Va. Candidates Clash In Final Debate of Democratic Primary

The Washington Post
May 20, 2009
By Anita Kumar and Rosalind S. Helderman

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls R. Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran sought to isolate rival Terry McAuliffe in the final debate of the primary campaign yesterday by trying to portray him as someone who has exaggerated his business record, inflated his campaign promises and dissembled about his campaign contributors.

"Tell me, Terry, how is this a credible, positive campaign? And how will Virginia voters trust that you'll care about their jobs and creating any new jobs?" Moran asked pointedly.

With three weeks to the June 9 primary, the debate mirrored the closing themes of a hard-fought campaign, with McAuliffe maintaining his role as the center of attention as he wages an outsider bid to become the Democratic standard-bearer in a general election race against Republican Robert F. McDonnell.

After absorbing repeated jabs, McAuliffe dismissed the critiques as "divisive politics of destruction that people are sick and tired of," and he asked his opponents to redouble their efforts to focus on ideas so the party can emerge from the primary united.

"That's what Democratic primaries are all about," he said.

Almost 500 people watched the three men clash at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale campus, as each sought to stamp a final impression in a race where polls show the majority of voters remain undecided.

With little daylight separating the three Democrats on most major issues, the debate, like the campaign, turned into more of a referendum on style -- and most notably on what McAuliffe described as his shoot-for-the-moon approach to political campaigning. Deeds and Moran have struggled for months to take attention away from the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, whose national connections and outsized personality have led to more money and more media exposure.

The two longtime legislators joined forces to suggest that voters should view as slick the claims of McAuliffe's well-funded campaign, at least in part because he boasts a thin record in Virginia politics. Last night, Moran picked up the theme in his first TV ad scheduled to run during the debate in Northern Virginia, followed by a week in Hampton Roads and Richmond.

In one exchange, Moran turned to McAuliffe and said: "I don't have time to teach you the legislative process, nor do Virginians have time for you to learn.''

In another, Deeds asked: "So, Terry, I get that you've paid for this campaign about big ideas, but now tell us how you'd actually govern -- and how would you pay for all these big ideas," Deeds asked.

Moran repeatedly questioned McAuliffe's claim that he had created 100,000 jobs -- which, he said, would put him in the category of creating more than Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Deeds questioned his promises, noting he has so far pledged to build a high school gym in Martinsville, pay off teachers' mortgages and loans, reform Medicaid and use his Hollywood connections to make Virginia the new film capital of the world.

McAuliffe made no apologies. He said his achievements outside of Virginia, including a string of successful business investments and sure-footed leadership of the national Democratic Party, show he can make good on promises and bring new ideas to a stalemated Richmond.

"You shoot for the moon,'' McAuliffe said. "John Kennedy didn't say we were taking a rocket halfway to the moon, he said all the way."

McAuliffe, Deeds and Moran are running to replace Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat who is barred from running for a second term, in a closely watched race that could help determine whether Virginia will continue to trend in favor of Democratic candidates. This year's primary is the party's first contested gubernatorial nomination battle in more than two decades.

During the hour-long debate, hosted by The Washington Post and News Channel 8, the candidates made it clear that they agree on the need to boost the economy, create jobs, fund roads and transit and enforce immigration laws. They clashed on just two issues.

Moran opposes drilling for oil and gas off Virginia's coast, as a way to protect the state's tourism industry and the Chesapeake Bay. McAuliffe said he wants to explore for natural gas, though not oil, 50 miles off the coast. Deeds said he backs drilling as long as the state shares in the profits.

"Energy independence is a matter of national and economic security,'' Deeds said. "I don't believe any means toward achieving independence should be taken off the table. . . . That includes offshore drilling."

All three oppose same-sex marriage but said they would support some contractual relationships between same-sex partners, including the right to adopt a child.

Moran, who has tried to position himself as the most progressive candidate, was the most vocal in pledging to repeal the amendment that bans contractual relationships between same-sex couples. "I fought against that, I voted against it, I campaigned against it and unfortunately it passed," Moran said. "As governor, I will not rest until we repeal" it.

Deeds said he did not believe a consensus exists in the General Assembly to change Virginia law. McAuliffe said he would focus his attention on the economy.

The most lively part of the debate came when the three men were allowed to ask questions of each other. Both Deeds and Moran queried McAuliffe, a longtime McLean resident but a newcomer to state politics.

McAuliffe repeatedly told the audience he refused campaign contributions from Dominion Virginia Power, one of the most influential companies in the state. He said he made this pledge in part because the company is resistant to government-mandated use of renewable fuels. But Deeds called it a "little disingenuous" for McAuliffe to say he has not accepted money from Dominion, when he took individual donations from the company's executives.

"I can justify everything I've done," McAuliffe said as he tried to deflect the charges. And he returned repeatedly to his belief that the party needs unity.

"People are watching this debate saying, 'What are you going to do for me? How are you going to create jobs?' " McAuliffe said. "They're tired of this personal destruction and divisiveness."

Tags: annandale, brian moran, creigh, creigh deeds, debate, economy, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, moran, northern virginia community college, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

All the way to the moon

This race is getting heated - and it's moving at lightning speed. While Terry continued to communicate his positive vision for growing Virginia's economy at yesterday's final debate in Annandale, Brian Moran launched the first TV attack ad of the race, and a firestorm of criticism erupted in the aftermath of his false radio spot.

You've built this campaign from the ground up. And with just 20 days to go, I want to make sure you don't miss a beat.

The Final Debate

The reviews are in. News outlets reported Terry was "unfazed," "jovial", "confident and carefree," while his opponents engaged in "McAuliffe bashing," "going after [Terry] with a bit of a vengeance" in their fifth and final debate. WTOP political analyst Mark Plotkin said Terry "definitely dominates at these debates - feels very relaxed, very comfortable, very much at ease." And The Hill ran with the headline: "McAuliffe emerges as leading candidate in VA primary."

The most telling moment of the afternoon occurred when Creigh Deeds disparagingly asked Terry how he planned to implement all the proposals he's put forward on the campaign trail. Terry was all over it. Taking the opportunity to reinforce his positive vision for growing Virginia's economy, Terry delivered the best line of the debate: "John Kennedy didn't say we're taking the rocket halfway to the moon -- it goes all the way to the moon. That's how I think."

VCU Professor Bob Holsworth observed "a bit of an irony" in Moran's and Deed's suggestion that Terry won't be able to follow through on his agenda:

Nationally, the Democratic Party has fared very well because it is the party of hope and not the party of no. Wasn't Bill Clinton the boy from Hope (Arkansas, that is)? And wasn't Hope Obama's real middle name?… Democrats have to ensure that in trying to defeat McAuliffe, they don't also run down the major rhetorical advantage they've had over the GOP in the last few years.

I obviously think Terry did great, but you should decide for yourself. We've posted the entire debate on our website, so definitely check it out.

First Attack Ad on TV

Yesterday afternoon, Brian Moran's campaign launched its first television ad. However, instead of using the spot to introduce Brian to voters, they launched a terribly misleading and viciously personal attack that unfairly characterizes Terry's record as an entrepreneur with 13 years experience running large organizations.

But we were ready. Within an hour of getting word about Moran's attack, we'd cut and released a response ad that sets the record straight.

The truth is that Terry is the only candidate in this race who's created thousands of jobs. Terry's been completely forthcoming about his business record, and reporters have taken an extensive look at it during this campaign. In this economic climate, Terry's record of turning around struggling institutions is precisely what we need from our next governor.

Criticism of Moran Radio Ad Mounts

Brian Moran's radio ad is taking a beating. It's deliberately designed to deceive voters into believing Terry opposed Barack Obama's candidacy last November - and in an article entitled, "Moran's Miscues in Virginia," the Annenberg Public Policy Center's Factcheck.org calls out the ad for its misleading claims. Noting that the ad doesn't provide adequate context when it mentions Terry's appearance on the Daily Show, the independent organization wrote that "McAuliffe never worked against President Barack Obama, or Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. And when last we checked, Clinton was serving as Obama's secretary of state, indicating there's been a burial ceremony for some old swords. Maybe Moran missed it."

Even Moran's own supporters are disgusted. Joel McDonald - a longtime Brian Moran supporter who blogs at http://vbprogressives.com - wrote that, "Spreading half-truths and rumors in a desperate attempt at shifting opinion about your opponent is not the way campaigns will be won this year." Noting that Moran's attack bears a striking similarity to the attacks Republicans waged against Obama, McDonald said, "For a campaign to truly use Barack Obama's influence, they have to campaign using his example."

The Home Stretch

Your support throughout this campaign has been incredible. You are directly responsible for everything that we've accomplished. And thanks to all of your hard work, I couldn't be more proud of the campaign we've put together.

But this election is still close. Anything could happen, and we're counting on you to help mobilize our voters on Election Day -- June 9th. So if you haven't done so already, please sign up to volunteer immediately.

Thanks so much for all your help.

Tags: brian moran, creigh deeds, debate, deeds, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, moran, obama, president obama, primary, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

“No, He Can’t”

Virginia Tomorrow
May 19, 2009
By Bob Holsworth

That’s the message that Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran are sending about Terry McAuliffe’s ideas in a Democratic primary contest that is becoming increasingly personal.

McAuliffe has portrayed himself as an outsider who wants to bring “big ideas” to Virginia and shake up the political system.

Change the Dillon rule. Develop a more aggressive strategy and incentive structure for pursuing major business relocations. Make Virginia into a leader for renewable energy. More jobs will be produced in Virginia than anywhere else.

It’s an idea a day. And McAuliffe’s the hopemonger-in-chief.

But Deeds and Moran are saying not so fast.

McAuliffe’s overcommitted. He’s making promises on which he can’t deliver. Don’t get taken in by all this talk about hope and new ideas.

Do you really believe that he’ll be able to come through.

What are we to make of all this?

It’s certainly fair for candidates in a campaign to ask an opponent how he’ll fund, develop legislative support for, or otherwise implement the campaign promises that are being proposed.

But there does seem to be a bit of an irony here.

Nationally, the Democratic Party has fared very well because it is the party of hope and not the party of no.

Wasn’t Bill Clinton the boy from Hope (Arkansas, that is)?

And wasn’t Hope Obama’s real middle name?

In a tough campaign, I expect that that candidates will use every weapon in their arsenal and it is no secret that both Moran and Deeds think that McAuliffe had no business becoming a statewide candidate in Virginia.

But, as a party, I think the Democrats have to ensure that in trying to defeat McAuliffe, they don’t also run down the major rhetorical advantage they’ve had over the GOP in the last few years.

The Democrats have to be careful that, whatevever the outcome of the primary, they don’t turn Virginia into the kind of place where hope goes to die.

Tags: brian moran, creigh deeds, deeds, hope, macker, mcauliffe, moran, obama, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Deeds-McAuliffe-Moran Agree to 5 Debates, 3 Joint Appearances Across Virginia

Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, and Brian Moran announced that, pending format negotiations, they have accepted and would participate in 5 debates across the Commonwealth, as well as 3 joint appearances. Deeds campaign manager Joe Abbey, McAuliffe campaign manager Mike Henry, and Moran general consultant Steve Jarding released the following joint statement on the announcement of the debates:

"We are pleased to announce this debate and joint appearance schedule in the run-up to the June 9th primary to pick our next Democratic Governor of Virginia. Our campaigns worked together to schedule as many joint appearances and debates as possible all across the Commonwealth. Our candidates – Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, and Brian Moran – look forward to having several spirited debates on the important issues facing Virginians."

The three campaigns agreed to the following debates: April 19th: Farm Team Debate in Williamsburg April 23rd: Virginia Education Association's Convention Debate in Hampton April 28th: Sorensen Institute/Danville Register & Bee Debate in Danville April 29th: Huffington Post/Not Larry Sabato/Fire Dog Lake/Collegiate Times Debate in Blacksburg May 19th: Washington Post/Northern Virginia Community College Debate in Annandale Deeds, McAuliffe, and Moran have also agreed to make joint appearances at the following forums: April 3rd: Northern Virginia Technology Council/Microsoft Forum in McLean April 21st: Crusade for Voters Forum in Richmond TBD: Democratic Club of Greensprings Forum in Greensprings Additional details on the debates and joint appearances will be released in the coming weeks. All campaigns have received over thirty requests for debates and appearances and are honored by the level of public interest in this campaign.

Tags: brian moran, creigh deeds, debates, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia governor

McAuliffe Woos Loudoun Voters At Vintage 50

By Alex Bahr, Leesburg Today

Talk of the economy dominated candidate for Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe’s meet-and-greet appearance at Vintage 50 in Leesburg Saturday afternoon.

During his speech and the following question-and-answer section, the former Democratic National Committee chairman stressed the importance of creating incentives for companies to invest in green energy projects within the state, such as biodiesel production centers and wind farms.

“The biggest problem is we don’t have a stream-lined process here in Virginia to go out and recruit big businesses” to invest in the state, McAuliffe said.

While 26 other states have mandatory renewable energy standards in place, Virginia does not, he said, adding that companies are more likely to invest in those state “because they know they are serious about renewable energy.”

