Bob McDonnell

Bob McDonnell: GOP Governors Deserve Credit For The Recovery, Not Obama

Sahil Kapur | February 5, 2012, 1:39PM

Bob McDonnell

Virginia Governor and Mitt Romney surrogate Bob McDonnell (R) on Sunday floated what may turn into a Republican talking point if the economy continues to improve: It wasn't President Obama who made it happen, it was the GOP governors.

"Look, I'm glad the economy is starting to recover, but I think it's because of what Republican governors are doing in their states, not because of the president," McDonnell said on CNN's "State of the Union."

The Virginia governor unleashed a comprehensive broadside against Obama's economic record and governance in his first term. "It's been a complete failure of leadership," he said. "He cannot run on his record. He's had no plan for jobs or energy that he's got passed, so he's got a tough record."

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Rick Perry

Rick Perry's RGA Replacement Says The Bernanke Quote Was A Bad Move

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 17, 2011, 9:58AM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R)

Add Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to the list of Republicans raising an eyebrow at Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) recent "almost treasonous" line about Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke.

"Governor perry is a tough guy but a compassionate guy," McDonnell, who just took over as chair of the Republican Governors Association after Perry left to run for president, told MSNBC this morning. "I thought the remarks probably were something that could have been said differently."

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Hypocrisy

Republican Governors Quietly Accept Federal Dollars -- While Attacking Federal Spending

Brian Beutler | April 20, 2011, 9:17AM

Govs. Rick Perry, John Kasich (R-OH), Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Tom Corbett (R-PA)

Republican governors stormed into state houses this January after campaigning against federal spending, and various so-called state bailouts. They won in part by painting a slanted picture of fiscal mismanagement by their Democratic predecessors.

That rhetoric -- and the rhetoric of their more senior Republican peers -- continues to this day, and occasionally translates into genuinely puzzling acts of malgovernance. Florida Governor Rick Scott, for example, turned down $2.4 billion in federal funds to build a high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa.

But in other ways, their failure to publicly embrace additional federal commitments during tough economic times has left them behind the eight ball, politically. As the costs to their states of providing needed social services has risen, and their revenue has fallen, they're looking for sub rosa ways to take the money without catching flak from their bases.

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Bob McDonnell

VA Governor: It's Time For The House GOP To Lead On Entitlement Reform (VIDEO)

Andrew Jones | February 16, 2011, 5:50PM

In the mind of Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA), if the President doesn't take the first step on entitlement reform, than it's time for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to take up the mantle.

On Fox's Your World this afternoon, McDonnell talked to fill-in host Stuart Varney, saying that he hoped that the national party's majority in the House would bring the "tough message to the American people" on entitlement reform.

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Bob McDonnell

Poll: Majority of VA Voters Approve Of Gov. McDonnell

Jon Terbush | December 22, 2010, 2:49PM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has made a name for himself over his first year in office by vocally opposing the Obama administration's signature initiatives -- and according to a recent poll, his constituents seem to like it.

In a new Roanoke College poll, 57% of Virginia voters said they approve of the way McDonnell is handling his job as governor, versus 26% who said they disapprove. In the same poll, just 36% of respondents approved of President Obama's job performance, while 52% said they disapproved.

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Health Care

After Court Ruling, Virginia Health Secretary Gives Reform The Thumbs Up

Brian Beutler | December 16, 2010, 9:46AM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, (third from left), Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (center), Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (third from right) and others observe a moment of silence

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is still taking victory laps (and raising money) after posing the first successful court challenge to the new health care reform law. But just one day after the verdict came down, a state panel appointed by his own governor, Bob McDonnell found that "health reform is worth doing" and urged swift implementation of the bill, even as legal challenges against it proceed.

Buried deep within the report is a caveat about the importance of the insurance mandate, which Cuccinelli is fighting on Constitutional grounds.

"[T]he insurance reforms scheduled to go into effect in 2014 - especially guaranteed issue (insurers must sell to all comers) and modified community rating (no differential rating by health status) - would make adverse selection a much greater risk if there is no mandate or if the mandate is ineffectual," a draft of the report reads. "Given the lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate, as well as the controversy over the weak mandate penalty if it does remain in place, the likelihood of national reform legislation changing between now and 2014 is relatively high."

The panel is chaired by Virginia's Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel, whom McDonnell appointed earlier this year. I guess that means Virginia's official position on health care reform is that it's an unconstitutional threat to our liberty, but if the courts don't throw out our Quixotic court challenge, by God, we'll take it! Sic Semper Tyrranis.

[H/T: Kaiser Health News]

Health Care

DOJ Will Appeal Health Care Lawsuit, Says It Shouldn't Be Fast Tracked

Ryan J. Reilly | December 14, 2010, 2:00PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

The Justice Department said Tuesday that they'll appeal a federal judge's ruling that the individual mandate contained in the health care law is unconstitutional and said the case shouldn't head straight for the Supreme Court.

"We intend to appeal the district court's ruling in Virginia to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals," Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler told TPM in a statement.

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Health Care

An Error By Dems May Allow The Lawsuit Against Health Care Reform To Succeed

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2010, 8:44AM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, (third from left), Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (center), Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (third from right) and others observe a moment of silence

Conservative foes of the Affordable Care Act want the federal courts to smother the new health care law in its crib. They've argued that Democrats failed to erect the proper safeguards to protect the legislation from being stricken down entirely by the courts. And when a Virginia district court judge rules in the coming days on the Constitutionality of the law's insurance mandate, he'll also have to decide whether none, some, or all of the law must go with it.

The obscure term of art here is "severability".

Quite often, legislators include what's known as a "severability clause" in their bills. These are meant to protect the bulk of a law in the event that a small portion of it is determined to be unconstitutional. That small portion must go, or be changed, but pretty much everything else is allowed to stand.

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2012 elections

Report: GOPers Begging Haley Barbour Not To Run For President

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 14, 2010, 8:57AM

Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS)

Faced with the prospect of squaring off in 2012 against the first African American president, some Republicans are begging the Governor of Mississippi to stay out of the running. According to Politico's Mike Allen, "a handful of well-known Republicans" will reach out to Gov. Haley Barbour (R) and "urge him, for the good of his party, to run for chairman of the Republican National Committee rather than the party's nomination for president, as he currently plans."

Barbour, who is currently head of the Republican Governors Association -- the "largest pot of party money" on the GOP side, as Allen reports -- will be tempted away from a run at Obama with two tasty plums. First, the argument "that he could make an immediate impact on his party at a critical juncture." Second? "Barbour would get a plum job like ambassador to London" if the Republicans win in 2012.

Barbour, of course, has already served as RNC chair once. He ran the party's headquarters in Washington from 1993-1997. Despite the fact that Bill Clinton was in the White House, the years are remembered fondly by Republicans thanks to the 1994 GOP midterm elections sweep. In comparison to the RNC of today, the era is nothing but salad days for Republicans. Current RNC chair Michael Steele has become something of a laughingstock for political observers, and his tenure has not produced the same kind of fundraising results Barbour brought to the RGA after taking over for avid hiker/South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.

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Nullification

Does Bob McDonnell Think States Can Nullify Federal Laws? He Won't Say

Eric Kleefeld | August 5, 2010, 11:05AM

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) is not taking a position on the idea of nullification -- the notion that a state can unilaterally override a federal law (and a notion that has been consistently rejected in federal courts).

The Roanoke Times reports on McDonnell's appearance at a town hall meeting on Wednesday:

He also fielded questions about how to deal with the problems of illegal immigration, the influence of lobbyists, losses in education funding, the placement of electricity-generating windmills and the constitutional question of "nullification."

