Steve Shannon: Clueless in Virginia

Democrat's Attorney General candidate is clueless when it comes to the Attorney General's Office.

Four Days out from the election, and Steve Shannon still doesn't know the law

TRUTH-TRACKING the Va. Atty. Gen. race Charges of lies heat up race Andy Fox VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - They are fighting to become Virginia's top prosecutor, but the big issue in the State Attorney General's race isn't nuances of law, it's Newport News Delegate Phil Hamilton. Republican State Senator Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Del. Steve Shannon are both in the General Assembly, and they serve with Delegate Phil Hamilton. It's a classic case of colleagues politically fighting against each other. Shannon's ad states, "This is Ken Cuccinelli. He's running for Attorney General. This is his political ally, Delegate Phil Hamilton. Hamilton was caught arranging a $40,000 a year personal contract using state money." Even Hamilton has admitted to the truth of the facts of the case. The ad continues, "Every statewide candidate called on Phil Hamilton to resign except Ken Cuccinelli." THAT IS TRUE. So the truth tracker asked Cuccinelli why he did not call for resignation. "In Phil Hamilton's situation, his case goes through the ethics investigation, and then that case can come to the Attorney General. Not the Attorney General's office, but the Attorney General," Cuccinelli said. THAT IS TRUE. ACCORDING TO STATE CODE: "If legislator knowingly violated any law...it shall refer the matter by a written report setting forth its findings and the reasons therefore to the Attorney General." Cuccinelli claims the Attorney General should remain neutral. "The Attorney General is the gate keeper in that case. If Steve Shannon wins this race he will have to recuse himself from that matter because he has already prejudged it, and I have not," he said. WAVY.com asked Shannon about Cuccinelli's comments. "He said it was irresponsible for you to speak about the Hamilton case because you have to possibly judge this," WAVY.com asked. Shannon responded, "If the Attorney General thinks the violation has occurred he or she refers that case to a Commonwealth's Attorney." THAT IS FALSE: ACCORDING TO STATE CODE: "If legislator knowingly violated any law...it shall refer the matter by a written report setting forth its findings and the reasons therefor to the Attorney General for such action he deems appropriate." "HE" is left up to the State Attorney General and not necessarily a Commonwealth's Attorney. Shannon also notes Cuccinelli did call for Hamilton to be taken off the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he is the second ranking member. Cuccinelli's campaign re-defined the comment to "take him off the Committee until the matter is resolved, so there is no appearance of impropriety." Cuccinelli also claims there was a payoff. He says Shannon received contributions from Hamilton's opponent after he called for Hamilton to resign. "Within days of my opponent calling for Phil's resignation he got a $40,000 donation from the law firm his opponent works for." THAT IS TRUE. Robin Abbott's law firm, Consumer Litigation Associates, contributed $40,000 to Shannon on August 31. The law firm is Shannon's fifth largest contributor to date. We asked Shannon about that. "Cuccinelli says there's a quid-pro-quo. You came out, supported Abbott, and then you got a $40,000 contribution from the firm she works for," WAVY.com asked. Shannon responded, "Ken is getting desperate right now. He is struggling with the fact Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling have rejected his position on this, and he's trying to figure his way out of it." WAVY.com also asked Robin Abbot about the contributions. "The commitment to Mr. Shannon's campaign from my law firm was made long before the Phil Hamilton story came out," she said. THAT IS TRUE. Shannon got his first $10,000 from Abbott's law firm in March before the Hamilton story broke. Election Day is November 3rd. Stay with WAVY.com for the latest results and numbers.

Quote of the Day

“The world has Darwin fever, and we think it’s making our culture sick. Because of the implications of his famous theory of evolution, Darwin was perhaps the most influential man for evil in the last two hundred years. His ideas have contributed to the rise of Nazism, the proliferation of racism, Marxism, the horrors of eugenics, and abortionism. Nonetheless, over the next month, America and the global community will be inundated with the most pro-Darwin celebrations in history.”

