The Lynchburg Voters League said Monday that a brochure mailed to the city’s Ward II residents attacked Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe unfairly and was an attempt to split the black community’s vote in today’s Democratic Party primary election.
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The Rev. James Coleman, vice president of the league, said the brochure, from McAuliffe opponent Brian Moran’s campaign, wouldn’t sway the endorsement the league gave to McAuliffe last Tuesday.
The brochure, which reached mailboxes Thursday, quoted a McAuliffe comment aired on national TV June 8, 2008, on “The Daily Show.” McAuliffe was heading Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign at the time.
According to the brochure, McAuliffe invited then-candidate Barack Obama to kiss a portion of McAuliffe’s anatomy.
Obama was ahead of Clinton in the Democratic Party’s presidential race at the time.
Moran campaign manager Andrew Roos said, “For Mr. McAuliffe to make that statement on a late-night comedy show, while still trying to argue that Barack Obama should not be our party’s nominee, showed an incredible lack of judgment.”
The Moran campaign said McAuliffe has described himself as having a central role in electing Obama president, something Roos said “is the height of hypocrisy.”
“Our direct-mail piece reflects the frustrations of Barack Obama supporters all across the commonwealth, and our campaign is proud to be getting the truth out about Mr. McAuliffe’s record,” Roos said.
Jesse Ferguson, another Moran spokesman, said the brochure that reached Lynchburg’s Ward II also was mailed “to communities in every region of the commonwealth.”
The brochure urged voters to choose Moran, who, along with state Sen. Creigh Deeds, is one of McAuliffe’s two opponents in the Democratic primary. Several polls the past week have shown Deeds overtaking McAuliffe, with Moran running third.
The primary’s winner will face Republican candidate Bob McDonnell for governor in November.
Coleman said the league didn’t dispute the quote, but said it was taken out of context.
Coleman said McAuliffe had included people of all colors in the Democratic Party when he was its national chairman, and the Voters League is united in its support of McAuliffe.
Coleman said the brochure appeared to have been mailed solely to residents in Lynchburg’s Ward II and not to other sections of the city.
The Voters League endorsed McAuliffe last Tuesday, and the brochure reached mailboxes two days later, Coleman said.
Danny McCain, president of the league, called the brochure an attempt to split the city’s black vote.
Coleman called it “an act of desperation.”
Coleman said the brochure was “uncharacteristic of Brian Moran” and called on the Moran campaign to retract it or disavow it.
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