Sen. Jim Webb, who is not exactly known for his love of campaigning, starting stumping today for fellow Democrats running for election next month.

This week, he is appearing at events for Gerry Connolly, Fairfax County Board chairman who is running for Congress; former governor Mark R. Warner, who is running for U.S. Senate; and Tom Perriello, who is running against Rep. Virgil Goode in a south central district stretching from Charlottesville to Danville.

Next week, he will campaign for Judy Feder, who is running against Rep. Frank Wolf in Northern Virginia and Glenn Nye, who is running against Rep. Thelma Drake in Hampton Roads. He will also participate in an event for Democratic senate candidates with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and make a two-day swing through Southwest Virginia for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Webb, elected in 2006, has been criticized by some constituents and party activists for his failure to interact with Democratic activists and campaign for members of his party. But he has a packed schedule this month following the Senate's adjournment Friday.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced today that he and his running mate Sarah Palin will campaign in Virginia on Monday.

McCain and Palin will hold a rally at 10 a.m. in Virginia Beach at the convention center. Palin will then hold at 1 p.m. rally in Richmond at the Arthur Ashe Center.

"Voters statewide are excited to have the next president and vice president of the United States bring their message of reform back to Virginia,'' Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, McCain's campaign co-chairman. "John McCain and Sarah Palin will bring some much needed straight talk to the voters in Virginia about strengthening our economy, finding innovative solutions to our energy crisis and keeping America safe. It is going to be a tough race in Virginia, but we are focused on winning Virginia so that John McCain and Sarah Palin can shake things up in Washington."

Republican presidential nominee John McCain's campaign is holding a flurry of campaign events in Virginia today, perhaps in response to yet another visit to the state by Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Events will take place in Prince William, Loudoun, Greene and Henrico counties and will include appearances by Joe McCain, McCain's brother; Jeffrey Frederick, state GOP chairman; Paul Galanti, a former prisoner of war; U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf; and Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board, among others.

Obama is holding a rally in Newport News today. His running mate, Joe Biden, will appear in Roanoke and suburban Richmond tomorrow.

See the list of McCain campaign events below:

Former governors James S. Gilmore III (R) and Mark R. Warner (D) will square off at 7 p.m. tonight in Roanoke in their final debate in the race for the state's open U.S. Senate seat. Come back to the blog at 7 p.m. for the latest, as we live blog the event.

It is Gilmore's last chance to change the dynamics of the race and prove that he can compete with his popular rival. A month before the Nov. 4 election, Warner has a big lead in polls and fundraising.

The two are running to replace the retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R) in a race that could help determine whether Virginia's gradual shift toward Democratic statewide candidates is solidifying.

The 60-minute debate, sponsored by WSLS -TV in Roanoke and moderated by its anchor Jay Warren, will be held at the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke. A three-person panel of journalists and political analysts will ask questions.

The pair have debated twice before, but tonight's will be their only debate televised statewide. It will not be picked up by any Northern Virginia station, but will air on CSPAN.

Sen. Joe Biden will headline a community gathering Sunday in Roanoke, and will then hold a similiar event in Henrico County, to tout Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's plan to turn around the economy.

Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will appear at Century Park Plaza at 12:30 p.m. He will then appear at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico County in suburban Richmond at 5 p.m.

Biden will talk about creating jobs by investing $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy technology, cutting taxes for middle class families and lowering health care costs.

In the last two weeks, Biden has appeared with Obama in Fredericksburg and has also campaigned in Woodbridge, Loudoun County and the annual United Mine Workers Fish Fry in Russell.

A series of new Spanish-language radio ads will begin airing in the Washington metro area to urge residents to "move forward and vote."

The New Policy Institute, an affiliate of the NDN progressive think tank and advocacy organization, has been airing in Nevada and Colorado. The Washington area ads start tomorrow.

The media campaign, Adelante, Spanish for "Moving Forward," is a public education campaign that encourages people to vote, explains the process of voting (including early and absentee voting) and targets what is projected to be a large pool of first-time Hispanic voters.

