He's been there for Virginia

Creigh Deeds has been there for Virginia. Now he needs you to be there for him.

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town

Creigh Deeds and the gubernatorial race captured the attention of Newsweek:

For more than 20 years, [Creigh] Deeds has served the people of Bath County locally and in the Virginia Legislature. They like him in part because he is one of them, and because he's nothing like the picture that pops into your head when you think of a politician. Deeds is the opposite of slick and rehearsed. His accent is country South, not Southern genteel. His campaign speeches ramble. He sometimes tells stories that are funny and endearing, but that don't seem to have a point. "People said a fella from Bath County can't be the nominee," he told a crowd in Danville last month. "Now they're saying a fella from Bath County can't be governor." The punch line of the story: "But I know you gotta do right by people … I grew up on a dirt farm. We ate hogs and deer."

Read the entire article in Newsweek; October 26, 2009; Mr. Deeds Goes To Town.

Virginians/Creigh Deeds Agree: Close the Loophole

According to a poll conducted by Christopher Newport University's Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy, 80% of Virginians want to close the "gun-show loophole" that allows anyone to buy a gun from an unlicensed dealer without a background check. The same sale at the same show from a licensed dealer requires the buyer undergo a criminal background check.

Driven by the horrible shootings at Virginia Tech, Senator Creigh Deeds worked for several sessions to find a bipartisan compromise that will close the gun-show loophole while at the same time preserving the rights of legitimate buyers to purchase a gun. Of course, to the National Rifle Association, any restriction no matter how common sense and reasonable, pulls their hair trigger. Although Deeds wrote the constitutional amendment that guarantees the right to hunt and fish and has an A rating and was endorsed by the NRA in 2005, his due diligence and hard work seeking a way to close this dangerous loophole earned their ire this year. Even with an "A?"

But, as the poll indicates, Creigh Deeds is very much in line with the vast majority of Virginians on closing the loophole. It also found that 63% of Virginians agree with Deeds that redistricting of legislative districts should be done by a bipartisan commission. Fundamental to our democracy, killing the gerrymander is an issue which Deeds has worked on for years and promises to accomplish as Governor.

As we consider who to vote for on Election Day, this poll reminds us of something more than the fact the Deeds is in tune with voters in the Commonwealth. Creigh Deeds has taken on tough issues with a tenacity rarely seen in politicians. For Creigh it is all about finding solutions to tough problems. Solutions that do the greatest good for the greatest number.

The CNU survey was was conducted Oct. 8-13 in cooperation with The Virginian-Pilot and WVEC-TV. It has a MOE of ± 4.4 percentage points.

Finally

Virginia Budget - A Train Wreck About to Happen

In the current issue of The Virginia News Letter, James J. Regimbald Jr. warns that the worst of Virginia's budget woes will occur in the 2010-12 biennium and that "painful changes to state government and policy are forthcoming." That seems to fly in the face of what we're hearing in the national media - the recession is easing, the big financial institutions are doing well, brighter days are ahead.

Regimbald doesn't dispute those rosy forecasts, but he points out that Virginia's reserves are essentially gone, deferred obligations will come due, and (most importantly) federal stimulus funds that helped keep the state, local governments, and public schools afloat will run out. He, like most economists, expects job creation to lag the recovery - unemployment will continue to be paid while tax receipts remain low.

Regimbald concludes in Virginia's State Budget - A Train Wreck About to Happen:

What are our options? First, do everything possible to encourage job creation in Virginia by prioritizing Virginia’s investments in education and improvements to our infrastructure. A healthy economy is the only long-term answer to a healthy public sector. Next, Virginia’s government is going to continue to get smaller and even core programs are going to be reduced further. Finally, determine whether Virginia’s tax structure and rates are adequate to sustain a high quality public education, public safety, health and welfare, and transportation system that Virginians have come to expect. This debate may result in the roll back of tax relief that has been provided over the last decade.

If you look carefully at the words and plans of the gubernatorial candidates, you will find one, Creigh Deeds, willing to honestly discuss the looming train wreck with voters while the other, Bob McDonnell continues playing dodgeball on transportation while engaging in smoke and mirrors budgeting. As the Washington Post points out:

And rather than leveling with Virginians about the cost of his approach, as Mr. Deeds has done, Mr. McDonnell lacks the political spine to say what programs he would attempt to gut, or even reshape, in order to deal with transportation needs.

