Deeds, McDonnell discuss business agenda in McLean

By: MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press
09/11/09 12:48 AM EDT

MCLEAN, VA. — Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds wanted to talk about tax credits and bipartisan budget deals, but was bogged down with queries about "cap-and-trade" and "card check" at a business forum Thursday.

Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell touted their business agendas at a luncheon forum of the Potomac Officers Club, a group of northern Virginia corporate executives.

Their appearance was not a debate; the two spoke separately and fielded questions separately. Both candidates will return to McLean next week for a formal debate sponsored by the region's business community.

Deeds was questioned about his views on Democrats' congressional agenda, particularly a pollution control bill commonly referred to as cap-and-trade and legislation designed to boost union representation, commonly referred to as "card check."

Deeds said that while "we have to at some point address global warming and carbon emissions," he does not support the cap-and-trade bill as currently written. At its core, the bill establishes national limits on pollution levels and creates pollution allowances that could be bought and sold by companies depending on their needs. Critics say the limits will put American businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

On the union legislation, Deeds said he opposes a provision of the bill that would let workers sign cards to organize unions instead of voting by secret ballot.

But he said both issues are essentially campaign distractions driven by his opponent, because Virginia's governor will have no say in how Congress acts.

"I'm not focused on Washington. That's the bottom line," Deeds said.

McDonnell touted his endorsements from business groups and his transportation plan, which relies on borrowing, reallocating money from the state's general fund and selling state liquor stores.

"I've been the candidate who has stood with the business community over and over," McDonnell said.

Deeds argues that a transportation plan relying on the state's general fund will inevitably result in less funding for education.

McDonnell fielded questions about green energy and health care. Nobody asked about the 1989 graduate school thesis that has captured headlines in the last week, in which he wrote that working women and feminists were detrimental to families and that government "should statutorily and procedurally prefer married couples over cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators."

Deeds has said the thesis shows McDonnell hews to a narrow, divisive social agenda. McDonnell has said that voters aren't interested in what he said 20 years ago in a college term paper.

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