Cooch's attack ad misfires

If you run a dishonest
campaign, how can you
be trusted as governor?

This week the Cuccinelli campaign released a new ad attacking Terry McAuliffe, alleging that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate made millions when Global Crossings went bankrupt in 2002. The ad features emotional responses from three former Global Crossing employees. Two of those employees told Mother Jones magazine they were never told their (heavily edited) interviews would be used in a political attack ad in another state.

Deb Goehring, a former employee featured in the ad says she was asked several times about McAuliffe making money off Global Crossings. "I said I don't really know anything about Terry McAuliffe," Goehring told Mother Jones. "He was not involved in day-to-day operations in any way that I saw. As far as I'm concerned, he was like me, a stockholder, and he was able to make money at it. More power to the man. Good for him."

Also featured in the ad is former employee Corey Darrow, who seemed glad to tell her story about the impact of the Global Crossing bankruptcy, but feels mislead that the filmmaker never disclosed that it would be used for a negative ad, telling Mother Jones, "I'm kinda glad I got my story out there. What's it doing for me? I dunno," she says. "But I wish I would've known where it was going to be shown and when."

There is more at Mother Jones, including the background of how Cuccinelli's filmmaker misrepresented himself to take advantage of innocent people for political purposes.

Chicken litter

We're 10 days out on the election and both teams seems to pulling out all the stops. A random selection:

The Daily News-Republican endorsed Bob Goodlatte and took a swipe at Sam Rasoul. No surprise in either. Their endorsement could have been predicted a year ago, even a decade ago because the facts and the campaign don't really matter to the editors there. Well, maybe I'll have to eat a little (very little) crow after we find out their views on the Senate race.

Speaking of the DN-R, their letters to the editor frequently are a rehash of libelous BS, many so obvious in their intent and apparent in their stupidity that I think they actually hurt their cause. Then the editors place certain letters in shaded boxes (print edition) or designate it "letter of the day" to, I assume, give them eye appeal and seem more important. Is it just my imagination that this favored treatment is more often given to Obama-bashing letters?

The News Leader has a story about hateful and racist literature showing up in newspaper tubes in the Staunton and Waynesboro areas. Staunton Democratic chair Bob Dickerman referred to the flyers and negative robocalls as "atrocious." On the other hand, Staunton Republican chair Anne Taetzsch denied knowledge of the literature and said it didn't come from the campaign. She said, "my whole thing is the negative approach doesn't work." What? How can she say that with a straight face? After all she's in tight with Chris Saxman the Virginia McCain co-chair whose campaign has used robocalls and mailers spewing the same negative and false information. And isn't Ms. Taetzsch a big supporter of state GOP chair Jeff Frederick, whose racist comments went too far for even the McCain campaign?

On another and more positive front, former Delegate Jim Dillard, a Fairfax Republican, is making calls for Barack Obama. He does get in a jab at McCain/Palin for their negative campaign and lies, but his message is overwhelmingly one of positive support for Obama/Biden. While there has been a lot of news about national Republican figures supporting Obama, there is a groundswell of Republican support among state and local politicians as well.

And the latest counter punch in the sign wars is "You can vote for the chick, but I'm rollin' with Colin." Haven't seen one yet, but understand a few have appeared around Staunton.