It all comes down to trust. McDonnell has run a slick campaign to re-image himself. If he wins, which Bob McDonnell will show up? How would he deal with the train wreck? Because of his mixed signals and double talk, Virginia voters don't really know. We know Creigh Deeds. He talks straight. What you see is what you get. We can trust Creigh Deeds. More insights from the WaPo:

[Creigh Deeds'] record in the legislature ably blended the conservative interests of his constituents with an agenda reflecting the prosperous, politically moderate face of modern-day Virginia. He has been a longtime champion of a more enlightened, bipartisan system of drawing voting districts, a stance to which Mr. McDonnell only recently gravitated. He has played a constructive role in economic development by shaping the Governor's Economic Opportunity Fund, which provides incentives for investors in Virginia, and he has stood for responsible environmental policies, including green jobs and alternative energy research. Despite his rural roots, Mr. Deeds has been ideologically flexible....

Republican lies about VA economics

If you listen to the chicken sh*t being spread by Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Republican spin masters (liars), you'd think the Commonwealth of Virginia is a high tax state, run inefficiently, and deep in debt. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, Virginia ranks as one of the highest states in per capita income and well below the national average in tax burden. Under Governor Mark Warner and Governor Tim Kaine, Virginia has won accolades for state government management, delivering a quality education, and creating a business-friendly environment. As the Washington Post points out:

In fact, the Republican rhetoric points to a real dilemma for its own candidates: how to reconcile the fact that Virginia is regularly ranked among the best-managed states, the best states in which to raise a family and the best states in which to do business with the fact that it has been run by Democratic governors for the past eight years.

After eight years of George Allen and Jim Gilmore Virginia was in the dumper... the budget in shambles, the bond rating tanking, schools declining, local governments in disarray. Then came the rescue by Mark Warner and Tim Kaine; supported by quality legislators like Creigh Deeds carrying the flag in the Virginia Senate and Jody Wagner crunching the numbers as Secretary of Finance.

In the last weeks of this strange campaign, Virginians will focus like a laser beam on truth and reality. Republican lies will bubble to the surface like spilt oil in a farm pond. Watch for these races to tighten up quickly.

McDonnell's Consistent Record

In yesterday's News Leader, the superintendent of Staunton Public Schools, Steven Nichols said he didn't want to sound "doom and gloom" but it was hard to read the article without getting that distinct feeling. The only thing that kept Staunton and most other school districts from large scale layoffs, big cuts in academic and sports programs, and other drastic measures was the federal stimulus money. I guess Nichols didn't totally believe his reassuring words either, because, as he anticipated future budgets he said, "we're in real trouble."

So, that got me to wondering about Bob McDonnells' commitment to k-12 education in the Commonwealth. I know Creigh Deeds is a strong supporter of children and public education - I have had the privilege of occasionally working on education issues with him since he served in the House of Delegates. But, what about Bob McDonnell? In these tough economic times, it is important to know where the men stand and how much of a priority education is while writing a budget.

In his infamous 1989 thesis McDonnell wrote that public schools should only provide a "minimum level of self-sufficiency." He also implied that increased school funding was linked to failing SAT scores. What the cluck? He thinks minimum self-sufficiency is good enough for Virginia's kids? If Bob McDonnell and his friends had been steering the ship of state, Virginia would never have been named the best place for a child to be born and grow up. We'd probably never have been named the best place to do business either... a quality and well educated (not minimum education/skills) is essential to attracting new business and keeping our existing ones.

Bob McDonnell has dishonestly making himself appear to be a moderate much like Mark Warner. But, when it comes to funding public eduction, Bob McDonnell has never delivered. For example, McDonnell opposed Warner's budget amendment that committed an additional $1.5 billion to education, the largest increase in Virginia history. To paraphrase a famous gentleman from Texas, I know Mark Warner, Bob McDonnell is no Mark Warner... not when is comes to a commitment to K-12 education. Or, in any other way!

