Deeds Slips Again in The Polls.

A new Rasmussen poll just released shows Bob besting Creigh 51-42. The momentum is in McDonnell favor. Two weeks ago Rasmussen had McDonnell up by only 2 points. This is a 7 point swing our way in 2 weeks.

I think the negative tone taken by the Deeds campaign is starting to backfire.

Deeds Claims McDonnell wants to take Virginia Back to the 12th Century

Virginia was not a state in the 12th century, but according to the latest Deeds ad that is exactly where Bob McDonnell wants to take us.

I have been following Virginia politics for over 20 years, and never have I heard a candidate for Governor make a more bizarre charge. Listening to the radio this morning I heard a Deeds ad where the narrator claimed that Bob McDonnell wanted to take the state back to the "Dark Ages," this based on his college thesis and his opposition to 'equal pay laws'.

Most historians put the dark ages somewhere between the 12th and 13th century. At the end of the ad Deeds said he approved this message!

You can say this is just campaign rhetoric, but this cynical attack is coming from Deeds himself. It is not a 3rd party attack ad. The ad says more about Deeds than it does McDonnell. The ad clearly demonstrates that Deeds thinks little of the intelligence of the people of Virginia.

Wilder Refuses to Endorse Deeds

In a major blow to the struggling Deeds campaign former Virginia Governor L.Douglas Wilder refused to back his fellow Democrat for Governor. Despite pressure from President Obama, and other national Democrats Wilder said he could not give his endorsement.

Wilder said he was troubled by Deeds's views on taxes and guns. Deeds has implied that he would raise taxes, which must bother the fiscally conservative Wilder. And no doubt Wilder is still upset by Deed's opposition to a 1993 law limiting an individual's gun purchases to one a month.

Photo by the Politico

Deeds Adopts The Mondale Campaign Plan

In 1984 the Democrats nominated liberal Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale for President, Mondale ran on a platform of higher taxes. Mondale then proceeded to lose 49 states to incumbent President, Ronald Reagan.

Democrat Creigh Deeds has the same fetish for raising taxes. In fact it is the center piece of his campaign. Taking a page out of Mondale's play book Deeds told the Washington Post:

"And I'll sign a bipartisan bill with a dedicated funding mechanism for transportation -- even if it includes new taxes."

A tax increase is the last thing Virginia needs.

Photo by Esquire.com

Big Labor Comes to the Aid of Deeds

The Virginia AFL-CIO has started mailing campaign brochures to potential voters on Deeds' behalf. Mailers have already been showing up in the Richmond area, and soon should make it across the state.

If it wasn't for compulsory union dues the labor bosses would have nothing to spend on campaigns, and Deeds would have trouble raising money for a single ad buy.

Deeds Keeps Distance from Obama.. Well Sometimes

It depends on his audience, but Democrat Creigh Deeds is keeping his distance from the unpopular, at least in Virginia, Obama.

Deeds refused to wrap his arms around Barack Obama in the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce debate Thursday, even as his campaign had featured the president in radio advertisements. In the latest installment in an ongoing series of direct contradictions, Deeds is seeking to appeal to Obama supporters as he simultaneously appeals to those who are dissatisfied with the president.

“Passing up the opportunity to embrace the president, Deeds hesitated before addressing questions from moderator David Gregory, host of NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ on whether he would identify himself as an ‘Obama Democrat,’ reported Politico. “After initially trying to explain that he has tried to avoid such labels, Deeds said, ‘I like Barack Obama personally. He’s a smart guy, he’s an innovative guy.’

“But asked again if he would label himself an ‘Obama Democrat,’ Deeds paused and then offered, ‘I’m a Creigh Deeds Democrat.’”

However, following an early August rally and fundraising event headlined by Obama, Deeds clipped portions of the president’s speech for use in a radio advertisement.

In the spot, Obama says that he and Deeds are “cut from the same cloth” and describes the candidate as “somebody who has that same vision for the Commonwealth.”

“It must be very difficult to be Creigh Deeds right now and figure out which character he is supposed to be playing each day,” said Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins. “One day he supports Cap-and-Trade, but the next day he doesn’t. On another day he supports collective bargaining for law enforcement officers, but the next day he doesn’t. Now he’s even schizophrenic on whether or not he likes the president from his own political party. You really have to stay on top of things to figure out where he is on any given issue – moment to moment.”