Three ads will start airing on three radio stations, which serve Northern Virgina, southern Maryland and the District. Ads will air through Nov. 3.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign announced today a new folksy radio ad in Virginia featuring bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley. The spot is playing on stations in Southwest Virginia.

"Howdy, friends. This is Ralph Stanley, and I think I know a little something about the families around here,'' Stanley says in the ad with banjos picking in the background. "and after the last eight years - I know we all need a change. Now, nobody's looking for a handout, but we could use a leader that's on our side. That leader is Barack Obama."

Stanley, 81, of Coeburn, received the National Medal of Arts in 2006, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2008, the Virginia General Assembly designated him the Outstanding Virginian. He endorsed Obama last month.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois will hold a rally Saturday afternoon at Victory Landing Park in Newport News.

Obama will tout his plans to restore the economy, create jobs and cut taxes for Virginia's middle class families, according to the campaign.

Saturday's trip marks his sixth trip to the state since he secured the Democratic presidential nomination. He was in Fredericksburg last weekend.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona has held one public event in Virginia since he secured the Republican presidential nomination.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) pledged Tuesday to remain governor through January 2010 even if Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama wins the presidency and offers him a Cabinet job.

"Absolutely,'' he said on his monthly call-in show on WTOP Radio. "I'm gonna stay as governor all the way through January 2010."

Kaine, co-chairman of Obama's national campaign, had been seriously considered as a running mate for the Illinois senator. The two became friends after they campaigned together during Kaine's 2005 gubernatorial race and Kaine has returned the favor, stumping nationwide for him over the last year.

"If I was asked to be vice president... I would have said yes,'' Kaine said. But, he said, he plans to remain a volunteer if Obama wins. "I hope I can be helpful,'' he said.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama launched a two-minute television ad in Virginia today to explain how the Illinois senator plans to handle the nation's financial crisis.

The ad, called Same Path, details Obama's plan to jump-start the economy and create millions of jobs. Specifically, it outlines his tax plan, which his campaign says will provide tax relief to the middle class and cut taxes for small and startup businesses.

The Republican National Committee launched a new television ad today to highlight what it calls Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's plans to raise taxes and increase debt.

The ad, called Worse, will run in Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Indiana.

Democratic Sen. Jim Webb honored his Republican colleague, Sen. John W. Warner, who is retiring after three decades in the Senate.

Webb, elected in 2006, took the Senate floor this afternoon to pay tribute to Warner, considered an elder statesman highly regarded for his expertise in defense matters.

"He has always put the interests of the people of Virginia and the people in this country ahead of political party,'' Webb said. "He has been very clear at different times that he and I are in different parties. But this is an individual who has served this body with great wisdom and a deeply ingrained sense of fairness and someone who has the temperament and the moral courage of a great leader."

Warner then took the floor, saying in an emotional response that he was "moved" and "grateful" for Webb's comments.

"America will always look down on you as a proud son,'' Warner said. "And I don't know what the future may be, but I know that there are further steps of greatness that you will achieve, Senator. And I wish you the best of luck."

Read Webb and Warner's remarks below

Virginia's congressional delegation was sharply divided on a $700 billion financial bailout defeated by the U.S. House Monday afternoon.

Six of Virginia's members of Congress voted against the package and five voted in favor.

Five of eight Republican members voted against the bailout as did one Democrat, Rep. Bobby Scott of Hampton Roads.

Use the post.com congressional votes database to find out how your representative voted.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain unveiled a new radio ad in Virginia today criticizing rival Barack Obama's energy plan.

The ad, entitled Clean Coal, accuses the Democratic presidential nominee of opposing clean coal technology in states like Virginia, Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where thousands of jobs rely on the industry.

Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (R) told reporters this afternoon that the ad is calling attention to Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden's contradictary statements on supporting the coal industry while campaigning in Southwest Virginia and other parts of the country.

"It's very alarming,'' Kilgore said. "This type of double speak has been caught onto by Southwest Virginians and Virginians."