McAuliffe said the 500,000 tons of chicken waste produced on the approximate 1,000 poultry farms in Virginia could be used for biodiesel that could power 40,000 Virginia homes and an additional 200,000 could be powered by wind turbines located 50 miles off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean.

McAuliffe said he is the only candidate who has called for a mandate requiring Virginia power companies to produce at least 12 percent of the state’s energy through renewable means by 2012.

Such projects would bring jobs in rural southwestern Virginia, where some areas have unemployment rates of up to 15 percent, he said, citing talks with citizens in the region who travel across the border to North Carolina in search of work.

McAuliffe linked the need for an increased focus on education to the creation of new jobs in the state, noting Virginia does not meet the national average for teacher salaries, a major problem in that area, he said. To entice large business to invest in Virginia, McAuliffe said, he would need to convince those CEOs the state will be able to provide a highly skilled, well-trained workforce, which would rely on maintaining excellent teachers in the school system.

He also called for an a renewed emphasis on the early years of education, citing Gov. Tim Kaine’s pre-kindergarten programs as “one of the best things” he did. He also advocated smaller class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, “because those developmental years are so important.”

McAuliffe said he has already promised to donate his first year’s salary as governor, and said he liked the idea of using the money to build new physical education facilities for public school students, in hopes of enticing other business leaders to do the same.

“I think a healthy body and a healthy mind go hand in hand,” he said.”

Transportation was also a major talking point at the campaign stop, with McAuliffe calling for serious talks about the state revenue needs in relation to transportation, adding that legislature should be looking 20 to 30 years into the future, instead of the next month, year, or election cycle.

“No one likes to say that, but I’m going to say it, because you can’t be successful on transportation without talking about the revenue,” he said.

While saying he would not support raising tolls in a down economy, McAuliffe said he would support public-private partnerships for high-speed rail projects linking Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads, and called for an increase of rail freight to help ease congestion on the state’s highways.

While McAuliffe offered praise for his two Democratic opponents in the race for governor, former representative Brian Moran and Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-25) and said he would “not say a negative word against any Democrat,” he did take the opportunity to criticize Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who is also running for the seat, calling him an “ultraconservative” who worked to undermine efforts for budget and transformation reform in Virginia.

“He has an ideological agenda that has divided Virginians,” he said. “I think we ought to unite people and bring them together to get things done.”

Tags: bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, economy, jobs, leesburg, loudoun, terry mcauliffe, transportation, virginia

McAuliffe Raises $1 million in 6 weeks

Tim Craig, Washington Post

Terry McAuliffe announced today he’s raised nearly $1 million since mid November for his campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor.

In a memo to donors, McAuliffe said he doubled his goal of $500,000. The memo said almost all of the money came from people who own homes or businesses in Virginia. McAuliffe’s campaign estimates that less than $40,00 came from out of state.

Campaign finance reports for July 1 to December 31 are due Thursday. McAuliffe becomes the first candidate to release his number. But his big number will likely send shudders through his opponents’ campaigns.

During the first six months of 2008, Democratic candidate Brian J. Moran took in about $1.2 million, although some of that money was transferred from an old political account.
Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), also a Democratic candidate for governor next year, raised $783,000 in the January to June 2008 reporting period. Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, the GOP nominee, took in $878,000 from last January to June.

McAuliffe has essentially raised in six weeks what Moran, Deeds and McDonnell raised in six months when they began their campaigns for governor. But Moran, Deeds and McDonnell had to stop raising money during the 60-day legislative session last winter.

Tags: bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe, virginia, washington post

McAuliffe's Bid Challenges Assumptions in Va. Politics

By Amy Gardner, Washington Post Staff Writer

As Terry McAuliffe tours the state days after launching his campaign for governor, one question looms large for the man with the big personality, the big dollars and the big-name political team at his side: Is Virginia ready for this guy?

McAuliffe, 51, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the close friend of the Clintons, the preternatural fundraiser for national Democratic candidates, carries credentials that would have been baggage just a few years ago in a run for governor in the Old Dominion. But he has calculated that none of it precludes him from winning the executive mansion today in ever-bluer Virginia. In the process, he has turned the governor’s race on its head.

At the core of McAuliffe’s campaign is the presumption that he can place firmly in the past several long-standing rules about Virginia politics: that successful candidates must have deep roots in Virginia, that they must spend years cultivating support in local and state party organizations and that, if they are Democrats, they must stay connected with conservative-minded Virginians by keeping their distance from the national party.

“He has changed the entire dynamic of the race,” said Robert D. Holsworth, a political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. “It’s not absolutely clear what the outcome will be here. McAuliffe has the kind of political and media savvy that comes from being on the national stage for a long time. He has, obviously, prodigious fundraising skills. But we don’t know how a national figure will play in a race for governor. That is the one real uncertainty.”

Despite that, McAuliffe’s two-month “listening tour” on his way to last Wednesday’s formal announcement has sent shudders through state politics. First is his money: He has the ability and contacts to raise tens of millions of dollars for a statewide campaign. And next is the sheer size of his personality, which causes him to careen in conversation from bringing broadband to rural areas to burning chicken poop for fuel to using his friendships with major CEOs (whom he gladly lists) to make it all happen.

“I loooove education!” McAuliffe bellowed at a recent Fairfax County Democratic Committee breakfast, speaking to a local activist about public schools — and lowering his face into the voice recorder of a nearby reporter to be sure the words were captured. As a small crowd of curious Democrats gathered, the two men McAuliffe faces in the Democratic primary, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of rural Bath County and former state delegate Brian J. Moran of Alexandria, watched from across the room.

To varying degrees, McAuliffe’s competitors are running their races by the old set of rules, which have worked for generations. Deeds, a Plato-quoting state senator from a tiny Blue Ridge community on the West Virginia border, is a conservative Democrat, former prosecutor and friend of the National Rifle Association whose strongest appeal might be in rural Virginia. But Deeds has proven himself in a statewide campaign, coming within 400 votes of winning the attorney general’s race in 2005.

Moran, a 13-year state delegate, former prosecutor and the brother of U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D), also has locked up support from dozens of state and local Democratic Party officials, including most elected leaders in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The day before McAuliffe’s statewide swing began, Moran staged an event in Arlington, surrounded by local leaders of what he called the “bluest of counties,” to remind the public of the strength of his support among local Democratic officials.

Even Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, is assuming that McAuliffe’s national profile is a weakness to be exploited. McDonnell is a former state lawmaker from Virginia Beach and longtime fixture in the conservative wing of the state GOP. His campaign manager, Phil Cox, likes to call the potential general-election opponent “Chairman McAuliffe” to emphasize his connection to the national party.

