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10:54 am: Mic check, 81 viewers right now on the live stream.
10:58 am: 138 viewers, so far the streaming video's working great for me. We'll see...
11:04 am: Meanwhile, the Republicans have taken a snarky shot at Creigh for supposedly hitting the "reset button" too many times. Of course, Bob McDonnell has hit the "reset button" on his entire political persona, from a hard-right, Pat Robertson conservative Republican to a suburban "soccer dad" and "moderate." Now THAT'S a "reset button!" :)
11:06 am: Creigh Deeds takes the stage to applause. 257 "live stream" viewers right now. Former Del. Jim Dillard (R-41) introduces "the next governor of Virginia, Creigh Deeds." Says that Creigh won't let money be taken from public education. Talks about budget battle of 2004, "Creigh Deeds was right there with us." "Bob McDonnell was not part of that winning coalition. Bob McDonnell is not the moderate he would like you to believe today." He "pursued a narrow and divisive social agenda" in the Assembly. He will not move Virginia forward. "I'm proud to have been a moderate Republican." "Creigh will put Virginia first, and that is why many of my Republican friends...are supporting Creigh Deeds."
11:11 am: Creigh starts speaking. Shout out to Chap Petersen, Bob Brink, Mary Margaret Whipple, Scott Surovell, Beth Arthur, etc. "This election is about Virginia's future." Economy, schools, transportation, government spending. "Simply put...this election is about creating opportunity, prosperity and hope in every single corner of the Commonwealth." This commitment is "who I am." "I understand the pressures faced by Virginia's families." Focus on solutions to the challenges we face every day. Talks about childhood. Kid at camp for disadvantaged asked him, "You mean we eat more than once a day here?" Changed my life, made me realize "life's not perfect." Even in Virginia, there are "kids who go to bed hungry." "I've worked hard to find common ground...to bring constructive change." "Working together...[we can] count on government to make a difference." "Nothing happens unless everybody works together." "Today, Virginia faces challenges, the statistics are daunting...real people who are hurting." On the most important economic decision we've made in the last decade, I stood with Mark Warner...reformed our budget, made historic investments in education.
11:17 am: (around 320 viewers) Here's my vision. I want a Virginia that is a national leader in economic opportunity. National leader in development of clean energy. Every child grows up healthy and receives best public education. Progress, respect and equality should prevail, not people with narrow social agendas. We can't move forward when we are led by those who make division and personal crusades the priority over the common good. My plan: tax credit for new jobs; help unemployed workers purchase health insurance; boost investments in tourism, education; insure that Virginia's families can afford to send their kids to college ($40 million more per year in student financial aid); pass a plan to fund transportation with a dedicated, long-term funding stream in which all options and innovative ideas are on the table, except for one, taking money from education. Permanent efficiency improvement office for government, start with VITA. Make sure every dollar in budget is spent for a reason. Zero-based budgeting. "Bipartisan approach." "This is who I am."
11:24 am: "My opponent is a good person...but the differences between our visions are stark." I'll take us forward, he'll take us back. Mark Warner's 2004 budget plan. Bob McDonnell opposed it. If McDonnell wouldn't support that, what approach would he take? Just recently, he said he believes President Bush did a good job, that Bush created an "economic revival in America." (laughter) "That is not a revival, and I will not allow our opponent to take us back to this economic approach." McDonnell opposed moderates in his own party in 2004. McDonnell consistently opposed plans to create jobs and opportunity. Voted three times against Governor's Opportunity Fund, now he says he supports it: "election year conversion." McDonnell says you have to create 50 new jobs before you get a new job for job #51. That doesn't help many small businesses. "I value the role small business plays in our economy." Virginia can't afford to go back to Bush economic policies that have failed.
11:27: "The choice on education is equally stark." McDonnell repeatedly voted to oppose funding for public education. Only two delegates voted against 1996 budget that was strongly pro-education, one of whom was McDonnell. My opponent has opposed progress "every step of the way." McDonnell will take $5.4 billion out of education to pay for roads, that's a "non-starter in a Deeds administration." McDonnell never sponsored a single bill to create jobs, economic development...instead, focus on social issues, restrict a woman's right to choose, create a different class of marriage, allow pharmacist to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions, government should be involved in most personal decisions like Hugh Finn and Terry Schiavo cases. He believes social agenda should come before sound public policy. We can't afford that approach. I'll work in tradition of Warner and Kaine, reach across the aisle, solutions to benefit entire Commonwealth.
11:31 am: (324 viewers) "You're either all in, or not in at all." "That the kind of governor I'll be." "That is what this campaign is about, keeping Virginia moving forward."
UPDATE 12:07 pm: I've posted the full text of Deeds' speech in the comments section.
Blue Virginia
