I just came across this interesting post -- perhaps a foreshadowing of things to come -- on political newcomer Bob Berry's campaign website for U.S. Senate.

"This page will keep you up to date on what Bob is thinking about the U.S. Senate and Virginia's role in it," it reads.

Then there is a list titled: "Press Releases from Bob Berry that are soon to come"

Critisizing Congress for delaying FISA provisions
Condeming the Senate consideration of the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST)
Announcing Bob Berry's Candidacy for the U.S. Senate
Bob Berry's plan to create Mid Atlantic Transportation Commission (MATC) -- a visionary body to make actionable plans for the region's long term transportation needs.

Berry, a self-described conservative, is fighting against former Gov. Jim Gilmore and state Delegate Robert G. Marshall for the Republican nomination, which will be decided at the party convention in late May.

The winner will face Mark R. Warner -- the popular former Democratic governor with deep pockets.

The reaction to Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's announcement yesterday he would seek re-election next year, rather than the governorship came as a shock to some, and great news to others -- including the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Brag Bowling, former post commander of the heritage group, said the idea of Bolling running for re-election and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell running for governor in 2009 "is the dream team for SCV."

"Confederate History and Heritage Month among other Confederate history related items are championed by both candidates," Bowling said. "And, they have done so publicly. We plan on approaching every candidate but I would be amazed if Moran or Deeds are on board."

(House Democratic Caucus Leader Brian J. Moran and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, of Bath County, are expected to fight for the Democratic nomination for governor.)

Bowling said the ticket provides hope that Confederate History Month will return to Virginia.

"I feel we might be close this coming election," he said. "It would take a complete turnaround by them to deny us."

Sen. Jim Webb and Gov. Tim Kaine -- Virginia Democrats -- are more than holding their own in Daily Kos' tournament to see who the blogosphere believes would be the best vice president for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

The latest post I came across shows Kaine, national co-chairman of Obama's presidential bid, steamrolling through Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, 318 to 66 votes. That race can be found here.

Webb embarrassed DNC chair Howard Dean, knocking him out of the tournament easily, winning by a wide margin of 320 votes to 80 votes. That can be found here.

Meanwhile, another poll from today has Webb duking it out with some political heavyweights, including former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and holding his own.

Forget the NCAA basketball tournament -- especially now that George Mason is toast.

The Daily Kos is holding a Vice Presidential tournament for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, and the field of 45 candidates includes Sen. Jim Webb, and Gov. Tim Kaine.

Mr. Webb and Mr. Kaine, Mr. Obama's national co-chair, are consistently named as possible running mates for the Democratic frontrunner.

The poll does not include Mark R. Warner, the popular former governor running for U.S. Senate, despite lingering speculation along these lines that Mr. Warner would be a good pick.

Mr. Webb, heading into round two, faces DNC chairman Howard Dean.

He stomped Sen. Patty Murray of Washington in round one by a 312 to 73 vote, and Mr. Kaine defeated former Sen. Max Cleland by a 162 to 66 vote margin.

The poll speaks to the lingering belief that Mr. Webb and Mr. Kaine could be major players on the national scene by the time the Democratic national convention rolls around in August.

-- Seth McLaughlin, Virginia politics reporter, The Washington Times

In my story today, I write about Delegate Robert G. Marshall attacking fellow Prince William County Republicans for supporting former Gov. Jim Gilmore, despite his belief, on the issue of abortion, that government should not intrude during the first eight weeks of pregnancy.

Since he jumped into the race, Marshall has hammered Gilmore on abortion, and now his maverick tendencies have him criticizing friends.

Still, as Donald Lawson, chairman of the Henry County Republican committee told me yesterday, Marshall remains and unknown commodity in many parts of the state, where committees are deciding who will go to the statewide convention in late May.

"He would be considered an unknown in this part of Virginia," Lawson said.

That leaves most to speculate Marshall's strategy largely involves wooing conservative voters in Northern Virginia, his neck of the woods.

