Is it an epidemic?

Virginia politicians seem to be sticking their feet in their mouths with disturbing regularity lately. Last month, it was Congressman Virgil Goode attacking the use of the Koran to swear in a fellow Congressman (see my summary). Yesterday, in an interview, State Legislator Frank D. Hargrove, Sr. criticized a proposal for the state to issue an apology for slavery, saying that blacks "should get over" slavery. He went on to compare asking the state to apologize for slavery to asking Jews to apologize for killing Christ.

Wow! Talk about equal opportunity offensiveness. Both of these incidents come on the heels of the "macaca" flap during George Allen's unsuccessful bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Is it me, or are Virginia's politicians allowing their "good ol' boy" roots to show? At least the House of Delegates reacted strongly to Del. Hargrove's remarks, which is more than I can say for the House of Representatives (which failed to react at all to Rep. Goode's remarks).

[via The Washington Post and the Charlottesville Daily Progress]

Wanted: pilots willing to be targets

Volunteers from the Civil Air Patrol are working with the Coast Guard and Air Force to provide training for those charged with protecting the restricted air space around Washington, DC. During nighttime exercises, the CAP pilots fly their Cessna over the DC area, providing targets for the Coast Guard helicopters and Air Force F-16s. This marks a return to the past for the Civil Air Patrol, which was formed during WWII to patrol for German submarines along the U.S. coast. I wonder what its like, to be up there intentionally playing target for all that military firepower?

[from the Washington Post via MSNBC.com]