The focus of coal comes amid signs that Obama may be making some inroads in Southwest Virginia. A Washington Post poll last week shows that 36 percent of likely voters in the western part of the state support Obama. The western part of the state includes Shenandoah Valley, which tends to be more Republican than Southwest Virginia.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) will campaign in Virginia this week for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to talk about the challenges facing veterans, including those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Edwards will meet local veterans and military families to discuss Obama's plans for improving medical care, pay equity and educational opportunities to troops and their families.

Edwards, whose district includes President Bush's Crawford ranch, is chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and is a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

Event details are below:

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) announced today that he will return his state car, reduce his salary by two percent and trim his office budget by nine percent following this week's news of a possible $3 billion state budget shortfall.

"These are difficult times,'' he said. "This economic downturn, and sustained uncertainty, is forcing Virginia families and businesses to make hard decisions, and Virginia's government must do likewise."

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will begin implementing the statewide cuts early next month after releasing the state's new forecast for the rest of the two-year, $77 billion budget period that began July 1.

Jason Alexander, an actor best known as perpetually down-and-out George Costanza on Seinfeld , has weighed into Virginia's U.S. Senate race by helping former Democratic governor Mark R. Warner raise money.

"If you thought Seinfeld was a show about nothing, you should check out Congress,'' Alexander in a fundraising letter emailed to supporters today. "I can't remember such a lack of productivity since the summer of George."

The letter turns more serious after that. Alexander asks for donations, as small as $5, before Sept. 30, the latest filing deadline, and talks about why he is "throwing his full support" behind Warner in his race against former governor James S. Gilmore III.

"He hasn't just talked a good game,'' he wrote. "As governor, he actually walked the walk by working across the aisle to deliver results and turn Virginia's struggling economy around."

The two met when Warner was traveling the country to gage interest in a possible presidential run, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said.

Alexander is not a Virginia resident. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The full letter is below:

The ACLU of Virginia has sent letters to all 185 police chiefs in Virginia asking them to educate their emplyees on the right of individuals to engage in door-to-door voter registration drives.

The letters were prompted by recent complaints from people going door-to-door who were told by police or other officials that their actions violated a local ordinance or policy. ACLU officials say they are prepared to provide legal assistance to any person whose rights are violated.

"The right to go door to door to register voters, to canvass for candidates or to promote one's religious beliefs is deeply ingrained in the American landscape, both legally and culturally," ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis said. "Thankfully, the Supreme Court has struck down every local ordinance that attempts to interfere with this basic First Amendment right."

The ACLU's letter cites a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that political and religious canvassers could not be required to obtain a permit or even give notice before going door to door with their message.

Democrats and Republicans are rushing to register thousands of new voters in Virginia before the Oct. 6 deadline.

Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will hold a rally Saturday in Fredericksburg.

The Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees will be at University of Mary Washington at 5:15 p.m. to talk about the economy, healthcare and the Iraq war.

It will be the first time Obama and Biden have appeared together in Virginia.

Americans United for Change, a progressive advocacy group, is bringing its Bush Legacy Bus to Virginia tomorrow.

The 45-foot long, 28-ton clean bio-diesel powered "museum on wheels" features interactive exhibits that examine President Bush's two terms in office.

The tour kicked off across the street from the White House June 24 and has traveled to more than 30 states.

Roll Call, a newspaper on Capitol Hill, placed Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) on its list of 50 richest members of Congress.

Warner, who is retiring in January, ranked 45th with a net worth of $5.86 million. He has assets at several brokerage accounts, none of which is worth more than $1 million, and has no liabilities.

The information came from the notoriously vague annual financial disclosure forms lawmakers turned in this week.

Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will participate in an invitation-only campaign event today in Woodbridge.

Biden will talk about Sen. Barack Obama's plans to try to turn around the economy and help financially strapped families by making college more affordable, reducing taxes for middle class families, cutting capital gains taxes on small business owners and investing $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy technology.

He was in Loudoun County Friday and joined Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) at the annual United Mine Workers Fish Fry in Russell County Saturday.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will campaign in Virginia tomorrow for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Sebelius will hold town hall meetings in Richmond and Williamsburg with "four area families who are struggling with four issues that are affecting hundreds of thousands of Virginians in this economic downturn,'' according to the campaign.

Sebelius will tout Obama's proposals to fix the economy, provide universal health care and offer relief for distressed homeowners and communities. They include cutting taxes for 95 percent of Virginians, investing in clean energy sources and making college more affordable by providing families with a $4,000 tuition tax credit, according to the campaign.

Details are below:

Republican John McCain's presidential campaign has opened two more "victory" offices in Virginia, bringing the total to 13.

The new offices are in Woodbridge in Prince William, a county that Republicans hope they can win, and the Democratic stronghold of Charlottesville.

Each of Virginia's 124 cities and counties already has a designated chairman serving as a local contact for McCain and the campaign is working to assemble more than 1,000 precinct captains.

Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign has opened a record number 43 offices around the state.

Esquire magazine named Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) one of the "75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century" in its 75th anniversary edition.

The reason given? "Because the Senate has never seen anything like him."

The eclectic list include David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, baseball player Alex Rodriguez and the co-founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It includes other Democrats, including Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, and Republicans, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Former governors James S. Gilmore III and Mark R. Warner met yesterday morning in Fairfax before hundreds of business and state leaders in the second debate of their U.S. Senate contest.

Debate is Underway 10:55 a.m.

Gilmore and Warner were each given three minutes for opening statements. The two were introduced, shook hands and shared a quick word on stage. Warner went first. He spoke about the need for a new senator to tackle Street troubles, escalating gas prices and the United State's standing in the world. He talked about the differences between himself and touted his different approach to transportation, where projects were completed "on time and on budget. "We did what we said,'' Warner said.

Gilmore's Statement 10:55 a.m.

Gilmore spent his three minutes talking about all of his accomplishments working across party lines, which he said includes balancing the budget, delivering on car tax relief, putting lottery money back in education and reducing college tuition. But he took a subtle jab at Warner, who said he would not raise taxes but did, when he talked about trust. "When you say you are going to do something, you should do it,'' Gilmore said.

Minutes before the U.S. Senate debate was set to begin, campaign managers Mike Henry (for Democrat Mark Warner) and Boyd Marcus (for Republican James Gilmore), were inspecting the stage at the auditorium at the Capital One complex in Tysons Corner in McLean. The candidates and three panelists were backstage. The journalists who will ask questions were: Kojo Nnamdi of WAMU Radio; Gail Pennybacker of WJLA (Channel 7); and Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times Dispatch. About 400 people were in the audience.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will host a "Change We Need" town hall Saturday in Abingdon to tout Sen. Barack Obama's vision for changing Washington.

In his seventh town hall meeting for Obama, Kaine will highlight the Illinois senator's plans for energy independence, middle class tax relief and job creation, among other topics.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Adviser Richard Clarke and California Rep. Jane Harman also will hold a series of town halls for Obama this weekend.

They will discuss Obama's plans to rebuild international cooperation, decrease the risk of terrorism by rooting out al Qaeda, attack global poverty and increase military personnel.

Town halls will be held in Fairfax, Newport News, Richmond, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg on Saturday and in Winchester and Harrisonburg on Sunday.

Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill Biden, will hold a a women's Rally for the Change We Need event in Loudoun County on Friday.

The Bidens will lay out Sen. Barack Obama's proposals for "improving economic opportunity for women and ensuring that parents are better able to balance the demands of work and family,'' according to the campaign.

He will be at Claude Moore Park in Sterling at noon on Friday, Tim Buchholz, chairman of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee, told washingtonpost.com.

Friday will mark Biden's second visit to Virginia since joining Sen. Barack Obama on the Democratic ticket last month. Jill Biden and Michelle Obama campaigned today in Richmond and Charlottesville.

Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the formation of the Virginia Women for McCain-Palin Coalition, a statewide grassroots organization that will work to bolster his support among women.

