Do you remember the movie with Robert Redford, Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, Indecent Proposal? Robert Redford, the millionaire, is playing billiards with Woody Harrelson and his wife, Demi Moore. The discussion comes up about what money can buy and Woody’s response is, “money can’t buy everything.”
Robert Redford decides to challenge that statement by offering the couple one million dollars for one night with Demi Moore. Initially they are insulted and reject the proposal, but they later accept. They live to regret their decision, because it ruins their marriage. Well guess what? The same scenario is playing out here in the Republican Party.
According to The Daily Press, Bill Bolling has made a $15,000 contribution to the Republican Party of Virginia to revamp the party’s website. It is small pittance for betraying his party last year by refusing to support the Republican nominee for governor, Ken Cuccinelli.
Even more insulting? Even though Bolling has $276,000 in his PAC account, he gives only $15,000. It falls measurably short of the $25,000 Cuccinelli donated to the Republican Party of Virginia last month, so once again Cuccinelli outperforms Bolling.
I’m just sort of curious how that conversation went at RPV. Bolling makes an indecent proposal of $15,000 to be received back into the good graces of the Republican Party of Virginia. I have to believe they were initially insulted, but money is hard to come by in the Republican Party nowadays with activists disillusioned with many elected officials within the Party who support tax increases, spending, Medicaid expansion, amnesty, insider trading, and on and on and on. The proposal starts to look more appealing as the need for money gets more intense. Next thing you know a quote from RPV, “we couldn’t do it without Bill Bolling!”
A word of caution to the RPV leadership – $15,000 cost Bolling nothing, but it may continue to cost you election victories. You may not see all the unintended consequences until later down the road, but just like in the movie, it will destroy the marriage between the Party and its activists. Wait, perhaps that is what Billing Bolling, Boyd Marcus and Ray Allen actually want? Ahhh, very smart move on their side.
66 comments
And if he gave $200,000 many of you and RPV, Kenney and Mullins would be out there tripping all over themselves talking about what a good guy Bill is and building the case for us to lighten up on Bill and let him come back in.
Bill Bolling didnt give RPV $15,000 for a website, he gave it for another reason yet to be announced by him and his true intentions. RPV should have told him to shove it up his rear, that we didnt want his money!!!
Anyone believing good for Shaun Kenney for putting this together, if he did, doesnt get it or those thinking naive that Bolling is a good guy. I still remember in a SCC meeting, Pat Mullins telling them that Bill Bolling was a good republican and had done alot of good for the party, this after Bill had met with McAulliffe. This party was considering giving an award to him in the hopes he wouldnt turn sour over the reversal on the primary to a convention, for crying out loud, talk about wimpy leadership and how to deal with our enemies in politics. My point is too many are naive as to what goes on in politics and the very nature of it and peoples reasons for involvement with it.
Although you don’t say it explicitly, I think that blaming Bill Boling for losing the election is ludicrous. One might ponder the possibility that having your party’s sitting governor caught with both hands in the cookie jar a possible cause for the loss. Let’s just choose to forget that our candidate got caught with his own hand in the same cookie jar (albeit to a less degree).
Despite what is conventional wisdom here, we are not in and of ourselves a majority of the populace. We can’t nominate brown shoes and be elected. We have to convince moderates that our candidates represent their will on the issues and earn their trust as fair and honest administrators of their government. What on God’s green earth made you think that Bill Bolling was the cause of our election loss? If you think you speak for all conservatives, clean up your own house ….errr your candidates. The real populace won’t elect crooks. That’s where the real problem lies not the red herring of the RINO’s are costing us elections. What a bunch of bull!
First you acknowledge that you’re responding to a position that wasn’t claimed, then you attack that position.
Does that qualify as honest debate in the other forums you may frequent? Is logic even taught in school anymore? Post after post after post, so many logical fallacies. Communication fail.
Let me think of a word that’s the antonym of explicit. Hmmm.
Yeah, I was taught (probably before your time) about critical reading and writing. It’s called looking at not just what the writer explicitly says but what they imply as well.
You well know that everything I said was in direct response to the implications in the last portion of Ms. Radke’s comments. You and I both know that she was calling Mr.Bolling a RINO. BTW that’s “without saying it explicitly”. Her further implication was that all RINO’s cost us the election. In my own inarticulate way I merely wanted to point out that we should clean our own house before we start blaming someone else.
Otherwise, in naval terminology…..noted.
