Decision Virginia

We are now guaranteed a three way democratic primary in the race for Governor. State Senator Creigh Deeds filed close to 16 thousand signatures to gain access to the ballot for the June primary.

Deeds now joins former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe and former Democratic House Leader Brian Moran in what promises to be (and already has been) a competitive and spirited race. (McAuliffe and Moran have already filed)

Deeds has trailed in fund raising and independent polling, but not to the point where he shouldn’t be considered a contender. He has strong support in Southwest Virginia (he recently picked up the support of Rep. Rick Boucher) and did come within a whisker of winning statewide four years ago in the race for Attorney General.

The release announcing the filing is after the jump..

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Ryan Nobles - bio | email

If you aren’t on twitter yet- this might give you a reason to sign up. Last night on a public feed available to anyone, Three high profile aides to Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe got into an interesting back and forth over the now controversial fundraiser for McAuliffe run by the lobbying firm BGR. 

This online argument tells us quite a bit about both campaigns. The Moran campaign seems unwilling to stop hammering McAuliffe on this issue. They believe it has the potential to drive a big wedge between McAuliffe and committed Democratic voters that will be vital to his success in November. On the other hand McAuliffe’s people have not backed down. They have gone to great lengths to explain that BGR is not a “Republican” firm, but a bi-partisan one that has provided services to prominent Democratic candidates. They have also reminded journalists and supporters that big time Democrats from Virginia (Mark Warner) and beyond (Chuck Schumer) have worked with Ed Rogers, the most prominent fundraising organizer that has gotten McAuliffe into trouble.

Even more telling (and it is seen below), is the fact that McAuliffe’s staff is working hard to make the case that Moran’s campaign has taken a negative turn. A turn McAuliffe promised not to take.  

That brings us back to twitter. The spat was between McAuliffe’s top communications aide and Clinton campaign Veteran Mo Elleithee and two Moran associates, Democratic blogging superstar Jerome Armstrong and Howard Dean/John Edwards media mastermind Joe Trippi.

From what I can tell the first missive came from Armstrong the full rundown is after the jump-

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