SLIDESHOW: Deeds-McDonnell Debate
McLEAN -- The second debate between Virginia's candidates for governor broke little new ground on the issues but was perhaps the testiest exchange between the candidates to date.
Speaking before a business-suit audience of several hundred on the Capital One campus in McLean, Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds sparred over transportation and McDonnell's controversial graduate school thesis.
Deeds said McDonnell's 1989 thesis and his career as a legislator showed he was focused on "a narrow band of social issues" that were hostile to working women and their reproductive rights.
McDonnell countered that he has always supported women in the work place, as attorney general and in his own family, which includes a working wife and a daughter who served in Iraq with the U.S. Military.
"There's my wife and daughter," McDonnell said, pointing to his family in the front row, telling Deeds he was "frankly insulted" by the inference.
McDonnell, meanwhile, said Deeds had no plan to fund transportation, at one point holding up a blank sheet of paper before the audience gathered for the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce debate.
Deeds said McDonnell's plan to fund road fixes, through the sale of ABC stores and other measures, was full of proposals that state lawmakers have already labeled "dead on arrival." He said McDonnell's plan would "rob Peter to pay Paul" and fund roads by taking money from public education.
Deeds said he would not raise general fund taxes or take money from education. But he said he would sign a bipartisan bill to fix the roads, if it includes an increase in revenues dedicated to transportation. McDonnell said he would not sign any bill that included any increases in taxes to pay for transportation.
There were other contentious and uncomfortable moments for the candidates during the hour-long debate, the second of four to be held before the Nov. 3 general election.
Deeds said McDonnell had been spending "hundreds of thousands of dollars downstate lying about my record" on federal "cap and trade" legislation to reduce carbon emissions -- a law Deeds said today that he opposes.
Citing previous remarks in which Deeds said he doesn't always agree with President Barack Obama's policies, moderator David Gregory asked Deeds: "Is he your kind of Democrat?"
Deeds paused and smiled a bit before explaining his position and responding: "I'm a Creigh Deeds Democrat."
Deeds also said he thought there was a "hint of racism" in some of the opposition to Obama. Deeds went on to say that he was very disturbed that Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted "you lie," at Obama during his speech to Congress, and said it wouldn't have happened with previous presidents.
After the debate, McDonnell said he did not think racism was behind the comment but he said it was uncivil.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement