Attorney general hopefuls’ debate takes on racial overtones

Cuccinelli Shannon

The final debate in the campaign for attorney general took on racial overtones yesterday as Democrat Stephen C. Shannon accused Republican Ken Cuccinelli of being "an ideological crusader" who favors states' rights.

Shannon, a delegate from Fairfax County, likened it to an agenda that produced some of Virginia's worst movements, such as secession and the fight to maintain segregation.

Shannon said afterward that he does not think Cuccinelli is a racist. But Cuccinelli, a state senator from Fairfax County, called Shannon "a race-baiter."

In their fourth and final debate, Shannon and Cuccinelli talked about lawyerly topics until their closing statements.

Shannon said that on weekends Cuccinelli goes to rallies and "talks about being the states'-rights attorney general" and wears a "Don't tread on me" lapel pin.

"It's not race-baiting to acknowledge that we have a history, an unfortunate part of our history, that focuses on states' rights," Shannon said.

Cuccinelli said Shannon crossed the line.

"That is truly desperate, and it is over the line, and it isn't substantive. He wasn't talking about the issues that bring the question of federal-state relations up today, like right-to-work.

"He was literally just trying to throw a grenade in that, frankly, is terribly inappropriate and not very constructive to the debate."

Under Virginia's right-to-work law, union membership may not be a condition of employment.

The three Democratic candidates for statewide office are trailing in the polls, in part because of a lack of enthusiasm in the African-American community.

The candidates appeared before a luncheon of the Richmond Bar Association and other Richmond-area bar groups at the Omni Richmond Hotel.

Cuccinelli described Shannon as "a backbencher in the House of Delegates" who is reluctant to fight over issues.

"He doesn't fight with Democrats, and he doesn't fight with Republicans," Cuccinelli said.

Shannon said that as a member of the House of Delegates since 2004, he has gained a reputation as a bipartisan power broker.

"My fight is with gang members, my fight is with drug dealers, my fight is with adult predators who prey on children on the Internet," Shannon replied. "Ken Cuccinelli's fight is with Washington, D.C. It's not grounded in public safety."

Both men agreed on one thing: They favor drug courts to reduce the number of repeat offenders.

Cuccinelli said he would use the attorney general's office to consolidate consumer-protection agencies, now scattered throughout state government. Shannon said he would use the office to focus on public-safety issues.

Shannon attacked Cuccinelli for not calling on Del. Phillip A. Hamilton, R-Newport News, to resign.

Hamilton is the subject of a legislative probe and a grand-jury investigation. At issue is his role in seeking a job at a teaching center at Old Dominion University before he put in a budget amendment seeking the center's creation.

Cuccinelli is alone among the six statewide candidates in not seeking Hamilton's resignation. Cuccinelli said the attorney general might be responsible for deciding whether Hamilton should be prosecuted, so he felt he should not state a position on the matter. Hamilton has not resigned.

Shannon said he supports the state's right-to-work law. He said he also opposes collective bargaining for state and local government employees, which is prohibited in Virginia. He said there should be a nonbinding procedure, called "meet and confer," that would allow state employees to meet with employers and discuss labor matters.

Cuccinelli said he supports the right-to-work law and opposes collective bargaining by state workers.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or .