Bob McDonnell's "plan" for fixing Virginia's transportation problems is to borrow (get out the credit card) and to take $5.4 billion out of the General Fund. Now all that sounds painless, right? Well, economists understand (even if McDonnell doesn't) that everything has a cost, known as opportunity cost. Since the General Fund pays for K-12 and higher education, for public safety, for parks, and most other core services, if McDonnell robs Peter to pay Paul the cost will be borne by local schools, by Sheriff's Departments, and by local government. What? The McDonnell plan will mean fewer teachers, fewer deputies on patrol, and may force my county to raise taxes? Yep... it is dishonest budgeting that I'd call shift and shaft. No wonder a number of fiscally responsible Republican leaders who understand the state budget are supporting Creigh Deeds, his sound transportation plan, and his career-long commitment to education.

We can at least say Bob McDonnell is consistent. Consistently bad for public education.

Fear, Lies, and Bob's Ad

We've all seen Bob McDonnell's ad that claims Creigh Deeds will raise every family's taxes by $7,800 over four years. Sounds pretty scary, right? And that's exactly what McDonnell's big Republican Party donations are buying - fear based on falsehoods. That has been their only strategy at the national level and they're bringing it to the Commonwealth.

Factcheck.org takes a long hard look at the ad and finds it filled with distortions, which in this bird's opinion are just a nice way of saying lies. Lies McDonnell calculates will spread fear among families struggling in the tough economy.

Lie #1 - McDonnell's ad says Deeds would ad 20¢ to a gallon of gas. The truth - Deeds has not proposed a gas tax increase; he has said that if a bipartisan commission proposed revenue increases (not necessarily a gas tax) and the General Assembly concurred, he would sign the bill. Creigh explained his plan in an op-ed in the Washington Post (emphasis mine):

The day after I'm elected, I will begin assembling a bipartisan commission to craft a comprehensive transportation package....

There must be a nexus between funding and those who use our transportation system -- Virginians and those from other states. Virginia needs a bipartisan plan... All funding options are on the table except taking money from education and other obligations met by Virginia's general fund.

I will not let lawmakers go home until we pass a comprehensive transportation plan -- our economic future depends on this.

Let me be clear regarding taxes. I will sign a bill that is the product of bipartisan compromise that provides a comprehensive transportation solution.

Lie #2 - McDonnell's lies continue when he accuses Deeds of supporting federal cap and trade legislation (Bob seems intent on running against D.C. rather than facing up to Virginia issues) that would cost families $1,700 over four years. The truth - Deeds doesn't support the current federal legislation. And that $1,700 is a gross distortion designed to elicit fear.

Factcheck's bottom line: the McDonnell ad's figure of $7,800 is "mostly hot air." i.e. lies.

That's how I sum up Bob's entire campaign - hot air distorting Creigh Deeds' record while blowing smoke to obscure his own rightwingpatrobertsontalibanbob past. If McDonnell can't talk straight to Virginians now, could we trust him to do so as governor?

Hope and Opportunity Tour

More than two dozen Staunton/Augusta Democrats gathered at Carded Graphics in the Green Hills Industrial Park to be part of DPVA Chairman Richard Cranwell's "Hope and Opportunity Tour" for Creigh Deeds. The always entertaining and enlightening Cranwell used facts, wit, and a broad smile to deliver his core message - if Virginians want to move Virginia's economy forward, in all parts of the state, Creigh Deeds is the man to do it.

About 30 supporters gathered at Carded Graphics to hear DPVA Chair Richard Cranwell. Also speaking was Staunton Councilman Bruce Elder, Rockingham Democratic Chair Lowell Fulk. In the crowd was Staunton Councilman Dave Metz and 20th House District candidate Erik Curren.

Comparing the Deeds plan with the McDonnell "plan," Cranwell pointed out in stark terms that under the Deeds plan, small businesses, which are a hallmark of the Shenandoah Valley economy, will get tax breaks for creating one job... and the next one job. McDonnell's "plan" is focused on larger businesses creating 50 jobs. Now that all sounds good, but very few businesses in the Valley have that many employees now, much less being able to create that many new jobs. In short, McDonnell has forgotten all about rural Virginia.

