Some will no doubt accuse me of "guilt by association," but sometimes the old adage is true: "We are known by the company we keep."
Ed Rogers is a supporter and "friend" of Terry McAuliffe. He is a lobbyist and Republican pundit. He has raised significant amounts of money for McAuliffe's campaign for the Virginia governor's mansion. There's a funny little video floating around edited like an attack ad with the Pink Floyd song "Money" playing in the background. I don't care for that video. It's too flip. It's also too short. I don't think it really gets to the heart of who Ed Rogers is. The person who made that video wants you to decide based on a few seconds of footage. I want you to take some time and learn a little about Ed Rogers.
I think Virginia Democrats should dig a little deeper into Ed Rogers and decide for themselves if they want to back the same person Ed Rogers supports. To that end I have collected a few clips of Ed Rogers that give a more extended sampling of the views of this McAuliffe supporter and fundraiser. I'd ask my fellow Democrats to watch some or all of these videos and reflect on whether they'd like to be on the same side of a political debate as Ed Rogers.
Ed Rogers on MSNBC, November 29, 2006
Ed Rogers on Charlie Rose, February 12, 2008
Ed Rogers on MSNBC, October 19, 2008
Ed Rogers on Hardball (MSNBC), October 28, 2008
These were the only videos of Ed Rogers I was able to find. I haven't edited them or manipulated them in any way. I hope that Virginia Democrats will watch these clips and ask themselves why someone like Ed Rogers would involve himself in a Democratic primary. Has Rogers seen the light and joined the Democratic Party? Is Ed Rogers just supporting his good "friend" Terry McAuliffe? Is it possible that Ed Rogers has some kind of agenda, or that he wants a favor from the next governor of Virginia?
I don't have any kind of personal problem with Terry McAuliffe. If Mr. McAuliffe wins the Democratic nomination in June's primary I will happily support him. But Terry McAuliffe is not my first choice, and it's ties like this one to Republican uber-lobbyist and pundit Ed Rogers that keep me from enthusiastically supporting McAuliffe in this year's primary. I want the next governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia to be a Democrat who will work with Barack Obama and for Barack Obama's agenda. I am not confident that Terry McAuliffe is the best choice to fill those criteria.