If you're feeling sorry for Mark Earley or John Hager because one or the other will have to run for governor against a mega-millionaire, pat away your tears. The GOP nominee, whether Earley or Hager, stands to find his own pocketful of miracles in the beneficence of the Republican National Committee, now under the tutelage of Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore. This may not be an exaggeration, given the fact that the personal and the political so closely entwine in Gilmore's life. And a focused Jim Gilmore is the equivalent of having the entire enforcement arm of the IRS at your disposal. What Virginia can pretty much count on is that the November gubernatorial race will break all state records for spending and that both Democrat Mark Warner and his GOP foe will do their share.
Goodness knows, state statutes themselves offer no such protection.
Virginia is home to some of the most gaping non-laws in the country when it comes to campaign finance. Every state government reporter over the last couple of decades knew the drill. One sat at the State Board of Elections, sifting through hundreds of numbing pages, trying to keep the columns straight and the digits uncrossed while figuring out which special interest groups had bought a standing invitation to the governor's mansion. Now, there's a simpler way. Thanks to the access project, you and your neighbor are privy to the same information while relaxing in the comfort of your den.