Obama e-mail: help Deeds

Last week, President Barack Obama called state Sen. Creigh Deeds to congratulate him on his victory in the June 9 Democratic gubernatorial primary election.

This week, he's helping rally support for the Bath County Democrat in the November election against Republican nominee Bob McDonnell.

In an e-mail today, Obama urged recipients to back Deeds, noting that he will work "with Creigh to keep the Commonwealth strong" and restore economic prosperity.

Obama's e-mail was sent to the hundreds of thousands of addressees on the Organizing for America and Democratic National Committee lists, according to a party spokesman.

The message from Obama is another signal of how much attention the 2009 Virginia governor's race, one of only two in America this year, will receive -- Democrats are as desperate to keep the governor's mansion in the party's hands as Republicans are to snatch it back after eight years.

UPDATE: A Deeds campaign spokeswoman e-mailed to say that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will campaign in Virginia this year on behalf of the Democratic state Senator.

-- Julian Walker

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