Deeds says GOP ad distorts his record

Media General News Service
Published: August 27, 2009

Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor, is hot and bothered—and it has nothing to do with the August weather.

Deeds told reporters this morning in Richmond that a Republican television ad attacking him as a big spender mangles his record.

The ad, by the Republican Governors Association, includes video of Deeds boasting about nearly $1 billion in budget amendments.

But Deeds says the ad fails to point out that those amendments would, among other things, raise teacher salaries to the national average, pay overtime for state troopers, strengthen rural health care and beef up enforcement of Internet crimes.

Deeds, trying to turn these issues on his Republican rival, asks, “Does Bob McDonnell support raising teacher pay to the national average?“

Deeds again dismissed published polls showing him trailing McDonnell by anywhere from 7 percentage points to 15 percentage points.

“The polls . . . aren’t about him and they aren’t about me. They express people’s concern about what’s going on nationally.“

McDonnell has made no secret of his interest in tapping into voter anxiety over the recession and the policies of President Barack Obama.

But Deeds is playing a national card, too, citing in his latest radio ad McDonnell’s support of the economic programs of former President George W. Bush.

http://www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/state_regional/govtpolitics/article/deeds_says_gop_ad_distorts_his_record/13504/