3 up 3 down

3 Up
ELEPHANT MEN: Awash in the foul odor of wishful thinking, Democrats confronted the awful reality Tuesday that Republicans aren’t dead after all. The GOP swept three statewide offices along with three local House races by gaping margins. They did it the same way Democrats had in previous years, with strong, focused strategy and a tight economic message that resonated. The search, meanwhile, continues for Democrats’ missing gubernatorial candidate.

BELL HOP: Fresh off his win Tuesday night, Del.-elect Richard “Dickie” Bell, R-20th District, got another one Thursday: the Augusta County School Board granted him unpaid leave from his teaching job. That overturned a silly decision by Superintendent Gary McQuain denying Bell’s request.

WARM BEVERAGE: Four years after reports of a 1997 bankruptcy derailed her run for Waynesboro treasurer, Stephanie Beverage won the job by a landslide Tuesday. Here’s to redemption, and here’s hoping Beverage can prove she should have been the one in the office all along.

3 Down
DUE DILIGENCE: The FBI six months ago began investigating Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Muslim psychiatrist suspected of killing 13 people at Fort Hood. He openly spoke of the need for Muslims to fight back against Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Please, somebody explain to us why Hasan was still permitted the privilege of wearing a U.S. military uniform. What did the guy need to do to make it more obvious that he didn’t belong, that he posed a threat? Open fire? Oh, check. And too late. Wake up, security.

HEALTH CARE: President Barack Obama manned the horn Friday seeking to persuade Democratic holdouts to get in line on nationalized health care. Hey, Mr. President, what about the stinking economy? See below.

SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE: Vice President Biden’s opinions on the economy should carry a warning label. Last month, he declared success for the president’s stimulus package. Data a day later pegged unemployment at 9.8 percent. On Sunday, Joe said the economy had “hit bottom.” Unemployment hit 10.2 percent Friday, a 26-year high. Silence, Joe.