Not Eliot Spitzer
Del. Bob McDonnell says he will not be an Eliot Spitzer-style attorney general if Virginia voters elect him on Nov. 8, and he accused his opponent, Creigh Deeds, of secretly harboring desires to be an "activist" AG.
Why invoke New York Attorney General Spitzer's name? And why borrow terms like "activist" from the national debate over judges?
McDonnell wants to paint his opponent as a foe of business, that's why. He made the accusations today at a press conference, flanked by the leaders of the National Federation of Independent Business and the Virginia Manufacturers Association.
Just as an aside: The leaders of both of those business groups lauded McDonnell for his exceptional record toward business. One called him "rock solid." Another said he has been a "staunch supporter" of business and said small businesses "owe you a very great thank you."
Even so, both men declined to endorse McDonnell, saying they were merely pointing out the differences between the two candidates.
Huh?
Anyway, McDonnell accused Deeds of supporting higher limits for lawsuits against doctors and hospitals and of supporting other measures he said were bad for business.
McDonnell promised to uphold any consumer protection laws "that need to be enforced," but said that "to the degree that activist attorney generals around the country have made political hay by going after companies ... that's not the kind of attorney general I will be."
Deeds spokesman Peter Jackson said Deeds, by contrast, sees himself as an advocate for both consumers and business and "would try to balance those as best as possible and to make sure that both businesses and consumers are protected."
Democrats also took a shot at McDonnell on Deeds's behalf, by criticizing the Republican for accepting a $250,000 contribution during the primary campaign that Democrats say obscures the source of the money.
The charge, which was first brought up by McDonnell's primary opponent, is that a tort reform association gave the Virginia Conservative Action PAC about $250,000, which then turned around and gave about the same amount to McDonnell. Democrats called on McDonnell to reveal the people who donated the money to the tort association.
Larry Framme, a former chairman of the Democratic Party, said the arrangement was close to a money-laundering scheme: "It's like Deep Throat said. Follow the money. Those two numbers are pretty similar."
McDonnell dismissed the charge: "That's old business. It was baseless then. It's baseless now."
By Michael Shear |
August 3, 2005; 3:11 PM ET
| Category:
Democrats
, Republicans
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Posted by: Rural Not Stupid | August 4, 2005 02:34 PM
Interesting, McDonnell is borrowing the GOP lines regarding the judiciary.
Who'd a thunk it?
Is he going to start saying that he "trusts the people of Virginia" to decide what's best for them?
Posted by: Not Guy Incognito | August 4, 2005 11:25 PM
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"Anyway, McDonnell accused Deeds of supporting higher limits for lawsuits against doctors and hospitals and of supporting other measures he said were bad for business."
I assume that McDonnell was refering to the legislation that increased the limit for Medical Malpractice Payouts? Well, I have some news for McDonnell, he voted for it too! So its okay in Virginia to attack a candidate for doing the same thing you did? Or can McDonnell just not remember how he votes? I guess it's kinda like how he can't remember if he has ever been involved in any "sodomy." Get this guy some Ginko Boloba!
This Tort Reform donation is pretty troubling as well. In a state where there are few limitations on campaign contributions, why couldn't the Tort Reform Association just give the money directly to McDonnell? What is McDonnell hiding from? Other than a past of sodomy that is.