“The release of The Mysterious Islands, and its screening in theaters presents a fresh response to Darwin fever by taking viewers on a thrilling adventure to the Galapagos Islands — ground zero in the war of the worldviews between evolutionism and Christianity. Rather than praising the founder of the modern evolutionary worldview, we demonstrate that he was part of a multi-generational legacy of bad science, anti-Christian sentiment, and cultural bigotry that began with his grandfather Erasmus Darwin and continued up through the work of the virulent racist Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood.”

Doug Phillips, Executive Producer ofThe Mysterious Islands

ComPost Unleashes its Religious Bigotry

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, weighs in on the left's attack on the First Amendment and Religious Freedom

P

ost Calling the Kettle Black

"In a last-ditch effort to sway voters away from Virginia 's GOP ticket, the Washington Post unleashed a stinging op-ed against Ken Cuccinelli, the pro-family candidate for state Attorney General. Desperate to get its dig in before next Tuesday, the Post lashed out in "Mr. Cuccinelli's bigotry," an article that tried to paint Ken's conservative social views as "an embarrassment to Virginia." According to the Post, Cuccinelli's biggest crime is describing homosexuality as "intrinsically wrong." In an interview with a local paper, Ken also said, "I happen to think that [homosexuals] represent... behavior that is not healthy to an individual and in aggregate is not healthy to society."

The Post's hostility is mind-boggling when you consider that Cuccinelli's statement happens to be true, given the data on the health risks of homosexual conduct. As for his personal faith, if the editors believe that Ken's views disqualify him from public office, then he's not the one practicing bigotry. The dictionary defines it as "stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own"--something that more accurately describes the Washington Post's attack than Cuccinelli's comments.

Unfortunately, this editorial is as good an illustration as any of the direction the homosexual agenda is taking us--toward simply silencing any criticism of homosexual conduct. It's a new liberal standard where people (and politicians) are no longer entitled to their own opinions unless they're shared by the radical Left. These activists are intimidating people easily now, but soon they'll have the force of the federal government on their side through "hate crimes" laws, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and other policies.

If we don't work quickly to stop them, there will be no end to the persecution of principle. Sadly, this is a possibility that Mainers understand all too well. As they fight to preserve marriage, the other side is going to great lengths to terrorize conservatives. Just yesterday, we learned that one of Stand for Marriage Maine's allies, Don Mendell, has come under attack by homosexuals who have requested that his counseling license be revoked--simply because he appeared in an ad defending marriage. And if Question 1 loses, Don won't be the first victim. That's why next Tuesday is so important. In the end, these elections are about more than protecting marriage. They're about preserving free speech and religious liberty. Don't let the opportunity pass by without a fight!"

Virginians: Vote Your Values on November 3rd!

Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, analyzes the last minute Washington Post/Democrat attacks on the Republican candidates.

Four Days To Go

"There are just four days to go until Virginia voters head to the polls to pick our leaders and legislators. Will Democrats continue to dominate the Old Dominion? Or will conservatives take back Virginia for our pro-family, pro-life values? That’s a big question for those who care about the sanctity of life and traditional marriage, and it will be decided this coming Tuesday, November 3rd.

We’ve told you for years that the homosexual movement wants to come out of the closet, and it has. But militant radicals also want anyone who believes in traditional values to be forced into the closet. Throughout this campaign, the Washington Post and the Democrats tried to destroy Bob McDonnell on values issues and it didn’t work.

So, in the closing days of the campaign, hoping to salvage something and with Halloween just around the corner, they are trying to scare voters away from Ken Cuccinelli. Today’s Post has an editorial labeling Ken Cuccinelli a “bigot.” Why? Because Ken Cuccinelli dared to articulate the deeply held beliefs of many Virginians, including the overwhelming majority of voters who supported the state’s traditional marriage amendment. Here’s what he said:

“My view is that homosexual acts, not homosexuality, but homosexual acts are wrong. They’re intrinsically wrong. And I think in a natural law based country it’s appropriate to have policies that reflect that. ...They don’t comport with natural law.”

For that, the Post has labeled Ken Cuccinelli a bigot with “bizarre ideas” and unfit for public office. In other words, conservatives with deeply held religious beliefs need not apply and ought not to run. The Post and the militant homosexual movement want to drive men and women of faith out of the public square and into the closet.

Don’t believe the polls that suggest this election is wrapped up. Over-confidence is a big problem. Democrats are doing everything they can to rally the liberal base. If you were an alien just dropped into Virginia, from watching the TV you’d think the gubernatorial race was between Bob McDonnell and Barack Obama. Democrats barely mention Creigh Deeds, but their ads have put Obama on every channel in a desperate, last ditch effort to get Democrats to the polls.

If Ken Cuccinelli loses, the Left, the Washington Post and their religious bigotry wins. Conservative voters must show up November 3rd, and they must vote to defend their values.

This Tuesday, vote the straight conservative ticket of McDonnell for Governor, Bolling for Lt. Governor and Cuccinelli for Attorney General."

Partisan Organization Promoting Abortion on Demand Flips Out

Victoria Cobb, The Family Foundation of Virginia, describes the true nature of Planned Parenthood

Information Alert: Planned Parenthood Attacks McDonnell

At our Gala Monday evening, the largest applause line of my address to the crowd came when I said that pro-family Virginians expect that the next Governor of Virginia will submit a budget that ends the taxpayer subsidizing of Planned Parenthood. In a radio interview the next day on the Laura Ingraham Show, Republican candidate for Governor Bob McDonnell stated that he would do just that.

Today, Planned Parenthood is going berserk over McDonnell’s comments, despite the fact that TheWashington Post today claims that Planned Parenthood didn’t receive any taxpayer money in this year’s budget. For several years The Family Foundation has worked with other pro-life organizations to end the taxpayer subsidizing of Planned Parenthood, often finding it difficult to uncover how much money they receive or through what agency or program.

While Planned Parenthood alleges that the money they receive is used for “women’s health care,” the fact is that this is a $1 billion a year organization that provides more than one-quarter of all abortions performed in the nation, with roughly one-third of its income coming from taxpayers.

Oddly, for an organization that claims to be about “health care,” it is run by a hard-core partisan Democrat, Cecile Richards, the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards and former chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The truth is, it is nothing more than a partisan organization that uses its taxpayer funding to bludgeon pro-life candidates across the country and to promote abortion on demand. This year, Planned Parenthood endorsed McDonnell’s opponent, Creigh Deeds, who supports taxpayer funding of that organization (they actually endorsed all three Democrat statewide candidates).

The fact is that, regardless of their position on abortion, most Virginians do not like the idea of their tax dollars being used to pay for abortions and by extension, organizations that perform them. Planned Parenthood has plenty of its own money; it doesn’t need any from the taxpayers.

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Freedom Fest - Tomorrow at R'ville Elementary School

Please come and join us this Saturday 12:30 - 4:30 PM at the 1st ANNUAL FREEDOM FESTIVAL at Ruckersville Elementary (29S to) Rt. 33W.

Culpeper County TEA Party (CCTP) will have a booth co-sponsoring Freedom Fest at the festival and we hope that you will stop by to visit with us. The event proceeds, canned goods, turkeys and fixings will go to feed needy families at Thanksgiving via charity group G.R.A.C.E.

Join Master of Ceremonies, Joe Thomas of WCHV - the Voice of Conservatism, at the 1st Annual Freedom Fest, Saturday, October 31st, 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Ruckersville Elementary School, 13405 Spotswood Trail, on Rt. 33W.

