As Sen. Barack Obama spent his second straight day in Virginia, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) blasted the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for his lack of experience.

"Senator Obama is clearly an historic figure and an articulate spokesman for his party but he is perhaps the most inexperienced person to run for president of the United States,'' he said.

McDonnell, who will run for governor next year, told reporters that Obama is "wrong" for Virginia on the key issues of national security, taxes and spending and energy.

The Straight Talk Express -- Sen. John McCain's campaign bus -- will visit the Bristol Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday to help register people to vote.

McCain will not be coming to Virginia this weekend or anytime before the Republican national convention, which starts Sept. 1, Virginia officials say.

The bus will be at the display area of the Speedway during the Food City 250 and Sharpie 500.

Details are below

Chrisi West is a Virginia delegate to the Democratic National Convention who will be blogging for Virginia Politics from Denver. She is from Fairfax County's Alexandria neighborhood.

When I attended my first informal meeting of Alexandria Obama supporters back in March 2007, I figured it was my first foray into politics and I'd probably just end up handing out flyers on election day or something. No big deal.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, released a new television ad today in key states, including Virginia.

The 30-second ad, Three Times, touts Obama's plan to cut taxes for middle-class families while criticizing Republican Sen. John McCain's plan to target billions in tax cuts to big corporations, according to a press release.

The ad will air in Virginia, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

">

Virginia Republicans are stepping up their efforts to tie U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner to the national Democratic party and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

The strategy of linking Warner to liberals in Washington has long been a part of the GOP playbook. But Warner, apparently confident of his big lead in the polls, gave the GOP new ammunition by agreeing to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention next week.

Privately, some GOP insiders have been frustrated that Warner's GOP opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore III, has appeared curiously silent as it relates to Warner's speech next week.

Unwilling to wait for Gilmore to make the attack on his own, the Virginia Republican Party is taking the lead in trying to link Warner to national Democrats.

In a lengthy memo sent out Tuesday night to GOP supporters and reporters, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, the chairman of the state party, noted that National Journal ranked Obama as the most liberal senator in 2007. (Obama and some independent analysts strongly dispute that ranking).

"This means that Obama is more liberal than an avowed socialist, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont," Frederick wrote. "Yet this is the man who Mark Warner chooses to honor in the form of giving his keynote address. For years the Democrats in Virginia said they were different from their national counterparts who were on the left. ...But the convention in Denver will once and for all dispel any myth to the contrary."

The Republican Party of Virginia received a big check recently from John M Templeton Jr., who has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Republican and conservative causes over the years.

The son of the late finance guru Sir John Templeton, John M. Templeton Jr. of Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania gave the Virginia Republican Party $80,000 on July 30, according to the State Board of Elections.

He appears to have made the largest contribution from an individual to the Virgnia Republican Party since 2000, according to information from the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks money in state politics.

John M. Templeton Jr. is one of the founding members of Freedom's Watch, an organization that seeks to be the conservative version of Moveon.org. Freedom's Watch has aired millions of dollars in television ads in support of the war of Iraq. The group also plans to spend tens of millions of dollars this fall on ads targeting Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Democratic congressional candidates.

According to the New York Times, Templeton's father was one of the world's richest men when he died last month. His son, John M. Templeton Jr., the donor to the Virginia GOP and Freedom's Watch, now heads up the John Templeton Foundation. The foundation has a $1.5 billion endowment.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will campaign with U.S. Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner Wednesday in southern Virginia, Obama's presidential campaign announced today.

Obama and Warner, a former governor who takes credit for bringing more jobs to economically depressed communities in southern Virginia, will hold an invitation-only town hall meeting in Martinsville that focuses on economic issues.

It will be Obama's third campaign swing through Virginia since he clinched the Democratic nomination in June. Last week, Obama announced that Warner will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention later this month. Although Obama has yet to announce his running mate, Warner said in June under no circumstance would he be the vice-presidential candidate this year.

Warner's GOP opponent in the Senate race, former governor James S. Gilmore III, will also be reaching out to so-called working families on Wednesday. Gilmore will make 11 stops in central Virginia to promote his "message of lower gas prices, lower taxes and trust," according to his campaign.

Arizona Sen. John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" bus will barrel through Virginia tomorrow, helping to kickoff a series of campaign events across the state that will culminate in 90 house parties tomorrow night in support of McCain.

McCain's legendary bus, which has been garnering media attention since he first ran for president eight years ago, will make an appearance tomorrow morning on the Richmond CBS 6 morning show. McCain won't be on the bus, but Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R ) will be filling in to tout the GOP message.

The bus will then travel to Alexandria home of Debbie and Bill Spagnoli-Woodruff. The couple will be hosting one of 90 house parties across Virginia as part of the first "McCain Nation" national event day. People who attend one of the house parties will get a campaign briefing and hear from Cindy McCain and her brother-in-law, Joe McCain.

Virginians will have a chance to have their questions answered live at the Democratic National Convention or online later this month.

"As Barack Obama has said, this is not our Convention - this is America 's Convention," said Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "And now, at a critical moment in our history, Americans will have their concerns addressed, challenges listened to and their questions answered live by our country's leaders."

An open call where Virginians can record questions will take place tomorrow morning in Richmond. Text and video questions also can be submitted online at DemConvention.com/townhall through Aug. 27.

The convention, which will take place Aug. 25-28 in Denver, will feature a nightly segment in which elected leaders, national policy experts and others will respond to voters' questions live and online.

U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner's decision to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention later this month means Warner's own political future this year can now be linked to the national Democratic party.

Ever since he announced his Senate campaign late last year, Warner has sought to put some distance between himself and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

Warner appeared with Obama in June in Southwest Virginia, and has touted his candidacy in various interviews. But Warner has at times stressed he is running his own race as he tried to respond to efforts by his GOP opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore, to tie him to Obama and national Democrats.

At a debate with Gilmore last month, Warner mentioned Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, more than he mentioned Obama. Now, Gilmore will have images of Warner standing on stage in prime-time as the symbol of the national Democratic party.

If Obama's presidential campaign tanks in Virginia this fall - which is still possible given the conservative leanings of the state - Warner won't be able to distance himself from the national party.

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, the Libertarian nominee for U.S. President, stopped in Richmond for a few hours today to spread the word of his longshot candidacy.

Barr, who was accompanied by his son Derek, said he is running because he sees a "dramatic undercutting of liberty" in the United States.

"If it was simply to play a spoiler role, I would not be doing this,'' he said. "I have a lot of better things to do."

Barr said he is polling at six percent nationally. He said he expects support from Republicans opposed to Sen. John McCain, blue-collar Reagan Democrats and young people who may be interested in politics for the first time.

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will continue his national voter registration campaign this week in Virginia.

He will be joined on some Northern Virginia stops by Washington Wizards basketball player Etan Thomas.

The "Register for Change" bus tour started in President Bush's backyard in Crawford, Texas and is traveling cross country until the Democratic National Convention late this month. Dean, a former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, has been to several states, including Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia, in recent weeks.

Details of the Virginia events are below:

Actor Kal Penn, who currently appears in the FOX medical drama House will
visit Northern Virginia today and tomorrow to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Penn will meet with volunteers and participate in phone banks at offices of the Campaign for Change, an offshoot of Obama's campaign funded by the Democratic National Committee, in Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Centreville, Fairfax City and Arlington and Fredericksburg.

Penn also will headline a local Asian Americans For Obama And South Asians For Obama event and join Young Democrats canvassing in Richmond.

Penn had a recurring role in the TV show, 24 last year. He is probably best known for his role in the movie, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle .

A full schedule of his events is below:

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) appeared on CBS' Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer Sunday to answer questions about Sen. John McCain's recent ads, the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver and whether Sen. Barack Obama should be doing better in the polls.

"I would rather not spin Barack's lead in the polls as anything negative. He's ahead in the polls,'' Kaine said. "Take Virginia as an example. Virginia is a state that has not gone Democratic in a presidential election since 1964. (Recent polls) have Barack Obama narrowly ahead in Virginia, which is basically outstanding."

"I think the Obama campaign has had a healthy underdog attitude since I signed on..." Kaine said. "They always thought this would be tough. They always thought they would be close but we are feeling very very good about where the senator is in the polls."

Kaine, an Obama friend and one of his campaign's national co-chairmen, did not speak about being on the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's short list of possible running mates. But later on the show, Karl Rove, former Bush aide, criticized Kaine as a possible vice presidential choice.

John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on TV Friday in key states, including Virginia.

The ad, entitled "Painful," highlights presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's record of voting to raise taxes on middle class families and his tax increase proposals.

"The last thing we need to do is raise taxes that force families to make even tougher choices with less money in their pockets,'' according to a press release.

The Democratic National Committee launched a new website The Next Cheney to target Sen. John McCain's potential running mates, including U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia.

The website criticizes Cantor for voting with President Bush 92.5 percent during the 110 Congress and having ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Cantor, 45, chief deputy minority whip in the House, has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential choice in recent days. He is one of seven vice presidential candidates listed on the website, including Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, U.S. Sen. John Thune and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Cantor's office declined to comment.

About 1,200 people attended a fundraiser for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama last night in downtown Norfolk at the elegant Harrison Opera House adorned with glittering chandeliers and sweeping staircases.

The headliner, Michelle Obama, described the November presidential election between her husband and Republican Sen. John McCain as a decision between "the world as it is and the world as it should be."

"Our job as Americans is to narrow the gap between those two ideas," she said. "Do we settle for the world as it is or fight for the world as it should be?"

The fundraiser was hosted by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, who are on a family vacation with their children this week in nearby Virginia Beach. Kaine's apperance fueled further speculation about his vice presidential chances.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) took a break from his family vacation at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach to appear on CNN today for Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Kaine talked about the Iraq War, offshore oil drilling and the possibility of being Obama's running mate.

Kaine, an Obama friend and one of his campaign's national co-chairmen, said he is not running for anything but that he would do everything he could to help Obama win the White House in November.

"My highest and best use is trying to be a good governor and trying to help Sen. Obama in Virginia, which as you know traditionally hasn't gotten a lot of attention in presidential years," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the "Situation Room."

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on TV today in key states, including Virginia.

The ad, entitled "Family," accuses Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, of supporting higher taxes and increased government spending that will hurt small businesses and cost jobs.

"While Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, that doesn't do much to help American families who are hurting from higher gas prices and the threat of home foreclosure,'' according to a press release.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign released details about Michelle Obama's visit to Norfolk tomorrow to speak to military spouses.

She will use her first visit to Virginia to talk about the challenges facing military families and how her husband, the presumptive Democratic nominee, plans to support them if he becomes president.

The campaign has ensured Obama will have a friendly crowd. The event is by invitation only.

This week, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will hold a series of town hall meetings in Virginia to describe the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's plans for restoring the economy and creating jobs.

Obama's economic advisors, members of Congress and local elected leaders will serve as panelists. They include: Daniel Sepulveda, who handles economic policy issues for Obama's U.S. Senate office, U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) and Martinsville Vice Mayor Kimble Reynolds.

The events will begin tomorrow. Details are below:

U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, a rising star in the Republican leadership in Congress, told reporters today that he would not talk about possibly being considered by Sen. John McCain as a running mate.

"This is a press conference about the energy plan and the difference between the vision Barack Obama has and John McCain,'' Cantor told reporters on a conference call.

In recent days, several media sources have reported that McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had asked Cantor for personal documents used to vet him to be considered vice president.

Cantor, 45, chief deputy minority whip in the House, has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential choice for weeks and has increasingly been a surrogate for McCain on television news shows.

The Virginia Campaign for Change, an offshoot of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign funded by the Democratic National Committee, will register voters at gas stations across the state today.

State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) and Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris will participate in the events, which will take place in Arlington, Charlottesville and Richmond.

"Motorists who are fed up with sky-high oil company profits made on the backs of consumers paying higher prices at the pump will have the opportunity to register to vote -- and help Barack Obama put in place a new energy policy that will give relief to middle class families and break our addiction to foreign oil,'' according to a press release.

Obama has talked about providing families with a $1,000 middle-class tax cut and spending $150 billion in renewable and other clean sources of energy.

Details of the events are below:

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's wife, First Lady Anne Holton, will headline the Virginia Women for Obama, Families for Change statewide kickoff tomorrow.

She and families from across the Richmond area will gather at Byrd Park to highlight Sen. Barack Obama's policies that "strengthen American families and support working women."

Virginia Women for Obama will hold a total of 11 events across the state including picnics and house parties. Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple of Arlington will headline the Alexandria event and Jody M. Wagner, the state secretary of finance who is expected to run for lieutenant governor, will appear in Hampton Roads.

Some of the events are listed below:

Sen. Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, will make a campaign stop in Norfolk on Wednesday but few details about the event have been released yet.

Later that evening, Obama will appear at a fundraiser hosted by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and First Lady Anne Holton at the Harrison Opera House featuring a musical performance by Bruce Hornsby. Tickets are $100 per person, $50 for students.

It will be Obama's first campaign visit to the state, though her husband, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has been here several times.

The Virginia Campaign for Change, an offshoot of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign funded by the Democratic National Committee, announced today it will open four more offices, bringing the total number in the state to 28.

The offices will have their grand openings Saturday in Arlington, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Staunton.

The locations can be be found below.

The ACLU of Virginia sent letters today to housing authorities across the state, warning them not to prevent political campaigners from going door to door to distribute literature, talk with residents or register people to vote.

The letters, sent to administrators at all 28 housing authorities in the state, were prompted by the actions of the Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which blocked political campaigners from going door to door at its housing projects.

ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis said the First Amendment protects both the right of campaigners to go door to door in public housing projects and the right of tenants to receive information about registering to vote and political campaigns.

"Just because people live in public housing does not mean they can be cut off from political debate," Willis said. "Public housing tenants have exactly the same rights as everyone else to be involved in our democracy, and housing authority officials violate the First Amendment when they block political campaigning and registration efforts at their doorsteps."

The letter, which cites a U. S. Supreme Court case affirming the First Amendment right to canvass, says the ACLU will consider a lawsuit on behalf of canvassers or tenants if need be.

Alexandria resident Joe McCain -- who according to Leesburg Town Councilman Ken Reid is "the spitting image of his brother," John McCain -- is scheduled to address Loudoun Republicans tonight.

Hmm, spitting image? You decide. Photos and a bit more information about the younger McCain here and here.

Joe McCain also was quoted in this story about Cindy McCain by The Washington Post's Libby Copeland.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) slammed Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, this morning for saying on Monday that groups trying to register new voters are engaged in "a coordinated and widespread effort to commit voter fraud."

In an interview on WTOP radio, Kaine called Frederick's (Prince William) assertion "ridiculous."

"I think that is slandering the reputation of hardworking Virginians who care about elections and who want people to care about this process," Kaine said. "You know, I don't like to see folks doing things in the heat of a tough election to suggest they are trying to winnow down turnout and that is what I view (Frederick's) effort as."

Gerry Scimeca, a spokesman for the Virginia Republican Party, responded in an interview by rhetorically asking Kaine if he is "against people breaking the law," referring to the arrests last week of three canvassers in Hampton Roads charged with submitting false names on voter registration forms.

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) presidential campaign is recruiting out-of-state volunteers to come to Virginia, despite its claims that it already has more than 10,000 volunteers in the state.

According to Obama's website, the campaign established a "Virginia Sister City Program" on Thursday to urge out-of-state supporters to travel to the state over the next 100 days.

"The Sister City program will match volunteers in neighboring states with a nearby Campaign for Change office in Virginia that needs a little extra volunteer help," the statement said. "Sister City volunteers become part of a team, made up of other out-of-state volunteers, who adopt a town in Virginia for the last 100 days before the election."

Depending on how you look at it, the effort is either yet another sign that Virginia this year really will be the Ohio of 2004, or it's an indication the campaign is a bit worried it won't be able to staff all those offices it has opened, and recruit volunteers, in the conservative areas of the state.

Wonder which scenario the Republicans will latch onto?

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, announced today the members of his Virginia "grassrooots leadership team," who will oversee voter identification and get-out-the-vote operations in each of the state's 134 jurisdictions.

Under McCain's organizational structure, each of Virginia's 95 counties and 39 cities will have a designated chairperson who coordinates local campaign activities, including recruiting volunteers.

"We are organized and enthusiastic about getting John McCain's positive message to Virginians," said Bobby Lee May, the chairman for McCain's efforts in Buchanan County, which is located in Southwest Virginia. " John McCain will help protect coal miners' jobs and our Second Amendment rights. We believe that John McCain has been tested and is the best person to lead our country in these times as we continue to need strong, proven leadership."

Later today, U.S. Reps. Thelma D. Drake, Eric Cantor and Rob Wittman, all Republicans, will hold a press conference in Washington to discuss McCain's plans for lowering the price of gas in Virginia.

McCain's full Virginia leadership team can be found below.

The Virginia Democratic Party's decision to add Jim Wilson, a longtime Republican operative, to the payroll of its coordinated campaign may be a sign that Democratic efforts this year may not be so coordinated after all.

The coordinated Democratic campaign has been established to boost U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner, congressional candidates and Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the party's presumptive nominee for president.

Although he is a Republican, Wilson supports Warner and travels the state putting up campaign signs for him.

But at Saturday's U.S. Senate debate between Warner and Republican Jim Gilmore, Wilson was seen with a sign in his truck that included Warner's name and that of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive GOP nominee for president.

The Virginia Democratic Party continues to have a crushing advantage over the Virginia Republican Party when it comes to money that can be spent on the presidential, U.S. Senate and congressional races this year.

In campaign finance reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission, the state Democratic Party had about $729,000 in its federal account, about $120,000 less than it had a month ago.

The Republican Party of Virginia reported it has $101,000 in its federal account. But over the past month, the party has generated $91,000 in unpaid debt, according to its July FEC report.

The difference in how presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain are approaching this fall's election in Virginia can be seen in the campaigns' press strategies.

While McCain and the Republicans are taking a regional approach when it comes to selling their message, Obama and the Democrats have embraced a local strategy.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, already had a Virginia communications director, Kevin Griffis. On Monday, the campaign also hired press secretary Ashley Etienne. The Campaign for Change, an off-shoot of the Obama campaign, hired press secretary Clark Stevens two weeks ago. All three are based in Obama's Richmond headquarters.

While that may sound like a lot of overlap, Democratic officials say its a testament to their committment to get Obama's message out in the local, as well as the national, media.

Sen. John McCain's campaign announced today the Virginia Veterans for McCain, a statewide group that will work to bolster the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's support within the veterans' community in the state.

The organization boasts members from various generations, including veterans from World War II to the raq war, in all of the state's 11 congressional districts.

"John McCain has the experience, judgment and character to lead this country as commander-in-chief,'' group chairman Paul Galanti said. "John and I were both POWs, and I know he has an unshakeable character and unwavering dedication to country; always putting country above himself."

With Virginia shaping up as a battleground in the presidential contest between Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.),a few counties and cities will be key in deciding whether the state goes blue this year for the first time since 1964.

Just as the national map can be sliced into blue, red and purple states, so, too, can Virginia's 134 counties and cities.

In Northern Virginia, political analysts say, Obama will probably win in Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax counties, given recent voting patterns. Democrats also usually rack up big wins in Richmond, Norfolk and Charlottesville. McCain will probably have a strong advantage in rural counties in western and southern Virginia.

What follows is a list of 10 Virginia locations that could be up for grabs.

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) presidential campaign announced today it is opening 20 regional headquarters across Virginia, a potentially unprecedented move by a statewide candidate.

The offices, which are in addition to the 10 regional offices already being operated by the Virginia Democratic Party, will be scattered across the state, including two in Fairfax County and two in Southwest Virginia.

"A lot of these places may have never had a presidential campaign before," state Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke) said at an event announcing the new headquarters. "It shows (Obama) is investing in the Commonwealth and it is a bottom up, not a top down campaign. This is an intensive grassroots campaign."

Today is the deadline for both state and federal campaign finance reports. As the tallies for elected officials, parties and campaign committees are released, we will post them here.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, raised $250,000 between May 21 and June 31. Gilmore has about $117,000 in the bank. Since he launched his campaign last fall, Gilmore has raised about $1.2 million.

Former governor Mark R. Warner, a Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate, reports raising $2.9 million from April 1 to June 30. Warner has about $5.1 million in the bank. Warner has raised $9.3 million since he got into the race in September.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, the likely Republican nominee for governor in 2009, will report he raised $878,000 so far this year. McDonnell has about $1.2 million in the bank.

Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria), who seeking the Democratic nomination for governor next year, says he raised about $1.4 million during the first six months of the year, although some of the money had been transferred from an old political account. Moran has $924,000 in the bank.

Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), a Democratic candidate for governor next year, reports he raised $783,000 so far this year. Deeds has $650,000 on hand.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) released a new television ad today that will air in Virginia. The 30-second spot is the third ad that Obama has aired in the state since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

The ad, which focuses on the national security and the threat posed by a terrorist getting a hold of a nuclear weapon, will also air in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The number of newly registered voters in Virginia since the start of the year has grown to 148,389, according to the State Board of Elections.

Of those newly registered voters, about 45 percent are under the age of 25.

But the numbers of new registrants appears to be slowing down, at least when it comes to processing the applications.

Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) announced today that Barack Obama's presidential campaign is launching an effort to register 151,000 new voters in Virginia before the Oct. 6 registration deadline.

To meet the goal, Obama supporters would have to register about 1,755 new voters each day between now and Oct. 6. "If we do that, we'll not only win an election, we'll change a country," Wilder said.

The effort, called Can You Best Barack, is designed to get Virginians to register more voters then the 150,000 residents Obama helped to register as a community organizer in Chicago in the early 1990s.

Anyone who registers at least 100 voters will qualify for an opportunity to meet Obama. The Obama campaign, which already has dozens of paid staffers working in various counties across the state, is also releasing a new one-minute radio ad today in Virginia.

Because he was one of Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill) earliest and biggest supporters, some Virginia Democrats have speculated that Gov Timothy M. Kaine (D) could land a speaking role at next month's national convention in Denver.

But Kaine said today he hasn't been asked yet to play a public role at the convention.

"I know I am going but I don't have any formal role that I know of," Kaine said.

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader will appear in Richmond Saturday for a low-dollar fundraiser and rally at the Virginia Holocaust Museum.

Nader plans to speak about progressive issues, including ending the war in Iraq, funding a public works jobs program and cracking down on what he calls "corporate welfare."

With the contest between Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama shaping up as a potential nailbiter in Virginia this year, Nader could become a factor - if he can get on Virginia's ballot.

The Republican National Committee will air a radio ad in the Washington region tomorrow to welcome Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to Northern Virginia.

Obama is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting Thursday afternoon in Fairfax County. In the ad, a teacher accuses Obama of voting to raise taxes on people who earn more than $32,000 a year.

"I hear a lot of promises from politicians," the woman states. "Barack Obama promises to cut taxes, but he voted to raise taxes on folks earning as little as $32,000. I'm a teacher, and I feel the strain of rising gas prices and food prices every day. I don't understand why Obama insists on raising my taxes."

According to the Washingtonpost.com's Chris Cillizza, the AFL-CIO will launch a television ad tomorrow in six-states, including Virginia, that takes aim at Sen. John McCain's (R) record on military and veteran's issues.

The ad, described as a "significant targeted buy," will also air in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The Democratic National Committee is adding another layer of paid staff to the party's efforts to help Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) win Virginia's 13 electoral votes this fall.

The national party announced today it is funding a group called the Virginia Campaign for Change, which is designed to reach out to voters in support of Obama and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner.

Katie Ingebretson, who was a regional field director for Obama in Iowa prior to his victory in that state's caucuses, will head up the effort. Yohannes Abraham, who led Obama's get-out-the-vote campaign in Virginia's Feb. 12 primary, will be the field director. Luke Hayes is the deputy field director of the Virginia Campaign for Change.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, released his first television ad today that will air in local Virginia markets.

In the one-minute ad, entitled Love, a narrator contrasts McCain's experience as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War with that of other Americans back home in 1967.

"It was a time of uncertainty, hope and change. The 'Summer Of Love,' the ad states. "Half a world away, another kind of love -- of country. John McCain: Shot down. Bayoneted. Tortured. Offered early release, he said 'no'. He's sworn an oath."