RFDAH exclusive:
Connolly Provides Insults not Answers to ISA Questions
October 1, 2008
Springfield, Virginia
11th Congressional Candidate Gerry Connolly spoke to the West Springfield Civic Association in the community room of the West Springfield Government Center in a Meet the Candidate forum. Civic Association members got to meet both Connolly’s, beauty and the beast. His answers to a majority of questions represented beauty in the abstract sense that one can appreciate the hollowness of a honed politician shucking and jiving around accountability for $430 million worth of public debt and a political party ducking their responsibility for Freddie and Fannie. However, when challenged on the Islamic Saudi Academy, Boss Connolly the Beast showed his true colors by insulting and bullying the inquiring civic association member. Afterwards, association members politely characterized his behavior as condescending and full of contempt.
At the outset of the meeting, Connolly lauded his 25 years of foreign policy experience, and commitment to assessable and accountable government. When questioned on accountability of the Islamic Saudi Academy, Connolly inspected his finger nails, and then perturbed, interrupted the question. Undeterred, the question of how he would hold the ISA accountable as a Congressman, was asked. Connolly responded not by answering, but instead by threatening “Are you a member of this civic association?” In the hour plus discussion, Connolly asked this for this verification from no one else.
Unable to escape on technicality or suppress the question, Connolly proceeded with insult and slander accusing the asker of “not doing their homework.” Connolly’s character assassination was rebuffed with citations of government reports, so he moved on to denying the issue by claiming it was a land use issue that the US State Department had to decide for local government. This answer stood in stark contrast to the terms of the Fairfax County’s lease with the ISA and Connolly’s own introductory comments lamenting Federal interference in local government.
Connolly’s next reaction was to levy another sneer of “why don’t you run for Congress.” The civic association member chided Connolly for his attempts to bully the question away, citing Connolly’s similar behavior during the ISA hearing on May 19, 2008. When questioned about the transparency of the County investigation of the issue, Connolly stated that he “did not support” Supervisor Hyland’s admittedly opaque investigation of the ISA. This is contradictory to Connolly’s testimony on May 19, 2008. Connolly concluded his answer before the association by citing that he wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Rice before Congressman Wolf did and that nothing more could be done.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, Connolly fresh from throwing his weight around, was challenged on his behavior. Here, he blamed the victim of his scorn for getting what he deserved for asking a confrontational question about accountability. Here, Boss Connolly the Beast, let his prospective constituent know exactly where he stood, beneath him. Connolly for Congress: above you, beyond reproach, your wrathful better.