Weekly Blog Roundup 6/5/09

There are only 4 days until Election Day, and the blogs are buzzing over who looks like the best candidate to win the Democratic primary. Bloggers are praising Terry for being the only candidate to take a bold stance against special interests. More have recently come out with endorsements of Terry, while other supporters have been discussing polls and recent news coverage.

At Blue Virginia, Lowell reported on Terry's recent endorsement from Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, providing a post with commentary and a second post with video of the endorsement event.

A top-notch endorsement for Terry McAuliffe, following Ed Rendell's endorsement earlier today...Chris Cillizza adds that Schweitzer's endorsement "sends a message that not only does Schweitzer think McAuliffe will win next Tuesday's primary (otherwise, why fly in from Montana to stand with a potential loser) but also that McAuliffe represents the best chance for Democrats to keep the seat in the fall election." Nice.

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McAuliffe Campaign Releases New Ad to Respond to Negative Attacks and Highlight Call for Lobbyist Reform

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released a new television advertisement in response to the false personal attacks levied by opponents. The ad highlights McAuliffe's experience as a business owner and his documented record of creating jobs. It also points out his bold plans to grow Virginia's economy by focusing on green technologies.

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Terry McAuliffe Highlights Energy Efficiency Proposals

This morning, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe highlighted his plans for increasing energy efficiency to help our environment, create jobs, and reduce the energy bills of Virginia families at an event with representatives from building company Bain-Waring. At a high-efficiency home construction project where recycled newspaper insulation was being installed, McAuliffe discussed his proposals to reduce Virginia's energy consumption and meet the energy needs of the Commonwealth with members of the League of Conservation Voters, whose organization endorsed McAuliffe in the gubernatorial primary.

"Energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest, and cleanest way for Virginia to meet its growing energy demands," said McAuliffe. "By investing in cost-effective energy efficiency measures, we can not only save Virginia families money, we can create efficiency sector jobs right here in the Commonwealth."

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Terry McAuliffe brings energy to Virginia race

Collegiate Times
May 27, 2009
by Mike Sage

2009 Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe has given the campaign a big name with considerable experience working at the highest levels of public affairs.

He has accomplished much in both the business and political world, and his most obvious characteristic is one that seems quite appropriate for a potential governor of the commonwealth during these tough economic times: energy.

One meeting with McAuliffe is all an observer needs to fully comprehend this contagious energy. I've had the chance to witness McAuliffe in action on two different occasions: first at the Collegiate Times' sponsored gubernatorial debate held in Blacksburg for this year's Democratic candidates, and a second time at a speech in Roanoke. In each instance, I left the experience thoroughly impressed with this very outgoing candidate.

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This Time, McAuliffe Is Selling Himself

National Journal
May 23, 2009
by Jennifer Skalka

When he turned 52 early this year, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe -- glad-handing former rainmaker of the Democratic National Committee and permanent First Friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton -- fittingly celebrated with a fundraiser lightly disguised as a birthday party. Old pals, including such famous-for-Washington types as lawyer Richard Ben-Veniste and former Rep. Tom McMillen, turned out for the Macker, as he's known.

In the middle of the room stood a five-tier confection -- bright blue and decorated with cardinals, the state bird. A McAuliffe-looking figurine, but blonder, stood atop the cake, which had the state's motto, Sic semper tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants), draped across it. But when the time came for guests to dive in, a waiter instead delivered ready-to-eat slices of some other goodie from a back room.

Was the strange, towering creation for real? Without dragging a finger through the Technicolor frosting, it was impossible to tell. But as the irrepressible party pitchman-turned-candidate closes in on his first-ever primary, the mystery dessert makes an easy metaphor for what Old Dominion voters must decide about his gold-plated campaign. "If you're lookin' for the same old thing, I'm not your guy to go to Richmond," the transplanted New Yorker, who has developed a new habit of dropping his g's, told well-wishers.

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Va. Candidates Clash In Final Debate of Democratic Primary

The Washington Post
May 20, 2009
By Anita Kumar and Rosalind S. Helderman

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls R. Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran sought to isolate rival Terry McAuliffe in the final debate of the primary campaign yesterday by trying to portray him as someone who has exaggerated his business record, inflated his campaign promises and dissembled about his campaign contributors.

"Tell me, Terry, how is this a credible, positive campaign? And how will Virginia voters trust that you'll care about their jobs and creating any new jobs?" Moran asked pointedly.

With three weeks to the June 9 primary, the debate mirrored the closing themes of a hard-fought campaign, with McAuliffe maintaining his role as the center of attention as he wages an outsider bid to become the Democratic standard-bearer in a general election race against Republican Robert F. McDonnell.