The celebration, named in honor of American Revolutionary hero General Nathanael Greene, has something for everyone- great music and food, games, a patriotic costume contest and information booths hosted by local organizations.

Guest Speakers include Delegate Rob Bell (R-58th District), Radio personality and former Charlottesville City Counselor Rob Shilling, Patrick Henry- portrayed by Mike McHugh, President of Virginians for Life, Ben Marchi, Director of Virginia Americans for Prosperity, Donna Holt, Campaign for Liberty and others.

REMEMBER: you can affect change in Washington by participating and speaking out. Questions, Comments? Contact CCTEAParty@gmail.com

Cap & TAX will Destroy Our Country

Vince Haley, American Solutions, deconstructd the cap and trade jobs hoax, and explains how cap and trade energy taxes will actually destroy millions of jobs, and hurt our economy.

Watch the spoof video below, which relates the Balloon Boy hoax to the cap and trade jobs hoax.

"The parents of Balloon Boy in Colorado fooled millions of Americans with their hoax. Yet, they only broke our hearts.

We hope you'll help expose this cap and trade jobs hoax before the Administration and Congress break our economy."

Two Predictions

"Obama and Democrats in Congress will use the economic crisis and burgeoning debt as an excuse to gut our national defense. They will use socialized healthcare, as liberal politicians do in Europe, to cut defense spending. And just as this administration has demonized Wall Street, banks, oil companies, insurance companies and others who object to its leftwing policies, it will also demonize defense contractors in its drive to disarm America."

Gary Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

Quote of the Day

"We ask you, is it a coincidence that the city with the highest percentage of Muslims in the United States is the city where Christianity is not allowed to be represented (let alone preached) on a public sidewalk? Is it coincidence that in this city, people will say “No way!” when we say “This is the United States of America”?

"Is this what will happen when Islam takes over the United States?"

Read the rest of the post at Islam In Action...

WATCH THE VIDEO: Michigan: Muslim Mob Surrounds and Attacks Christians

Vote for the Scariest Democrat in D.C.

Too funny... from Rob Jesmer at NRSC:

With Halloween fast approaching this weekend, we've released a scarier-than-fiction new Web video entitled "Paranormal Taxivity." Click here to check it out.

The video highlights the terrifying reality that Americans face as they find themselves trapped in a real life horror film, falling victim to President Obama and Senate Democrats' uncontrollable spending, higher taxes, and government-run health care proposals.

Is "paranormal taxivity" plaguing you? Watch this video, and vote for the scariest Democrat in Washington.

Take 4 minutes of your time

Watch this video about Obama and our sovereignty. You may have to cut and paste or type the address into your browser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMe5dOgbu40

VOTE for FOX

If you haven't heard this, the White House is accusing Fox News of not being a legitimate source of news, calling them biased, etc. They have tried to block Fox reporters from news conferences, etc., but the other news networks are fighting back (in favor of Fox) and caused the White House to back down. NPR has put a survey online for us to voice our opinion. Go to the link below and cast your vote. Currently it is 52% in favor of the White House, but there are not that many votes... less than 2,000 all together. Show them how you feel about honest conservative news reporting.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/10/in_white_house_vs_fox_news_war.html

Quote of the Day

"Of course, the irony is that Congress is already enjoying its own opt-out, since it refuses to participate in whatever plan passes. None of the leaders who vote for this watered down coverage are obliged to enroll in it. Instead Members will force taxpayers into rationed care while they kick back with VIP benefits that most Americans can only dream of."

Tony Perkins

Family Research Council

President Dithers While Troops Die

"Eleven American troops and three U.S. civilians were killed in Afghanistan Monday in tragic incidents. In one case, our forces won a firefight with Taliban thugs only to perish when their helicopter later crashed. As I write this, there is breaking news of eight more U.S. casualties after bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan.

In a speech yesterday at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida, President Obama defended his delay in deciding whether to send reinforcements to Afghanistan. He told the audience, “I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm’s way. I won’t risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary.”