Here is the e-mail Marshall sent to Delegates Jeff Frederick, who is running for state party chairman, Scott Lingamfelter and also the press:

Jeff and Scott,

YOU two ARE LISTED as a SUPPORTERS of Jim Gilmore in this Gilmore email to Prince WIlliam Republicans.

You are Publically endorsing Jim GIlmore who supports LEGAL Abortion for 8 weeks, 700,000 abortions to fellow PRince WIlliam Republicans.

Why did you omit this fact which is important to Prince WIlliam REpublicans who OPPOSE legal abortion when you urged Prince WIlliam Republicans to support Jim GIlmore? Why the lack of candor?

Jim GIlmore also told Human Events he wanted situations of extremes (unspecified) for legal abortion.

He told a major Republican donor and former supporter THIS YEAR he wanted rape and incest abortions legal, and also health abortions to be legal.

Is their any legal abortion left Jim Gilmore won't support?

— Bob Marshall

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia politics reporter, The Washington Times

Gerry Connolly's bid to replace outgoing Republican Tom Davis in Virginia's 11th congressional district got a bump today after the Fairfax, Prince William, International Firefighters endorsed his candidacy.

Connolly is running against Leslie Bryne, a former state lawmaker and the Democrat Davis ousted in 1994, and the lesser-known candidates Doug Denneny, an Iraq war veteran, and Lori P. Alexander for the party's nomination.

As predicted early on, the campaign turned nasty last week after Bryne's campaign helped pay for a campaign mailing from Emily's List that said Connolly was "known for his bullying, over-the-top tactics."

Here is the release today from the Connolly campaign.

"The Gerry Connolly for Congress campaign announced today that Connolly has received the endorsement of the Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics (Local 2068), the Prince William Professional Fire Fighters (Local 2598) and the International Association of Fire Fighters.

"I'm so proud to have the support of the firefighters in this race," said Connolly. "I've had their endorsement in all five of my previous elections and, with their help, won each time. I'm looking forward to working with them to win this campaign as well."

"This is about a relationship," said John Niemiec, President of the Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics. "Gerry has stood with us for thirteen years and we're proud to stand with him now."

Niemiec cited Connolly's work to establish a wellness center for firefighters in Fairfax County as just one example of Connolly's leadership.

"Our wellness center has saved lives and improved our ability to protect the citizens of this county," he said. "Gerry was a leader in that effort."

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia politics reporter, The Washington Times

House Democratic Caucus Leader Brian J. Moran continues to fill out a campaign team for a 2009 run for governor.

"We are proud of the strong team we have assembled to work for our committee," said Virginians for Brian Moran Committee Director Mame Reiley. "Many of these people are veterans of the Warner and Kaine campaigns. These are people who understand how to help Virginia Democrats be successful."

Reiley also said Delegate Lionell Spruill, Sr., Chesapeake Democrat, was named an outreach consultant.

He worked on Mark Warner's successful gubernatorial campaign in 2001 and in is also a member of the Democratic National Committee and vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Jean Jensen, former Secretary of the State Board of Elections, was named senior adviser.

She previously served as executive director of the Democratic Party of Virginia and as the Northern Virginia director and for Mr. Warner.

Jesse Furgeson will continue to work as Mr. Moran's director of communications. He is a 2004 graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.

Other additions named in the release include:

Dave Mills. Mills will serve as state director of finance. He will serve as a senior member of the fundraising team. He recently completed work as finance director of the Democratic Party of Virginia where he had served since January of 2006.

Prior to that, Mills was Western Regional finance director of [Tim] Kaine for Governor, and he has managed campaigns for the Virginia House and Senate and Congress.

Dominic Gabello. Gabello joins the committee as political director, having recently left the Kaine administration’s Liaison Office.

He previously served as deputy political director for Mark Warner’s Forward Together Political Action Committee (PAC) and field director of Warner’s One Virginia PAC. Gabello was president of the Virginia Young Democrats from 2005 to 2007.

Noble Ackerson. Ackerson will serve the committee as technology consultant. He is the principal of Anobleworld S3 Inc. and previously served as director of technology for Warner's Forward Together PAC.

