Huckabee campaigns with McDonnell in Roanoke

ROANOKE -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee campaigned with Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell in Roanoke yesterday, helping him raise $50,000 and praising him as the Republican who can help restore the party's fortunes nationwide.

Speaking to reporters, Huckabee, who lost to Arizona Sen. John McCain last year in his bid to win the Republican nomination for president, criticized those who say "that the Republican Party has sort of already experienced its demise and that the funeral services are being planned in the near future."

"You come to places like Virginia and you see that with Bob McDonnell, we've got a very strong pulse," Huckabee said at the Shenandoah Club downtown. "Cancel the memorial."

McDonnell, who resigned as state attorney general to run for governor, opened his campaign Saturday by promising to create jobs and make Virginia a leading energy producer. McDonnell favors drilling for oil and gas off Virginia's shore and says he wants to cut red tape to make it easier to start a business in the state.

State Democratic Party leaders responded to McDonnell's campaign kickoff by labeling him an obstructionist who is unable to work across party lines to carry out the business of Virginia.

The lone Republican in the race for the governor's job, McDonnell is counting on Huckabee to help him raise cash for the impending battle with the winner of the Democratic nomination. Three candidates are running for the Democratic nod: former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe of McLean, former Del. Brian J. Moran of Alexandria and state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County.

Huckabee was scheduled to appear last night at a fundraising event for McDonnell in Bristol, where the former state attorney general hoped to raise $130,000. McDonnell and Huckabee plan to be in Virginia Beach today at an event expected to raise an additional $180,000, McDonnell spokesman J. Tucker Martin said.

Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or .