“Virginia has a long history of electing people who have served in elected positions in the community for a long time,” said Fairfax Supervisor Jeff C. McKay (D-Lee), who is supporting Moran. “They don’t look kindly on people who come in from Washington or other areas and waltz in and think they’re going to run for the top spot in the commonwealth.”

Many longtime Democratic activists snicker at McAuliffe’s recent gaffe in Prince William County, where he mistakenly referred to the research institutions and universities “we have here in Florida.” Some have tartly remarked that neither Moran nor Deeds needs a “listening tour” to understand the issues important to Virginia. About 200 supporters gave Moran a two-minute standing ovation at a recent evening meeting of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, an unsubtle rebuke of McAuliffe’s entrance into the race.

“Ask Terry to explain Dillon Rule!” hissed Eileen Manning, a prominent Fairfax Democrat who is supporting Moran, suggesting that McAuliffe hasn’t toiled long enough in Virginia’s political fields and that his lack of familiarity with a basic statutory treatise would prove the point. But McAuliffe was ready.

“No one has fought as hard as I have for this party,” McAuliffe retorted — after recounting, in detail, his deep knowledge of the 19th-century Iowa judge, John Forrest Dillon.

In other words, McAuliffe is serious about this. And as a result, the competition is taking him very seriously. Moran, who would have been barred as a member of the House of Delegates from raising money during the upcoming legislative session, left his seat last month to continue seeking contributions to compete with McAuliffe’s likely millions. Deeds now faces two opponents in the June primary from Northern Virginia, where sheer population has increasing influence on statewide political contests. His supporters say there is potential advantage in the splitting of Northern Virginia’s votes between McAuliffe and Moran. But the candidate’s conservative profile is less clearly an asset against McAuliffe and Moran in a state that just elected Barack Obama (D) by a six-point margin.

McAuliffe, meanwhile, said he believes Virginia will choose the candidate with the best ideas, regardless of where they’re from or whether they’ve been on the national stage.

“No one has a right to be anointed governor just because they’ve been wanting it for a long time,” he said in a recent interview, the flatness of his vowels an ever-present reminder of his upbringing in Syracuse, N.Y., and his outsider status, even though he has lived in McLean for 17 years.

McAuliffe is also ready to build his own organization and use his profile and money to take his message directly to voters, particularly Democrat-leaning newcomers who won’t view his national profile as a liability. He has hired a company of political pros from local and national stages, and he has reached out to state party leaders by pledging to raise money to help Democrats recapture the House of Delegates.

“Terry’s a national figure, there’s no way around it,” said James Turpin, a McAuliffe supporter and the state Democratic Party’s vice chairman for finance. “But one of the strengths he brings is the technology and techniques to raise money that were honed on a national stage.

No matter what the outcome, there’s little question that McAuliffe’s arrival on the scene has forced Moran, Deeds and McDonnell to retool their campaigns.

“Terry’s always been the type of person who, when he puts his mind to something, he tends to succeed,” said George Burke, a Fairfax activist supporting Moran. “And he’s in this in earnest. It’s certainly going to be a spirited election.”

Tags: bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, dillon rule, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe, virginia, washington post

McAuliffe lists jobs as his top priority

Free Lance-Star
DAN TELVOCK
January 11, 2009

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe says he will push for more renewable energy sources and partnerships with the private sector to bring high-speed rail here.

But his main goal, he said, is to create more jobs.

With blue-and-white post-ers proclaiming “New Energy for New Jobs,” McAuliffe touted these ideas and his business acumen to about 25 people who gathered for a town-hall-style meeting yesterday at Caroline Street Cafe in Fredericksburg.

McAuliffe started a driveway paving business when he was 14, and at age 30 he helped a bank on the verge of liquidation turn a profit. He saved a construction company from bankruptcy. He lifted the Democratic National Committee out of debt.

McAuliffe said the state needs to bid on what he called “mega-project deals,” like the $5 billion investment BMW made in South Carolina. He said he wants to increase the state’s Opportunity Fund, which stands at $20 million, hardly enough to compete for big business.

“Job creation. That is something I have done my whole life,” he said.

He wants a mandatory renewable energy standard for Virginia. He will support the creation of bio-diesel plants, so farmers can get paid for the half-million tons of chicken waste produced in Virginia every year. By 2012, he wants power companies to produce 12 percent of their energy from renewable sources.

McAuliffe said several private firms have interest in building high-speed rail connecting Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.

“We should do it as a public-private partnership,” he said.

Virginia’s Democrats are preparing for their first contested primary since 1985. McAuliffe, state Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Brian Moran will vie for the party’s nomination.

Possibly the biggest threat McAuliffe poses to his challengers is his ability to raise money. A former DNC chairman with strong ties to the Clinton family, he helped raise almost a billion dollars for the Clintons and the DNC over 18 years. He chaired Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidential nomination and worked with Bill Clinton during his presidency.

History shows he’ll have an uphill climb if he wins the nomination. Since 1976, Virginia has elected a governor of the party opposite to that of the president. Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell is expected to win the Republican nomination.

McAuliffe wouldn’t speculate on how much money he will need to win.

“If you have big, bold ideas, you don’t need money; people are going to vote for you on the ideas,” he said.

Tags: bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, democratic national committee, economy, energy, jobs, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe

McAuliffe to donate his salary

Martinsville Bulletin
Sunday, January 11, 2009

Terry McAuliffe is one of three Democrats vying for the opportunity to be the next governor of Virginia and so far, he the only candidate who has vowed not to accept a salary.

McAuliffe said he will donate his salary to charity and he would like to see it used to help build gymnasiums at high schools, perhaps in Martinsville.

Stumping in the Henry County-Martinsville area Friday morning, McAuliffe told about 25 people at the town hall style meeting at the Dutch Inn that physical exercise is important to overall well-being.

He added that he learned “a lot of life’s lessons,” such as teamwork and cooperation, through his involvement in sports.

Online sources estimate the governor of Virginia earns about $125,000 per year.

Democrats Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Brian Moran also are seeking the party’s nomination to run against Republican Bob McDonnell in the November election.

McAuliffe, a McLean Democrat, describes himself as “passionate” about what he believes.

He has used voter input gathered while traveling extensively throughout Virginia and attending town hall meetings around the state — both now and during President-elect Barack Obama’s campaign, to pinpoint three priorities: education, transportation and job creation.

Voters “are very anxious and very worried,” mainly about jobs and the economy, he said. He added that figures released Friday indicated 11 million people in the U.S. are unemployed.

However, many remain hopeful because they “know the best days are ahead of us,” McAuliffe said.