Washington Capitals, and Mystics owner Ted Leonsis gives $37,500 To Deeds.

Northern Virginia businessman Ted Leonsis gave 37,500 dollars to Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds. Leonsis is most famous for being the owner of the Capitals and Mystics.

Certainly Leonsis has a right to give to any candidate he chooses. However, Virginia Republicans should understand that by buying tickets to Capitals, or Mystics games, they may be helping Leonsis give more money to Democrat Candidates.

Perhaps Leonsis thought his contribution would go unnoticed, but unlike one of his goalies, it didn't get past me.

I for one think I will skip going to any Caps games next season.

Photo by the Washington Capitals.

National Rifle Association Endorses Bob McDonnell for Governor

Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, was endorsed today by the National Rifle Association. The NRA is recognized as America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, and the group has over 120,000 members in Virginia. The association interviewed Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds prior to making the endorsement, in addition to reviewing questionnaires filled out by the two candidates, and thoroughly reviewing their voting records and policy positions.

Speaking about the endorsement, McDonnell remarked, “Over the course of my career in public service, I have worked to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. The Second Amendment rights of law abiding Virginians must be respected and protected. That is what I did while serving as Virginia’s Attorney General. We worked to stop unauthorized attempted straw purchases by outside agents operating in the Commonwealth. We moved quickly to make the Commonwealth one of the first states to file an amicus brief in support of the individual right to bear arms in the historic Supreme Court Case of District of Columbia v. Heller. As governor I will continue to defend the individual right to keep and bear arms, and stand on the side of Virginia’s law abiding gun owners. The National Rifle Association is committed to protecting our constitutional rights and I am honored to receive this endorsement.”

Chris Cox, NRA Institute for Legislative Action executive director, noted, ““Bob McDonnell is an effective leader for Virginia hunters and gun owners. His opinions and actions as an attorney general have protected and enhanced the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Virginians. His zero-tolerance attitude toward criminals makes him the best choice for governor. We ask every Virginia hunter, gun owner and Second Amendment advocate to vote McDonnell for Governor this November.”

This endorsement comes just weeks after McDonnell received the support of four organizations representing Virginia’s major job creators. McDonnell was endorsed by: Virginia Realtors ®, the largest trade association in Virginia with over 33,000 members; Virginia AgPAC, the political action committee of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation with over 147,000 members statewide; the Virginia Credit Union League, a trade association representing the Commonwealth’s 194 not-for-profit credit unions and the 3 million member-owners residing in Virginia; and, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the leading small business association in the Commonwealth whose membership consists of nearly 6,000 small businesses across the state.

The National Rifle Association is the premier firearms education association in the world. With nearly four million members nationwide and over 120,000 members in Virginia, the association is widely recognized as a major political force and America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights.

Washington Post Executive Charles Pelton Resigns.

According to the Politico Washington Post executive Charles Pelton 'resigned' today. It seems somebody had to take the heat for this summer's scandal where the Post attempted to sell access to Washington's elite power brokers. The scheme went like this, Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth had an idea for exclusive "salons" at her home where for as much as $250,000, the Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the paper’s own reporters and editors.

Pelton was made the fall guy. Well, good luck Chuck.

Deeds Still Won't Give Specifics On A Transportation Plan.

When Richard Nixon ran for President in 1968 he claimed that he had a secret plan to get us out of Vietnam. However, he could not reveal the details publicly because that might complicate the negotiations process. Taking a page out of Nixon's playbook Democrat Creigh Deeds also has a secret plan for transportation but can't tell us. However, he did say his plan would include, or might include a tax hike.

President Obama Addresses School Children At Wakefield High School.

President Obama turned up at Wakefield High School to address the nation's school children on this the first day of school.

Many were concerned that the President's visit might become political, with Obama trying to turn the kids into little lefties, actually, I think the teachers union is already working on that. But instead Obama gave a non partisan speech about responsibility and hard work.

This is not the first time there has been some controversy involving a President talking to school kids. Byron York points out that back in 1991, the first President Bush spoke to the nations school children, and back then, unlike today, the mainstream media, led by the Washington Post Democrat, claimed that the President was acting in a partisan manner.

