Oftentimes in elections, voters complain that there’s nothing really different about any of the candidates on the ballot. Whatever else may be said about this contest, it’s clear that the candidates in the 1st Congressional District race offer voters distinct choices for the direction of this country.

Incumbent Republican Rob Wittman and Democratic challenger Krystal Ball have staked quite different positions on many of the key issues that will be facing Congress and this nation in the coming years.

Ball favors the health care legislation that passed this year, just wanting to tweak some of its requirements. Witt-
man voted against it and would like to see it overturned in favor of tort reform and allowing health insurance policies to be sold across state lines. Wittman says it is critical that all of President Bush’s 2001-2003 tax cuts be extended. Ball says that continuing the tax break for the top 2 percent wealthiest of Americans would be the least effectiv...