He will be joined by Darrell Raymond, chief technology officer at Anobleworld S3 and former network administrator for the Governor’s Office of Virginia.

Jerome Armstrong. Armstrong joins as Netroots Consultant. He is a principle in the Webstrong Group and will coordinate internet and technology strategy. Armstrong coordinates Netroots outreach for Warner along with Sens. John Kerry and Tom Harkin.

He will be joined by Nate Wilcox, also formerly of Forward Together PAC. Armstrong is also the principle of the blog mydd.com and is co-author of the book "Crashing the Gates" with Markos Moulitsas.

Last year, Virginia had four schools vying for the NCAA basketball championship. This year it has just one.

The George Mason Patriots earned a No. 12 seed and the right to face No. 5 seed Notre Dame -- the Fighting Irish -- in Denver on Thursday.

Two years ago, big bodied Jai Lewis and the rest off the gang from Fairfax shocked the country by becoming the first 11 seed in 20 years to advance to the Final Four .

The seeding puts Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, a Notre Dame alum, in a tough spot.

"There is only one situation in which I root against a Virginia school playing an out-of-state opponent," McDonnell said. "That is when they are playing Notre Dame. I can't help it, my last name is McDonnell and I went to Bishop Ireton and Notre Dame. If I ever rooted against the Irish I don't think my father would speak to me again!"

Perhaps, Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech fans can find some solace in the fact that while their bubble status busted during the selection process, they will get home games in the National Invitation Tournament.

The VCU Rams square off against University of Alabama Birmingham on Wednesday night at the Seigel Center, and the Tech Hokies on Wednesday play Morgan State University. The winners of the games face one another in the next round.

Virginia and Old Dominion University accepted invitations to play in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational -- a 16-team tourney for schools left out of the NCAA's field of 65.

Despite the state's poor March Madness showing, McDonnell and a number of Virginia's political bigwigs, including Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat with Kansas roots, have a horse in the race.

Here is the story I wrote last year at this time:

The lions of Virginia politics are calling for a brief timeout on solving the state's transportation woes to deal with a new dilemma-- picking a favorite team in the NCAA basketball tournament.

With four state schools -- Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion -- vying for the title, the state's chosen few have been busy dissecting brackets, talking smack and, in few cases, pondering the political backlash of rooting for one team over another.

"I'm looking forward to a Final Four of Virginia Tech, Virginia, ODU and VCU," joked Delegate Brian J. Moran, Alexandria Democrat who knows the pairings make that kind of matchup impossible. "As a Democrat, I am always routing for the underdog."

The NCAA tournament continues today when ODU, a No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region, faces No. 5. Butler in Buffalo, N.Y.. In the West Region, No 11 seed VCU takes on No 6 Duke, also in Buffalo.

Tomorrow in Columbus, Ohio, Virginia Tech, the fifth seed in the West Region, squares off against No. 12 Illinois and Virginia, the No. 4 seed in the South Region goes against No. 13 Albany.

While the Morans of the world play it safe with their picks, the March Madness tip-off has shaken most of Virginia's political dialogue.

Instead of talking about donkeys (Democrats) and elephants (Republicans), lawmakers are discussing Rams, Hokies, Cavaliers and Monarchs.

"I'm a Wahoo all the way," said Delegate David B. Albo, Fairfax County Republican and a Virginia graduate, referring to his alma mater's team nickname.

"Go 'Hoos," echoed Sen. Jeannemarie A. Devolites Davis, Fairfax County Republican and a fellow UVa. graduate.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican whose son attends Virginia Tech, is backing the Hokies. If the Hokies fall, he said he will support whatever Virginia school stays alive in the tournament.

What if all of Virginia's teams fall?

"He wouldn't even entertain that possibility," said Randy Marcus, a spokesman for Mr. Bolling.

For some lawmakers, alma mater and native state loyalty runs so deep they are pulling for out-of-state contenders.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat who grew up in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kan., and is backing Kansas, the top seed in the West Region, thinks among the Virginia schools, UVa. has the best shot to go far in the tournament.