While complimenting the questioner on his knowledge of the Constitution, McDonnell declined to say whether he backed that notion, a legal argument that a state may invalidate or nullify a federal law it believes violates the 10th Amendment's delegation to the states or the people all rights not designated to the federal government.

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FL-GOV

McCollum Hit With Questions Over Fundraising Connections in FL-GOV

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 14, 2010, 6:55PM

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum -- locked in an increasingly tough Republican gubernatorial primary with former hospital CEO Rick Scott -- could be about to find his campaign in some legal trouble, according to the St. Petersburg Times. That's not be the best situation for the state's top law-enforcement officer to find himself in while be battles for position on the campaign trail.

From the Times' report, based on "documents obtained" by the paper:

McCollum is using his name to solicit contributions for the Florida First Initiative, which is airing attack ads against rival Rick Scott...despite his campaign's suggestion that they are not affiliated.

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2010 elections

New Ads Target Bob McDonnell's Ties With African Americans In Virginia

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 19, 2010, 1:02PM

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R)

In the wake of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's (R) botched Confederate History Month declaration, a new group of Democrats has gone on the air to tell African Americans in the state their new Governor is not the big-tent leader he promised to be.

Though Virginia's one-term limit means McDonnell can't run again, the new PAC sponsoring the ads says stoking frustration over the slavery flap will help boost Democratic turnout in the state closer to the levels that helped President Obama win Virgina in 2008.

The ad, currently running on African American radio in Virgina, makes no bones about targeting the tentative ties to the black community McDonnell's supporters claimed he forged during his all-moderate-all-the-time 2009 campaign.

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Ken Cuccinelli

Virginia AG Cuccinelli: 'A Tea Partier Before There Was A Tea Party'

Zachary Roth | April 12, 2010, 8:50AM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

When Ken Cuccinelli ran last year to be attorney general of Virginia, he made no effort to hide his strident conservatism.

Cuccinelli made the Gadsden Flag -- which, with its "Don't Tread On Me" message, has lately been adopted by Tea Partiers -- an official symbol of his campaign. He told a crowd he was thinking of not registering his son for a social security number because "it is being used to track you." He even seemed to flirt with Birtherism. "Ken was a tea partier before there was a Tea Party," one Virginia Republican told the New York Times recently.

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Health care lawsuits

Health Care Lawsuits Splitting Govs And AGs Nationwide

Christina Bellantoni | March 30, 2010, 2:32PM

Clockwise, from top left: Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA), Gov. Chris Gregoire (D-WA), Attorney General Bill McCollum (R-FL), Attorney General Tom Corbett (R-PA), Attorney General Rob McKenna (R-WA), Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO) and a copy of the health care bill

Lawsuits challenging health care reform have popped up in several states and are drawn nearly entirely on partisan lines, in some cases fracturing top state government officials where the governor is a Democrat and attorney general is a Republican who joined the legal challenge. In Missouri, Lt. Gov Peter Kinder (R) so badly wanted to be part of the lawsuit that he bucked his Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon and the attorney general to say he'll be joining the other attorneys general on his own.

There are a handful of other splits across the country -- Michigan, Washington state, Pennsylvania and Colorado -- which create a tough political climate for anyone attempting to get something done at the state level. Louisiana is the one bipartisan example, with Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and Attorney General Buddy Caldwell (D) agreeing to join the lawsuit.

The legal challenge has been the latest trend among Republicans, with GOPers trying to one-up each other on the question of whether health care should be repealed, deemed unconstitutional, or left alone. It's become a litmus test for conservatives.

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Bob McDonnell

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Rolls Back Non-Discrimination Protections For Gay State Workers

Christina Bellantoni | February 17, 2010, 3:22PM

Virgina Gov. Bob McDonnell

Gay and lesbian state workers in Virginia are no longer specifically protected against discrimination, thanks to a little-noticed change made by new Gov. Bob McDonnell.

