Hagan who? Democratic candidate almost invisible in Wayne County

Sometimes the most telling moments of a battle are the last days.

And sometimes the best measure of a representative's intentions is where he or she chooses to fight.

And in the race for one of North Carolina's U.S. Senate seats, Wayne County should pay close attention to where Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has been -- and where her opponent, Democrat N.C. Sen. Kay Hagan, has not.

This county has seen little of Hagan -- except on television -- for much of this campaign. And that does not bode well for a community that has an Air Force base that will be under the scrutiny of federal legislators in the coming years.

In other words, if we are not important enough to talk to now, will we be important enough to listen to if Hagan is in Washington?

That is a pretty scary thought.

This year there is an air of a "throw the bums out" mentality -- that somehow change is a solution in itself.

And in the U.S. Senate race, this is a concern that should be taken very seriously for residents of Wayne County.

Those elected to Congress this year will be making some pretty important decisions that will have a great impact on this area. The people we put in any of those jobs should be knowledgeable about the issues we face here -- especially when it comes to the military.

Making sure they not only can talk about them -- but that they know how to get here -- is critical.

And to know that, we have to pay attention to details, too -- not just to the campaign promises and rhetoric.

The decision is too important to be left to a couple of TV ads paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee -- people who, really, don't live here.

Published in Editorials on October 28, 2008 2:13 PM