Free Republic

It’s Northern Virginia’s smaller, slightly less insane version of the California gubernatorial recall free-for-all, and now County Board member Jay Fisette has stepped into the mix. To no one’s surprise, Fisette announced last week that he would challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. James Moran, D-8th, in the Democratic nominating process. Fisette joins a growing list of potential challengers, which range from the serious (Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Kate Hanley) to the washed-up (outgoing state Sen. Leslie Byrne) to the essentially unknown. “Jim deserves credit for his past work, but it’s time to move forward,” Fisette said in an interview....

None of the Democrats challenging, or thinking about challenging, Democratic Rep. Jim Moran is talking about anti-Semitism, Israel or the fact that the challengers smell blood in the water. But it's anti-Semitism -- or Moran's perceived insensitivity to a key Democratic constituency -- that has made their candidacies even thinkable. The seven-term Virginia congressman has never had a primary challenge. Today, barely three months since he publicly blamed Jews for leading the nation to war with Iraq, Moran is facing four possible contenders. And all of them are steering clear of the 800-pound gorilla. "I'm absolutely not running because of...