That sounds good except for one little detail. He has already sent troops into harm’s way in Afghanistan. They are there now in larger numbers with their officers because Barack Obama sent them. This was the “necessary war” that Obama said he supported during the campaign, in contrast to the unnecessary “bad war” in Iraq, which was “Bush’s war.” Those soldiers and Marines are dying now while their officers continue to beg the president for reinforcements.

In 2008, candidate Obama was a tough guy. In the presidential debate on October 7th, Obama said if he was elected, “We will kill bin Laden. We will crush Al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority.” I don’t remember the last time Obama mentioned Osama. Neither do I hear much talk about Afghanistan being the “good war” that we have to win.

In fact, the president said in an interview on ABC that he was uncomfortable with the concept of “victory” in Afghanistan. I would wager he is not as uncomfortable as the Marines, special ops troops, soldiers, airmen and others who are putting everything on the line daily while the Obama Administration makes excuses for its failure to make decisions.

I hope the rumor going around Washington is not true – that Obama doesn’t want to send more troops before November 3rd because that would so outrage his leftwing base that it may not show up to vote in the important elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York. The lives of our men and women in uniform are more important than politics.

The clock keeps ticking while the president keeps meeting and golfing. President Bush stopped playing golf when the wars began because he said it sent the “wrong signal.” Obama played golf for the 24th time of his presidency last weekend – hitting a mark that took Bush nearly three years to reach. Every White House sends signals, and the signal the enemies of America are getting from this White House is one of vacillation and weakness."

Gary Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

Must see video

Obamacare Battle on the Hill

Legislative News from National Federation of Republican Women

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) proudly announced the completion of the Senate Democrat's health care bill. This final bill combined the two bills that had been introduced previously by the Senate HELP Committee and Senate Finance Committee (Baucus bill). Read copies of the HELP Committee bill and the Finance Committee bill.

Despite promises to make the process of crafting health care legislation open and transparent, the bill is the result of closed meetings between the Senate Majority Leader, key Senate Democrats, and senior Obama Administration officials. Senate Democrats have repeatedly pledged to "go at it alone" in order to pass this legislation.

The final bill does includes the controversial public insurance option with a provision that allows states to opt out of participating. Although the final text has not yet been released, the bill is reported to fine employers (with more than 50 employees), who are not required to provide health insurance, up to $750 (per person) if any part of their work force receives government subsidies for health insurance.

The bill also expands coverage by giving low and middle class Americans subsidies to offset the cost of insurance and extends coverage of the Medicaid insurance program. It is difficult to understand how Democrats plan to fund this extension of coverage since existing Medicare and Medicaid entitlement programs are scheduled to be broke by the end of the next decade.

The bill was sent to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate today. After the CBO has scored the bill, the bill will be introduced in the Senate for open debate and amendments.

Call your Senators TODAY to tell them this legislation is not the answer to our health care problems!

Read the final version of the Senate Finance Committee Health Care bill here.

Watch a first hand account of what life is like in a country with socialized medicine!

Click here to watch Heather Sandstrom's story. Heather is the 3rd Vice President of the AzFRW and President of Mesa Republican Women in AZ. Share this story with your family and friends!

Make YOUR voice heard on health care reform! Every phone call, letter, email, fax, etc. counts!

CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY!

Quote of the Day

"Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid announced this afternoon that he intends to force a vote on the government-run “public option” because his private discussions with fellow senators indicate there are nearly 60 senators willing to support it in one form or another.

Let me remind you again what the public option is all about. President Obama has said that the public option could force insurance companies to be “honest” and lower costs by having to compete against the federal government. Today, Reid repeated those claims. But, as the AP “fact check” report makes clear, the insurance industry is not reaping “obscene” profits. The real goal is to bankrupt the insurance companies, putting them out of business, thereby making the government-run public option the only option.