Cranwell explained how Deeds' long term commitment to economic development, to K-12 and higher education, to a good transportation system are all designed to continue the Warner/Kaine policies that made Virginia the "best managed state," the "best state to do business," and the "best state to raise a child." Pointing to the state-of-the-art facility at Carded Graphics, he noted that a grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund helped to make it possible. And by the way, who was the chief architect of the legislation that created GOF? Creigh Deeds! And who opposed it and subsequently fought against increasing funding? Bob McDonnell.

The choice, Cranwell said, is crystal clear. We can move Virginia forward with Creigh Deeds or return to the failed Gilmore politics of "No!"

The PA system boomed an announcement to employees during Cranwell's talk prompting a moment of silence and reflection on his statement of the obvious - "the choice in this election is crystal clear."

Staunton City Councilman Bruce Elder reinforced Cranwell's themes relating how Creigh has always been a good friend of the Valley while McDonnell, who claims several hometowns around the state, hardly knows the Valley exists except for zipping down I-81 or flying into Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport for a quick rally. And gone again.

Richard Cranwell talks business with Erik Curren (right) after the formal presentation ended. Curren is running for 20th District House of Delegates. Curren has put out a detailed business plan that shares similarities with the Deed's plan. His opponent, Dickie Bell, has no plan except for saying things like "drill here, drill now." In the Valley??

The "Hope and Opportunity Tour" started early in the day in Winchester and included a stop at Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative in Hinton. Cranwell departed for additional stops in Danville and Lynchburg. Tomorrow he'll head south on I-81 to Wytheville, Bluefield, Marion, and Bristol.

Deeds Country Nights

The Answer Is Blowin' In the Offshore Wind

Bob McDonnell and other Repugs are all for off-shore oil - drill here, drill now and all that feel good (to right wing nuts) BS. The reserves are unproven, the environmental and economic risks are very high, and even if it all works perfectly, oil/gas off the Virginia coast is a short term pipe dream having minimal impact on gas and oil prices in the Commonwealth. After all, petroleum prices are set on a global market and there is no guarantee any of it would find its way to a Henrico gas station. A drop in the bucket?

Fortunately the Commonwealth, under the leadership of Democrats like Governor Tim Kaine, is looking forward to a greener future that meets long term energy needs with clean and everlasting wind power. As the Governor said in his press release proclaiming the potential of off-shore wind in Virginia:

Wind power holds the potential to create new jobs and provide cheaper and cleaner energy to our citizens without having an adverse effect on the environment. I am looking forward to working with federal, state and local officials to begin the process of making Virginia a regional leader in clean energy.

Among the groups advocating for off-shore wind power is the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. In the video, Ivy Main, the club's renewable energy chair, explains how offshore wind turbines can help replace dirty fossil fuels as the major electric power source for the Atlantic coast states.

Bob McDonnell, Republicans, and all the drill here, drill now crowd are looking backwards and consigning Virginians to a future rooted in the past. A future of more global warming. A future of dependence on oil - most of which comes from foreign sources, many with terrorist ties. Only under the forward thinking leadership of Tim Kaine, Creigh Deeds, and other Democrats (with a strong assist from groups like the Sierra Club) is Virginia going to move forward. We either begin fixing our energy/environmental future now, or we'll leave a mess to our children's children.

Women for Deeds

Women for Deeds will rally at Clementine Cafe at 153 South Main Street in Harrisonburg on Sunday, September 27 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. This rally joins dozens of others across Virginia to highlight Creigh Deeds' commitment to issues of importance to women and their families.

Bob McDonnell's well-documented beliefs (and actions) that women are not full equals in the American Dream has brought together working women, moms, and the men who love and respect them together to make sure Virginia moves forward rather than backwards. The rally will feature a viewing of the documentary Shut-Up and Sing about the Bush administration's attempts to silence the Dixie Chicks.

Free. Open to the public. RSVP isn't required - just show up and show support for Creigh Deeds for Governor.