McDonnell (R) on Feb. 5 signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination "on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities," as well as veterans.

It rescinds the order that Gov. Tim Kaine signed Jan. 14, 2006 as one of his first actions. After promising a "fair and inclusive" administration in his inaugural address, Kaine (D) added veterans to the non-discrimination policy - and sexual orientation.

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Stimulus

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Then: Stimulus Bad. Now: Thanks For The Cash!

Christina Bellantoni | February 16, 2010, 10:02AM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is now offering effusive praise for $24 million in federal funds that allowed him to establish an office of Health Information Technology and to fund a program helping Virginia doctors transition to electronic medical records.

Just one problem - he thinks the government shouldn't have spent that money to begin with.

One year ago, McDonnell told reporters the stimulus plan "is not going to be good long-term for America," though he did say according to the Virginian-Pilot that the Commonwealth should still "collect its share of the stimulus anyway."

Last summer, the Roanoke Times reported that McDonnell said the stimulus created more problems than it solved.

Yesterday, McDonnell (R) lauded Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for "advancing such a critical issue."

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State Of The Union

McDonnell Promotes His Rebuttal Via Google Ads

Christina Bellantoni | January 27, 2010, 7:58PM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) purchased Google ads touting his State of the Union response.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's political action committee has purchased Google ads to make sure Americans looking for the State of the Union address see his response.

It's being live-streamed here at a new site paid for by his Opportunity Virginia PAC and has been heavily promoted on the Internet.

We spoke with a very plugged-in tech type, who said it was a smart use of technology to generated buzz. McDonnell was up first with the ad, and the Democratic National Committee was not far behind with one of their own.

As we told you earlier, McDonnell is giving the rebuttal live in the Virginia House of Delegates chamber where he once served. (Excerpts of his remarks here.)

Democrats also are knocking McDonnell for at first only inviting Republicans to attend the address.

Bob McDonnell

McDonnell Giving SOTU Rebuttal In Front Of Audience

Christina Bellantoni | January 27, 2010, 8:27AM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has learned a lesson from awkward State of the Union responses in years past, and tonight will offer his rebuttal to President Obama's speech in front of 300 people in the House of Delegates chamber.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin told TPMDC that the newly inaugurated governor will speak surrounded by family, supporters, government officials and lawmakers who will be seated on chairs on the risers behind him.

That image - and likely applause - will be a stark contrast to Gov. Bobby Jindal's response to the Obama speech (not officially a State of the Union since he'd just taken office) last year and to the two other Virginians tasked with the response during George W. Bush's presidency.

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VA-GOV

McDonnell Spent $2M More Than Deeds In Final Weeks Of Va. Campaign

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 8:59AM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

New reports for the final weeks of the Virginia governor's race show the Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell dramatically outspent Democratic State Sen. Creigh Deeds before crushing him in a landslide.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan group that posted all the data covering from Oct. 22 to Nov. 26, Deeds spent $1.8 million while McDonnell spent $3.8 million.

Deeds had $91,590 in his campaign account as of Nov. 26 and McDonnell had nearly $600,000 left in his account.

More detail from the Washington Post here.

Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson Co-Chairing McDonnell's Inauguration

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 4:37PM

Sheila Johnson, BET Co-Founder

A special name pops up on the list of co-chairs for Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell's (R-VA) inauguration: Sheila Johnson, a co-founder of Black Entertainment Television -- who is best known for having made fun of Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds for stuttering.

The McDonnell campaign had initially declined to condemn Johnson's joke or distance themselves from it, after it had come to light. Johnson herself issued an apology shortly afterward. Her status in the campaign did not seem to be damaged, as she later continued to hold McDonnell events and even starred in a campaign ad.

Also on the list is Susan Allen, a former first lady of the state, and wife of former Governor and former Senator George Allen.

