George,

Donal Day is gentleman and a scholar. He is wrong about almost everything, and yet he has such integrity and a good sense humor. I learned more in that race about the ugly nature of politics (Dems for Day) than a million political science classes could have taught me.

Ed Robb lost because he violated a sacred rule in politics-ya dance with the ones that brung ya! He sold out the gun owners by voting for Doug Wilder's gun rationing scheme. They were in large part responsible for his incredibly slim victory over Tom Michie. Many people who had supported him the first time decided that they would be washing their hair that day rather than voting for him a second time.

I hope that George Allen's similar and equally silly flip-flop on banning self-defense rifles (often misnamed as "assault weapons") doesn't hurt him in what has become an increasingly close Senate race.

Eric Strzepek (electronic mail, November 1, 2000).