Questions for Taliban Bob

The more Virginian's learn about Bob McDonnell, the more questions they have. It isn't about "character" as McDonnell says in an ad - nobody was questioning that (but now that you mention it...!). The questions Virginians have raised concern McDonnell's beliefs and his agenda if elected. It isn't just about McDonnell's thesis, it is also about his right wing record while in public office. His beliefs and years of actions actions give us guidance about the scary priorities Taliban Bob would pursue as Governor. We cannot believe the slick TV spots that whitewash the man and his record. We have to look at what he has said and done.

No wonder Creigh Deeds has been gaining ground fast in recent polls. He's rock solid, common sense, straight talking, with a long record of service seeking pragmatic solutions rather than policies driven by conservative religious dogma. Creigh gained 11 percentage points in the most recent WaPo poll closing the gap to the margin of error. Poll analysis indicates McDonnell's controversial thesis and his ultra conservative record are key reasons for his collapse in voter support - despite the fact that 54% of respondents knew nothing or little about the thesis written for Pat Robertson's university.

Closing the gap

Creigh Deeds is 12 points behind Bob McDonnell. Oh, that's really old news.

Creigh Deeds is 9% behind Bob McDonnell. Well, that's a couple months ago.

Creigh Deeds is 5% behind Bob McDonnell. Last week.

Creigh Deeds is 2% behind (well within the ±4.5% MoE of the Rasmussen poll). Today.

Slick Bob McD must be crapping in his britches as his past, his right wing views, and his questionable friends catch up with him. How fast can Bob run from who he is?

Creigh Deeds has been and will again be the comeback kid. Hope you have a backup plan for gainful employment, Taliban Bob.

Desperate Measures By Cracked Eggs

The national GOP is desperate for a win in Virginia and is dumping $7 million into Bob Mc's campaign... mostly to fund negative ads. I'm using the word "dumping" for a reason. While I'm sure they think this is money well spent, I predict a pro-Deeds backlash. Virginians don't like outsiders telling us what to do.

The desperation to win at all costs has apparently hit the Repugs in the central Valley, too. One big "Deeds Country" field sign was vandalized with (family values) obscenities. Another was totally stolen (hope they at least recycled it!). Both were placed on private property at the landowners' requests. Guess the Valley GOP has something against free speech?

The tougher and nastier the wingnuts get, the better it is for Creigh Deeds.

Comeback kids

I'm a proud and unabashed Green Bay fan living in the heart of Redskins turf. Perhaps that makes me a socialist... after all, the Packers are the only community-owed, nonprofit professional sports major league sports team. Around Green Bay, by far the smallest city that is home to a professional team, you don't have some fat cat owner pulling the strings. While all professional teams (and many players) sponsor charitable activities, community involvement and charity is at the heart of the Packers - their original articles of incorporation (1923) even stipulate that if the Packers are sold or move the proceeds will go to Sullivan Post of the American Legion in order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." In 1997 the board of directors changed to beneficiary to the Green Bay Packers Foundation which makes donations to charities across the state of Wisconsin. Still the notion of community, helping one another, and the common good runs through everything from Lambeau concessions to players' unique relationship with their Green Bay fans.

In spite of playing all their games in a city with a population of just over 100,000, the Packers are one of the most popular teams with a national following and one of the longest waiting lists for tickets in professional sports. With apologies to the "boys," the Packers are truly "America's Team."

Last night the Packers beat their arch rivals, the Chicago Bears, 21-15, in the season opener at Lambeau Field. It was a comeback and a defining moment for QB Aaron Rodgers:

Aaron Rodgers finally has his signature game-winning drive, throwing a 50-yard rainbow to Greg Jennings with 1:11 remaining to give the Green Bay Packers a come-from-behind 21-15 victory over the division rival Chicago Bears in Sunday night's opener.

If any Redskin fans are still reading this, they are probably wondering why is CCC, which typically talks of things in the Shenandoah Valley, posting about a sports team from Green Bay, Wisconsin? What's the connection?

Well, here in the Commonwealth we have our own comeback kid by the name of Creigh Deeds. Creigh who is also a Packers fan, was written off by many pundits after big talking Terry McAuliffe entered the Democratic Primary contest last winter. Then a strange thing happened making pundits eat their words. In a three-way contest, Deeds garnered 50% of the vote easily beating McAuliffe and Brian Moran, who had been full time campaigning for months. Comeback kid, part 1.

