Lisa Schirch | The right to self-defense is not a strategy for peace

Contributors

From an Israeli perspective, the cost in international outrage and Palestinian civilian lives of the current attacks on Gaza is worth the price of crushing Hamas’s firepower. The goal is seductive, and Israel will likely succeed in slowing the development of rockets by Hamas in the short term. But just like Israel’s siege of Lebanon…

More on House TV

Chris Graham

Looks like I gave the ‘Pubs too much credit too soon. “I’m glad the Speaker has finally come around to an initiative we’ve been pushing for more than two years now – although it seems to me that his sudden commitment to transparency in government has more to do with Republican electoral prospects than the…

David Cox | Out of winter

David Cox

Rarely have I known a year to pass that everyone was happy to see go by. Anno Domini 2008 leaves the reputation of being really, truly bad. It’s the economy — I won’t say “stupid” because we’re not that dumb to miss it. But also, the end of an administration which by now for most…

Sanford D. Horn | Blago’s Senate pick – taint right

Contributors

Circus Maximus plays the palace – the palace being the governor’s mansion in Springfield, Ill. For a man who doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, embattled Illinois Gov. “Lightening” Rod Blagojevich (D) is a shrewd genius for his selection of Roland W. Burris to become the Land of Lincoln’s junior senator. Yes, genius, as…

Is there a plan post-Commonwealth Center? Of course there isn’t

Chris Graham

The state is closing the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents as part of a strategy to shift mental-health care for children to the private sector and local community services boards. OK. Except that the closing is the result of the state budget shortfall. Got it. I think we have our real motivation right there.

Finally, early voting in Virginia?

Contributors

Gov. Tim Kaine is backing legislation that would allow for no-excuse, in-person absentee voting in Virginia. Patroned by State Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston, and State Del. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, the legislation, styled SB 810, would allow Virginia voters to cast absentee ballots in person at their local registrar’s office during the 45-day absentee voting period…

The saga of the Downtown Wall

Chris Graham

If you’ve been to Downtown Waynesboro at any time in the past eight months, you’ve probably wondered to yourself. What the … why don’t they … who’s responsible for … Funny thing, that. Everybody that I’ve talked to about the unfortunate landmark that is the Downtown Wall, as people have taken to calling it, is…

Partisan Kaine

Chris Graham

Solve problems. Unify people. Results. This is the message that Republicans are in their own inimitable partisan way are saying will mark the death of the Virginia Democrat as Tim Kaine prepares to take over the Democratic National Committee. The last time I saw Kaine, two months ago in Staunton, in the afterglow of the…