I am sure Shawn and the RPV will put the money to good use. I would be happier with even just $1 and an apology. Want to mend fences? Apologize for your part of the fiasco and ask for reconciliation. Acknowledge hurt feelings on both sides of the fence and ask for reconciliation. That is what true leadership looks like. Establishment calls for unity are very similar to Democrat calls for compromise. AKA, my way or the highway…
The Republican Party threw Bill Bolling under the bus, what they did to Bolling can only be described one way. The Republican Party did the same thing to Bill Bolling as they do to middle class America every day. Bill Bolling doesn’t owe the Party one red cent.
Why don’t you people talk about the $$$$$$$ Cucci had left over after his third rate run FROM Governor.
Bill Bolling could have been Governor now. You people remind me of the San Diego Chargers years ago. They finished the season 14-2, then fired the coach.
Speaking of firing the coach……….
Jim, Bill is a nice person and all the corporate donors like his style. He was a good LG. He also made a behind the scenes deal with Bob McDonnell that did not involve Ken Cuccinelli. Bill also “made arrangements” with SCC 2 years in advance to protect his run. Two years, 2.Who cast the first stone, Jim? Who asked us little ole voters about this deal, Jim? Bill shunned “us” folks from VB who were outside the “Bolling faction” and pretty much told us to go throw sand, but in a nice way, so we did.. At him.
Bill Bollings own political director didnt like the tea party at all and wanted them to go away. I’m betting that her opinions were not far from the norm in the Bolling office.
Marissa is good people, attacking her is out of bounds, I count her as a friend. Although many disagreements remain between us, we also support some of the same candidates now.
Jim: its not an “attack” when retelling actual events that transpired…its simply history. Maybe you’re not aware of what happened.
But when you examine her comments against the larger Bolling political landscape, they snap right into place nicely. And this was EARLY, years ago…before the establishment felt so comfortable attacking us openly.
We have had a few heart to hearts.. She is not the bad girl..
“You people”? What do you mean, “you people”??
Anyone who supported a Convention instead of a primary. Why doesn’t whoever made that call take responsibility for their decision?
Conventions have been in-place for eons. Now suddenly, they are the greatest scourge of the earth, responsible for the destruction of all.
The convention was a smashing success. If not for the complete betrayal of the ticket by high profile establishment Republicans and their moneymen, it would have been an easy sweep.
First off, it takes one hell of a man to reach out from under the bus, and hand the bus driver $15 grand! Yes it does.
Ok, who made the call for a convention? Name please? Why is it a secret?
Ok, you can make excuses for Cucci, you can do the same for Jackson. But what about Obenshaine? He outspent Herring and still lost? Well?
Elect Bill Bolling Governor in ’17!
Who made the call for a primary 2 years before the election? And who made the call for a convention for 09?
Hahaha, that will NEVER happen!
Jeanine, look into your Crystal Ball and tell me if this will happen.
In the 2013 Virginia General assembly, Barbara Comstock created and introduced HER OWN tax increase bill. HB 1930. Annual state tax increases for ever. Check for yourself.
Comstock also supports state budget increases many times the rate of inflation or cost of living.
In spite of being a radical, tax increasing liberal, (HB 1930) counterfeit Conservative, will you help get her elected in November?
Come of of the Liberal Closet Comstock!
Bolling was not owed the Governorship no matter what he thought. When he did not get it he proceeded to pitch an epic, lengthy temper tantrum. He is part of the reason that Cuccinelli lost and looked like someone had kicked his puppy that Cuccinelli didn’t lose big (so that he could gloat like he wanted to).
The same folks who made it a convention in 2009?
Conventions were super-awesome when McDonnell and Bolling won, but now seem to be akin to a ritualistic sacrifice during the winter solstice.
What is the excuse for the Obenshaine loss?
“Official” excuse? I don’t even know what that means. Im not sure that your post was quite coherent enough for me to respond…so I’ll let others take a shot at it.
You were right!
since this donation is going to fix RPV’s website, then presumably all future Republican candidates will benefit, right? i can’t see how anyone can gripe about that
Wait…you read the piece and understood it to mean that Radtke was upset that money would be used for the RPV website? What a fascinating interpretation. You seem really interesting, and I’d love to hear more.
fruit of the poisoned tree & all that. If some are outraged at BB’s donation, then they would never want to benefit from it
“OUTRAGED!!”
lol the hyperbole is amusing
I’m sorry Jamie, do you have more than $15k that you can donate to RPV? Until you do, I don’t think you’re justified in calling the donation “meager.” Personally, I think every dollar counts, just ask the Obama campaign about all of the small donations that they received that added up to build a huge war chest. Sounds like you just want to poke at Bolling for the sake to poke at him.
Chairman Mullins needs to give the money back and say No Thanks.
Nothing wrong with keeping the money, as long as it’s clear that it’s a donation and is not buying anything. If Bolling wants to attempt his own personal redemption to the party, it’s his right to do so, I suppose. He’s got a lot of making up to do though.
