Politics:

Sorry for so many political entries lately, but with only 55 days left until the Virginia State General Elections, I feel it is critical to convey some information. If you have not yet registered to vote, you only have until October 7th to do so! The election is November 8th. Virginians will be electing new Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Delegates to 100 House seats (though a few of those are uncontested). Your vote counts more in this statewide election than it does in a national congressional or presidential election because typically far fewer people vote (usually only one in eight presidential voters). That is 8 times as much voting power, before you factor in that your state laws have more impact on you day to day than the federal laws (which tend to get more rigorous review before passage).

On to the order of business, found a new website that brings into very sharp focus exactly what Delegate Bob Marshall of the 13th district has been doing in office: bobmustgo.org is very well researched, with details about most of Bob's bills and statistics about Bob's ineffective role as Delegate.

A second website (though it's been around longer) has details about Del. Bob McDonnell and Del. Dick Black as well as details about Del. Bob Marshall. I had been unable to find out much about the candidate for Attorney General, and www.vafamilyvalues.org shows me exactly what sort of extremists are running on the Republican ticket. It is deeply disturbing that in all three state-wide office races the extremist neo-cons have completely swept aside their moderate, fiscal conservative counter-parts of the G.O.P. I insist that we can no longer call the Republican party the GOP, at least not in Virginia. It is clear that the party has changed, and that social restrictions and bigotry and hatred are more important to the new Republicans than running an efficient government and staying out of people's lives.