Thanks to Congress and Virgil Goode,

the National Institute of Health has increased funding to the University of Virginia

for research into heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

And Virgil Goode helped with funding to build critically needed projects in our district,

including more health services for more people.

And he protects our law enforcement agencies,

backing capital punishment for those who would kill a police officer.

We need Virgil Goode to keep fighting for us.

Editor's Note: This commercial is a follow-up to an earlier Goode TV commercial with similar themes.

The earlier commercial begins with the presumption of Virgil's 'can do' philosophy, followed by the assertion that you can 'Count on Virgil Goode' to preserve and protect social security, to get a drug benefit for seniors, to provide the economic framework for jobs and for our youngsters to succeed here.

'Preserve and Protect' is a phrase commonly used by environmentalists, taken from 'Serve and Protect,' a phrase commonly associated with law officers. In the commercial, Virgil promises to 'preserve and protect' social security while he says he stands with law officers and our families in the face of economic change.

The words and imagery in that commercial harken back to the police officers and firemen who became the heroes of 9/11 - without ever mentioning 911. In this new commercial, Virgil again stands with those who serve and protect, while pointing to specific projects he has supported in the 5th district.

[Perhaps coincidentally, this new commercial was run on The History Channel's showing of The History of Britain [Revolutions (1649-1689)], at the same time the career of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell was discussed.]

Moving beyond the specific language and imagery found in these commercials, voters may rightfully ask how well Virgil Goode has fought for the needs of the 5th district and whether his opponent Meredith Richards can do a better job.

It is my understanding that Congress has doubled the NIH budget over the past 5 years. How much of this revenue found its way to the University of Virginia and how much of it can be attributed to Virgil Goode I do not know.

According to Lucy Goode, "It was Virgil Goode's Amendment that got the $200,000.00 for the Nelson Center [and it] was Virgil Goode's amendment that got $400,000.00 for Fluvanna County for its water system." (Lucy Goode, electronic mail, October 22, 2002)

Please send your thoughts to george@loper.org where the most representative comments will be placed on my web site with full attribution.