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D.J. Spiker

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...entrenched on the right as a member of the Establishment, proudly tattooed member of the Republican Party, bartender by trade serving both sides the libations needed to continue the debate and discourse. College student, ten years late, majoring in Public Policy and Administration with an eye to serving the conservative and Republican movement in the public or private sector. ducit amor patriae You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com. You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com.

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One Response to "Post-Debate Wrap: Live from Richmond"

1. 

   J.R. Hoeft October 13, 2009 07:11 am

   Great job, GC!

   Here are the releases put out by each campaign…

   McDonnell:

   In Statewide Debate Creigh Deeds Pledges to Raise Taxes; Angrily Attacks Opponent

   McDonnell Lays out Clear Contrast on Taxes, Spending, Jobs and the Economy

   McDonnell’s Positive Vision to Keep Taxes Low and Grow Jobs Trumps Creigh’s Angry Attacks and High Tax Plans

   RICHMOND- In the third debate of the gubernatorial contest Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, put his positive vision for new jobs and lower taxes up against Creigh Deeds’ negative attacks, lack of a transportation plan and clear commitment to raising taxes on Virginians in the middle of a recession. By the end of the hour the contrast in the two candidates’ visions and campaigns was once again crystal clear.

   Bob McDonnell spent his time stressing his opposition to unfunded federal mandates, making clear his commitment to keeping taxes low, laying out his vision to create new jobs in Virginia, talking about his support for charter schools, performance pay, getting more money into the classroom and awarding 100,000 more degrees over the next 15 years. McDonnell also was clear on his support for environmentally-friendly offshore drilling, encouraging green energy research in Virginia, and looking out Virginia’s growing senior population.

   In stark contrast, Creigh Deeds, now down to just 21 days until Election Day, again failed to lay out any transportation plan at all. He once again told voters they would have to elect him first, with no plan to consider before voting at all, and he then would assemble a panel to tell him to raise taxes. And he would do so immediately. And Creigh continued his negative onslaught against McDonnell, just 24 hours after one Virginia newspaper wrote, “Deeds and his hired campaign staff, arguably, have reached new lows for campaign negativity in Virginia.”

   The two candidates will meet for their final debate next Tuesday, October 20th at Roanoke College. The debate will be sponsored by WSLS.

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   Deeds

   DEEDS LAYS OUT PLAN TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA

   ~ McDonnell Dodges Questions, Runs From His Record ~

   RICHMOND– In front of the League of Women Voters and members of the AARP Virginia Monday, Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor, laid out his plan to move Virginia forward by creating jobs, expanding educational opportunities and developing an honest plan to solve our transportation problems. While Sen. Deeds laid out his plans to expand opportunity throughout the state, McDonnell continued to dodge questions and run from his conservative record.

   In the debate McDonnell embraced the Bush – Gilmore legacy which cost the Commonwealth, and the nation, thousands of jobs. Going back to the failed policies of Bush-Gilmore would be devastating for the Commonwealth and would undo all the progress made by Governors Warner and Kaine.

   When asked about redistricting, once again, McDonnell’s record didn’t match his rhetoric. He said he now supports a bipartisan redistricting commission, but as a state legislator he voted to kill bipartisan redistricting reform.

   When the discussion moved to transportation, McDonnell said “newspapers say I’m the only one with a plan.” But the truth is, papers have called his plan “dead on arrival,” “dishonest” and even “a laundry list of phony-baloney proposals.”

   Sen. Deeds has proposed the only approach to transportation which has worked in the last 30 years which is why the same papers have called his plan the only “honest” option. McDonnell couldn’t even admit to the real threat posed by climate change. When asked if he believes climate change is happening now, he once again refused to give voters a straight answer and instead attempted to spread lies which factcheck.org today called false.

   McDonnell also admitted he would rescind executive orders issued by Governors Warner and Kaine banning discrimination on basis of sexual orientation. This may be the first time in the history of the Commonwealth that a governor would take a step backwards on equal rights.

   Question after question, McDonnell continued to run from his record and refused to give Virginia straight forward answers.

   This debate once again proved that there is only one candidate with the record and integrity to restore Virginia’s economy.

   I. BOB MCDONNELL PLEDGED TO GOVERN AS A BUSH-GILMORE REPUBLICAN

   McDonnell Tonight: Republicans Like Bush and Gilmore Have Done Better Job
   “As you might suspect the likely answer for me is the Republicans have done a better job. But I tell you, we’re in a tough economy right now—the largest unemployment rate in decades, Judy, the budget—the $6 billion budget deficit. And to me, this is the most important issue facing us during this election—is which candidate’s got the best ideas, the best vision, the best record of experience, and the best leadership skills to be able to turn the economy around. I think all those presidents and all those governors have done some good things. Every President, every leader, tries to put in place the policies that will promote start-ups and entrepreneurship, but I think the Republican presidents that have invested in lower taxes and limited regulation, and keeping strong Right to Work laws, and invested in the future of our colleges so that we’ve got good research universities for our young people to live the American dream—I think those are the ideas that have helped.”

   FACT: McDonnell Supported Disastrous Gilmore/Bush Policies

   * Governor Gilmore’s Fiscal Policies Threatened Virginia’s Aaa Bond Rating. In an editorial, The Daily News Leader wrote: “The news that Virginia has been put on Moody’s Investors Services’ ‘watch list’ didn’t cause many ripples among most Virginians, but it should have… [Virginia] carries a Aaa bond rating; the Titanium Card as far as such things go….What concerns Moody’s – and we should all be concerned – is Virginia’s rapidly evaporating revenue streams. This is an issue that has been simmering in the Commonwealth for years, but came to a rolling boil during the Gilmore administration. During the four years Jim Gilmore was governor, all that mattered was funding the three-word mantra that got the former state attorney general into the capitol – ‘No Car Tax.’ Books were cooked, funds were shifted, and the rainy-day fund just about dried up….This was the fiscal morass inherited by Gov. Mark R. Warner in January 2002.” (Editorial, The Daily News Leader, 9/26/03)

   * Bush Economy Led To The “Biggest Upheavals To Hit The Global Financial System Since The Great Depression.” “Financial officials from the world’s wealthiest industrial countries are pledging decisive action to deal with the biggest upheavals to hit the global financial system since the Great Depression.” (Associated Press Financial Wire, 10/11/08)

   * U.S. Lost Approximately 4.4 Million Jobs Under Bush During This Recession. “The stimulus package was designed to ‘save or create’ 3.5 million jobs, according to the administration. But the nation has already lost 4.4 million jobs since the start of the recession. Many banks and other financial institutions, whose health is critical to the economy, are teetering, and the Treasury Department has yet to finalize the details of its plans to remove from their balance sheets the toxic assets dragging them down.” (The Washington Post, 3/7/09)

   * 63% Of Virginians Believe The Bush Administration Is Largely To Blame For The Country’s Economic Situation. In an August Washington Post poll, 63% of Virginians responded that the Bush administration is either a “great deal” to blame, or a “good deal” to blame for the country’s economic situation. (The Washington Post Poll, 8/14/09, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_081609.html?sid=ST2009081503351)

   II. BIPARTISAN REDISTRICTING

   McDonnell Tonight: Support Bipartisan Redistricting, Just Needed To Study It
   “Now I do support the bipartisan redistricting approach. Unlike my opponent though, I studied that for a while Judy, because in a lot of the states it passed but it really, I don’t think, achieved its desired goals. We’ve already got laws and have had in Virginia to make sure we’ve got a community of interests and that we make sure we comply with the federal civil rights and the voter’s rights act. And the problem was one of enforcement as opposed to the actual law. Now interestingly, Creigh had no interest in bipartisan redistricting as long as his party was in power for the first 10 years. It was only after the Republicans took over that he started his interest in this. But I support, I studied it for two years, and I think its worth a shot. We do want to have more citizen involvement, we want more open government, and so I’ve said whether the General Assembly the bill or not, Judy, that I will have a way to make sure we have good citizen involvement in drawing those district lines.”

   FACT: McDonnell An Election Year Convert on Bipartisan Redistricting

   MCDONNELL NOW: McDonnell Flip-Flopped On Bipartisan Redistricting Commission, Now Favors. Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, “McDonnell… is changing his mind on bipartisan redistricting and now supports an idea he resisted as a legislator.” McDonnell included it in his policy rollout of his ‘good-government package.’ “In the past, I have not been supportive of this issue,’ said McDonnell, a former attorney general, adding that redistricting should ‘not be left solely to the political whims of the legislature.’” (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/21/09 and Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/23/09)

   MCDONNELL THEN:

   * 2004: McDonnell Voted to Kill Bipartisan Redistricting Reform. In 2004, Bob McDonnell voted in committee to kill bipartisan redistricting reform. (History of HJ165, 2004)

   * 2008: Bob McDonnell refused to support legislation to eliminate partisan redistricting. In 2008, “three members of a House of Delegates subcommittee killed a bill designed to depoliticize the process by which legislative districts are drawn.” This was legislation to eliminate partisan redistricting. Bob McDonnell did not support this bill. He “told reform advocates that he is unconvinced an independent redistricting commission will improve cooperation between the two parties. McDonnell says he prefers instead to focus on laws to increase civility and reduce malicious rhetoric and campaign tactics during elections.” (The Virginian-Pilot, 08/25/08)

   * Earlier This Year: McDonnell a Proponent of “Status Quo” Before Run For Governor Kicked Into Gear. According to an editorial in The Free-Lance Star, “Bob McDonnell…sees nothing…wrong with the status quo.” (The Free-Lance Star, 02/23/09)

   III. MCDONNELL’S “DEAD ON ARRIVAL,” “PHONY BALONEY” TRANSPORTATION PLAN

   MCDONNELL TONIGHT: Tonight McDonnell claimed that : ‘Newspapers say I’m the only one with a plan.’ In fact, his plan has been panned by newspapers that have looked at it as “dishonest,” “Phony,” and “destructive.”

   FACT: MCDONNELL’S PLAN REJECTED AS DISHONEST AND DESTRUCTIVE

   * Washington Post: McDonnell’s Transportation Plan Is “A Laundry List Of Phony-Baloney Proposals.” “His Republican opponent, former attorney general Robert F. McDonnell, has ruled out new taxes and instead enumerated a laundry list of phony-baloney proposals that will not pay for much in the way of road improvements.” (Editorial, The Washington Post, 10/7/09)

   * Washington Post: File Under “Don’t Hold Your Breath” And “Politically Dead On Arrival.” In an editorial, the Washington Post wrote: “Much of the plan relies on wildly optimistic assumptions, brazen exaggerations, gauzy projections and far-off scenarios: budget surpluses and revenue growth that may not materialize; interstate tolls that the federal government may not approve; royalties from offshore oil and gas wells that may not be drilled; borrowing that the state may not be able to afford anytime soon. Lump all that in a file called ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath.’ Insert some of his other proposals — such as diverting some sales tax revenue from schools, public safety and human services statewide to pay for Northern Virginia road improvements — into a file called ‘Politically Dead on Arrival.’ Quite simply, much of what Mr. McDonnell has in mind would almost certainly not come to pass during his four-year term as governor, if ever.” (Editorial, Washington Post, 9/26/09)

   * Washington Post: “McDonnell Is Being Dishonest With Virginians.” “By ruling out any new taxes while pretending he can be painlessly massage away the problem, McDonnell is being dishonest with Virginians.” (Editorial, The Washington Post, 09/20/09)

   * Roanoke Times: McDonnell’s Transportation Plan “Recycled, Destructive And Failed Ideas.” In an editorial, the Roanoke Times wrote: “Deeds’ everything-is-on-the-table approach offers the flexibility to come up with innovative and workable strategies. Which is far more than can be said of McDonnell’s laundry list of recycled, destructive and failed ideas.” (Editorial, The Roanoke Times, 9/25/09)