Ed Gillespie

Ed Gillespie Joins McDonnell Transition Team In VA

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 13, 2009, 5:25PM

Fmr. White House Advisor Ed Gillespie

Former George W. Bush adviser Ed Gillespie has found a new Republican executive to guide behind the scenes -- Virginia's Governor-elect, Bob McDonnell.

Gillespie was McDonnell's campaign chair during the campaign, which ended in a McDonnell landslide on Nov. 3. He's now signed on to the McDonnell transition team as a "Senior Advisor."

Others on the list announced today by McDonnell's transition team include former GOP Representatives Tom Davis and Thelma Drake. Both left Virginia's congressional delegation in 2008. Current House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's wife, Diana, is also on the list. She is a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs and the founder of Virginia's independently-run College Savings Plan.

Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 2:18PM

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine and RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: RNC chairman Michael Steele, DNC chairman Tim Kaine

• CBS, Face The Nation: Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), Republican political consultant Ed Rollins, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R-VA).

• Fox News Sunday: Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R-VA), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA).

VA-GOV

Deeds Thanks Supporters, Says 'Next Chapter Has Yet To Be Written'

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 10:23PM

VA-Gov. candidate Creigh Deeds (D)

In his victory speech tonight, Gov-elect Bob McDonnell (R-VA) thanked his rival Creigh Deeds (D) and promised to work for all Virginians.

He also said he'd keep working with Deeds, who will remain in the state senate.

Deeds just sent supporters a thank-you note and said he will keep fighting "for the working families of Virginia."

Full note after the jump.

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VA-GOV

All Politics Is Local For McDonnell Tonight

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2009, 10:08PM

As national GOP leaders continue to suggest his victory his a boon for Republicans across the country, governor-elect Bob McDonnell kept it local in his Virginia victory speech tonight.

"To my fellow Virginians I say I am very humbled and honored," McDonnell told a cheering crowd at his victory rally in Richmond tonight. "I am ready to go to work to serve you and help lead Virginia for the next four years."

He made no mention of the national Republican resurgence GOP leaders say McDonnell's landslide victory over Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds brings with it.

"For those of you who are here who supported me I say 'thank you,'" McDonnell said. "For those of you who did not support me I say, 'give me a chance to earn your trust.'"

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VA-GOV

Pawlenty On Virginia: Voters Embraced McDonnell's 'Conservative Message'

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 8:46PM

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued a statement on Bob McDonnell's (R-VA) win in Virginia tonight:

"I want to send my congratulations to Bob, Maureen and their family. Bob ran a positive campaign based on the conservative principles of fiscal responsibility and low taxes. Virginians embraced his conservative message, rejecting more taxes, card-check and spending that would hurt economic growth and job creation. I'm especially proud of the RGA's historic role in supporting Bob's effort, and look forward to working with the Governor-Elect next year."

VA-GOV

Steele: GOP Sweep In Virginia 'Blow' To Obama

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 8:14PM

Candidate For Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA)

RNC Chairman Mike Steele is happy about Bob McDonnell's win in Virginia, and sends over a statement regarding the expected sweep from the GOP ticket.

Steele takes a whack at Obama:

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VA-GOV

Virginia: McDonnell Wins After Lackluster Turnout

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 7:59PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

The AP and MSNBC have called the Virginia gubernatorial race for Republican Bob McDonnell.

The unsurprising win keeps the Virginia tradition going - the party that controls the White House has lost the election for governor since 1977.

Though it came later than expected, it's bad news for Virginia Democrats, who are likely to lose House seats tonight and potentially the downticket races as well. The Democrats have held the governor's mansion since 2002 and have made gains in recent years.

President Obama was the first Democrat to win the state's presidential vote since 1964, and Virginia's electoral votes put him over the top to capture the presidency.

Creigh Deeds (D) had banked his entire strategy in the last few weeks on turning out Obama voters.

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VA-GOV

Virginia Early Results: McDonnell Leading

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 7:31PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

Half an hour after polls closed and with less than 5 percent of precincts reporting in Virginia, gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell (R) is leading Creigh Deeds (D).

