Rally in Alexandria, with Pictures

Around 11:30 AM, Alexandria's mayor, Bill Euille, kicked things off by vowing that "Alexandria will deliver for Tim Kaine tomorrow."  Euille also noted that he would "much rather be with Mark Warner today than with George Bush and Jerry Kilgore tonight!"  That got a big laugh.

Former Alexandria mayor Kerry Donnelly asserted that "If you liked Mark Warner, you're gonna LOVE Tim Kaine!"  That got the crowd excited.

Fairfax County Board Chairman Gerry Connolly had the crowd laughing with his joke about Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Jerry Kilgore and a firing squad.  In short, the three go before a firing squad, one by one.  Just as the executioners are about to shoot, Warner yells "earthquake," the men drop to the ground and Warner runs to safety.  Same thing with Kaine, except he yells "tornado" and the men look up while Kaine scales the wall and escapes.  Finally, Jerry Kilgore, thinking he's got it all figured out, waits until the men count to "2" and then yells "fire!"  D'oh! :)

Delegate Brian Moran then launched into a fiery, ad lib speech ("I'm going to just wing it from the heart!").  Moran said that it had been an "honor to serve with Tim Kaine and Mark Warner," and  that he was proud of all they accomplished together the past four years.  Unfortunately, according to Moran, Warner and Kaine were "opposed by extremist Republicans every step of the way."  That's why, in Moran's view, "we need to give Tim Kaine more House of Delegates" he can work with.  Moran also emphasized that we need to win big tomorrow in order to "show the whole nation so that the White House can hear us."  In other words, if you don't like the direction the country's heading in, you need to repudiate George Dubya Junior, aka Jerry Dubya Kilgore, here in Virginia.

Special guest John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO spoke of the Democrats being a "team that's ready to go to work for working families," and stressed that Tim Kaine -- NOT Jerry Kilgore -- is "on the side of Virginia's working families."

Congressman Jim Moran talked about how the Bush visit tomorrow almost certainly was "resisted" by the Kilgore camp, and that "you know this was Karl Rove's idea."  It's a gamble, in other words, that if Kilgore could somehow pull this one off, the White House could claim it as an "affirmation of Bush's policies."  Policies like running up huge deficits, slashing programs for the most vulnerable in our society, packing the Supreme Court with conservatives, gutting environmental laws, etc.  That's why we need to "send a rebuke to George Bush and all he stands for" tomorrow.

Creigh Deeds stressed that he has "the record, the ideas, and the values" to lead Virginia forward.  Deeds also stressed that he is "pro-business, pro-consumer, and pro-environment" all at the same time.  Sounds like a great combination to me!

Leslie Byrne looked out on the crowd and saw all kinds of people.  That's what the Democrats are all about - from diversity, strength.  In contrast, the Republicans practice the "politics of division," the aim of which is - not surprisingly - "to divide us."  To Mrs. Byrne, this race is about "a future for our children and grandchildren," about "affordable and accessible health care," about making sure that "getting to work isn't a job in and of itself," about bringing people together, and about continuing and the fine work that Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have begun the last four years.

Mark Warner, to spontanteous and enthusiastic cheers of "08 08 08," spoke of this being his last rally in Market Square...as Governor, that is.  (big, knowing laugh from the crowd).  On the serious side, Warner spoke of bringing together Democrats and Republicans the last 4 years, but also of having "a little more bipartisan House of Delegates for Governor Kaine" to work with the next 4 years.  Warner stressed that the voters of Virginia "gave us [their] trust 4 years ago," and "I hope we've earned it!"  (cheers)  Warner pointed out all the progress Virginia has made, and that "noone has stood firmer than my partner, Tim Kaine." But, Warner added, "there's lots left to be done...and Tim Kaine is the man to do this job." 

Gov. Warner pointed out that, to decide between Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine, all you have to do is "look at how these two campaigns have been run."  Warner noted that "this past weekend may have hit a new low," with "phony mailers" and "phony telephone calls" by the Kilgore campaign.  In a reference to the Republican scandal-a-minute going on in Washington DC, Warner said, "that may work across the river, but we don't want it here in Virginia."

Finally, Tim Kaine spoke of how "we are a team" (Leslie Byrne, Creigh Deeds, and him).  Kaine praised Byrne as a "battler for education," while stressing that her opponent, Bill Bolling, is "anti-education."  Kaine praised Creigh Deeds as "a strong fighter for public safety...tough and compassionate." In contrast, Republican Bob McDonnell "fought against everything we did the last 4 years." 

Kaine stressed that "Virginians aren't dumb," and that we're "not going to be fooled by all the baloney the other side is pushing out."  Unlike the Republicans, the Kaine/Byrne/Deeds ticket knows "how to invest in education," while the other side was "against budget reform, against efforts to make Virgina the best-managed state in the nation, even against the Americans with Disablities Act!"  In sum, the Kilgore/Bolling/McDonnell ticket spent the last 4 years fighting against all the progress Mark Warner and Tim Kaine made.

In Kaine's view, the entire Republican campaign this year has been "a campaign about negatives and labels."  Kaine pointed out that we don't need "slash and burn," we need "positivity, optimism, hope and vision."  And that's what the Democratic ticket brings, which is why "people are feeling this" while Jerry Kilgore is drawing very small crowds.  Still, Kaine gives the Republicans credit for their GOTV operations, which means our side has to work extremely hard through tomorrow.  In conclusion, Kaine used the line - I've heard it now several times, but it's still great! - that "It was broke [4 years ago], we fixed it, so for God's sake let's not break it again!"

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