His donation is not a redemption. Nor is it reason to attack him for not donating “enough.” For a fiscal conservative, who I proudly voted for BTW, Radtke seems to be more than willing how to tell Bolling what he should do with his money. She’s out of line on this one…
My point wasn’t that he should give more money, but rather that his pittance money can’t make up for the damage he has done to the party and in our elections. In other, money (no matter how small or big) can’t buy you everything – like I stated at the beginning of the blog.
Julian Walker stated in his coverage of this story that Bolling “had not ruled out” running for political office. (http://hamptonroads.com/2014/05/bolling-gives-15000-virginia-gop-tech-revamp). My argument is that conservative activists will not work for him just because he threw some money at the party. It doesn’t work that way. And if the argument is made in the future that we owe Bolling because he is and will help out the party financially – well, that won’t go over well with activists either.
Jason – I think you totally missed the point. However, if you’d like to quote/indicate the sentences in her post that indicated to you that she is “willing to tell Bolling what he should do with his money”, I’d certainly reconsider.
“Even more insulting? Even though Bolling has $276,000 in his PAC
account, he gives only $15,000. It falls measurably short of the $25,000
Cuccinelli donated to the Republican Party of Virginia last month.”
So even though he made a donation (don’t care what his incentive is, we need the money) it wasn’t enough.
I find it very hard to believe that Mullins is letting the RPV be pimped out for cash by Bolling.
We need the money if we ever want to win again. Doesn’t matter if we get “our guys” the nomination we don’t have the funds to win.
Not sure why we’re even upset over this. There is no tactical reason to do so. Bill Bolling already committed political suicide.
Where specifically, did you derive “upset” from this piece?
“It is small pittance for betraying his party last year by refusing to support the Republican nominee for governor, Ken Cuccinelli.” SO an additional $10,000 would have been redemption. Got it. You sound like a liberal discussing private funds he has received and how much is “appropriate” for him to donate.
“It falls measurably short of the $25,000 Cuccinelli donated to the Republican Party of Virginia last month, so once again Cuccinelli outperforms Bolling.” Come on… Give me a break.
You have very quickly forgotten Cuccinelli’s MAJOR fundraising issues throughout his campaign and how he had to bleed our party funds dry to the point where we could barely afford to keep the doors open. He received nearly 1 million in funding from RPV, he was almost out-raised by the bottom of the ticket, AND he could hardly make any inroads with the business community. So before you start rattling on about what is essentially “spreading the wealth around”, check your facts. From 2009-2014 Bolling has received $132,050 to Cuccinelli’s $862,940.
Didn’t Cuccinelli spend nearly all of that on a run for Governor? Why does Bill Bolling still have so much money? What’s he saving it for? He has more money than Cuccinelli! http://www.vpap.org/candidates/profile/home/4415
Jeanine think about your statement. “Why does Bill Bolling still have so much money? What’s he saving it for?” Why is this any of our decisions to make? The answer is it isn’t. He worked hard for those donations just like all candidate do and the funds are his to disperse. Frankly why would anyone give to an organization where people just complain you did not give enough? Would anyone give to the red cross or any other group if that is how the donors could expect to be treated? No.
The argument falls flat when looking at what each has received. But, to answer your question, just looking at the vpap report, it looks like he is using them to contribute to candidates just like RPV would amongst other things. As I am sure most of us commenting would agree, we know what to do with our money better than someone else does.
Cuccinelli couldn’t make “inroads” with the business community because they’re in bed with the Establishment GOP, one of whom is Bolling, did everything he could to undermine Cuccinelli. He wasn’t the only one, but as long as he hangs around thinking he might run again for something on a Republican ticket there will be those who won’t ever again give him a glance.
As usual, more dishonest forum commentary. Nowhere did Radtke posit that another 10,000 would bring redemption…that was your own strawman construction. Is the public at-large just completely incapable of honest/valid debate? I need to setup a foundation to fund Logic-101, “Dissembling of Logical Fallacies” classes for the masses.
We’ll find out more on this story, I’m sure, when we see who gets the $15k to fix the RPV’s horrible website.
Yes, my sentiments exactly. That is the real story.
I could revamp it in 2 weeks and for only $10K. 🙂
Yes, and that has nothing to do with Bolling’s donation. RPV decided to say that’s how Bolling’s donation will be used. I seriously doubt that Bill Bolling cares about RPV’s bad website.
Bolling and Sarvis are the reasons we have McAwful as our governor. $15k doesn’t make up for the suffering we have to go through because Bolling campaigned against Cuccinelli. I wouldn’t support Bolling for dogcatcher!
