What’s going on in the news these days?

Alfred Biddlecomb
Published: October 28, 2008

News: Virginia Oaks residents awoke Saturday to find anti-McCain profanity spray painted on homes and businesses in the golf course community near Lake Manassas.

Comment: This could be the work of hardcore, hatemongering Obama supporters or drunken teens who exchanged high-fives after reading about their handy work in the newspaper. As someone who was
born and raised in Virginia, I can say this act of trespass and vandalism borders on insanity. I’ve seen people get shot at for less.

News: Someone is circulating “official looking” fliers in Hampton Roads that tells voters that due to the expected heavy Election Day turnout, the State Board of Elections requires Republicans and
independents to show up to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and Democrats should show up to vote on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Comment: To quote Larry the Cable Guy: “I don’t care who you are, that’s funny right there.” Anyone dumb enough to show up and vote on Wednesday should not only lose their right to vote this year, but
during the next presidential election as well.

News: An investigation by the Associated Press revealed that the Republican National Committee provided Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with a $150,000 wardrobe as part of her extreme right-wing makeover.

Comment: That’s $1,000 more than I paid for my town house. Maybe we were a little too hard on John Edwards’ choice in haircuts in 2004.

News: U.S. special forces launched a deadly attack across the Iraqi border into Syria that targeted foreign Arab fighters trying to enter the country.

Comment: What took us so long?

News: Democrat Gerry Connolly (current chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors) is heavily favored in the race to replace retiring 11th District Rep. Tom Davis.

Comment: The Republican Party needs more people like Tom Davis if it is to remain relevant in Virginia politics.

News: The NAACP is suing Gov. Tim Kaine because voting precincts in minority neighborhoods are insufficiently staffed and don’t have enough voting machines. Meanwhile, some American military
service members nearly had their absentee ballots tossed out due to a conflict between federal and state election laws.

Comment: Eight years after the 2000 election debacle and we still can’t get it right. We spend a lot of our tax dollars exporting and promoting American democracy yet we’re cheapskates when trying to
perfect our own. It should never take anyone longer than 20 minutes to vote, regardless of the turnout.

News: After speaking at a candidates forum in Winchester, Rep. Frank Wolf was followed out of the meeting hall by Democratic activists armed with a camcorder, according to the Washington Post. The
activists (known as trackers) were working for Wolf’s opponent and were peppering the Republican congressman with questions hoping to provoke him into a “Macaca” moment. An 83-year-old Wolf staffer
took exception to the aggressive questioning and hit the Michael Moore wannabe with his metal cane. Video footage of the incident is now on Youtube.

Comment: There was once a time when Virginians conducted politics with a little more civility and class. There’s nothing wrong with asking a congressman questions, but respect is a two-way street. As
for the cane-wielding 83-year-old staffer… trade in your metal cane for one of hickory. It carries a bigger wallop. 

News: McCain and Obama are neck and neck in Virginia. Republican Jim Gilmore on the other hand is at least 30 points behind Democrat Mark Warner in their U.S. Senate race.

Comment: Gilmore’s campaign slogan “Drill Here, Drill Now” just isn’t as catchy as “No Car Tax.” I guess we can call him a one-hit wonder.

News: The News & Messenger refused to endorse a candidate for president, citing too many concerns about McCain and too few reasons to support Obama.

Comment: Back when I was an opinion page editor, I had the editorial board settle this the old fashioned way — Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Alfred Biddlecomb is the former opinion page editor for the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger.