McDonnell brings another GOP star/ 2012 contender to Virginia

Ryan Nobles – bio | email

Huckabee, Jindal, Romney, Guliani and now Barbour. Is there any doubt republicans have a close eye on Virginia? Just about every prominent national Republican seems to be finding every opportunity they can to come to the Commonwealth to stump for Bob McDonnell and make themselves known in the Old Dominion.

Haley Barbour, a favorite of social conservatives and the vice-chair of the Republican Governor’s Association comes to Virginia on Monday to stump for McDonnell and help the GOP nominee raise some cash for his race for Governor.

Aside from his responsibility as RGA vice-chair, Barbour is widely considered to be a mulling a run for President. The Mississippi Governor has made trips to both Iowa and New Hampshire and he is term limited in his current position. That means he will be out of a job in 2011, just in time to mount a campaign in 2012.

Interestingly, this is not the first time, Barbour’s name has come up in the Virginia governor’s race. The lobbying firm that he founded and is now run by his close associate Ed Rodgers hosted a fundraiser for Terry McAuliffe this winter that gave the Macker’s democratic primary opponents plenty of fodder. Although Barbour is no longer associated with firm, it still gave democrats the opportunity to take his name in vain as a way to criticize McAuliffe.

While Barbour is beloved by republican die-hards, he is also a prime democratic target. Expect Bob McDonnell’s political enemies to use the joint appearance as a way to build their case that McDonnell is an arch right winger, not the moderate he has attempted to portray himself.

McDonnell will appear with Barbour in both Virginia Beach and here in Richmond. We will have coverage of his press event in RVA Monday on Decision Virginia and NBC12.