Rick Gray: All in the timing

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Op-ed by Rick Gray Timing is everything. Four years ago, on Christmas night, I flew to Manchester, N.H., to spend a week of my precious winter holiday knocking on doors for Howard Dean. This year, I’ve slapped a McCain sticker on my bumper and agreed to write this piece. Let me explain. I’m a liberal,…

Special Commentary: Palin-haters?

Chris Graham

Special Commentary by Chris Graham [email protected] “Sarah Palin represents everything they hate,” conservative radio host Laura Ingraham told an audience at the Republican National Convention this week. Which piqued my interest, because I’m guessing that I’m one of those they that she was referring to – a Democrat, a member of the news media. Come…

The Clean City

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Fear and Loathing in Staunton column by Chris Graham [email protected] Wanna know what has me riled up about Friday’s convictions in the Staunton Scopes Trial? No, it ain’t about protecting people’s rights to access porn. Stauntonians can still get their fix on Comcast or satellite TV or the Internet … Uh, wait. Check that part…

Slow Food Nation gains momentum

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Op-Ed by Shepherd Bliss Slow Food Nation leader Alice Waters – founder of Berkeley’s famous Chez Panisse Restaurant and author of eight food books – spoke at the small town (8,000 people) Sebastopol Farmers’ Market in Northern California Aug. 3. She was interviewed about the Aug. 29-31 SFN celebration to happen around San Francisco by…

The football and the book learnin’

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The presumed number-one quarterback, Peter Lalich, is busted for underage possession of alcohol. Then one of the incoming starters on the offensive line, Will Barker, is among two UVa. players picked up for stealing beer from a nightclub on The Corner. And that was just last week’s news….

Does Kaine make sense on Obama ticket?

Chris Graham

Analysis by Chris Graham [email protected] The talk about Tim Kaine being on Barack Obama’s VP short list is no accident. Just look at the timing. That’s what has Christopher Newport University political-science professor Quentin Kidd thinking there’s more to the firestorm of coverage on this short-list news than maybe meets the eye. “There are two…

The other side of discrimination

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Poll Question: Have you been victim of racial, gender or sexual-orientation discrimination in the workplace? Stanley Smith is known to his friends as Bubba, and he has a lot of friends – white, black, Latino. He’s like a lot of us in that respect. He’s also a little-league baseball…

The language of oversensitivity

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Op-Ed by Sanford D. Horn Opinions Wanted! Click here to learn more Enough already! Every word, every thought, every nuanced phrase uttered, has been placed under a microscope to the point that if a candidate doesn’t answer quickly enough he or she isn’t smart enough, but if the same candidate answers too quickly, he or…