Why?

"Because they're not in the VCU, Virginia Tech bracket, which also includes Kansas, the governor's perennial pick to win it all," Mr. Kaine's spokesman Kevin Hall said.

House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong bleeds Duke blood and has a tough first round draw for political - and marital - reasons.

"My wife is a VCU graduate," the Martinsville Democrat said. "It's a house divided, and I'm sleeping with one eye open."

Although Duke has struggled, Mr. Armstrong is hoping coach Mike Krzyzewski's experience will lead the team to a win.

Don't bet on it, quipped House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith, Salem Republican who thinks Memphis, a No. 2 seed in the South Region, can win it all.

"I am picking VCU to beat Duke," he said. "I think they are underrated by the national media."

Mr. Armstrong's response: "I have a wonderful relationship with Morgan Griffith. I think he is great orator, but he is frequently wrong."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a Republican and Notre Dame graduate, is focused on the matchup between his alma mater and Winthrop.

"He is all about Notre Dame," Mr. McDonnell's spokesman J. Tucker Martin said. "I don't know how to break it to him that I picked Winthrop. Nobody wants to play Winthrop."

So how much money will Mr. McDonnell win if Notre Dame takes it all?

"There is no wagering going on in the AG's office," Mr. Martin said. "We watch it for the joy of the sport."

Like basketball analyst Dick Vitale, Delegate James M. Scott, Fairfax County Democrat, is banking on North Carolina, the Atlantic Coast Conference champs and No. 1 seed in the East Region, to ride their leading scorer Tyler Hansbrough to the title.

"He is a an absolute force," said Mr. Scott, a UNC graduate, referring to Hansbrough. "He is not an athlete compared to some of the other guys, but boy does he have heart and the strength. .. Go Heels!"

After 40 years in the General Assembly, Delegate Vincent F Callahan Jr. said his upcoming retirement would be all the more sweeter if he left office with alma mater Georgetown holding the title.

"I think it's written in the stars," the Fairfax County Republican joked. "It could be a real banner year."

For months, former Gov. Jim Gilmore's campaign has tried to ignore Delegate Robert G. Marshall, the Prince William County Republican who will vie with him for the party's U.S. Senate nomination.

But Marshall has received some extra attention of late, thanks to his involvement in the successful constitutional challenge of the General Assembly's decision to delegate taxing powers to an unelected body in Northern Virginia.

Now Gilmore's camp is no longer simply focusing their attacks on former Gov. Mark R. Warner, the presumed Democratic nominee in the Senate race.

Today they demanded that Marshall, who criticizes Gilmore's stance that the government should not intrude during the first eight weeks of a pregnancy, apologize "and stop attacking pro-family leaders."

The attack was a response to comments Marshall made on The Post's Virginia Politics blog condemning Republicans who endorsed Gilmore.

"You've got basically the entire Republican establishment endorsing a candidate, Jim Gilmore, who wants to keep 60 percent of all abortions now being done legal," he said.

Marshall was referring in part to the decisions of Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (potential rivals in next year's governor's race) to endorse Gilmore this week.

On Monday, the Gilmore camp released a letter highlighting his pro-life stances and a list of more than 20 supporters, including lawmakers and party insiders

Here is part of the release attacking Marshall today:

"To say that Jim Gilmore or the many prominent Republican leaders who support him have a 'death wish' or are not pro-life is, at best, ill informed and, at worst, out of control political opportunism," Gilmore's campaign manager, Dick Leggitt, said. "Delegate Marshall's unfortunate attacks on these distinguished Virginians are repugnant."

"Delegate Marshall should apologize to the Republican leaders he has unfairly attacked and take a moment to remember the alternative is electing Mark Warner to the U.S. Senate to vote with liberals Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, Chris Dodd and Ted Kennedy on this and other important issues like taxes, spending and national security."

"It's a shame that Delegate Marshall's rhetoric is becoming so overheated. He needs to remember that the goal of Virginia's nominee is to defeat liberal Mark Warner in November," Leggitt continued. "The fact is, the objective of this campaign is to prevent liberal Democrats like Mark Warner from taking complete procedural control of the U.S. Senate. To that end, it would be helpful if Delegate Marshall would either come in out of the sun or put on a hat."

"Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Atty. Gen. Bob McDonnell and the more than 30 pro-family Republican leaders who are actively supporting Jim Gilmore as the Republican candidate who can defeat liberal Mark Warner know that as Governor of Virginia, Jim Gilmore stood for the preservation of traditional family values time and time again," Leggitt said.

"These Republican leaders know Governor Gilmore is the only active statewide Republican leader who has carried the state twice and carried Northern Virginia twice and they also know he pushed through successful legislation that created a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion," Leggitt said.

"Governor Gilmore successfully worked for legislation which required parental notification for minors seeking an abortion and helped enact legislation which banned partial birth abortion. He also created the Virginia Abstinence Initiative, dramatically increased funding for adoption services and signed into law legislation banning human cloning," Leggitt said.

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia reporter, The Washington Times

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore's U.S. Senate bid got a shot in the arm today when Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell — potential Republican rivals in the 2009 gubernatorial race — endorsed him.

"He is one of the most consistent and principled conservative leaders I have ever known," Mr. Bolling said. "Jim Gilmore knows what he believes in, and he fights for it, when it's easy and when it's not. That's the kind of leader we need representing us in the United States Senate."

Mr. McDonnell dubbed Gilmore "a fiscal conservative" and "a tireless advocate for lower taxes, reduced federal spending, and the elimination of excessive government regulations."

Mr. Gilmore will fight for the Republican nomination against Delegate Robert G. Marshall, Prince William County Republican, at the party's convention in late May.

Former Sen. George Allen, who remains extremely popular in the party, has yet to endorse either man.

However, Mr. Marshall received a much needed bump in his candidacy after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the General Assembly's decision to delegate taxing powers to unelected bodies in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

Since then he has won numerous headlines, helping him rally parts of the party's conservative base around him.

The winner will go on to face the deep pocketed and popular former Gov. Mark R. Warner in the November election — the same day the country names a new president.

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia reporter, The Washington Times

For those holding onto a glimmer of hope that the General Assembly's 60-day session would close on time, seeing Sen. Richard L. Saslaw's hands clasped over both his forehead and eyes Friday night as his fellow budget negotiators argued about the best way to negotiate may have been the proverbial nail in the coffin.

"Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends," Robert Vaughn, director of the House Appropriations committee, jokingly said to a limited number of reporters lingering for the late-night show.

Today we will likely learn for certain they will miss their adjournment date for the third time in four years. In my story this morning, Delegate Phillip A. Hamilton, a Newport News Republican and budget negotiator, said he had already extended his hotel reservation.

The meetings last night featured two six-person teams of budget negotiators from the House and Senate, pawing through budget numbers and trudging between the House Appropriations quarters on the 9th floor and the Senate Finance quarters on the 10th floor of the General Assembly building — a migration pattern that occurs every two years in The Old Dominion.

For about a week, the two teams have been trying to carve out a $78 billion two-year budget against a revenue slowdown that has generated a projected $980 million shortfall in the current budget that runs through June 30, and roughly an additional $1 billion through 2010.

The end product will eventually be built out of complex spread sheets, complex personalities, and the complex equation of what the elected people want to do for more than 7 million Virginians.

At a press conference Thursday, Senate Finance Chairman Charles J. Colgan reminded reporters that the meetings can get rough, sharing a story about recently retired House Appropriations Chairman Vincent H. Callahan, Jr., throwing a punch at fellow negotiator one year.

"It didn't land," Mr. Colgan said.

Things were cooler last night.

At one point, Delegate Clarke N. Hogan, a South Boston Republican who sits for the first time on the House budget team, asked, "Why are we funding programs if we don't know what they are?"

At times, they argued over small-ticket items, such as a program that called Project Discovery, which targets potential dropouts and students on the verge of becoming the first person in their family to attend college.

