By now, it’s fairly widely known that Leland Cheung ran for office as a Republican in Virginia. Voters will have to make up their minds whether he is an opportunist (GOP in then-red Virginia; Democrat in Massachusetts) or has had a change of heart. But my own concern about this issue is more complex.

When Cheung was running for City Council for the first time, he knocked on my door and handed me his campaign leaflet. I looked at it, noting in surprise, “I thought you were Republican!” He recoiled and looked at me like I was a fool. “No! Not at all!” he exclaimed. “I’m a Democrat!”

In addition to the dishonesty of his implication that he would never run as Republican – instead of telling me, “I used to be, but now I’m not” – Cheung here exhibited a great deal of callow foolishness: 30 seconds with Google and I had the history down. I didn’t vote for him then, and I am not going to vote for him this time, either. Completely aside from his mindless pro-development orientation, this young fella needs to grow up a bit.

Rachel Rubin, Reed Street