A few weeks ago, appearing before several hundred Arlington County Democrats at the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association building in Ballston, Deeds led with a riff on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, saying the cooperatives it created brought electric power to rural homes like his grandparents' and modernized the South.I was at that meeting (video here), and I thought Creigh did a perfectly fine job in his speech. True, he didn't mention Mary Margaret Whipple, but then again, he only had a few minutes and he had a lot (maybe too much, but that's how Creigh is) to say.
"It really is one of the great accomplishments of government, of our notion that government lifts people up," Deeds said.
But then his words ran together as he hastened to cram his legislative achievements into his five-minute speech. His hands began jabbing the air like six-shooters.
Barbara A. Favola, chairman of the Arlington County Board, was not impressed, saying Deeds failed to distinguish himself or even mention his endorsement from state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington), whose name might have meant a lot to the crowd.
"There wasn't a message there," Favola said. "He left the stage, and I was thinking, 'What the hell?' He missed connecting with his audience."
Anyway, here's my beef with the Washington Post: the paper completely failed (intentionally? unintentionally?) to identify Barbara Favola, who harshly criticizes Creigh Deeds, as a strong supporter (and endorser) of Brian Moran, one of Creigh Deeds' two rivals for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. The Post didn't think it was important to disclose that (highly relevant, in fact crucial) fact to its readers? That's what passes for "journalism" these days in the corporate media? And they wonder why they're going down the drain? Lame.
By the way, what IS with Barbara Favola's harsh attack on Creigh Deeds anyway? Does that reflect her own views, or is she "channeling" how Sen. Whipple felt about Creigh not mentioning her in his speech? I've emailed Sen. Whipple for comment and hope to hear back from her soon.
Meanwhile, a leading Arlington Democrat emailed me to say that he or she was "damn surprised that Barbara Favola would make such negative comments about Creigh Deeds on the record to the [Washington Post]." This individual added that Deeds might not have mentioned Mary Margaret Whipple because "Mary Margaret is the only Arlington elected official who has endorsed Creigh Deeds, and opening up that subject before an audience of Arlington Democratic activists might simply have emphasized a fact that doesn't help Deeds."
UPDATE: I emailed Mary Margaret Whipple and asked her if she felt "snubbed" by Creigh for not mentioning her at the ACDC meeting. Here's her response:
Not at all! I think most ACDC members know I'm supporting Creigh and I was standing next to him at the meeting. And most, if not all, Democrats agree with what Creigh was saying -- that we believe government can and should be a force in improving people's lives, opening the doors of opportunity for their children through quality public education, keeping communities safe and providing the social safety net for the most vulnerable among us. Creigh is committed to making Virginia an even better place for all of us and he also has the courage of his convictions; for example, he voted multiple times in the Senate to increase taxes for transportation even though that was not an easy or popular thing to do.
Creigh has a good heart and will be a great Governor!
