Already time for Virginians to elect again

With the presidential election dominating the news for the past two years, I am not sure if we Virginians are ready to turn our attention to yet another political season, but it will be upon us soon as we prepare to elect a new governor in 2009.

I, for one, am very concerned with one candidate in particular, Terry McAuliffe. McAuliffe is not a native Virginian, something I could ignore if his status did not appear to be outright carpetbagging, and his campaign seems to be predicated on one thing and one thing only, money.

The numbers promised to help his “friends” in the state legislature and elsewhere is reported to top $75 million. Here is the layout. If local legislators promise to support McAuliffe for governor, then he will help them by providing their campaigns with more money than they have ever seen for a local office race. Who knows what resources are available for the governor’s race itself as he runs against Democrats Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Brian J. Moran and Republican Bob McDonnell.

I can only hope that the governor’s office can notbe purchased, but just in case it can be, I ask all Virginians to take notice of what is happening and join me in a public outcry against this outrageous activity. If local candidates start running for office with a lot of “new” money and are supportive of McAuliffe as a result, I think their campaigns may be in serious jeopardy as the voters begin to recognize what is happening. This is not the integrity that I would expect from elected officials at the local and state level, and that lack of integrity will be hard to hide from the voters.

McAuliffe has never held a public office in Virginia. His public credentials seem to stand on his chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee and his claim of raising more than $1 billion to support Democratic candidates. If he really has an aspiration to become the governor, my suggestion is to run for the state legislature for a few years, let the people get to know him and what his positions are on key issues, and prepare a run that is based on service the people of Virginia, instead of the purchase of a personal prize.

Cole Scrogham
New Hope