He lives in Alexandria, doesn't he?

And remember, this election the Republicans are valiantly trying to pull the cloak of invisibility over their national party. Almost every Republican is trying to be a local hero and, meanwhile, smear, denigrate, and trivialize  their immediate Democratic opponent. None of the Republican delegates or national Congressional candidates is in any way part of the "mess in Washington" they are all outsiders and had nothing to do with the disastrous policies of the national GOP, or the corruption, or etc etc--- not even if they are in positions of power in the national GOP or passed out money from Abramoff or anything like that, No, sirreee. Local foever!

I have to admit that I don't know what is going on that Todd felt he had to write this post.  It is unfortunate if we're still having a serious problem with Dems supporting Webb a couple months  before the election.  Most of my friends are progressives.  We're all supporting Webb.

This country is in a political crisis.  The only way to get accountability in our government at this point in time is by electing Democrats.

A few disgruntled people who you can NEVER please, but that's about it as far as I can tell.

For some people the Democratic Party is a party. I mean a kind of social organization. When the netroots and "outsiders" come around and crash their party they don't like it, even if it may help them win again.

Its obvious that what the Dems used to do did not work. It seems that they lost sight of the Party because they were looking at the party (with a small p), which is another way of saying they lost site of what's good for the country.

Virginians- including Demo Virginians, have different views and different issues than many people in Mass, and we need to remember that. After a comversation today in Webbs office in C-Ville, I see that there are still some real blinders on some very intelligent, and productive human beings.

One was over what the flashpoint in this election was. Illegal immigration. When you are sinking under the tide of it becuase your job was outsourced and you turn to service sector jobs to find that you aren't viable becuase you are white and have a SS number, you will grab at ANY rope thrown your way. So, if Virgil Goode/ Allen is saying he will do something about it, you'll snatch at it. Yeah, we know they are lying, but at least they say it, whereas too many Democrats either say it isn't a problem- even though it IS- or even tell you are a bigot.

Its hardly anti-diversity, fascist, or racist to say that people have to come in the front door through a legal process, and to secure our borders. Security from terrorism starts at home, and that includes knowing who is coming into your house and why. When you are losing your home, you care a lot more about one of the causes in front of your face- an illegal alien- than you do about Iraq.

The fact is, the steady stream that has become a landslide under Bush is strainging teh social fabric of this nation, this stae, and bankrupting all the programms the Democratic Party supports.

Of course, we all understand the hypocracy about the GOP, so I won't go there, BUT if expect to WIN>>>>

You've got to stay in touch with the immediate issues NOW facing and important to a lot of Virginians, and one that also creates an emotional response. That's illegal immigration.

Remember, when you are the party of diversity protecting the rights of everyne, that includes poor whites who believe the 2nd amendment is the most important amendment. That means applying the laws evenly regardless of ethnicity.

People who hire those not legally here, and those who are not legally here, have broken the laws. If you allow them to become legal after breaking the laws, and don;t punish the people that hire them, how different is the Democratic Party then from the GOP?

That's what many peoiple will see and feel to justify why yet again, they must vote for those people who are using them as nothing more than political fodder.

Don't let the GOP win this election on this issue.