No thanks, PAC man

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Poll: Should candidates for public office take money from PACs and lobbyists representing special-interest groups? Presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama has ruffled some feathers with his ban on campaign contributions from PACs and lobbyists. Sixth District Democratic Party congressional nominee Sam Rasoul has done something of…

We get Goodlatte now, loud and clear

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham [email protected] Is the issue really choice? Because if it’s not, Bob Goodlatte is seriously misfiring. “Rather than creating a massive government-managed health-care bureaucracy that will dictate medical decisions from Washington,” Goodlatte told News Virginian reporter Bob Stuart yesterday, “we should be concentrating our efforts on making health care more affordable for…

GOP blocks measures aimed at reducing pain at pump

Chris Graham

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] Senate Democrats failed today to muster enough votes to block GOP filibusters on measures that would have imposed a windfall profits tax on oil companies and offered tax relief to consumers feeling the pinch at the gas pump. Hurray. “It is a disappointing day when the Senate can’t work in…

Michael departure bad news for GOP, good news for Dems

Chris Graham

The Local Beat column by Chris Graham [email protected] The Republican Party is going to miss Kurt Michael – big time. Michael affirmed in a blog posting at sixtyfour81.com on Tuesday that he will step down from the position of chair of the GOP committee in Augusta County as he had promised back in April. He…

For the good of the party, for the good of the country

Chris Graham

The Politics Beat column by Chris Graham [email protected] I was planning to use this column to blast Hillary Clinton. “I will be making no decisions tonight.” Famous last words, right? But then Barack Obama took the stage in St. Paul, Minn., and did what Hillary should have done in New York. “You chose to listen…

Has the local GOP passed its moderate wing by?

Chris Graham

The Politics Beat column by Chris Graham [email protected] One guy gets more votes, the other guy has friends in high places, and you can guess who wins. I could be talking about George Bush, Florida, the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000, but I’m not. I’m talking about the Augusta County Republican Committee, which elected Larry…

Local Libertarians talk up Barr as presidential nominee

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] Former Republican congressman Bob Barr is the Libertarian Party’s nominee to run for president. Charlottesville-area Libertarians are excited with the choice. “Unlike the Democrats and Republicans, whose conventions are nothing more than coronations, our convention was full of suspense and drama. No one knew who was going to win going…