McAuliffe Releases Response Ad Highlighting his Campaign Work on Behalf of President Obama

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released a new ad highlighting his record as an advocate for President Obama during last year's General Election campaign.

"I campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton," says McAuliffe in the ad. "But when the primaries ended I campaigned just as hard to help elect Barack Obama. My opponents know that. Brian Moran is a good democrat; so it's sad to see him use the same kind of attack politics against me that the Republicans used against President Obama."

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Obama National Co-Chair and Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle Releases Statement in Support of Terry McAuliffe

Today, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who served as a National Campaign Co-Chair for President Barack Obama, issued the following statement in support of gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe:

"As the national co-chair of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and one of his earliest supporters, I was impressed by the time and energy Terry put into traveling across Virginia and the country on Barack Obama's behalf during the general election.

"From the day Hillary Clinton ended her historic bid for president, Terry worked tirelessly to unify our party around Barack Obama and get him elected President. His energy and enthusiasm were tremendous assets on the campaign trail and we were grateful to have him on our side.

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Setting the record straight

Brian Moran's campaign has reached a new low. Last night they unveiled a false attack ad, set to air on African-American radio stations, that's deliberately designed to deceive voters into believing Terry opposed Barack Obama's candidacy last November.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Immediately after the primary, Terry led the charge for Democrats to unite behind Barack Obama. The Obama campaign asked Terry to campaign on its behalf and Terry held dozens and dozens of events in Virginia and across the country - making the case that President Obama was the right person to turn the page on eight devastating years of Republican rule and restore the promise of America. The Obama campaign trumpeted Terry's support -- releasing professional web videos of Terry's campaign stops in Virginia and other swing states.

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McAuliffe Campaign Releases Statement on Moran Campaign's Negative and Misleading Radio Advertisements

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe's campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith released the following statement on Brian Moran's negative radio ads:

"Negative attacks like this one are nothing new from Brian Moran, who continues to run false and misleading ads. The fact is that Terry fought tirelessly after the presidential primaries to get Barack Obama elected.

"Terry is proud to have held dozens and dozens of events across Virginia and the country on President Obama's behalf. And he's proud to have worked with leaders like President Obama and Governor Kaine to establish unity in the Democratic Party after the presidential primary. It's sad that Brian Moran is trying to divide Democrats again, especially at a time when we all need to come together to help President Obama get the economy back on track.

"With a strong record of creating thousands of jobs and turning around struggling businesses, Terry doesn't need to rely on negative and misleading attacks. It's unfortunate that Brian Moran does."

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Weekly Blog Roundup 5/15/09

Welcome to this week's installment of the Weekly Blog Roundup. Bloggers have been talking about Terry's recent endorsements, events, and reasons why it's not too late to become a Terry supporter.

As we head down the home stretch, we've seen some people switch their support from Brian Moran to Terry. Neal Osborne explained at Blue Commonwealth why Terry’s positive campaign has affected his decison.

Terry will be a happy warrior going into the fall campaign against Bob McDonnell and that is what we need. He can convey his plans to the voters in an enthusiastic way that will guarantee him independent (and yes, even Republican) votes. Some belittle Terry by saying he'll be a "cheerleader." Well, in these grave economic times, Virginia could use a cheerleader, especially one with progressive plans and ideas to fix Virginia's economy and get people back to work. Mark Warner brought fresh ideas to the governor's mansion. So did Tim Kaine. Now it's time to do it again and send Terry McAuliffe to Richmond.

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McAuliffe Releases New Ad Highlighting Business Leadership

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released a new television advertisement highlighting his business leadership experience turning the Federal City National Bank around. Within a year of being elected Chairman of FCNB in 1988, McAuliffe brought the bank out of the red, turned a profit and saved employees' jobs.

"Terry came in, put a team together, resolved the problems," Former FCNB Bank President Clyde Smith says in the ad. "He really cared about the people that worked at this bank."

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With Clinton in tow, McAuliffe stumps in Virginia

Associated Press
May 14, 2009
by Bob Lewis

With former President Bill Clinton in tow, Democrat Terry McAuliffe pitched his business experience as a stronger asset in this fall’s governor’s race than his two rivals’ legislative background.

In the third campaign swing across Virginia with the former president known for a record peacetime economic expansion, McAuliffe focused on experience in a strategy to define the rest of the field as part of a legislature that too often impeded progress.

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Terry McAuliffe is Barack Obama

Salon
May 14, 2009
By Mike Madden

It was getting late Monday night, and Biz Markie had been playing hit after hit from his laptop at a nightclub in the D.C. suburbs, running through different sounds from the ’80s and ’90s — a little “Livin’ on a Prayer” here, a little “The Freaks Come Out at Night” there, then the first verse or two of “The Choice Is Yours.” Suddenly the club’s lights went down all the way, and a spotlight shone out onto the stage. Biz stopped DJing and started singing “Just a Friend,” the single that shot him up the rap charts 20 years ago — but with a strange new twist in the lyrics. Instead of, “But you say he’s just a friend,” the song’s chorus became, “Because Terry is our friend.”

That’s “Terry” as in Terry McAuliffe. And this has been, for most of 2009, how McAuliffe rolls. The consummate Democratic Party insider — and the single most loyal supporter of both Bill and Hillary Clinton over the years — is now running in Virginia’s gubernatorial campaign, trying to become the state’s very own Barack Obama. Polls show he’s got the lead, and the momentum, with less than a month before the Democratic primary on June 9. McAuliffe says stepping up from campaign chairman to candidate was a natural fit. “It’s fun doing it for yourself,” he told Salon Wednesday. “You got control.”

If he wins the nomination, the general election that would follow might give the political world the first hint of an answer to two questions: One, just how blue is Virginia these days? The state’s demographics have shifted; this isn’t the same Virginia that Clinton lost twice in the 1990s. But it still isn’t reliably in the Democratic column. How well a nationally prominent fundraiser who’s never so much as run for dogcatcher will do seeking to become chief executive of a purple state remains to be seen. The second question — which a McAuliffe loss in the primary might help settle, too — is, can the Obama campaign’s strategy and grass-roots tactics work with a rich white guy at the top of the ticket instead of Barack Obama?

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At the Farm Park, a Small Crop of Interest

The Washington Post
May 14, 2009
By Marc Fisher

The regular weekday visitors at Frying Pan Park come for the tractor ride and a look at the goats and the pigs. Yesterday, immediately next to the pigsty, there was a bonus attraction: the former president of the United States and his buddy, who is running for governor of Virginia.

Most of the park's visitors chose the pigs. (A helpful sign assured all that you can't catch swine flu from visiting Porky.)

The farm park just east of Dulles International Airport in Herndon is a magnet for young mothers looking for a diversion for their preschoolers. The campaign visit by Bill Clinton and Terry McAuliffe was certainly the buzz of the afternoon, but most mothers weren't sticking around to see the politicians.

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