Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, R, made a big gaffe with his announcement of Confederate History Month last week. His proclamation was barely noticed when it hit the Internet, but a few days later it was front-page matter for the Washington Post because he had left out any reference to slavery or civil rights.

The omission was significant because the last such proclamation, from Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore in 1998, had acknowledged this historical truth about the Confederacy, and then two successive Democratic governors had refused to make any such proclamation.