VOLuntarilyConservative

I admit that I have been watching the race in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District with some interest. In that race, former UT hero/Washington Redskins disaster Heath Shuler is running as a Democrat against Republican incumbent Chuck Taylor. Taylor has significant connections to the Jack Abramoff scandal, which makes his vulnerability understandable. The latest polling in this race was completed in early July, so there's not telling who is leading now (the race was within the margin of error at the time).

I know Heath through his help with some of the past Republican campaigns here in Knox County. I wouldn't have much of a problem with him if his first acts as a Congressional candidate weren't to run to Barbara Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, and the rest of the liberal establishment to kiss their rings and gain significant financial assistance. Even if I thought well of Heath during his time in Knoxville, his actions showed where his votes were aligned. You can be a good person and still be bad for the country.

In any case, I received several e-mails last Friday asking for my opinion on the StopShuler website and their faux political ads that had made their way to YouTube. Well, here is the latest one for your own perusal:



Shuler's people are reportedly irate with the videos. They need to relax. It's humor, people! No, Heath Shuler wasn't responsible for the murder rate in D.C. or for Juwan Howard, but it does seem interesting to the casual observer that he can be connected to the bad ole days of D.C. Other ads from StopShuler even connect Shuler with that nasty "L" word. No, not "liberal." I'm talking about "Leaf" - as in, Ryan Leaf.

It will be interesting to see how this one turns out. The liberal money in Asheville is seemingly hellbent on seeing Shuler back to Washington. Given the passions of NFL fans (especially in Washington), it might be safer for Heath to move back to Knoxville.