Job creation is key to stimulating the economy, he said.

“We have to create jobs,” McAuliffe said, and vowed that if elected, “I will create more jobs than all 49 governors” in the United States.

The jobs will pay well and industry locating here will remain, McAuliffe said. To do that, he would target renewable energy companies, auto manufacturers producing “green” (energy efficient) vehicles and others with an eye on southside and southwest areas of the state for companies that need larger parcels of land.

McAuliffe said he would negotiate with those firms and others to get them to locate to Virginia. “I have never negotiated a bad deal,” he added.

He first flexed his job creation muscles at age 14 when he started a business tarring driveways to help pay for his college education.

He also has experience in the management of financial institutions and was selected chairman of a struggling community bank on the verge of liquidation. McAuliffe said he was 30 at the time and the youngest bank chairman.

He turned that business around and later took on the challenge of saving “a large home building company” from bankruptcy, he said.

A businessman and entrepreneur, McAuliffe admits “there are tough times ahead of us” and relatively few options for traditional thinkers — continue to make cuts or raise taxes.

With the state budget already “cut to the bone,” as he put it, McAuliffe favors neither. He said he would bring a different approach with “out of the box” thinking that will lead to job creation and would target several areas, including renewable energy.

Virginia should be taking the lead in the developing renewable energy sector, he said. But “why aren’t we?” he asked.

Currently, 26 states have mandatory renewable energy standards, but Virginia is not among them, he said.

Billions of tons of chicken “litter,” or waste, is generated on farms, and farmers must pay to dispose of it, McAuliffe said. However, bio-diesel firms could convert that waste into energy in what would be a win/win/win solution for farmers, power generation companies and the environment, he said.

McAuliffe also supports pre-kindergarten education, smaller class sizes, public/private partnerships to build schools, and raising teacher pay to attract and retain teachers.

Funding for the New College Institute must continue, McAuliffe said, adding that school boards and others must learn to work together to save money and avoid duplication of services.

“Honest discussions” will equal progress with respect to transportation, McAuliffe said. He also supports a “high speed rail” through a public/private partnership to provide mass transit to urban centers.

Completion of U.S. 58 and continuing work on Interstate 73 are top priorities, he said.

Both are necessary to position Virginia for the 2014 opening of the third lock of the Panama Canal, McAuliffe said. Some states, such as Georgia, already are developing and putting transportation pieces in place to capitalize on that project, McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe, who also has served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said he will infuse funds into Democratic campaigns in Virginia to ensure like-minded Democrats are in office if he wins the governor’s seat.

He and his wife, Dorothy, live with their five children in Fairfax County.

Tags: barack obama, brian moran, creigh deeds, economy, energy, jobs, martinsville bulletin, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe

McAuliffe stops in Shenandoah

By Garren Shipley – Northern Virginia Daily

WOODSTOCK — Terry McAuliffe may not be in the race, but he sure sounds like a man running for governor.

The former Democratic National Committee chairman stopped in Woodstock to talk to Shenandoah County Democrats on Saturday and take their temperature for a local run.
If he does get in, he’ll join an already crowded field — Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, and former Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria have been running for their party’s nomination for years.

The winner of that primary goes on to face Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell in November.

Still, “I think there might be room in this race for someone with a business background,” McAuliffe said.

“We’ve got some great folks running, my argument is we’ve got to find someone who can create jobs in this state,” he added.

If his campaign were to look anything like his pitch to Shenandoah Democrats, McAuliffe would be running as a pro-business, private-sector economic growth candidate.

He already has a raft of ideas about how to do that.

Virginia should be much more aggressive in recruiting business, he said. Economic growth is the only way the commonwealth can achieve its contradictory goals of lower taxes and better government services.

“If you can’t keep cutting, and you can’t raise taxes, it’s not complicated,” he said.

“You’ve got to grow, you’ve got to bring in business.”

Specifically, McAuliffe said he’d work to bring in some big economic fish.

“[Nationally] we’ve had $16 billion of what we call megadeals in the last 10 years,” he said. “They’ve gone to six southern states, we haven’t won one of them. We haven’t even competed for them.”

Competing means offering incentives.

“We don’t offer incentive packages to bring businesses into this state. The governor’s opportunity fund is $19 million,” he said. “Other states, Miss. and Alabama, they’re half a billion dollars.”

It also means having sites for big catches to set up shop without jumping through local zoning and infrastructure hoops.

Part of landing the big fish is having an educated workforce, McAuliffe said. That means more of a commitment to pre-kindergarten education.

“Teachers ought to be paid the national average. We don’t do that here,” he said. “Also, our teachers ought to be able to get into the state health care system.”

McAuliffe also had some very specific transportation plans.

“I’ve called for high-speed rail,” he said. “We need to get people off the roads. Right now it’s every man for himself on the roads.”

It’s a goal within reach, too, via public-private partnerships, McAuliffe said. With Virginia’s economy following national trends downward, economic messages — not social messages like abortion and gun control — will carry the day, he added.

McAuliffe said he falls very much into the mold of U.S. Sen.-elect Mark R. Warner. He’s a gun owner, would enforce the death penalty and is moderate on abortion.

Beating a Republican like McDonnell will “have to be a contrast,” he said. “Do you want someone who’s been in the legislature, or do you want a guy who’s started businesses?

Tags: brian moran, creigh deeds, economy, jobs, northern virginia daily, shenandoah valley, terry mcauliffe, transportation, virginia

McAuliffe stumps across the Valley

By Bob Stuart

STAUNTON — The Virginia Democratic gubernatorial primary is six months away but the race has taken on some urgency with candidate Brian Moran’s resignation as a state delegate to concentrate on the campaign and potential candidate Terry McAuliffe’s frenetic visits across the commonwealth.

Moran and potentially McAuliffe could vie with Sen. Creigh Deeds for the nomination in the primary next June.

Moran offered his resignation from the House of Delegates on Friday, saying while the upcoming General Assembly session is important, “the leadership of Virginia for the next four years is even more critical.”

Moran’s communications director, Jesse Ferguson, said Moran did not want to “short change” his constituents in Alexandria and Fairfax County by splitting his time between the primary campaign and his legislative post.

On Saturday, McAuliffe swept through the Shenandoah Valley, meeting with Democrats from Winchester to Staunton to further gauge whether he will seek the nomination. He will make a final decision on his candidacy Jan. 7.

“It’s great for the process as long as Democrats can get out there,” said McAuliffe, who said he would not discourage anyone from running for office.

He told a group of area Democrats at Staunton’s Blue Mountain Coffees that he offers something different than either Deeds or Moran: a pedigree as a successful businessman.

McAuliffe has also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and as chairman of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president.

McAuliffe said he would attract jobs by coming up with a strategy that includes greater incentive packages and other perks that could lure needed industry to the state. The candidate said what he heard across the Valley on Saturday was economic fear.

“People are concerned about jobs, education and healthcare,” said McAuliffe, who said a first-year teacher in Winchester detailed to him her concerns about paying back $175,000 in student loans.

Peter Jackson, communications director for the Deeds campaign, said the Bath County senator will remain in office and attempt to help Gov. Timothy Kaine and legislators with Virginia’s economic challenges.

The governor is expected to announce his proposals for state budget cuts this week.

Jackson said Deeds has already detailed an economic platform that includes more research and development for Virginia colleges and universities, a retooling of Virginia community colleges to provide more up-to-date workforce training and a detailed plan for state transportation.

Jackson said the possible three-way battle for the Democratic nomination shows the health of the party in Virginia.

“There is a lot of interest on our side,” Jackson said.

He credits the work of Kaine and the November successes in Virginia of President-elect Barack Obama and U.S. Sen.-elect Mark Warner.

Tags: brian moran, creigh deeds, jobs, news virginian, shenandoah valley, terry mcauliffe, virginia

Gubernatorial race has major implications

Star Exponent Editorial

» SUMMARY: In 11 months, all eyes will be on the commonwealth as voters choose the state’s next governor — and, to a large degree, gauge the nation’s political temperature.

It’s hard to believe, but another major election campaign is upon us. Virginia’s race for governor won’t kick into full swing until next year, but that hasn’t stopped the candidates — three Democrats

and one Republican — from getting an early start.

On Tuesday, the four hopefuls appeared on stage together for the first time during the annual AP Day at the Capital in Richmond.

The heavily publicized forum served as a coming out party for Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath; Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria; Democratic strategist Terry McAuliffe and the lone Republican, Attorney General Bob McDonnell. (McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, has yet to officially announce his campaign, but it’s just a matter of time.)

This race is crucial for three reasons:

1) This will be the first major election — statewide and nationally — after Barack Obama takes office. If his first year goes well, it could translate to more momentum for Democrats in Virginia. But if the honeymoon ends early, Republicans will be looking to pounce.

2) The only other state to hold a gubernatorial contest in 2009 will be New Jersey, always solidly blue. But Virginia, until recently a GOP stronghold, is now considered a “purple” state and a more accurate representation of the nation’s political makeup. Pundits will be anxious to see if we go back to red.

3) If Virginia, which voted for Obama, stays blue, the state’s three most powerful positions — governor and both U.S. senators — would continue to be Democrats, a scenario that hasn’t occurred since the late 1960s. It would also mark the party’s third consecutive term in the governor’s mansion, putting the Republican Party in even more of a tailspin than it’s in now.

Tags: barack obama, bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, democratic national committee, gop, star exponent, terry mcauliffe, virginia

Va. Gubernatorial Hopefuls Throw Out Their First Pitches

By Anita Kumar, Washington Post
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; B01

RICHMOND, Dec. 2 — While three of the four men vying to be Virginia’s next governor talked up their lengthy résumés in state government Tuesday, newcomer Terry McAuliffe pitched himself as a Richmond outsider who could change government.

Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and Del. Brian J. Moran, both Democrats, and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, a Republican, all have years of experience on Capitol Square. McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman, has lived in McLean for two decades but has had little involvement in state government or politics.

“I think there is an opportunity for someone who has not been in Richmond who can come in with some new ideas,” McAuliffe said.

The four likely candidates shared the stage for the first time at a debate Tuesday, unofficially launching a yearlong campaign for the state’s top job by answering questions from journalists in front of a packed room in downtown Richmond.

The informal debate centered more on personality and records and less on issues. Most of the attention landed on McAuliffe, a nationally known political celebrity who calls Bill and Hillary Clinton close friends and appears on Sunday morning talk shows, but whose views on key state issues are virtually unknown.

McAuliffe came prepared — both to combat criticism and to exhibit his command of Virginia facts and figures.

He easily rattled off statistics about how many hours Virginians spend stuck in traffic each year, how many poultry farmers work in the state and how many people are unemployed in one of its most financially distressed cities, Martinsville.

McAuliffe, 51, repeatedly mentioned his McLean address, his business credentials and his support for Democrats across the state, including what he described as large donations to the last two governors, Mark R. Warner and Timothy M. Kaine.

The candidates, seated at a table and dressed in dark suits, all claimed superior leadership qualities and accomplishments. They clashed occasionally but still referred to each other as “my friend.”

Moran pointedly told McAuliffe, a consummate fundraiser who could bring millions of dollars to the race, that “Virginia is not for sale.” McAuliffe reminded Moran that he was not the only one who has started a successful business in Virginia. “Do your research,” he snapped.

The three Democrats attacked each other more than the lone Republican.

After several years of Republican losses in Virginia, next year’s race for governor will help determine whether the GOP can regain its appeal or whether Democrats will continue to have an advantage in statewide elections.

In recent years, Democrats have won two successive gubernatorial elections, both U.S. Senate seats and control of the state Senate. This year, a Democratic presidential nominee carried the state for the first time in more than four decades.

McDonnell, 54, used his time to explain how he is unlike the many Republicans who lost this year.

He said he will appeal to new voters, younger residents and minorities as a moderate who has worked on welfare reform and promoted Internet safety and drunken-driving laws.

“I’m not writing one single vote off here in Virginia,’‘ he said. “I’m going to run hard while these others guys are fighting for the next six and a half months.”

McDonnell’s lack of opposition means he will have the spring and summer to raise money, organize his campaign and develop a message heading into next year’s general election while Democrats wage an expensive, nasty primary fight.

McDonnell became the Republican nominee for governor last month after no one else filed to run by the deadline. Voters will chose a Democratic nominee June 9 in the party’s first contested gubernatorial nomination battle in more than two decades.

Moran (Alexandria) and Deeds (Bath) have been laying the groundwork to run for governor for years. McAuliffe plans to announce a final decision on his candidacy Jan. 7 but has started raising money and hiring a staff.

Deeds, who lost the attorney general’s race to McDonnell by fewer than 400 votes, is expected to benefit from a primary against two candidates from Northern Virginia. Deeds and Moran have different personalities and interests, and on Tuesday the two legislators worked to distinguish themselves from each other.

Deeds, 50, stressed his experience as a statewide candidate and said he could win against McDonnell, who he said is too conservative to appeal to residents in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. He accused McDonnell of supporting a sham transportation plan that was built on money that never materialized. (McDonnell countered that Deeds voted for the plan, too, and said half the money is still available.)

Moran, 49, touted his work with Democratic standard-bearers Kaine and Warner and said he would continue what they started. “We’ve re-branded the Democratic Party in Virginia. We have gone too far to go back,” he said.

The candidates agreed that the economy will dominate the race and monopolize the next governor’s agenda for at least the first part of his term.

State officials, facing one of the worst financial crises in recent times, must cut $3 billion from the two-year budget. All four also agreed that Virginia would have to continue cutting the budget, but they ruled out raising taxes.

“The worst thing you can do is to tax your way to prosperity,’‘ McDonnell said. “That’s failed in the United States and abroad.”

The day-long event, organized by the Associated Press, takes place each year a month before the legislative session. It is one of the few events where McDonnell will appear with all three Democratic candidates.

Tags: bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, economy, mark warner, terry mcauliffe, virginia, washington post

All 4 for governor: New taxes non-starter for Va.

By BOB LEWIS
AP Political Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The clearest statement Tuesday by any of Virginia’s four gubernatorial prospects at their first forum of the 2009 race was the presence of the undeclared candidate.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe joined fellow Democrats R. Creigh Deeds and Brian J. Moran and the uncontested Republican, Bob McDonnell, at the 7th Associated Press Day at the Capital after canceling plans to travel to Ireland.

The longtime confidant of the Clintons and former Democratic National chairman not only showed up at the event for about 80 journalists from AP member newspapers, he spoke repeatedly of what he would do “after I’m in office.”

The 90-minute session did little to draw sharp contrasts between the four. Each disavowed tax increases to augment a troubled state budget in a recession, and each identified upgrading the state’s transportation system as an urgent priority while acknowledging there is no money now to do so.

Even McAuliffe, who oversaw tens of millions of dollars in fundraising for the Democratic Party and then for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, voiced support for Virginia’s anti-labor right-to-work law.

“I think it’s a great atmosphere to bring jobs in,” McAuliffe said, invoking pro-business development rhetoric very similar to what Mark R. Warner, a fellow northern Virginia multimillionaire Democrat, espoused in a victorious run for governor eight years ago.

Democrats next year face their first gubernatorial nomination fight in 24 years, and will resolve it in a primary for the first time since 1977. McDonnell, 54, a legislator before he squeaked by Deeds in the 2005 attorney general election, has secured the GOP nomination.

Moran, 49, a seven-term House of Delegates member and chairman of its Democratic Caucus, and Deeds, 50, a state senator who finished less than 323 votes behind McDonnell out of nearly 2 million cast, have both declared their candidacy.

McAuliffe, 51, last fall began thinking of running. He won’t announce his intentions until Jan. 6, but has barnstormed the state campaign-style for weeks. The likelihood of his candidacy and his unmatched national fundraising base turned the Democratic race on its ear.

It’s not the first time his name has been tied to gubernatorial aspirations, and he was asked about reports that he tried to run in Florida and New York.

“I think it’s a great idea. I wish he’d reconsider,” Moran said with a laugh. His campaign has peddled the image to reporters of McAuliffe as a political hustler eager to run anywhere.

McAuliffe said he had owned a homebuilding business in Florida and, during his tenure as Democratic National Committee chairman, had his Floridian father-in-law and some Florida businessmen try to interest him in a run. McAuliffe never publicly expressed interest in a Florida campaign, something Florida’s seven-year residency requirement would have ruled out for McAuliffe, a Virginia resident since the early 1990s.

“They asked me and I said thanks but no thanks,” he said. When asked about the prospect of running for mayor of Syracuse, N.Y., where he grew up, he said he gave the same answer.

Some Virginia Democrats have dismissed McAuliffe as a late-arriving opportunist who has not toiled sufficiently in state politics. Pixie Bell, a 40-year Fairfax Democratic activist, in October likened McAuliffe’s early overtures at a run for governor to joining the Catholic church today and running for pope tomorrow.

McAuliffe countered that he had toured the state extensively and noted that under his watch, the DNC sent record amounts to the gubernatorial campaigns of Warner in 2001 and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in 2005. Virginia is the only state that doesn’t allow its governors to serve two consecutive terms.

Deeds claimed he was most electable in a rematch with McDonnell after Democrats this year won the state for Barack Obama, their first presidential victory in Virginia in 44 years.

“My friend Bob McDonnell – I mean no disrespect – is going to have a hard time running as a different sort of Republican because he spent his time in the Legislature focused on social issues,” Deeds said.

Moran said McAuliffe’s money won’t provide him an edge.

“Virginia’s not for sale,” Moran said.

McDonnell, enjoying the sometimes testy exchange between the three Democrats, cited Obama’s election as good news for him. He said he is confident Virginia will continue its 36-year-old trend of electing governors of the opposite party from the president.

“That’s simply a fact, not a strategy, but I’m going to run hard while these other guys are fighting for the next 6 1/2 months,” he said.

Moran scoffed at that and predicted the party-opposite phenomenon’s demise.

“I don’t give rooster the credit for sun rising in the morning and I don’t believe that pattern is going to continue next year,” he said.

Tags: associated press, bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, economy, jobs, terry mcauliffe

Va. gubernatorial hopefuls appear at Times-Dispatch

By Olympia Meola
Richmond Times Dispatch

The four men vying to be Virginia’s next governor traded just a few jabs yesterday afternoon as they sought to distinguish themselves in their first joint appearance.

The three Democratic candidates and one Republican agreed on this much at the annual Associated Press Day at the Capital, held at the Richmond Times-Dispatch: New taxes for transportation are not in the cards amid the state’s economic turmoil.

Del. Brian J. Moran, D-Alexandria; state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath; and Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who face a potentially bruising June primary, argued their electability.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful, said he would differ from recent GOP candidates, such as those who lost races for governor in 2001 and 2005.

“Well, I’m going to win,” he deadpanned.

McAuliffe, who plans to make an announcement on his candidacy early next month, contended that unlike confirmed candidates Deeds and Moran, he represents fresh blood with new ideas.

McAuliffe said that like fellow Democrats Mark R. Warner, who was elected governor in 2001; and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who won in 2005, he does not come from the legislature and isn’t wedded to old alliances.

At one point in the nearly two-hour discussion, Deeds and McDonnell were bickering over a 2007 transportation plan that the Virginia Supreme Court deemed partly unconstitutional.

McAuliffe interjected: “If you’re tired of all the quarreling, I’m your guy.”

Deeds, the only Democratic gubernatorial candidate who already has run a statewide campaign, battled McDonnell for attorney general in 2005 and lost by 360 votes. He said he came that close even though he was outspent dramatically and he calls small, rural Bath County home.