After absorbing repeated jabs, McAuliffe dismissed the critiques as "divisive politics of destruction that people are sick and tired of," and he asked his opponents to redouble their efforts to focus on ideas so the party can emerge from the primary united.

"That's what Democratic primaries are all about," he said.

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McAuliffe touts green energy

The Free Lance-Star
May 10, 2009
By Dan Telvock

As soon as he stepped out of his black Tahoe hybrid yesterday, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe told about 35 supporters that he hears a lot of jokes about his chicken-waste idea.

"We can turn not only chicken waste, but all agricultural waste, into renewable energy," the Democrat said from a small office on Lafayette Boulevard in Fredericksburg.

The idea is a prominent component of his campaign. McAuliffe, who will face Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran in the June 9 primary, had canvasses from Fredericksburg to Leesburg yesterday. Whoever wins the primary will face Republican Bob McDonnell, the former state attorney general.

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McAuliffe Releases New Web Ad, Mail Piece Focusing on Chicken Waste to Energy

Following his endorsement yesterday by the League of Conservation Voters, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today unveiled an ad on the internet and a campaign mailer touting his support for clean, chicken waste-to-energy technology.

In the ad, McAuliffe notes that chicken waste-to-energy techology has the potential to power 40,000 Virginia homes as well as, "The power to create jobs right here, clean up the environment, and the power to help make us energy independent. Visit my website and read my plan."

Click here to read more and view the ad.

Blue candidate has green plan for Virginia

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
Op-Ed
May 3, 2009
Edward Bentz

Terry McAuliffe, candidate for governor of Virginia, has recently released his comprehensive energy plan for Virginia. It is directed at job development through green energy development.

As McAuliffe puts it, "My business plan for Virginia is really a jobs plan."

The other Democratic candidates for governor are also offering green energy initiatives: For example, state Sen. Creigh Deeds sponsored bills in the most recent session of the General Assembly to help homeowners and localities finance the purchase of solar panels, and former Del. Brian Moran has likewise promised to boost incentives for solar power.

McAuliffe's energy plan is unique in its business-oriented focus on green jobs, especially in two often-overlooked areas of potential job creation: investments in increased efficiency, and exploitation of biomass energy alternatives that match Virginia's indigenous capabilities and resources.

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McAuliffe Campaign Releases New Ad Highlighting Big Ideas

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released a new television advertisement highlighting his ideas for investing in green energy, education, and quality health care.

"People across Virginia are asking – how do we create good paying jobs? What's the next big idea that helps middle class families?" says McAuliffe in the ad. "Here's three: Take wind energy off our cost to power homes. Invest more in Pre-K, so our children start school ready to learn. Create an emergency health insurance plan so people who've lost their jobs are covered."

Click here to read more and view the ad.

Clinton lends political clout to McAuliffe's bid for governor

The Virginian-Pilot
April 28, 2009
By Warren Fiske

RICHMOND -- Yes, he does owe Terry McAuliffe a huge political debt, former President Bill Clinton said Monday.

But that's not the sole reason he came to Richmond to endorse McAuliffe's bid for governor, Clinton added.

"Look, everyone knows he's one of my closest friends," the 42nd president said at a rally at a downtown farmer's market. "So look, I'd be here regardless. Everyone knows that.

"The press says, 'Oh well, Terry McAuliffe has raised millions of dollars for Bill Clinton. He has to show up.' And that's absolutely true," Clinton told the crowd.

"... But here's what I really want to tell you," he said. "I am here today for reasons that go way, way beyond that."

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Gov. candidate, Bill Clinton hit energy, jobs theme

Associated Press
April 27, 2009
Bob Lewis

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton told Democrats that if they liked the way America grew jobs under his watch, they'll love what Terry McAuliffe does as Virginia governor.
In the first of two stops Monday, longtime friends and political comrades Clinton and McAuliffe defined energy and jobs as the dominant issues in the campaign.
Clinton told about 350 people at a Richmond rally that McAuliffe was right to push offshore wind energy and technologies to turn poultry waste into power.
Later in Roanoke, he told about 250 people that the only way to put Virginians to work with a good wage over the next 10 years is to change the way the nation produces and consumes power.

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Bill Clinton, Terry McAuliffe make Roanoke campaign stop in race for governor

The Roanoke Times
April 27, 2009
By Michael Sluss and Mason Adams

Former president Bill Clinton and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe spoke to a crowd of about 250 in downtown Roanoke this afternoon, asking for support and touting McAuliffe's job and energy plans.

