"You supported [Mitchell Wade's] lies when you claimed this was about jobs. This is, and always was, about money. ... Mr. Goode, this is your bill, will you pay it? You owe it to the people you claim to serve."
It looks like no one here has yet diaried a report of VA-5 Democratic congressional candidate Al Weed's fiery challenge to incumbent Virgil Goode today, as reported in detail on Raising Kaine and more briefly in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. If any Democratic campaigners around the country are wondering about the appropriate tone to take in confronting Republican venality, Al's got a rhetoric lesson for them.
Virgil Goode (VA-5) is one of the three congressmen who have been identified as recipients of illegal contributions from MZM CEO Mitchell Wade and employees of the compnay, though he has received less national attention. The others are better known nationally, of course: Duke Cunningham for being in jail, Katherine Harris for being Katherine Harris. But Virgil Goode has maintained his hold on Virginia's 5th District by presenting himself as a champion of jobs for the hard-hit rural Southside and as a "values Republican" in his angry rhetoric on illegal immigrants and federal judges who seek to uphold church-state separation.
His deal with Wade that brought MZM to the 5th District obligated the city of Martinsville for a liability of up to $500K in the event that MZM was not successful; now that its successor has closed its doors, that bill may come due. If the city isn't required to repay it will be because the state burns the debt.
When Al ran against Goode in 2004 he earned a reputation as being, if anything, too high-minded and gentlemanly in his critique of his opponent. He's showing in this year's campaign that the gloves are off.
Update: There is a more complete story in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch.