Three Up; Three Down

By The News Virginian Staff

Published: October 3, 2008

THREE UP

While his colleagues mined the Senate bailout for pork, Jim DeMint, R-S.C., proved that reason yet lives inside the Beltway. He was one of 24 senators who voted against the bailout. “Government,” he said, “appears to be leading our country into the pit of socialism.” While others searched for blame, DeMint knows where it belongs: “Government is the root cause of this crisis.”
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A local boy made good this week when the Waynesboro City Council named Mike Hamp city manager. Though his appointment runs only until next year, a strong performance will get it renewed and perhaps set Hamp on a course to finish his career in the town where he has lived all of his 41 years.
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Sarah Palin carried the fate of John McCain’s presidential hopes in her hands in Thursday’s vice presidential debate, and she delivered. Her name now is synonymous with folksy. Whatever her style is called, it worked. Again.

THREE DOWN

The king of conservative talk bloviators, Rush Limbaugh, referred Thursday to Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., as Al Capone. We wish we could think of a more apropos term, but why try? Rather than writing Senate bailout amendments, Dodd should be under investigation over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which cooked books under his watch while donating heavily to his campaign.
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Though his running mate saved him at week’s end, John McCain, like the Dow, still wound up down points. He halted his campaign to work on the bailout, then backed a bill loaded with earmarks, which he claims to despise. Meanwhile, Democrat Barack Obama surged in the polls. Nice going, Mr. Maverick.
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So Republicans sounded like crybabies when they whined about the partisan wind puffed from the lips of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from the floor Monday. Still, Pelosi, whose approval ratings are of Bushian depth, would serve herself by zipping those lips and learning to count votes. She couldn’t even corral 12 extra Dems to pass her beloved bailout.