The latestsurvey out of the Virginia Governor's race shows Republican Bob McDonnell leading Democrat Creigh Deeds by a 49 percent to 43 percent margin. Believe these numbers represent a good estimation of where the race currently stands? The Republicans apparently don't.

In the high stakes world of politics, few lines of attack on candidates are off-limits - their business and personal dealings, even their families.

That's a lesson Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds is being reminded of as word of his son's upcoming court hearing on a misdemeanor alcohol possession charge has become public.

[...]

His legal entanglement was unearthed by political operatives digging for dirt. Deeds faces a tight race against Republican Bob McDonnell, and the national organizations of both parties are closely involved in the campaign.

Candidates that are leading in the polls don't beg their opponents to participate in a series of ten debates to shake up the race -- and they certainly don't allow their supporters to turn the opposition research machine against their opponent's children. But that's what we're currently seeing in Virginia, where despite the fact that the latest poll puts McDonnell up, the Republican and his backers appear to be doing anything and everything -- including stooping to some pretty low levels even for the world of politics -- to try to eke out a victory.