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About the author

Brian Kirwin

The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.

Comments

16 Responses to "Virginia suffers from Freshmanitus"

1. 

   SE VA MWC Alum February 16, 2011 19:46 pm

   Interesting article Brian. A good reminder that experience still counts for something. Twelve years ago we had three senior members of Congress from both parties (Bateman, Pickett, Sisiskey) representing parts of Hampton Roads. Losing them within a year of each other to death or retirement really hit us pretty hard.

2. 

   Kathy Mateer February 16, 2011 22:02 pm

   That is why I respect Bob Tata. He has wisdom.

3. 

   LittleDavid February 17, 2011 08:46 am

   Brian K,

   Kind of a self serving article isn’t it? Now that Republicans are at high tide, everyone needs to realize those elected need to get some seniority to be more effective.

   I miss John Warner too, but there are not many Republicans like John Warner serving in office left in the Republican Party.

4. 

   Brian Kirwin February 17, 2011 08:56 am

   LittleDavid, EVERYTHING i write is self-serving.

5. 

   J.R. Hoeft February 17, 2011 09:08 am

   Ignore the pests, Brian. He only comes here to comment because he can’t attract readers to his own website.

6. 

   LittleDavid February 17, 2011 10:21 am

   J.R.,

   At least you didn’t call me a troll.

7. 

   J.R. Hoeft February 17, 2011 10:26 am

   Well, if the shoe fits…

   In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)

8. 

   LittleDavid February 17, 2011 10:33 am

   I will not be provoked into posting an unrelated comment on this topic because it would probably end up in being deleted.

9. 

   J.R. Hoeft February 17, 2011 10:48 am

   All your comments on this thread should be deleted.

   How is accusing Brian of being self-serving have anything to do with a well-crafted op-ed about how Virginia has lost significant power on Capitol Hill?

   Perhaps you should comment on the merits or lack thereof of the article, and attempt to develop arguments to counter Brian’s as opposed to calling him self-serving.

10. 

    LittleDavid February 17, 2011 11:04 am

    I thought my comments were extremely germane.

    As far as Brian K. goes, my side got a living quote:

    “LittleDavid, EVERYTHING i write is self-serving.”

    Of course you can delete it and then I would have problems linking to it.

11. 

    Brian Kirwin February 17, 2011 12:39 pm

    LittleDweeb,

    You think my quote is something you could use against me? Boy, you really don’t get it.

12. 

    Steve Vaughan February 17, 2011 13:24 pm

    Nice piece, Brian. I take it you don’t support term limits then? Or would it be okay if everybody had terms limits instead of Virginia voters imposing their own and so putting us at a disadvantage seniority wise?
    Your take on the one-term governor is spot on too, I think. Virginia governors’ presidential prospects are also, I think, hurt by the timing of our gubernatorial elections. Virginia’s governors either have to bail on the state a year early or wait three years after they are out of office -by which time they’ve been forgotten — to run for president.

13. 

    Freddie February 17, 2011 13:33 pm

    So we should keep our congressmen in office longer so they can get more pork?

14. 

    Brian Kirwin February 17, 2011 14:45 pm

    Steve, if everyone had term limits, that would balance the power. Fact remains that they don’t.

    I favor term limits, but i oppose unilateral disarmament.

    Freddie, I don’t consider the military “pork”

15. 

    Steve Vaughan February 17, 2011 15:03 pm

    BK: I was just wondering. That’s a perfectly defensible position. It’s the one that congressmen who ran on term limits use to justify continuing in office — if we don’t have them from everyone then I’m not going to be personally bound by them.

    As for pork, if there’s going to be pork…and there is … I’d rather it came here than went to Texas or California.

16. 

    Brian Kirwin February 17, 2011 21:50 pm

    Steve, I usually craft perfectly defensible positions rather brilliantly.

    I, and I think this is true throughout Bearing Drift’s writers, do not craft these positions in haste. We’ve been around a while and have some experience from which to speak.