Deeds: Obama's Paying Attention to Virginia

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, who got to spend a little time with President Obama at a campaign rally last week (video), said the president's comments to him privately showed the leader of the free world had been reading up on the Virginia race -- or at least getting good staff briefings about it.

"He's paying more attention to this race than I would think," Deeds said Monday. "He is familiar with the details of the campaign, what's going on. He's familiar with the details of my biography. So he's paying a little attention."

Deeds was full of praise for the president, who revved up a ballroom of about 1,500 Deeds supporters last week.

"He's a really smart guy. Very thoughtful," Deeds said. "He asked a lot of questions. But mostly there was just banter about our families."