   * Virginian-Pilot: McDonnell’s Plan “Is Chock Full Of Specifics” But Policies Are “Flawed And Futile.” In an editorial, The Virginian-Pilot wrote: “Republican Bob McDonnell’s plan…is chock full of specifics, but it’s those details that expose exactly how flawed and futile his policies are. Many of the ideas in his 20-page plan ring familiar because they have been rejected multiple times by state lawmakers, and McDonnell has yet to explain how he plans to recycle these clunkers into a successful road plan — or why this time he expects passage. Instead, he goes through a complex series of contortions to give the appearance he is generating new dollars for transportation without actually committing himself to the difficult task of raising those funds. Much of the money he promises to spend on roads comes from existing revenue sources now earmarked for schools, health care and law enforcement.” (Editorial, The Virginian-Pilot, 7/28/09)

   IV. MCDONNELL DODGES CLIMATE CHANGE QUESTION – WON’T ANSWER YES OR NO

   Q: Do you consider climate change a serious threat to Virginia’s economy and the environment, and if so what steps do you propose Virginia take to prevent it’s worse impact.

   McDonnell: Well, I think scientists have had this discussion for a while, and it’s evident that for policy makers that we need to do some things to reduce carbon emissions, and that’s where the debate is at both the state and federal level. I think we also need to understand, though, that we need to have more energy resources in Virginia, and that’s why I’m the only candidate that’s actually laid out a very comprehensive program to be able to have energy independence, coal and natural gas and nuclear, offshore drilling, but also to promote new incentives for alternatives: wind and solar and biomass. …

   V. MCDONNELL ADMITS HE WILL RESCIND ANTI- DISCRIMIANTION ORDER

   * McDonnell Tonight: Would Roll Back Anti-Discrimiantion Policies “ I did sign an opinion saying that I believe that that executive order was unconstitutional because it violated the separation of powers. The General Assembly—and I believe when you raise your hand to say you’re going to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Virginia when you’re sworn in, that that means something, regardless of what your underlying feelings may be. So, I believe that that executive order was a violation of the separation of powers. The General Assembly had clearly intended to occupy that entire field of employment discrimination, and so it’s up to them. But I certainly, as Governor, as I was as Attorney General, as I was when I was a business manager, will hire people solely based on merit.”

   * McDonnell’s Record: Opposed Anti-Discrimination Order One Of McDonnell’s First Acts As Attorney General Was Opinion Stating Governors Warner And Kaine Could Not Ban Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation. “Orders outgoing Gov. Mark R. Warner and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine issued banning job discrimination against gays by state agencies are unconstitutional, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell ruled Friday. In a seven-page legal opinion, the Republican attorney general said the two Democratic governors illegally altered state public policy by treating gays and lesbians as a protected class of employees.” (The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 2/24/06)

   * Gov. Kaine Said He Would Ignore McDonnell’s Opinion. The Washington Post reported: “Kaine said he would ignore the six-page advisory opinion from Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R). ‘I’m not going to tell my Cabinet secretaries and agency heads that they are now free to discriminate,’ he said.” (Washington Post, 2/25/06)

   * Roanoke Times: “McDonnell Has Shown He Will Use…Power To Advance A Social Agenda.” In an editorial, the Roanoke Times wrote: “Already this year, the office has issued a dozen opinions…Such decisions shape policy debate in Richmond and influence what happens throughout the state. Alas, McDonnell has shown he will use that power to advance a social agenda.” (Editorial, The Roanoke Times, 2/28/06)

   * Virginian-Pilot: McDonnell Opinion Was A Malignant Embrace Of His Extreme Former Colleagues. The Virginian-Pilot called this opinion by Bob McDonnell a “malignant embrace of some of his more extreme former colleagues.” (The Virginian-Pilot, 03/02/06)

   * Free Lance-Star: Opinion Has “Partisanship And Ideology Slithering Between Its Paragraphs.” “The Free-Lance Star said “it is hard to read this opinion without seeing the asps of partisanship and ideology slithering between its paragraphs.” (The Free Lance-Star, 03/08/06)

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