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All 100 seats in the House of Delegates are up for election this year and more of them than in recent cycles have major two party competition. This is because Democrats — fresh after the 2007 capture of the Virginia Senate and gains in the House, and the 2008 Virginia victory by Barack Obama — thought they had a realistic chance of taking the House.

Competitive campaigns are welcome. They bring out the best in candidates, good ideas, and illustrate the differences between the two primary strains of political thought. But there is a sure difference between tough competition and despicable conduct. That’s the case in the 73rd House of Delegates campaign between Democrat challenger Tom Shields and Republican incumbent, Dr. John O’Bannon. 

With 100 campaigns, it’s difficult to keep up with them all, but this one sticks out because it was an early Democrat target. Shields, who teaches “leadership” at the University of Richmond, went low and dishonest from the start, claiming Delegate O’Bannon never held constituent meetings or mailed newsletters. He continued the falsehoods even after confronted with physical evidence.

He’s only gone lower since and his mailer yesterday defies description: It claims that Delegate O’Bannon, the only physician in the House — and a neurologist, at that — has not only worked against Alzheimer’s patients, but also is to blame for the lack of a cure for the disease! Not entirely shocking coming from a hard-core campus leftist ideologue who only cares to help secure control of the House for his party, but still difficult to contemplate how he and the state Democrat party hacks advising him manage to think up such low and despicable rhetoric — and how they find ways to top their previous dishonesties.

The fact is, Delegate O’Bannon has been a leader in funding research for this disease and, for it, the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Richmond presented him with its Advocate Award. I guess Shields knows more than the Alzheimer’s Association. Either that, or he’s calling the Alzheimer’s Association a stooge front group. Competition is good. Unfortunately, Shields isn’t interested in that. Instead, the fervor of taking power for his party leads him to the gutter.

Annotations & Elucidations 

The Almost All Virginia Edition

This monster edition of the News Stand is almost all Virginia. Except for a very interesting piece about the beginning of the dismantling of campaign finance reform free speech restrictions by the D.C Court of Appeals, it’s all about the campaign. Most of it is about the race for governor, but we have several pieces on House races and one on the AG campaign, along with analysis and commentary by John Fund, Fred Barnes and others (this must be important if the national types are peering in).

There are a few articles to point out, including a blog post at the Post. With all the talk of Democrat Creigh Deeds closing in on Republican Bob McDonnell, as two polls last week (including Rasmussen) indicated Deeds was within two points, three polls have emerged to show it’s not quite that close. The Post’s own poll has McDonnell up by four and still over the 50 percent  threshold, while the Clarus Poll has him up by five and the Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll has him up by seven. (Interestingly, the Post’s Anita Kumar writes that she doesn’t trust polls but says this one is one she “doesn’t mind telling you about.” Why? Because the Kos is ultra hard leftist or because it shows McDonnell up by a larger margin than her paper’s poll? Hmmm.) 

Elsewhere of note, the Post has two articles on A) Deeds’ union ties and B) that business in Virginia is suspicious of him. So much for that Mark Warner legacy.

Of course, it wouldn’t be campaign season without the Mainstream Media hit pieces on conservatives, and the lil’ ol’ Loudon Insider got into the act with Hollywood tabloid-style “reporting.” It brought up a charge filed years ago against a Republican House candidate when he was in the Army — even though the Army’s investigation found that he wasn’t even at the place where the witness claimed he was. The case was dismissed. Then there’s the ongoing dishonesty of Democrat Tom Shields running in the 73rd House district.

The Post can’t resist, either, and asks about perceptions of “McDonnell’s alma mater.” Other than Charlie Weis on the hot seat, what’s wrong Notre Dame? Perhaps this? Of course, not!

Finally, you know it’s been a rough week for Senator Deeds when even the Post’s liberal columnist Robert McCartney blasts him for his poor debate and post-debate performances! 

News:

McDonnell 50, Deeds 43 (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

Deeds Shows Big Gains In Va. Poll (Washington Post)

Deeds narrows contest, poll finds (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Republican loses some ground in poll (Northern Virginia Daily)

Unions Investing Heavily In Deeds (Washington Post)

Businesses Taking a Hard Look At Deeds (Washington Post)

Deeds, McDonnell split over environmental policy (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Wilder: Va. race a referendum on Obama (Washington Times)

McDonnell and Deeds couldn’t escape lingering questions at Roanoke meeting (Roanoke Times)

Issues of Perception Try McDonnell’s Alma Mater (Washington Post)

Gloves come off in Va. governor’s debate (Washington Times)

Gubernatorial debate turns contentious in N.Va. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Deeds, McDonnell clash in gubernatorial debate (The Daily Press)

Deeds, McDonnell throw sharp jabs in debate (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Deeds, McDonnell square off in debate (Roanoke Times)

Thrust and Parry Over Va.’s Future (Washington Post)

Cuccinelli wants to shift consumer watchdog into attorney general’s office (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Greason Rebukes 1994 Charges (Loudon Insider)

Del. O’Bannon says Shields’ charges are false (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Marrow Promotes Nurse Practitioners (Harrisonburg Daily News-Record)

Will Hamilton lose appropriations seat? (The Daily Press Shad Plank Blog)

Audit: Little evidence of work by Del. Hamilton at ODU (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

ODU cites ‘mistakes’ with Del. Hamilton (The Daily Press)

Audit: ‘Little documentation’ of services by Hamilton to ODU (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Democrats get financial boost in House races (Roanoke Times)

Analysis:

Virginia Moves Back to the Right (Fred Barnes/Wall Street Journal)

Deeds in a Bit of a Bind on Taxes, Transportation (Washington Post)

Word and Deed (John Fund/Wall Street Journal)

Commentary:

Plain and Simple, Deeds Stumbles In N.Va. Debate (Robert McCartney/Washington Post)

National News:

Court Strikes Down Regulations Limiting Nonprofits’ Campaign Funds (Washington Post)