Here’s Gov. Tim Kaine on Sheila C. Johnson openly mocking Democrat Creigh Deeds for his stammer:

“It was unfortunate,“ Kaine told reporters. “Sheila’s a friend and she apologized, and she said, “look I shouldn’t have done it.‘ And look, we all make mistakes.“

Kaine said he did not think the McDonnell campaign needed to apologize “for something a supporter says. Sheila did—I read the statement she made. it sounded like it was appropriately sincere,  so I think it’s passed.“

Johnson, the billionaire co-founder of black Entertainment Television,  broke ranks with her Democratic roots to support McDonnell over Deeds this election—a blow to Kaine, who is chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Johnson has also been Kaine’s biggest supporter, and led all individual donors to his 2005 run for governor.

Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is using his third TV commerical to attack his rival, Jody Wagner, as a tax-and-spend Democrat. 

Bolling’s new 30-second says Wagner, a former Secretary of Finance under Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and treasurer under former Gov. Mark R. Warner “supported every tax increase for eight years.“

The ad will run in the Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke markets.

The Wagner campaign, which went up on TV with their first commercial yesterday, fired back:
“Bill Bolling’s latest attack is not surprising, given his four-year record as a no-show Lt. Governor,“ said Virginians for Wagner Campaign Manager Elisabeth Pearson. 

You can checkout Bolling’s latest ad here:

And Wagner’s ad is here:

Jody Wagner, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, released her first TV ad in the general election campaign today—an introductory piece that talks about her work as a former Sec. of Finance and state treasurer.

Her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, has at least one 30-second TV ad running. It focuses on reducing government spending and his desire to be Virginia’s first “job creation officer.“

Wagner’s 30-second ad, “Best,“ will run in the Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke markets. In the spot, Wagner says her job as treasurer for former Gov. Mark R. Warner and as Sec. of Finance for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, was to “find solutions.“

An announcer follows, saying, “Jody Wagner’s strong fiscal management helped make Virginia Best Managed State in the nation, best state to raise a child and the best state for business for the fourth straight years.“

The nominees for governor and attorney general are also running TV ads.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is returning to Virginia lend support for his party’s nominee for governor, Bob McDonnell.

Jindal is scheduled to headline a McDonnell fundraiser tonight at the McLean house of home builder Dwight C. Shar. This marks Jindal’s second trip to Virginia to rally support for McDonnell, a former attorney general running against Democratic gubernatorial nominee R. Creigh Deeds. 

Among tonight’s expected guests is the billionaire co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, Sheila Crump Johnson, who was of one of Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s largest donors but is now backing McDonnell.

The soiree is anticipated to raise roughly $250,000. 

A Walk on the Wilder Side

Gov. Tim Kaine has taken a walk on the Wilder side before. That is, the commonwealth’s outgoing chief executive has been in the position that current Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds now occupies. Waiting and wondering whether L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first elected African American governor, will bestow his blessing on his candidacy and all the clout it may bring among African American voters this fall.

Wilder, as is his bent, has been withholding his sanction in this fall’s governor’s election but said earlier this week that he would make a decision by week’s end. He did not endorse either Deeds or Republican Bob McDonnell when both men ran against each other for attorney general in 2005.

“I’m very familiar with this,“ said Kaine, who was given the nod of approval by Wilder four years ago when he ran against former virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.

“His endorsement was extremely helpful to me but he didn’t make it early. He spent some time thinking about it and made it toward the end.“

With less than 50 days to go before the election, the end is drawing near.

“I know the campaign would very much appreciate having his endorsement,“ Kaine said of Deeds. “I know Creigh has stated that to him directly and I have, too.The governor said he has spoken to Wilder on two occasions about endorsing Deeds.

Wilder isn’t the only inroad Deeds has with African American voters. Kaine said he anticipates President Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden will become more involved in the efforts to reelect a Democrat.

For the last 32 years, the party that has won the White House has lost the governor’s office in Virginia.

“The president is very focused on this race,“ said Kaine, who is chairman of the Democratic National Committee.