Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Gubernatorial hopefuls fine-tune their messages
A fast-paced forum Tuesday generated fewer fireworks than one last month.
Associated Press
Brian Moran (from left), Sen. Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe debate Tuesday in Annandale. They are vying for the Democratic nomination for governor.
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ANNANDALE -- The three Democrats running for governor got one last chance to sharpen their differences on the same stage Tuesday, renewing familiar arguments on the economy, energy policy and their respective records in their final debate before the June 9 primary.
State Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County, former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe of McLean fine-tuned the messages they want to hammer home in the closing weeks of a vigorously contested campaign. And both Deeds and Moran again raised questions about McAuliffe's lofty campaign promises and his ability to navigate the legislative process in the state Capitol.
But Tuesday's fast-paced forum generated fewer fireworks than the previous Democratic debate in Blacksburg last month, when heated exchanges among the candidates occasionally escalated to shouting. Instead, the candidates often struggled Tuesday to finish a thought before debate moderators cut them off because of time restrictions. The Washington Post and Washington's News Channel 8 sponsored Tuesday's forum on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
Deeds emphasized his work in the General Assembly and said the state must develop a long-range transportation funding plan and boost support for public colleges to preserve Virginia's business-friendly climate.
"If we can do those things, the economy is going to be in fine shape here, and that's the governor I intend to be," he said.
Moran also touted his legislative record and his focus on the needs of small businesses and middle class families. He also reaffirmed his opposition to offshore oil and gas drilling and a proposed coal-fired power plant in eastern Virginia, saying "We must connect the dots between energy, a strong economy and protecting our environment."
McAuliffe, a well-connected and prolific Democratic fundraiser, cast himself as an outsider who would bring "a fresh approach, some big, bold new ideas" to the governor's mansion. He repeatedly mentioned a multifaceted "business plan" that outlines his positions on an array of issues and said his campaign "isn't just talk."
All three candidates said alternative energy development would be central to their economic plans. But Deeds said other forms of energy development, including offshore drilling, should not be banned "until science takes it off the table."
Deeds also said it is "disingenuous" for McAuliffe to claim he would not accept contributions from Richmond-based utility giant Dominion Virginia Power and take money from the company's retired CEO, Thomas Capps.
McAuliffe received $2,500 from Capps on March 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
McAuliffe said he would not accept money from Dominion's political action committee, but individual employees were free to contribute.
But Deeds and Moran both took aim at McAuliffe's record and campaign promises. Deeds said his supporters want to know how McAuliffe would pay for a list of campaign promises such as reforming Medicaid, creating new incentives to draw teachers to struggling schools and building a new high school gym in Martinsville.
McAuliffe replied that he would generate new tax revenue through aggressive economic moves and made no apologies for his ambitious proposals.
"Do you want me to get out of bed saying, 'I'm going to be 50th?' No," McAuliffe said. "You shoot for the moon. John Kennedy didn't say we're going to take the rocket halfway to the moon; it was all the way to the moon."
Moran targeted McAuliffe's business and investment background, suggesting his rival was more interested in turning profits for himself than creating and sustaining jobs while in the private sector. Early in the debate, in a reference to McAuliffe's business plan for the state, Moran said: "Business plans are about profit. We need a governor who puts people first."
McAuliffe swiped back, accusing Moran of engaging in "the politics of personal destruction."
"I've been out there, and I'll let my record stand," McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe criticized Moran for his record on payday lending, particularly a vote Moran cast on a 2002 bill that established regulations for payday lenders in the state. Moran and 75 members of the House of Delegates voted against an amendment proposed by then-Gov. Mark Warner that would have required the State Corporation Commission to study the impact of the new legislation.
When McAuliffe questioned Moran about the vote, Moran shot back: "I don't have time to teach you the legislative process, nor do Virginians have time for you to learn."
Moran and Deeds both supported legislation in 2008 that put new, severe restrictions on payday lenders. McAuliffe has said he wants to ban all forms of "predatory" lending, including car-title loans.
The Democratic nominee will face Republican Bob McDonnell, a former attorney general, in the fall election.