It's a better-than-expected result at this early hour, since Deeds had been trailing by double digits and many thought the race would be called in McDonnell's favor by this point.

The early exit polls suggest low turnout, a polarized electorate with Democrats favoring Deeds, Republicans backing McDonnell and McDonnell winning more of the indpendent voters.

Hotline OnCall has collected exit poll results.

VA-GOV

Voters Say 'Thanks But No Thanks' To VA-Gov

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2009, 5:55PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

Though it's been the talk of national pundits for weeks, the Virginia gubernatorial contest has not caught the attention of voters.

From the AP:

Turnout in the race between Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell was light to moderate across the state.

VA-GOV

Virginia Democrats Say There Is Strong Turnout But Reports From Field Suggest Otherwise

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 1:44PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

We've been hearing all day about low turnout in Virginia, with no lines and fewer ballots turned in at this point in the day than one year ago when there was record participation.

But gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, who is banking everything on turnout, is telling people otherwise.

Deeds Campaign Manager Joe Abbey tells reporters in an email:

"We are seeing encouraging numbers in key parts of the state. Northern and Central Virginia in particular look strong. The Charlottesville area, which includes areas represented by Creigh Deeds in the state Senate is particularly strong and 10 percent of voters in key Democratic precincts had already voted by 10 AM. Meanwhile, voters in the populous and Democratic precincts of Alexandria and Arlington have been voting at rates well above the average in other parts of the Commonwealth."

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VA-GOV

Deeds Camp: Last Minute Robertson Donations Show McDonnell's 'True Agenda'

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 12:58PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

Creigh Deeds' campaign flags a Washington Post story showing his rival Bob McDonnell (R-VA) took in $40,000 from Pat Robertson, his son and daughter-in-law at the last minute.

The story shows the campaign took in $25,000 from Robertson, who McDonnell has said he has only spoken to a few times this year.

Deeds (D-VA) has made an issue of McDonnell's ties to the religious right and suggested in a statement that the Republican is trying to hide an "out-of-the-mainstream social agenda."

Spokesman Jared Leopold emailed reporters:

"Bob McDonnell's true agenda has been revealed. Pat Robertson's chosen candidate has come back home. If Virginians want a governor beholden to Pat Robertson, Bob McDonnell is their man. But if they want a jobs governor, the choice is clearly Creigh Deeds."

Jim Moran

Jim Moran: If GOP Were Running In Afghanistan, They Would Be On The 'Taliban Ticket'

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 11:58AM

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) made a tough accusation against the Republicans at a Sunday get-out-the-vote rally in Virginia -- openly accusing them of being like the Taliban.

"I mean, if the Republicans were running in Afghanistan, they'd be running on the Taliban ticket as far as I can see," Moran declared.

The campaign of Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell, who has been attacked by the Democrats for his staunch social conservatism -- and a hard-right college thesis written in his 30s -- called Moran's comments "negative" and "vicious."

After that initial remark, Moran doesn't appear to be keeping this up. My TPM colleague Christina Bellantoni was at last night's rally, and tells me that Moran did not say anything like that last night. So he definitely toned it down after Sunday.

VA-GOV

GOPers Already Moving On To 'McDonnell 2012' Storyline

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2009, 10:01AM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell

The polls haven't closed on the Virginia gubernatorial race, but already Republicans think they have a future star in their nominee, Bob McDonnell. Columnist Jill Lawrence writes that some in the GOP see McDonnell landing on a national ticket in four or eight years.

From Politics Daily:

John Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College and a former Republican aide on Capitol Hill, went further in an e-mail to me -- calling McDonnell "as plausible as anyone else" for president or vice president in 2012.

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VA-GOV

Deeds Tells Voters To Ignore Polls Showing Him Losing In Landslide

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 9:20AM

State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-VA) asks voters to back him at his final rally in Alexandria, Virginia Nov. 2, 2009

State Sen. Creigh Deeds closed his final rally in the Virginia governor's race on a hopeful note, telling a few hundred supporters gathered in Alexandria last night the only poll that matters is taken today between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

But in a less-than-inspirational aside, Deeds (D-VA) also said he was encouraged by the results in his local Bath County high school mock election.

"That's a precursor to this election -- we're on our way baby," Deeds said, to laughter.

Deeds backers told the crowd they know Deeds is behind by double digits but they "are hearing something different" in the calls they make to get-out-the-vote.

It was also Obamatime, as each speaker urged voters to "remember how it felt" when Barack Obama held his final rally in Manassas, Virginia the night before capturing the state and the presidency.

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VA-GOV

Polls Continue To Show McDonnell's Surge

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 12:36PM

VA-Gov. candidate Robert McDonnell (R)

The good news for Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell just keeps getting better. A pair of new polls out today show McDonnell's already large lead over Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds has grown even larger as the hours tick down to tomorrow's vote.

The latest numbers from Public Policy Polling (D) show McDonnell leading by 14. SurveyUSA's newest numbers show McDonnell's lead at 18 points.

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Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin GOTV Robocalls Hit VA

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 9:22AM

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin is urging Virginia voters to turn out tomorrow and "vote for Sarah's principles" "vote to share our principles" in a new robocall that began rolling out across the state this weekend. The calls are paid for by a group run by former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed, and do not mention the name of any candidate, including GOP gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell.

More from the call script, first reported this morning by CNN's Peter Hamby:

"The eyes of America will be on Virginia and make no mistake about it, every vote counts. So don't take anything for granted, vote your values on Tuesday, and urge your friends and family to vote, too."

Read more »

VA-GOV

Undecideds Choosing McDonnell In Final Days

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 1, 2009, 11:43AM

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell

With two days to go in the state's gubernatorial race, Virginia voters are coming home to GOP nominee Bob McDonnell. That's according to numbers from an important new poll published in state newspapers today.

McDonnell has led Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds since June, a lead that has extended to double digits in recent days. But polls also showed many were still undecided in the race, giving Democrats hope for a Deeds upset Tuesday. The new numbers show those undecided voters have made up their minds -- and they've decided to vote for McDonnell.

McDonnell's lead has grown with the new support. He now dominates Deeds in the Mason-Dixon Poll, 53-41.

Read more »

VA-GOV

Haley Barbour To Stump For Bob McDonnell Sat

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 30, 2009, 5:14PM

Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) and gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell (R-VA)

On the final weekend of the Virginia gubernatorial contest, GOP nominee Bob McDonnell is turning to one of the Republican party's biggest names to help him rally the vote. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) will join McDonnell at a rally in vote-rich Northern Virginia.

A former RNC chair, Barbour led the party when the GOP swept the 1994 elections and ended decades of Democratic control in the Congress. He lands in Virginia just days before McDonnell is expected to end nearly a decade of Democratic control of the governor's mansion.

Barbour currently leads the Republican Governors Association, the group that will welcome McDonnell as it's brightest new star if current polls prove to be true on Election Day.

Health Care

Governors (And Candidates) Span Spectrum On Public Option Opt-Out

Christina Bellantoni | October 28, 2009, 6:38PM

President Obama addresses National Governors Association

It's been two days since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced a health care bill with a public option that will allow states to opt-out.

As TPMDC wrote earlier, we still don't know the mechanism for how the states would get out (or in, if that were to happen) of the public option, but we took stock of some of the candidates for governor in Tuesday's races.

Our question: Would your state opt out of a public option?

The basic tally:

In New Jersey, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) would not. Challenger Chris Christie (R) would.

In Virginia, Bob McDonnell (R) would opt out and Creigh Deeds (D) is leaning toward opting out.

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