"John McCain and Sarah Palin have energized women across the Commonwealth of Virginia because they are proven leaders and effective reformers,'' said Susan Allen, former First Lady of Virginia and Women for McCain-Palin Virginia Chairwoman. "They understand issues that are critical to women voters including eliminating waste in the federal budget, lowering taxes, finding solutions to skyrocketing gas prices and keeping our families safe on the home front."

See below for the group's leaders:

Former governor Mark R. Warner received more endorsements from Virginia's law enforcement community this morning in his race against former governor James S. Gilmore III for U.S. Senate.

Sheriffs from across western Virginia and the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, a professional association made up of more than 20,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers, announced their support of Warner.

"Governor Warner always had an open door for local officials charged with protecting the public safety," said Norfolk Sheriff Robert McCabe, president of the Virginia Sheriffs Association. "Whether it was a natural disaster or a time of fiscal crisis, I was impressed by his leadership and his willingness to work closely with law enforcement to address the challenges facing Virginia in a bipartisan and responsible manner."

Warner, who was governor between 2002 and 2006, was credited with appointing the nation's first Cabinet-level state official with responsibility for homeland security; allowing the State Police to achieve its designated manpower goals for the first time in 30 years; initiating a statewide AMBER Alert System to notify Virginians about possible child abductions; and supporting tougher anti-drunk driving laws.

Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, will campaign in Virginia Wednesday.

She will host a women's economic roundtable in Richmond and a Women for Obama voter registration rally in Charlottesville.

Obama will tout her husband's plans to offer a $1,000 tax credit for working families, equal pay for equal work and a $4,000 college tuition tax credit in exchange for community service. She will be joined by Lilly Ledbetter, an Alabama woman whose fight for equal pay brought her to the Supreme Court, and inspired the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Obama started the series of women roundtable discussions early in the primary season to talk about the economy's impact on working women and families. She hosted a roundtable discussion with military spouses in Norfolk last month to discuss challenges facing military spouses and their families.

The campaign has yet to release other details about Wednesday's visit.

In its annual review of the General Assembly, the business coalition Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education penalized each legislator for failing to pass a transportation plan during this summer's failed special session.

Virginia FREE's 24-page report opens with a statement on the partisan bickering that left the General Assembly unable to pass a plan to provide money for roads and transit.

"We have not only a shortage of transportation dollars, but also a shortage of courage and leadership needed to elevate good governance above short-term partisan gain," it says.

The group rates legislators using their voting records on key bills and business lobbyist evaluations.

Republicans scored on an average rating of 59; Democrats scored an average rating of 46. Delegates scored an average rating of 53; senators scored an average rating of 52.

Republican John McCain has a slight edge over Democrat Barack Obama in Virginia, according to a new CNN/Time poll.

Registered voters preferred McCain over Obama by 50 percent to 46 percent.

The telephone survey of 920 registered voters was conducted Friday through Tuesday and released today. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Virginia since 1964, but an influx of voters and a stronger get-out-the-vote effort have helped Democrats win the past two gubernatorial elections, a high-profile Senate race in 2006 and the state Senate last year.

Opinion Research Corp. conducted the poll for CNN and Time in four battleground states, including Virginia, Missouri, Michigan and New Hampshire.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will not campaign in Virginia Beach next week as was previously reported.

Attorney Robert F. McDonnell told reporters last week that Palin would visit Sept. 18 but the Republican presidential campaign never confirmed the trip. It will be scheduled for another date.

Sen. John McCain and Palin held a rally today in Fairfax in front of record crowds while. Sen. Barack Obama appeared in Hampton Roads.

Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president tonight while the Illinois senator was on a campaign swing through Southwest Virginia.

"After the last eight years, Virginia families need someone on their side, someone looking out for their interests, and I know Barack Obama will be that leader," Stanley said. "He'll make it easier for parents to send their kids to college and make sure they have more money left in their pockets at the end of the month."

Stanley, 81, of Coeburn, received the National Medal of Arts in 2006, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2008, the Virginia General Assembly designated him the Outstanding Virginian.

Del. Terrie Lynne Suit (R-Virginia Beach) resigned from the state House of Delegates to run Williams Mullen's Hampton Roads lobbying operation.

Her last day will be Oct. 12.