With the Republican field to himself and Deeds battling in the primary, Bob McDonnell had time to "redefine" himself. It was smoke and mirrors and falsehoods as Backwards Bob ran away from his own right wing past and tried to look and sound almost like a centrist Democrat. The polls reflected this rebranding as Bob Mc opened a gap in most polls.

Like a football game, the gubernatorial race is entering the fourth quarter where hard work and sticking to an honest game plan will pay off for Creigh Deeds. For three quarters Bob Mc ran a misdirection game appearing to be one thing while beneath the veneer he was something quite different. Then the WaPo disclosed his '89 thesis for Pat Robertson's university where he discussed his right wing game plan for the Virginia GOP. The truth is out about Bob McDonnell - he's slick, he's dishonest, he's got a far right agenda, and he's been exposed.

Creigh Deeds' fourth quarter game plan is the same plan that has guided him through service in the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate: hard work, community values, teamwork, and straight talk with the people. Like the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, Creigh Deeds is a comeback kid - he's done it before. Stay tuned for an exciting fourth quarter where he'll do it again.

Counting the Dwindling Corn

Governor Tim Kaine announced a series of steps to meet the 2010 budget shortfall of $1.35 billion. Some savings were found in various efficiencies and reducing spending in state agencies based on those agencies' own recommendations. Many of those will not be immediately felt by the public although over time services will be impacted.

Several of the governor's actions, required by the magnitude of the shortfall, will directly impact families, programs, core services, and state employees. Among them:

• Some 929 state jobs will be eliminated requiring 593 layoffs.
• Higher education will be hit to the tune of 13-15% reductions. For UVA that is about $19 million - which has to hit everything from buildings and grounds to instruction. It will be especially difficult for community colleges which cannot turn students away. Expect bulging classes, the elimination of some classes/programs, more snow-covered parking lots and sidewalks.
• A one-day furlough for most state employees - in short, a four-day Memorial Day weekend, with one day unpaid. The loss of a day's pay will be tough on some families, but not as tough as more layoffs that would occur absent the furlough. A little shared pain seems the better of bad options. Public safety and some other areas will be exempted.
• A reduction of $104 million in payments to the Virginia Retirement System. VRS has a reputation of being well managed, but like every other investor has been hammered by the stock market (which is thankfully rebounding). VRS is a sacred trust to state employees and while the state can't raid the funds directly, this backdoor reduction in funding will weaken the system. The Commonwealth must do, as the governor promises, readjust the contribution rates to assure the long term viability of the system.

Kudos to the governor for not taking the boning knife to K-12 education. Along with public safety, K-12 is the most vital of government services. So far, because of the efforts of Governor Kaine and federal stimulus funds, education has been largely spared. Education is the key to our future, our economy, the very fabric of our society and every effort must be made to protect public schools.

Which brings us to a crucial point - it does make a difference who is in the Executive Mansion setting priorities. Bob McDonnell says he'll pay for roads by shifting over $5 billion from education. That's BILLION. McDonnell promises to raise teacher salaries - but it is a shortsighted smoke and mirrors (shift and shaft) scheme that cuts school services such as nurses, counselors, speech pathologists, and other support personnel.

The more we see and hear of Bob McDonnell, the clearer it becomes that the man will say and promise about anything in his desperation to wield power. Talking out of both sides of his mouth... he's ultra-conservative to one audience and a reasonable moderate to another group in the very same day! A vote for Bob McDonnell is like buying a pig-in-a-poke - you never know who, or what, is the real Bob McDonnell.

Virginia's Manchurian Candidate

If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know that there have been about half a dozen posts dating back to March detailing two-faced Bob McDonnell. This right wing fanatic is Virginia's political version of a Manchurian Candidate - a brainwashed sleeper agent wanting to take over state government. No, I don't think McDonnell is an assassin in the usual sense of the word. Instead, he's hidden far right agenda was ingrained in soul, heart, and mind by the likes of Pat Roberstson and friends at CNB (now Regent) University. Taliban Bob's mission was to remake our Commonwealth as a theocracy and, in the process, kill the hopes and dreams of of many Virginians.

