With the debacle that was the national elections last year, the Richmond Times-Dispatch (of all newspapers) finds a bit of good news.
National headlines reported that George Bush increased his totals at the presidential level, and Republicans upped their margins in the House and the Senate. Democratic gains in state legislatures received far less play. It appears Democrats may have picked up about 60 state seats.
State legislatures often serve as incubators for Senators and Congressmen. For Democrats, the results from the state contests, including Virginia, rate as a sliver of good news in an otherwise dismal year.