The pair spoke for a little less than 30 minutes in front of Fire Station 1 on Church Avenue Southwest. The stop was their second after a morning rally in Richmond. Clinton, who was clearly the draw for most of the Roanoke crowd, said McAuliffe would move aggressively on job creation and new energy development to put the state on the front edge of the nation's economic recovery. Clinton also said McAuliffe could keep the governor's mansion in Democratic hands in an election that will have national political implications.

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Bill Clinton campaigns in Richmond for McAuliffe

Richmond-Times Dispatch
April 27, 2009
By Jeff Schapiro

Former President Bill Clinton is campaigning across Virginia today for his political ally and top fund-raiser, Terry McAuliffe, who is standing for the Democratic nomination for governor in the June 9 primary.

Clinton joined McAuliffe for a mid-morning rally in Richmond’s Farmer’s Market, telling a crowd the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee is ideally suited to be Virginia’s next governor. McAuliffe’s campaign said about 600 signed in for the event, but Richmond police this afternoon estimated that 350 had attended.

Clinton cited McAuliffe’s success as a businessman and investor, his leadership of the DNC and his ability to work with Republicans.

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A Chicken Heating Every Pot?

The Washington Post
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Sandhya Somashekhar

DAYTON, Va. -- Do not try to tell Oren Heatwole that chicken poop smells.
"Total myth," he said before a colleague, eager to prove the point, scooped up a mulchy handful and inhaled deeply.

Heatwole, a former chicken farmer, might be biased. But he isn't the only fan of the stuff. Scientists at Virginia Tech are experimenting with technology that would convert what you might call an abundant resource here in the Shenandoah Valley into energy. The effort so jazzed Terry McAuliffe, a candidate for Virginia governor, that he declared, "I love chicken waste!"
But what in any other year would have been an amusing blip in a heated political contest has taken on a unique significance because of the emphasis the candidates have placed on energy and the environment.

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McAuliffe Campaign Statement on Moran Campaign's Distortions of McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia

Today, McAuliffe campaign spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith released the following statement regarding the Moran campaign's distortions of McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia:

"It's disappointing that the Moran campaign has chosen to deliberately misrepresent Terry's Business Plan for Virginia, but we welcome the opportunity to clarify this part of his Plan.

"Terry's Plan sets out the ambitious goal of making Virginia a national leader in renewable energy - which means making sure that every part of Virginia benefits. For example, Terry's business plan includes proposals to turn agricultural waste into energy and make sure that rural areas in the commonwealth, especially those hardest hit by the economic downturn, have opportunities to bring in new green jobs.

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McAuliffe Highlights Support for Energy Efficiency Initiatives

Today, meeting with the owner of residential solar energy company Continuum Energy Solutions, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe discussed the need for Virginia to invest in energy efficiency. McAuliffe said he would work for a statewide policy requiring utilities to invest first in cost-effective energy efficiency before pursuing any new power plants.

"In our pursuit to make Virginia the number one green state in the country, we must remember that energy efficiency is the cheapest and easiest way for us to increase our energy independence and build our renewable energy sector," McAuliffe said. "Whether it's harnessing the wind off Virginia's coast or installing solar panels on homes and state buildings, we must encourage businesses and families to adopt clean and efficient energy sources."

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Terry Tours Energy-Producing Trash Facility

Yesterday, the Washington Post's Dana Millbank reported on Terry's visit to Covanta Energy's facility in Lorton.

Check out the video by clicking here.

McAuliffe Visits I-95 Landfill, Discusses Waste-to-Energy Ideas

Standing at the Covanta Fairfax Energy Resource Recovery Complex with representatives from Covanta Energy and the Fairfax County Government, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today discussed his ideas for remaking Virginia's landfills into energy producers. In 2006, Virginia imported 7.2 million tons of municipal solid waste, making it one of the leading importers of out-of-state waste. McAuliffe highlighted how this abundance of waste could be used to generate energy and create green jobs across the Commonwealth.

"Here in Virginia, we have enormous potential to become a national leader in renewable energy technology. But we must look to every corner of the Commonwealth to find the innovative solutions of tomorrow that will meet our energy needs of today," McAuliffe said. "That's why as governor I'll work to forge public-private sector partnerships to transform our landfills from 'dumps' to environmentally sound producers of new, inexpensive power."

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The first chapter

I'm excited to announce that Terry's unveiled the first chapter of his Business Plan to grow Virginia's economy - the most aggressive agenda that's been put forth to make our Commonwealth the number one renewable energy state in the country.

He recorded a short video and I wanted to share it with you.

Click here to watch the video.