Moran, McAuliffe, Deeds, Kaine pledge united front

Flanked by the current governor and wearing the campaign stickers of the man who routed them in yesterday's primary, Democrats Brian J. Moran and Terry McAuliffe pledged to unify behind state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and work to help him defeat Republican Bob McDonnell this November.

"I will personally do anything Creigh Deeds asks me to do to [help him] become the next governor of Virginia," pledged McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, during a news conference with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Deeds this morning at the state party headquarters in Richmond.

"I know you love Virginia -- you love Virginia to your bone," Moran, a former delegate from Alexandria, told Deeds. "I look forward to working with you."

The cramped party headquarters overflowed with excitement and staffers from all three campaigns, many of whom donned put blue-and-green "Deeds" stickers to show solidarity.

As the candidates gathered, party staffers armed with Exacto knives began cutting out the winner's name in 5-foot-high blue Styrofoam letters -- a makeshift political prop for the television cameras.

Moran, McAuliffe, Deeds and Kaine all agreed that the competitive and often contentious primary battle -- the first contested Democratic gubernatorial primary since 1977, was a sign of a strengthened party and will make Deeds a better candidate in the general election.

Kaine took pains to thank both McAuliffe and Moran for their service to the party, calling McAuliffe a "new and exciting voice in Virginia politics."

"I love Virginia -- I've loved everything about this campaign," said McAuliffe, who said he would be spending some time with his family and focusing on helping to get Deeds elected.

Kaine called Moran "a great friend" who has "an amazing political future in Virginia."

Moran said the primary made Deeds "an invincible candidate" after the rigors of their primary battle and said he would not leave the public arena where he has served as a prosecutor and legislator for a combined 20 years.

"Public service is in my blood," Moran said. "I have always been about improving the life of Virginians and I will indeed stay involved."

Moran even offered a handshake to McAuliffe -- the Northern Virginia rival and former Democratic National Committee chairman who jumped into the governor's race last fall. The two had fought bitterly during the primary, but Moran thanked McAuliffe for the energy he brought to the race.

"Never mind the windmills -- we just need to plug Terry into the grid," joked Moran.

Deeds dwelled less on the past and used his time to begin drawing the lines of battle with McDonnell -- to whom he lost the 2005 race for attorney general by 360 votes.

He said McDonnell would advance a social and economic agenda that would take the commonwealth backward, citing differences between himself and the Republican on abortion and accepting economic stimulus money to expand eligibility for unemployment benefits.

And Deeds pledged to surpass his effort in 2005.

"We're going to engage in a full fight this fall," he said. "This one will work out."

Since that election, Democrats Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner have won U.S. Senate seats, Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate in 44 years to win the state, and Democrats picked up three seats to take a majority in the state's U.S. House delegation.

Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, ran for governor while Republicans controlled Washington. But this time around, he said Deeds will have support from all quarters, including the White House.

"He's going to have a president and vice president campaigning for him, not against him," said Kaine.

Last night, Deeds received a congratulatory call from Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

This morning, after the news conference, the exhilarated and emotionally exhausted Deeds fielded another call -- from President Barack Obama.