In recent years Virginia voters have moved well beyond the radical and failed right wing policies of politicians such as Jim Gilmore (although many of those loony birds hold on in the House of Delegates). Today, Virginia is more moderate, bluer, more tolerant, looking forward to a progressive future. This presented a problem for McDonnell who rose through the Christian conservative faction of the Republican Party on the nurturing knee of the television pastor.

To get elected McDonnell would have to change - make that appear to change - to be more in line with those changes in Virginia. His slick message handlers have used the power of TV propaganda to brand McDonnell as a moderate, almost making him appear and sound like a Mark Warner. Don't buy the lie.

Now in '89 Thesis A Different Side of McDonnell, Amy Gardner of the Washington Post has disclosed his political beginnings and core beliefs:

At age 34, two years before his first election and two decades before he would run for governor of Virginia, Robert F. McDonnell submitted a master's thesis to the evangelical school he was attending in Virginia Beach in which he described working women and feminists as "detrimental" to the family. He said government policy should favor married couples over "cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators." He described as "illogical" a 1972 Supreme Court decision legalizing the use of contraception by unmarried couples.

The 93-page document, which is publicly available at the Regent University library, culminates with a 15-point action plan that McDonnell said the Republican Party should follow to protect American families -- a vision that he started to put into action soon after he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.

During his 14 years in the General Assembly, McDonnell pursued at least 10 of the policy goals he laid out in that research paper, including abortion restrictions, covenant marriage, school vouchers and tax policies to favor his view of the traditional family. In 2001, he voted against a resolution in support of ending wage discrimination between men and women.

You can read the WaPo article here or here and trudge through his entire thesis here.

Even his friends seem to acknowledge the difficult position McDonnell has placed himself in by this unabashed rebranding of his image. Delegate Robert Marshall (R- Pr. William), a right wing political ally, thinks McDonnell has gotten himself between a rock and a hard place - turning off moderates who think he's hiding something and scaring conservatives who fear he has sold them out.

I think most Virginians want a Governor who will talk straight, build bridges with all political persuasions, work hard, and do his best every day in office. We can trust Creigh Deeds to be that kind of leader and Governor. Can we trust Bob McDonnell? Huh - do you really have to ask that question?

Creigh Deeds to Visit the Queen City

Gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds will be in Staunton for two events this week:

• Thursday, August 27 at 7:00 PM rally in front of Mill Street Grill (in case of rain at Elder Antique Auto).
• Friday, August 28 at 9:00 AM a media event at Black Dog Bikes on S. Lewis Street.

Please join Creigh at both events!!

Good Deeds in Harrisonburg

I went by Court Square in Harrisonburg today to greet Creigh as he passed through Harrisonburg. Good stop, nice crowd pulled together at the last minute. Only downer was... I forgot my camera. Not to worry, TV3 and the DNR were there.

At Old Dominion Coffee Shop, Creigh talked of educational opportunity, creating jobs, the Rockingham County Fair, and his special relationship with Valley folks. After chatting with friends in the crowd, Creigh was escorted by Mayor Kai Degner to local landmark, Jess' Lunch, the Children's Museum, and to several businesses.

Commenting on the explosion of his campaign staff and offices, Creigh told a small group of supporters that during the primary his headquarters was in Charlottesville and he personally knew each and every one of his staff and most of their spouses and family. Over the past few weeks the Deeds campaign has moved the HQ to NOVA, a number of regional offices have opened, and dozens of new staff have been hired. "Now," said Creigh, "at nearly every stop I meet a new person on my payroll."

One local blogger has criticized Deed's for not spending enough time in the Valley, but I guess he hasn't been paying close enough attention. True, Creigh started his Deeds Country Tour in Charlottesville which isn't in the Valley, but it is a quick commute for many. The Deeds Country Homecoming was on the Bath/Highland line, while technically not in the geographic boundaries of the Shenandoah Valley is certainly in the Valley's cultural region. Today Creigh was in Harrisonburg and Sunday he'll be in Lexington, both about as Valley as it gets. There have been other stops in Valley communities, a rumor of a future stop in Staunton, and I predict more will be coming in the next 70 days. So to that critic - instead of squawking like an old hen, perhaps show a little Hospitality in the Valley.