At Harbor Park, candidates for governor take a few whacks

NORFOLK

Gubernatorial candidates Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds barely looked at each other during a joint appearance in a Harbor Park restaurant Tuesday and didn't mince words when describing their differences.

Each man urged the audience - about 150 attorneys and judges at a Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association luncheon - to examine the record of their time in public service.

Deeds, a Democratic state senator from Bath County, said his Republican opponent was not a champion of education or economic development while in the General Assembly.

"Bob never introduced a bill to create one job. He's never introduced one bill to extend one educational opportunity," Deeds said. "There's a stark contrast between us, and I ask you to examine that because it's important."

When it was McDonnell's turn to speak, the former attorney general belittled Deeds, saying he has offered no specifics for fixing the state's transportation problems.

"There is no plan," McDonnell said. "You heard his plan today. It's 'Elect me. I'll bring people together, and I'll figure something out.' That's not a plan. That's not leadership."

The pair didn't debate but took turns speaking and answering questions from attorneys clustered in the Hits at the Park restaurant inside the dormant ball park. When Deeds began his remarks, McDonnell sat at a table six feet away. He did not turn his eyes to Deeds until the Democrat began to criticize his legislative record.

The two smiled and shook hands after Deeds finished. Deeds departed for another appointment as McDonnell began his comments and criticisms.

Each candidate talked about his past successes in championing legislation. Deeds has been a legislator for 17 years. McDonnell represented part of Virginia Beach in the House of Delegates for 13 years before being elected attorney general in 2005.

Both candidates in the Nov. 3 election are running strong campaigns with millions of dollars to spend. As of Aug. 31, McDonnell's campaign had $5.8 million in the bank and Deeds had $4.3 million, according to campaign finance reports released Tuesday.

Each stressed during the luncheon that his primary focus once becoming governor would be to revive the state's economy.

The first step, Deeds said, is to fix the state's transportation problems with a combination of new road and rail projects. Deeds said he and McDonnell agree on the specifics of major transportation projects, including those in Hampton Roads, but they sharply disagree on how to pay for them.

Deeds said he is willing to sign a bill to create a new revenue source - meaning a possible tax increase - to pay for major road projects. Before Tuesday's forum, he said he doesn't want to lock into one form of funding until the General Assembly develops a transportation plan.

McDonnell has proposed a road funding plan that includes, among other things, using revenue from Hampton Roads' ports, privatizing state liquor stores, using part of the sales taxes in Northern Virginia and using income from future offshore drilling.

McDonnell said the "heart and soul" of his campaign is unshackling business from too much regulation and taxation.

"To me it all starts with a strong free enterprise system. I believe the answers that are most successful for Virginia come from having a state in which the private sector - the free enterprise system - encourages, incentivizes and creates the opportunity for people to use their God-given talents to pursue the American dream," McDonnell said. "I believe we ought to keep taxes and regulations and litigation to a minimum."

The two candidates are scheduled to debate Thursday before the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.

Pilot writer Julian Walker contributed to this report.

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com