Creigh Deeds called Bob McDonnell a liar in last night’s debate. And it was music to my ears.
Even though Deeds has run one of the nastiest, most disingenuous campaigns in memory –
(hey, don’t take my word for it):
The News and Advance said “His television ads have been below-the-belt and beyond-the-pale attacks” and continued by saying that one of Deeds ads was ” a blatant lie and distortion.”
In the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, Linda White wrote in her October 4 column:
“But I’ve been sorely disappointed with [Deeds] campaign. In fact, I’m disgusted with the nature of the TV ads he’s been running, and I’m holding out hope that, in this last month, he’ll see the light and get square. Because when “whatever it takes to win” becomes a politician’s game plan, voters lose.”
Even the Washington Post wrote that Deeds has been “desperate” and “angry and ideologically inflamed.”
– Deeds has now seen fit to at least confront McDonnell on an issue and have the gall to call McDonnell the liar.
While McDonnell is too much the statesman to get upset over such nonsense, it does enable the rest of us to at least discuss the issue that Deeds got upset about: cap-and-trade. From CQ:
McDonnell, a former state legislator and Attorney General, repeatedly accused Deeds, a state senator, of supporting higher taxes and linked him to what McDonnell said were “big-government programs” promoted by the Democratic-run political establishment in Washington, D.C.
For instance, McDonnell used a question about climate change to criticize a “cap and trade” anti- pollution bill in Congress and criticize it as “federal energy tax that’s going to drive up the cost” of electricity.
Deeds said that he opposes the legislation in its present form because it would raise electricity rates and burden Virginia businesses. He said McDonnell was lying when he said Deeds was backing the effort of national Democrats on “cap and trade.”
“He wants this campaign to be decided on issues he wants to lie about,” Deeds said.
Deeds thought that by saying McDonnell is misrepresenting his position on this job-killing legislation, that he’d get a free pass.
Uh-uh. Let’s go to the video tape.
In the video, Deeds unequivocally stated that beyond educating people about global warming, mandating policies to reduce greenhouse cases (read: carbon emissions) is acceptable.
Folks, the only policy out there right now that does this is cap-and-trade.
His campaign is quick to point out that he doesn’t support Waxman-Markey or any other “CURRENT” legislation on cap-and-trade. This is probably true because, in Deeds mind, “CURRENT” legislation doesn’t go far enough. When the senator was serving on the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change he was all for a Cap-and-Trade bill that would reduce emissions by 25% by 2020; current legislation stops at 20%.
And, if you think that his just serving on the board isn’t enough to convince you of his belief in the proposal, check out what he said to the Sierra Club: “As a member of Gov. Kaine’s Climate Change commission, I have endorsed the many measures undertaken through our work.”
The Sierra Club supports cap-and-trade legislation…so I wouldn’t suspect that he’d tell them he’s against it.
The bottom-line is that cap-and-trade is going to cost the average Virginian $1700 per year. When you couple that with Deeds propensity to raise the gas tax, we’re looking at, best case, another couple hundred dollars being taken from your wallet.
Virginia just can’t afford Creigh Deeds. I know I can’t.
But at least we’re talking issues again.
