The Attorney General nominees had a forum/debate this evening, and while the streaming feed was spotty, as was coverage immediately after, even the Washington Post agreed that the highlight of the evening was Steve Shannon demonstrating his ineptitude and proving once again he wasn’t capable:
The best moment was probably when Cuccinelli asked Shannon to name all the divisions in the attorney general’s office. Shannon said he’d get to that in a second but first wanted to address Cuccinelli’s previous remarks about a state tax increase in 2004.
Cuccinelli leaped to his feet, turned to moderator Scott Thuman of WJLA-TV, and said:
“Mr. Moderator, in court I’d object to a witness not answering the question.”Oh well, it wasn’t court. Shannon didn’t answer the question.
Shannon has consistently proven to not understand the responsibilities of the Attorney General’s office; again he attempted to criticize Cuccinelli for his refusal to call for Phil Hamilton’s resignation. RTD noted Shannon’s continued lack of understanding this week:
Yet unlike Jim Gilmore, another conservative Republican, Cuccinelli is not campaigning as though the AG’s office were the equivalent of the state’s top prosecutor — which it is not. (For the most part, the attorney general serves as the in-house lawyer for state agencies.) Shannon, however, largely is…
Back to the debate, Shannon intentionally smacked Creigh Deeds across the face, acknowledging the Democratic shortcomings in the economy this year:
All things being equal, Republicans should be getting the business endorsements… (emphasis added)
Yes, Creigh Deeds, Steve Shannon just called you out. Republicans of course are getting all the economic endorsements! Why? Because your economic plan sucks, Jody Wagner’s is non-existant, which is why Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling have been running away with this race since July! Your own Attorney General nominee knows you have NO chance, let alone Barack Obama and Tim Kaine! How’s the bottom of that bus looking?
While Bob McDonnell holds policy rollouts with both Bill Bolling and/or Ken Cuccinelli, when’s the last time you saw any coordination from Deeds, Wagner and/or Shannon? Reference RTD again:
This year the GOP seems to be running a more unified campaign than the Democrats. Bob McDonnell has held joint appearances and rolled out joint policy proposals with both Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and AG candidate Ken Cuccinelli. The Democrats have done little of that sort of thing. Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, and Steve Shannon might be coordinating their efforts behind the scenes, but to all public appearances one would think none of them had ever heard of the other two.
And Dems wonder why they’re losing? With ticketmates like these (a Finance Secretary who flunked math and a prosecutor who doesn’t know what the Attorney General’s office does) who needs opponents?
But fret not, my Democratic friends, Joe Biden will be here soon…that’ll fix everything….
