Big Labor Helped Republicans Too
Every time the Democratic Governors Association (and its Virginia-based arm Common Sense Virginia) attacks Republican gubernatorial nominee Robert F. McDonnell, his staff is quick to point out that that the groups are funded by big unions.
Phil Cox, McDonnell's campaign manager, even sent out a fundraising letter today with a subject line "National Unions Attack Bob McDonnell" to combat Common Sense Virginia's new advertsing campaign.
Not so fast.
It turns out the Republican Governors Association has received plenty of money from them too.
Democrats have historically received more money from union than Republicans. No one's disputing that.
But still the RGA has received tens of thousands of dollars from the National Education Association, the International Association of Firefighters and other groups representing painters, carpenters and construction workers. The Service Employees International Union gave the RGA $100,000.
McDonnell has already received $1.2 million from the RGA and expects plenty more as the race heats up.
So what does McDonnell's office say?
"The RGA has received a fraction of the amount national unions have given to the DGA and national Democratic groups,'' Tucker Martin, McDonnell's spokesman. "There is a clear and well established history of coordination between DGA and national unions to attack Republican candidates; it was on display in North Carolina and Washington State last year. Now it is happening in Virginia."
By
Anita Kumar
|
May 5, 2009; 5:45 PM ET
Categories:
2009 Governor's Race
,
Anita Kumar
,
Election 2009
,
Robert F. McDonnell
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Posted by: robsmithiii | May 6, 2009 8:30 AM | Report abuse
McDonnell is such a hypocrite, bashing unions when he takes their money too. I don't believe a word he says.
Posted by: amy130 | May 8, 2009 5:37 PM | Report abuse
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McDonnell's own campaigns, not withstanding the current one, have been bankrolled by the likes of Dominion. Not that Dominion doesn't employ many Virginians -- it surely does. It's just that, from a constituent standpoint, Dominion has not taken the initiative to ax costs, has destroyed property values in the mountains (mountain-top excavations), North Anna and soon Surrey, and is now charging the consumer to use alternative sources of energy so it can bankroll in enough time for the inevitable mandatory energy source policies -- all while hiking rates through a system that virtually guarantees its passage.
So it's not like the soldiers of the VA GOP have room to talk on who's funding who, much less the capacity to be able to live with themselves. I wonder how they do it.