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Usually our "letters" come in the form of comments attached to particular stories online, but Greg Habeeb of Salem sends this one the old-fashioned way -- by e-mail:

The choice for Salem voters on November 3rd could not be more clear. The Republican statewide ticket has offered reasonable, logical solutions to the major problems facing our Commonwealth. On the other hand, the Democrats have run backwards looking negative campaigns and have failed to offer any solutions other than to raise taxes and spend more of our money.

For Governor, former Attorney General Bob McDonnell has outlined comprehensive plans to fix transportation, create jobs, improve our schools and get Virginia moving again. Because of his solutions-based approach, Bob McDonnell has been endorsed by every major jobs creating organization in the State. McDonnell has been endorsed by The National Federation of Independent Businesses, The Virginia Farm Bureau, the Fairfax and Hampton Roads Chambers of Commerce and Virginia Association of Realtors, just to name a few. He has also been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and 115 elected Commonwealth's Attorneys and Sheriffs. McDonnell's message has resonated so loudly that even prominent Democrats such as businesswoman Sheila Johnson are supporting him.

In comparison, McDonnell's opponent, Creigh Deeds' campaign has been largely funded and supported by national labor unions looking to overturn our Right to Work law and eliminate the secret ballot from union elections and liberal Washington outfits promoting Cap and Trade, nationalization of Health Care, more Federal bailouts and higher taxes. We simply can't afford Creigh Deeds.

In the race for Lieutenant Governor, current LG Bill Bolling has amassed a record of working in a bipartisan fashion throughout his decades of public service. Bolling and McDonnell have pledged that Bolling will serve as the state's "Chief Jobs Officer" with a special emphasis on job creation in our part of state. Bolling's opponent Jody Wagner, on the other hand, has been in charge of setting budget forecasts that have missed by over $6 billion in recent years. While Wagner is not responsible for our current economy, she is largely responsible for the unrealistic budget forecasts coming out of Richmond which have led to massive cuts in our area. Bolling, however, predicted the problems and called for more conservative budget estimates but Wagner refused to listen.

For Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli has proven to have the experience and insightfulness to carry on the bipartisan legacy set by Bob McDonnell. Ken Cuccinelli was the first elected official in Richmond to call for a special session to address the Melendez-Diaz case, a move his opponent called a "political stunt." Ultimately, Republicans and Democrats agreed with Cuccinelli, went into special session and fixed the problem. Cuccinelli showed leadership - his opponent played politics. At a recent debate, his opponent was not even able to name the Departments in the AG's office.

Finally, for the House of Delegates, House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith is the choice. He has been a leader in protecting our citizens, fighting the growth of government and standing up for our region. On a local basis, Griffith was instrumental in obtaining funding for the Salem Museum renovation and worked across party lines to create local jobs through the intermodal facility. Griffith's re-election has been endorsed by groups across the spectrum from the Humane Society, to business groups, to the NRA, to local community groups. The Roanoke Valley has a total of 3 Delegates. Fairfax County alone has 17. We simply can't afford to lose Griffith's seniority and accomplishment at a time when our region is becoming more and more marginalized in Richmond.

On November 3rd, don't forget to vote and I encourage you all to vote Bob McDonnell for Governor, Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor, Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General and Morgan Griffith for Delegate.

Gregory D. Habeeb