Sunday, October 30, 2005
Editorial: Creigh Deeds for attorney general
Both candidates bring solid credentials, but Creigh Deeds is better suited for the office.
From the RoundTable blog
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On the campaign trail, candidates for attorney general often sound as though they are running to be Virginia's top cop.
The law-and-order issues move voters. That's why the race between Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell has sounded like a one-upmanship contest as to who would erase the scourge of meth labs, lock up sexual predators, keep Virginians safe from identity theft and secure state borders from an influx of illegal immigrants and terrorists.
But such emotional issues are a very small fraction of what the attorney general actually does.
By far, the office's bread-and-butter role is found in opinion writing, or as Deeds describes the prime responsibility, "practicing preventative law for the state."
Both Deeds and McDonnell bring excellent credentials to the campaign, each having earned myriad endorsements.
Deeds, a state senator, served as Bath County's elected commonwealth's attorney until winning a seat in 1991 to the House of Delegates. A decade later, he moved to the Senate. He has served on the Courts of Justice Committee and the State Crime Commission, and he was instrumental in Virginia's passage of Megan's Law to track sexually violent predators and the Amber Alert to find missing children.
McDonnell, a delegate from Virginia Beach, has a similar résumé. A former prosecutor, he is currently the assistant majority leader, serving on the Courts of Justice committee and on Health, Welfare and Institutions and Rules committees.
McDonnell, like Deeds, has stood out as a leader on criminal justice and victims' rights issues.
The two men differ little in matters of public safety, but they part company on the state's responsibility to provide sufficient human and financial resources. In their respective roles as legislators, only Deeds stepped up to cast a crucial vote to raise taxes despite the political passions it aroused.
Both men rightly boast of their achievements in forging relationships in Richmond that enable them to gather consensus for issues they believe important. While this ability is critical to a delegate or senator, it isn't crucial for an effective attorney general.
Deeds, however, seems to grasp better the role of providing opinions for the General Assembly and the offices of government to prevent costly and lengthy legal entanglements.
Another key advantage for Deeds: his roots in Western Virginia, a region that has found its progressive political voice diminished in recent years, as Jerry Kilgore proved during his disappointing tenure as attorney general.
Having an attorney general who not only understands the critical needs before the state but also embodies the values and interests of this region makes his candidacy all the more appealing.
