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Del. Brian J. Moran (left), Terry McAuliffe, ex-chairman of the Democratic National Committee (center) and Attorney General Bob McDonnell share a laugh before debating. |
RICHMOND--
The state's four potential gubernatorial candidates all say transportation funding will be a priority for the next governor.The three Democrats--one not officially in the race yet--and one Republican were speaking in their first joint forum, held during the annual Associated Press Day at the Capitol here yesterday.
Democrats state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County, Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria, and former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe--who hasn't formally entered the race yet--and Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell are running for governor in 2009.
They all said roads and rail will be something the next governor has to improve.
Current Gov. Tim Kaine has tried twice to convince the legislature to increase revenues for transportation, but both times his proposals have failed in the House of Delegates; a Republican transportation package two years ago did pass, but most of its revenue provisions were later ruled unconstitutional.
While the candidates said transportation is a priority, none of them presented a concrete proposal for how to pay for transportation improvements.
McDonnell said he hopes the legislature this year will address funding for two regions, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, and for road maintenance.
If they don't, he said, he will put out a plan for those things during the campaign next year.
McDonnell also said he doesn't want the issue to fall "between one side saying taxes only, and one side saying spending cuts and bonds only It's not just about taxes versus spending cuts and bonds."
Deeds and Moran both said they don't believe regional funding is a solution; they want a statewide transportation plan.
"These regional authorities are a stopgap measure," Deeds said.
He added that he has long argued that his constituents in rural Bath should care about the problems in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, rather than caring only about local road issues.
Moran, who lives in Northern Virginia--as does McAuliffe--said transportation problems affect his life daily, and that transportation improvements will lead to economic prosperity.
McAuliffe said he wants the state to plan its transportation improvements in a long-term way.
"We're not going to have high-speed rail, folks, unless we start thinking about it today," he said.
For reporters, the panel discussion was a chance to compare the four would-be governors. While McDonnell is the only Republican running for governor, thus giving him an easy spring, the Democrats will duke it out until a primary next year.
McAuliffe is the only one of the four with no legislative experience; he's a businessman, has been a fundraiser for national Democrats and worked on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign earlier this year.
He said, however, that he thinks that lack of experience in Richmond makes him a fresh face, someone who hasn't made enemies in the legislature.
"There's an opportunity for someone who is not in Richmond, who can come in with some new ideas," McAuliffe said.
It was clear from the discussion that the other three candidates do have past history together; all three served in the House of Delegates in their careers, and their time there overlapped.
That history fueled some pointed comments. For example, when Deeds and Moran said McDonnell will have a hard time presenting himself as a different kind of Republican when McDonnell as a delegate pushed social-issue legislation.
"Bob has been a part of the ideological group in the House of Delegates that has stopped our progress," Moran said.
Deeds and McDonnell ran against each other in the attorney general race in 2005. McDonnell won by fewer than 400 votes after a recount.
Deeds said that shows he can do well against McDonnell statewide, including in vote-rich Northern Virginia, even though Deeds is from a rural area and Moran and McAuliffe would theoretically have a bigger base in Northern Virginia.
McAuliffe's other advantage is money--he has been fundraising from big-money Democratic donors for years, and could do the same for his own race.
Moran said those things don't matter.
"Virginia is not for sale," he said. "I don't think money or being on a statewide ticket makes any difference in a campaign."
The candidates also differed on other issues, such as gun sales.
Last session, Kaine pushed to close the "gun-show loophole" --in which private sellers can sell a gun at a gun show without the purchaser getting a background check.
All four candidates said they support the Second Amendment, but they don't all agree on the gun-show loophole.
Deeds said he used to oppose closing that loophole, but after families of Virginia Tech shooting victims came to him, he now supports closing it.
Moran said he supports gun rights and believes Virginia has sufficient gun laws. But he also believes closing the gun-show loophole would help strengthen the law that already prevents convicted criminals and others from legally buying guns.
McAuliffe seems to oppose closing the loophole, saying he is a hunter and that he supports the laws as they exist now.
McDonnell opposes it, too, saying it's not really a "loophole" and that the real way to reduce gun violence is to teach young people to avoid drugs and be responsible with guns.
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