"Delegate Suit's service to the people of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, the Commonwealth, and the House of Delegates has been exceptional and exemplary,'' House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) said. "She has been a fierce and steadfast advocate for the people of the 81st District, as well as a prominent and effective champion for the men and women of the United States Armed Services."

Suit's 1999 election led to Virginia's first-ever Republican majority in the House. Gov.

Timothy M. Kaine (D) will call a special election to fill Suit's seat.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia has sent letters to 30 registrars in parts of the state where college students are likely to live to encourage them to let students to register to vote in local elections.

The letter follows reports that a Montgomery County registrar told students that their parents may no longer be able to claim them as dependents for tax purposes if they declare a separate college address for voting purposes.

"While registrars should assist students who are uncertain about where they should register, no registrar should question students who make the choice to vote where they attend school,'' ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis said.

The ACLU also sent emails to college newspapers asking them to warn students of the problems they may encounter when attempting to register and to let students know that they may contact the ACLU for assistance.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign in Virginia for the first time since she became the Republican nominee for vice president this week in St. Paul, Minn.

Palin will visit Virginia Beach on Sept. 18, according to Virginia Republicans. The campaign has yet to release details of the trip.

This year, both parties predict that the heavily populated and racially diverse Hampaton Roads area, which is home to the world's largest naval base, will be one of the state's most competitive regions in the presidential race.

Hampton Roads, a region of midsize cities and sprawling suburbs in the state's southeastern corner, is home to core constituencies for both parties.

Palin's visit is part of McCain's aggressive campaign in Virginia that includes recruiting volunteers, knocking on doors and calling voters to try to win one of the nation's newest battleground states.

ST. PAUL --- After seeing Texans wearing matching cowboy hats and Pennsylvanians waving matching yellow towels, Virginians have come up with their own symbol to show off on the convention floor tonight.

The Virginia delegation will be wearing white T-shirts that proclaim, "Virginia is for McCain-Palin lovers," a play on the state's longstanding slogan. Look for them to the left of the stage next to the New Mexico delegation.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, delegation chairman, presented the T-shirts to the state's 63 delegates and 60 alternates this morning. McDonnell, the likely Republican nominee for governor next year, paid for the T-shirts.

ST. PAUL --- Christy Swanson, a small business owner in Richmond and a Democrat, spoke Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention about her support of Sen. John McCain for president.

She told the crowd of thousands that she backs McCain because he will not raise taxes and will expand the number of people with health insurance,

"I'm a Democrat,'' she said. "I'm voting for John McCain. It is right for me and right for America."

Swanson serves as vice chairwoman of Virginia Citizens for McCain, a coalition of Democrats and independents who support the Arizona senator for president.

She and her husband, Kip, own a business that filters vegetable oil for restaurants and use the leftover waste oil to produce biodiesel fuel to power a small company fleet.

MINNEAPOLIS --- More than 100 Virginia delegates, alternates and guests enjoyed a posh brunch on the top floor of a beach club overlooking Lake Calhoun, as a jazz bank played.

The guest of honor, legendary singer Pat Boone, received a standing ovation when he walked to the stage wearing a white suit and a red, white and blue tie.

"We are here to let John McCain and Governor Palin descend to the White House and dethrone the man who would be king,'' Boone said to applause and laughter.

Guests sipped mimosas and Bloody Marys, dined on hand-carved roast beef, potato pancakes, frittata, rolls, fruit and salad and strolled onto a rooftop terrace to take in the view.

"We don't see this in rural Virginia,'' quipped Tucker Watkins, a delegate from the southern part of the state.

ST. PAUL --- Virginia resident and retired Army captain Leslie Smith spoke briefly on the floor of the Republican National Convention last night about her quest to encourage wounded veterans to live life to the fullest.

Smith, of tiny Tappahannock in Essex County, had her left leg amputated after suffering a rare blood disorder during a 2002 peace-keeping mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"We need to make tomorrow better than today,'' she told the crowd of thousands last night.