Back in 1991 the Post wrote of the Bush school visit: "The White House turned a Northwest Washington junior high classroom into a television studio and its students into props,"

But when Obama spoke today the Washington Post Democrat wrote,"President Obama, shrugging off a controversy over his appearance at a Northern Virginia high school, challenged students Tuesday to develop their skills and take responsibility for their education."

Schools across the country could choose to carry the speech or not.

A new Ad for Bob McDonnell.

Virginia's Comeback Kid?

A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling shows that Virginians may be receptive to a George Allen candidacy.

According to the polls findings Allen has a 50 percent approval rating, with 38 percent disapproving. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) is at 47-40. Governor Kaine's approval rating is at 47%, and Senator Warner's is at 54%.

The electorate is split on whether they’d vote for Allen again — 36 percent say definitely no, 31 percent say definitely yes. Despite all that the Post and the national media did to destroy him, he is really in not that bad a shape. And a comeback is possible.

George we need you back! And if you decide to run in the future I will campaign all across the commonwealth for you.

The Washington Post Democrat Still Talking about McDonnell's College Paper (Day 3)

This is the 3rd straight day the Washington Post Democrat has led their coverage of the Governor's race with an article about the McDonnell college paper. This time they have a article on what Creigh Deeds thinks about the paper. Gee I wonder what he thinks?

The Post is also featuring a blog discussion about Bob McDonnell and his relationship with God.

Washington Post columnist Claims to have uncovered Another Macaca Moment

Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus claims that Republican Bob McDonnell's college paper amounts to another Macaca moment. For those of you that don't know what a Macaca moment is, it is when the liberal Washington Post claims to have some dirt on a Republican - dirt so bad that it can change the course of an election and result in the victory of a hapless Democrat, whom the Post just happened to endorse.

But citing a 20 year old college paper is patently unfair. When McDonnell wrote his thesis the views he expressed were perfectly mainstream. I would venture to say that most Virginians shared those views in 1989. But like a lot of issues we have evolved in many areas, including our views of homosexuality and a woman's role in society. Markus and her fellow Democrats want to take what McDonnell said in 1989, and use a 2009 standard to decide whether his views are out of the mainstream.

Towards the end of her article Marcus does concedes:

I am prepared to accept that McDonnell's views have evolved in the past 20 years. The shift in public attitudes toward gay rights has been remarkable; it is certainly possible that McDonnell's hostility toward homosexuality has moderated -- somewhat.

That is very open minded of her, but by using the word 'somewhat' she and her fellow Democrats can continue to attack McDonnell for views he held in 1989!

Since McDonnell wrote his college theses he has served in the House of Delegates and served as Virginia's Attorney General. Marcus stretches her long arms, and by the tips of her fingers reaches back 20 years for a college paper. Although no doubt in the coming weeks she will also attack McDonnell's public record, it seems she finds his college record is more salacious, and in her mind more damming. Also she may have noticed at one time Deeds and McDonnell had similar voting records in the General Assembly.

There is also the issue of the Post's double standard. Hillary Clinton requested that Wellesley not release her senior thesis to anyone. For years it stayed buried, and the Post never expressed concern. They never thought it was relevant. It seems Clinton's thesis praised Marxist Saul Alinsky - what is controversial about that!

But do we now have a new standard? I wonder if Ms. Marcus thinks that all candidates now should have to release their college papers? Or only Republican candidates?
If it weren't for their double standards the Post would have no standards at all.

McDonnell Winning the Sign War.

In my travels through Fairfax county, I have noticed lots of McDonnell signs, and hardly any Deeds signs. It is clear that our side is more motivated and active, and it shows.

Is the Washington Post Starting to Panic?

With their candidate struggling in the polls and failing to find his voice, I have to wonder if the folks in the Washington Post newsrooms are starting to sweat. They endorsed Creigh Deeds in the primary, and it certainly helped him get the nomination, but can the Post repeat? Can they help him win the general election? They certainly will try, and no doubt the better it looks for McDonnell the harder they will attack.

In fact they have already sharpen their attacks. In a June Editorial, when the polls were tight the Post Found McDonnell "Not Overtly Ideological". However, now that McDonnell is up in the polls the Post says that McDonnell is "Divisive, Disruptive and Partisan".

Look for the Post to continue to find ways to attack McDonnell.