Honest advocates of the public option admit that it is the vehicle through which they will achieve government-run socialized healthcare. Read this column and watch the video at the end. And if you need more proof of the public option Trojan horse, watch this video of Barney Frank saying that the public option, with its “strength and power,” is the best way to get a socialized single payer system."

Gary Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

"Let the people vote!"

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council Action, provides news the local papers ignore...

Power to the People!

The local newspapers seem to be in a race to lowball the attendance at the D.C. Marriage rally yesterday. Fortunately, the Associated Press did hint at the success of the event, noting that "hundreds" turned out at Freedom Plaza to demand a vote on same-sex "marriage" in the nation's capital. To the chant of "Let the people vote!" Bishop Harry Jackson and the rest of the Stand4MarriageDC coalition talked passionately about the need for a voter referendum on marriage. This afternoon, the city's Board of Elections and Ethics is expected to decide whether or not to grant their request.

While that hearing is underway, a second will be held by the City Council and is already predicted to shatter attendance records in D.C., as the District kicks off two days of "marathon sessions" to debate the bill to legalize same-sex "marriage." More than 260 people have signed up to speak at the hearing, which could go well into the morning hours before a second wave of testimonies starts on Tuesday. We'll keep you updated on their progress. In the meantime, you can contribute to the cause at the Stand4MarriageDC website.

Quote of the Day

"There is no Supreme Court decision squarely holding that children of illegal aliens are automatically citizens of the U.S."

Edward J. Erler

Professor of Political Science, California State University, San Bernardino

Quote of the Day

"Compared to other proposals the administration has thrown at the American people this past year, the home buyer tax credit was not bad. Unfortunately, the government could not even effectively run this program.

New home buyers would receive up to $8,000 in tax credits under the plan. The money was supposed to be available for first-time buyers who bought a primary residence after April 9, 2008, and only individuals making less than $75,000 or couples making less than $150,000 would be eligible. However, during a Ways and Means oversight subcommittee hearing yesterday, House members were informed that thousands of fraudulent claims were made.

The Treasury Department said that at least 19,000 filers who had not bought homes claimed $139 million in tax credits and were in turn reimbursed. An additional 74,000 tax-credit claims, totaling $500 million, could become invalid because of previous home ownership. Even more surprising, 500 people under the age of 18, including a 4-year-old child, had their names on applications for the credit, which has no minimum-age requirement according to federal officials. Evidently some adults used a child’s name as the purchaser of the home because they were ineligible to receive the credit due to their incomes.

Many of these fraudulent claims occurred before the IRS had updated their computer programs. If they had done this correctly, the program would have automatically checked the claims to ensure that they were valid based on the information submitted.

When added up, the total potential waste of your tax money from fraudulent home-credits could be upwards of $639 million. This is the same government that wants to take over our entire healthcare system! We have seen the government’s ineptitude in recent months with cash-for-clunkers, a behind schedule H1N1 flu vaccination and now this. When will liberals in Washington learn that government isn’t the solution to every problem? As my former boss Ronald Reagan correctly said, “Government is the problem.”

Gary Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

Obamacare = No Free Ride

Watch Family Research Council's New TV Ad

FRC: "The ever-growing mountain of debt will have to be paid by someone, and it is the next generation which will end up bearing the load. We must not let that happen.

"FRC has created a new ad called "Get to Work" to humorously show there's no free ride with a government-run health care system. Our children and grandchildren deserve better than inheriting massive debt and socialized medicine."

Click here to watch the ad FRC's currently airing on television in our nation's capital.

Quote of the Day

"Last week, I told you about a study conducted by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The study found that under ObamaCare health insurance premiums will go up, not down. If ObamaCare passes, families would pay $4,000 more than if Congress did nothing at all. Predictably, the White House and its liberal allies savaged the report and accused the insurance industry of “deplorable scare tactics.”