"I didn't have that,"said Johnny S. Joannou, Portsmouth Democrat, about the program. "I worked my butt off."

"And look what happened to you," Mr. Saslaw chirped in with a smile and a slap on the shoulder.

About an hour later, Saslaw dropped his head in his hands.

The budget teams also spent the night munching on cookies and biting into peanut butter cups. They chugged Coca-Cola and sipped coffee. Vaughn jokingly asked Sen. R. Edward Houck, Spotsylvania Democrat, if he'd enjoy some bourbon to help him get through the negotiations.

In the background, I was pleased to see the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics well on their way to mopping the floor with the Chicago Bulls.

In that same House Appropriations room, a humidifier sat on a side table. A dartboard hung from a wall and hearing aids hung from the ears of Senate and House budget leaders.

After they moved to the Senate Finance room on the 10th floor, Hogan asked of Houck, "What do you do up here?"

Again, Saslaw chimed in: "We do what you do down there [on the 9th floor] …

"We pontificate."

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia politics reporter, The Washington Times

Sen. John Watkins, Powhatan Republican, today said he is concerned there could be more fallout from the Virginia Supreme Court ruling that the General Assembly did not have the power to give an unelected body authority to raise taxes for regional road and rail projects.

"This not only questions the ability of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to raise 'fees' for transportation needs, but it would certainly question the ability of many other authorities (be they water and sewer authorities, toll authorities, port authorities and airport authorities) that are created either by the state or by the local governments and are operated by an appointed (non-elected) body," Mr. Watkins said.

The story we ran about the ruling is here.

NVTA members yesterday told me that they share the concern.

"Does that mean that local boards of supervisors cannot allow local water boards to collect fees for service?" asked Martin Nohe, a Prince William County Board of Supervisors who sits on the NVTA.

Mr. Watkins, in his letter, said it will take some time to sort out and it could requires come clarification from the Supreme Court.

"It was clearly stated in the opinion that 'if payment of regional taxes and fees is to be required by a general law, it is the prerogative and the function of the General Assembly,'" he said. "In other words, the General Assembly must impose the fees or taxes. The implications of this decision could potentially be far reaching. This Supreme Court case clearly accentuates the importance of legislation dealing with the development of local and state infrastructure."

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia politics reporter, The Washington Times

Virginia state Delegate Phillip A. Hamilton, Newport News Republican, today offered some insight into the ongoing budget negotiations, outlining what he sees as the five most contentious issues.

Hamilton, one of the lawmakers tasked with carving out a budget, said the primary priorities of House negotiators are:

1. Increase the number of service waivers for the mentally retarded from the 150 recommended by Gov. Tim Kaine to 800.

2. Provide a first-year pay raise for teachers based on a new benchmark methodology and use overpayments to the state's employee health insurance fund to pay for a first-year pay raise for state employees and college faculty.

On the Senate side, Hamilton said negotiators have identified three major priorities:

1. Expand non-mandated preschool programs.

2. Provide jail diversion and prison re-entry programs for convicted criminals.

3. Continue to fund Drug Courts.

The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn Saturday. That means that budget negotiators would need to hash out their differences by Friday in order to allow the budget to be printed and brought to the full General Assembly for a vote.

Before the first meeting of the budget conferees, Senate negotiators set the tone when Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, Fairfax County Democrat, declared he was prepared "to stay until December," and Senator Janet Howell, Fairfax County Democrat, said she "would never agree" to the methodology change being proposed by the House budget.

"Although no such statements or 'lines in the sand' have been offered by House negotiators, we have made it very clear that first-year pay raises for teachers, state employees and college faculty, and additional assistance for the mentally retarded were higher priorities than expanded programs for 4-year-olds, criminals and citizens with drug problems," Hamilton said.

He added: "While there are many issues that must be addressed, the expressed priorities and attitudes of delay and intransigence of some Senate negotiators cause me to question the seriousness by which they are working to resolve honest, philosophical differences on funding the core service functions of state government."

— Seth McLaughlin, Virginia reporter, The Washington Times