Governor’s race kicks off at annual Buena Vista parade

BUENA VISTA -- The candidates for governor stepped out this morning at the traditional Labor Day parade in the heart of Virginia's Blue Ridge, marching through Buena Vista.

Democrat Creigh Deeds, Republican Bob McDonnell and their running mates for lieutenant governor and attorney general marched about 2 miles from Buena Vista High School to a grassy knoll overlooking the Maury River.

At a post-parade rally, the candidates stuck with their stump speeches, Deeds promising to continue the centrist policies of departing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and now U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner. McDonnell hit Deeds for not offering a detailed plan to fix transportation and he promised to oppose federal policy that might hurt Virginia.

With 56 days until the election, Deeds had hoped to use a furor over McDonnell's law school thesis that included criticism of working women, homosexuals and unmarried couples to stoke Democratic grass-roots support for his candidacy.

McDonnell, meantime, is disavowing some of his controversial stances and attempting to harness anti-Obama headwinds behind his candidacy.

Published polls show McDonnell leading Deeds by 7 percentage points to 12 percentage points.

-- Jeff E. Schapiro