Well, I’m curious to see what the Obama White House will call the federal employees at the Department of Health and Human Services. That Department just released its analysis of ObamaCare, and it found similar results. Here’s how the Associated Press described it: “The nation’s medical costs will keep spiraling upward even faster than they are now under Democratic legislation pending in the House, a report from government economic experts concluded Wednesday.” [Emphasis added.]

If government spending increases even faster than it is now, what do you think is going to happen to your taxes? That’s right – they’re going through the roof under ObamaCare. As the saying goes, “The government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.”

Gary Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

Deeds would follow climate change hoax and kill jobs in Virginia

Deeds Ditches Public Option, Still Fudging on Cap-and-Trade

- Democrat Gives Democratic Base Nothing to Vote For -

- Leaves Debate For MeadWestvaco Shift Change - to Apologize to Workers? -

SALEM - Last night, in the final debate of the campaign, Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds trashed two key issues dear to his Democratic base when he openly rejected a public option in any federal health care legislation and again duplicitously evaded a question about his position on cap-and-trade climate change legislation. Deeds faced Republican candidate Bob McDonnell while trailing in the polls and appearing increasingly negative and bewildered.

Deeds: Public Option? Sorry Democratic Supporters

Question: Mr. Deeds, would you go against some of your fellow democrats and back a public plan?

Deeds: I'm not afraid of going against my fellow democrats when I think they're wrong. The public option, that isn't a priority of mine ... I don't think a public option is necessary in any plan and I would certainly consider opting out if that were available in Virginia.

Moments later, Deeds faced the press corps, which attempted to pin him down on his public option answer. Deeds was characteristically evasive and gave conflicting and differing answers in succession.

See the video here.

Deeds: Still Dodging Cap-and-Trade

Deeds once again attempted to evade his previously clearly voiced support of cap-and-trade legislation, which is a scheme in which entities that exceed a government-imposed emission limit would be forced to buy "credits" from entities which emit amounts under the limits. Many analysts and employers have concluded that the idea would increase energy costs to consumers and severely limit the ability of private companies to sustain or create jobs.

Indeed, MeadWestvaco, a major employer located in Deeds' senate district, says it would jeopardize 1,400 jobs in Covington. Plant manager Mark George currently appears in a McDonnell ad, found by clicking here.

Incredibly, Deeds reportedly left the debate en route to MeadWestvaco in for a shift change at the plant.

McDonnell toured MeadWestvaco months ago: see the video here.

Deeds Supports Cap-and-Trade

Factcheck.org confirms that Deeds is aligned with Gore's position on Cap-and-Trade, noting that "there's no question Deeds ... has voiced support in the past for cap-and-trade."

"It's true, as we've noted, that Deeds was one of 40 members of a commission on climate change convened by Virginia's current governor. The commission was tasked with coming up with ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2025, in accordance with the Virginia Energy Plan. The panel, in recommendations released last December, said that Congress should pass legislation that ‘[e]stablishes a mandatory economy-wide cap and trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.'"

Deeds even boasted to the Sierra Club that he endorsed all of the recommendations of the Governor's Commission on Climate Change, writing in their candidate questionnaire, "As a member of Gov. Kaine's Climate Change commission, I have endorsed the many measures undertaken through our work."

Additionally, in a Democratic gubernatorial primary debate in April, Deeds said the government should "even mandate sometimes things that are absolutely necessary if we're gonna continue to survive as a planet ... We have to reduce greenhouse gases." (Video)

Deeds Saps Base's Enthusiasm

"All we've heard from the Deeds campaign for the last few days is how they have to motivate their base to get back in this race," said Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins. "Well, liberal Democrats are crazy about the public option and cap-and-trade. Deeds has given them fuzziness and evasiveness on the very issues that drives them."

"And to go drop in on a shift change at MeadWestvaco is incredible," Mullins said. "If Creigh has his way, there won't be any shifts at all at that plant, and the only thing the workers will be changing is their careers."