 AM PST by W04Man (Bush2004 Grassroots Campaign We Did It! NOW.... PLEASE STAY THE COURSE!)
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To: Corin Stormhands

Let me be the first to toot my own horn.

I said in previous posts that the reason Kilgore lost was Ken Hutcheson. This e mail proves it.

I also agree that one issue simple mindedness must come to an end, or we'll wind up with more Timmy Kaines in the future........


20 posted on 11/16/2005 9:12:31 AM PST by GeorgeW23225 ("Grow your own dope. Plant a liberal")
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