Smith had 20 surgeries during her seven-month stay at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Since then, she has completed four marathons, one triathlon and was recruited to try-out for the U.S. Paralympics Women's Sitting Volleyball team for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

Now, she visits wounded military service members, motivating them to overcome their physical challenges through athletics.

ST. PAUL -- George Allen, former governor and senator, arrived at the Republican National Convention late Tuesday in time to sit with the Virginia delegation and hear the first night of speakers including former senator Fred Thompson and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Allen, who is serving as a delegate, was mobbed by fans wanting to talk to him or have their photos taken with him.

One man of Indian decent from the nearby Nevada delegation even joked that his name was "macaca" when Allen asked him. Allen took it all in stride and seemed to enjoy himself.

Allen, who many had expected to run for president this year until he lost his re-election bid in 2006, raved about his former colleague, Sen. John McCain, and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "She's gotten a lot of people really excited."

Allen said convention-goers were more energetic this year than in 2004, when the event took place in New York three years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and with an incumbent nominee.

Allen and his wife, Susan, came to the convention a couple of days later than most other Virginians because they were attending the funeral of Gene Upshaw, a football player for the Oakland Raiders and executive director of the National Football League Players' Association.

ST. PAUL -- The Virginia delegation at the Republican National Convention has enviable seats on the floor at the Xcel Energy Center.

The state's 63 delegates are sitting on the front left facing the stage, just behind New Mexico. Virginia is surrounded by other swing states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Virginia delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week also had a prime spot.

Virginia, which has voted for a Republican for president for more than four decades, is considered one of the nation's newest battleground states.

"It's the first time we've been in play in a long time," said John H. Hager, former lieutenant governor and state party chairman.

ST. PAUL --- Many members of 123-member Virginia delegation, who spent the day at back-to-back events, had not yet heard the news Monday afternoon about the pregnancy of the 17-year-old daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain's running mate. Those who had took it in stride, saying it was not a story and not an issue that would hurt the race.

"It's always unfortunate when something like this happens," said Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a convention delegate. "It's a challenge to any family. But it kind of shows there is no difference [between the Palin family] and what any other American family has to deal with. Families involved in politics and leadership aren't any different."

Bolling said the news will probably not hurt McCain because Palin's daughter made the right decision to have the baby and get married.

"It's unfortunate,'' said Brian O'Connor, a delegate who lives in tiny Rice, Va., near Farmville. "But they made a decision to get married."

ST. PAUL -- Dominion Resources, the energy company, treated the Virginia and Maryland delegations to a lunch-time circus performance today that included acrobatics and fire juggling.

The event was put on by Circus Juventas, a non-profit organization in St. Paul that trains children in performance art to inspire artistry and self-confidence. Many members of the audience reacted with "oohs" and "ahhs" when watching the intricate acts that included ropes, swings and fire.

Chuck Gast, second vice chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, said the event was a great chance to meet people from other states.

Dominion hosted the event for the Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania delegations. A similar event was held Sunday for the West Virginia delegates.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's re-election campaign canceled an order for 150 guidebooks produced in the Twin Cities that devoted a section to gay and lesbian tourists.

Bolling (R) had planned to give the guidebooks, published by the Rake, to the 123 members of the Virginia delegation to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

A Bolling spokesman said Monday that the lieutenant governor never saw a copy of the guidebook but would not have had a problem with it.

A staffer reviewed a copy and canceled the order because of the section for gays and lesbians, said Randy Marcus, Bolling's chief of staff and a convention delegate. Bolling's campaign ordered another guidebook for the delegates and alternates instead.
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MINNEAPOLIS -- A couple hundred Virginians began their first official day at the Republican National Convention at a breakfast where they prayed for Gulf Coast hurricane victims and GOP presidential and vice presidential hopefuls, Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

A slew of speakers talked up McCain, including James Woolsey, CIA director during the Clinton administration; retired Major General and Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Brady; Ken Blackwell, former Ohio secretary of state and first African-American to be a candidate for governor of a major party in that state; and U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren of California.

"No other leader in America, no one today, has had his experiences, has demostarted his guts or is better qualified to lead American in a time of w