You can’t fairly blame Sarvis – he took more McAuliffe voters than Cuccinelli voters. All the actual libertarians took Ron Paul’s advice to vote for Ken. Sarvis got the portion of the abortion-uber-alles faction that is less comfortable with corporatism than the average Democrat – the number of GOP votes he drew was negligible.
I would agree that you can’t blame Sarvis. However, I would argue that not all actual libertarians took Ron Paul’s opinion to heart.
Dog catcher would be Ok with me.
This reminds me of the guy in church who everyone knows has money. When the collection plate comes by he throws in a dollar so everyone will see that he put something in the plate. This meager donation won’t suddenly make republicans trust him.
Shaun Kenney is doing a yeoman’s job if has to get money out of people like Bill Bolling.
[…] to paint this donation as some sort of bribe or pay off, as failed Senate candidate Jamie Radtke is attempting to do, is laughable at best. Here’s a little […]
We won’t forget Bolling’s betrayal, so I don’t know if money can restore his reputation. Still, guess the RPV can use the money. We’ll see about Bolling’s rehab. though I would never trust or vote for him again.
If Tea Party people are angry that Bill Bolling contributed $15K to RPV, then why don’t they contribute more so that they will show Virginians that they are more motivated, well-financed & hustling to make Republican victories happen?
You know, rather than complain…
Not going to give my money to Establishment GOP types who are trying to suppress and disenfranchise the base, grassroots, and party faithful. If Republicans act like Democrats, then they’re democrats. Eric Cantor’s efforts are financed by GOP Establishment which led to the slating efforts. Couldn’t be more clear why donations from the base party faithful might be falling off.
Nobody is complaining that he gave money. They are pro actively responding future claims of redemption and how he might later claim how he personally revamped the online presence of the party. People are also pointing out that rather than you know “complain”, Cuccinelli gave even more. They are simply saying 15 k is not gonna return him to good graces. It will probably take more than money to do that.
When conservatives give money to GOP organizations, the establishment types direct that money to be used against conservative candidates. Thus, conservatives stopped giving to GOP organizations.
It’s not that difficult a problem to fix, there just needs to be the will to fix it.
Most people want value for contributions, which is why many (most?) “tea party people” are giving directly to candidates, and not the party. Want more people to “buy” the product? Improve the product. My personal experience is that the party doesn’t want my help.
I hope you’re wrong, Jamie. In the meantime, I say good on Bill for giving anything. $15k isn’t terribly much considering what he’s got in the bank, but it beats nothing, doesn’t it?
It’s a good thing and I don’t think we as a party will be seduced by it into changing our minds on anything. Like I said, I hope you’re wrong.
And kudos to Shaun Kenney for making it happen. Say what you will, but the guy is persuasive and dogged, and if his job is to squeeze GOP heavies for cash, then I’d say he’s doing his job and proving his worth.
One might say, it’s the least Bolling could do, the very least.
I agree. I doubt 15k really would buy him a lot of influence and if he is willing to give, so be it. He lost his credibility and trust with voters, so I hope he is not expecting another crack at running for office. I am just happy the guy gave anything after his epic meltdown. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Better than nothing for sure. He could donate $1M, and still would not “redeem himself” for the irrevocable damage perpetrated on the state with his influence in TMac’s governorship win, as far as I’m concerned.
Kudos to Shaun Kenney, and good for Bill!!!!!!!
Its pretty apparent to what others are telling me about your true intentions are, Steve, to have youre blog be the next bearingdrift! Of course with Jamie around she will try and keep you guys honest but your remarks are sounding like someone naive and very wrong!
First you call on having unity for unity’s sake, not unity based on anything other than beating “the real bad guys,” the democrats, as I believe you put it in a post a couple weeks back. Trust me, those on our side acting as democrats are a far greater threat to conservatives and our movement than the democrat party.
Now its kudos to Shaun Kenney and Bill Bolling!!!!
Thanks but no thanks…..
My “true intentions,” Steve? Really? Is everything some kind of conspiracy now?
My true intentions are to build the Republican Party by empowering its grass roots. I’m a party guy, and nothing I’ve said or done is inconsistent with that, and I hope nothing ever will be. I think I’ve been pretty consistent on that score. If you have people telling you otherwise, I suggest you widen your circle of friends.
Re Bolling: nothing naive or squishy about congratulating him on doing a good thing. I share Jamie’s suspicions about this donation being used to whitewash history, but am glad he gave. Re Shaun: he’s working hard on fundraising, and is having much success. If he can part Bolling from even $15k of his money to fund the party I serve, yeah, I think that deserves a pat on the back. How in the world is that controversial!?!
The last thing we want to do is become another Bearing Drift!