Poll Watch: Obama opens up double-digit lead in Va.

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Two new polls have Democrat Barack Obama opening a double-digit lead in Virginia as the campaign enters the final month. A SurveyUSA poll released this morning has Obama leading Republican John McCain by a 53 percent-to-43 percent margin. A new Suffolk poll released today has Obama ahead of McCain by…

Business and Politics: Bailout rescue passes House

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] And just like that, we had ourselves a bailout rescue. The House voted 263-171 today to pass a compromise $850 billion plan to buy up securities from Wall Street lenders to take pressure off the financial and credit markets, just four days after a vote on a similar legislative proposal…

David Cox: Personality clash

David Cox

Column by David Cox “Which candidate do you trust?” When former governor Jim Gilmore asked that question in Buena Vista on Labor Day, roars arose from both sides: Republicans supporting him for Senate, and Democrats supporting his opponent, former governor Mark Warner. In that instant, Gilmore personalized this year’s Senate race. Gone were issues that…

Virginia Politics: Undecided in Sixth?

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham [email protected] In the absence of hard numbers in the form of updated polling data to break down, it’s hard to get a handle on the Sixth District congressional race beyond the rendering now six weeks old that has Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte comfortably ahead. Which makes our completely unscientific and unverifiable…

Waynesboro: An open invitation to Barack Obama

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham [email protected] So now the world knows how badly Waynesboro wants its Obama-Biden signs. I wasn’t aiming at getting coverage on the front page of the Washington Post’s Virginia section, but sometimes these little crusades that you start at 2 in the morning trying to post an item on what you assumed…

Ad Watch: Democratic Party says Gilmore ad violated campaign-finance laws

Chris Graham

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] A complaint filed last week by the Democratic Party of Virginia charges that a recent Jim Gilmore TV ad violated campaign-finance laws by failing to show voters in writing that he personally authorized the ad, a requirement under federal “Stand by Your Ad” rules. “Jim Gilmore should have to play…

David Cox: Mean time

David Cox

Column by David Cox It happened in Buena Vista. Then Minneapolis. I guess it was inevitable that 2008 political races would get downright mean. On Labor Day, when each year our very own BV becomes the political capital of Virginia, senatorial candidates Jim Gilmore and Mark Warner wasted no time in trying to flatten the…

Staunton: Former POW, Swift Boater, to speak on Saturday

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] How do we describe Paul Galanti? Former POW-turned-Swift Boat critic of John Kerry? That would be one way. Another would be strong Mark Warner supporter who was appointed by Warner and then reappointed by Tim Kaine to serve on the board of the Virginia Department of Veterans’ Services. Galanti, who…