“I think I can win this next time around,” he said. “I’m planning on winning, I’m planning on running hard in every part of the state, and that’s why I worked so hard to create a plan that I think will bring success and opportunity to every part of Virginia.”

Moran, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, tried to paint himself as the natural successor to the past two governors. He brushed aside a question about McAuliffe’s fat war chest, saying: “Virginia’s not for sale.”

“I’m running because I have worked closely with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and we have accomplished a great deal in Virginia,” he said. “The next governor needs to have that vision to be able to continue the progress we have accomplished in Virginia. I possess that vision.”

McDonnell said he’s a bipartisan problem-solver who will reach out to new voters, young voters and new ethnic blocks in his bid for the Executive Mansion.

“I’m not writing one single vote off here in Virginia,” said McDonnell, who added that he will carry a message of economic prosperity, limited government, and cutting taxes and regulations to help entrepreneurs.

McAuliffe may be a newcomer to state politics, but he’s a familiar name on the national level and served as chairman of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign. He remains close with Clinton, now the nominee for secretary of state, and with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Sporting black cowboy boots, McAuliffe launched his comments with a blizzard of statistics, including how 1,000 poultry farms in the Shenandoah Valley could use chicken waste for biodiesel.

The conversation stayed subdued most of the time, with one dust-up between McAuliffe and Moran centering on who had raised a family and run a business in Northern Virginia — a vote-rich part of the state where both live. (Both noted that they have raised families and run businesses there.)

McAuliffe and McDonnell seemed to get along quite well. The two spent a while talking about the University of Notre Dame — McDonnell’s undergraduate alma mater — before the program, and they seemed to enjoy friendly chatter at points in the discussion.

This is the fourth consecutive year that The Times-Dispatch has hosted AP Day at the Capital.

Tags: bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, mark warner, richmond times-dispatch, terry mcauliffe

Candidates emerge for state offices

By Garren Shipley, NV Daily

The dust from the 2008 election has hardly settled, but candidates for statewide office already are coming out of the woodwork for the 2009 ballot.

The marquee attraction this spring, the Democratic gubernatorial primary, became even more interesting with the announcement of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe’s that he is considering a run and is conducting a “conversation with Virginia tour.”

His all but inevitable campaign announcement, scheduled for Jan. 7, has shaken up the race significantly.

State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, and Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, had both been off to the races for quite some time in preparation for a primary fight.

McAuliffe, known as a prolific fundraiser at the national level, is quickly putting together a campaign team comprised of veterans from Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s 2005 bid and the presidential team of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

He is also drawing fire from Moran, who also is from Northern Virginia.

“We welcome Mr. McAuliffe to the race,” said Moran spokesman Jesse Ferguson, in a memo to reporters after McAuliffe announced his intentions.

He also painted the newcomer as something of a carpetbagger.

“Delegate Moran helped make Virginia the best managed state in the nation so he doesn’t need governing advice from Washington, D.C. political operatives,” Ferguson wrote.

McAuliffe spokesman Mo Elleithee chastised Moran’s team for the relatively mild reproach.

“Brian Moran and his campaign have been spending a curiously large amount of time focused on someone who’s not even a declared candidate for governor yet, and their tone has been surprisingly negative,” Elleithee said.

“I’ve known Brian Moran for a long time, and I know he’s a better Democrat than that,” he said. McAuliffe “is saving his criticism for [Republican candidate] Bob McDonnell, not great Democrats like Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds. We hope that both of them and their campaigns follow the same approach.”

Across the aisle, Republicans are gearing up for a hard-fought battle of their own for the attorney general nomination.

State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax, has been off and running for some time, as has former U.S. Attorney John Brownlee.

Both men have been piling up endorsements from state and local officials as they compete for the “conservative” space in the political spectrum.

But a third contender recently entered the race.

Dave Foster, a former two-term chairman of the Arlington School Board, announce his run by calling for the state GOP to change course.

“I’m running because I have the electability, the qualifications and the ideas to take our Republican Party and our commonwealth forward,” Foster said, speaking in Richmond. “We face a new generation of issues that call for a new generation of common-sense conservative solutions.”

Republicans also could have a fight on their hands for the number two spot on the ticket.

Incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is running for re-election, but Patrick Muldoon, of Pearisburg in southwest Virginia, is working to gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot at the Republican convention in June.

Tags: bill bolling, bob mcdonnell, brian moran, creigh deeds, john brownlee, ken cuccineli, northern virginia daily, terry mcauliffe

Moran, McAuliffe trade barbs

“Moran, McAuliffe trade barbs” can also be read at AugustaFreePress.com.

Chris Graham, Augusta Free Press

Today marks the unofficial-official beginning of the ‘09 Democratic Party gubernatorial campaign season. I say that because we’re right now in the midst of the first full-blown public spat of the runup to next spring, involving the campaigns of Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe.

The Moran campaign got things going earlier today with an e-mail to its press list entitled “Virginians Respond to McAuliffe Candidacy” that listed quotes from columns and editorials critical of McAuliffe, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and top advisor to the presidential campaign of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. Among the critics: ubiquitous University of Virginia political-science professor Larry Sabato, Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Jeff Schapiro and, curiously, our local News Virginian, an ultraright Republican newspaper that would have a hard time endorsing a sunny day if a Democrat was the first to see it and point it out.

Not to be outdone, the McAuliffe campaign, such as it is, given that McAuliffe hasn’t yet formally announced his candidacy, fought back by declaring that very point. “Brian Moran and his campaign have been spending a curiously large amount of time focused on someone who’s not even a declared candidate for governor yet, and their tone has been surprisingly negative,” senior advisor Mo Elleithee said in a statement sent out this afternoon.

I’m scoring Round One of this sure-to-be months-long exchange to McAuliffe for what else Elleithee had to say. “Terry McAuliffe is focused on having a conversation with and listening to what Virginians have to say as he decides whether or not to run for Governor. He is saving his criticism for Bob McDonnell, not great Democrats like Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds. We hope that both of them and their campaigns follow the same approach. We are all members of a unified party that accomplished great things in 2008 by advocating a positive and hopeful message. Virginians have made clear that unity and positivity is what they want, and it is the only way we’ll win in 2009,” the spokesman said.

For the record, the Deeds campaign has yet to weigh in on this tete-a-tete.

Another for the record: We’re working out the details of bringing Terry McAuliffe to Waynesboro on Monday for a conversation with local area voters about next year’s governor’s race.

Yet another for the record: We’ve already had Brian Moran over for a get-together, and he brought food with him. Hint, hint …

Tags: augusta free press, brian moran, creigh deeds, democratic party, terry mcauliffe