Perriello got it wrong
I commend John Whitehead and the Rutherford Institute for defending the free speech rights of the protesters in front of Perriello’s office [“Pavement blues,” Government News, December 22]. I really think our notorious Obamanite Congressmen has a “thin skin” when it comes to criticism of his policies. He does NOT represent me, nor many of his local constituents. I do not necessarily think he needs to move his office, as long as he allows the peaceful assembly of constitutionally protected protests across from his office without calling police to run them off. It is also only fair and right that any protestors not harass or block entrances to other businesses. Perriello’s real problem is his need to realize that a lot of folks are getting fed up and disgusted with the arrogance of our elected officials who are more eager to spend billions of our tax dollars that really represent the interests of the people they represent. I find it ironical that the famous “freedom of expression” wall is only a few steps away from Perriello’s office!
Neal Ammerman
Crozet
Who’s mavericky now?
Derek Oppen could readily have answered his own question “has Perriello ever voted against Pelosi and Reid?”, [“Party favor”, Mailbag, December 15 in reference to “Perriello looks ahead to 2010,” December 1], but to do so would have destroyed his argument. In fact, so far in the 111th Congress, Tom Perriello has voted with the Democratic leadership only 89.2 percent of the time. He has, therefore, voted less often with his party over this period than the self-styled Senate maverick John McCain (90.7 percent) and than all but 59 of the 439 Members of the House. Interestingly, only one of these 59 is a Republican from Virginia (Wolf 88.7 percent). The other four Republican Representatives from Virginia had significantly higher party voting averages than Tom did (Cantor 94.9 percent, Goodlatte 94.6 percent, Forbes 93.1 percent, Wittman 92.4 percent) and so would much more readily qualify for the label of party lackey that Mr. Oppen seems to want to hang on Tom Perriello.
Some of Mr. Oppen’s other statements seem to be a little fact-challenged too. For example, Tom Perriello held more Town Hall meetings during the August recess—one in every single one of the counties and cities in his District—than any other Congressman. Strange behavior for someone who “does not listen to his constituents.” And “left-wing”? Hardly, unless one’s baseline is Perriello’s predecessor, Virgil Goode.
Perhaps what Mr. Oppen means is that Tom Perriello is not voting the way he, Mr. Oppen, would like? C-VILLE’s November 2008 list of the largest local political donors includes a $2,300 donation to John McCain from a Mr. Derek Oppen. Could Mr. Oppen’s own political leanings be toward the right, making him unlikely to be happy with any Democrat? There are, however, many of us in the Fifth District who feel that, in Tom Perriello, we do finally have a congressman who hears us.
Heather Rowland
Charlottesville