Leading Dems campaign for Deeds

STAUNTON – Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Richard Cranwell and some prominent Shenandoah Valley Democrats came to Staunton on Monday to tout Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds’ job creation and support for rural areas.

Cranwell was joined by Rockingham County Democratic Committee Chairman Lowell Fulk and Staunton City Councilman Bruce Elder at Carded Graphics, a Staunton industry that received an infusion of state money to install modern equipment.

Monday was the start of a three-day “Hope and Opportunity Tour’’ for the Deeds campaign through rural Virginia.

Calling next month’s election as “critical an election as folks in Virginia have seen in a long, long time,’’ Cranwell said Deeds was the chief architect of legislation for the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, an economic development fund to recruit industry to Virginia.

“Bob McDonnell has voted against the Governor’s Opportunity Fund that has created or saved 79,000 jobs in Virginia,’’ Cranwell said of the Republican gubernatorial nominee.

And Cranwell said Deeds supported former Gov. Mark Warner’s $1.5-billion investment in public education in 2004 while describing McDonnell as “the Dr. No who voted against it.”

“Do you want a leader like Mark Warner or Tim Kaine or someone like Jim Gilmore who will run us in the ditch again?’’ Cranwell asked a crowd of about 30 at Carded Graphics.

Cranwell said Deeds’ almost 20 years of service in the Virginia General Assembly has given him a strong understanding of the diversity of Virginia.

Elder said the Governor’s Opportunity Fund has had an impact on Staunton, by investing $325,000 and creating or saving 210 jobs. Elder said Deeds had also fought for K-12 education his entire career.

“We need a guy who goes to office who knows about sacrifice, risk and hard work,’’ Elder said.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said Deeds had voted for cuts in the Governor’s Opportunity Fund in 2004 and in each of the last three years.

And Martin said of Deeds’ support for the tax increase that funded education in 2004:

“Frankly, if we had known that the Democratic chairman was going to be reminding voters of Creigh’s longstanding support for higher taxes we would have helped the Deeds campaign advertise the event. Yes, Creigh Deeds voted for the biggest tax increase in Virginia history. Bob McDonnell did not. And Creigh will raise taxes on Virginians by $1 billion a year in the middle of a recession. Bob McDonnell will not. On taxes the choice in this race is clear, you’ll find no disagreement about that from us.”